Chapter 124: The Soldier's Suggestion

Bing took the chart, examined it carefully for a long time, and shook his head. "The position is wrong."

"The position is wrong?" Tang Tian was stunned.

"The position of the Southern Cross is off," Bing said seriously. "Although star gates can shift, the positions of the constellations shouldn't change that drastically."

"Are you for real?" Tang Tian looked at Bing with disbelief.

Bing widened his eyes, his tone sharp. "Are you questioning the familiarity a veteran legion member has with their own base?"

Tang Tian immediately felt sheepish. "Ah, ah, ah, look, Qianhui said it too, there are a lot of places that aren't accurate."

Bing ignored him and mused, "The star gate might indeed have changed, and I've never been to Perseus before. But if we want to return to the headquarters, it's not impossible."

Tang Tian’s spirits lifted. "What’s the way?"

"Enter the Soul Zone from the Martial Soul Hall. There is a path in the Soul Zone that leads directly to the headquarters. People used to take it often, though it isn't an easy route," Bing explained.

"That's great!" Tang Tian was overjoyed. He raised his arms and cheered, "Let's go, let's go!"

Bing rolled his eyes. "I said that path isn't easy to take."

"How is it not easy?" Tang Tian asked.

"Back in the day, only veterans could possibly make it through that path," Bing said, looking Tang Tian up and down and raising an eyebrow. "Kid, you've still got a long way to go!"

"Veterans?" Tang Tian frowned. In the past, he would have scoffed at Bing’s words, but now, having struggled repeatedly in the Eighteen Bronze Man Chamber, he understood just how powerful those so-called veterans were.

Bing looked up at the sky, appearing lost in thought, then suddenly said, "Actually, it’s hard to say. So many years have passed; maybe those star soul beasts from before are gone now. We’ll have to go and investigate for ourselves to be sure."

Tang Tian nodded repeatedly. "Right, right!"

"Then you had better go say goodbye to them," Bing reminded him. "We might be in the Soul Zone for a long time."

Tang Tian agreed, so he went to bid farewell to Uncle Qian. Uncle Qian guessed that Tang Tian was likely going to find the young lady, so he didn't try to stop him, instead stuffing Tang Tian’s pockets with plenty of star stones and soul cores.

Tang Tian’s empty purse was suddenly full again.

Leaving the Shangguan residence, Tang Tian found a secluded, uninhabited corner to enter the Martial Soul Hall, and from there, he entered the City of Three Souls.

The city looked no different from when he had last left, though the major incident that occurred at the Lin family estate had left the city feeling much more desolate. Even the pedestrians on the streets seemed fewer. Avoiding any attention, Tang Tian returned to the armory.

He found Sai Lei in the armory.

But looking at the disheveled, ghastly figure in front of him, Tang Tian almost didn't recognize her. She was a mess, her hair matted, her clothes dirty and torn—she could rival Wu Guang in disarray.

Sai Lei didn't even acknowledge Tang Tian's presence, continuing to mutter to herself.

"Is this woman going crazy?" Tang Tian asked Bing, feeling a bit worried.

Bing, however, was experienced in such matters. "That’s how these people are. When they encounter something they’re obsessed with, they lose all regard for their own lives. Tsk tsk, the mechanical engineers from thousands of years ago had this temperament, and the ones today are no different."

From Bing’s tone, Tang Tian could tell that some mechanical engineer back in the day must have offended him.

"Hey, Sai Lei!" Tang Tian called out. Sai Lei acted as if she hadn't heard him, so Tang Tian had to raise his voice and shout again.

Only then did she hear him. Her eyes slowly regained focus, and upon seeing Tang Tian, she gave a simple "Oh, you're here," before turning to leave.

Tang Tian frowned. Without a word, he lunged forward, grabbed Sai Lei, and turned to ask Bing, "Where is the water pool?"

Sai Lei cursed angrily, "What are you doing? Don't waste my time!"

Bing put on an "it has nothing to do with me" expression, though he pointed behind Tang Tian. "Go two hundred meters back and turn right."

Tang Tian didn't hesitate, hauling Sai Lei in the direction Bing indicated.

Sai Lei struggled violently in his grip, but Tang Tian ignored her completely. This woman was simply too reckless! He could see the bloodshot veins in her eyes and knew she hadn't slept for days.

Sure enough, there was a pool of flowing water, fed by a bronze channel with water trickling into it.

Tang Tian swung his arm, and with a scream, Sai Lei flew into the pool.

*Splash!* A massive spray of water erupted.

"Wash yourself clean! If you make any more noise, don't even think about touching these mechanical war armors ever again!"

After dropping this warning, Tang Tian turned and walked away.

Sai Lei, who had been about to curse him out, fell silent instantly. Tang Tian’s words had hit her where it hurt most; being forbidden from touching mechanical war armors was worse than death to her.

Under the circumstances, she had no choice but to submit.

***

"Kid, I didn't realize you could be so authoritative!" Bing sounded surprised.

Tang Tian looked as if it were only natural. "Of course. Who do you think I am? I'm a god-like youth—what can't I handle?"

He conveniently ignored the times he had suffered at Sai Lei's hands in the past.

Tang Tian looked at the scattered parts of the mechanical war armors at his feet. During this time, Sai Lei had disassembled countless armors, leaving parts everywhere.

*This woman is truly insane!* Tang Tian thought, clicking his tongue in admiration.

It didn't take long for Sai Lei to finish washing.

She had changed into fresh, dry clothes. Her damp hair hung loose, and her face still seemed to hold a layer of mist, making her already breathtakingly beautiful features appear even more delicate and gentle. Her somewhat timid expression made her look even more pitiful.

"Don't put on an act!" Tang Tian raised his hand, gesturing for her to stop as soon as he saw her expression. He had personally experienced how formidable this woman could be.

"Now go get some sleep." He raised his other hand to cut off the anxious Sai Lei before she could speak, his tone brooking no argument. "Don't bargain with me. If you work yourself to death, I'm the one who loses out!"

Seeing her open her mouth to protest, he glared and raised his voice. "No more nonsense! Go!"

Startled, Sai Lei ran off to sleep obediently.

She was actually beyond exhausted, her mind muddled. *How did this guy become so fierce?*

***

With Sai Lei asleep, Tang Tian went with Bing to scout the terrain.

Leaving the base, Tang Tian began to venture deep into the Soul Zone under Bing's guidance. Perhaps because he was returning to familiar territory, Yaya became unusually active, chirping and babbling incessantly along the way.

Yaya hadn't grown in size, but the patterns on its armor had become clearer. The most notable change, however, was the small flag that now stood on its back.

"Be careful. Many star soul beasts used to haunt this area," Bing warned. "I've checked, and this is still a soul-hunting zone. Keep an eye on Yaya; though soul generals are weak, they are very agile."

The soul-hunting zone was full of dangers, and one would occasionally encounter warriors hunting for soul cores. However, the path Bing guided them along was rarely traveled; Tang Tian didn't encounter a single soul.

Suddenly, Yaya went quiet, and the small flag on its back stopped waving. It hunched over, eyes fixed forward, alert.

Tang Tian immediately went on guard.

In the distance, a flash of eerie red light flickered and vanished.

Immediately after, a chilling rustling sound followed.

"It's a Star Soul Snake!" Bing warned.

The speed of the soul snake was faster than Tang Tian had imagined; it soon appeared before him. The snake was about three meters long, as thick as an adult's arm, and covered in a layer of fine bronze scales that formed unique patterns. But what chilled Tang Tian most was the head.

In the center of the triangular head, there was a startlingly distinct human face.

"These star soul beasts absorbed fragments of ancient martial souls, which is why they have human faces," Bing said, his tone turning grave as he lowered his voice. "Be careful. They are much stronger than ordinary star soul beasts. Try it out, but if you can't handle it, run. We can reconsider our plans."

Tang Tian nodded without a word, and Peacock Blue manifested on his body.

Over this period, Tang Tian had persisted in nourishing Peacock Blue with his own silver martial soul.

Peacock Blue had become even more powerful.

The burning of the Heavenly Furnace Gauntlets had caused a massive shift in Tang Tian's feelings toward secret treasures. In the past, he saw them merely as valuable items; now, he viewed them more as living beings.

Perhaps due to this change in mindset, the connection between Tang Tian and his secret treasures had become much tighter.

In the center of every plume-scale on Peacock Blue, a thread of silver had appeared. Surging power flowed from the equipment, and Tang Tian felt his entire body filled with strength.

Tang Tian assumed a defensive stance, staring at the Star Soul Snake before him.

The snake's cold, icy eyes were locked onto Tang Tian, and the expressionless human face seemed to exude a murderous aura. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and snowflakes began to fall around the Star Soul Snake.

Tang Tian’s expression changed.

Judging by its aura alone, this Star Soul Snake was of a higher tier than any star soul beast he had encountered before.

Sixth rank!

Suddenly, the Star Soul Snake opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of mist, which expanded rapidly the moment it left the snake's maw.

Wherever the mist passed, a layer of frost formed on the ground.

By the time the mist reached Tang Tian, it had become like a wall of fog, crushing down toward him.

Tang Tian did not retreat. This Star Soul Snake would allow him to gauge the dangers ahead. If he couldn't even handle this, he wouldn't be able to go deeper. The path ahead would only be more perilous.

However, he hadn't been making no progress these past few days!

The shock brought to him by Ghost Claw and Wu Guang was unprecedented. For the first time, he understood that true martial arts could reach such a level!

A whole new window had opened in Tang Tian's world.

He didn't rush to practice higher-tier martial arts; instead, he continued to practice the Seismic Fist—a technique he had already perfected and developed into a finishing move.

Seismic waves—his goal was to grasp the true essence of vibration.

The kid hadn't been slacking off at all!

Tang Tian remained calm and composed. He sank into a bow stance, his right fist held loosely in front of him. He reached out into the empty air, and with a faint *hum*, countless vibrating threads seemed to be pulled from the void into his palm.

The surrounding air began to tremble.