Leaving

The soul train moved smoothly along the tracks, the scenery outside the window racing backward. Fields, villages, and the occasional soul-tech advertisement billboard formed a flowing picture.

Demon Spirit sat by the window, gazing outside somewhat absentmindedly. Five years of living among humans had accustomed her to bustling streets and the smoky warmth of grilled fish shops, but whenever she traveled for long periods and looked upon these vast natural landscapes untouched by cities, the part of her soul that belonged to a forest spirit always became especially quiet—and especially sensitive.

"Brother Yuhao." She suddenly spoke, her voice soft and carrying a rare trace of confusion. "Has my lord... truly abandoned us?"

Huo Yuhao sat across from her. Hearing this, he raised his head from an old book about Aolai City's local customs. He looked at Xiaoling and saw not a child's innocent confusion in her eyes, but deep concern born from her connection to her race. Five years had passed. The Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, had vanished without a trace. Even when they returned to the forest each month, Di Tian remained tight-lipped about it, dismissing the matter with only one sentence: "My lord has her own arrangements." This had undoubtedly planted seeds of unease among the soul beasts of the core region, especially for a spirit like Xiaoling, born from collective will and hope.

He closed the book and carefully chose his words. "No, Xiaoling. This question... I don't know the answer either," he said frankly. "Five years without news is indeed unusual. But perhaps 'abandoned' is too harsh a word. The Silver Dragon King is the sovereign of soul beasts. Her considerations may be far more profound and complicated than we imagine."

Xiaoling turned her head, her violet eyes fixed on him as she waited for him to continue.

Huo Yuhao folded his arms across his chest and leaned back slightly, looking thoughtful. "Still, I do have a guess. The Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King split from the same origin. One inherited the Dragon God's power and savagery, while the other inherited wisdom and Elemental Control. That had been the case ten thousand years ago. But in this Divine Realm War, what the Golden Dragon King displayed was not merely terrifying growth in power, but also a kind of... cunning and learning ability that surpassed instinct. That is highly unusual."

He paused and looked at Xiaoling. "Power and wisdom should have been balanced. If one side suddenly broke that balance, becoming abnormally powerful and 'intelligent'... could the other side have paid some kind of price, or... suffered some problem of its own, leading to this imbalance?" He did not make it any clearer, but his meaning had already been conveyed—the Silver Dragon King's silence might be related to the Golden Dragon King's abnormal strengthening, perhaps even a consequence caused by the latter.

Xiaoling was clearly shocked by the possibility, and her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, my heavens... Brother Yuhao, but, but they're both my lords!" She furrowed her delicate brows in distress. This question seemed far too complicated for her pure-hearted nature. "If... if they fight in the future, who, who should I help?"

Seeing her serious, conflicted expression, Huo Yuhao could not help but laugh. His previously heavy mood also lightened somewhat. In many ways, Xiaoling's mind still retained the purity of a forest spirit. "Then what about you, Xiaoling?" he asked with a smile. "Who do you want to help?"

Demon Spirit really did prop her chin on her hand and pondered it very seriously for a moment before answering solemnly, "Whoever Uncle Di Tian helps, I'll help!"

"Hahaha..." This time, Huo Yuhao truly laughed heartily. The few other passengers in the carriage all looked over. He shook his head, teasingly saying, "Then you'd better work hard and protect your 'Uncle Di Tian.'" He knew that, in Xiaoling's heart, Di Tian was an irreplaceable figure like both a father and a leader—the measure by which she judged the complicated world.

As his laughter gradually faded, a trace of reflection passed through Huo Yuhao's heart. The core region of the Star Dou Great Forest was indeed very different from five years ago. As the shielding modules he had left behind were continuously optimized and expanded by Myriad Demon King and Bi Ji, their coverage and security had improved. Coupled with the subtle influence of the knowledge he brought each month, Di Tian's strategy had also changed. Remaining entrenched in a dead end was not a long-term solution. Understanding the enemy, learning their strengths, and even blending in among them to seek opportunities had become a new line of thought.

Now, most of the fierce beasts from the core region were no longer in the forest. Relying on their rapid grasp of human knowledge—their long lifespans and powerful spiritual strength were tremendous advantages in themselves—as well as the "legal" identity channels Huo Yuhao had provided, using some of the soul beasts' hidden human bloodlines from earlier years and his own ability to alter information, they had taken on various identities and scattered into the human world to "further their studies."

Bi Ji and Zi Ji had advanced rapidly in the field of Soul Engineers thanks to their precise control over life force and energy. Bear Lord and Scarlet King, meanwhile, had unexpectedly displayed astonishing talent in forging. With their immense strength and instinctive sense for the texture of metal, they had now reached the level of Saint Craftsmen.

They each studied, observed, and accumulated resources and connections. Of course, every fierce beast that "went out" was at least a Two-Word Battle Armor Master and an Advanced Mecha Master, with extremely strong self-preservation abilities. Unless they insisted on charging into dangerous places like the War God Hall, the Shrek Inner Court, or the core region of Spirit Pagoda headquarters, their safety was assured. Sufficient strength still remained in the forest, rotating shifts to guard it.

As for why he had chosen to take the most ordinary and relatively slow soul train to Aolai City rather than pilot the Realm Patrol or use a faster method, Huo Yuhao had two considerations. First, the mysterious and powerful aura he had sensed that night had never appeared again after that fleeting glimpse. It was as though it had truly been only an accidental long-range probe, or the other party had completely withdrawn. Rushing there blindly at high speed might instead alert the enemy. Second, and more practically, his Soul Power Level had undergone a slow but continuous "regression" over the past half year. He had now fallen from his initial Soul King level to the realm of a Soul Elder.

This was not due to his injuries worsening, but the result of his own choice. As his research into the sphere inside his body that sealed the Golden Dragon King's God Core Fragment deepened, he began attempting an extremely cautious "reverse analysis."

He needed to understand the essence of the Golden Dragon King's power in order to better guard against and deal with the hidden danger inside Wulin's body. This process required him to actively draw out a thread of the sealed, exceedingly faint Golden Dragon King aura and observe it while it was suppressed by the Sword of Life and the Undead Seal. Even though this aura was only a thread, its inherently domineering and violent nature placed a continuous, heavy burden and suppression on his body, which had yet to recover. This directly manifested as a "decline" in his Soul Power Level. The benefit was that he had gained a more direct understanding of the Golden Dragon King's traits. The drawback was that he truly could no longer withstand high-intensity battles of attrition. For long-distance travel, choosing a steadier method that conserved more of his Soul Power was necessary.