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

Qian Renxue put the jade talisman away, then stood up: "You all rest first. I still have some documents to process. I'll have someone notify you when it's time for dinner."

She walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, turning back to look at Su Chen: "Remember to change your dressing on time. The bone-setting plaster must be changed twice a day, morning and evening, otherwise, a hidden injury will remain after the bone fracture heals."

Su Chen paused for a moment, then smiled: "I understand."

Qian Renxue didn't say much, turned and left. Her footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor, finally disappearing in the direction of the stairs. Li Yang was still standing by the window, and finally turned around, his anger now suppressed, replaced by a heavy, repressed silence.

“Strategist,” he began, “tell me, why did they do this? Those people… they were living, breathing human beings too.”

Su Chen looked at him for a long time before saying, "Because in their eyes, humans and soul beasts are no different; they are all consumable materials. And their logic is to maximize the value of these materials."

Li Yang clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. Finally, he released his grip and let out a long sigh: "I'll go check on Chen Hao."

After he left, only Su Chen and Lin Xue remained in the conference room. Lin Xue was still copying down information, the pen scratching softly on the paper. Looking at her downcast eyes, Su Chen suddenly said, "You don't need to copy everything down. Just take the data back to headquarters."

Lin Xue looked up, her eyes slightly red, but her expression remained relatively calm. "I want to make a copy for myself." She paused, "I want to remember those names."

Su Chen remained silent for a moment, not stopping her. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the azure midday sky outside the window. Two white doves fluttered up from the eaves, tracing an arc before disappearing into the distant horizon. He suddenly wondered, where was that Void High Priest now? Was he in some core-level base plotting his next move, or had he already set off for his next destination? His statement, "The Heavenly Dou Empire will be destroyed"—was it merely a threat, or was it already on the timetable?

He didn't know. But a gut feeling told him that they didn't have much time left.
-
Chen Hao woke up at dusk the next day. When Su Chen arrived after receiving the news, Zhang Wan was helping Chen Hao lean against the headboard, feeding him a bowl of warm rice porridge. Chen Hao's face was still pale, and his lips were bloodless, but his eyes were open, and although his gaze was somewhat unfocused, he could barely concentrate.

"Strategist..." He smiled weakly as he saw Su Chen enter, "How long have I been asleep?"

“A day and a night.” Su Chen sat down by the bed, his left fingertips probing Chen Hao’s wrist, his soul power scanning his meridians. “Your soul power has recovered to about 20%. You overexerted yourself this time.”

"That guy was too strong." Chen Hao closed his eyes, seemingly recalling the scene. "My attack used all the power of the Sun's will, and it only burned off one of his hands. A Title Douluo... is he really that terrifying?"

Su Chen didn't answer. He recalled the scene in that cave where he was sent flying by a single blow; that feeling of utter helplessness was still etched into his bones. It wasn't a gap that skill or strategy could bridge; it was a crushing defeat of their respective realms.

“You’ll catch up,” Su Chen said. “You’re still young. You’ve only been a Soul King for a short time. When you reach Soul Emperor or Soul Saint, and then encounter a Title Douluo, you won’t be in such a passive position as you are now.”

Chen Hao opened his eyes, looked at Su Chen's right arm which was fixed in place by the soul-guided support, and his eyes dimmed slightly: "Strategist, your hand..."

"It's just a fracture, it'll heal in two weeks," Su Chen said casually. "Drink your porridge first, recovering your strength is the priority. We have a lot to do once you're better." Chen Hao nodded, took the bowl from Zhang Wan, and slowly began to drink. The steam from the porridge blurred his features. Su Chen sat beside him, watching, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. This team had faced many life-or-death trials since its inception, but this was the closest they had ever come to death. If Qian Renxue hadn't arrived in time, if that Title Douluo hadn't had his right hand injured by Chen Hao's Solar Will, the outcome would likely have been completely different.

He watched Chen Hao finish his porridge, watched him lie down again, and watched him close his eyes and fall into a deep sleep once more. Zhang Wan quietly tidied up the bowls and spoons, and gestured to Su Chen to "go outside to talk." The two left the room, closed the door, and stood in the corridor.

“His physical constitution is very good,” Zhang Wan said. “The effect of the sun's will on tempering his meridians is even stronger than I expected. Although he overexerted himself this time, as long as he rests properly, he won't suffer any lasting effects.”

Su Chen leaned against the wall: "You too. Setting up such a large magic array continuously, your soul power consumption isn't much less than Chen Hao's. Don't just focus on taking care of others; remember to rest yourself too."

Zhang Wan smiled, revealing two small tiger teeth: "When did the strategist become so talkative?"

Su Chen laughed too: "After almost dying."

Zhang Wan's smile faded. She looked at Su Chen, her voice lowering, "Strategist, are you afraid?"

Su Chen looked at the window at the end of the corridor. The sky outside had turned from golden to a dusky orange, and the afterglow of the setting sun slanted across the floor. He thought for a moment, then said, "Fear." His voice was very soft. "I'm not afraid of dying myself, I'm afraid of watching the people around me die."

Zhang Wan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Me too."

The corridor was quiet for a moment, then the voices of Li Yang and Lin Xue could be heard in the distance, seemingly discussing the working principle of some soul tool. The sounds came through the walls, indistinct and seemingly drifting from a great distance.

Su Chen straightened up from the wall: "I'm going to talk to Lady Qian Renxue about something. You should go and rest too; I'll have someone bring dinner to your room."

Zhang Wan nodded and turned to go back to Chen Hao's room. Su Chen walked down the corridor towards the stairwell, and as he turned the corner, he ran into Lin Xue. She was still clutching the notebook in her hand, but her eyes were no longer red, and her expression was much calmer.

“Strategist,” she called to him.

Su Chen stopped in his tracks.

“I noticed a detail while organizing the data just now,” Lin Xue said, flipping through her notebook and pointing to a page. “On the core experimental cycle table of the Qingfeng Valley base, there’s a date marked—two months from now. Next to this date is a red circle with the word ‘relocation’ written on it. I’m wondering, what does ‘relocation’ mean? Does it mean moving the base, or transferring the experimental results to another location?”

Su Chen took the notebook and carefully examined the few lines of writing. The handwriting was messy, clearly hastily jotted down, but the word "migration" was written with great force, the pen tip even tearing the paper. He thought for a moment, folded a corner of the page, and handed the notebook back to Lin Xue: "This clue is very important. I'll go find Qian Renxue and see if there's any corresponding information in other materials." (End of Chapter)