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

Lin Xue looked up, her amber cat-like eyes slightly narrowed under the light, like a startled cat. She instinctively shrank back, but quickly relaxed, revealing a faint smile: "It's all thanks to the strategist's excellent command. I just... did what I was supposed to do."

“No.” Su Chen sat down opposite her, his tone serious. “If you hadn’t suppressed the soul attacks of those two sealing guards at the last moment, we would all have perished there. Your Shadow Cat Martial Soul has a natural restraining effect on soul attacks, and you are probably the only one in the entire academy who can do that.”

Lin Xue lowered her head, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her glass, remaining silent. She wasn't used to being praised; from childhood, she had always been the unnoticed shadow, hiding in the corner. During the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony, when the testing crystal displayed the words "Shadow Cat," she saw only the disappointed looks of those around her. Shadow Cat, a support-type Martial Soul, possessed no offensive power, only the ability to become invisible, stealthily move, and sense auras. In that world that revered strength, such a Martial Soul meant mediocrity, meant forever remaining in the background.

But Su Chen didn't see it that way.

"Lin Xue, have you ever considered that your martial soul might not just be a support?" Su Chen put down his wine glass and leaned forward slightly. "In legends, the Shadow Cat is the messenger of the Lord of the Underworld, capable of traversing between life and death. Its abilities go far beyond mere invisibility."

Lin Xue's eyes lit up for a moment, but quickly dimmed again: "But... my soul power is only level thirty-seven, I'm not even a Soul Master..."

“Level isn’t important,” Su Chen interrupted her. “What matters is how deep your understanding of your Martial Soul is. Chen Hao’s Will of the Sun was realized at the critical moment of life and death. Your Shadow Cat Martial Soul may also have a deeper level of power waiting for you to discover.”

Lin Xue was silent for a moment, then nodded gently: "I will try my best, strategist."

Su Chen smiled, stood up, and patted her on the shoulder: "Get some rest. The days ahead won't be any easier than the mission."

He turned and walked back to the main table. Qian Renxue was talking to Ares. When she saw Su Chen return, she slightly raised her chin, gesturing for him to sit down.

“Su Chen, I just discussed the next steps with Ares.” Qian Renxue’s fingers traced lightly on the table, as if sketching a map. “After the Void Cult’s base in the far north is destroyed, they will definitely shrink their defenses and strengthen the defenses of their other bases. What we need to do next is to continue our attack before they fully react.”

"Where is the next target?" Su Chen asked.

“Sunset Forest,” Qian Renxue said. “Intelligence indicates that there is a branch base of the Void Cult deep within Sunset Forest. It is smaller in scale than the one in the far north, but the research projects there are even more dangerous. They are conducting live experiments there, attempting to inject the power of nothingness into soul beasts to create ‘Void Soul Beasts’ under their control.”

Su Chen frowned: "What about the success rate?"

“Very low. Most soul beasts die immediately after being injected with void power, and only a very few survive. However, those that survive become extremely violent, highly aggressive, and their strength increases significantly. According to intelligence, they have successfully created at least three void soul beasts, one of which may have reached the level of a ten-thousand-year soul beast.”

"A Void Soul Beast at the level of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast..." Su Chen gasped, "That's beyond what ordinary Soul Masters can handle."

"So for this mission, I will personally lead the team," Qian Renxue said.

The entire auditorium fell silent instantly. All the students had heard those words; their glasses froze in mid-air, and their laughter abruptly ceased.

"My lord, you're going in person?" Ares was the first to react, his face turning grim. "This is too dangerous. You are the dean of the Heroic Academy, a key figure in the Heavenly Dou Empire's fight against the Void Cult. If anything happens to you..."

"It's precisely because I can't afford to get hurt that I have to go personally." Qian Renxue's voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced everyone's ears like nails. "The threat of the Void Soul Beasts is too great. If they leave Sunset Forest and enter human settlements, the consequences will be unimaginable. I must personally verify their situation, and if necessary, eliminate them myself." Su Chen looked into Qian Renxue's eyes, and in those eyes, he saw an unwavering determination. He had known Qian Renxue for a long time and knew that once she made a decision, she would never change it.

“I’ll go with you,” Su Chen said.

“I’ll go too,” Ares added immediately.

“No.” Qian Renxue shook her head. “Ares, your arm isn’t healed yet. You stay at the academy for this mission. Su Chen can come with me, along with a small team. The number of people can’t be too many, otherwise we’ll be easily exposed.”

Ares wanted to say something, but Qian Renxue stopped him with a look. He sat back down sullenly, grabbed his wine glass, and took a big gulp.

“Dean, I want to go too.” Chen Hao stood up. His face was still a little pale, but his eyes were firm. “My solar will has just awakened and needs to be consolidated through actual combat. Besides… I owe the strategist a life in the far north, and I want to repay it.”

Qian Renxue glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. This mission is very dangerous; you might die."

"I'm not afraid of death," Chen Hao said.

“I know you’re not afraid,” Qian Renxue said, “but I need people who can come back alive, not people who go to their deaths. Are you sure you can come back alive?”

Chen Hao paused for a moment, then thought about it seriously and said, "I'm sure."

“Alright, then you go too.” Qian Renxue then looked at the others, “For this mission, I need five people. Besides Su Chen and Chen Hao, there are three spots left. Who’s willing to go?”

A few seconds of silence filled the auditorium, then a hand was raised. It was Lin Xue; she was still sitting in the corner, but her raised hand was unusually firm.

“I’ll go,” she said.

Immediately afterwards, two more hands were raised. One was Li Yang, whose injuries had mostly healed, and his carefree smile had returned; the other was Zhang Wan, whose expression was calm, but whose eyes revealed an undeniable determination.

“Li Yang, Zhang Wan, Lin Xue.” Qian Renxue nodded. “Add Su Chen and Chen Hao, that makes five people in total. Very good, start preparations tomorrow, and depart in three days.”

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere had changed. A hint of solemnity crept into the trainees' smiles. They knew this mission was far more dangerous than the one in the far north, because the dean would be leading the team personally, meaning the difficulty of the mission exceeded what ordinary trainees could handle.

Su Chen stopped drinking. He silently left the auditorium and walked to the playground outside. The night was deep, and the lights of Tiandou City flickered in the distance, like a fallen galaxy. He took a deep breath; the cold air filled his lungs, clearing his mind considerably. (End of Chapter)