Chapter 89: Night Attack, A Battle on the Verge of Breaking Out
"Let's go, Yan . From here on, it's just the two of us."
Han Li glanced at Dugu Yan, who had been brimming with excitement ever since they stepped into the forest.
"Yes! I've been wanting to test my strength ever since my martial soul evolved. Before, my soul skills were all auxiliary. Even in combat, I could only rely on my martial soul's poison to slowly wear down my opponents. But now, I'm a proper assault type battle soul master!"
As she spoke, the phantom image of her martial soul appeared behind her, and the wings of the Flame Winged Serpent Spirit unfurled. The serpent flicked its tongue, as if sharing her battle fervor.
"Alright then, until we reach the mixed zone, I'll be relying on Yan to protect me."
Han Li raised his twin blades now completely devoid of any glow before making a sheathing motion.
"No problem! But you'd better keep up, little brother."
Dugu Yan playfully winked at him before stepping forward.
Han Li chuckled and followed closely behind as they ventured deeper into the forest.
Dugu Yan's… Unique Hunting Style
After advancing for some time, Han Li, who had been maintaining constant mental surveillance, was feeling utterly exhausted not from battle, but from Dugu Yan's reckless enthusiasm.
Her wild survival instincts? Terrible.
That was his personal assessment as her temporary instructor.
In just an hour, following behind her had already left him with a headache.
Drunk on the power of her evolved martial soul, Dugu Yan seemed to think she was invincible in the outer region. With her first soul skill's rapid activation and ability to chain attacks, she had taken it upon herself to attack everything that moved. Even the smallest caterpillars weren't spared from her fiery assault.
Though she didn't outright kill these weak soul beasts sticking to the unspoken rules among soul masters at least ten creatures now had singed legs or burned bellies.
As they moved forward, Han Li found himself constantly surrounded by the scents of charred fur and fresh blood.
"Alright, Yan , stop. If you keep this up, we'll be swarmed by a horde of soul beasts before we even reach the mixed zone."
Han Li quickly put an end to her rampage.
"Oh, right. I'll stop now… I guess I got too excited."
Her battle high faded, and she finally realized what she had been doing. A bit embarrassed, she ceased her reckless attacks.
"Let's move forward. Your martial soul gives you better vision, so take point and keep watch. If weak soul beasts appear, just drive them away we need to pick up the pace."
Han Li checked the sky and calculated their travel time. If they hurried, they could reach the campsite he had used last time, saving them the trouble of setting up a new one.
"Got it."
Now fully focused, Dugu Yan tapped into her training, recalling the survival knowledge she had learned. The two quickened their pace.
First Combat Encounters
Upon reaching the mixed zone, they were ambushed twice.
However, with Han Li's advanced warning and Dugu Yan taking things seriously, the battles were swift and decisive.
Her evolved martial soul carried a powerful fire attribute. With her first soul skill's rapid activation and no cooldown, she didn't even need Han Li's help to dominate the battlefield.
A 1,300 year old Shadow Leopard and a 1,800 year old Dark Crow were both crippled within seconds of engagement, their mobility shattered before being bombarded by continuous Lava Beams.
A few quick steps and light repositioning were all Dugu Yan needed to finish them off.
The sheer ease of victory made her realize just how vast the difference was between her past and present self. And this was just her first soul skill.
"Not bad. But they were still too weak there wasn't enough pressure to be a real test."
Han Li doused her enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water, ensuring she didn't revert to her reckless behavior from earlier.
"I know, you don't have to remind me."
Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at him.
During their journey, she had heard Guang Ling speak about Han Li's past battles.
At just Rank 20 before even obtaining his first soul ring he had successfully fought off two 2,000 year old soul beasts on his own. He had taken some time, but he had still walked away completely unharmed.
Now, she was at Rank 30, yet all she had done was defeat a single 1,500 year old soul beast. It wasn't much of an achievement.
If this had been a month ago, she might have been proud, boasting about it at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
But now, all she wanted was to grow stronger to keep up with Han Li.
Even though she had yet to see him fight in person, just the aura he released during martial soul possession was enough to suppress hers. And that black, ten thousand year first soul ring…
There was no need for further proof of his power.
Not to mention, aside from the rumored Sword Douluo flying with his sword, she had never heard of a tool soul master creating a flight based soul skill before even reaching three rings.
(She didn't know whether Sword Douluo's flight was a soul skill or not. Abilities among high ranking soul masters were often shrouded in secrecy.)
And soon, she would finally witness Han Li's strength firsthand when he obtained his next soul ring.
Nightfall and Unexpected Danger
Noticing that Dugu Yan had fallen silent, Han Li waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts.
He then glanced at the darkening sky.
"Alright, let's go. The old campsite should still be usable with a little maintenance."
Adjusting their direction slightly, he led the way toward their previous resting spot.
The campsite wasn't far barely a ten minute walk.
Inside the forest, night fell faster than in the outside world.
Of course, the thick canopy of trees also played a role.
In just three minutes of walking, the darkness deepened noticeably.
Due to her martial soul possession, Dugu Yan's glow was impossible to fully suppress. In the current environment, she was like a walking beacon a massive, glowing 'Come eat me' sign for any nocturnal predators.
"Yan , maybe put away your martial soul for now. The forest's strong predators are more active at night. Let's get to the camp first before drawing unnecessary attention."
Han Li, who was used to staying hidden, wasn't comfortable with such an obvious presence beside him.
"Alright."
Dugu Yan agreed without hesitation.
Truthfully, she had also realized that she was practically inviting soul beasts to attack.
However, without her martial soul's enhancement, her night vision was mediocre at best. Still, since Han Li suggested it, she complied.
"Uh… actually, hold on. Yan , your opponent has arrived. Take care of it first I'll provide backup."
Han Li suddenly raised his hand and pointed forward.
Dugu Yan's expression immediately turned serious as she shifted into battle mode, her sharp gaze locked onto the darkness ahead.
Her spiritual power wasn't as strong as Han Li's. Even with her evolved martial soul, it was only slightly above average for her level not nearly enough for long range detection.
But as she tensed, Han Li had already concealed his aura and slipped behind a tree.
This was her battle to experience.
His job was to ensure her safety.
(End of Chapter)
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