On the Heaven Dou Empire's official road, three men and two women made their way slowly toward the empire's border.
"My lord, there's a village up ahead. Should we enter and stay for a while, as we did before?"
Yang Fan returned from scouting the road and reported to Su Zhen.
Su Zhen gazed at the faint outline of the village ahead, feeling a little vexed.
Ever since leaving Suotuo City, he had kept to places with large populations. Whenever they came across a village or town, they would enter and stay for three or four days. On the one hand, this allowed him to complete the Thunder God's Second Trial, the comprehension of the human heart; on the other, it let him experience the customs and ways of life of the ordinary people of Douluo Continent. As a result, they had spent nearly half a year wandering around within the Heaven Dou Empire.
Over those six months of studying the human heart, Su Zhen had seen much of humanity's four virtues—compassion, a sense of shame, humility, and a sense of right and wrong—as well as the four extremes of evil: selfishness, greed, desire, and rage. He now deeply understood that human nature was a complex mixture of good and evil. There was neither pure good nor absolute evil. If he wanted to truly see through people and judge their sins, his understanding of human nature still fell far short.
"Let's go and take a look. I hope this time I'll understand people more deeply."
After a moment's thought, Su Zhen led everyone toward the small mountain village at the foot of the distant hills.
"Crimson Thunder Village? Yang Fan, is there a village by that name on the Heaven Dou Empire's maps?"
Looking at the words carved into the stone stele at the village entrance, Su Zhen couldn't help asking in puzzlement. He had studied the regions and the distribution of cities and villages across the continent in the Worship Hall. He couldn't claim to know every village that had been reported to either of the two empires or Spirit Hall, but he should at least have a vague impression of them. Yet he had not the slightest recollection of this village.
The three characters for "Crimson Thunder Village," carved into the half-meter-high, old-fashioned stone stele, looked like several bolts of lightning woven together. As Su Zhen gazed at the three scarlet ancient characters, he sensed a trace of familiarity and solemn authority.
"My lord, this village doesn't appear in the Heaven Dou Empire's city and village planning records. Nor has any Spirit Hall subordinate ever reported awakening a Martial Soul here."
Yang Fan carefully searched through the records of the two great powers, but found not a single mention of the village.
"My lord, the road we came by has disappeared."
Zhu Zhuqing approached Yang Fan and whispered in his ear. Her warm breath brushed against his earlobe. She was the only Agility Attack System Soul Master in the group and was responsible for keeping watch behind them. This time, she had discovered that the road they had taken had vanished.
Though she had spoken softly, everyone present was a powerful, high-ranking Soul Master, and they all heard her.
Su Zhen turned to look back the way they had come. The broad official road had vanished, replaced by a dense forest.
This place is strange. With spiritual power on the level of a Titled Douluo, I didn't even notice anything happening behind us.
Su Zhen stared at the forest that had appeared out of nowhere, his eyes filled with solemnity.
"Who's there, playing tricks? I'll tear you to pieces!"
Li Hao stepped forward. His Shadow Tiger Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and a surging aura burst forth. Black light gathered in his mouth, and in the blink of an eye, a beam of black light shot out and struck the forest ahead.
"What?!"
The sight before her left Dugu Yan stunned. The full-force attack of a level ninety-one Power Attack System Titled Douluo had failed to make even a crack in the bizarre forest. It hadn't even broken a single tree. The terrifying attack vanished into the trunks like a stone bull plunging into the sea.
"How is this possible? Uncle Li is a Titled Douluo! He can't even break a single tree!"
Dugu Yan cried out in alarm. Li Hao was several times stronger than her grandfather.
"Forget about this place for now. Let's check the village. The exit might be there."
Looking at the forest, which remained unchanged after Li Hao's attack, and at Dugu Yan's shocked expression, Su Zhen spoke helplessly. He couldn't figure out what was going on either.
"My lord, should I keep watch behind us?"
Zhu Zhuqing asked. Her voice was calm, but the fear in her eyes did not escape Su Zhen.
"Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing, move to the middle of the group. Li Hao and Yang Fan, bring up the rear. I'll lead the way. We must finish exploring the entire village before sunset."
Su Zhen looked toward the setting sun sinking to the mountainside. The unease in his heart grew stronger.
With Su Zhen at the head and the two Titled Douluo bringing up the rear, the group searched the whole village. After nearly half an hour, they finally finished their inspection, and the results made even Su Zhen break out in a cold sweat.
The five of them were now gathered around a huge stone platform at the center of the village, discussing what they had found.
"My lord, we searched the entire village. There's no sign that anyone has ever lived here. It's clearly an uninhabited village."
Yang Fan slowly explained the results of their search, his voice heavy with gravity.
"That's right, my lord. No one has ever lived here. Not a single brick or blade of grass contains any Soul Power fluctuations, and our search turned up not the slightest hint of anything strange. Apart from having no people, this is a perfectly ordinary village..."
Li Hao added. He had swept the area for several miles with his spiritual power and found nothing unusual.
"The more normal this place seems, the more powerful the being behind it is likely to be. There must still be something we haven't found."
Su Zhen spoke calmly, then had everyone spread out and search the village again. Their first search had shown them that there was no danger here; they simply couldn't leave.
Su Zhen and the others split up once more, each searching a different part of this perfectly ordinary village.
An hour later, they gathered again on the stone platform in the center of the village. The moon had risen, its clear light illuminating the entire village.
"I found nothing here."
"Nothing on my end either. No results."
Yang Fan and Li Hao reported their findings in turn. Su Zhen didn't mind; he hadn't noticed anything either.
Su Zhen turned his gaze to Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing, hoping they might have found something.
"Same as the two seniors."
Dugu Yan shook her head and gave her answer.
"I found this."
Zhu Zhuqing's cool voice echoed across the empty stone platform. Her words instantly drew everyone's attention.
Zhu Zhuqing held out her right hand. A scrap of red paper lay in her slender palm, bearing a peculiar symbol.
"What's this? Thunder!"
Su Zhen stared at the ancient symbol on the scrap in Zhu Zhuqing's hand and cried out.
He recognized this symbol—or rather, it wasn't a symbol, but an extremely ancient character. So ancient that only three beings across the entirety of Douluo Continent knew it.
Su Zhen was one of those three who could read the ancient character. This was the language of the Divine Realm from tens of thousands of years ago. The other two who could recognize it were naturally Gu Yuena and Di Tian.
"This is his tomb."
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