Chapter 82: The Mysterious Voice in His Mind

"Ye—"

"Ri—"

"Tian—"

The three characters echoed endlessly. In the nearby Holy Spirit Village, the residents covered their ears in annoyance. The repeated shouting stirred expressions of irritation among the villagers.

Old Jack, leaning on his cane, shouted impatiently toward the source of the commotion in the mountains.

"Tang Hao! I'll %$#&@!"

After some time, the cave on the mountainside could no longer withstand Tang Hao's relentless outbursts and collapsed.

Tang Hao knelt on the ground, his once-proud and unyielding demeanor now reduced to a pitiful mess. His face was streaked with tears and mucus.

The prior battle with Qian Daoliu had left him gravely injured, and with both old wounds and fresh injuries piling up, his body was completely battered.

"Ah Yin, I am in so much pain!"

"Ye Ritian, I swear I will kill you in this life!"

After his anguished roar, Tang Hao coughed violently, spitting out blood. His right arm drooped weakly at his side, and his face contorted in agony—a clear consequence of his clash with Qian Daoliu.

Tang Hao pressed his hand against his right arm and found that his bones were misaligned. His internal organs were displaced, and darkness clouded his vision. Before he could say or do anything else, he collapsed, unconscious.

For now, Tang Hao posed no threat to Ye Ritian.

"Achoo!"

At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Ye Hao sneezed abruptly.

It had been four days since he acquired the Death God's Heart. Over that time, he had spent his days idly at the academy, attending routine activities and enjoying his leisure.

With the power granted by the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, Ye Hao's strength was undoubtedly among the best in the Emperor Team.

"Ye Hao, Ye Hao, Ye Hao..."

Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in his mind.

Startled, Ye Hao lost his balance and fell off the tree he had been lounging in, landing flat on his back on the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow…"

Rubbing his sore waist, Ye Hao muttered irritably, "Who's trying to scare me to death?!"

He quickly scanned his surroundings but saw no one. The secluded location was in the backwoods of the academy, where the forested terrain was common.

"Did I hear it wrong?"

Half-convinced, Ye Hao climbed back onto the tree branch and prepared to relax again.

"Ye Hao, Ye Hao, Ye..."

This time, the voice was even clearer.

Once again, Ye Hao lost his balance and fell out of the tree, hitting the ground in the same undignified position.

Propping his chin on one hand, Ye Hao lay on the grass, exasperated by the persistent voice calling his name in his head.

"Ye Hao... Ye Hao…"

"Alright, alright, buddy! Quit mumbling! I'm not dead yet!" Ye Hao grumbled to the unseen presence.

"..."

"Come to Sunset Forest," the voice finally instructed before falling silent.

"Sunset Forest?"

Ye Hao thought for a moment, unsure of the mysterious voice's intentions.

Sunset Forest, located near Heaven Dou City, was one of the largest soul beast habitats on the continent, second only to Star Dou Forest. Within its depths lay the famed Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—a critical objective for Ye Hao's plans.

Given the current state of the Emperor Team, their chances of winning the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament were slim. The herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were essential to turning the tide.

Since the mysterious figure had called him to Sunset Forest, Ye Hao had no reason to refuse.

But…

Ye Hao scratched his chin as he paced in place, deep in thought.

"I just got back, and now I'm leaving again? What excuse do I even have for this?"

Shaking his head, Ye Hao dismissed his concerns.

"Whatever. Sunset Forest isn't far. With my speed, I'll be back at the academy before sunset."

Making up his mind, Ye Hao unfurled his Six-Winged Purple Light Wings, their translucent, purple feathers gleaming in the sunlight. Combined with the flight abilities of the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, he became a streak of purple light, vanishing from the academy grounds in seconds.

A few seconds later, Ye Hao hovered over the Sunset Forest, his gaze scanning the towering trees below.

"Hey, buddy? Where are you?"

Calling out to the mysterious voice, Ye Hao received no response. His mind remained silent.

Resigned, Ye Hao retracted his wings and descended into the forest. Amidst the towering trees, his lone figure seemed insignificant.

As he wandered, he muttered, "This guy must be crazy. The forest is massive; how does he expect me to find him?!"

Hungry and frustrated, Ye Hao debated returning to the academy for lunch before continuing his search.

"No, no. If I go back now, I might run into Teacher Qin. That guy's too sharp."

Stomach growling, Ye Hao reluctantly pressed on, encountering several soul beasts along the way. A few eyed him hungrily, drooling as they prepared to attack.

"I'm starving too," Ye Hao muttered with a mischievous grin, a bold idea forming in his mind.

Three soul rings appeared beneath him, and the Death Spider Emperor manifested behind him. But before he could fully activate his transformation, the soul beasts scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions.

"...Am I really that scary?"

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to quake, and trees in the distance fell like dominoes. Birds and beasts fled in all directions, including powerful 10,000-year soul beasts.

"Beast tide?"

Ye Hao shook his head. No, this was different.

An oppressive aura swept over him, and from the depths of the forest, a flicker of dark purple light appeared.

Moments later, two massive webs emerged, tearing through the trees with terrifying speed.

Leaping onto a high branch, Ye Hao watched as the webs ensnared a giant tree, which dissolved into powder within seconds.

"Poison? No… these webs…"

Ye Hao's eyes narrowed as he summoned his second soul ring. A smaller version of the webs appeared in his hands, mirroring the ones he had just witnessed.

As Ye Hao prepared to investigate further, a massive shadow loomed over him.

Descending from the tree, Ye Hao looked up at the giant figure before him. His breath caught in his throat.

"Hsss… hsss…"

"D-Death Spider Emperor?!"

The towering ten-meter-tall beast stood before him, exuding an overwhelming aura of menace. Poison radiated from its body, spreading rapidly through the forest.

Ye Hao's legs tensed instinctively, ready to bolt. "I'm screwed."