Chapter 308 Super Burden

Yakray and several senior officers had just concluded a round of discussion and analysis. The energy source behind the mist and ghosts remained unclear and could not be determined with the existing intelligence. They would have to wait until tonight to continue their observations.

"Chief, why don’t you grab some rest? This isn’t something that can be resolved in a day or two," Tamucha said casually. "Jilian and I will keep an eye on things here, and I’ll report to you if anything comes up."

Yakray nodded.

He glanced at the military sand table, his gaze lingering on a location marked by a rooster comb forest, where a sneaky young man was hiding in a tree hole, contentedly sipping deer milk.

Yakray couldn’t help but laugh. "The whole night was filled with turmoil and the sounds of killing. We’ve been watching outside all night, and this guy actually had a comfortable sleep inside... Look at this kid, living the life!"

He was obviously referring to Wang Feng, whose identity token number 500 was prominently displayed on the sand table.

Tamucha and Gu Jilian also laughed.

Wang Feng’s soul power was too weak; he hadn’t even reached the normal Tiger Peak level. Ranking him at the 500th position among the Holy Sanctuary disciples was not at all unfair.

Frankly, when he rejected Yakray’s proposal and decided to take the risk himself, Tamucha and Gu Jilian were somewhat impressed. After all, entering meant random teleportation, and without the protection of high-level experts like Hei Wukai and Aota, the chances of survival for someone with his strength were almost zero.

But who would have thought that not only did this kid survive after entering, but he was also living quite comfortably. While most disciples on both sides were exhausted from the killing all night, he actually had a good sleep and was leisurely drinking milk early in the morning... Is this kid on a holiday or what?

"Digging a hole to hide in a tree, he’s really determined to be a turtle. It’s quite something he managed to do that," Tamucha said with a smile. "But how did he avoid the detection of those ghosts? These energy entities are very sensitive to human body temperature and aura. Could it be some kind of turtle breathing technique? But that state can’t last long. He was hiding in the tree hole; how did he judge when to use the turtle breath and when he could slack off?"

"It must be some detection method we haven’t discovered," Gu Jilian said. "I’m starting to have a good impression of this kid now. He’s sneaky enough; such people often survive longer on the battlefield."

"Let’s hope so," Yakray smiled.

A detection method? Nothing extraordinary, perhaps some soul artifact given by Karida, like the teleportation bead I gave him. There are indeed big figures in the League of Blades who want to protect him; this kid must have a lot of good stuff on him.

What really interests me is this kid’s mentality, being able to sleep in such an environment...

This isn’t just a case of having thick skin. Compared to such self-deceiving nonsense, Yakray has always believed in another maxim.

Real calm comes from real confidence.

Perhaps even I’ve misjudged him; this Wang Feng really has something.

………………

At this time, the Soul Illusion Realm was already morning. The sun rose, the mist dispersed, and the forest and wilderness that had been filled with ghostly wails all night seemed to return to peace in an instant.

Birds chirped clearly and pleasantly in the forest, and the grass on the ground was covered with dewdrops, presenting a scene full of vitality.

But in this vibrant scene, a figure was shivering in the corner of a large tree.

Mapeier was feeling a tad irritated.

Honestly, being unexpectedly assigned to the Soul Illusion Realm was quite a surprise for her.

Cai Yunhe from the Holy Judgment was severely injured by Kela and had not recovered. The deputy captain, Mu Mu, who was the second strongest in the team, was also demoralized after losing to Wang Feng, the so-called 'weakling.' With the two core members of the ace team unable to come, she was thrust into the spotlight.

She was chosen over other combat specialists precisely because of her expertise in potion crafting and exorcism, which could enhance the team’s survival capabilities. Clearly, the higher-ups in the Judgment had a very clear and self-aware positioning, planning conservatively from the start.

Mapeier initially had the idea of making achievements in such a significant event, but she didn’t receive any task instructions from above...

Here’s a golden chance, and the brass didn’t give her the green light, which was quite confusing. Her primary task was to hide herself, and she couldn’t act on her own.

What really got under her skin was the Soul Token she carried.

Other Holy Sanctuary disciples might not know, but she was well aware. This Soul Token carried a faint runic magnetic field commonly used by the League of Blades, which had a considerable monitoring effect. Though the monitoring’s extent was unclear, the constant feeling of being watched was pure torture for a spy.

It seems that the League of Blades and the Nine Gods have deeper meanings and plans for the competition in the Soul Illusory Realm. This is both a trial and a screening. Even after the most stringent investigations, the higher-ups on both sides cannot be entirely confident in these elite disciples, who are undoubtedly the future core of their respective high-level organizations. The Soul Tokens with covert monitoring functions are designed to uncover the deepest spies among them.

After all, no matter how well a spy is disguised, it is difficult to avoid exposing their true strength in such an environment. Whether it's true or not, Mapeier dares not take the risk. So, during an escape, she deliberately pretended to lose her Soul Token in a panic. But even then, she had to remain cautious. Unless absolutely necessary, she doesn't want to act. As for credit, she doesn't need to take risks; the organization naturally has ways to help her rise.

Low-key and patient... these are the most basic qualities of a member of the Mi Group.

As Mapeier thought, her pupils suddenly contracted slightly.

She tilted her head back slightly.

Whoosh!

A silver light brushed past her body by a few inches, embedding itself into the grass beside her with a thud.

Black smoke instantly rose from the ground, emitting a foul stench. The green grass within a meter radius instantly turned yellow and withered...

Hundred Trees Wilt... the smell was all too familiar. A highly toxic substance, lethal upon contact with blood, commonly used by the Mi Group. The formula was shared with the War Academy only a few years ago, and now it was being used against her...

Then came more whooshing sounds!

Several more silver lights shot towards her. Mapeier flipped backward twice, narrowly dodging them. Immediately after, a figure appeared in front of her—a short, sleazy man with a mustache: "Hehe, a tasty little girl, quite alert, aren't ya?"

Mapeier's exorcist attire was quite conspicuous. A lone exorcist was obviously the most coveted target for disciples from both sides.

"My ranking is very low, killing me won't earn you much credit. Please, let me go, okay? I have a lot of potions on me, I can give you some..." Mapeier pleaded. Although she was acting, she still felt somewhat annoyed.

"The Soul Token signifies credit. I don't care about your ranking. As for the potions... are all the elites of the Holy Sanctuary this foolish? Hahaha, kill you, and they're all mine!" The short man laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over Mapeier's ample chest with great interest: "Of course, if you're willing to hand over the Soul Token and the potions obediently, and then serve me well, I might consider sparing your life..."

Mapeier took a frightened step back, but her fragile expression only further stimulated the short man's desire to conquer. He boldly stepped forward: "So, have you decided? I prefer women to take the initiative, but if I have to force it, that can be quite enjoyable too!"

Mapeier glanced around and sighed: "If possible, I really don't want to act..."

The short man laughed loudly: "Putting on airs! Seems you prefer to be coerced!"

He channeled his soul power, about to pounce, but suddenly found his body unable to move.

What the hell?

The short man was stunned. The previously panicked little rabbit now had a dark expression, her icy gaze like that of a deadly ghost child: "You deserve to die."

Buzz~~

It was the vibration of spider silk, very faint, gone in an instant.

But the short man's expression was now completely frozen. His mouth hung open, his eyes filled with disbelief.

This was the most straightforward way to kill, using the least amount of soul power and least likely to trigger the Soul Token's reaction or attract outside attention. But there was still a risk of being exposed. Mapeier didn't spare him another glance. This was no place to linger. She turned and left, clearly uninterested in his Soul Token or his ranking.

The short man's eyeballs twitched slightly. He hadn't yet realized his condition, only feeling that he couldn't move. But the next second, a blood streak suddenly appeared in his eyeball—no, not just his eyeball!

His face, body, limbs—everywhere was covered in dense blood streaks, like cracked glass, instantly covered in fine lines, and then...

His consciousness vanished in an instant.

Splat!

His entire body was divided into fist-sized chunks of meat, misaligned and sliding, splattering all over the ground!

And in the air where his body had just shattered, dozens of blood-stained spider silk threads crisscrossed densely, shimmering with a bright red hue under the morning sun—the allure of the red spider.

High up on the treetop, Hei Wukai stretched lazily, welcoming another beautiful morning.

The turmoil of last night clearly had nothing to do with him; he had slept soundly here.

Avoiding these spirits wasn’t too hard, as long as one could completely mask their soul power. As for the zombies, they could indeed smell human flesh, but they only wandered aimlessly on the ground. By staying high up in the treetops, the scent wouldn’t carry that far, and they would never look up.

As for mental blocks... Hei Wukai had never had any. As a seasoned warrior, one must learn to rest adequately in any environment, unaffected by external factors.

He had even managed to sleep while in the middle of activities, letting the alluring girl exert herself on him. As long as he wanted to sleep, he could fall asleep immediately, while simultaneously maintaining a vigorous combat instinct to subconsciously cooperate. This was what he called training...

The morning sunlight bathed the earth, waking him up and dispelling the mist on the ground.

Hei Wukai yawned and observed his surroundings. Those filthy things had indeed all disappeared, though many rotting zombies and bones remained on the ground, emitting a foul stench that attracted the forest's mosquitoes, insects, rats, and ants.

He flipped down from the treetop, his direction clear. He made his way to where the soul power was strongest, partly to test his luck and see if he could stumble upon an opportunity, but mainly to find Wang Feng. Although the Soul Illusion Realm was vast and filled with enemies, to him, it felt like his own backyard.

With his strength, he didn't need to worry much about who his opponents were. Honestly, if not for special needs, most top experts wouldn't be keen on settling scores at this stage, as it was only the first layer.

"I wonder how Old Wang is doing," Hei Wukai muttered, chewing on a weed he had plucked from the wasteland yesterday. It was bitter but quite refreshing and addictive. Then he thought of Mo Tong.

"That silly boy," Hei Wukai chuckled. Though he usually beat him up, he still knew him well. "He must have been quite excited last night."

Mo Tong was indeed excited, even somewhat smug.

He had been unlucky during the teleportation yesterday, tossed around in the teleportation channel for a long time. By the time he fell into this world, it was already night, and he happened to land right next to two Holy Sanctuary disciples. At the same time, these two disciples were being besieged by several spirits and zombies, on the verge of collapse.

As a model student, Mo Tong naturally grabbed his Titan Axe and joined the fray.

Wow, he was a beast!

Mahoraga was naturally endowed with immense divine strength, the most yang and extreme race in the world. Things like spirits and yin energy couldn't harm him; they couldn't even get close! Facing these spirits, this big guy just stood there casually, more effective than thunder magic!

In no time, he had the two Holy Sanctuary disciples out of trouble. Naturally, they were grateful, calling him "Brother Mo Tong" and following him around, unwilling to leave.

Mo Tong was touched... Just look at that! This is the proper reaction after being helped, unlike that Wang Feng!

Even though it was Mo Tong who did the fighting and saving, it was Wang Feng who enjoyed the cheers. Now, without that unlucky Wang Feng, it was finally his turn to bask in the glory of being praised. The constant "Brother Mo Tong" made Mo Tong's heart bloom with joy, so he took his new followers around for a stroll.

He had arrived late at night, and soon it was morning. The mist and spirits had dispersed, and the once lively zombies had turned back into lifeless bones on the ground.

As they say, good things come in pairs. Just as they emerged from the forest, they spotted the bodies of two War Academy cultivators. They didn't even need to search; two badges were lying right there on the ground, gleaming under the morning sun.

"Brother Mo Tong! There are badges!"

"Numbers 372 and 373, ha, they're consecutive!" The two Holy Sanctuary disciples were thrilled, their eyes shining with excitement.

These two were from the Kui Di Holy Sanctuary, a small place by the sea in the west, and their rankings were quite low. On their own, they’d never have a shot at snagging enemy badges in the 300s.

"Oh? Let me see!" Mo Tong also leaned over, feeling pretty pleased. He was short on money lately, and these badges were like cash. He hadn't expected to find them just lying around!

The two Kui Di Holy Sanctuary disciples exchanged glances. One of them said, "Brother Mo Tong, badges in the 300s don’t suit someone of your stature..."

Mo Tong was taken aback. The other quickly added, "Exactly, exactly! If word got out, people might think Brother Mo Tong only picks on the weak, too scared to face the strong!"

"Brother Mo Tong, you're ranked in the 30s among our Holy Sanctuary's top experts. You should be going after the top 100 on the other side to really show off your strength!"

"Pah! Ranked in the 30s? After Brother Mo Tong’s performance last night, taking out seven or eight spirits on his own, I’d say Brother Mo Tong is seriously underestimated! I’m sure Brother Mo Tong could make a run for the top ten!"

"Aota from the Ice Spirit Kingdom should make way for our big brother!"

"I think it’s not impossible to replace Maxwell!"

The two had already figured out Mo Tong’s temperament the night before, and now they were playing off each other, making Mo Tong’s heart swell with joy, though he feigned indifference on his face: "Rankings are just fleeting clouds; true strength is proven in battle!"

Both of them raised their thumbs in unison: "Big brother is indeed the big brother. Your level is completely different from ours!"

"Big brother, what about these tokens..."

"They’re just junk; I don’t even want them. You guys can have them!" Mo Tong waved his hand generously, feeling great. He’s already in the top ten—why would he care about two tokens in the three hundreds?

Besides, these two respected and admired him so much; he had to put on a bit of a show in front of them.

He’s the boss! A boss doesn’t pick things up off the ground! If he wanted these Soul Tokens, of course, he’d have to snatch them himself!

...

The two from the Kui Di Holy Sanctuary were thrilled. They’d just tried their luck, and it actually worked... The Eight Tribes aren’t as fearsome as the rumors say!

They quickly took the two tokens, then said with admiration: "I’ve never seen anyone as generous and heroic as our big brother in my life! This is a true hero, a man of steel!"

"The Supreme Sage Teacher taught us to cherish heroes, to respect heroes! My admiration for the big brother is as endless as a flowing river! If the big brother doesn’t mind, we, the heroes of Kui Di, will follow you from now on! We’ll go through hell and high water for you, no questions asked!"

"Second brother, we’ll face the dangers, we’ll handle the difficulties! The big brother’s generosity and incredible charisma have deeply moved me. Our lives are yours from now on!"

"From now on, the top hundred tokens are the big brother’s! Those low-ranked scum, we’ll collect them for you. We can’t let others think our big brother is a bully who picks on the weak!"

The two sang in harmony, and Mo Tong felt every pore on his body relax, suddenly feeling how beautiful the world was. Of course, the tokens couldn’t be divided like that... He’s no fool, but the mood was perfect. No need to spoil the fun—such words could be said later. He’s the one with the power; today they just got the jump on him. As long as he speaks first next time, would these two dare to oppose him?

"Alright, alright, you two are also quite good. Follow me from now on! What are your names, by the way?"

"I’m Kui Eagle, he’s Kui Bear!" The tall and thin one quickly said: "We’re known as the Heroes of Kui Di! In our Kui Di Holy Sanctuary, we have a reputation. We won’t let the big brother down!"

Mo Tong nodded. The nicknames and names were straightforward. Wanting to be heroes, there are too many with these two names in the Holy Sanctuary. They sound like two honest, straightforward guys, unlike Wang Feng, who always talks about 'this medal winner, that honor recipient...'—a bunch of nonsense.

He was about to speak with the authority of a boss to praise them, to enjoy the thrill of being the boss, but before he could speak, he heard a series of 'clang clang clang' sounds from the woods ahead, as if some heavy iron object was being dragged on the ground.

Sounds really heavy. What is it?

Mo Tong was startled. The three of them looked over at the same time and saw a towering figure walking towards them from the woods.

The guy was almost three meters tall and incredibly burly, wearing a massive steel helmet that covered his entire body, only revealing two black eyes on the helmet.

He was dragging a giant HexSky Mace, about two meters long and seven or eight centimeters thick, made of some unknown material. It looked incredibly heavy, yet he was dragging it casually, leaving a deep trench in the hard ground behind him!

"This guy’s an idiot! Wearing all that, is he a turtle?" Mo Tong laughed heartily. He remembered someone like this, ranked quite high, but in front of his underlings, of course, he had to show that domineering attitude: "I think I saw him during the transfer. What was his name, something like a devil man?"

The Heroes of Kui Di looked at each other, their mouths agape, and couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, feeling their scalps tingling: "The Steel Demon, Kaiser Mo!"

"Big brother, should we retreat?" Kui Eagle felt like peeing. The gap between someone ranked in the thirties and someone ranked third is just too huge.

And more importantly, this Steel Demon Kaiser Mo is a notorious executioner, a butcher. The Moon Bay case two years ago is well known in the League of Blades. The number of lives taken by this guy is probably over a thousand. To oppose him? It’s suicide!

"Retreat? Retreat my ass!" Mo Tong glared, hoisted the Titan Axe onto his shoulder, and looked fervently at Kaiser Mo across from him: "So what if he’s ranked third? Rankings are bullshit. Today I’ll show you guys a good move! I’ll tear off that piece of scrap metal and see what the hell is inside!"

Kui Eagle and Kui Bear looked at each other.

The big brother’s great, but when disaster hits, it’s every man for himself.

"Big brother, you go ahead and fight!" Kui Ying turned and ran, shouting as he went, "I'll go catch some game and come back to celebrate with you later!"

"I'll go help too!" Kui Xiong wasn't any slower, and he didn't forget to shout back at Mo Tong, "Big brother, go for it! Big brother, you're sure to win!"

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had disappeared.

"Bah! Those cowards!" Mo Tong was momentarily stunned, then spat on the ground. He didn't much care if they helped, but the problem was, if they ran off like that, who would spread the tale of his triumph over the Steel Demon?

Clang!

By now, Caesar Mo had emerged from the woods and stood about ten meters away from Mo Tong. A sinister gleam flickered in his pitch-black eye sockets. He didn't pay any attention to the fleeing Kui brothers, his gaze fixed solely on Mo Tong.

Mahoraga of the Eight Tribes?

Caesar Mo's pupils slightly contracted. It was rare to encounter someone from the Eight Tribes, and though it wasn't Hei Wukai, it was still worth his time.

Mo Tong's eyes also gleamed. The third-ranked in the War Academy was undoubtedly a top-tier expert, not to be taken lightly.

"Hey!" Mo Tong slung the Titan Axe over his shoulder. Though he spoke dismissively, he was well aware of the gravity of the situation.

Caesar Mo on the opposite side remained unresponsive, as calm and lifeless as a block of iron, only the dark eyes flickering with a sinister light.

A true master!

"Listen up!" Mo Tong grinned, a surge of soul power rippling from the Titan Axe. "The one who defeats you is Mo Tong of Mahoraga!"

A torrent of soul power burst forth from his body, making his entire being seem to glow faintly.

All that careful observation and tension—Hei Wukai's favorite tactics—were nonsense to Mo Tong.

A real man acts when he says he will!

Boom!

With a mighty leap, he soared into the air like a dragon bursting from the sea. The Titan Axe shifted to a two-handed grip, and two golden beams of light erupted from his eyes.

The Mahoraga Twin Slash!