Douluo: The Unrivaled Demon Lord

Chapter 153 The Strongest Soul King in History Arrives in Star Luo City and Ma Xiaotao's Self-Strategy
The Death Hand Bandit Gang operates in the central part of the Mingdou Mountains. Its members are all young adults, totaling more than 300 people. They usually hide in the area where the Xingluo and Riyue kingdoms meet, using the complex terrain to conceal themselves. Their style is to be active at night and act without rules... or rather, they have their own specific goals.

Due to numerous special circumstances, neither country's military could easily take action against it. In such a complex mountainous area, the army could not exert its full combat power. In addition, the area where the Hand of Death usually operated was too sensitive, and a single mistake could trigger a war, which was something the Star Luo Empire did not want to see.

In this situation, the dirty and messy work naturally fell to the Shrek Inspection Team.

After resting for a night, the group set off again, heading deeper into the Mingdou Mountains under the guidance of Ma Xiaotao.

To Shu Yan's surprise, even without Tianmeng, Huo Yuhao still obtained two extremely rare spiritual soul skills: spiritual detection and sharing. However, the detection range was not very large, otherwise its function would have been even greater.

Even so, in such a complex environment, Huo Yuhao's two soul skills can still be considered "divine skills".

Shu Yan and Han Ruoruo watched the show from a distance. Han Ruoruo was quite relaxed. As the top students of the inner academy, Ma Xiaotao and the others had strong combat power. In addition, the group had excellent teamwork. Wouldn't it be easy to wipe out a bandit gang whose strongest member was only a Soul King?
In fact, it wasn't just Han Ruoruo who thought this way; students like Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen, whose strength had reached the Soul Emperor level or above, also thought this way.

Shu Yan found it hard to deny their opinions. If he hadn't awakened his past life memories and knew the dangers of this mission, he would have thought this surveillance mission wasn't difficult at all... at most, he would only suffer minor injuries...

……

After traveling for about an hour, the group successfully found traces of the evil spirit master's activities on a hillside.

Shu Yan teleported into the scene, pointed to the cave below the hillside, and then said:
"That's it. Remember this well. The leader of the Death Hand bandit group is a demonic soul master. You all know what demonic soul masters are capable of. Don't think you can just recklessly charge in just because you're powerful. Use your brains and be careful, or you'll regret it later..."

Han Ruoruo then added:

“Ayan is right. We will keep a close eye on the battle. Beibei, you are the captain of the reserve team. Take good care of Ning Tian, ​​Yu Hao and the others. Xiaotao, you too. Don’t be like Ming’er and only think about yourself. Pay more attention to your teammates.”

Beibei and Ma Xiaotao nodded in unison. When they heard Shu Yan mention the word "evil soul master," a sense of vigilance rose in their hearts at the same time.

If it were an ordinary bandit group, they wouldn't need to pay too much attention, but if the bandit group was led by an evil soul master... then everything would be completely different.

As top students at Shrek Academy, they understood the terror of evil spirit masters better than anyone else. Evil spirit masters, a super-malignant tumor capable of threatening the entire continent, were far more terrifying than their cultivation level could measure. After all, you never knew what vicious and ruthless methods they might be hiding… If you weren't careful and they exploited a weakness, you'd be in deep trouble…

Beibei felt this deeply, because his parents died at the hands of evil spirit masters while on a surveillance mission...

After the pre-battle mobilization, Shu Yan and Han Ruoruo waved their hands, and the members of the Seven Monsters, led by Ma Xiaotao, quickly fled down the hillside... while Bei Bei and the others followed behind them at a distance.

Huo Yuhao unleashed his full mental detection power, and the group was brimming with fighting spirit…

Han Ruoruo smiled helplessly at the fearless junior students, then chuckled softly:

"I hope they'll still be this confident after they truly experience the terror and ruthlessness of evil spirit masters... Sigh, seeing them like this really makes me nostalgic... I used to be no different from them... It's a pity that more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and I've grown old..."

Shu Yan, with his arm around Han Ruoruo's waist, reached out and pinched her soft, collagen-rich face, chuckling softly:
"Sister Ruoruo, what you're saying means that in my eyes, you'll always be eighteen..."

A bright smile appeared on Han Ruoruo's face. She tiptoed and kissed Shu Yan, then laughed:

"You're so sweet-talking... Keep it up and say more, make your sister happy and I'll reward you properly when we get back... Didn't you want me to wear those black stockings last time... I'll make it happen when we get to Star Luo City..."

Shu Yan glanced down at Han Ruoruo's slender, beautiful legs. He had to admit, when it came to legs, Han Ruoruo was quite the authority. Every time she rested her legs on Shu Yan's shoulders, he couldn't take his eyes off them; they were simply too perfect…

After a moment of tender affection, Han Ruoruo coughed lightly, then feigned modesty and pushed Shu Yan away.
"We still have important business to attend to... Let's go, let's follow them and see what happens, just in case something unexpected happens..."

Shu Yan gave a soft "hmm." He hadn't been idle either; he had already noticed the "Strongest Soul King in History," the Grim Reaper, hiding in the shadows. If he had arrived any later... he might have really had to host a grand feast with eight people at a table...

Hmm...you agree, right, Yao Haoxuan?

……

In the deep, damp cave, Shu Yan and Han Ruoruo flew in side by side. Looking at the bloody infant corpse on the stone pillar, Han Ruoruo's expression was gloomy, and her jade hands were clenched into fists. Clearly, she was also really angry.

Shu Yan quietly grasped Han Ruoruo's hand. Ever since Han Ruoruo decided to have a child, her maternal instincts had been aroused even more. Now, seeing such a tragic scene, her anger was unimaginable. If it weren't for the fact that this was a task for her juniors, she would have really wanted to tear these bastards apart with the Golden Rope...

The two continued deeper and soon arrived at a relatively spacious cave.

Here, everyone, including the reserve team, has been fully engaged in the battle.

As luck would have it, just as Shu Yan and Han Ruoruo arrived, Huo Yuhao, who had been providing support from the rear, suddenly shouted:

"Get out of the way—"

Before Han Ruoruo could react, Shu Yan teleported away, bringing Ma Xiaotao and the others, who were in the center of the corpse explosion, back to safety at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye…

After regaining her senses, Ma Xiaotao, both shocked and furious, had eyes blazing with rage. Having just experienced that, she knew all too well just how terrifying the power of a corpse explosion could be…

The second, third, and sixth spirit rings were simultaneously lit, and the evil fire, which was infinitely close to the ultimate fire, was completely ignited. The phoenix rising from the ashes, aided by its phoenix wings soaring through the sky, let out a long howl behind Ma Xiaotao. Before anyone could say anything, countless burning fire meteors condensed in mid-air, and then, amidst the utter terror of the bandits, they swooped down, turning the entire depths of the cave into a sea of ​​fire like hell...

Seeing the group of bandits completely reduced to dust, everyone swallowed hard. Even Ling Luochen, who had reached the pinnacle of ice, had to admit... Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Evil Flame was indeed terrifying...

After dealing with the smaller fry, Huo Yuhao hurriedly spoke again:

"There's still one survivor behind..."

"Um!?"

Ma Xiaotao's phoenix eyes quickly scanned the sea of ​​fire, then she looked at Ling Luochen. Although the two had some disagreements before, they were now cooperating perfectly. Ling Luochen released his martial spirit and took a step forward, instantly sealing the entire cave with extreme ice. Ma Xiaotao flapped her wings and flew forward swiftly, blasting the invincible Death Messenger into a near-triple fold...

The extreme ice extinguished the raging fire inside the cave. Everyone rushed forward and saw the culprit who had almost killed them all. Dai Yueheng was the first to strike, and with one move, he crushed one of the Death Messenger's legs into a pulp.

Yao Haoxuan and Xixi, who were just in the core area of ​​the corpse explosion, had even more somber expressions... They knew all too well what awaited them if Shu Yan hadn't intervened in time...

A Soul King-level evil Soul Master unleashed a corpse explosion with terrifying power capable of killing a Soul Saint... If it weren't for Shu Yan, they would most likely be mangled corpses by now...

"Everyone else, step back and check the area for any escapees... As for you few... do as you please..."

Shu Yan waved his hand, the last sentence clearly directed at Yao Haoxuan and the others. Yao Haoxuan and the others glanced gratefully at Shu Yan, while the younger Huo Yuhao and the others were pulled away from the cave by Han Ruoruo using the Golden Rope… What followed was definitely not suitable for children…

……

After everything was over, Shu Yan sat on a large, exposed rock and looked at everyone.

Yao Haoxuan and the others exchanged glances, then Yao Haoxuan stepped forward and patted his chest, saying:
"Brother Shu Yan, we really have to thank you this time. We won't say much more about how grateful we are. If you ever need anything in the future, just come to us. We'll be there for you without hesitation!"

The others nodded seriously as well; they all knew very well how disastrous the outcome would have been without Shu Yan…

At the same time, they were very fortunate that their teachers with them today were Han Ruoruo and Shu Yan. If it had been Xuan Zi... they might all be traveling together on the road to the underworld...

Meanwhile, Xuanzi, who had been observing from the shadows, breathed a sigh of relief. Heaven knows how panicked he was when the corpse exploded; he almost thought he was about to "make history" again. Fortunately, Shu Yan and Han Ruoruo came through and prevented the tragedy from happening...

Shu Yan glanced around at everyone, then said softly:

"Learn from this, everyone. Evil Soul Masters are incredibly sinister... Be careful when you encounter them in the future. I don't want to be eating your lavish feast with eight people at one table..."

Everyone nodded repeatedly; this time they had truly learned their lesson…

……

After the mission was completely completed, everyone returned to the Star Luo Empire's military camp to rest for a night.

The next morning, Shu Yan led everyone on another journey. With the previous experience, everyone was more skilled this time and was no longer as disheveled.

On the afternoon of the second day, the group successfully arrived in Star Luo City and, under the arrangement of Star Luo Empire officials, checked into the Star Emperor Hotel…

Shrek Academy has almost swept all the championships in the Soul Fighting Tournament over the past ten thousand years, so they enjoy the best treatment in every tournament. For example, they have booked the entire top floor of the Star Emperor Hotel, and all their food and accommodation expenses in the hotel are reimbursed by the Star Luo Empire. This can be considered a small privilege...

……

In the brightly lit hall, the group took their seats in order of their strength. Shu Yan sat at the head of the table. After a moment, he casually tossed aside the documents in his hand and lazily said:
"What happens next is your business. I won't intervene unless absolutely necessary."

Ma Xiaotao and the others nodded, not surprised at all.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Wang Dong, who was on the outermost edge, went to open it. As the door opened, Wu Ming's bright and pretty face appeared in everyone's eyes. She waved to everyone and then walked in casually.

"You guys are so slow! I've been waiting for you all day in Star Luo City..."

Wu Ming glanced at Shu Yan, then hugged Han Ruoruo's arm and giggled.

"There was a slight mishap on the way, but nothing serious..."

Shu Yan stood up abruptly, and Ling Luochen, who was sitting at the head of the table, also stood up.

As he reached the door, Shu Yan turned around, coughed lightly, and then said:

"You guys discuss the matches over the next few days yourselves. We have some important matters to attend to. If you need anything, use your soul tools. Have fun..."

After saying that, Shu Yan followed Han Ruoruo and the other two women out the door, making sure to close it behind them before leaving...

The hall was quiet for a moment, then... Xu Sanshi, sitting next to Beibei, cautiously spoke:

"What's going on with Senior Shu Yan and the others...?"

Ma Xiaotao glanced at Xu Sanshi, then rubbed her forehead and said:

"They went on a date, just ignore them..."

"A date!?" ×n
Several students from the outer academy, unaware of the truth, stared at Ma Xiaotao with their clear, innocent eyes, somewhat bewildered.

Ma Xiaotao's lips twitched, a strange feeling stirring within her, but she showed no outward sign of it.

"If you know, don't spread it... Oh well, it doesn't matter if it does, no one can control them anyway..."

"Anyway, as you can see, Ling Luochen, Senior Sister Han Ruoruo, Senior Sister Wu Ming... um, that senior sister from just now, she's a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse, you could say she's the third strongest in the inner academy... all three of them are Shu Yan's girlfriends... um, isn't that surprising and unbelievable?"

As Ma Xiaotao finished speaking, Bei Bei and the others looked at each other, somewhat surprised but also feeling that it seemed... quite normal and easy to accept...?
After all, Shu Yan is so outstanding... it seems normal for him to have a few girlfriends...

Seeing that the others reacted indifferently, it was Ma Xiaotao's turn to be a little confused:
"Wait, what's with those 'it should be like this' expressions on your faces?"

"How many gold soul coins did Shu Yan give you? Why do you all think this is normal? Seriously... Are young people these days so open-minded? It makes me feel like I'm out of touch..."

Seeing Ma Xiaotao's somewhat frantic and defensive state, Bei Bei coughed lightly, then said helplessly:
"Senior Xiaotao, we know you're in a hurry, but don't worry, because worrying won't help..."

"Perhaps this would be big news for someone else... but for Senior Shu Yan... well, I don't think it's as surprising as him breaking through to Soul Saint before the age of fifteen..."

"Well...the capable should do more, and besides, the three senior sisters are all doing it voluntarily, so what can we say...moreover, the three senior sisters and Senior Shu Yan are a perfect match...this will definitely become a beautiful story in the future..."

Hearing Bei Bei's words, Ma Xiaotao felt as if she had been hit by a thousand blows...

However, Beibei's words seemed to open up a new world for her... She glanced down at her figure, then looked at her stunning face through the table...

Hmm... I guess you could say that Shu Yan and I are a perfect match!

She didn't think she was inferior to Han Ruoruo and the other two women...

(End of this chapter)