"The Mingdou Mountain Range was formed over four thousand years ago from the collision of two continents. It is rich in mineral resources, producing over a dozen rare metals. As a result, the Star Luo and Sun Moon Empires have been constantly warring over control of the Mingdou Mountain Range for years."
"We've already informed the Star Luo Empire's garrison near the Mingdou Mountain Range of our mission before setting out. They will provide us with detailed maps and accurate intelligence. If there are no objections, we'll depart immediately at full speed. Keep your Watcher Rings secured; you can only wear them while executing the mission."
Western Border of the Star Luo Empire.
The night was deep, the stars and moon were obscured, and the wilderness was pitch dark. This was the darkest hour of the night. Soon, when the sun rises in the east, a new day will begin.
Suddenly, a streak of white light cut through the sky, leaving a dazzling trail, as if it was splitting the sky itself.
The white light was descending rapidly toward the ground, gradually slowing as it did.
Abruptly, the white light expanded, resembling a massive platform unfolding, with a diameter of dozens of meters. Visible atop this platform were several dark figures, slowly descending to the ground.
"Ugh…"
Sounds of vomiting echoed, and as the white light retracted, the dozen or so figures, now visible, staggered, either crouching or leaning against trees, with over half of them vomiting.
"Look at you lot, can't even handle this little bit of speed?"
A voice full of mischief spoke up—it was Old Xuan, munching on a grilled fish while gulping down wine. Without a doubt, those pale-faced, vomiting individuals were the students he brought along.
Huo Yuhao, however, showed no reaction. After all, Xuan Zi's flying soul tool was far inferior in both speed and craftsmanship compared to the one Jing Hongchen had used before.
He handed out a few pills to his nearby companions, which were some basic medicinal pills he had previously refined, known for their calming effects.
While the group was resting, a squad emerged from a nearby military camp, led by a man with a name reflecting a certain lord's twisted sense of humor—Du.
Dai Yueheng, recognizing the garrison from the Mingdou Mountain Range, stepped forward and explained the situation to the White Tiger guards who had come to investigate, dispelling any potential misunderstandings.
However, this time, the group did not enter the military camp to meet with Dai Hao, unlike in the original story. The reason was simple: Shrek Academy had completely severed ties with the White Tiger Duke's family over the incident involving Dai Huabin.
And with Xuan Zi's status, he naturally did not regard Dai Hao, the Star Luo Empire's second-in-command, highly. Besides Elder Mu, there were indeed very few people in the world who could earn the respect of the Chicken Leg Douluo.
After resting for the night, Dai Yueheng retrieved the intelligence related to their mission from the military camp.
According to the information, the primary area of activity for the Hand of Death bandit group was the central region of the Mingdou Mountain Range. They would only descend the mountain swiftly when they had a specific target.
The bandit group consisted of around three hundred members, all of whom were in their prime. About a tenth of them were soul masters. Judging by this alone, the Hand of Death's strength was inferior to the Bloodthirsty Fiends, who were composed entirely of evil soul masters.
However, there was no accurate information about the leader of the Hand of Death bandit group, only that they were believed to be a soul master with at least Soul King-level cultivation, though their specific abilities were unknown.
The reason for the limited information was that the Hand of Death left no survivors in their wake, their methods extremely cruel.
This was all the military could provide, given the sensitivity of the location being near the border. They weren't even allowed to carry their flying soul tools into the mountains.
Moreover, time was tight, as they still needed to reach Star Luo City to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament. So, after confirming the intelligence and obtaining a map, the group set off immediately.
"Maintain formation. Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and I will take the front, spaced ten meters apart. The control and support types will follow behind."
The orders were issued by their team leader, Ma Xiaotao. However, she was a bit frustrated, as Huo Yuhao had been forbidden from taking action this time, and the reserve team members were only there to observe, which somewhat constrained her tactical arrangements.
With Ma Xiaotao and the other two leading the way, they advanced quickly. By the time night fell, they had already ventured deep into the Mingdou Mountain Range.
"Everyone, gather around."
Wang Yan waved them over, signaling for everyone to come to him.
The outer courtyard students immediately obeyed, while the inner courtyard's seven members displayed some impatience.
In terms of cultivation, Wang Yan was also a Soul King, but only comparable to them. And he was just an outer courtyard teacher, so these inner courtyard students generally didn't hold much respect for teachers who weren't stronger than them.
However, a teacher was still a teacher, so they felt obliged to give him face.
Wang Yan spoke in a serious tone, "I've been observing the surroundings, and there are a few things I've noticed along the way."
"First, we've encountered Warmth Trees nearby. These trees thrive in cold, shady environments, and their heartwood can be used in medicine, providing significant assistance to soul masters who cultivate cold or dark-type martial souls. They only grow in areas with abundant vegetation and high air quality. I've read in an ancient text that Warmth Trees usually appear only after venturing at least fifty miles into dense forests."
Ma Xiaotao frowned slightly, somewhat disdainfully asking, "Teacher Wang, what's your point?"
Wang Yan explained, "My point is that we've already entered the core area of the Mingdou Mountain Range, or at least the outskirts of it. According to our intelligence, the leader of the Hand of Death bandit group might be an evil soul master. I discovered this just now."
As he spoke, he retrieved a piece of tree trunk from his storage soul tool. The trunk had been damaged, with a cylindrical hollow inside.
"This is a Warmth Tree. Its heartwood has already been removed, meaning someone took it. Considering our mission target, we can hypothesize that we are likely not far from the enemy."
"The heartwood of a Warmth Tree is not only beneficial for soul masters cultivating cold-type martial souls but also enhances the internal organs' resistance to cold-type soul power. For them, it is a rare and valuable treasure. If you were in their position, would you abandon such a treasure? Therefore, I'm almost certain that the Hand of Death's hideout isn't far from here."
Huo Yuhao nodded approvingly from the side. Wang Yan's analysis was logical and well-founded, showcasing his considerable knowledge. Even from Huo Yuhao's omniscient perspective, Wang Yan's assessment was flawless.
Ma Xiaotao scratched her head, instinctively asking, "Teacher Wang, what should we do now? Should we wait here for them to come?"
Wang Yan shook his head and said, "No, we need to take the initiative. When moving through the forest, people always leave traces. Although it's already dark, with our combined efforts, we should be able to locate the bandits' hideout."
Though they didn't have the benefit of Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection, Wang Yan, along with Ma Xiaotao and several of the main team members, managed to track down the Hand of Death bandit group's hideout.
However, at that moment, the true Hand of Death was silently reaching out toward them.