Chapter 45 The Demeanor of a Great General: Courageous and Resourceful!
After several days of arduous travel, Liu Yuan's seven-member team from the Body Sect once again set foot on the land of the Heavenly Soul Empire, arriving at the outskirts of Yaro City.
Returning to this familiar city, Liu Yuan appeared remarkably calm.
Instead of leading his team directly to the evil spirit master's stronghold mentioned in the intelligence report, he signaled everyone to stop.
At this moment, the wind whistled through the forest, and Liu Yuan's clothes fluttered in the wind. He stood on a towering rock, gazing at the outline of Yaro City in the distance.
"Don't rush into an attack." Liu Yuan turned around, looked around at his fellow disciples, and said in a steady and powerful voice.
He did not become blindly confident because of his growing strength.
On the contrary, he demonstrated a very high sense of responsibility for every bit of power he held.
As the team leader, he had to ensure that everyone could return safely.
Therefore, Liu Yuan said to everyone, "The most terrifying thing about evil soul masters is not their soul power level, but their extremely evil and insidious methods that are impossible to guard against."
"Some evil soul masters may only have the cultivation level of the fifth ring, but if a soul master is not careful, even a sixth or even seventh ring expert can fall into their hands."
"Such things are not uncommon in the historical records of the mainland."
Liu Yuan paused, his tone becoming even more serious.
"Since I'm in charge of the team this time, and we've confirmed that we're facing a fifth-ring level evil soul master, I must make sure everything is prepared and all the details are covered before launching the final attack."
"We only have one chance, so we absolutely cannot alert them."
Long Aotian stood aside. Although his soul power level was as high as level 48, far higher than Liu Yuan's, he did not have any arrogance as a senior brother.
He looked at Liu Yuan with eyes full of approval.
Since their last battle in the arena, he has been completely impressed by Liu Yuan's combat intelligence.
Not only him, but also Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, as well as Vina and Mu Xue, who were of royal lineage, listened quietly to Liu Yuan's arrangements without raising any objections.
"Now, everyone, listen to my command and disperse immediately."
"Instead of conducting a large-scale search in the city, we will infiltrate the villages, towns, markets, and refugee settlements near Yaro City to gather as much information as possible about this evil spirit master."
"Every detail of his actions, his methods of killing, and his lifestyle must be recorded without missing a single word."
With Liu Yuan's command, the seven-person team instantly transformed into several streaks of light and disappeared into the mountains and forests.
The team members split up and worked separately throughout the day.
As night fell and the stars twinkled, the group gradually returned to the agreed-upon meeting place in the dense forest.
The fire was already lit, and Liu Yuan was sitting beside it, sketching a map on the ground with a dry twig in his hand.
Chen Lu was the first to step forward. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his voice to report the information he had found out in the city's black market: "Senior brother, I've found out."
"This evil spirit master has a very special name in the area, known as the 'King of Blood'. His martial spirit is an extremely rare bat, which is very skilled at manipulating blood."
Long Aotian followed closely behind, bringing back more specific and dangerous information: "The intelligence I've gathered indicates that he had a fierce battle with a Soul King-level Soul Master half a month ago."
"The result of that battle was that the Soul King died on the spot. According to survivors who watched the battle from a distance, this evil Soul Master displayed an ability called 'Blood Explosion'."
"He can detonate large amounts of blood and even corpses around him, creating a huge explosion. It was with this move that he instantly severely injured and killed that Soul King."
Vina also came up at this moment, her face looking somewhat pale, clearly disgusted by the news she had heard.
"I've also obtained important intelligence."
"That guy seems to be able to increase his cultivation speed by consuming large amounts of human blood. Moreover, it seems that some daring Soul Masters have secretly infiltrated his stronghold before."
"Rumor has it that he built a huge blood pool there. He usually uses these blood pools for cultivation, and in actual combat, these blood pools can greatly enhance his combat ability."
"Because most of his soul skills rely on blood as a medium. If someone attacks his territory, he can directly mobilize the blood stored in his blood pool for defense and counterattack."
After listening to everyone's reports, Liu Yuan drew a deep line on the ground with the dry branch in his hand.
Using the information gathered by others, he quickly constructed a combat model of this evil spirit master in his mind.
"It excels at blood control, possesses a powerful Blood Explosion skill, and has accumulated a large blood reserve in its lair," Liu Yuan analyzed in a low voice, his brain working at lightning speed.
"This means that the stronghold is his absolute territory."
"In that environment, with plenty of blood, the power of his soul skills would be multiplied, and because he can detonate blood, there could be deadly traps everywhere."
"If we launch a strong attack, we might end up being dragged down with him and dying together."
Liu Yuan raised his head, his double pupils gleaming with a cold light in the firelight.
"Therefore, the best way to deal with him is to lure him away from his lair."
"Without the support of the blood pool, he can no longer unleash large-scale blood explosions without restraint, and his losses on the battlefield will not be replenished. We must deprive him of his greatest asset."
Liu Yuan unfolded a more detailed map and pointed to a deserted canyon on the north side of Yaluo City.
"That's my strategy."
"Look here, everyone. This canyon has a treacherous terrain and a narrow exit, making it perfect for an ambush. The six of you will lie in wait at these marked points."
"And I will personally go to his lair and find a way to lure him out."
"You're going to lure them?" Wang Yanfeng was startled and couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Liu, that's too dangerous. That's the stronghold of the Five Rings Evil Soul Masters."
Liu Yuan shook his head, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "I possess the Qilin Treasure Technique, which is the fastest, and my indestructible body gives me a higher margin of error when encountering a sudden explosion. Only I can lure him out while ensuring my own safe retreat."
"Once I bring him into this canyon, you will immediately launch a pincer movement to kill him in an instant, giving him no chance to escape back to the blood pool or launch a large-scale destruction."
Looking at the tactical deployment on the map and then at Liu Yuan's resolute expression, everyone nodded in agreement.
This meticulous planning eased their initial tension, replaced by a surge of high morale.
Just as Liu Yuan was devising his tactics, Elder Chen, like a ghost, hovered in mid-air deep within the shadows of the trees a hundred meters away from them.
He perfectly blended his aura into the wind, snow, and darkness, making it difficult for even Liu Yuan's double pupils to detect him without deliberately searching for him.
Elder Chen followed behind Liu Yuan and the others, secretly fulfilling his duty of protection.
At this moment, he had a complete view of Liu Yuan's series of actions and arrangements.
"Gather intelligence first, then devise a strategy. Don't underestimate the enemy just because there's only one of them, and don't back down just because they're higher level." Elder Chen secretly praised him.
When he saw that Liu Yuan did not blindly lead everyone into battle, but calmly analyzed the advantages and disadvantages and formulated tactics based on the characteristics of the opponent's martial soul, the look of satisfaction in his eyes deepened.
"This child is indeed very good, both brave and resourceful."
"The calmness and strategic planning he displayed on the eve of a major battle fully demonstrated the qualities of a great general."
"It seems the sect leader really intends to cultivate him into a future leader by having him lead the team this time. With this kind of mentality, coupled with that terrifying combat power, the future of the Body Sect is truly limitless."
Elder Chen moved slightly and silently crept towards the canyon.
He remained determined not to act unless it was a matter of life and death.
He wanted to see with his own eyes how these children, under Liu Yuan's command, would cross the chasm of realms to hunt down that evil "King of Blood".
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