Douluo Continent: The Underworld Emperor Halosa Lets Three Fly

Chapter 126 Rewards, Ya Li's Subtle Moves

Immersed in the immense joy of about obtaining the immortal herb, Yuan Hua and Yuan Feng finally sensed something was amiss. Following Harosa's icy gaze, they also saw the half-buried soul tool, their hearts skipped a beat, and their expressions changed.

Although they didn't know the details, they knew something terrible had happened when they saw Harosa's face turn ashen instantly!

"You may wait here." Harosa's voice was like ice, eerily calm, yet containing a chilling pressure. "Soul Masters—you will be rewarded together later."

Before he finished speaking, Harosa's divine sense swept through the entire area where the Soul Masters lived like an invisible storm!

A cold, authoritative, and undeniable voice resounded precisely in the minds of Deng Fengqiao and his uncle Deng Zhan simultaneously:

"Deng Fengqiao! Deng Zhan! Bring all of you who have contributed, and get over here immediately to claim your rewards! In the temple's herb garden!"

Soul Master Area, Core Research Lab.

Deng Fengqiao was completely focused on carving the final few complex spatial stabilization runes on a palm-sized, extremely precise soul guide core, watching the soul power threads flow from his fingertips, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Harosa's voice suddenly exploded in his mind without warning, startling him so much that his hand trembled violently!

l!

A tiny yet fatal scratch deviated from its intended trajectory, instantly disrupting the balance of the entire core! *Whoosh!* A chaotic surge of spatial energy erupted, blasting the priceless core into a twisted mass of scrap metal!

"Ah!" Deng Fengqiao cried out in pain, but at this moment he couldn't care less about the materials! Harosa's voice was like a thunderclap, instantly waking him from his research state, and a huge sense of fear overwhelmed him!

"He's back—he's finally back! And he'll even be rewarded?" Deng Fengqiao's heart pounded like a drum, and his expression shifted rapidly.

The initial fear was quickly replaced by a ruthless determination born of being driven to the brink! A flicker of struggle and resolve flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and whispered, a voice only he could hear: "You forced me into this—don't blame me for being ungrateful—"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and his face quickly changed to an expression that was a mixture of surprise and fear.

He rushed out of the research room and ran into his uncle Deng Zhan, who had also received the telepathic message and looked surprised and uncertain.

"Fengqiao, the lord summons you! And says he wants to reward you? This..." Deng Zhan was both surprised and delighted, but seeing the complex emotions flashing in his nephew's eyes, he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Uncle, this is great news! Quickly, gather all the core members who have made outstanding contributions over the years, according to that 'List of Merits' we had before!" Deng Fengqiao spoke rapidly, trying to make his voice sound excited. "The lord is waiting, don't keep him waiting!"

Deng Zhan had no doubts and immediately nodded to gather his men.

The news spread.

Soon, in the central assembly plaza of the Soul Master area, more than twenty core Soul Masters quickly assembled. Most of them were excited; being called upon to receive the reward was undoubtedly a tremendous honor and opportunity. But among the crowd, a man with gray hair…

The old man, Ji Bochang, whose face was clean-cut but whose eyes were unusually sharp, seemed preoccupied, with a deep, unnoticed worry hidden in his eyes.

He glanced discreetly at the people Deng Fengqiao had summoned, a slight sense of relief washing over him. Most of those Deng Fengqiao brought were his trusted disciples, or those who shared his ideals and sympathized with the Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li.

Half of them were people who had received favors or guidance from him, and the other half were Deng Fengqiao's own people. It seems that Deng Fengqiao was not swayed by Harosa's return and still stood by his side.

Otherwise, so many people who have made contributions wouldn't have been rewarded in this way.

Ji Bochang, a former senior Soul Master of the Tang Sect, was kidnapped here by Harosa. Initially, he compromised to serve in order to save his own life, but while assisting in the construction of the temple and the relocation of the metal villa where Ya Li was located, he unexpectedly discovered the imprisoned Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li.

Ya Li had saved his life in a soul tool explosion accident years ago, and he regarded her as his benefactor. Seeing Ya Li imprisoned and in a state of mental despair, Ji Bochang was shocked and heartbroken, and secretly conceived a plan to rescue her. He used his prestige and influence in the soul tool master team to secretly make connections, and used his core knowledge of soul tools as leverage to half-coerce and half-persuade Deng Fengqiao to join him.

On one hand, Deng Fengqiao was wary of Ji Bochang's prestige and the technological secrets he possessed. On the other hand, Harosa had been absent for many years, and Elder Yi could not be found. The Undead Guards could not be relied upon. In the end, he chose to acquiesce and cooperate to a limited extent. The core of their plan was to take advantage of the temple's construction and the expansion of the divine realm to secretly make arrangements and find an opportunity to rescue Yali and break free from Harosa's control.

However, for some reason, no one has been able to leave the Realm of Rebirth in the past thirty years. Even Deng Fengqiao and Deng Zhan were unable to leave in the past, so there has never been a chance to take Yali away from here.

Fortunately, the life energy in the herb garden was extracted using some soul tools to replenish the source.

"Is everyone here? Let's go!" Seeing that everyone had arrived, Deng Fengqiao dared not delay any longer and immediately called on everyone to activate their flying soul tools. More than twenty streaks of light pierced the hazy sky of the God Realm and sped towards the direction of the temple's herb garden.

From afar, they could see the chilling sight beside the herb garden.

Harosa sat atop a majestic throne that appeared out of thin air, formed from grayish-brown energy. His face was expressionless, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient, cold well, and he exuded a suffocating aura. Yuan Hua and his son Yuan Feng stood beside him like two statues, heads bowed, not daring to breathe.

The atmosphere in the entire herb garden area was terrifyingly oppressive!

Deng Fengqiao's heart sank to the bottom! He suppressed his fear and quickly descended using his flying soul tool. After putting away the soul tool, he led a group of soul masters behind him, whose faces were also pale with fright from the atmosphere, and jogged to a spot about one meter in front of Harosa's throne.

"Your subordinate Deng Fengqiao (Deng Zhan, Ji Bochang-) pays respects to Lord Hades!" Deng Fengqiao led the way, and everyone knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the ground, their posture extremely respectful.

However, Harossa on the throne made no move. He didn't tell them to rise, nor did he even glance at them. His cold silence struck like a hammer blow to everyone's hearts!

Deng Fengqiao's knees were numb from kneeling, and he felt as if something on the ground was tightly gripping his knees. Logically speaking, someone of his strength shouldn't be like this. He was filled with doubt and suspicion, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back: "Doesn't the lord hate all these formalities? What's going on today? Could it be that... that matter has been discovered?!" This thought was like a venomous snake biting him, making his whole body ice cold.

In the suffocating silence, Harosa's calm, utterly undisturbed voice finally broke through, like an ice bead falling onto a jade plate:

"Years ago, I ordered you to build a temple. I have just seen it—" His gaze seemed to sweep over the magnificent crystal temple in the distance, "...it is fairly satisfactory. This achievement deserves a reward."

Upon hearing this, Deng Fengqiao and the others felt a surge of relief at having survived a disaster, but Harosa's next words plunged them into an icy abyss!

"But," Harosa's voice suddenly turned cold, like a biting polar wind, "how could I possibly recall—giving you permission to enter this herb garden?"

The last few words, though spoken softly, carried a chilling killing intent that seemed to freeze the very soul! Like an invisible blade, they hung over the heads of Deng Fengqiao and the others! The fragrance emanating from the immortal herbs in the herb garden now smelled of death!

"Please calm down, my lord!!" Deng Fengqiao was terrified. He abruptly raised his head, his face ashen, his voice trembling. "Innocent! Innocent, my lord! We absolutely did not overstep our bounds! We would never dare to trespass into the sacred herb garden!"

He spoke rapidly, as if grasping at a straw, explaining, "Back then, after you brought us to this divine realm, you left in haste, leaving behind only a solitary metal villa! I don't know what you planned for that villa, and fearing it might be damaged in the future, I thought of making a complete copy to preserve its original appearance! But during the copying process, I discovered there was another person inside the villa!"

Deng Fengqiao's voice was filled with lingering fear and apprehension: "I was utterly terrified and dared not act rashly, much less enter! Afterwards, I consulted with Elder Master Ji, and we finally decided to carefully relocate the entire metal villa using a large soul-guided transport device, without disturbing that person! Now, the villa is perfectly intact, located in the rear area of ​​the temple! As for your herb garden—"

Deng Fengqiao pointed to the heavens and swore with unwavering resolve: "I know this place is forbidden by Your Excellency, how could I dare to harbor even the slightest intention to trespass upon it?! Since the discovery of the herb garden, I have repeatedly issued orders strictly forbidding anyone from approaching within a hundred feet of this place! Those who disobey will be punished as traitors! Over the years, no one has ever dared to cross this line! Unless... unless it is—"

Deng Fengqiao paused at just the right moment, his gaze carrying a hint as he cautiously glanced at the direction behind the temple.

The rest of the words were unnecessary for him to say.

Harosa's cold gaze flickered slightly, and he instantly understood! Yali! The beautiful woman he had severely punished, who had been carelessly tossed into the metal villa like a soulless doll!

He actually forgot about her! She's so boring, like a doll.

So the soul-guided device in the herb garden was the work of this woman?

A playful, mischievous smile crept onto Harosa's lips.

Is it recovered?

The image of Yali's pure yet empty face flashed into his mind, her eyes seemingly filled with despair and struggle, truly inspiring a desire to conquer her.

Interesting—it seems that in these past thirty years, this Holy Spirit Douluo hasn't truly become a mindless bum? He still knows how to secretly engage in some underhanded dealings? Is it out of resentment? Or does he have other plans?

The murderous intent and anger in his heart dissipated in an instant, replaced by a playful and curious feeling, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Harosa then seemed to have just noticed the people kneeling on the ground, and casually waved his hand: "Get up, all of you."

Deng Fengqiao and the others felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, then stood up tremblingly, their backs already soaked with cold sweat. Deng Zhan secretly glared at his nephew, his eyes filled with lingering fear and questioning: You almost killed us all just now!

Harosa's icy expression melted away quickly, replaced by a seemingly amiable smile, as if his previous murderous intent had never existed: "In the thirty years I've been away, both the blacksmiths," he gestured towards Yuan Hua and his son, "and your Soul Master team have made considerable achievements. The fusion of Soul Guidance and forging, the development of large-scale energy arrays, the relocation of buildings—very good, I'm very satisfied!"

He stood up, walked to the edge of the herb garden, pointed to the dazzling array of rare and precious herbs, and spoke in a loud voice, with the generosity of a benefactor:

"You are all well-known figures in the Douluo Continent. You must have heard of the legendary Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well of the Tang Sect, and the immortal herbs nurtured within it, right?"

Everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to the celestial treasures that radiated an alluring glow and a majestic aura, and their breathing became rapid! The legendary treasures such as the Radiant Tulip, the Fiery Apricot Blossom, the Eight-Cornered Ice Grass, and the Dew of Longing for Autumn Water were right before their eyes!

How could you not have heard the legends of the Sea God and the Shrek Seven Devils?

"Today, I will tell you!" Harosa's voice carried a hint of arrogance, "These rare and precious materials, coveted by countless people, have long been transplanted to this Realm of Rebirth by me! They are your reward for your diligent work and the great contributions you have made to the construction of my Realm!"

He waved his hand grandly, displaying boundless pride:

"Everyone has a share! All those present today may enter the herb garden, select a celestial herb that best suits each of you, and immediately consume and refine it! This is an unparalleled opportunity bestowed upon you by me to lay the foundation for your divine path and elevate your cultivation realm!"

boom!

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake! All the Soul Masters, including the still-frightened Deng Fengqiao, the deep-thinking Ji Bochang, and Yuan Hua and his son, were plunged into immense shock and ecstasy! Gazing at the radiant herb garden, their eyes were filled with unbelievable excitement and greed! A Celestial Grade! A legendary Celestial Grade! This was a heaven-defying opportunity that could change their lives forever!

The fear of just surviving a life-or-death crisis vanished instantly upon seeing this enormous windfall! Everyone looked at Harosa with unprecedented fervor and awe!

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