Douluo Continent: An Adventure Begins in Wuhun City

"That's right. They withdrew as a group without alerting the Spirit Hall. So there's only one possibility: they moved as a group towards the far north."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned, knowing why Liu Erlong had sighed.

The far north is vast and boundless, and it is home to countless powerful northern spirit beasts, including some 100,000-year-old spirit beasts comparable to titled Douluo. To this day, no spirit master has been able to penetrate deep into the north, measure it completely, and return unscathed.

If those evil spirit masters were to actually enter the far north, where the snow is boundless, finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"The far north is teeming with ferocious soul beasts. A large-scale search would inevitably lead to conflict, which would be extremely troublesome. Perhaps we need to return and discuss this further, or wait for the Demon Dragon Palace to reveal its true colors again."

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi, who was used to playing it safe and preferred to do nothing rather than make a mistake, began to have second thoughts.

Yu Yuanzhen nodded as well.

It wasn't that he was afraid, but he felt that finding a group of people in this vast, boundless white snowfield was indeed a bit unrealistic. Moreover, having grown up in the south, he had an instinctive aversion to the harsh and cold lands of the far north.

But Chen Yao shook his head.

"It's better that they don't go to the far north. Going there will only lead them to their doom. This time, they have no chance of survival. Go and tell the allied forces to follow me."

With that, Chen Yao lightly touched the ground with his toes and dashed towards the far north, a place no longer suitable for human habitation!

The others looked at each other, completely bewildered as to why Chen Yao could be so confident. But now they obeyed Chen Yao's every command and naturally had no objections. After reporting to the allied forces behind them, they quickly followed Chen Yao.

As time went by, the allied forces had completely crossed the outer regions of the far north. There were almost no traces of human activity left here, and the soul beasts that were occasionally seen around were no longer those with only ten or a hundred years of cultivation as before.

Instead, millennia, tens of thousands of years began to appear. In fact, within that dense white light, some perceptive individuals could sense extremely threatening gazes fixed upon them!

This feeling of unease made the already exhausted allied forces tense up, becoming less disciplined and showing signs of restlessness.

"My lords, the vastness of the far north is unknown to anyone. Our hopes of finding someone here are extremely slim. Moreover, we have already encountered many powerful soul beasts at our current location, which has made the soldiers very worried. If we continue to go further, we may encounter soul beasts that are hundreds of thousands of years old. We really cannot go any deeper!"

At this moment, two Soul Douluo powerhouses from the rear allied forces approached Chen Yao and the others with bitter expressions and spoke to them.

They were the leaders of the two great empires this time. For both empires, the Title Douluo teams were the foundation of their nation. Apart from the Spirit Hall, which was wealthy and powerful and did not regard Title Douluo as human beings, no other empire would send Title Douluo to do this kind of free labor.

However, if only some old, weak, sick and disabled Soul Masters are sent, there is a risk of gossip and the Spirit Hall will seize on this as an excuse to make trouble. Therefore, only some core members can be sent.

Even so, it was still a great loss for both empires, and these two Soul Douluos were ordered to do everything in their power to preserve the strength of the Soul Masters they led.

So when they saw Chen Yao insist on entering the far north, they knew something was wrong. As they went deeper, the aura of the surrounding soul beasts became more and more terrifying. Seeing that Chen Yao and his group of Spirit Hall people had no intention of stopping, they naturally had to step forward to try to stop them.

The Spirit Hall wanted to destroy the Demon Dragon Hall and eliminate the threat, but they didn't want that at all. In fact, if they could, they wouldn't even want to come. The Demon Dragon Hall's claim of causing immense suffering and being an outrage against heaven and earth was utter nonsense in the eyes of their two great empires. They would rather the Demon Dragon Hall be even stronger and fight the Spirit Hall to the death, so they could watch the show from the sidelines!

"Hmph, we're still here. What are you afraid of, a mere 100,000-year-old soul beast? This battle is for the peace and tranquility of the continent. Are you going to disregard the greater good and flee in fear?"

Although Liu Erlong was somewhat puzzled as to why Chen Yao was venturing so deep into the northern lands without dispersing his men to search for the whereabouts of the Demon Dragon Palace, as long as Chen Yao hadn't spoken, Liu Erlong naturally had no intention of stopping, much less letting these people retreat safely.

What kind of righteousness is this! Your Spirit Hall truly has no intention of destroying me!

The Soul Douluos of the two great empires were cursing inwardly, but dared not refute openly. On the Spirit Hall's side, although there were not many people, each one of them was a powerful Title Douluo. Not to mention veteran Super Douluos like Yu Yuanzhen, there were even several Title Douluos of level ninety-one and level two assisting them.

Their highest rank was only the two of them, Soul Douluo, and they dared not disobey the Spirit Hall's orders, but they were still somewhat unwilling and asked.

"Then we must come up with some rules. Our allied forces are numerous. If we search like headless flies, the morale of our troops will probably collapse!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao turned around and said.

"In that case, your allied forces should disperse and search the surrounding area for any trace of the Demon Dragon Palace."

Although they wanted to weaken the two great empires, they couldn't be too greedy and openly send people to their deaths. At least they had to put on a show.

"This"

The two Soul Douluos looked troubled. The allied forces were already gathered together because they were wary of the hidden soul beasts around them. If they were to separate again, wouldn't they be feeding the soul beasts and letting them defeat them one by one?

Having guessed what the two were about to say, Chen Yao immediately waved his hand to interrupt.

“My martial soul is special, and I can sense that the Demon Dragon Palace is roughly in this area. If you search carefully, you should be able to find some clues. As one of the only two empires on the continent, and supported by the people, you should actively help the people eliminate this scourge that threatens the stability of the continent, right?”

Chen Yao gave the two Soul Douluos a sinister look, and at the same time, one after another, soul rings that made people's hearts stop lit up behind him. Soul power pressure swept out like a tsunami, which immediately made the two Soul Douluos feel scared and their hair stand on end. They squeezed out ugly smiles and hurriedly said in unison.

"Our two great empires cannot tolerate the evil forces like the Demon Dragon Palace, which disregard human ethics and have no bottom line. It is our duty to eradicate such heinous criminals!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two quickly retreated and began issuing orders.

Although it might lead to heavy casualties for the allied forces, which would be somewhat unfair to their respective emperors, the saying still applies: "Better to sacrifice a friend than oneself." Judging from Chen Yao's appearance just now, he was clearly ready to fight at the slightest provocation. If they continued to argue, there would probably be two more corpses under this thick layer of snow today.

Although they were concerned about the future of the country, at their level and position, they did not have such a strong belief in sacrificing themselves for the country.

Soon, under the arrangement of the two Soul Douluos, the allied forces, even if their reluctance was written on their faces, had no choice but to disobey the order, break into smaller groups, and disperse, their figures disappearing into the white snow mist.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yao turned his head without any expression and spoke to the people beside him.

"You guys come with me."

After saying that, he touched the ground with his toes, soared into the sky, and flew towards a certain direction.

Curious, everyone wondered if Chen Yao really had some clues. They immediately took to the air and followed Chen Yao.

Before long, everyone felt that the thick snow fog in the air suddenly thinned out and their vision gradually became clear. When they looked closely, they were horrified to find that in front of them was a towering ice palace made entirely of ice and snow!

The smooth, translucent walls, bathed in sunlight, reflected a dazzling luster, appearing incredibly magnificent and grand!

"This is."

The others were speechless upon seeing this. Liu Erlong raised her eyebrows slightly, then gasped and said.

"There's an ice-type soul master faction here? They actually dared to choose this location? Aren't they afraid of the powerful soul beasts around here?"

Liu Erlong clearly did not associate this ice palace with soul beasts. Even with the examples of Gu Yuena and others, she subconsciously believed that Gu Yuena and her group were just isolated cases, and that the rest of the soul beasts were uncivilized beasts who could not possibly build such a magnificent building. Of course, this is also the view of most humans today, and it is deeply ingrained in people's minds.

Therefore, in Liu Erlong's eyes, this was probably built by a group of extremely powerful ice-type soul masters, perhaps even stronger than the Spirit Hall, which was why they were able to stand in this dangerous place. For a moment, a sense of vigilance rose in Liu Erlong's heart.

Apart from Liu Erlong, the others' eyes also flickered slightly, clearly sharing the same thoughts as Liu Erlong.

However, Chen Yao ignored their doubts and instead looked at the magnificent ice and snow palace. His expression turned serious, and he shouted.

"Snow Empress, Ice Empress, come out and see me!"

Chen Yao's voice caused everyone to pause slightly in surprise. Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor? Titled "Emperor"? Could this be a regime operating as a state? But why are there two emperors?

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the group, the ice palace suddenly trembled, and then two slightly different but equally frigid soul energies flew out. Immediately afterward, two figures appeared together at the palace's entrance.

As everyone except Chen Yao stared at the two suddenly appearing figures, their pupils contracted sharply. The reason was simple: they could sense that these two women, who appeared to be of unparalleled beauty and charm, were not human.

Instead, they were two soul beasts, and super ferocious beasts whose strength far exceeded that of a hundred thousand-year-old!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 246 Found traces

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the group, the ice palace suddenly trembled, and then two slightly different but equally frigid soul energies flew out. Immediately afterward, two figures appeared together at the palace's entrance.

As everyone except Chen Yao stared at the two suddenly appearing figures, their pupils contracted sharply. The reason was simple: they could sense that these two women, who appeared to be of unparalleled beauty and charm, were not human.

Instead, they were two soul beasts, and super ferocious beasts whose strength far exceeded that of a hundred thousand-year-old!

At this moment, everyone except Chen Yao tensed up. Their soul power flew around them, soul rings appeared behind them, and dazzling soul skill lights were already in their hands, ready to be unleashed!

Surprisingly, the two soul beasts did not show any hostility. They merely glanced at the tense and wary crowd with a hint of disdain before approaching Chen Yao and bowing respectfully.

"Lord Chen Yao."

These words left everyone speechless. They never expected that Chen Yao could be connected with such a ferocious beast from the far north, which was practically on the border of the continent.

Among them, only Liu Erlong reacted the fastest. These two female soul beasts probably had an unclear relationship with Chen Yao, just like Gu Yuena and the others.

She felt a little resentful and pursed her lips, but she quickly withdrew her soul power. The others around her saw Liu Erlong's actions and their eyes flashed with understanding. They all withdrew their soul power and were no longer as tense as before.

As for the people behind him, Chen Yao didn't pay any attention to them. Or rather, he brought them here just to let them see the power and resources he could mobilize. It wasn't really a deterrent, but rather to boost their confidence and make them feel more at ease doing their work.

After all, although the Spirit Hall was powerful, these people were not actually from the Spirit Hall. Knowing that the Spirit Hall would be at odds with everyone in the future, they were still somewhat intimidated.

Chen Yao looked at the two women, nodded, and after explaining what had happened at the Demon Dragon Palace, he gave his instructions.

"Have your soul beasts find those people from the Demon Dragon Palace."

The two goddesses nodded solemnly in response to Chen Yao's order. Then, the Snow Empress's soul power fluctuated, and a bright blue light shone from between her eyebrows.

Immediately afterwards, a tangible yet intangible energy ripple began to spread outwards, sweeping in all directions.

Before long, the ice surface suddenly began to tremble, and a series of violent noises came from afar. Then, to everyone's astonishment, countless soul beasts, like a tidal wave, surged in from all directions, forming a dark, overwhelming mass.

Such a display caused everyone's expression to change slightly. They finally understood the meaning of the titles Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor. They were none other than the emperors of this group of Northern Soul Beasts. With just a single command, they instantly formed this Soul Beast army that resembled a beast tide. The terrifying power of their authority was enough to make people feel ashamed.

At this moment, among this beast tide, there are quite a few large creatures. Leading the charge is the Titan Snow Demon Ape, which is nearly a hundred meters tall. As it runs, it is like a moving iceberg, causing the ground to tremble and hum violently, giving people a great psychological pressure.

When he arrived and saw Chen Yao, his pupils trembled, and he shrank back in fear. He hurriedly and awkwardly bowed to Chen Yao, trying to imitate a human gesture, and said something sullenly.

"Meet the great leader!"

Although his appearance was somewhat comical, it was clear that he was terrified of Chen Yao. Ever since he was beaten to a pulp by Xiong Jun in his strongest area of ​​strength and was left on the verge of death, his spirit had been extremely low. In particular, after his brush with death, he understood the preciousness of life and naturally dared not be as reckless as before, acting as if the sky was the only thing that mattered.

After all, although the Ice Emperor had also beaten it badly, it would never go all out to maintain the balance of the North. But Chen Yao and those bastards from the Star Dou Great Forest would really want to kill him!

After bowing to Chen Yao, the Titan Snow Demon Ape looked at the two women, Snow Empress and Snow Demon Ape, and nodded in acknowledgment. Its gaze lingered on Snow Empress for a second, and a hint of regret appeared in its eyes. Especially when it saw Snow Empress's voluptuous figure, which already exuded a mature and charming aura, it felt a pang of heartache, as if it were being torn apart.

But recalling Chen Yao's terror, he instinctively shuddered, his face hardening as he resolutely looked away.

If the Titan Snow Demon Ape's feelings towards the Snow Emperor were extremely complex, then the Snow Emperor's feelings towards him were quite simple. In the past, she allowed him to occupy the far north only to preserve the power of the far north. Otherwise, given his unscrupulous nature, he would have been eliminated long ago. Especially for the Ice Emperor, the Titan Snow Demon Ape, who dared to target the Snow Emperor, was a thorn in her side.

Now that the entire Northern Lands have come under Chen Yao's control, the existence of the Titan Snow Demon Ape has become somewhat dispensable. If the Titan Snow Demon Ape behaves itself, it can still be made a minor general. However, if it is uncooperative, for the sake of the stability of the Northern Lands, Chen Yao and the Ice and Snow Emperors would not mind simply eliminating it.

Although the Titan Snow Demon Ape wasn't very bright, his instinct for danger, honed over many years, allowed him to quickly assess his situation. He was respectful and obedient to Chen Yao, and also subservient to the Ice and Snow Emperors, daring not to offend them in any way.

Looking at the Titan Snow Demon Ape looking like a submissive wife, Hyotei almost burst out laughing. Although there had been constant friction and resentment between the two in the past, Hyotei knew that the important matter should be taken into account now. So she did not make things difficult for the Titan Snow Demon Ape, but simply repeated Chen Yao's orders to him.

Upon hearing this, the Titan Snow Demon Ape nodded solemnly and relayed the order once again to every member of its clan and the soul beasts under its command.

After exchanging pleasantries with Chen Yao for a while, the two Ice and Snow Emperors each led their subordinate soul beasts away to begin a large-scale search for traces of the Demon Dragon Palace soul masters who had previously entered the far north.

After the group of soul beasts retreated, the few people beside him were finally able to join the conversation. Ning Fengzhi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, leaned close to Chen Yao, and asked with lingering fear.

"Brother Chen, what are these soul beasts?"

"As you can see, this far north may be a terrifying forbidden land for others, but for me, it is quite easy and comfortable."

Chen Yao turned his head and said with a half-smile, though he didn't say it directly, the meaning was very clear.

"Brother Chen is incredibly powerful. He has managed to tame these unruly and fierce beasts that only know how to fight and be strong. They obey his orders without question. I truly admire him!"

Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Before this, he had some ulterior motives. After all, as the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he had to prioritize the sect and always wanted to leave himself some options in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

But after seeing what Chen Yao had shown today, Ning Fengzhi felt that the unification of the Spirit Hall was probably a foregone conclusion. The Spirit Hall was already incredibly powerful and unstoppable, and with the addition of this group of ferocious beasts hiding in the North, Ning Fengzhi really couldn't figure out how the two great empires could possibly resist this overwhelming force.