"It's done, it's done, ha ha ha ha, inform everyone, the entire army must be ready to strike at any time. Anyone who delays the military plan will be beheaded without warning."
"Yes, Your Majesty is wise. We will live up to everyone's expectations."
...
Undercurrents surged through the Three Kingdoms. Food prices rose, soul-guiding metals were blocked, and soul-guiding devices on the market sold out. Even ordinary civilians sensed the coming storm.
Song Jiang sat at the base of the Shark Tooth Mercenary Group in Haidu, once again refusing another family's attempt to recruit him. He looked at the sea chart on the table and sighed.
A duck walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. She glanced at the sea chart on the table and asked softly.
"Those people came again?"
"Yes, not just to me, but also to all soul masters above the Soul Sage level in Haidu—someone came for them."
"Really? Looks like we should head to sea for a while to stay safe. By the way, Brother Jiang, what about the item Mr. Xu requested? Is there still a way for us to return home?"
Song Jiang looked at the sea chart again and shook his head. He had searched Haidu and the surrounding port cities. He did have charts of the surrounding waters, but Douluo Continent was too far, and no one had ever reached it.
However, he had heard a rumor that the Lord of Haidu possessed a mysterious ancient soul guide capable of retracing the routes taken by navigational soul guides.
Though he couldn't confirm whether the rumor was true or false, it was the only remaining hope of returning to the Douluo Continent.
"Xiao Fu, let's head out to sea and return after some time. When Mr. Xu and the others come back, we'll tell them about the soul guide in the hands of Lord Haidu."
"Alright, Brother Jiang, I'll do whatever you say."
Song Jiang took his wife and the other members of the mercenary group and went out to sea overnight. The next day, the Lord of Haidu ordered that all Soul Saints and above in the city must submit to imperial conscription—otherwise, they would directly face the wrath of the Sun and Moon Empire.
The three kingdoms made no effort to hide their actions—or perhaps they simply couldn't. On the Sun and Moon Continent, all sorts of strange martial souls and exploratory soul skills appeared one after another. Ultimately, confrontation between empires would rely on hard power.
On this continent, "hard power" referred to the number of Soul Douluo and even Titled Douluo each kingdom possessed—as well as their soul guide technology. Until the final moment, no one knew what trump cards the three kingdoms held.
The world of soul masters was in chaos, but the soul beast forests grew far more tranquil. Aside from the core area of Lanto Forest, where Xu Mingxi had entered, there was almost no sign of human soul master activity.
"Mingxi, take a break."
The Grand Elder casually struck a thousand-year-old two-tailed fox that had lunged at him, seriously injuring it. Glancing at the two elderly companions beside him, both visibly exhausted, he offered a suggestion.
It had been more than a month since they had entered the core of Lanto Forest. In order to draw the attention of the Moon Worshipping Wolf King, Xu Mingxi regularly absorbed the essence of moonlight.
The result: no Wolf King, but plenty of attracted soul beasts. With their strength, of course they weren't afraid—and the Medicinal Rabbit helped them recover from injuries and fatigue.
But the mental fatigue was real, especially for the two older Soul Douluo elders. Constant vigilance and prolonged searching made it impossible to hide their weariness.
Xu Mingxi looked at the two elders and realized he had been a bit anxious.
The Grand Elder's arm was broken from a previous defeat by Xu Zilong, and as they spent more time on the Sun and Moon Continent, he felt as though something was chasing him from within. It drove him to seek greater power.
"Alright, let's rest for now. Thank you for your hard work, elders. I've been a little impatient this time."
The three elders found an open area to sit, but Xu Mingxi remained standing, gazing toward the unexplored depths of Lanto Forest. As long as the Moon Worshipping Wolf King existed, he would find it.
As night fell, Xu Mingxi lit a fire in the clearing. The only sound was the crackling of the branches. His masked face flickered in the flames.
The three elders sat nearby on guard, while Xu Mingxi meditated cross-legged in the center, absorbing the moonlight essence, hoping once more to draw out the Moon Worshipping Wolf King.
Minutes passed. The Medicinal Rabbit, full from a meal, squinted in comfort in Xu Mingxi's lap. Life as a rabbit was wonderful.
"Awooo~~~"
The sudden wolf howl startled the rabbit, who tumbled from Xu Mingxi's lap in panic. Before it could react, Xu Mingxi caught it and tossed it onto his shoulder.
He and the three elders swiftly moved toward the source of the howl. All that remained behind was the fire and the silver moon in the sky, which seemed even brighter now.
"Mingxi, slow down. We still don't know its strength. Be careful."
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be careful."
Xu Mingxi unfolded his golden crow wings and transformed into a streak of light racing toward the howl. He didn't want to miss another chance, even if this howl wasn't from the Moon Worshipping Wolf King.
As he neared, a silver beam shot straight at his face. He immediately ignited flame armor to shield himself but was still struck. A small piece of his mask broke off, exposing a bit of burned skin.
But Xu Mingxi showed no frustration—only joy. He stared at the massive silver wolf before him, crescent moon mark on its forehead, flowing mane in the wind, and desire burned in his eyes.
"We found you."
The three elders quickly caught up, ready for battle—but unexpectedly, the Moon Worshipping Wolf King spoke.
"Human, you can absorb the essence of moonlight. Could it be… you've seen the Moon Goddess?"
The Wolf King gazed at Xu Mingxi and the Medicinal Rabbit in his hand, eyes flicking between the two as if in deep thought.
"Yes. The Moon God gave me a chance to ascend to godhood. If I complete the trial, I can become a god."
Though Xu Mingxi still had no clear idea about the Sun and Moon God's test, that didn't stop him from painting a grand and brilliant picture for the Wolf King before him. Perhaps, like the protagonists from novels he read in his past life, he could use words to connect.
The Moon Worshipping Wolf King stared at the human with complicated eyes. He was already nearing 200,000 years of age and wasn't sure he could survive the upcoming catastrophe.
Unexpectedly, in this critical moment, he encountered a human who had passed the Moon God's trial—and held the Medicinal Rabbit too.
He had no fondness for humans—and didn't want to die. Instead of waiting for death, it was better to try. Perhaps… by killing this human favored by the Moon God before him, he might survive the coming doom.
"Awoo~~~"