Xue Wuhen
Soon, Yuhao and Tie Lang entered the Frozen Forest.
"Brother Huo, according to our previous agreement, my people are only responsible for locating the Mirror Beast. As for anything beyond that, we won't interfere."
Tie Lang spoke as he led the way through the dense, snow-covered woods.
To be honest, if Yuhao had not offered such a shocking price, Tie Lang truly would not have accepted this commission.
After all, the target was a soul beast of nearly five thousand years. Even though the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group possessed considerable strength, they had no desire to provoke a soul beast of this level head-on.
After hearing Tie Lang's words, Yuhao replied calmly:
"Don't worry. As long as you let me see the Mirror Beast, your mission is complete, and I'll deliver the agreed reward."
"Thank you very much, Brother Huo."
As Tie Lang spoke, a burning light flickered in his eyes.
That reward was a soul bone.
When Yuhao first approached the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group, no one believed him. But to their astonishment, Yuhao had casually taken out a left arm soul bone on the spot.
It was precisely after witnessing that soul bone that the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group spared no effort in searching for the Mirror Beast.
The outcome also satisfied Yuhao greatly.
He himself had spent ten full days wandering the Frozen Forest without even discovering a trace of the Mirror Beast.
Yet this group of seasoned mercenaries had managed to find clues within just five days.
This made Yuhao deeply convinced of one thing—
Professional matters should indeed be handled by professionals.
...
As the two conversed, they had already reached the deeper regions of the Frozen Forest.
Although this area did not house a ten-thousand-year soul beast king, it was still inhabited by many thousand-year soul beasts.
Under normal circumstances, no mercenary group would willingly venture this deep into the forest to hunt soul beasts.
"Yo—yo!"
Tie Lang suddenly let out a sharp, peculiar bird call.
Moments later, a young man dressed similarly but much younger appeared in front of Yuhao and Tie Lang.
"Boss, you're here. The captain has been waiting impatiently."
From the way he addressed Tie Lang, it was clear he was one of his subordinates.
"Heitou, have you found the Mirror Beast?"
Tie Lang asked immediately. Yuhao also stepped forward at the same time.
Previously, they had only discovered traces left by the Mirror Beast, but had not confirmed its actual location.
Yuhao originally believed that pinpointing it would take another day or two. Unexpectedly, the mercenaries had already locked onto it before he even arrived.
Their efficiency was indeed astonishing.
"That's right," Heitou replied quickly. "Follow me. The Mirror Beast is currently searching for food. If we arrive too late, it'll be troublesome if it escapes again."
As he spoke, Heitou gestured for them to follow.
Neither Yuhao nor Tie Lang dared to delay. They immediately followed him deeper into the forest.
...
After advancing several hundred meters, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's voice suddenly echoed within Yuhao's mind.
"Yuhao, I've sensed the Mirror Beast."
Hearing this, Yuhao instantly released his Spiritual Eye martial soul. Purple-gold light flashed alternately as his first soul ring lit up without hesitation.
Mental Detection!
Yuhao's first soul ring was a million-year Wisdom Soul Ring that had never existed on the Douluo Continent before.
It was a soul ring that could evolve endlessly alongside Yuhao himself.
The present Yuhao was no longer his former self, and the terrifying potential of that million-year soul ring was gradually being revealed.
"Spiritual Detection" was one of the four core soul skills provided by this soul ring.
Although Yuhao had not used it extensively before, as both his cultivation and soul ring evolved, the skill itself had undergone qualitative changes.
Buzz—
Invisible waves of spiritual power rippled outward like expanding circles on water.
With Yuhao at the center, all information within a radius of one thousand meters flooded into his mind in an instant.
That's right.
Even though Yuhao currently possessed only one soul ring, the range of his mental detection had already reached a terrifying one kilometer.
Within that range, no movement or fluctuation could escape his perception.
A three-dimensional mental image formed instantly in his consciousness.
Just one hundred meters ahead, several figures were crouched low, their bodies emitting faint soul power fluctuations.
They were clearly other members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group.
Not far ahead of them, a soul beast crawled silently across the snow-covered ground.
Its entire body was covered in lens-like scales, reflecting distorted images of the surroundings. An oppressive and eerie aura radiated from it.
It was the Mirror Beast Yuhao had been searching for.
"Here—this is your reward."
Now that Yuhao had already confirmed the Mirror Beast's position, he naturally no longer needed Tie Lang and the others.
He casually tossed the soul bone he had won from the dean of Zhengtian Academy toward Tie Lang.
At the same time, black-gold dragon wings suddenly unfurled behind his back.
Shadow Escape!
In the next instant, Yuhao's figure transformed into a dark blur, like a shadowy serpent slipping through the forest, rushing straight toward the Mirror Beast's location.
By the time Tie Lang and Heitou reacted, Yuhao had already vanished completely.
"Boss, that kid ran off! Should we chase him?"
Heitou instinctively wanted to pursue, but Tie Lang reached out and stopped him.
"Chase him for what?" Tie Lang said calmly. "Haven't you noticed that the commission has already been paid?"
As he spoke, Tie Lang gently shook the soul bone in his hand, which was still emitting faint soul power fluctuations.
Seeing the soul bone up close, Heitou couldn't help swallowing hard.
A soul bone.
An incomparably rare treasure on the Douluo Continent.
Any single soul bone placed in an auction would fetch at least several hundred thousand—if not millions—of gold soul coins.
With the equivalent of millions of gold soul coins now resting in front of him, how could he not feel dizzy?
However, when Heitou noticed the half-smiling expression on Tie Lang's face, he immediately lowered his head.
Continental-level treasures like soul bones were not something a small figure like him was qualified to covet.
Seeing this, Tie Lang suppressed his smile. He stared at the soul bone in his hand, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.
"Heitou, continue leading the way."
"Ah—yes."
Heitou replied hastily and turned around to lead the group forward.
But he failed to notice that, at the very moment he turned his back, a fierce light surged through Tie Lang's eyes, accompanied by a faint fluctuation of soul power.
...
Yuhao was completely unaware of what was happening behind him.
At this moment, all of his focus was locked onto the Mirror Beast.
Likewise, the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group members hidden nearby were also fixated on it.
Within dense bushes, several mercenaries lay in ambush, staring unblinkingly at the Mirror Beast in the distance.
Among them, a soul master stood quietly with a soul ring glowing beneath his feet, continuously releasing a soul skill that concealed everyone's presence.
It was clearly a concealment-type soul skill.
Although such soul skills were of limited use in direct combat, in wilderness environments—especially dangerous regions like the Frozen Forest—they were often more valuable than most offensive soul skills.
Perhaps from waiting too long, a short man with a thin mustache grew impatient. He turned around and muttered:
"Boss, Tie Lang still hasn't brought anyone over. I'm getting tired of waiting."
Seated behind him was a slender young man with fair features.
He appeared refined and elegant, with a scholarly air.
Yet he was precisely the leader of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group—
Xue Wuhen.
Hearing his subordinate complain, Xue Wuhen glanced at him calmly and said:
"Impatient? If you think about the employer's commission, are you still impatient?"
The short man froze, then forced a dry laugh.
"No, no, of course not."
Xue Wuhen snorted softly and said in an indifferent tone:
"The employer gave me a soul bone as commission. Let alone asking us to wait here—he could even ask us to eat shit, and it still wouldn't be excessive."
The surrounding mercenaries twitched the corners of their mouths, completely unsure how to respond.
But Xue Wuhen didn't let the matter drop.
"Don't you agree?" he asked coldly.
Under their leader's gaze, the group could only nod in unison.
They were well aware of Xue Wuhen's temperament.
Sure enough, Xue Wuhen revealed a satisfied smile.
"That's right," he said lightly. "We're here to make money—not to act delicate."