Douluo Continent: Huo Yuhao obtains the Flame Emperor template

Chapter 38 Elder Xuan covered his face and wept.

The scene of the student's life hanging by a thread, where the mysterious old man did not appear, was repeated.

Zhang Lexuan's heart was filled with complex emotions. She condensed all her thoughts into one sentence to sound an alarm for everyone, her tone quick and sharp: "Junior brothers and sisters, Elder Xuan has unexpectedly become separated from the team again."

"Now is not the time for us to wallow in grief; being sad won't do any good. Everyone, protect yourselves and fight this soul beast with all your might!"

Some of the inner court disciples were visibly devastated by the shock, but upon hearing Zhang Lexuan's words, they quickly regained their composure. They knew that there was no time to mourn Wang Chen, and that they would soon be facing a soul beast that was nearly 100,000 years old.

The disciples stared at the enormous mantis that had suddenly appeared, their eyes bloodshot.

This mantis spirit beast is nearly ten meters tall, and its eerie shell is a deep, dark green.

Its head is triangular, with two huge compound eyes that radiate a cold and fierce light. Its scythe-like forelimbs, covered with fine serrations, gleam with a cold light, and the sharp serrations drip with blood, making everyone tremble with fear.

In just one exchange, the Three Souls Ghost Mantis caused the team to lose a disciple.

Zhang Lexuan had already released her Moon Martial Soul, her whole body enveloped in a layer of clear light, and shouted loudly, "Soul Saints, attack with me head-on! All Soul Emperors, protect the students with lower cultivation levels beside you, especially those two Soul Venerables and Quasi-Soul Venerables from the outer academy."

"Students who can attack from a distance, assist us remotely. Those who cannot attack from a distance, do your best to dodge the forelimbs of the Three-Soul Mantis and ensure your own safety."

Zhang Lexuan's cultivation level has reached the Soul Douluo level, and there are two Soul Saints in the team. In addition to Tang Ya and Bei Bei, the rest are composed of Soul Kings and Soul Emperors.

呲呲!

The Three-Soul Ghost Mantis burst out from the shadows with astonishing speed, its compound eyes locking onto the two low-level Soul Kings on the flank of the group, and immediately swung its two huge scythe-like forelimbs.

"Silver Moon True Form, Moonlight!"

Zhang Lexuan reacted immediately, instantly releasing her Martial Soul True Form. A silver moonlight appeared in the sky, its incandescent brilliance illuminating the entire team. The power of her Soul Skill was suitable for both close and long-range combat.

A white-incandescent barrier temporarily blocked the scythe of the Three-Soul Mantis. The other two Soul Saints, both of whom were offensive types, also released their Martial Soul True Forms and launched a fierce attack on the seemingly fragile and slender three pairs of legs behind the mantis.

The Three-Soul Ghost Mantis failed to land its first attack. Seeing the two Soul Saints attacking its abdomen, it swung its scythe-like forelimbs, creating a gust of wind, and quickly leaped to change position.

The gust of wind whipped up by the scythe's forelimbs wasn't fatal, but the powerful shockwave sent several Soul Kings flying. With the help of disciples on the inner side of the group who were less affected, they barely managed to regain their footing, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood.

The three-souled mantis leaped through the jungle, causing the surrounding tall trees to rustle.

In the dim night, it seemed to blend into the shadows of the dense forest, leaping in the darkness, with oppressive black shadows constantly flickering around it.

No one dared to be distracted for a moment. Every nerve was on high alert. Any slight movement made the disciples' hearts tremble, fearing that the Three-Soul Ghost Mantis would suddenly leap out of the darkness with its scythe-like forelimbs raised.

The speed possessed by the Three-Soul Ghost Mantis, a cultivation level higher than that of all the inner court disciples present, was superior.

Fearing further casualties in the team, Zhang Lexuan was highly focused. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead, glistening in the silvery moonlight. She was completely absorbed in sensing every subtle sound around her.

The figure of the three-souled mantis still flickered in the surrounding shadows.

It is looking for the right time to enter the market.

The elongated shadows would jump out and in again, stimulating the central nervous system of every student.

At that moment, Zhang Lexuan suddenly received a mental energy fluctuation and an "access request" that made her feel cool.

She could sense that this spiritual force was not malicious, and with a thought, she allowed it to connect with her mind.

It was Huo Yuhao's shared mental detection.

Huo Yuhao used simulation to conceal himself and Dugu Luo in the surrounding environment, hiding them at the edge of the battlefield.

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was a little overwhelmed by the power of the Buddha's Wrath Lotus: "Yuhao, take a few Soul Returning Pills, and under the cover of the simulation, continue to rub the Buddha's Wrath Lotus."

"If we prepare in advance, we can gain a significant advantage in open-world battles!"

Upon receiving the mental signal, Zhang Lexuan, who was in the field, was instantly struck by a scene that shocked her.

Within a radius of nearly 300 meters, every detail of everything was clearly visible, as if observing the entire battlefield from a unique perspective.

The Three-Soul Mantis, which had been flickering in the darkness, now had all its movements clearly displayed on the detection map in the mind.

"Phew, thank you." Zhang Lexuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, sincerely grateful to the person who was helping her.

Unaware that its movements had been exposed, the Three-Souled Mantis continued to dart about in the shadows of the forest, searching for a weakness within the group that it could exploit to kill in one strike.

whoosh-

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared, and the Three-Souled Mantis swiftly darted out, swinging its scythe-like forelimbs, ready to cut the target in half as before.

"Watch out!" Zhang Lexuan knew in advance who the Three Souls Ghost Mantis's target student was through the detection map.

The student received the warning and immediately used his soul skill to dodge, but he was still slashed in the arm by the tip of the serrated forelimb. Blood gushed out, and his tendons were completely severed, held together only by a few strands of flesh on his shoulder.

With an injury of this severity, the arm was practically useless. The student arched his back on the ground, struggling violently and letting out a bloodcurdling scream.

After its attack, the Three-Souled Mantis instantly disappeared into the shadows of the surrounding dense forest.

The surrounding students quickly bandaged up the wounded student and put painkillers in his mouth. Fortunately, he dodged in time and survived.

The exposure of the Three-Souled Ghost Mantis allowed Zhang Lexuan to quickly discern the pattern of its stealthy leaping trajectory within seconds.

Zhang Lexuan anticipated the landing point of the Three-Soul Ghost Mantis and decisively took action, her sixth soul ring suddenly lighting up.

The intense white moonlight that enveloped her instantly rose into the air and merged into the clear, shimmering full moon overhead.

The next instant, the full moon changed. The clear light it contained suddenly dimmed, and then the interior of the full moon turned completely black, leaving only the outermost layer of silvery-white halo.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Lunar Ring Imprisonment!"

With a thought, Zhang Lexuan caused the silver halo to descend prematurely at the landing point of the Three Souls Ghost Mantis. The halo flashed with intense white light, briefly imprisoning the Three Souls Ghost Mantis.

The location of the Three-Soul Ghost Mantis was exposed, and the two powerful offensive Soul Saints seized the opportunity to launch another fierce attack.

The tension that had been building for so long among the other inner disciples finally eased somewhat, and the question, "Why hasn't Elder Xuan arrived yet?" once again spread through the ranks.

However, Zhang Lexuan controlled the actions of the Three Souls Ghost Mantis, which calmed everyone down and made them less fearful. Senior Sister was still the most reliable.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Blood Moon Eclipse." Zhang Lexuan's strongest red soul ring lit up.

The silver moon ring that bound the three-souled mantis's body was gradually stained with a layer of bloody light, turning into a blood moon, which strengthened the control and imprisoned its soul.

At this moment, the triangular head of the Three-Soul Mantis flickered with an eerie light, and three wisps of souls swayed in its huge compound eyes.

This is a sign that it is issuing commands to the ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts it controls.

Through the 3D detection map in her mind, Zhang Lexuan could clearly see a ten-thousand-year-old mantis-like soul beast rushing towards her from the other side of the grass.

The target of this ancient mantis was Tang Ya and Bei Bei, who were the weakest in the group.

The two were protected in the middle of the group. The Mantis leaped out of the grass and thrust its scythe-like forelegs straight at Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

"Beibei, Tang Ya, get out of the way!" Zhang Lexuan's expression changed, and she was about to remind the defensive Soul Kings next to Tang Ya and Beibei to release their Soul Skills in advance for defense.

However, since the others do not share mental detection capabilities, they cannot make accurate predictions and obviously cannot release soul skills in advance.

As the ten-thousand-year-old mantis leaped out of the jungle, the inner court disciples, who had already released their martial souls, unleashed their soul skills with their fastest reaction speed.

The ominous signs sent chills down Tang Ya and Bei Bei's spines.

One of them is a Soul Master and the other is a Quasi-Soul Master, so their reaction speed is definitely slower than the attack speed of the Ten-Thousand-Year Mantis.

A fiery arc, transitioning from invisible to a blend of white and purple, streaked across the sky.

It was Huo Yuhao's Buddha's Fury Lotus that had been released in advance. After flying out of the simulation range, it transformed back into the image of a white and purple flame lotus seat.

The Mantis successfully caught the Buddha's Wrathful Lotus with its face.

With a deafening "boom," a dazzling white-purple flame erupted, and the mantis's triangular head, located at the center of the fire lotus, instantly vaporized. Brilliant flame ripples expanded outwards, and the ten-thousand-year-old mantis's body gradually became blurred and illusory under the shimmering flames.

Then the attacks from the inner court disciples arrived.

After a flurry of flashy and elaborate soul skill effects, a black soul ring emerged from the corpse of the ten-thousand-year-old mantis.

Under the simulation, part of the Buddha's Wrath Lotus's flight path is concealed and cannot be seen by outsiders.

However, the inner court disciples were able to determine the approximate location by observing the visible flight path, and they all looked in Huo Yuhao's direction.

Huo Yuhao removed the invisibility effect from himself and Dugu Luo.

Tang Ya and Bei Bei were a little stunned, looking at the handsome little boy with delicate, fair skin in front of them. They felt like they had seen him somewhere before, but they couldn't remember where.

The other person's bright and spirited eyes gave Tang Ya and Bei Bei a sense of familiarity.

Huo Yuhao smiled gently, "Sister Tang Ya, Brother Bei Bei, it's only been less than a month since we last met, and you don't recognize me already?"

Tang Ya's eyes suddenly lit up. "You are... Xiao Yuhao?"

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded slightly.

Meanwhile, the inner court disciples, seeing Huo Yuhao's superior appearance and demeanor, were already discussing his identity, speculating whether he was a genius cultivated by a powerful family who had come out to gain experience.

Tang Ya and Bei Bei had many questions, but they knew that now was not the time to ask.

Tang Ya then happily changed the subject, "It's great, Yuhao, I finally see you again. I missed your barbecue so much!"

Beibei relaxed a bit and joked, "Yuhao, how about opening a barbecue restaurant in Shrek City? I'll cover the funding."

His statement naturally implied that he intended to use this method to keep Huo Yuhao in Shrek City for the time being.

After all, he knew clearly what level Huo Yuhao was at a month ago; killing the Hundred-Year Wind Baboon required at least the use of illusions and a self-created fist technique.

And now, they can actually deliver a head-on blow to a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast.

This talent was simply astonishing to Beibei. No wonder she wanted to establish a sect. Uh... it seems that Xiaoya also wanted to rebuild a sect.

Huo Yuhao still had a gentle smile on his face: "Brother Beibei, once I've made my barbecue restaurant bigger and stronger, I'll consider opening a chain store in Shrek City."

At this moment, a moonlight flashed in front of the three of them, and Zhang Lexuan, carrying a question, flashed to Huo Yuhao's side.

"Hello, little brother," Zhang Lexuan greeted him with a smile.

"Was that mental connection request signal in my mind just now released by you?"

Zhang Lexuan really liked this soul skill. As long as she had this detection map in her mind, she would no longer be ambushed.

Huo Yuhao nodded, scratched his hair, and smiled in response: "Yes, the effect that appeared in your mind just now was one of my support-type soul skills."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan revealed a rare gentle smile: "Little brother, thank you very much this time, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to restrain the Three Souls Ghost Mantis's actions."

Without that detection map, Zhang Lexuan knew very well that their losses would have been even more severe, as the Three Soul Ghost Mantises had been lurking in the shadows, launching sneak attacks, leaving them completely helpless.

Her sixth soul skill also failed to hit, since mantis-type soul beasts are naturally good at speed, and it is difficult to catch their tracks if they do not attack first.

After Zhang Lexuan successfully imprisoned the three-souled ghost mantis.

Xuanzi has arrived.

The group saw a streak of earthy yellow light flying towards them at an extremely fast speed on the horizon not far away, and it stopped above their heads in no time.

"Senior Sister, Elder Xuan is back."

The student who was speaking was clearly in low spirits, with a suffocating feeling of having a lot to say but being unable to say it.

Zhang Lexuan's expression returned to its cold indifference, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Huo Yuhao clicked his tongue in amazement. Sure enough, this was Xuanzi leading the team to hunt for spirit rings, the real main mission—avoiding becoming prey for spirit beasts.

As the yellowish-brown light gradually dissipated, the figure of Elder Xuan was revealed.

The old man took a hearty gulp of wine, then slowly descended from the sky, dragging a chicken as big as half a carriage in his hand.

After landing, under the emotionless gaze of the students, Master Xuan threw the chicken to the ground.

The drunken Elder Xuan looked around, then suddenly woke up with a start and paused for a moment.

"How did Wang Chen get such serious injuries?"

"He's... he's not breathing?"

Old Master Xuan's mind was blank from being soaked in alcohol; his lips trembled as he muttered absentmindedly.

"And him, why is he missing an arm?"

Zhang Lexuan's cold face remained expressionless, but the male student next to her instantly reddened his eyes and tears welled up.

"Elder Xuan, Wang Chen died unjustly! He trusted you so much before!"

Elder Xuan instantly fell into a deathly silence, and a few tears involuntarily streamed down his face.

She covered her face and wept.

He closed his eyes in anguish, his heart filled with intense regret and guilt.

One of the female students couldn't stand it any longer and suddenly raised her head, staring intently at Xuanzi.

"Is this the kind of tempering you were talking about? We were facing a spirit beast that was nearly 100,000 years old, so why didn't you show up? You went off to catch chickens instead!"

"I heard from the senior sister that the same thing happened last time. Do accidents like getting separated from the team often occur when you're leading the group?!"

"Or is it that the academy has plenty of talented and outstanding students, and it doesn't matter if there are one or two more?"

(End of this chapter)