Chapter 126: Oath of Revenge (10,000-Word Chapter, Requesting Monthly Votes)

Beneath the vast horizon, a team of several dozen people carrying huge packs embarked on a journey across the snow mountains.

Around them, goose-down snowflakes swirled, like a white veil torn between heaven and earth, dressing the world in silver.

The cold wind, laced with bone-piercing chill, converged in the air, tearing out a mournful howl like a raging dragon roaring.

The swirling snow nearly obscured their vision; the few at the front of the team occasionally pulled out direction compasses to judge their path forward, then continued burying their heads to press on.

Having walked for three consecutive days, the first-term trainees of the Snow Valley Training Camp still had not crossed out of the snow mountain zone.

Gui Tong, leading the way, spotted a cave not far away at this moment, turned around, and shouted toward the rear.

"There is a cave ahead; let's go in and rest for a while."

"Just in time to eat something." Li Zheng nodded in agreement beside him at this moment.

The group then followed Gui Tong toward the cave.

The cave lay beneath a steep cliff, half-buried and half-exposed by the ever-frozen white snow, with icicles hanging like decorations above the entrance.

Because the cave sat in a wind channel, when the cold wind swept past, the ice walls would emit a low, long echo.

Upon entering the cave, the first-term training camp trainees did not rush to rest; instead, they cautiously ventured deeper into the cave to confirm no monsters were dwelling inside before setting down their packs.

"Start a fire."

Speaking thus, Gui Tong took three burning sticks from his pack, placed them on the ground, raised his hand, and condensed elemental flames to ignite them.

Seeing this, the other trainees also took out burning sticks one after another, lighting multiple fire groups inside the cave.

The group sat around the fire groups.

At this moment, Gui Tong took out a shield crystal from his pack again, threw it toward the cave entrance, and triggered it with his consciousness.

Instantly, the shield crystal shattered, transforming into an ice-blue light shield that expanded rapidly until it fully connected with the rocky walls of the entrance, blocking the cold wind constantly pouring into the cave.

"Everyone eat first to replenish stamina; later we will rest in two shifts, each sleeping for 3 hours while alternating guard duty." Gui Tong said in a deep voice at this moment, then looked at Li Zheng:

"After eating, you players from the Player Clan, the Night Eagle Clan, and the Bronze Clan will sleep first; the other trainees and us of the Four-Eyed Clan will be on guard."

"No problem." Regarding Gui Tong's decision, Li Zheng immediately expressed his support.

Looking up at the ice pillars and ice flowers of various shapes on the cave wall, Li Zheng and the Liver Emperor Group players took compressed energy paste from their packs, bit open the packaging with their teeth, and took a huge bite.

The taste of the energy paste was not as bad as imagined; upon entering the mouth, one first felt a fresh, slightly herbal aroma, the blended scent of various selected spiritual plant essences; after swallowing, a peculiar fragrance would surge up from the stomach, like strolling through a morning forest, with every breath full of nature's gifts.

As the energy paste quickly melted in the stomach, a spicy sensation quietly rose; this was the taste of "Ginger Spirit," a special spiritual material similar to spices; its appearance seemed to ignite a small flame within the body, rapidly dispelling fatigue and cold, bringing a warm current from the inside out.

Immediately after, a faint sweetness quietly revealed itself as the outer layer dissolved, like a gentle breeze in summer, caressing the spiritual consciousness; it not only balanced the spiciness of the top note but also added a touch of softness to the overall flavor.

Finally, a barely perceptible woody or floral scent slowly emerged.

Seemingly ordinary energy paste, besides rapidly replenishing bodily consumption, also carried the effects of spiritual soothing and wound repair.

It was one of the primary foods for soldiers of the Retrograde Legion on the battlefield.

Instructor Kuang Sha had once stated that the process of making one energy paste was complicated, requiring the consumption of over 30 types of spiritual plants.

Regarding this, Li Zheng had no doubt whatsoever.

After asking the guide, he learned that sacrificing one energy paste could actually exchange for 83 points of Shou Shou Jili.

From this, one could see the Retrograde Legion's regard for its soldiers.

Without pondering this question further, after swallowing an entire energy paste, Li Zheng spoke in the voice channel:

"Let's sleep; later it will be our turn to stand watch."

"Good night." After exchanging good nights, the Liver Emperor Group players leaned against the rock wall and closed their eyes.

Having traveled for many consecutive days without proper rest, the moment they closed their eyes, sleepiness surged like a tide, quickly sending them into a deep sleep state.

On the other side, although Gui Tong and the others were so drowsy their eyelids fought, they still forced themselves to stay awake, guarding against possible dangers.

Except for the starting point, the Snow Valley Training Camp, outside lay the world of monsters.

Although countless trainees had traversed this route before, it was still filled with various crises and risks.

【31】 Every year, during the journey for the first term to advance to the second term, numerous death cases occurred.

Every year, the journey to advance to the second phase claims numerous lives.

In Gui Tong's eyes, even if the probability of encountering danger in the snow mountains was small, as long as there was a probability, preparations for response and prevention must be made.

Rubbing his hands, Gui Tong turned his head to look at the Player Clan members who had already fallen into sleep, then took out another energy paste from his pack again, took a huge bite, held it in his mouth, let the medicinal effect spread in his mouth, until the spicy sensation from the layered melting attacked, and his spirit instantly refreshed.

Time passed.

Three hours later, the Player Clan and others were awakened to take over guard duty; the Four-Eyed Clan and other trainees, who were barely holding on, decisively closed their eyes and began resting immediately after they woke up.

After this process alternated twice, all the trainees of the training camp had recovered their spirits.

Before leaving, Gui Tong took a map from his pack and spread it flat on the ground.

He then placed the direction compass on the upper right corner of the map to estimate the remaining journey.

During this time, Li Zheng and others also curiously crowded over.

Through the map, one could intuitively see the position of the first-term training camp in the lower left corner of the map; starting from there, following a black line winding toward the upper right, one needed to cross three regions in between.

They were, respectively, the continuous snow mountains beneath their feet, the white plains in the central area, and finally the forest region.

These regions had no clear path markers; on the map, only a general outline of the terrain was drawn; everything required them to explore and advance on their own.

Before embarking on the journey, the instructor had emphasized the white plains in the central area, stating that this was the region with the highest risk coefficient among the three, where trainees encountered dangers, even death, every year.

This area was once the territory of the Soul Return Clan, an invading faction; after snatching this territory from the hands of the terrifying Black Tide, they established a Soul Return Clan outpost node here.

During this period, the Soul Return Clan carried out a series of adaptive modifications on this territory.

They buried a large number of "Soul-Shaping Seeds" deep in the earth, completely transforming the environment into a region suitable for Soul Return Clan warriors to operate.

Subsequently, the Retrograde Legion reclaimed this territory from the Soul Return Clan.

However, after the Retrograde Legion reclaimed this territory, due to tight front-line conditions, they did not complete the restoration and modification of this land.

This caused many Soul-Shaping Seeds left by the Soul Return Clan to remain buried deep in the earth of the white plains, occasionally breeding powerful soul beasts.

(PS: This clan was mentioned in Chapter 90.)

And the Soul Return Clan was also one of the most powerful hostile factions facing the Retrograde Legion at this stage.

According to Instructor Kuang Sha, the head trainer of the camp, the Soul Return Clan is a powerful race that wields the power of world rules.

Their appearance resembles dark red demons; their bodies are massive, and every inch of their skin is branded with dark red spiritual patterns, like congealed blood burning silently in the darkness, their entire forms brimming with an evil aura.

Before each war begins, the Soul Return Clan scatters a vast number of Soul-Plastic Seeds over the battlefield.

During the war, all living beings killed by the Soul Return Clan have their souls devoured by Soul Beasts created by the Soul-Plastic Seeds, eventually completing their rebirth within the bodies of these Soul Beasts to become members of the Soul Return Clan.

The most terrifying aspect is that warriors reborn through life reshaping can retain their memories from before death.

However, this memory is more like a movie implanted in the mind; the new warriors of the Soul Return Clan do not feel any attachment to the family bonds, friendships, or all other emotions from their past lives due to the scenes in their memories. From the moment of their birth, they consider themselves warriors of the Soul Return Clan and believe they should strive for the rise of the Soul Return Clan.

Relying on the powerful Soul-Plastic rules, the Soul Return Clan can collect a vast amount of intelligence and knowledge from other races.

Ordinary races have no power to resist the Soul Return Clan.

Often, once a small-scale racial war ends, the entire race becomes a group of newly reborn Soul Return Clan warriors enslaved.

During the initial arrival of the Soul Return Clan, numerous nearby races were modified and reborn by them; even the Black Tide at the nearby node was seized by the Soul Return Clan, becoming a new rising force on the Pale Continent.

The Soul Return Clan, seeking to expand their territory, inevitably encountered the Anti-Tide Legion after this.

Thus, a long and brutal war broke out.

Although the Soul Return Clan can reshape the life structure of killed warriors, they cannot reshape the War Divine Seals within the bodies of the Anti-Tide Legion warriors; in years of war, they were defeated by the Anti-Tide Legion several times and finally voluntarily withdrew their front lines, ceding vast territories.

But this does not mean the Soul Return Clan has completely admitted defeat.

According to Instructor Kuang Sha's description, the Soul Return Clan's reinforcement forces are still continuously pouring into the Monster World.

Once they have accumulated sufficient strength, they will launch a peak battle against the Anti-Tide Legion again, aiming to replace the Anti-Tide Legion as the peak force on the Pale Continent.

This is a force with infinite growth potential; theoretically, as long as it is a non-rule-based life form, no matter how strong, it will be reborn and utilized after death.

For every powerful enemy killed, the Soul Return Clan can nurture a powerful expert.

During the battle with the Soul Return Clan back then, countless fallen Anti-Tide warriors, in the identity of Soul Return Clan warriors, turned their weapons against their former comrades.

While recounting this past event, Instructor Kuang Sha, who had always been calm, could not help but reveal a sorrowful emotion in his eyes.

"In about two days, we should be able to exit the Snow Mountain region. Before entering the White Plains, let's find a place to rest properly; for the journey ahead, we must maintain high alert at all times."

"Tongzi, do you understand the strength of the Soul Beasts?" a student of the Bronze Clan asked at this moment.

"I'm not sure, but since this is an advanced course for the camp, the intensity shouldn't be very high. Even if we encounter them, as long as we work together, we can kill them."

After a brief exchange, the students of the Snow Valley Camp shouldered their packs again and walked out of the cave.

Outside, the scene was still one of heavy snowfall; the cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, struck their faces, obscuring their vision.

Following the direction provided by the pointing disk, the group of students continued to advance toward the location of the Phase Two Camp.

Two days later.

After crossing the stream at the foot of the Snow Mountains, what appeared before Li Zheng and the others was a vast, boundless plain.

It was covered in white flowers.

The wind blew, and the petals danced with the wind, scattering and drifting in the air.

Li Zheng and the others chose not to continue forward; they built a bonfire by the stream and sat down to rest.

For the upcoming stretch of the journey, they needed to pass through as quickly as possible, minimizing their stay to prevent attacks from Soul Beasts.

Although Gui Tong analyzed and judged that the combat power of the Soul Beasts remaining on this land would not be high.

But this was merely a judgment; there was still a probability of unexpected possibilities.

"Tongzi, speaking of which, since this thing is so precious, did your people just let you wear it on your body when going out?"

While eating an energy bar, Li Zheng's gaze swept over the necklace on Gui Tong's neck, and he couldn't help but ask curiously.

"No matter how precious it is, it is still equipment; in the eyes of my clan, it is merely a tool to enhance combat power. Should we just enshrine it because it is precious?" Gui Tong took a bite of the energy bar and looked at Li Zheng with an expression of speechlessness.

"From what your people described, isn't this the symbol of the next clan leader's identity?"

"That's right, it is indeed the symbol of the next clan leader, but if it is lost or damaged in battle, does that mean our Four-Eyes Clan has no next clan leader? Obviously, a new symbolic token will appear."

"Hahaha, that makes sense."

"I advise you not to have designs on it. I've noticed that every time we rest, you have to look at it a few times. Let me be clear: this thing is impossible for you to have."

"Nonsense, I'm just admiring it; I don't have a single other thought about the necklace."

Hearing this, a look of contempt appeared on Gui Tong's face:

"Based on my understanding of you and the things you've said along the way, do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

"Then tell me, what am I thinking?" Li Zheng raised an eyebrow, his expression curious.

"What else could it be? Of course, you're imagining that later on the road we encounter an attack by unknown monsters, get into a fierce battle, during which I am accidentally seriously injured in the fight and cannot be saved, and finally, with trembling hands, I hand the necklace to you, telling you to carry my share of glory and persist until you reach the Phase Two Camp... How can I not know what kind of person you are?"

Hearing Gui Tong's analysis, Li Zheng and the other students burst into laughter.

"Tongzi, I give this analysis of yours full marks. I can tell you clearly, I actually did think of this." Li Zheng also couldn't help but laugh, admitting his thoughts with a smile.

"Shameless, I knew your brain was filled with dirty stuff." Hearing Li Zheng admit it, Gui Tong glared fiercely at him:

"By the way, how did your Player Clan know that the necklace on my neck is very precious?"

Facing the question, Chi Tu, standing nearby, spoke with a proud expression:

"One of the racial talents of our Player Clan is the ability to perceive and appraise treasures, discovering the value of items. Your necklace is too valuable in my eyes; before this, I had never seen anything so precious."

"Whoa, there's even such a racial talent? I thought the racial talent of your Player Clan was enduring hunger and staying up late."

Hearing this, a look of exaggerated surprise appeared on Gui Tong's face, causing the group of students to laugh again.

After some idle chat and joking, Gui Tong's expression became Solemn:

"Brothers, we are about to enter the White Plains region soon; we must maintain high alert throughout the entire journey and speak out immediately to remind everyone of any situation."

"Understood. Let's rest quickly; we will set off at dawn." Li Zheng nodded in agreement.

Still following the previously established shift-rest plan, the students of the Snow Valley Camp rested and stood guard in turn.

7 hours later.

Soft light bloomed across the sky; the night was peeled back by an invisible force, and a faint orange-yellow hue quietly seeped into the sleeping earth.

After reorganizing, the trainees of the Snow Valley Training Camp entered a white plain where white petals fluttered.

The scenery along the way was enchanting, yet the trainees remained highly tense, guarding against sudden attacks that could strike at any moment.

Half an hour later, a cry of alarm rose from the middle of the formation:

"Something's underground!"

Hearing this, everyone turned toward the source of the sound, and nearby trainees promptly scattered.

They saw a mound of earth rise on the ground, then a massive black worm tore through the mound, revealing its form.

This black worm, now exposed above ground, had a portion winding upward that stretched several meters; its body was covered in a rough hide, colored between dark gray and dark brown, with eerie green eyes flashing with ferocity.

Both sides of its head were encased in thick carapace; the most striking feature was the mouthparts at the front of its head, densely packed with sharp, tiny teeth arranged like a precision mechanical device, constantly rotating and shifting positions, gleaming with cold, harsh light under the sun, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, ever ready to reap lives.

The instant the worm revealed itself, it lunged and snapped at the nearest target, Sha Xin.

"Back off!"

A warrior of the Bronze Clan stepped forward two paces at that moment; earthy-yellow light erupted from his body, and he slammed a fist hard into the worm's gaping maw, forcibly holding back its pressure, driving it backward, then stepped forward again, embracing the worm's body as the yellow light on his skin grew even brighter.

Ha!

With a thunderous roar, the Bronze Clan warrior used sheer brute force to yank the worm from the ground.

The other new recruits joined in immediately, launching a coordinated assault.

First, warriors of the Four-Eyes Clan unleashed beams of brilliant blue light that struck the worm like ice arrows; upon impact, they transformed into spreading ice crystals, coating its body with a thin layer of frost. Then, Gui Tong condensed a massive ice sword and suddenly slashed at the worm's neck, tearing open a gash of flesh and blood; bone-chilling cold seeped rapidly from the wound into the worm's body, slowing its movements.

Next came members of the Night Eagle Clan; they raised their hands simultaneously, manipulating the wind-element energy drifting through heaven and earth to gather.

A violent gale erupted, whipping up countless white petals; after surrounding the worm, the wind formed blades that sliced rapidly at the worm's body like sharp knives, leaving fine wounds across its hide.

The leading warrior of the Bronze Clan stepped forward once more and roared:

"Clear a path for me."

Hearing this, the other trainees immediately ceased their attacks. They saw the Bronze Clan warrior's right hand suddenly swell a full size, veins bulging on its surface, as he slammed a fist hard into the worm's body.

Instantly, a wild surge of power erupted from within the worm; the dense wounds on its body caused it to explode into four pieces, scattering as a shower of minced flesh raining down.

In this brief skirmish, the trainees of the Snow Valley Training Camp crushed and effortlessly slew the worm.

Witnessing this scene, the Liver King players among them looked somewhat surprised.

They all knew that the new recruits admitted to the training camp were the outstanding talents of their respective clans.

Previously, within the Snow Valley Training Camp, everyone had worn restriction bracelets, so there was no obvious disparity in strength.

But in this first battle after removing the bracelets, these beasts' performance was truly astonishing.

Especially the Bronze Clan new recruits, who usually took the most beatings, fought with extreme bravery; they met the worm's snapping jaws with their fists, suffered no injuries, and instead effortlessly drove the worm back several meters.

"That startled me; I thought a soul beast of the Soul Return Clan had emerged from underground." Having ended the fight, Gui Tong let out a long sigh, then continued:

"Let's take the scattered chunks of the worm's flesh. The food in our packs won't last for our journey; these scraps can help us survive the stretch where supplies run low."

Upon hearing this, the trainees immediately set to work, packing the worm's minced flesh into their bags for later consumption.

After this brief interlude, the group resumed their march.

……

Three days later.

The trainees of the Snow Valley Training Camp passed through a region blooming with white flowers and entered the central plains.

The scenery here had changed.

As far as the eye could see, the ground was fractured; exposed soil, as if licked by fire, displayed a dry, cracked, and pale hue, showing no trace of moisture or fertility. The wind here was no longer a gentle caress but had become a sharp blade, whipping up clouds of fine dust that whirled like ghosts across the emptiness, emitting mournful, low growls.

Though the sky remained vast and boundless, it appeared exceptionally pale due to the lack of greenery; sunlight poured down unobstructed, making this desolate wasteland even more glaring and barren.

Crossing a dried-up riverbed, the cracks ahead yawned open like wounds upon the earth.

The scars left by the great war between the Tidebreaker Legion and the Soul Return Clan that year remained like an indelible shadow, deeply engraved in the very texture of the land.

Shattered weapons, broken armor, charred bones, snapped banners… this place resembled the ancient battlefield region of the Emperor's Tomb Mountain Range, yet appeared even more desolate.

As they walked, Li Zheng and the others could sense that the non-human trainees' expressions were somewhat sorrowful.

Li Zheng could fully understand this.

This great war had clearly involved their ancestors as well.

It was an emotion they could not truly share.

"Everyone be careful; many unprocessed Soul Mold Seeds still exist beneath the ground here, and they likely harbor soul beasts." Gui Tong, leading the group, spoke up to warn them.

Hearing Gui Tong's warning, Chi Tu, walking in the center of the formation, activated the perception vision of the Eagle-Headed Demon.

As the perception range expanded, the surrounding scene flooded into his mind; even the slightest shifts of sand and gravel stirred by the wind became clearly visible.

After advancing a bit further, a dark red energy sphere suddenly appeared in Chi Tu's perception vision, rising rapidly from underground.

"Everyone, be on guard! Something is coming out over there!" Chi Tu pointed toward the ground nearby and cried out in alarm.

Upon hearing the warning, all the trainees turned to look in the direction Chi Tu pointed.

They saw cracks suddenly appear on the distant ground, spreading outward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Roar!

Accompanied by a low growl, a dark red figure tore through the earth and revealed itself.

Before Li Zheng and the others stood a spectral monster existing between form and formlessness; neither fully illusory nor fully solid, its body seemed to drift in the rift between reality and fantasy, constantly switching back and forth.

The Analysis ability activated immediately:

【Soul Beast】:

Hunting Rank: 42

Target Description: A special life form nurtured within the "Soul Mold Seeds" created by the Soul Return Clan using rules; it possesses the ability to devour souls to evolve, can transform into the devoured target through secondary life reshaping, and acquire the target's racial talents, combat skills, life memories, and so on.

……

The soul beast that tore open the earth to appear seemed formed from condensed emerald-green mist; these mists sometimes coalesced into sharp blades, sometimes twisted into rotating chains, and sometimes gathered into humanoid monsters clad in emerald-green armor.

Circles of invisible energy fluctuations surrounded the soul beast, capable of disturbing the surrounding air, causing the temperature to plummet and the chill to pierce the bones; these fluctuations also carried an indescribable noise, like countless imprisoned resentful souls wailing hysterically.

Seeing the soul beast charge, the expressions of the students instantly grew tense.

Before setting out, they had all heard Instructor Kuang Sha describe the terror of soul beasts; this special life form, upon killing anyone present, would devour their life, assume the dead person's appearance, master all their abilities, and was extremely difficult to kill.

"Prepare for battle!" Gui Tong shouted at this moment, the Element Eyes on his face bursting forth with brilliant light.

Four clusters of elemental energy coalesced simultaneously before him.

Li Zheng and the other hardcore player group also swiftly entered combat stances; the Family Shared Godfather in the party voluntarily moved to the front, preparing to activate the Petrification Form to absorb damage.

"No, there are other soul beasts!"

At this moment, Chi Tu exclaimed in alarm again.

As the words fell, the ground ahead cracked continuously, and clusters of dark red energy tore through the earth to emerge.

Glancing over, counting the one ahead, there were five soul beasts in total.

Three of the soul beasts hovered in the air, twisted rapidly, then transformed into alien forms and landed; one of these figures was clearly the Brass Clan's appearance.

Seeing this scene, the expressions of the students suddenly changed.

These three figures were obviously students previously killed by soul beasts; now the soul beasts had inherited their memories and abilities.

"Kill!"

The Brass Clan warrior struck first, rushing straight toward the soul beast ahead.

Bang!

The soul beast in the form of the Brass Clan also struck at this moment, its right hand simultaneously glowing with a yellow-earth light.

Fist met fist, with exactly the same abilities, but the soul beast's strength was clearly a tier higher, punching the Brass Clan student backward; his figure slid back several meters, stumbling a few steps before stabilizing.

A great battle was about to erupt.

During the fight, evil auras constantly radiated from the five soul beasts, making people shudder with fear.

The two soul beasts that had not yet devoured souls fought in chain and blade forms, while the soul beasts that had devoured souls fought using the abilities of those they had consumed.

Among them, even the weakest soul beast had a Hunting Level of 39.

In the clash, what troubled the Snow Valley students most was the soul beasts' dual nature of solid and ethereal bodies; when switching to ethereal form, they ignored all physical damage.

The Brass Clan warrior standing at the very front was quickly covered in wounds under the soul beasts' fierce assault, turning into a man of blood.

Seeing this, the Family Shared Godfather immediately stepped up, having the other students drag him to the rear, then took out pills from his satchel for emergency treatment.

With Petrification activated, he tanked the damage output, activating his Taunt ability.

The Family Shared Godfather, his body surface coated in a lacquer-black substance, directly absorbed the attacks of all five soul beasts; this scene instantly stunned the other students.

"You kid, you actually have such an ability!" While Gui Tong gathered his spells to strike, he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Tongzi, don't talk; I can't hold on much longer, hurry up and kill these five soul beasts!" The Family Shared Godfather maintained a standing posture, gritting his teeth and speaking while enduring the pain.

The Family Shared Godfather's performance immediately reduced the pressure on those in the rear.

But Chi Tu's voice came again:

"Three more soul beasts are approaching!"

"Damn it, stop fighting, let's run!" Li Zheng decisively spoke up with the suggestion.

"Run!" Gui Tong did not hesitate either, knowing that continuing the fight would only lead to being surrounded, making withdrawal difficult then.

"I'll clear the path, you all follow closely." A Brass Clan warrior roared, his body surface instantly coated with a layer of yellow-earth light; after his body suddenly swelled a ring, he rushed straight into the five soul beasts.

Seeing this, the other students quickly followed.

Chi Tu in the party continuously threw out "Binding," attempting to restrict the soul beasts' movement.

But the Binding, with a Painful Painful Minghun Level of only 15, could not effectively restrict the soul beasts' movement.

During the retreat, under Gui Tong's command, the party continuously changed the students covering the rear.

The other three soul beasts also attacked at this moment, causing the pressure of resistance to surge.

Possessing powerful self-healing abilities, the soul beasts could not be killed by any means they used.

One of the soul beasts had an extremely terrifying ability: it could spit a powerful poisonous mist; targets making contact would enter a continuous blood-loss poisoning state within the analysis information.

When the Four-Eyed Clan switched to cover the rear again, a soul beast suddenly transformed into a chain and, at extreme speed, stabbed toward a Four-Eyed Clan freshman who was gathering spells.

Seeing this, the Brass Clan warrior decisively stepped forward, wanting to resist for him.

But the soul chain twisted through a bizarre angle in mid-air, grazing the Brass Clan warrior's shoulder, and instantly pierced the Four-Eyed Clan freshman.

"Clan brother!"

Amidst Gui Tong's scream, his eyes bloodshot and tearing, the soul chain wrapped around the Four-Eyed Clan warrior's body surface; pain appeared on his face, and his body withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Countless faint fluorescent points could be seen emerging from the Four-Eyed Clan student's body surface, being absorbed by the soul chain.

Crack!

The soul chain retracted; the soul beast's body twisted and changed rapidly, transforming in the blink of an eye into the appearance of the Four-Eyed Clan freshman as it landed. Then, a bizarre smile appeared on his face as he looked at Gui Tong:

"Clan brother, were you calling me?"

"Kill!" With his clan brother devoured by the soul and dead, Gui Tong's expression became ferocious, and he lunged at the soul beast.

"Tongzi, calm down!" Seeing this, Li Zheng grabbed Gui Tong, preventing him from impulsively falling into a situation of being besieged by soul beasts.

Looking at the soul beast that had already transformed into the appearance of the Four-Eyed Clan freshman, Li Zheng's eyes were cold; though raging fury burned in his heart, he also knew that impulsiveness was absolutely forbidden at this moment; they must withdraw from this area as soon as possible.

Influenced by the Soul-Shaping Seeds, the soul beasts had limited activity ranges without the Soul-Shaping Clan's control.

As long as they escaped this area, they would be safe.

But the current situation was that the assault of the eight soul beasts was truly difficult for them to resist.

At the current rate of retreat, casualties would inevitably continue to occur among them.

This was the first time Li Zheng felt fear in the game.

What he feared was not his own death, but that these alien brothers, now bound by emotion, would die here.

A thought immediately surfaced in his mind.

But before he could speak in the voice channel, Family Shared Godfather spoke up:

"Brother Li, retreating like this won't work; more brothers will inevitably be killed. Let us hold the rear and take the hit for them. I can't bear to see them die like this!"

"That is exactly what I intended. No wonder we are good brothers; our thoughts are the same." Chi Tu also spoke up to support him at this moment.

Hearing his brothers' suggestions in the voice channel, Li Zheng's resolve grew even firmer. He turned around, grabbed the collar of the mad-looking Gui Tong, and slapped him hard:

"Snap out of it, Tongzi! You lead the brothers to retreat; we players will hold the rear!"

"You..." Hearing these words, the hatred in Gui Tong's eyes vanished, replaced by disbelief.

"If we continue like this, we will all die. Rather than dying together, let us sacrifice ourselves to ensure your survival. Don't act on impulse. Remember what you said when we set out: run as fast as you can." Saying this, Li Zheng did not wait for Gui Tong's reply; he led the Liver Emperor Group's brothers and charged toward the Soul Beasts.

Family Shared Godfather, leading the charge, activated Petrification once more, enduring simultaneous attacks from eight Soul Beasts.

"Run quickly! Don't let my death be in vain." After cursing, Family Shared Godfather's health bar depleted under the Soul Beasts' attacks, and he dissolved into a wisp of black mist.

At this moment, Kill Intent moved to replace Family Shared Godfather, activating Petrification and Taunt traits.

"Run!"

Seeing that Gui Tong and the others were still casting spells to deal damage, Li Zheng instantly flew into a rage.

He had intended to end the hidden quest early to ensure their survival, but he never expected these idiots to still refuse to retreat.

Their sacrifice would be in vain.

Gui Tong's four eyes trembled violently, then he gritted his teeth fiercely:

"Everyone, follow me!"

Facing the player faction members who risked their lives to throw themselves into the Soul Beast encirclement, the new recruits of the various races were internally shocked, yet they understood the purpose of the player faction's actions.

If they did not leave now, the player faction's sacrifice would be wasted.

During this time, tears could not be held back in the eyes of some trainees.

Watching the retreating backs of the alien trainees, Li Zheng took a bottle of Intermediate Potion from his spatial bag and gulped it down:

"Brothers, kill one before we die! Focus on that Soul Beast that transformed into a Four-Eyed Clan member. Attack him!"

"Good!" The players of the Liver Emperor Group echoed in agreement.

Five minutes later, Li Zheng punched and shattered the Soul Beast that had transformed into a Four-Eyed Clan trainee.

"Satisfying!"

A kill notification rang in his mind; he turned his head to look beside him.

Except for himself, whose Body Tempering level was 7 and who struggled to survive until now, only Chi Tu, who played the magic class, remained alive beside him; the other brothers of the Liver Emperor Group had already returned their souls to Emperor Grave Village.

"Damn, the hidden quest ended just like that. I wonder when Elder You's next recruitment will arrive." Chi Tu cursed at this moment, then actively threw himself at Li Zheng, blocking a Soul Chain piercing his chest for him.

"Brother Li, I'm heading out first. I'll wait for you in the Small Black Room."

"Good. Let me land a few more punches on the Soul Beasts before I go; I'll be there soon." Li Zheng, now a mass of blood, immediately responded, panting heavily as he lunged at a Soul Beast capable of spitting poison.

Chi Tu's form dissolved into black mist at this moment.

Li Zheng also stepped forward at this moment, delivering a fierce straight punch to the chin of the Soul Beast that had taken on an alien appearance.

At this moment, the Soul Beast spat a mouthful of poison mist at him, instantly deepening his already poisoned state and accelerating his health loss.

At this moment, a Soul Beast that had transformed into a Bronze Clan warrior suddenly punched him hard in the back. Li Zheng opened his mouth, coughing up blood, and fell to the ground, rolling several meters away.

Looking at the Soul Beasts closing in, Li Zheng pulled out the "Illusion-Breaking" Rune Bomb stored in his spatial bag.

"Everyone, no need to see me off."

Just as Li Zheng prepared to detonate the Illusion-Breaking Bomb, a figure suddenly appeared beside him, grabbed him, and carried him sprinting at extreme speed toward the distance.

"Cough... Tongzi!"

Turning his head, Li Zheng saw Gui Tong, whose four eyes simultaneously radiated blood-red light, carrying him and sprinting with all his might.

Gui Tong said nothing; his running speed suddenly increased, and a four-colored faint glow covered his body surface.

Through analysis, it was discovered that Gui Tong had entered a state of Blood Qi Combustion, running by burning his maximum life limit.

"Cough... Tongzi, put me down." While speaking, Li Zheng coughed up green blood; the poison mist spat by the Soul Beasts had put him into a state of continuous health loss.

Gui Tong said nothing, gritted his teeth, and continued running, leaving four trails of flowing light behind him.

Ten minutes later.

Having run out of the Soul Beasts' attack range, Gui Tong stopped, leaned Li Zheng against a tree turned to charcoal, then took out a pill he carried and shoved it into Li Zheng's mouth.

But Li Zheng did not swallow.

All the brothers of the Liver Emperor Group were dead; how could he possibly live alone? His brothers were still waiting for him to return.

Without good brothers, the Phase Two Training Camp was meaningless.

He decisively stored the pill in his mouth back into his spatial bag.

"You must survive."

Looking at Gui Tong, whose eyes were red, Li Zheng weakly shook his head:

"Tongzi, I'm afraid I'm going to die."

Li Zheng, who had already prepared to welcome death amidst poisoning and health loss, spoke, then looked at Gui Tong's neck, and was surprised to find that the necklace on his neck had disappeared.

Clearly, when Gui Tong came to save him, he had already prepared to sacrifice himself and handed the necklace to his clan members.

While feeling moved in his heart, Li Zheng grinned:

"Tongzi, didn't we agree to run faster than anyone else and definitely not..." Coughing, the poison within his body surged; Li Zheng opened his mouth and coughed up a mouthful of poisonous blood. Paired with his body covered in scars, his appearance was truly miserable.

"Stop talking. Take a deep breath and wait for the medicine to take effect."

"Tongzi... where is your necklace?"

"I told you to stop talking." Seeing Li Zheng's condition still worsening, Gui Tong reached out and pressed against Li Zheng's chest, trying to disperse the toxic energy within his body.

"Cough, cough— Tongzi, I really didn't expect you to give the necklace to your clansmen, and then throw your life away to save me."

"You're about to die, and you're still thinking about my necklace." Gui Tong said with a sorrowful expression.

Li Zheng, who was about to speak, opened his mouth and coughed up a glob of poisonous blood, then said in a withered tone:

"Cough, cough… Tongzi, I really do like your necklace… Tell me, if… if we had one more day to meet again, would you give the necklace to me?"

Watching Li Zheng's pupils gradually lose focus, Gui Tong's heart filled with sorrow, his body trembling uncontrollably:

"I'll give it to you. I will."

"It's a deal." Li Zheng suddenly seemed to rally, as if in a final flare of life, but this state lasted only a few seconds before he withered once more.

Under Gui Tong's sorrowful gaze, Li Zheng, a wisp of fresh blood at the corner of his mouth, coughed violently again, then smiled with an expression of relief and said:

"Tongzi… remember what you said. You said… cough, cough… a warrior of the Four-Eyed Clan keeps his word, never goes back on it."

"You're about to die, and you still have the mood to say this…" Gui Tong was about to open his mouth and rebuke him, but he got only halfway through his words when he saw Li Zheng's body begin to crumble into mist, still wearing a smile as he looked at him.

Black smoke dispersed from between his fingers. Gui Tong reached out to grab it, but could not catch hold of Li Zheng's quickly extinguishing fire of life.

This feeling of wanting to hold on, yet being powerless to do anything, nearly suffocated Gui Tong.

In the end, Li Zheng's body crumbled completely in his hands, turning into black mist that scattered into the world.

At this moment, Gui Tong's heart was filled with despair and sorrow, and what floated up in his mind was the expression on Li Zheng's face as he looked at him with a smile before dying.

This image froze in his mind, branded deep into Gui Tong's memory.

Gui Tong, his body trembling, fell to his knees on the ground. Staring at the spot Li Zheng had just been leaning against, tears streamed down uncontrollably. Then he slammed his fist into the scorched tree before him and said through gritted teeth:

"Ban Ban Zhuan… I, Gui Tong, swear here that I will return on the day I complete my training, and avenge you all!"

A ten-thousand-character chapter. Tomorrow I'll keep up the ten-thousand-a-day pace.





(End of this chapter)