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

The procession moved through the morning light, passing through the last grove of trees, until the outline of Tiandou City finally came into view on the horizon. Flags on the city walls fluttered gently in the breeze, and long queues of early-rising merchants had already formed outside the city gates, waiting to enter. Everything seemed so peaceful, as ordinary as the morning they had set off three days earlier.

Everyone bore the marks of the past three days. Su Chen's arms hung limply at his sides; the excruciating pain of his fractured bones reminded him with every step how terrifying the black energy beams in that underground cave had been. Li Yang carried the unconscious Chen Hao on his shoulder, a thick layer of earth-yellow soul power forming a thin membrane between them, both to stabilize Chen Hao's position and to block any potential external probes. Zhang Wan walked beside Lin Xue, her steps unsteady; setting up the magic array had nearly drained all her soul power. Qian Renxue walked at the front; although her long hair had been retied, the disheveled strands and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth still betrayed the battle she had endured.

The guards at the city gate recognized Qian Renxue and immediately stood at attention and saluted. Qian Renxue merely nodded slightly, saying nothing more, and led her entourage straight through the city gate. Tian Dou City was already awake in the early morning; steam rose from the breakfast stalls lining the streets, white mist billowing from the open steamers, carrying the aromas of noodles and meat. A vendor selling candied hawthorns passed by, carrying straw targets; the red hawthorns glistened in the morning light.

The sweet aroma of candied hawthorns suddenly made Su Chen feel incredibly empty. For the past three days, they had barely eaten anything proper, relying entirely on their soul power. He remembered that on the morning of their departure, Chen Hao had eaten three bowls of wontons at the inn, saying he didn't know when he'd be able to eat wontons from Tian Dou City again after this trip. Everyone laughed at him then, saying it was only a few days, why such a big deal? Now, thinking back, those three bowls of wontons seemed like a thing of the past.

Instead of returning to the inn, they went directly to the Spirit Hall's branch in Heaven Dou City. It was a vast complex, with the main hall five stories high, its exterior walls made of white marble, and two stone statues of sword-wielding warriors standing before the entrance. When Qian Renxue pushed open the door, the stewards who were cleaning inside stopped their work and bowed respectfully. They didn't ask any questions, simply making way quietly.

On the second floor, on the east side, there was a room specifically for emergency medical care. Inside, there were three soft couches, and the cabinet in the corner was crammed with various healing medicines and soul-guided devices. Li Yang carefully placed Chen Hao on the innermost couch, and Zhang Wan immediately came over, reached out to feel Chen Hao's forehead, and then used her soul power to check the flow of energy in his meridians.

"It's just a deep coma caused by depletion of soul power," Zhang Wan breathed a sigh of relief. "He'll wake up in two or three days, but he might be weak for a while afterward, since the depletion of the Sun's Will is far more severe than ordinary soul power consumption."

Qian Renxue stood by the window, her back to everyone, her voice devoid of emotion: "Su Chen, let me see your hand."

Su Chen walked up to her and stretched out his arms. Qian Renxue turned around, raised her hand and grasped his wrist, a cool soul force seeping into her bones through her meridians. Her brows furrowed slightly, then she released him.

“Your right arm has three fractures, and your left arm has two. There are no comminuted fractures, so you're lucky.” She withdrew her hand. “I’ll have someone fetch the bone-setting plaster and the soul-guided support for immobilization. You'd better not use your right arm for the next two weeks.”

"Two weeks?" Su Chen smiled wryly. "In two weeks, the Void Cult will be at our doorstep."

“Then use one hand.” Qian Renxue’s tone was flat, making it impossible to tell whether she was joking or serious. “You also have your left hand.”

Su Chen glanced at her and noticed a hint of weariness hidden deep in her eyes. The battle with those four Title Douluos was clearly far more dangerous than she had made it out to be; she simply didn't want to appear weak in front of everyone. He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "You should go and rest too," but in the end, he just nodded, turned around, and sat down on the chair next to him, waiting for the steward to bring him medicine.

Lin Xue stood silently in the corner. Her fingers were repeatedly rubbing a small jade talisman inside her sleeve; it was one of the backup documents she had found in the cave. The talisman contained dozens of experimental records, each detailing the cultivation process of the Void Soul Beasts, and… the entire process of the modified human test subjects' struggles and eventual submission. She flipped through a few pages but couldn't read any further; the words cut into her heart like knives. But she also knew that this data was one of their greatest gains from this trip, and it had to be brought back intact to the Spirit Hall headquarters for analysis. “Lin Xue,” Su Chen suddenly called her.

She raised her head and looked away from the jade talisman.

"Are you alright?" Su Chen asked.

Lin Xue paused for a moment, then shook her head: "It's nothing."

Her voice was soft, but Su Chen detected a slight tremor. He didn't press further, simply saying, "Keep those documents safe for now. We'll organize them together after Chen Hao wakes up."

"Um."

After settling Chen Hao in, Zhang Wan walked over to Lin Xue and gently took her hand. Lin Xue's fingers were icy cold, while Zhang Wan's palm was warm. The moment their hands clasped, Lin Xue's eyes suddenly stung. But she held back, blinking hard a few times to suppress the ache.

Qian Renxue arranged accommodations for everyone on the third floor of the Spirit Hall branch, one room per person. Su Chen's hand was secured with a spirit guide brace; a small white mechanical arm sleeve extended from his wrist to his elbow, inlaid with three healing spirit crystals that continuously released gentle healing spirit power. He tried to move his fingers; they could still move, although stiffly, but at least it didn't affect his basic life.

He returned to his room, closed the door, and sat down on the edge of the bed. The room was quiet, with only occasional shouts and the sound of horses' hooves coming from the street outside the window; everything seemed normal. He took out the communication soul tool from his pocket, rubbed its smooth surface a few times with his fingertips, and finally put it back in his pocket.

He was supposed to report the results of the operation to headquarters, but at this moment he didn't want to do anything. The exhaustion of the past three days washed over him like a tidal wave, engulfing him completely. He leaned back, his back sinking into the soft mattress, the carved patterns on the ceiling casting soft shadows in the morning light. Countless images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern: the figure of the Void High Priest floating in the air, the three soul beasts imprisoned in iron cages in the underground cave, the experimental records soaked with dried blood, and Qian Renxue's still sharp eyes as she walked down from the cave entrance.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. (End of Chapter)