Xuan Zi gazed at the students standing in the ranks, their expressions varied. His eyes lingered for a moment on Huo Yuhao's still indifferent face before he said in a deep voice, "There is another important reason why I am telling you this now—you are about to face your first mission as prospective inspectors."
He turned to Ma Xiaotao and Wang Yan, " Xiaotao, you explain the mission details; Wang Yan, distribute the Shrek Inspectors equipment to everyone."
Wang Yan stepped forward in response, a soft glow emanating from his palm, and several rings engraved with intricate patterns floated out. "These are the Inspector's Ring," he said, handing the rings to the students one by one.
"It has a built-in Space Soul Tool and stores a complete set of inspector equipment: mask, uniform, and rescue signal flare. During missions, the individual must remain completely concealed. Once the signal flare is triggered, Shrek students within a 500-mile radius will rush to the scene immediately."
The moment the ring touched his finger, Huo Yuhao gently stroked the Shrek emblem on the ring face, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
Ma Xiaotao stepped forward and said, "Our target is the bandit group in the Ming Dou Mountain Range. Located at the border of the Star Luo Empire and Sun Moon Empire, it's a lawless area where bandits take advantage of the terrain to burn, kill, and plunder—committing all sorts of atrocities."
Her tone suddenly turned cold. "The bandit gang is led by a powerful Evil Soul Master who calls himself the ' Death Messenger.' The gang numbers nearly three hundred. They use the mountains as cover, committing arson, murder, and robbery—all sorts of atrocities. Our mission is to completely annihilate them."
A soft gasp rose from the crowd. Xiao Xiao clenched her clothes, Jiang Nannan unconsciously rubbed the cuff of her Soul Tool with her fingertips, only Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes and stared at his palm, his eyelashes casting dappled shadows on his eyelids.
"You have never killed anyone," Ma Xiaotao's gaze swept across the crowd like a knife, "But remember—to show mercy to such Evil Soul Master is to be cruel to the innocent."
A faint ripple stirred in Huo Yuhao's heart. Suddenly, he heard Electrolux's low chuckle, " Yuhao, let your master handle this. It's good to show off your power in front of your disciple once in a while." "No, Master."
Huo Yuhao responded softly in his heart, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Teacher, I'll leave the matter of killing and purifying the soul to you. I want to test where my limits really are." In the Sea of Consciousness, the old man was slightly disappointed, but a glimmer of approval appeared in his eyes.
Wang Yan began assigning groups. "The older students should mentor the students with lower cultivation levels." Before he finished speaking, Xiao Xiao had already skipped over to Huo Yuhao's side, her ponytail brushing against the back of his hand. "Brother Huo! Will you mentor me?"
Jiang Nannan elegantly tossed her hair, her eyes sparkling, and said, " Yuhao, let me show you around."
Ultimately, of course, Xiao Xiao had Ling Luochеn lead the way, Ma Xiaotao led Wang Dong, and Huo Yuhao didn't need to be accompanied, as he was already very fast. Going alone would actually be more efficient.
The group traveled through the mountains and forests until noon, Xuan Zi waved for a rest. The group scattered and sat by the stream. Huo Yuhao leaned against an ancient tree and closed his eyes to rest, listening to Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan's laughter and chatter, while a wisp of extremely fine ice mist quietly condensed in his palm.
A cold smile curved his lips—those scum hiding in the shadows probably don't realize that they are about to face not an ordinary Soul Master, but a walking Slaughter God.
During their journey, Xuan Zi overheard that Huo Yuhao's grilling skills were unparalleled, and he immediately became interested and insisted on seeing it for himself. Under his "strong request," the group made an impromptu stop, and a mountain forest barbecue feast was thus launched—of course, Xuan Zi was the one who ended up paying the bill.
As soon as Huo Yuhao set up the grill, Jiang Nannan gently approached, fanning herself with a delicate handkerchief. She moistened her white handkerchief with water and carefully wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, her eyes filled with tenderness. " Yuhao, the fire is too strong. Let me fan it for you."
Not to be outdone, Ma Xiaotao dashed into the woods and returned moments later carrying two wild boars, slamming them down beside the grill. " Yuhao, these are the game I hunted! Could you grill them too?"
Xiao Xiao, like a cheerful little rabbit, handed Huo Yuhao seasonings and wooden skewers, oblivious to the charcoal ash sticking to her nose.
The male trainees watched from a distance, their eyes filled with envy. Xu Sanshi even dramatically hugged Bei Bei's leg and wailed, " Bei Bei! Why am I always the one who gets hurt! My Nannan, why am I so miserable--"
Bei Bei patted his back helplessly and said with a wry smile, "Alright, alright, you didn't lose out. Yuhao can cook, he's capable, and he's very gentle with girls. If Xiao Ya hadn't told Yuhao that she liked me, I'm afraid Xiao Ya would have fallen for him too."
Ling Luochеn leaned against the tree trunk, quietly munching on grilled fish, sauce staining the corners of his lips, but his gaze remained fixed on the busy figure in front of the grill, a faint light flickering in his eyes.
The campfire crackled, and the aroma of roasted meat mingled with the fresh scent of mountain forests and plants.
Huo Yuhao flipped the glistening fish on the grill, listening to the laughter and chatter around him. He suddenly remembered the days when Qiu'er was around. Back then, she was a proud and arrogant girl who would never eat his food no matter what.
Sigh, I was so silly back then. Why did I tell stories to everyone I met? But it doesn't really matter. Girls need to be coaxed, Qiu'er is no exception. So this is another way of coaxing her.
The next day at noon, the group arrived at the Western Army Group camp of the Star Luo Empire on the edge of the Ming Dou Mountain Range.
The signal from the military camp has also come through. Xuan Zi said, "Go to the military camp to rest and regroup, gather some intelligence on the bandit group, and also pay your respects to White Tiger Duke."
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao paused slightly, his fists clenching involuntarily. He gazed towards the military camp, his eyes surging with murderous intent like a raging black sea, and he seemed to hear that irritating voice in his ears. "You've brought trouble to your parents, what use are you?"
"Kill him... kill him now..." This thought grew wildly in his mind, but suddenly cooled down when he saw Xuan Zi's back.
He took a deep breath, his nails digging into his palms. "No, he quickly stopped himself from thinking that way. That old Xuan Zi is still here, he will definitely stop me. Although I am not afraid of him, now is not the time. In the future, the people of the Duke's Mansion will be dealt with one by one."
As the group filed into the military camp, Huo Yuhao deliberately lagged behind. Once everyone's attention had faded, he unleashed a Golden Dragon Flame Fist right there in the camp.
Dai Hao was also dumbfounded. Suddenly, flames descended from the sky. Of course, to hide, the golden dragon phantom did not appear at all. Only the Sisi dragon roar was heard as it landed on the military camp. The soldiers in the army were unharmed. On the contrary, he himself was attacked suddenly, and his clothes were burned and his right arm was also burned.
As the group entered the Ming Dou Mountain Range, dusk was falling. The damp mist, carrying the scent of decaying leaves, rushed towards them. Wang Yan suddenly stopped, his fingertips brushing against a crooked Wenlan Tree —the trunk, as thick as a bowl, still oozed milky sap from a newly carved hole.
"The heartwood has been dug out." He crouched down to examine the drag marks in the soil. "Looks like we're not far from the bandits' lair."
With his extensive knowledge and accurate judgment, Wang Yan found clues and led the group to the bandit gang's hideout.
Upon entering the cave, the group discovered no fewer than a hundred corpses hanging there, including infants. The group was filled with rage at the sight of such a depraved band of thieves.