Departure

The Eternal Dusk Twin Wolves had appeared after Fu Hua obtained her third Soul Ring. They seemed to have come with the Soul Ring itself, like the soul bones Master spoke of—twin wolves born from a pair of twin beasts.

These gauntlets were "God's Seat" weapons created by the Destiny Organization. Their name came from Skoll and Hati, the twin wolves of Norse mythology that pursued the sun and moon.

Legend said that when Twilight of the Gods descended, they would devour the sun and moon, plunging the Nine Realms into eternal chaos.

But legends were ultimately just legends. Their effect was not quite so terrifying.

The twin wolves that chased the sun and moon would devour their essence, then unleash it. Put simply, they could absorb others' Soul Power and convert it into the force behind Fu Hua's attacks.

For example, Fu Hua herself was like a cup of water, one filled to the brim. With the Eternal Dusk Twin Wolves equipped, the water in that cup would be refined into purer, more concentrated water.

As long as external energy continued to assault her, Fu Hua's strength would rise by an equal amount, one level after another, stacking continuously up to ten levels.

In other words, if Fu Hua could already fight a Soul King on equal footing, another ten-level increase would bring her right to the threshold of a Soul Emperor.

She could directly challenge opponents above her rank.

That had been when she was a level-thirty Soul Grandmaster. Now, Fu Hua's Soul Power had reached level forty, making her a Soul Elder. Even without obtaining a new Soul Ring, her combat power was certainly greater than it had been a month ago.

Judging solely by the complete lack of change in her expression, the pressure from five Soul Sages had caused her no trouble whatsoever.

This was even weaker than Zhao Wuji's third soul skill, Gravity Field!

Besides, she herself carried a gravity domain. The Gravity Bracelet on her right hand had never been turned off since she began cultivating. Even when fighting in the Great Soul Arena, she had battled under twenty-five times gravity.

Now, facing five Soul Sages, Fu Hua did not dare be careless. She immediately switched it off, and her entire body relaxed in an instant, light as a feather, as though she might ascend on the wind.

She rolled her shoulders and clenched her fists. She had never felt better!

"Then... I'll finish this in one go."

Her movements were like the wind, coming and going without a trace.

Fu Hua's figure vanished from the five men's sight in an instant. The gale still howled around them, and the wind generated by the pressure of their Soul Power became Fu Hua's perfect cover.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

The desolate forest was utterly silent, its stillness terrifying.

The five exchanged glances, then each flickered into motion, standing back-to-back in vigilance. A single Soul Elder had made five Soul Sages this wary—if word got out, people would laugh their teeth out.

Yet at this moment, only the five present understood what kind of terrifying existence they were facing.

Though she was clearly only a Soul Elder, the youth radiated a power that filled them with fear. No wonder His Holiness the Pope had dispatched only bishops at the Soul Sage rank or above.

"What do we do now?"

"No matter what, we have to hold her back until Lord Douluo arrives."

With grave expressions, they swept their gazes over their surroundings. The desolate forest remained quiet, and the rustling of leaves in the wind sent chills through the hearts of all five.

Fu Hua, hidden in the shadows, was startled.

There was actually another Douluo? Including the one who had appeared at the Great Soul Arena, Spirit Hall had dispatched two Titled Douluo.

Fu Hua could not help but speculate in secret. Spirit Hall's efforts suggested they had obtained intelligence no one else knew. As for Soul Rings formed from Honkai Beasts, no one in this world besides her should have been able to absorb them.

That should have been the case.

But according to Master's account and the legend Xue Qinghe had mentioned, thirty years ago, there had been someone who understood Honkai Beasts and could absorb the Soul Rings condensed from their energy.

Other than fusion warriors and Herrschers, not even ordinary Valkyries could do such a thing. So who had appeared on this continent thirty years ago?

The mysteries before her obscured the truth, leaving Fu Hua unable to make sense of it all. She would have to uncover every answer herself. For now, she needed to focus on the matter at hand.

"I can't get tangled up with them for too long."

After considering it again and again in the shadows, Fu Hua ultimately chose not to alert the enemy. She turned and quietly left. As long as she got away from here, once she raised her Soul Power and combined it with her own strength, the legend from thirty years ago would surely be reborn.

With Flash Step beneath her feet, she vanished without a trace.

The surrounding wind drowned out the sound of clothing brushing against leaves. In the distance, a powerful surge of Soul Power came rushing in, arriving in the desolate forest in the blink of an eye. By then, Fu Hua had already reached its edge.

"Where is she?"

The newcomer's voice was rough and carried a wild dominance. Bare-chested, with a wine gourd hanging from his waist, he stood with his arms crossed and looked down imperiously at the five men below.

The five trembled, sweat beading on their foreheads, not daring to speak.

"Are you all mute?!"

Boom!

Vast, razor-sharp Soul Power erupted, forcing the surrounding grass and trees to bend low. The gale subsided, and there was no trace of anyone else nearby.

The newcomer glared furiously, and the five men instantly fell to their knees.

"Hmph. Let's see where you can run to."

Night was approaching, yet there was still no sign of Fu Hua. Master and the others inside the Great Soul Arena were beside themselves with worry.

Even the person in charge of the Great Soul Arena had dispatched employees to search several times, yet there was still not the slightest trace of her.

"Where exactly did Crimson Kite go?" Master asked gravely.

His gaze swept over the other Shrek monsters.

Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Xiao Wu were all bewildered. Hadn't Fu Hua been with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing ever since she separated from them?

Their gazes turned once more to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, waiting for their answer.

"Following Master's instructions, we each went to different divisions for spirit battles. But Crimson Kite said she had something to do and left first. We don't know where she went either," Ning Rongrong said, sounding slightly confused.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, confirming her words.

The atmosphere froze once again. Just when everyone thought it would continue like this, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

An employee of the Great Soul Arena leaned over and whispered into Manager Ao's ear. As he spoke, Manager Ao's expression grew increasingly grim.

After waving him away, Manager Ao said with a gloomy expression, "Our people reported that thirty minutes ago, someone saw Crimson Kite leave the Great Soul Arena—and, more than that, leave Suotuo City. After her, five or six other figures also left Suotuo City. Few people enter or leave Suotuo City at night, so they saw them very clearly."

Once Manager Ao finished speaking, Master's and the Shrek little monsters' expressions changed abruptly.

Fu Hua was in danger!

Ever since Spirit Hall had intervened in this matter, Fu Hua had been in a dangerous situation. Now that she was alone, the consequences were easy to imagine.

Ning Rongrong immediately notified her father, Ning Fengzhi. Ning Fengzhi did not delay either. Together with Bone Douluo, he left the city and arrived in the desolate woods. Yet as he looked at the devastation before him, he could not stop shaking his head.

"Were we still too late?"

"Fengzhi, the outcome does not seem to be that bad," Bone Douluo said.

"Mm! Uncle Bone, what do you mean?"

"Judging from the scene, I only sensed one person's Soul Power pressure, on par with mine. It must have been a Titled Douluo. Yet there are no signs of a fight at all. That little one named Fu Hua should have left in advance."

"She left?" Ning Fengzhi said in an unreadable tone.

Looking into the distance, the pale light of dawn was already beginning to rise on the horizon. Daybreak was approaching; the darkness receded, while undercurrents lay hidden.

"Uncle Bone, let us return! I believe little friend Fu Hua has Heaven's protection."

Within the Great Soul Arena, the waiting Shrek group could only send seven people onto the stage to face the Royal Fighting Team, as they could not delay any longer. The many twists and turns of the battle kept the audience thoroughly engrossed.

It made up somewhat for their regret at being unable to see Crimson Kite take part in the team battle. Yet Shrek's dazzling performance in the Great Soul Arena did not affect the schemes of others.

With Fu Hua fleeing and Spirit Hall relentlessly pursuing her, a night passed. They crossed several hundred kilometers and arrived outside the Star Dou Great Forest.

Using the dense forest for cover, Fu Hua evaded wave after wave of Spirit Hall's searches. Yet what weighed most heavily on her heart was that at the exit, Titled Douluo-level Douluo were quietly waiting for her to walk into their trap.

No more, no less—four in total.

Every one of them possessed power comparable to a Herrscher's. No matter how strong Fu Hua was, she could not possibly face the combined assault of four Herrschers at once. At this moment, she had no choice but to keep going deeper.

Those four Titled Douluo seemed wary of certain presences within the forest as well, and did not follow her inside, which made Fu Hua breathe a sigh of relief.

Against merely Soul Master-level opponents such as Soul Sages, defeating them would not be difficult for her.

After evading another search, Fu Hua had already reached a position close to the middle of the Star Dou Great Forest. If she continued forward, she would enter the very center, a place rarely visited by anyone.

A place where Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts might exist.

And upon reaching this place, the feeling that had once arisen within Fu Hua surfaced again. That intense pull tempted her to continue deeper.

"What exactly is inside?"

The Star Dou Great Forest covered a vast area. Even with additional manpower, finding one person within a few days was extremely difficult—especially when that person was constantly on the move.

The dangers within the forest were simply not somewhere low-level Soul Masters could venture. Thus, over the past few days, Spirit Hall's people had grown increasingly anxious as well.

Especially Snake Lance Douluo, who had always had a fiery temper.

At this moment, he was still bare-chested, sitting cross-legged on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Several Titled Douluo were beside him. Perhaps they had grown bored guarding their respective areas alone and had come together for a gathering.

"That Crimson Kite has some skill. She has stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest for so many days and still managed to keep her composure," Snake Lance Douluo Yu Long said.

"Ha! She will probably come out soon enough. After all, our people are gradually exploring deeper into the forest, and spies are watching the road to the Star Luo Empire as well. Could she possibly cross the central region and reach the Star Luo Empire directly?"

A somewhat effeminate voice rang out. From the voice alone, it was impossible to determine the speaker's gender. His little finger was raised, forming an orchid gesture, yet his chest was completely flat.

His skin was fair, and his phoenix eyes tilted upward. He did not possess Oscar's seductive charm, but rather the sinister viciousness of a snake.

His thin lips curled into a faint arc.

"Tsk! Poison Snake, stay away from me. I am not into that."

Yu Long shifted aside, putting some distance between himself and Poison Snake.

It turned out that while Poison Snake was speaking, he had unknowingly leaned toward Yu Long. Combined with Yu Long's words, it was clear that Poison Snake had a liking for men.

Well! With Poison Snake's feminine face, he might not even be seen as gay!

"Oh my, Little Longlong, why are you being so distant with me?"

With a twist of his wrist, he pointed with his orchid-shaped fingers. Combined with the expression he deliberately put on, it instantly sent chills down Yu Long's spine.

"Go, go, go! Find someone else if you want a man. I am a real man."

He moved even farther away.

Just as Yu Long and Poison Snake were "politely yielding" to each other, a voice with a tone similar to Poison Snake's suddenly came from beside them.

"Yo! Little Long-Long and Little Snake-Snake, I never realized you two were this close. Out here in the wilderness, in broad daylight... am I interrupting something?"

The newcomer was dressed entirely in yellow, yellow from head to toe. His long, smooth hair was pinned on one side with a chrysanthemum. His skin was fair, his chin sharp, and he had a face beautiful enough to make women jealous. At that moment, he was staring brightly at Yu Long's group.

A glint of gossip seemed to flash through his eyes.

"Stupid Chrysanthemum, don't spout nonsense. I think you and Poison Snake are the real pair," Yu Long said with an annoyed expression.

"Oh my! I already have my little Mei-Mei. I won't steal your man."

"Tch! I really don't know why His Holiness the Pope sent you two here. You're nothing but trouble."

Poison Snake alone was already enough of a headache for Yu Long, and now there was Ju Hua Guan too. Could these two have been brothers in their previous lives or something?

That was right—they were two very beautiful men.

And they both loved giving people nicknames. The way they addressed others was sickeningly mushy. Yu Long would rather fight an enemy for three hundred rounds than stay here and talk to the two of them.

"Enough, back to the point. So? Any good news today?" Yu Long asked gloomily.

"What else could there be? Still no trace of her. It's as if she sank into the sea. If our scouts hadn't seen it with their own eyes, I'd be wondering whether we were looking in the wrong place," Ju Hua Guan said, curling his lip.

"Same here. Other than a few snakes, I haven't seen a single person," Poison Snake echoed.

Clearly, this was not the answer they wanted. Just where had Crimson Kite gone?

PS: I can't do this anymore, I've got a terrible cold. I need to rest! I need to rest! Although it's a bit excessive to rest again after just taking seven days off, there's really nothing in my head while I'm sick. I can't even watch anime, and I've only been able to read novels on and off. So, give me another two or three days! Once I'm feeling better in two or three days, updates will resume. I'll make up all the chapters delayed during this period, but they won't count as bonus chapters.

PS1: This chapter is the bonus update for reaching 120 Monthly Votes. Here it is. As for the rules for Monthly Vote bonus updates, go read the required notice. I won't repeat them again in the future. So far, I haven't owed any updates.

PS2: Alright, I'm going to rest now. Hopefully, after taking medicine tonight, I'll feel a little better tomorrow.