Chapter 21: Frenzied Soul Absorption, the Wolf Army [Third Update]

As Yang Dai leapt into the burial pit, the two soldiers in the watchtower frowned.

The tall soldier whispered, "What's he doing? They're all dead, and he wants to look at them?"

The shorter soldier ventured a guess, "Probably scavenging for valuables. I can't tell if he's foolish or just overly imaginative."

"What if he's not? After all, they're the bodies of our comrades. Should we chase him off?"

"No, there are four of them, and just two of us. If we go down, we might not be able to handle them. Anyone sent to the battlefield is certainly no weakling."

"So what now, just watch them rummage through our brothers' bodies?"

"Let's wait. The battle's raging ahead. Our orders are to monitor the rear; unless there's a mass enemy movement, we can't abandon our post."

"You think those four are trying to lure us out, so there'll be no one watching the rear?"

"Hmm? That does sound possible. Let me take a shot at him!"

The tall soldier picked up his bow and began to aim at Yang Dai. The tower was high enough for him to barely see Yang Dai in the pit.

Swish!

An arrow flew—he was confident in his archery skills. But he saw a figure, tightly wrapped from head to toe, swing an axe and cleave the arrow in two.

It was Tian Bu Zhong!

"So it’s true, that skill is no coincidence. Lucky we didn't go down," the short soldier cursed.

The tall soldier narrowed his eyes. "In that case, we hold our ground. If they dare approach again, we light the signal fire. If they're cultivators, four of them could cause quite a stir."

The short soldier lit a torch, ready to ignite the wolf smoke at any moment.

In the burial pit, Yang Dai was absorbing souls one after another. None of these soldiers possessed any cultivation, so they felt no pain as their souls were drawn.

There really were souls!

One, two, three, four, five, six...

As Yang Dai absorbed, he silently promised, "When I become stronger, when I have power, I will let you all defend Great Xia again. What I do now is to strengthen myself, so I can protect our nation, just as you did..."

He meant every word. Once he gained strength, he would repay Xia, defend Hanxi Province, and safeguard his home.

Without a country, there is no home.

Besides, the Intelligence Bureau had treated him kindly; naturally, Yang Dai owed them gratitude.

But repayment required strength.

As Yang Dai absorbed more souls, dizziness set in, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered.

There were many corpses, and to his surprise, he discovered he could absorb souls without touching their foreheads—perhaps his cultivation had grown, allowing him to draw souls at a distance.

By the time Yang Dai finished absorbing all the souls, he could barely stand—the sheer volume was overwhelming.

"Pull me out, quick!"

Yang Dai called urgently. Bai Wei jumped down, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and with a leap, cleared the burial pit. Tian Bu Zhong and Cheng Hungry Ghost escorted them away.

Watching the four depart, the two soldiers in the tower breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like someone got hurt," the short soldier remarked, clicking his tongue.

The tall soldier smiled, "Even though my arrow was cut, the tip still hit him."

"You're amazing, Tiger!" the short soldier said admiringly, making the tall soldier lift his chin.

...

Night fell.

In the forest, Yang Dai was protected by four Yin followers. He leaned against a tree trunk, eyes closed, brow furrowed.

Shi Long couldn't help but ask, "He's been out for so long—do you think something's wrong?"

Cheng Hungry Ghost laughed, "Shouldn't be. If something happened, we'd be gone as Yin followers."

Shi Long asked, "How many souls did he absorb this time?"

Tian Bu Zhong sneered, "A lot."

Shi Long grew more curious, but with Tian Bu Zhong, he dared not press further.

Among the Yin followers, Tian Bu Zhong was the most intimidating; his tone and gaze exerted immense pressure. Besides, he was now Yang Dai's main attacker—most enemies fell by his hand.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Yang Dai’s consciousness finally returned.

He opened his eyes, saw his four followers, and felt at ease.

Though they were all ordinary souls this time, their number was staggering.

He had absorbed 355 souls in one go. Now he had a total of 384 Yin followers.

Yang Dai’s heart raced at the thought.

He stood up. "Let’s leave this area. I need to inspect them."

The four Yin followers agreed, leading their horses swiftly away.

Time passed quickly.

Night deepened.

In the mountain forest.

Surrounded by Tian Bu Zhong and the others, Yang Dai released the 355 soldier Yin followers. Green lights streamed from his brow, filling the woods.

The dark forest was illuminated by the green glow. Over three hundred souls radiating green light—especially at night—made for a terrifying sight.

"Greetings, Master!"

Three hundred fifty-five soldier Yin followers shouted in unison, startling the birds from the trees.

Yang Dai shuddered and quickly warned, "Keep your voices down!"

The Yin followers fell silent. Yang Dai began to question them one by one.

Ten minutes later, he led one follower to the front of the group. This man was not particularly burly but robust, his hair wild, face smeared with blood, eyes as fierce as a wolf. His name was Cang Wolf, so called for his wolfish appearance; he was a captain, holding the highest military rank among the Yin followers.

The Yin followers retained their appearance at death. Their wounds would heal, but their form would not change, so they still looked as if they'd just come off the battlefield.

"From now on, these soldiers are under your command. I name them the Wolf Army. I give orders to you, you relay them to the others."

Yang Dai spoke; with so many followers, he would need to organize them into groups.

Cang Wolf responded coolly, resembling Tian Bu Zhong in demeanor, though he radiated a more murderous air, while Tian Bu Zhong was more sinister.

Yang Dai asked, "Do you know where the bodies of Great Xia and Great Liang soldiers are usually piled?"

Cang Wolf replied honestly, "I know some locations; I personally escorted some, though it's been a while."

"Tomorrow, take me to the most recent burial sites you know," Yang Dai nodded. He had exhausted himself today and needed rest. Absorbing souls overnight carried the risk of sudden death.

Soon, he gathered all his Yin followers into his soul space and withdrew from the Deep Realm.

Returning to his real-world room, Yang Dai went to the living room. There was no food on the table, but a note had been left by the staff, indicating that if he returned to reality and needed a meal, he could call for it anytime. Since he missed dinner, the meal had been cleared away.

Yang Dai was indeed hungry. He used the Intelligence Bureau's tablet to order food.

After placing his order, he began browsing the Sky Web.

As expected, the battle between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Great Liang Dynasty had hit the trending topics again.

Great Xia had a vast population. Though most people descended in Great Xia, many trial-takers also arrived in Great Liang. Ten years had passed, and Great Liang had accumulated many trial-takers, especially this year, as a great influx headed there. The reason was that the Son of Heaven of Great Xia looked down on trial-takers, issuing an edict that extraterrestrial beings could not serve in court nor participate in the imperial examinations, which angered the trial-takers.

Not all trial-takers could cultivate. Most still mingled in the mundane world, but even so, thanks to the Deep Realm's aura, their bodies grew stronger day by day. After a year, their physique rivaled that of a champion fighter—even without specialized training.

To survive better in the Deep Realm, trial-takers naturally sought ways forward, and the imperial examinations offered a promising path.

Yang Dai began searching for usable intelligence.

Before long, the door opened. Hu Li personally brought in the meal.

Seeing him, Yang Dai knew something was up.

Hu Li rarely came in person—he too needed to cultivate in the Deep Realm. If he appeared, there had to be news.