Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

Chapter 40 Duke White Tiger

"But the problem is that we don't have any ingredients. I did bring some seasonings with me though," Huo Yuhao said, shaking his head helplessly.

"That's easy." Elder Xuan quickly came to Huo Yuhao's side and said loudly, "Xiao Tao, you're in charge of starting the fire. Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng, you're tasked with catching fish, the more the better. Ling Luochen and Xixi, you two go catch some wild game. Gongyang Mo, you go with them too, those who don't want to go hungry should hurry up. Huo Yuhao is the chef today, everyone else go find firewood, don't just sit around."

It must be said that the Shrek Academy elites were incredibly efficient at completing their tasks. In less than fifteen minutes, a plentiful amount of firewood was neatly arranged in front of Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao also went to great lengths to find stones nearby and then built a temporary stove by hand. Although the stove was temporary, it was very sturdy and practical, making full preparations for the cooking to come.

Soon, Ling Luochen, Xixi, and Gongyang Mo returned with several plump wild rabbits and pheasants. Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng had an even better harvest, catching a whole bucket full of lively fish.

Huo Yuhao skillfully began to process the ingredients. He carefully gutted and cleaned the fish, his movements gentle and precise. Each cut was just right, without damaging the fish meat, and the internal organs were cleaned thoroughly.

He also handled the rabbit and pheasant with great skill. His hands moved with practiced ease, each movement exuding confidence and composure. Then, he expertly sprinkled the seasonings evenly over the ingredients.

The fire was burning extremely brightly, with orange-red flames leaping high and dancing merrily, and the oil in the pot began to sizzle.

Huo Yuhao methodically placed the fish into the pot one by one, and instantly, an enticing aroma filled the air.

The aroma was rich and captivating, quickly filling the surrounding air and instantly awakening everyone's taste buds, whetting their appetites.

Next, he began to carefully process the rabbit and pheasant, preparing to roast them. He skillfully rotated the grill to ensure that each piece of meat was heated evenly, guaranteeing that the roasted meat would be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The crowd gathered around, their eyes wide with anticipation, their stomachs rumbling from the enticing aroma. Before long, one delicious dish after another was served steaming hot.

"Everyone, come and have a taste!" Huo Yuhao said with a smile.

Everyone rushed forward, eagerly taking a bite and praising it endlessly.

"Huo Yuhao, I didn't expect you to be such a good cook!" Chen Zifeng said indistinctly while eating heartily, his mouth full of food.

"Yes, yes, this is absolutely the most delicious picnic I've ever had!" Yao Haoxuan nodded repeatedly, his face full of delight.

After that, the group moved very quickly. Although they had to rest for a long time, they were able to get sufficient nutrition.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the border between the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Ahead, a vast, continuous military camp blocked their path. The camp resembled a huge castle, with tents one after another, military flags fluttering in the wind, and the sounds of soldiers training and shouting echoing from afar, full of majesty and imposing presence.

Dai Yueheng allowed one person into the military camp, and soon borrowed more than a dozen military-specific flying soul guides from the camp.

This wasn't the first time the inner court disciples had used a flying soul tool, so Dai Yueheng patiently and meticulously explained its usage to the outer court disciples, including Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena. His explanation was detailed and clear, covering everything from how to activate it to how to control speed and direction, making every step crystal clear.

The most crucial factor in using a flying soul tool is one's own cultivation level. For four-ring soul masters like Ye Qi'an, operating it is very easy and even simple. He Caitou is a soul tool system user and has a lot of experience with it. Wang Dong can fly, so using it is not difficult for him either.

The difficulty lay with Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao, but there were other methods. They had others take them into the sky and then let them control their soul tools to fly. After half an hour of practice, everyone was finally able to fly.

Wang Yan handed a long rope to everyone, "Here, tie it around your waist."

One end of the rope has a special buckle that can be securely tied to the chest, abdomen, and thighs. The rope is over thirty meters long. This type of rope is specially designed for use with flying soul tools. When soul masters have different cultivation levels, using this rope allows a soul master with higher cultivation to carry a soul master with lower cultivation, enabling the two to fly a longer distance together and maintain a higher speed.

"Nana, wait a minute..." Ye Qi'an looked at the rope around his waist and sensed something was wrong. He then turned to Gu Yuena and said.

"Yes, I will cover the two of us with a barrier, so it won't have any effect," Gu Yuena nodded gently.

It wasn't just the two of them who got the ropes, but everyone, including Wang Yan. In the end, all the rope ends ended up in Elder Xuan's hands.

"What you need to do next is protect yourselves as much as possible. After takeoff, maintain a forward-flying posture. After my reminder, each of you should activate your soul power to protect yourselves from the impact of the airflow. Do you all understand?"

"Understood," everyone replied in unison.

The flying soul tool on Elder Xuan's back was half as thin as theirs. A pair of dark red folded wings quickly opened. The wings were not very large, with a wingspan of only about two meters. There were twelve jet holes behind the wings.

Once they had all taken off and begun their flight, Elder Xuan's voice rang out: "Ready? Three, two, one, let's go!"

With a loud shout from Elder Xuan, the twelve jets on his folding wings simultaneously emitted intense white light, instantly illuminating the surrounding night sky like a dazzling bolt of lightning streaking across the heavens. Immediately afterward, they felt a powerful force surge from their waists, and then they could no longer see anything around them.

Ye Qi'an felt the wind howling incessantly in his ears, and his body was being pulled forward by a tremendous force, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Fortunately, Gu Yuena's timely barrier proved highly effective, preventing her from being significantly affected. The barrier acted like a soft yet resilient shield, keeping out the gale and impact, allowing him to experience a rare sense of peace amidst the high-speed flight.

At night, a white light streaked across the sky, gradually slowing down as it approached the ground.

"Wow--"

The sounds of retching rose and fell. The white light faded, and a dozen figures slumped about, some squatting on the ground, others leaning against tree trunks. At least half of them were vomiting. Their faces were ashen, their eyes unfocused, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably, as if they had just survived a great catastrophe.

Because of the barrier built by Gu Yuena, Ye Qi'an was not seriously injured and remained energetic. Although Gu Yuena's cultivation was only so much left, her physical fitness was truly divine, so this speed of flight had no effect on her.

Those with profound cultivation, such as Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng, had extremely ugly expressions at this moment. Their usual prestige and confidence were completely destroyed by the impact of this high-speed flight.

The ones who vomited the most were He Caitou and Xu Sanshi. They were bent over, their hands supporting their knees, vomiting profusely as if they were going to throw up their internal organs. They were even vomiting bile. Their bodies were trembling incessantly. Xiao Xiao was also vomiting quite badly. Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were also dry heaving repeatedly. Their faces were sallow and bloodless, and their eyes were filled with pain and exhaustion.

"Look at you two, so pathetic. Hmm? How come you two are perfectly fine?" As Elder Xuan spoke, his gaze fell upon Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena, who were still full of energy.

"Of course, it was the wind element soul power barrier that Nana built for me and her. No matter how fast you are, Elder Ren Xuan, the impact will be absorbed by the wind element soul power barrier. At the same time, our physical bodies are a little stronger, so it's not a big problem." Ye Qi'an thought about his words and said seriously, with a smug smile on his face.

Envy and jealousy filled everyone's hearts; they were vomiting terribly, while the two of them were completely unharmed.

Elder Xuan nodded slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "Not bad, not bad, you're quite clever, little Dai!"

Dai Yueheng's facial muscles twitched suddenly, but he still obediently walked over and respectfully called out, "Elder Xuan." Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with being addressed in this way, he dared not disobey Elder Xuan's authority in the slightest.

Elder Xuan said, "I made quite a commotion when I landed, so the military must have spotted me. This place is only about fifty miles from the Western Army Group of the Star Luo Empire. Their people should be here soon. You handle it. I'm going to take a nap. It's true what they say, old age makes you weak! Luckily, I ate well today."

As he spoke, the old man's muttered figure vanished in a flash, leaving everyone standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Sure enough, not long after, streaks of light descended from the distant sky, landing precisely in their direction. Dai Yueheng raised his hand and threw a punch into the air. Instantly, a ball of white light exploded three meters above his head, spreading out a white halo.

The figure descending from the sky immediately identified the location, and soon a team of thirty warriors, all dressed in black tight-fitting leather armor, descended from the sky and surrounded all the Shrek members. The leader was an old man with a cold face.

"Elder Du," Dai Yueheng greeted him with a smile.

"Ah! It's the young master. Young master, what brings you here? What are these...?" Old Master Du's face showed surprise, clearly not expecting to see Dai Yueheng here.

This elderly man surnamed Du is named Du Leisi, and he is a member of the White Tiger Duke's household.

Dai Yueheng smiled slightly and said, "These are all my classmates from Shrek Academy. My father and I have already exchanged letters. Is my father here?"

As Du Leisi raised his hand, all the other Soul Masters withdrew their Martial Souls: "I see. The Marshal is in the military camp, and he must be doing his morning exercises by now. I will take the young master and your classmates to meet him." His movements were clean and efficient, and his voice was loud and powerful, full of a soldier's decisiveness and straightforwardness.

Dai Yueheng smiled wryly and said, "Look at us, can we leave right away? Let's rest for a while first, and then go see Father." He pointed to everyone's tired faces and disheveled appearance, and shook his head helplessly.

It took everyone a full hour to recover from the discomfort of the rapid flight. Although their complexions were still somewhat pale, their soul power and physical strength had at least recovered.

They set off again, once more taking to the air. Everyone found the slow flight enjoyable, and their complexions finally improved. By now, it was broad daylight, and in the distance, vast military camps began to appear in their view. The camps stretched as far as the eye could see, tents neatly arranged like a steel forest, military flags fluttering in the wind…

Standing in front of the current White Tiger Duke, Ye Qi'an also curiously looked at the White Tiger Duke, whom Huo Yuhao regarded as an enemy.

Duke White Tiger appeared to be only in his thirties, with regular features and deep-set eyes that added depth and mystery to his azure eyes, each pupil shining as if containing endless wisdom and power.

His face appeared slightly gaunt, but he possessed a metallic quality, especially his eyes, which flashed like a giant blade the moment they swept over, causing the Shrek Academy students to involuntarily stop in their tracks. His gaze was imposing and decisive, as if it could see through everything.

After the White Tiger Duke appeared, everyone's eyes fell on him, and no one noticed that Huo Yuhao was already sobbing uncontrollably.

His body trembled slightly, his heart filled with complex emotions. It was a mixture of hatred, pain, longing, and helplessness, causing him immense inner turmoil.

A figure kept replaying in Huo Yuhao's mind: it was him, it was him who ruined his mother's life, yet his mother never forgot him. He was also the father he had never met! It was him, it was him. Those painful memories and deep resentment intertwined in his heart, making his breathing rapid and tears welling in his eyes.

His mother's image, her voice and smile, instantly filled every corner of Huo Yuhao's mind, and tears almost welled up in his eyes. Wang Dong silently stepped to the side, shielding Huo Yuhao, while simultaneously reaching back with his right hand to grab him, seemingly wanting to offer support and comfort. Wang Dong's eyes were filled with concern and worry; he stared intently at Huo Yuhao, afraid he might do something impulsive.

Ma Xiaotao chatted idly with Duke Baihu. Men like Duke Baihu were the easiest to attract women. Ma Xiaotao didn't know what she was thinking, but her eyes occasionally flashed with a hint of admiration.

Dureth led the group to another tent, first arranging food and rest for them, and then went to collect the intelligence and clues that Shrek Academy needed.

Wang said, "After lunch, everyone rest for three hours, and then we will set off into the Mingdou Mountains. By then, the intelligence should have arrived."

After yesterday's journey, everyone was a bit tired and needed to get their physical condition to its best before heading into the mountains for the battle.

After everyone finished eating, they immediately began to meditate and rest. For the inner court students, this kind of task was already commonplace. Ye Qi'an's principle was that it was better to kill a thousand innocent people than to let one guilty person go free. Gu Yuena was also used to killing people. In the outer court, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, He Caitou, and Jiang Nannan were older and accepted it more quickly.

For Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao, this mission was indeed a bit premature, but it was Elder Xuan's decision, and no one present could change it.

Three hours of meditation swept away everyone's fatigue, and Dureth handed over all the intelligence gathered by the Central Legion to them.

Time was of the essence; they still had to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament. After confirming the information and obtaining the map, the group immediately set off.

"Maintain formation. Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Ye Qi'an, Gu Yuena, and I will be in front, spaced ten meters apart. Control and support classes will follow. Huo Yuhao, come here, follow me and maintain mental detection. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, you two will cover the rear. Move out!" Ma Xiaotao ordered. Her voice was decisive and powerful, full of the authority of a leader.

After Huo Yuhao released his mental detection, Ma Xiaotao and the others led the way, moving at a rapid pace. Their figures darted through the mountains and forests like a gust of wind.

As it grew dark, Wang Yan reminded Ma Xiaotao, "Let everyone rest and have something to eat first."

Ma Xiaotao nodded: "Everyone stay put and rest. No fires are allowed, so as not to alert the enemy. We'll probably have to search all night."

The students sat together to rest, but Teacher Wang Yan left quietly by himself. Ma Xiaotao didn't seem to care much about his departure.

.........

(End of this chapter)