Volume 29, Chapter 358.2: The Deep Adventure Is Actually...

The Unrivaled Tang Sect

Dai Hao rode out on the White Tiger Colt in front of them. He was not fast, and the White Tiger Bodyguards caught up to him quickly.

Every one of them rode a Dragonscale Horse, and wore a complete set of white armor. In the blackness of the night, they were extremely eye-catching. The rhythmic clatter of metal could be heard throughout the entire Ming Dou Mountain Range.

To protect against a sudden invasion by the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Dou Empire had stationed troops in the Ming Dou Mountain Range. The White Tiger Duke was in charge of the Ming Dou Mountain Range, and had been appointed as the Commander of the Western Army. There were three other commanders as well, all of whom were important officials of the Star Luo Empire.

The Ming Dou Mountain Range extended south for thousands of kilometers from the borders of the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Sun Moon Empire. It was named from when it was formed from the crash between the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent. (Translator’s Note: The Chinese word for ‘Ming’ is formed from the combination of the Chinese words for ‘Sun’ and ‘Moon’.)

The Ming Dou Mountain Range had complicated terrain. Weird rock formations were everywhere, and there was little vegetation. Thanks to this natural barrier, the Star Luo Empire did not face as much pressure from the Sun Moon Empire. Coupled with the vastness of the Star Luo Empire, while it was just one of three original countries of the Douluo Continent, it was still bigger than the Sun Moon Empire. With a heavy garrison, it would not be easy for the Sun Moon Empire to invade through here!

However, while the Ming Dou Mountain Range was good for defense, it was still difficult to station troops there because of its geographical features. Coupled with its long and narrow terrain, garrisoned troops would naturally have to be dispersed over a wide area.

The White Tiger Duke would patrol often to inspect the various troops of the Western Army. He was famous for his strict application of military justice. In the past few years, the Western Army had been impenetrable. In the small skirmishes they had with the Sun Moon Empire’s own garrisoned troops, they had never experienced any defeats. It was also why the Sun Moon Empire trod carefully here.

This time, Dai Hao went out to inspect the three camps that were a hundred and fifty kilometers south of his main camp. He headed out at night so that he could return to his main camp before nightfall tomorrow.

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“I…” When Huo Yuhao heard the cold voice announce that he and Wang Dong’er would be sent directly to the Deep Adventure round, he could not help but curse despite his normally mature nature.

This is too unfair, he thought. The mysterious Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley seemed to be targeting him. He did not feel that he had cheated! In fact, if they really continued to fight, he might not have been able to best Wang Qiu’er. Did it actually want him and Wang Dong’er to join forces to defeat Wang Qiu’er before sending them to the Deep Adventure round? What kind of logic was that?

However, there was no chance for him to vent his frustration. He and Wang Dong’er fell into a patch of golden light.

Everything around him became unclear. He felt as if his entire body was being twisted. It was agonizing. With much difficulty, he finally escaped from this pain. 

To his shock, he realized that he was now on a horse!

The horse galloped and he was almost thrown off. Fortunately for him, he grabbed the saddle in time to steady himself.

Where is this place?    

Huo Yuhao looked in front of him; there were men in front and behind of him. They all wore familiar white armor. It was night, and everything seemed slightly blurry as the Dragonscale Horse underneath him galloped.

He turned his head to look to the side and recognized Wang Dong’er, who was seated next to him. The two of them looked too obvious in this group. Wang Dong’er could still blend in, as she was wearing the white armor. However, Huo Yuhao wore his human-shaped soul tool, forged from rare metals. What made him curious was the fact that while his human-shaped soul tool weighed at least two hundred and fifty kilos, his steed seemed to have no problems carrying him. 

“Yuhao, where are we?” Wang Dong’er asked curiously.

Huo Yuhao chuckled bitterly and said, “I don’t know! Is this part of the test?”

At this moment, the calm voice rang out in their minds.

“The Deep Adventure begins. The theme of this round is ‘rescue’. You’re now on patrol with the White Tiger Duke. After a while, there will be an ambush. Both of you look like White Tiger Bodyguards, and you will not be recognized due to your appearance or your special equipment. The requirements for this round are to assist the White Tiger Duke after he has been ambushed, and help him to escape back to his camp. At the same time, you have to keep Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, both of whom are also in this group, alive. Only when all three of them return to the White Tiger Duke’s main camp successfully will you have succeeded. If any one of them dies, you will fail, and be punished with death. The round starts now.”

After he heard the contents of this test, Huo Yuhao did not know what to say.

What nonsense is this? Not only do I have to save someone, but I also have to babysit them? Furthermore, the rescue target is…

No useful tip was provided. He did not know who his enemy was, or how many of them would appear. He could guess the capabilities of his foes. Anyone who dared to assassinate the White Tiger Duke could not be weak, and should at least be a Titled Douluo. After all, the White Tiger Duke was a powerful Soul Douluo! Furthermore, as a duke of the empire, and the Commander of the Three Armies, he and his personal bodyguards would be equipped with powerful soul tools, too! The stronger he was, the more powerful his potential foes would be.

What angered Huo Yuhao even more was that he had to rescue Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu. Furthermore, he could not fail. If any one of them died, they would fail! Right now, the fates of Dai Hao, Dai Huabin, and Zhu Lu were all tied together with his and Wang Dong’er’s.

Anything that had to do with Dai Hao would trigger Huo Yuhao. However, he was trained under the Ultimate Soldier Plan, and hence, in terms of his resilience and mental strength, he was way superior to Dai Huabin.

He was angry and upset for a short while, but he soon calmed down. He started to analyze the situation in front of him. At the same time, he activated his Spiritual Detection to sweep everyone around him and get a sense of the situation.

Wang Dong’er regained her cool, too. When she felt Huo Yuhao sharing his Spiritual Detection with her, she felt more at ease. She knew that Huo Yuhao had been able to calm down. As long as he was calm, it would be fine.

Wang Dong’er knew of Huo Yuhao’s grievance with the White Tiger Duke. When she heard that they were out here to save Dai Hao, she was also shocked. She could not help but look at Huo Yuhao. Indeed, Huo Yuhao had an odd expression on his face. However, to her relief, his expression soon returned to normal. It meant he was able to calm down.

Yuhao is becoming more and more mature! Even in such a situation, he calmed down almost immediately...

“Yuhao, how’s your soul power?” Before they came, Huo Yuhao had fought fiercely with Wang Qiu’er.

Huo Yuhao said, “It’s at its peak. The Yin-Yang Love Querying Valley is generous. If it had not replenished my soul power to its peak, I’m afraid we’d have no chance at all.”

Quickly, the feedback from Spiritual Detection was seared into his mind.

The White Tiger Duke brought four special guards who rode at the front with him. With his Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao could sense that they had at least six rings. Coupled with the White Tiger Duke, who was an eight-ringed Soul Douluo, they were definitely not weak.

The other White Tiger Bodyguards around him were all soul masters, as well. While they were not terribly powerful, some of the leaders of the small groups had the power of two-ringed or three-ringed soul masters.

To normal soldiers, the White Tiger Bodyguards were indeed elites. They were all well-trained and well-armed. Even four-ringed and five-ringed soul masters would not dare to take them on.

However, not all of the White Tiger Bodyguards were soul masters! For any country, the number of soul masters was always going to be a problem. Even for the Sun Moon Empire, which tapped into the strength of their entire country, they had only formed a few soul master legions.

It was a rare sight to see so many soul masters gather back in Radiant City. At least one-third of all the powerful soul masters on the continent had been involved in the ambush against the palace.

After he had an idea of the overall strength on his side, Huo Yuhao made some calculations. Then, he started to scour the group for his target.

Fortunately, the odd space did not treat them too harshly. Huo Yuhao quickly found Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu. Instantly, he reached out to them with his Spiritual Detection, and was able to complete his Spiritual Detection Sharing with them.

At this moment, Dai Huabin was panicking. He just regained his voice when he felt Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection Sharing hit him.

Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu felt their minds buzz. The blackness around them lit up, and they could sense every small change in a fifty-meter radius. This sensation, which made them feel as if they were looking down from the sky, surprised them.

His words entered their minds.

“Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, its Huo Yuhao. Wang Dong’er and I are taking part in this Deep Adventure with you. No matter what differences we had in the past, we now face the same problem. You should know what to do. In particular, this concerns the life of your father, Dai Huabin. What you’re sensing now is my Spiritual Detection, which has finished connecting to you. From now on, my Spiritual Sharing will always be activated. If you trust me, listen to my orders. Only then can we stand a chance of saving your father. Do you understand?”

Even though that person was Huo Yuhao’s father too, his first and only visit to this camp took place five years ago with Dai Yueheng. Hence, he had never recognized the Duke as his father.