After Siegfried and the other two Heroic Spirits were summoned, Wu Ling first fought each of them to confirm their strength. Then he let them do as they pleased.
For one week, he allowed the three of them to move freely in the living world so they could adapt to life on Soul Land. Aside from Kiyohime somehow wandering all the way into his bed, the other two did gain a general understanding of this world.
Wu Ling had already transmitted some basic Soul Land knowledge to them through the Throne of Heroic Spirits, but hearing about a world and seeing it with one's own eyes were not the same thing.
Afterward, he recalled all three of them. His home was not Chaldea. Leaving them outside would only increase his Spirit Power consumption for no reason.
By the time everything settled down, including the destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, half a year had passed.
During that half year, Wu Ling kept only three Heroic Spirits manifested outside.
The first was Sasaki Kojiro, who had volunteered to guard the gate. Because Wu Ling had promised him that earlier, and because Kojiro's Spirit Power consumption was genuinely low, Wu Ling allowed him to remain outside.
The second was Hassan of the Hundred Personas, whom Wu Ling kept outside to gather intelligence.
The third was Medea. As a mage, she had been assigned to Rose's side. The two of them had spent this whole period researching various subjects.
"So, how long has it been like this?"
Wu Ling stood in front of Rose and Medea, looking at the red embroidered shoes that were flashing with red light.
"It started half a month ago," Rose explained. "At first, it only flashed a few times now and then. Later, the intervals kept getting shorter, and the light stayed on longer each time. Starting yesterday, it has been glowing continuously."
"Can you tell what is happening?"
"That is why I called you here, main body. It seems to be some kind of signal transmitter. It has been sending a signal toward a certain location. Most likely, it is pointing back to the place where you obtained it."
At Rose's explanation, Wu Ling gradually remembered that place so incompatible with Soul Land. Unlike the caution he had felt last time, this time he was especially excited.
A month ago, his Spirit Power had already reached level eighty. He simply had not acquired a new Spirit Ring because he had not found a suitable Soul Beast.
At this point, ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts were beneath his notice. Even ordinary hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts no longer satisfied him. During this period, he had been wondering whether his eighth Spirit Ring should come from Di Tian or the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
Now Wu Ling had made his decision. He wanted to visit that place again. After they had left last time, Rose had judged that there might be a powerful Soul Beast or some other entity influencing that entire region. The customs there, so different from Soul Land's, had also fascinated him.
Wu Ling walked forward, picked up the shoes, and examined them carefully.
"Can you track that place?"
Rose said nothing. She and Medea immediately began working on the spot. Before long, a Magecraft circle appeared on one side of the room.
"Of course, main body. Do you think I would not understand what you were thinking? The teleportation array was ready a long time ago."
Wu Ling walked over with a smile and rubbed Rose's head.
"As expected of Rose. You really understand me."
Medea watched the two of them, who were so close they seemed inseparable, and felt a faint trace of envy. Rose was essentially Wu Ling's clone, but in the eyes of a mage like Medea, a clone at this level could already be considered an independent individual. That was even more true because Rose had been made using Medea's Saint Graph as the template.
What a pity. This Master is quite good, but he is not my type.
Once she thought of that, Medea smiled in relief and went to adjust the Magecraft circle. Rose handed Wu Ling a bracelet.
"Based on our readings, that place has already separated from Soul Land, but it is still extremely close to it. Their barriers are almost pressed directly against each other, like a double-yolk egg. This bracelet will protect you and provide the coordinates for your return."
Wu Ling nodded and solemnly put the bracelet on his wrist. Then he took the red embroidered shoes and stood in the center of the Magecraft circle, waiting for the teleportation to begin.
"We will send you along the signal transmitted by the red embroidered shoes," Rose said. "In other words, you are following the cable back to punch whoever is on the other end. Ready... begin!"
The Magecraft circle began to operate. Spatial energy gathered continuously into the room. Finally, with a flash of light, Wu Ling disappeared again.
In the void, Wu Ling shook his head and opened his eyes. He was flying rapidly along the world barrier of Soul Land. In only an hour, he found his destination.
From a distance, it looked like a black tumor clinging tightly to the barrier of Soul Land, just like the Abyss had once clung to the Qin Emperor world.
Disgusting. Just looking at it makes me feel instinctive revulsion.
Wu Ling frowned.
But no matter how disgusted he felt, that place was still his destination.
Another ten minutes or so passed. Wu Ling was already very close to it. He would enter in less than three minutes. Only then did he notice, with some surprise, that the world barrier around that place was already shattered beyond recognition.
Before he could think further, he plunged straight in.
When Wu Ling opened his eyes again, he was standing in a lush forest. Unlike an ordinary forest, however, this place had no natural or living aura at all. Instead, it was filled with vast deathly energy. It reminded Wu Ling of the Dragon Tomb in the Qin Emperor world, except this place was even worse. The deathly energy was so immense that even Wu Ling felt uncomfortable.
One had to know that without using Spirit Power, Wu Ling's current physical constitution could already be called unmatched in the world. Even Lucius Cross could not compare with him in pure bodily strength. If a body at that level still felt discomfort here, then an ordinary person would probably die within ten breaths of entering.
After observing his surroundings, Wu Ling also noticed abrupt patches of darkness and cracks appearing from time to time in the distant forest. It looked as if some force had directly erased chunks of the world.
"So this is what happens when a world barrier breaks. The whole world is corroded by the void until it finally becomes nothing. Looks like I need to move quickly this time."
As he spoke, Wu Ling prepared to use Karna's possession and smash his way straight through.
But then, a voice suddenly sounded from the grass nearby.
"Young man, tell me. Do I look human, or do I look divine?"