After Chu Hao killed the last Soul Beast, the system's prompt sounded in his mind.
He hadn't expected that two hours of slaughter would not only raise his Soul Power considerably, but also earn him a reward. It was truly a double blessing.
However, the Soul Power he'd gained through killing was somewhat disappointing. Even with the half level of Soul Power granted by the system, he'd barely managed to rise one level, reaching rank thirty-eight.
Chu Hao couldn't help feeling troubled.
It seemed killing low-year Soul Beasts really wasn't enough to help him improve.
Otherwise, how long would it take him to reach rank forty? It was simply too slow.
He had to find more powerful Soul Beasts, or directly obtain a Soul Ring for his Second Martial Soul. That would be faster.
Once Chu Hao had made up his mind, he started back, following the densely scattered Soul Beast corpses. He wondered how Hu Liena and the other two were doing.
"F-finally, it's over."
Watching the Soul Beasts flee, the three knew that two hours had passed. They finally let out a breath and slumped to the ground.
By then, they were covered in blood.
All around them lay only dozens of Hundred-Year Soul Beasts and a few thousand-year ones.
There was no helping it. They didn't have Chu Hao's abilities.
They'd been too busy trying to survive to pay attention to what was happening on Chu Hao's side.
When the three began looking for him, they froze where they stood.
Before them lay nothing but densely scattered Soul Beast corpses and the Soul Rings that had appeared after the beasts died.
It was no exaggeration to say the bodies were piled up like a mountain. The sight completely stunned them.
Before, they had submitted because Chu Hao had forced them to.
Now, his strength had utterly won them over.
Just as Du Feng had said earlier, if Chu Hao wanted to kill them, it would be as easy as lifting a finger.
At most, it would take one sword strike.
That was the difference between them and Chu Hao.
An uncrossable chasm.
"Well, not bad. Holding out for two hours is quite an achievement."
As the three stood there, stunned, a loud clap rang out.
Du Feng approached with a smile, applauding to show his approval.
He'd thought they could hold out for an hour at most.
He hadn't expected them to last until the end. It had genuinely surprised him.
"E-Elder, did Chu Hao really kill all of them by himself?"
Yan slowly came to his senses and asked hesitantly.
"He killed them all himself," Du Feng replied.
Hiss...
Hu Liena and the others drew in a sharp breath.
Good heavens!
It was true.
Just how had he managed it?
He was way too monstrous!
"E-Elder, where's Chu Hao?"
Hu Liena endured the pain and slowly got to her feet, forcing herself to remain standing.
She was exhausted and injured, and badly wanted to rest.
But Chu Hao's incredible feat made her feel too ashamed to sit down.
At the same time, Xie Yue and Yan also got up. Determination showed in their eyes.
Clearly, Chu Hao's strength had become a spur for all three of them.
If they rested now, they'd only fall further behind him.
"He's just ahead. Follow me."
Du Feng looked at the three of them, who had barely managed to stand, and nodded with approval before leading the way.
At that moment, they had truly earned his respect.
They really were the strongest young generation in Spirit Hall, and worthy of being the people Chu Hao had chosen. Their resolve was remarkable, and they had the potential to become peerless powerhouses.
With them in Spirit Hall, it would only grow more glorious.
But they hadn't gone far when Chu Hao returned.
The moment they saw his eyes, their bodies trembled. Fear welled up involuntarily from deep within them.
Bloodthirsty, cold, merciless, and frenzied!
Even Du Feng, who was accustomed to slaughter, was startled.
"Elder Du, is there a river nearby?" Chu Hao asked in a low voice.
"Yes, about five miles away," Du Feng replied.
"Lead the way," Chu Hao said coldly.
"Right away!"
Du Feng nodded and turned to lead them.
"You three, follow. Don't hold us back."
Chu Hao glanced at the somewhat weakened Hu Liena and the others, then followed Du Feng.
Judging by his light steps, the battle had barely affected him. His stamina and Soul Power still seemed abundant.
Seeing this, the word monster surfaced in the depths of Hu Liena and the others' minds. They hobbled after him.
Taking their condition into account, Du Feng deliberately slowed down.
A journey that should have taken a little over ten minutes ended up taking nearly an hour.
By then, night was almost falling.
On the Douluo Continent, Soul Beasts were always most active at night.
"Elder Du, gather some firewood and catch a few rabbits while you're at it."
Chu Hao glanced at the crystal-clear river. After giving the order, he jumped straight in without taking off his clothes.
The moment he submerged, he stained the stream around him red.
The blood caked on him was clearly no small amount.
The river they were beside wasn't large or deep, so there was no chance of any particularly dangerous, large Soul Beasts living in it.
"Brother, you go ahead and wash. I'll wash later."
Hu Liena glanced at Chu Hao as the stream flowed over him and pressed her lips together, looking troubled.
The river was small, and the sky hadn't grown completely dark.
As a woman, it wouldn't be convenient to bathe together with them.
But she didn't dare go far.
If she ran into a Soul Beast, she'd have no chance of surviving in her current condition.
With no other choice, she could only put up with it for now.
"Fine. Wait a little."
Xie Yue nodded, then jumped into the river with Yan.
Hu Liena tactfully turned away.
Wanting to let Hu Liena bathe as soon as possible, Xie Yue and Yan took off their bloodstained robes underwater and washed them clean. After giving them a quick scrub, they put them back on and climbed out.
They hadn't known in advance why they were coming here, so they hadn't brought any spare clothes.
They'd just have to make do.
"Nana, we're done. Your turn."
Yan straightened his robe a little and jogged over with a grin.
"Has Chu Hao finished?" Hu Liena asked.
"Uh, not yet. Judging by his pace, he'll need a little more time. Why don't you go farther away to wash?"
Yan glanced at Chu Hao, who was still standing there doing who knew what, and was at a loss for words.
He was just hogging the spot without getting the job done.
Hu Liena glanced at the darkening sky and replied, sounding aggrieved, "I'll just wait a little longer."
And so Hu Liena waited by the riverbank. Even after Du Feng returned with firewood and several rabbits, Chu Hao still showed no sign of finishing his bath.
"Which of you knows how to roast a rabbit?"
Du Feng glanced at Hu Liena and Chu Hao in the stream, then shook his head helplessly.
He couldn't very well say anything about Chu Hao's behavior, so he changed the subject to the rabbits.
There was no helping it. He couldn't cook.
Xie Yue and Yan shook their heads at Du Feng's question, then looked toward Hu Liena.
Seeing this, Hu Liena said, "Don't look at me. I can't either. But Chu Hao's cooking is delicious."
Du Feng looked at Chu Hao and sighed. "Then we'll have to wait."
Just then, Chu Hao's voice rang out.
"Get the fire started. I'll be right up to prepare them."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Hao took off his robe, rinsed himself off, then grabbed the robe—still not completely clean—and came ashore wearing only his underwear.
It seemed Qian Renxue pulling down his pants had taught him to be a little more careful.
"Your turn to wash. And wash my clothes while you're at it."
Chu Hao didn't care about appearances. He tossed his robe to Hu Liena without asking whether she agreed, then took the rabbits Du Feng had brought and went to the riverbank to clean them.
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