Through the map, one can clearly see that the position of the first phase of the training camp is in the lower left corner of the map. Starting from here, it trails along a black line winding towards the upper right corner, needing to cross three regions in the process.
These are the continuous Snow Mountains beneath their feet, the white plains in the central area, and finally the forest region.
None of these areas have explicit path markers, with the map only depicting a rough outline of the landforms, everything requires them to explore and advance on their own.
Before embarking on the journey, the instructor emphasized the white plains in the central area, indicating that it is the highest risk area among the three, with students facing dangers, even death here every year.
This area was once the territory of the Soul Returning Clan, which seized this land from the Horror Black Tide and established a settlement node here.
During this period, the Soul Returning Clan conducted a series of adaptive modifications to this land.
A large number of "Soul Shaping Seeds" were buried deep in the land, completely transforming the environment into a region suitable for the activities of their warriors.
Subsequently, the Reverse Tide Army recaptured this territory from the Soul Returning Clan.
However, after the Reverse Tide Army reclaimed this land, due to the frontline being stretched, they did not complete the repair and transformation of this territory.
As a result, many Soul Shaping Seeds left by the Soul Returning Clan remain buried deep in the white plains, occasionally giving birth to powerful Soul Beasts.
(PS: Chapter 87 mentioned this race before.)
The Soul Returning Clan is also one of the strongest adversary forces of the Reverse Tide Army at the present stage.
According to the description by the chief instructor Kuang Sha, the Soul Returning Clan is a powerful tribe mastering the world rules.
Their appearance resembles dark red demons, with massive bodies, and every inch of their skin engraved with dark red spiritual patterns, like coagulated blood burning quietly in the darkness, filled with an aura of evil.
Before each war begins, the Soul Returning Clan would scatter numerous Soul Shaping Seeds above the battlefield.
During the progress of the war, all beings killed by the Soul Returning Clan would have their souls devoured by the Soul Beasts created by the Soul Shaping Seeds, eventually rebirthing within the Soul Beast, becoming a member of the Soul Returning Clan.
The most terrifying part is that warriors reshaped through Life Reshaping can retain memories from their previous life.
However, these memories resemble a movie implanted into the mind, and the reborn warriors of the Soul Returning Clan hold no remnants of the feelings from their past life, whether familial, friendly or other emotions. From the moment they are born, they consider themselves warriors of the Soul Returning Clan, bound to strive for its rise.
Relying on the powerful Soul Shaping rules, the Soul Returning Clan can gather a mass of information and knowledge from other races.
Ordinary races are powerless against the Soul Returning Clan.
Often, after a small-scale racial war ends, the entire tribe becomes enslaved, turning into newly reborn warriors of the Soul Returning Clan.
During the initial invasion of the Soul Returning Clan, numerous nearby tribes were modified and reincarnated, and even the nearby node of the Black Tide was taken over by them, becoming a new emerging force on the Pale Continent.
Wishing to expand their territorial scale, the Soul Returning Clan subsequently encountered the Reverse Tide Army, triggering a protracted and brutal war.
Though capable of reshaping the life structure of slain warriors, the Soul Returning Clan cannot reshape the War God Seal within the Reverse Tide Army Soldiers. Through years of warfare, they have been repeatedly defeated by the Reverse Tide Army, eventually retreating and relinquishing vast lands.
However, this does not mean the Soul Returning Clan has fully conceded.
According to Kuang Sha, the reinforcement forces of the Soul Returning Clan continue to flood into Monster World.
Once they have amassed enough strength, they will launch a peak-level confrontation against the Reverse Tide Army, aiming to replace them as the peak force on the Pale Continent.
This is a force with infinite growth potential, theoretically able to reincarnate and utilize any non-rule-based life form, no matter how powerful it may have been in life.
Every strong enemy slain allows the Soul Returning Clan to nurture a formidable being.
In past battles with the Soul Returning Clan, countless fallen Reverse Tide Warriors returned as Soul Returning Clan warriors to strike back against former comrades.
As this part of the past was recounted, even the always-calm Kuang Sha couldn’t hold back the sadness in his eyes.
"In about two more days we will be out of the Snow Mountain Region. Before entering the white plains, we’ll find a place to rest, then remain highly alert for the remainder of the journey."
"Tongzi, do you know the strength of the Soul Beasts?" a student from the Brass Clan asked at this time.
"I’m not sure, but since it’s part of the training camp’s advanced course, the intensity shouldn’t be too high. Even if we encounter one, we should be able to defeat it if we work together."
After a short exchange, the students from the Snow Valley Training Camp shouldered their packs again and walked out of the cave.
Outside, snow was still falling heavily, the cold wind mixed with snowflakes hitting their faces, obstructing their vision.
Following the direction provided by the compass, the group of students continued towards the location of the second-phase training camp.
After crossing the stream at the foot of the Snow Mountains, a vast, endless plain unfolded before Li Zheng and the others.
White flowers bloomed across its surface.
The wind blew, and the petals danced with it, swirling and scattering in the air.
Li Zheng and the others chose not to continue immediately forward, instead making camp by the stream, lighting a bonfire, and sitting down to rest.
For the next leg of the journey, they would need to pass through as quickly as possible, minimizing time spent to prevent attacks from Soul Beasts.
Although Tongzi analyzed and judges that the battle strength of Soul Beasts remaining on this land would not be very high, it was still just an assessment, and there’s always a chance for unexpected occurrences.