Heading inland all the way, the further they went, the greater the changes became.
On the way, the two passed through many towns and even small cities, only to discover that the population in these places had almost disappeared by more than half. Moreover, traces of military activity could be seen almost everywhere. Various vital transportation routes were firmly controlled, and anyone who dared to move freely was met with bloodshed on the spot.
Most of the soldiers were clad in heavy armor and bore no specific faction insignia. Even with the naked eye, it was impossible to tell which side they belonged to.
Chaos had erupted everywhere. Whether it was the military or soul masters, whether in small towns or large cities, such riots were visible almost everywhere. For a time, it felt like the end of the world.
Shen Han Yu carried Ye Lingling as they swiftly streaked across the sky. Occasionally, they would lower their altitude to observe the situation below. Unfortunately, almost all the towns within the Heaven Dou Empire looked like this.
Shen Han Yu roughly understood the current situation and said nothing more. He simply carried Ye Lingling all the way toward Heaven Dou City. Before going to hunt souls, he decided to first understand the real situation on the continent.
Traveling against the wind, it wasn't long before Heaven Dou City appeared before the two of them.
Unlike its former grandeur and magnificence, Heaven Dou City now looked lifeless and devoid of its past vitality. It was like an aging lion, teetering on the verge of collapse under the setting sun, as if it would fall at any moment.
Numerous people patrolled the towering city walls. Some buildings in the city had been damaged by attacks and were now in ruins. Many areas were still piles of debris.
Shen Han Yu brought Ye Lingling straight to the previous imperial palace. The palace that had been shattered during his last clash with Golden Crocodile Douluo had already been rebuilt. On one of the high platforms there, Shen Han Yu immediately noticed a familiar figure.
Golden feathers drifted down as golden hair danced in the wind. Qian Ren Xue sat cross-legged in mid-air, with the angelic phantom behind her spreading its arms to embrace her. Golden light continuously burst forth, emitting waves of sacred and bright aura. For a moment, she looked like a deity.
Shen Han Yu landed to the side with Ye Lingling. Sensing the movement, an elderly man with a majestic build slowly walked out from behind a nearby stone pillar. Upon seeing Shen Han Yu and the others, the old man clearly showed some surprise, then slightly cupped his hands in greeting and said:
"It's been a long time, little brother Shen…"
Shen Han Yu also nodded slightly and replied:
"It's been a long time, Senior Golden Crocodile…"
Golden Crocodile Douluo waved his hands repeatedly, somewhat ashamed as he said:
"I dare not accept that title of 'Senior' from you. Your strength is probably not inferior to that of the Grand Priest. It truly makes me feel ashamed…"
Shen Han Yu chuckled lightly and then said:
"A strong person should have the bearing of a strong person. Senior Golden Crocodile, you are also a powerhouse standing at the peak of the continent. I quite admire your demeanor. Calling you Senior is not excessive…"
Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed heartily upon hearing this, then his eyes shifted as he said:
"I heard that you two set off for Sea God Island back then. Now you've suddenly returned. Did you gain something in that terrifying place?"
Shen Han Yu nodded, then glanced at Ye Lingling beside him and smiled:
"This time we returned partly to see the changes on the continent, and partly to hunt a soul ring for this girl. There are no suitable soul beasts for her in the sea."
Golden Crocodile understood with a smile and said:
"The young miss is currently in seclusion, breaking through to Soul Saint. I'll help answer this question for her…"
"Some time ago, we successively launched surprise attacks on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Although we suffered considerable losses, the final result was still extremely good."
"The entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was almost completely wiped out with no survivors. As for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, there was a slight accident. At that time, Yu Yuanzhen went mad and activated some kind of trump card, and his strength actually surged straight to the peak of level ninety-seven…"
"During the bloody battle afterward, this guy borrowed the vast and terrifying dragon qi from the True Dragon Mountain. At the cost of burning his lifespan, he forcibly fused it into his own body, raising his cultivation once again and making his combat power infinitely close to level ninety-eight. Sensing that something was wrong, I left the battlefield at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan to assist Qing Luan. Fortunately, no accident occurred…"
Shen Han Yu raised an eyebrow and continued to ask:
"What about the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo frowned and said:
"Bone Douluo took one of my claws, and his martial soul was shattered. His cultivation is now half-crippled. Sword Douluo had one arm severed by me. His body was struck by my golden light and has probably already rotted away by now. Ning Fengzhi suffered a fatal backlash and likely doesn't have much lifespan left. It's just a pity that these three managed to escape in the end. However, all the remaining disciples of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan were completely eradicated…"
Shen Han Yu nodded, showing no surprise at this outcome.
"That's for the best. Along the way, we discovered riots breaking out everywhere. So what about these…"
Golden Crocodile Douluo snorted coldly, then said with some disdain:
"Previously, those two useless Chrysanthemum and Ghost let Xue Xing and the other one escape. Afterward, for some unknown reason, those two actually managed to reach the border safely. Xue Xing used his own prestige and status to take control of the army there and mobilized a large portion of it to counterattack Heaven Dou City. They were all wiped out by us, and the border of the Heaven Dou Empire was lost as a result. Now the Star Luo Empire has begun pressing its army forward in force. Our Spirit Hall is also preparing to meet the enemy…"
Shen Han Yu nodded gently. Everything from before now had an explanation, and he clearly saw the current situation on the continent.
"I have no intention of getting involved in the continental conflict. Element City and Heavenly Water Academy are the same. Please convey this to Qian Ren Xue afterward. You should know how to handle it."
Golden Crocodile Douluo patted his chest and said with a solemn expression:
"You can rest assured on this point. During the time when Bibi Dong was in power, there might have been some disputes between Spirit Hall and Element City, but now Spirit Hall is completely under the control of the Grand Priest and the young miss. Such things will absolutely not happen again. If Element City and Heavenly Water Academy wish to find peace, we naturally will not disturb them…"
"We are very clear about the pros and cons involved and will not go looking for trouble…"
Shen Han Yu nodded, glanced at Qian Ren Xue, who was still cultivating, then wrapped an arm around Ye Lingling's waist and said softly:
"We still have important matters to attend to, so we won't disturb you any longer. If fate allows, we will meet again someday…"
Golden Crocodile Douluo cupped his hands once more and watched as the figures of Shen Han Yu and Ye Lingling disappeared. A subtle change flashed in his eyes. He then turned to look at Qian Ren Xue, let out a low sigh, and hid himself back into the darkness…
…
After leaving Heaven Dou City with Ye Lingling, Shen Han Yu headed straight for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Another swift journey, and it wasn't long before the dense and ancient forest appeared in their sight once again.
Shen Han Yu did not linger at the outskirts and went straight into the depths with Ye Lingling. Along the way, they attracted the attention of countless soul beasts, but unfortunately, they were all deterred by the aura emanating from Shen Han Yu. Not a single one dared to jump out and offer itself as a meal for the two.
Arriving at the Lake of Life once more, Shen Han Yu placed Ye Lingling on a giant rock to the side, then silently spread out his own aura.
In the Great Ferocious Land not far away, a massive black dragon slowly opened its golden dragon eyes, then quickly flapped its wings and flew toward Shen Han Yu's direction.
This was Ye Lingling's first time venturing so deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. Just as she was mesmerized by the surrounding scenery, the sunlight above her head was suddenly blocked by darkness. A terrifying aura accompanied by a fierce wind swept over, nearly blowing her over directly.
Shen Han Yu reached out with one hand to steady Ye Lingling, then looked up at Di Tian, who had already taken human form, and raised an eyebrow. He introduced him to Ye Lingling:
"This is Di Tian, the 800,000-year-old Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, and also the current leader of the black dragon clan. He has another title, the Beast God…"
Ye Lingling was slightly stunned, but before she could show surprise, Shen Han Yu continued:
"However, you don't need to be nervous. This guy just looks a bit stern. In reality, he is your teacher's companion…"
Di Tian listened to Shen Han Yu's words, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. He then slowly landed and said somewhat helplessly:
"What are you doing in the Star Dou Great Forest again? There shouldn't be anything here that interests you anymore. Don't tell me you've set your sights on me…"
Shen Han Yu was slightly taken aback. He looked Di Tian up and down, then shook his head.
"It's too late now. If I had known earlier, I should have first convinced the Evil Emperor to become Ah Yu's eighth soul ring, and then had you, the Beast God, offer yourself as her ninth soul ring. But now that everything is already settled, I can only imagine it…"
Di Tian's mouth twitched violently. After a long while, he said:
"Just tell me your purpose. There's no need to talk about all this nonsense with me. Besides, the Evil Emperor's attributes are very strong. Becoming your sister's ninth soul ring would be more suitable than me…"
Shen Han Yu raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Have Gu Yue Na and the others not returned yet?"
Di Tian shook his head slightly and replied:
"The Lord returned alone once before, but afterward she said she would take Bi Ji and Zi Ji out for a walk, and there has been no news of the three of them since…"
Shen Han Yu nodded, not feeling surprised, and simply said:
"Are there any members of the Emerald Swan Clan whose lifespan is nearing its end? Find one. I think you also understand that this would be a great opportunity for that Emerald Swan…"
Di Tian hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Ye Lingling. After a while, he said softly:
"In that case, follow me…"
Shen Han Yu took Ye Lingling's hand, chuckled lightly, and followed behind Di Tian.
…
The forest was silent. The ground beneath their feet gradually became moist, and the surrounding vegetation slowly changed, becoming sparser and somewhat shorter.
A clear sound of flowing water came from afar. Upon approaching, they discovered it was actually a fairly large wetland.
The clear sound of flowing water came from a small river drawn from the Lake of Life. Rich life aura swirled around the area, and everything looked so beautiful.
Not far away, an emerald swan covered in feathers like jade slowly raised its eyes and glanced in this direction. Upon noticing Di Tian, it slowly spread its wings, flew up, and landed beside the group.
Di Tian said something unknown to it. The Emerald Swan was first stunned, then tilted its head to look at Shen Han Yu and Ye Lingling for a moment before flying away again.
Not long after, the sound of light wing flaps came from afar. The previous Emerald Swan led the way, and behind it was another Emerald Swan that looked noticeably listless and dispirited.
The two swans landed nearby. The latter respectfully lowered its head toward Di Tian, then examined Ye Lingling with calm eyes.
Di Tian turned around and said:
"The Emerald Swan Clan has very few members. I specially created this habitat for them nearby. The soul beasts guarding the surroundings are all famous, powerful soul beasts from the Star Dou Great Forest. Even so, the number of Emerald Swans continues to decrease. This has been one of Bi Ji's headaches over the years…"
"This is a 70,000-year-old Emerald Swan. A thousand years ago, when it went out, it was attacked by a highly venomous spider king and became poisoned. It relied on its own vigorous life energy to hold on for a thousand years, but now its lifespan is nearing its end. I suppose this is also a kind of fate…"
Shen Han Yu patted Ye Lingling's shoulder reassuringly and said:
"Don't be afraid. The Emerald Swan Clan is generally mild-tempered and not a warlike or bloodthirsty race. You can tell from your teacher. There's no need to worry…"
Ye Lingling took a couple of steps forward and gently stroked the soft feathers of the Emerald Swan. After a brief hesitation, the other party also extended its long, graceful neck and gently rubbed against Ye Lingling.
Di Tian watched this scene and nodded.
"Since that's the case, you can handle the rest yourselves. I still have things to do, so I won't keep you company…"
Shen Han Yu nodded gently and watched Di Tian's figure disappear before saying:
"Its cultivation has not yet reached the 100,000-year level, so it cannot offer a sacrifice. But as long as it is willing to die for you without any resentment, with my help, it will be very easy to attract a 70,000-year soul ring…"
Ye Lingling's hand, which was stroking the Emerald Swan, froze. She then looked up at her own reflection in the other party's eyes and, for a moment, felt at a loss.
After a while, accompanied by a clear cry, the Emerald Swan proactively used its wing to lift Ye Lingling's hand and place it on its own neck. It rubbed against Ye Lingling once more, then slowly closed its eyes.
"Don't hesitate. It is poisoned, and living is only suffering. If that's the case, killing it now would actually be a release for it. In the future, after you become a god, you can resurrect it. This is also a great opportunity for it…"
Ye Lingling took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes as well…
…
A black soul ring slowly rose from the corpse of the Emerald Swan. Ye Lingling lowered her gaze slightly, then steadied her mind and began absorbing the soul ring directly.
As expected, this soul ring contained no resentment at all. The vast energy was continuously poured into Ye Lingling's body. Shen Han Yu casually pressed down with two fingers and sealed nearly forty percent of the energy inside Ye Lingling. The remaining energy was relatively gentle. Although the absorption process was still somewhat painful, at least there would be no unexpected accidents…
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master the novel is already finished on Patreon."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon the novel is already finished on Patreon."
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