After sweeping across this land eroded by the flames of war, the group advanced once more. Before long, they arrived above a military camp of approximately three thousand soldiers.
Because the soldiers of the Sun and Moon Empire fought differently from those on the Douluo Continent, the equipment they were issued was naturally quite distinct.
In terms of weapons, aside from the standard combat gear, most soldiers actually preferred to use their own martial souls paired with various crude soul tools for battle.
The practice of using medicinal pills for cultivation had always been prevalent in the Sun and Moon Empire. This situation had largely emerged alongside the gradual rise of soul tools.
Xu Yuexuan and Xie Shiyu had previously mentioned the important role and influence of medicinal pills in the Sun and Moon Empire. To put it more directly, nearly eighty percent or more of today's Title Douluo on the Sun and Moon Continent had broken through by forcibly stimulating their potential using special medicinal pills or even drugs. However, this also resulted in their upper limits being extremely low. The vast majority were basically stuck around level ninety-one or ninety-two, and it was hard to find even a few who could break through to the Title Douluo realm.
Under such circumstances, those evil soul masters who did not use medicinal pills or drugs for auxiliary stimulation held an absolute advantage in soul master power. Moreover, once one fell and became an evil soul master, their combat strength would also increase exponentially. When soul masters of the same level from the righteous and evil factions clashed, the winner would definitely be the evil soul master. Of course, if the righteous side's martial soul was a powerful fire-attribute, or even light or holy-attribute martial soul, that would be another matter…
The group had no intention of starting another conflict. They merely observed the camp's facilities and personnel configuration with cold indifference before continuing forward. But just as they had left the range of the camp and reached the thin clouds above, a soul-guided cannon shell flashing with firelight suddenly shot toward them at astonishing speed.
The Demon Empress at the very back of the group reacted the fastest. A dark purple thunderbolt shot out and successfully detonated the massive soul-guided cannon shell. The shockwave from the explosion scattered the surrounding clouds, and the group's figures were once again exposed to the eyes of the artillerymen in the nearby military camp.
Above that military camp, two middle-aged men wearing special armor had already risen into the air. Beneath their feet, eight and seven optimally configured soul rings respectively shimmered. Clearly, the status of these two middle-aged men was definitely not low.
Xu Yuexuan noticed the medals on their chests and her expression changed slightly. She was just about to say something when, in her gradually contracting pupils, a terrifying scene was reflected.
The originally neat and solemn military camp seemed to have been affected by some terrifying force. The space above it began to twist bit by bit, and the earth started to tremble as well. The two soul master powerhouses who had already taken to the air didn't even have time to make a sound before they exploded into bloody mist in mid-air.
Immediately afterward, endless ice exploded forth from underground, instantly slaughtering every single living being within the entire camp. Blood was frozen by the cold air. The expressions on countless people's faces still carried bewilderment, yet their lives had already ended. The overwhelming cold air spread outward in all directions. For a time, even sunlight could not contend with it head-on…
Shen Hanyu calmly withdrew his palm and then led the group onward. Having just slaughtered so many lives, there wasn't even the slightest ripple in his heart. When one has killed enough people, one loses all reaction to the act of killing. The weak are prey to the strong, Shen Hanyu did not feel he was wrong. Moreover, good and evil are defined by the strong; history only records the victors, while the defeated side naturally bears all the scorn and infamy…
Witnessing such a scene with their own eyes, Xu Yuexuan, Xie Shiyu, and the other girls with weaker tolerance all turned deathly pale. The others remained composed, their faces showing not the slightest change. They were mostly familiar with such scenes, and more than that, they understood Shen Hanyu's style.
After all, Shen Hanyu had never concealed the evil in his heart…
Seeing this, Shen Liuyu patted both Xu Yuexuan and Xie Shiyu on the shoulders at the same time and said:
"Get used to it. Although my brother is a bit ruthless, a bit indifferent toward life, and has a somewhat strange personality, aside from those things, my brother is actually a very good person. Once you get to know him well, you'll naturally understand…"
Upon hearing this, Shui Bing'er nodded in agreement and added:
"Brother Yu is very easy to talk to. You don't need to worry so much. Besides, everyone is a companion now, so there's nothing to be concerned about…"
Xu Yuexuan and Xie Shiyu exchanged a glance, a trace of bitterness surfacing in their eyes.
Shen Hanyu was undoubtedly absolutely good to his own people, but toward outsiders, they really couldn't say for sure. They had already seen many of Shen Hanyu's methods and had gained some understanding of him. The deeper they understood, the more they could sense the extreme contradiction of good and evil deep within Shen Hanyu's heart. Of course, all of this was merely their speculation.
After re-entering the clouds, Xu Yuexuan glanced back once more at those lifelike "ice sculptures" and let out a soft sigh.
From the moment she saw the badges on those people's chests, she had already guessed their identities. Those medals belonged to a heavy armored legion once affiliated with the imperial family. Unfortunately, control of this legion had gradually slipped away from the imperial family and fallen into the hands of other nobles. Now that they had died at Shen Hanyu's hands, Xu Yuexuan could only let them consider themselves unlucky…
…
The Evil Demon Forest, fully named the Evil Demon Great Forest, was the largest soul beast gathering place in the Sun and Moon Empire. Its geographical location was in the northern part of the empire, directly west of the Jingyang Mountain Range. The territory was vast, with a great number and variety of soul beasts. However, because this forest was relatively close to the north, the coniferous trees mostly had black-gray branches and leaves, forming a dense, oppressive black mass. Therefore, most of the soul beasts living here were of a rather dark and sinister nature.
After crossing the combat zone, the group advanced quickly. In just one day, they reached the last city within range of the Evil Demon Great Forest.
To everyone's surprise, this city had no name, yet the soul master forces it possessed were extremely formidable. The city walls were dozens of meters high and constructed entirely from the hardest metal, capable of withstanding soul-guided cannon bombardment. The main reason for such hardcore defenses was to withstand the threat from the Evil Demon Forest. After all, no one could predict a beast tide. If they didn't prepare in advance, they would surely regret it when the time came…
Shen Hanyu's group only rested briefly in the city before heading straight into the Evil Demon Great Forest. If they wanted to explore more, they would have plenty of time after completing the soul hunt. There was really no need to rush now…
The area where the group entered the Evil Demon Forest was one frequently explored by local soul-hunting teams. Although it was somewhat dark and dirty, there were no major threats. Due to long-term trampling by human soul masters, a clear path had even formed in the forest. Not far away, a soul-hunting team was escorting a black giant tiger about five meters long out of the forest. Soon after, a massive metal carriage carrying an iron cage arrived and transferred the giant tiger away.
Crows cawed on the treetops of the forest. The light was somewhat dim, and the sun in the sky seemed blocked by some shadow, with only thin rays of sunlight filtering through the gaps onto the land.
The group moved quickly and soon crossed the outer perimeter of the Evil Demon Forest, officially entering the area where powerful soul beasts roamed.
To their surprise, even in this environment they discovered a large number of blue silver grass that seemed out of place with the surroundings. The plants were growing exceptionally well, emitting a faint blue glow in the dark forest, like the only salvation within the darkness.
Roars of soul beasts came from afar, followed by the huge sounds of the forest being trampled and pushed aside. The group pushed off their feet and arrived at the canopy of a large tree. Taking advantage of the height, they finally got a clear view of the situation ahead.
"It's the Dark Demon Ape King and the Dark One-Eyed Giant—both top-tier soul beasts among dark-attribute types. Their ages aren't too high, only around ten thousand years…"
You Mengchu examined the two massive soul beasts and made her judgment.
The Dark Demon Ape King was over ten meters long, with streamlined muscles, its body covered in black fur and a similarly ferocious face. The most terrifying feature was its pair of blood-red eyes, which in this environment looked as dreadful as hell itself.
In contrast, the Dark One-Eyed Giant was also over eight meters tall. Although its physique was not as streamlined as the Dark Demon Ape King's, its entire body was a bizarre gray-black color covered in various patterns. Its face was similar to a human's, but it possessed only a single pale red eye.
Two ten-thousand-year soul beasts were fiercely battling here. Bai Nian's expression grew serious as she said:
"Wait for me a moment…"
As soon as her words fell, seven soul rings rose beneath Bai Nian's feet. She then flew forward and joined the battle between the two giant beasts.
Thick deathly aura permeated the battlefield. Before long, a miserable cry suddenly rang out from within the deathly mist. When the mist dispersed, two ten-thousand-year soul rings were clearly visible. After absorbing the life energy from the two soul beasts, Bai Nian returned to the group.
…
Along the rest of the way, the group encountered quite a few powerful ten-thousand-year soul beasts. As expected, Bai Nian killed them all and drained them dry. During this process, the number of soul beasts she needed to hunt for her first trial continued to decrease. Bai Nian herself felt nothing; killing had become as simple as breathing to her. After slaying so many soul beasts, she likewise felt not the slightest psychological pressure…
The depths of the Evil Demon Forest were almost an untouched barbaric wilderness. Here, the forest was no longer flat but consisted of small hills one after another. The number and variety of soul beasts continued to decrease, and the surroundings were eerily quiet.
Xie Shiyu explained to everyone:
"The depths of the Evil Demon Forest are basically the territory of the Evil Eye clan. Other soul beasts rarely appear here. Even if they do, they are definitely extremely powerful. If nothing goes wrong, after we advance a bit further, we will encounter real Evil Eyes…"
As proven, Xie Shiyu's words were correct. After advancing for less than half an hour more, the group encountered an Evil Eye at the bottom of a slope.
This Evil Eye was only about ten meters in diameter, and it wasn't even a thousand years old yet. The tentacles around it hadn't fully developed either. Although it still carried a somewhat ferocious and terrifying aura, from another angle, it actually looked somewhat cute and adorable.
Shen Liuyu examined this little Evil Eye and suddenly said:
"What do you guys think? When we go back, can I catch a little Evil Eye to keep as a pet? I feel like this guy would be much more fun than raising some gentle soul beast. After all, besides the Evil Eye, I feel like only a true dragon would be worthy of this young lady…"
As soon as these words came out, both Zi Ji's and Gu Yuena's gazes fell upon Shen Liuyu at the same time. Gu Yuena let out a soft snort, and a drop of cold sweat instantly appeared on Shen Liuyu's forehead. She then laughed awkwardly:
"Just kidding… just kidding. I was only joking. Sister Gu Yu, Sister Zi, please don't take it seriously. We're all friends…"
Zi Ji symbolically patted Shen Liuyu on the shoulder, and the corners of her mouth also curved up slightly.
"Raising a true dragon?"
"Little girl, you've got quite the nerve. It's just that your current strength is still lacking. When you reach your brother's level, if you say that again, there might actually be people who believe you…"
Shen Liuyu laughed awkwardly while secretly glancing at Gu Yuena, whose expression remained unchanged.
A strange thought arose in her mind at this moment.
She had figured it out!
Later, she would persuade her brother to win over Gu Yuena. At that time, if for no other reason than simply not wanting to let others have her…
By then, with the boss of the soul beast clan taken by her own brother, as his little sister, wouldn't getting to raise whatever she wanted be as simple as saying a single word?
If Shen Hanyu were to learn of this, he would definitely silently give Shen Liuyu a thumbs-up.
Truly worthy of being the little sister he raised himself. Although she hadn't inherited certain aspects, she had indeed picked up some of his traits…
After letting the pitiful little Evil Eye go, the group advanced once more. The color of the sky became increasingly strange. The surrounding vegetation began to wither slowly. Countless pairs of eyes peeked out from various tree hollows. In the eerie sky, everything around became increasingly desolate. Something seemed to flow within the darkness, and danger was all hidden within it…
Shen Hanyu led the group to a stop in an open area. His gaze swept across the nearby forest but found no abnormalities. However, a faint spatial fluctuation came from the surrounding space.
Shen Liuyu, who was still plotting something at the edge of the group, scratched her head. Then, looking somewhat surprised toward a certain spot in the space behind her, the next moment, a faint spatial fluctuation arrived. A black tentacle emerged from it, coming face-to-face with Shen Liuyu…
…
Tentacle: ?
Shen Liuyu: …
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"Douluo: Sword of Judgment and Eternal Ice 30 Advance chapters"
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defying the Heavens 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon the novel is already finished on Patreon."
[email protected]/facficmax10--------(@→a)