After Wang Yan patiently explained a series of mission details and arrangements,most of which were filled with the usual talk about how evil the Death God's Hand bandit group was and how righteous the Shrek Investigation Team's duties were,the group finally set off again.
This time, however, they were in a hurry. There was none of the leisurely, sightseeing-like pace described in the original story. The Shrek team moved quickly, led by the more powerful inner court students who guided the outer court students in a forced march.
After half a day, the group arrived at the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Not far away stood a military camp belonging to the Star Luo Empire.
Relying on his status as the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Yueheng borrowed a batch of military-grade flying soul tools for everyone.
Of course, these flying soul tools were all outdated models,discarded by the Sun and Moon Empire after who knows how many newer generations had replaced them.
Flying soul tools had always been rare, as they were impractical for lower-ranked soul masters. The cost of production was high, and their energy consumption enormous. Without at least four soul rings, a soul master would find them difficult to use effectively.
Moreover, the flight capabilities of these soul tools were far inferior to soul masters with naturally flying-type martial souls, making them largely unpopular among lower-level soul masters.
This situation also reflected the long-standing conflict between the Martial Soul Department and the Soul Tool Department within Shrek Academy.
In theory, Shrek's soul engineers were among the best in the three former nations of the Douluo Continent. The soul tools produced by their department were a major source of income for the academy.
However, despite this, neither Shrek's official competition team nor its reserve team was equipped with any soul tools from the Soul Tool Department,a sensitive topic no one wanted to touch.
Whether it was because the Martial Soul Department refused to lower its pride and request equipment from the Soul Tool Department, or because the Soul Tool Department resented how their top disciples had been replaced by members of the Martial Soul Department after Ma Xiaotao's return, the result was the same.
Now, the flying soul tools being used for this mission were borrowed from the military thanks to Dai Yueheng's external connections,proof enough of the academy's internal rift.
Through his Eye of Truth, Huo Yuhao examined the flying soul tool assigned to him. In his vision, its structure was riddled with flaws,clearly intentional ones.
Aside from a few main arrays responsible for converting soul power into lift and propulsion, the rest of the arrays were filled with redundant patterns that made the device heavy, inefficient, and wasteful in energy consumption.
These redundancies were cleverly hidden within the main arrays, like encryption meant to prevent tampering.
However, with his Eye of Truth, Huo Yuhao could easily analyze and reconstruct the circuits. If he were to optimize them, the tool's efficiency could be improved by at least fifty percent.
From this, he could also adapt the core array design to modify his own soul power circulation, potentially granting himself limited flight capability in emergencies.
With his constant internal energy circulation, he could sustain flight far longer than ordinary soul masters.
Without revealing his thoughts, Huo Yuhao quietly put on the flying soul tool and followed the inner court students' instructions, practicing alongside the others.
Even Wang Dong,who normally detested soul tools,seemed to have forgotten her aversion, perhaps because the lingering influence of Tang San within her spiritual sea had gone dormant. She cheerfully joined the practice as if nothing were wrong.
After a brief training session, Xuan Zi stepped forward, took a sip of wine, and said, "Alright, you've all adapted enough. When we're in the air, try not to vomit."
Because he was still recovering from injuries sustained in the previous sparring session, Xuan Zi didn't plan on taking things slowly.
"This mission is time-sensitive," he said. "I'll carry you the rest of the way myself. Everyone, get ready."
Before he could continue, Wang Yan pulled out a long, specially made rope from his storage soul tool and handed it to the group.
Following his instructions, everyone secured the safety rope around their waists, legs, and arms. Then, the ropes were linked together, the end of which Xuan Zi tied around his own waist.
Using his soul power, Xuan Zi lifted everyone into the air and attached his own flying soul tool.
A moment later, a tremendous force yanked the group forward at breakneck speed. The wind howled like knives cutting through the air.
It was less "flying" and more "being dragged",pure brute strength over finesse. Only the enhanced physique of soul masters kept them from being torn apart.
Even so, they all had to use protective soul power barriers just to withstand the icy winds. The way Xuan Zi "flew" completely ignored any concept of aerodynamics or airflow.
Despite that, their speed didn't even reach the speed of sound. Even for a Super Douluo, breaking the sound barrier with pure physical strength alone was questionable.
After two hours of this rollercoaster ride, they finally landed at their destination.
Everyone except Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng,who barely managed to stay upright,collapsed to the ground, pale and nauseous. Many vomited uncontrollably, as if their stomachs were turning inside out.
Huo Yuhao also felt pale and retched a few times, but his potion-enhanced constitution and constantly circulating soul power helped him recover quickly.
"Hmph, look at you weaklings," Xuan Zi said mockingly, the very cause of their suffering. Then he turned to Dai Yueheng and added, "Little Dai, my landing might've drawn some attention. The military will probably be here soon."
Mumbling something about needing a nap, Xuan Zi yawned, stretched, and disappeared, leaving the group behind.
Dai Yueheng felt a surge of suppressed anger burning in his chest, but he could only sigh helplessly and take charge.
Despite losing the royal succession struggle, the White Tiger Duke's household still held significant power and influence. The western army was practically his private force, and though the royal family had limited their authority, they dared not eliminate them outright due to their divine bloodline connections.
With Dai Yueheng's intervention, the group was soon escorted into the central military camp.
It was already night, but soul masters didn't need much rest, and nighttime made it easier to act unnoticed,perfect for dealing with bandits and dark soul masters.
In the large leather command tent at the camp's center, the lights still burned bright.
A soldier saluted the man inside and said, "Marshal, the young master and the Shrek Academy delegation have arrived."
The man was handsome and stern, his eyes gleaming with twin pupils,Dai Hao, the current White Tiger Duke.
He was also, in another life, Huo Yuhao's father,the man his original self had hated and longed for in equal measure.
But to the current Huo Yuhao, this man was just another target. Helping with revenge was one thing; reconciliation was not on the table.
After exchanging a few words with his son, Dai Hao smiled at the group. "Welcome, Teacher Wang Yan, and the fine students of Shrek Academy. You've come a long way. Please, rest and share a meal with us before continuing your mission."
Wang Yan accepted without hesitation. After their rushed travel and Xuan Zi's "flight," everyone's stomachs were empty.
After dinner and two hours of meditation, night had deepened. The White Tiger Duke's men delivered their intelligence reports.
In short, they learned little,only that the Death God's Hand bandits were likely hiding somewhere deep within the Mingdou Mountains.
"Time is short," Wang Yan said. "We still have to attend the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Though it's late, the night works to our advantage. Let's act quickly and finish this by tomorrow noon if possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao silently evaluated who among the team he should try to protect in the coming fight.
Ma Xiaotao didn't need help,she was more dangerous than most evil soul masters.
Dai Yueheng could die whenever; it didn't matter.
Gongyang Mo might be worth saving,he was like a stronger version of Ning Tian.
Chen Zifeng could be useful too, depending on the situation.
Yao Haoxuan wasn't worth the trouble.
Ling Luochen could handle herself.
Xi Xi, however, was fragile,and if Huo Yuhao focused his mental energy on supporting Chen Zifeng, he'd have little left for her.
Too many to protect at once. Maybe he could let one person take the fall to save the rest. With that thought, he stopped worrying.
"Alright, if there are no objections, let's move out immediately," Wang Yan ordered. "Dai Yueheng, as team leader, you'll command. I'll focus on protecting the weaker members."
"Yes, Teacher Wang," Dai Yueheng replied with his usual smile,one that might soon fade.
Time passed, and the group delved deep into the Mingdou Mountains.
Dai Yueheng, Ma Xiaotao, and Chen Zifeng took the lead; the others followed in formation, with Beibei and Xu Sanshi covering the rear. After an hour of searching, they still hadn't found anything.
Then Huo Yuhao stopped and pointed. "I found something. Look there."
He gestured to a broken branch. "The break is still fresh,moist. And it's too high for an ordinary soul beast to have caused it."
Dai Yueheng nodded. "Everyone stay alert. Search the area, but don't startle them."
Not long after, guided by Huo Yuhao, Wang Yan discovered a grove of Wenlan trees. Following the clues, he deduced the approximate location of the Death God's Hand hideout.
After another hour of careful searching, the Shrek team finally found the cave where the bandits were hiding.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel