Apocalypse: Master of Soul Beasts

Wen Yu had never been a pillar of intelligence. Strictly speaking, his IQ was only average.

And Tang Haofei, even if he was slightly smarter than Wen Yu, wasn’t significantly superior.

For two youngsters in their twenties to think they could compare strategies and schemes with these old monsters, who had lived in the Universe of Immortals and Heroes for who knew how many millennia, was probably like trying to smash a stone with an egg.

Noticing Wen Yu at his side, still deep in thought stroking his chin, Tang Haofei let out a soft chuckle.

Perhaps the smile pulled at the wounds on his face. What was intended as a warm smile instantly became a grotesque distortion on Tang Haofei’s features.

”HISS... Don’t overthink it. I say we just treat both these squads as hostile. If we see them, we fight. If we can’t beat them, we die!”

”You make it sound so easy. Setting aside whether we can beat them, you can resurrect if you die. If I die, that’s really it for me...”

”Don’t you have a life-saving technique?”

Wen Yu waved his hand, indicating he didn’t want to rely on the Almighty Demon Vine’s life-saving ability as his ultimate trump card.

After some contemplation, Wen Yu summarized, ”For now, we should be especially wary of the eight-man team. They’re still quite far, so let’s put that aside. How much longer do you need?”

Tang Haofei looked at the wounds on his body and promptly gave an accurate estimate.

”Half an hour to fully recover!”

”Alright, I’ll wait half an hour for you. Then I’ll take you to find something fun.”

”What kind of fun? And stop smiling like that; I always feel like you’re trying to set me up.”

Wen Yu didn’t answer, just winked mysteriously at Tang Haofei, sending a shiver down Old Tang’s spine.

With Old Tang’s strength, if Wen Yu didn’t use him as a fighter and maximize his combat power, it would truly be an outrageous waste of a valuable asset.

...

While Tang Haofei and Wen Yu were discussing the movements of the various teams, not far from Wen Yu, Hak stared somberly at the dissipating energy fluctuations in the distance. After a long moment, his brow furrowed. He turned his head and spoke seriously to the Cyclops Giant Demon standing beside him.

”It’s stopped.”

The Cyclops Giant Demon nodded. He first glanced at the nearby Demon Fiend, covered in bombs like a puppet, then at the other team members whose eyes held a trace of fear, and finally let out a deep sigh.

”The plan needs to change. The enemy’s strength far exceeds our expectations...”

Peak Level 7 and Level 7 Breakthrough Achievers are entirely different concepts. There is no upper limit to the strength of a Breakthrough Achiever, while the physical fitness of a Peak Level 7 is locked at 20,000 points!

The energy fluctuations from the recent battle between Fatty and Tang Haofei were enough for this Demon Fiend patrol squad to realize a stark reality—the enemy’s true combat power seemed to be more than just a little stronger than their own.

”We need support!”

Hearing the Cyclops Giant Demon’s words, Hak nodded decisively. ”I already sent a distress signal to headquarters, but you know our current position. The closest support will likely take several tens of minutes to arrive.”

”Then let’s hide for now.”

When it came to matters of life and death, the Cyclops Giant Demon decisively took command of the team. His strength might be weaker than Hak’s, but he was smarter. Besides, Hak wasn’t the kind of petty Demon Fiend who cared much about power.

Hearing the Cyclops Giant Demon, Hak couldn’t help but look at the team member beside them, covered in bombs, standing like a puppet.

He gestured with his chin, ”What about him?”

”Let’s keep him. These bombs might cause some trouble for a Level 7 Breakthrough Achiever...”

The Cyclops Giant Demon spoke, then turned and led the team away, in the opposite direction from Wen Yu’s location.

However, far away, unseen by the Demon Fiend squad, a black cat hidden in the Void watched their every move.

...

”We’re thirty minutes away from the Young Master’s location.”

Hearing his teammate’s report, Luo Hai gradually slowed his pace. He then took out his compass and meticulously compared the light spots on it.

”The battle there has been decided. His Highness the Young Master was completely victorious! We’ve also just confirmed the identity of the team that engaged His Highness the Young Master. If I’m not mistaken, it should be the Heluo squad.”

”The Heluo squad?”

Hearing Luo Hai, the strongest member of the team—a bald, robust man—asked in disbelief.

”That can’t be right. Even I find Heluo’s Azure Wave Spirit Beam a tricky skill. And Fatty, I remember sparring with him once; he could last about twenty moves against me. The Heluo squad’s overall strength wasn’t weak. They were wiped out just like that?”

Luo Hai nodded affirmatively. ”It should be the Heluo squad, no doubt. The Young Master probably has some hidden aces, either a treasure left by the Immortal Emperor or some incredibly powerful skill! Everyone, be cautious when we make contact.”

”Understood!”

A unified cry of assent echoed from the squad members. As a Level 7 Elite Team of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, rules and discipline were ingrained in their very bones!

”So, which way do we go now? Circle around again?”

The young woman in the team asked.

”No need. Didn’t we hear the faint sounds of fighting just now? Circling around would seem inappropriate.”

”Head straight there, but control your speed. Try to draw Wu Long’s squad, which is trailing us, into the situation. We’ll deal with both these troublesome groups there, together!”

”Also, when you see the Young Master later, no one speaks. I’ll talk first. Act only on my command!”

”Understood!”

Hearing his teammates’ responses, Luo Hai put away his compass, and his pace suddenly quickened.

Behind him, his seven teammates followed closely. The eight of them, like eight black arrows, shot towards Wen Yu’s location!

...

BANG!

BANG!

BOOM!!!

A series of explosions rocked the area, cracking the surrounding earth and kicking up clouds of dust.

After crushing the skull of a Peak Level 7 Demon Fiend underfoot, Wu Long glanced expressionlessly at the compass in his hand.

”The target has changed direction. Luo Hai probably knows we’re after them.”

”Makes sense. That young fellow Luo Hai is very sharp.”

Not far away, an old man sat on a large stone, a giant tobacco pipe in his hand.

He took a slow puff. Then, the old man’s chest swelled, and a cloud of thick smoke, shot through with sparks, billowed from his mouth and nose. The smoke rose into the air, instantly transforming into a vicious dragon that lunged, fangs bared and claws extended, towards a distant Demon Fiend.

The rising flames and dense smoke illuminated the small battlefield. It was clear that nearly a hundred Demon Fiend corpses lay scattered across the clearing, an area smaller than a football field.

”What do we do next?”

A child, further in the distance, munching on an oddly-shaped gummy, asked Wu Long, his words muffled.

Hearing this, Wu Long stowed his compass, glanced at the continuous explosions still sounding in the far distance, and sighed deeply.

”We go straight after them and eliminate them! Time is running out. The Demon Fiends have already reacted to our intrusion. We’ll encounter more and more of them, and it’s foreseeable that before long, Limit Breakthrough Level demon spawns will appear in this area.”

”Don’t forget, we’re currently on the Demon Tribe’s turf!”

Although Wu Long was a large and imposing man, his mind was surprisingly meticulous. He wouldn’t let the mission cloud his judgment.

On this battlefield, the most powerful faction wasn’t any particular squad; it was the overlords who ruled this land—the Demon Tribe!

”By the way, Brother Long, didn’t you say Luo Hai’s squad was targeting the Young Master? It looks like they’re heading in the Young Master’s direction.”

The woman beside Wu Long pointed at the compass and asked him.

”Yes, I know.”

”Then what if...”

”There are no ’what ifs’!”

Wu Long waved his hand, cutting the woman off.

”Find Luo Hai, then kill him. The mission is that simple. Whoever dares to stand in our way, we kill! Don’t forget, here, status means nothing!”