Douluo: Martial Soul White Tiger, I am the White Emperor of Heaven

Su Chen tried to speak, but found that his throat was blocked by something, and he couldn't make a sound. He tried to reach out and grab them, but found that his hands passed right through their bodies and he grasped nothing.

“We will always be watching over you,” the three said in unison. “Heroes are immortal, and our protection will never cease.”

Then, the golden light dissipated, and the three of them disappeared.

Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes and found himself lying in a tent, with Ares sitting next to him, looking at him with a worried expression.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Ares asked.

Su Chen shook his head, sat up, and rubbed his eyes: "It wasn't a nightmare, it was a beautiful dream."

"A sweet dream?" Ares looked puzzled. "You're all sweaty, I thought you were having a nightmare."

“It was indeed a beautiful dream,” Su Chen said softly, “because I dreamed about them.”

Ares was silent for a moment, then said, "What did they say?"

“They told me to keep going.” Su Chen stood up, walked to the tent entrance, pushed open the tent flap, and looked at the north that was faintly visible through the wind and snow outside. “They told me not to give up.”

“Then we won’t give up.” Ares stood next to Su Chen, clenching his fist. “Let’s go, strategist. It’s almost dawn, time to set off.”

Su Chen nodded, turned to the trainees in the tent and said, "Get up, pack your things, let's go!"

The trainees woke up one after another, quickly packed their belongings, and the thirty-three of them once again stepped onto the snow and headed north.

The wind and snow grew stronger, and visibility worsened, but they did not stop, because they knew there were things ahead that they needed to protect.

…………

The wind and snow howled, and the world was vast and desolate.

The team of thirty-three trudged across the icy plains of the far north, each step sinking half a foot into the snow. The howling wind, whipping up ice crystals, stung their faces like knives. But no one stopped, no one retreated. Their eyes were resolute, their steps steady, as if what awaited them was not danger, but some sacred mission.

Su Chen walked at the head of the group, his soul power perception fully activated, detecting everything within a three-mile radius. Although the far north was desolate, it wasn't a dead end. It was home to numerous ice-attribute soul beasts, including terrifying beings with cultivation levels of ten thousand or even a hundred thousand years. If they were disturbed, their mission might end before it even began.

After walking for about an hour, Su Chen suddenly stopped and raised his right hand.

"stop."

The thirty people stopped simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, without making a single extra sound. This was a fundamental skill trained at the Heroes' Academy—absolute obedience to orders and absolute silence.

"There's movement ahead," Su Chen said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the north. "There are people there, more than one."

Ares quickly walked to Su Chen's side, his martial soul already released, a huge phantom of a thunder wolf faintly appearing behind him. As a combat instructor at the Heroes' Academy, Ares's soul power level had reached the level of a Title Douluo at level ninety-five, making him the strongest fighter in the team besides Su Chen.

"How many people?" Ares asked. "About twenty, moving in our direction." Su Chen's perception spread out like mercury. "Their soul power fluctuations are strange... they don't seem like normal soul masters."

"How is it strange?"

Su Chen frowned, seemingly trying to discern the strange feeling: "There's a... hollow feeling in their soul power. It's as if a part of their soul has been devoured by something, leaving a void. I've seen this kind of fluctuation before; it belongs to the Void Cult."

Upon hearing the words "Cult of Nothingness," the trainees' expressions turned solemn. But instead of fear, they felt a surge of eager anticipation. Chen Hao, in particular, had his hand already on the hilt of his sword, the Martial Soul of the Sword of Light stirring within him, as if sensing the fighting spirit within its master.

"Don't be impulsive." Su Chen glanced back at the trainees, his gaze lingering on Chen Hao for a moment. "Our mission is to investigate, not to fight. Avoid it if you can."

“But strategist…” one of the students couldn’t help but say.

"No buts." Su Chen's tone left no room for argument. "This is an order."

Although the trainees were unwilling, they obeyed the order. The thirty-three quickly changed direction and moved southeast, attempting to bypass the Nihilistic Cult patrol.

But fate seemed unwilling to let them pass so easily.

Less than a quarter of an hour after they changed direction, Su Chen's senses detected an anomaly again—not just one patrol team, but three, surrounding them from three different directions.

"We've been discovered." Su Chen's voice carried a hint of helplessness, but was mostly calm. "They knew we were coming all along."

Ares clenched his fist, and the soul power of the Thunder Wolf Martial Soul began to surge on his body, emitting crackling blue arcs of electricity: "Then let's fight."

Su Chen quickly analyzed the situation. There were three patrol teams, each with about twenty people, totaling around sixty. Judging from the fluctuations in their soul power, their strength varied greatly, with most ranging from Soul Master to Soul King. However, three individuals exhibited exceptionally strong soul power fluctuations, indicating they were at least Soul Douluo level, and some might even have reached the Title Douluo level.

"Sixty against thirty-three, and the other side has three strong fighters." Su Chen quickly made a judgment. "A head-on confrontation is not a wise move."

“Strategist, what do you mean…” Ares looked at Su Chen.

“I’ll hold off those three strongmen. You take the students and deal with the others,” Su Chen said. “Remember, don’t linger in the fight. After defeating them, immediately retreat north and enter the base. Our most important objective on this trip is to investigate the situation inside the base, not to eliminate these patrols.”

"You're going to take on three by yourself?" Ares frowned. "That's too risky."

Su Chen smiled slightly, a smile that contained a century of experience and confidence: "Do you think I've lived these past hundred years in vain?"

The words had barely left his lips when Su Chen vanished from the spot. The next instant, his voice echoed from the north, clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Action!"

Ares took a deep breath, turned to the thirty-one trainees and said, "Stay close to me, don't fall behind!"

Thirty-one people responded in unison, releasing their martial spirits simultaneously. In an instant, the light of their martial spirits rose and fell across the icy plain, displaying flames, lightning, frost, light, and darkness in a riot of colors, weaving together a magnificent spectacle.

Chen Hao walked at the head of the group, his Sword of Light already in his hand, its blade shimmering with a pale golden light. His heart pounded, not with fear, but with excitement. He had dreamt countless times of this scene—wielding the Sword of Light, fighting for what he believed in. Now, his dream was about to come true. (End of Chapter)