When Rus Wang emerged from the Dragon Valley small world, the spatial rift behind him closed as well. The Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had dispersed throughout the mountain range to wait. When they saw Rus Wang return, Ximing, who was closest, hurried over first.
She beat her wings and raced toward him at full speed, then made a 180-degree turn and came to an abrupt stop beside him.
"How did it go? Did the Light Dragon King ancestor give you too much trouble, Rus?"
"Not really. The Light Dragon King is a very rational elder. He only regretted the previous Dragon King's death, despite the fact that I hadn't visited him in over four hundred years. After that, he asked me to tell him about the situation between humans and Soul Beasts in the outside world."
Rus Wang then looked toward the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts from Dragon Valley Forest as they approached, and continued speaking to Ximing. "In a moment, I'll tell everyone something very important, as instructed by the Light Dragon King."
Led by Rus Wang, the Soul Beasts soon returned to Yin Ji's true form. Rus Wang explained in detail the Light Dragon King's instructions regarding the deaths of the previous Dragon King and its successor, as well as the current situation on the continent.
The gods of the Divine Realm had stopped concealing their covetous interest in the treasures of Dragon Valley World, and were plotting a series of secret activities unknown to the Soul Beasts. For now, the Star Luo People's conquest of Dragon Valley Continent was inevitable, but that didn't mean the Soul Beasts couldn't influence the smaller details.
They needed to prolong the Star Luo People's occupation of the entire Dragon Valley Continent for as long as possible, but not too long. They would use that extra time to find a way to move all the members of their tribe in Dragon Valley Forest to Zheer Continent, where they could establish a secluded home for themselves alongside the Elves.
Rus Wang now needed to use the Dragon Clan Space Teleportation Array taught to him by the Light Dragon King to connect Dragon Valley Forest with Nanshan Rainforest and cut down on unnecessary travel. The sooner he set out, the better, so he had to leave today. Even if the humans retaliated in the meantime, they had lost a Level 97 Super Douluo. Unless they dared to pull a Level 98 expert away from the border with the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires, they wouldn't be able to do much damage to Dragon Valley Forest. Of course, if the Spirit Pagoda got involved, that would be another matter.
But the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts weren't fools. When they encountered someone stronger than themselves, they would naturally avoid them.
Rus Wang handed a tablet Soul Tool to each of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and told them, "Since the ancestor explicitly said that we should strengthen ourselves, we should also make good use of external tools. So, I'm going to teach you how to use something."
The Soul Guidance Communication Device was called a communication device, but it looked almost exactly like a 2G phone from Rus Wang's previous life. Its communication capabilities, however, far surpassed those of a 2G phone.
Rus Wang's eldest son, Barus, was restless by nature. He took Elena all over Zheer Continent, causing a commotion and conducting all sorts of experiments. The Grey Feather Division would follow them and report back, after which Rus Wang and whichever of his nine wives was closest to Barus would give him a double beating.
But that didn't mean Barus's experiments hadn't produced anything that made Rus Wang's eyes light up. Out of the dozens of successful results, there were bound to be a few good ones.
The Soul Guidance Communication Device and the Soul Power Scaling Rune were both useful inventions his eldest son, Barus, had tinkered with.
Otherwise, the storage Soul Tool Rus Wang carried would have been smashed to pieces long ago by the changes in his body when he transformed into human form and then back into his Blade Ruse King form.
"Every Soul Beast needs to mark down the location of a Communication Terminal Array. Although the Soul Communication Device lets Soul Beasts communicate across distances, its maximum range is 200 kilometers. If you go beyond that range, you'll need to find a concealed spot, engrave this Communication Terminal Array, and then activate it with Soul Power. Once activated, the array will last for two months before it stops working."
After Rus Wang and Ximing had taught each of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts how to use the devices, they chose a cave and engraved the runes for the space teleportation array in a concealed spot. Once they had confirmed that everything was correct, Rus Wang told Ximing that if even the Giant Mountain Golden Ape couldn't handle a threat, she should call him immediately. He would set down the space teleportation runes where he was, activate them, and come to get them.
Then, that night, he flew south at full speed, retracing the route he had taken.
As he hurried back toward Zheer Continent, Rus Wang thought, I hope nothing happens during this time. But we've already killed a Super Douluo. The Star Luo Empire, which occupies the northern part of Dragon Valley Continent, can't possibly do nothing in response.
And, as it turned out, his fears were justified.
The Soul Hunting Squad had ventured deep into Dragon Valley Forest. Fewer than one in ten of them survived, and they returned to the nearest Star Luo military outpost in a state of panic. The Star Luo Empire's major general stationed there was also deeply unsettled by the staggering number of casualties.
This undoubtedly meant that things in Dragon Valley Forest were no longer as they had been before, when a Super Douluo could lead a large-scale military force deep into the forest and capture Soul Beasts with impunity right under the Ferocious Beasts' noses.
The top combat forces among the Soul Beasts had returned so suddenly. From the surviving members' reports, this dragon-type Soul Beast was at least six hundred thousand years old. Many Soul Saints had survived only because Soul Douluos had carried them back with Soul Power, and they were all unconscious. But the real problem was that this six-hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beast wasn't like the other Ferocious Beasts, which only used their own strength. It could use Soul Tools, summon tsunamis, and create waterspouts with winds reaching Level 13!
It could even use human Soul Tools, which meant its intelligence was on a completely different level from the Ferocious Beasts of Star Dou Forest. If it decided to retaliate against the Star Luo Empire by attacking the coastal port cities on the continent, the damage could slash the empire's economy in half.
What truly had the major general on edge, however, was that Dai Zuoheng, the Star Luo Imperial Family's prince and the commander of the Soul Hunting Operation, had sacrificed his life to help the squad escape the dragon's retaliation!
How had such a disastrous mess ended up involving a mere major general like him?!
"Sir, according to protocol, we can't conceal the death of any member of the imperial family from His Majesty the Emperor."
The major general, a Soul Douluo, was drenched in cold sweat. But his professional sense of duty still gave him the courage to speak to Duke Libai, who stood atop the city wall. The duke was a Level 96 expert.
Duke Libai didn't take out his anger on a garrison commander who had nothing to do with the Soul Hunting Operation. "The prince's death concerns only me. Major General, you don't need to worry. If I had covered the Soul Hunting Squad's retreat myself, Prince Dai Zuoheng might not have died."
He looked toward Dragon Valley Forest, his eyes burning with the desire for revenge.
"The empire may not strip me of my title, given my strength, and I'll only have to hand over most of my wealth. But my honor has already been tarnished. I'll personally submit a plan to the imperial family to atone for my failure. As long as I'm alive, I'll keep hunting that dragon down and make it pay with its life for killing Prince Dai Zuoheng!"
"But sir, only a Level 98 Super Douluo can stand on equal footing with a six-hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beast. Is there any hope of you reaching Level 98 in your lifetime?"
The major general quickly lowered his head, afraid to look at the duke, but silently thought to himself.
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