Business

Just as Zhang Lexuan was pondering, Xixi emerged from the room.

"Senior Sister, we found them."

Though Xixi had lowered her voice, Xu Zhao was, after all, a Soul Emperor, and he still heard what she said.

"Found them?" Xu Zhao repeated. "You came for those children?"

Xu Zhao carefully examined Wang Nan and the others' clothes again, as though something had occurred to him. "You're the Shrek Oversight Group?"

The moment Xu Zhao realized this, his heart cried out in alarm. Though he was not an Evil Soul Master, what he had done was no different from the deeds of one. Now that he had encountered the renowned Shrek Oversight Group, how could he possibly have any hope of surviving?

The Profound Darkness Sect was a reclusive sect whose inherited Martial Soul was the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield. Within the sect, however, there was a secret known only to its own members: the evolution of the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield.

For the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield to evolve, a Profound Darkness Sect disciple had to sleep with a virgin woman. Afterwards, the shield would have a chance of evolving into the Black Tortoise Shield.

According to the Profound Darkness Sect's rules, whenever a disciple needed to evolve their Martial Soul, the sect would send people to seek out respectable women of suitable age and offer them a large sum of money, provided they were willing.

If the woman was willing to join the Profound Darkness Sect, she might even become a concubine of one of its disciples.

However, there were so many disciples in the Profound Darkness Sect who needed their Martial Souls awakened each year. How many respectable women of the right age could there be? Of those women, how many would willingly sell themselves for money? And how many would be willing to become a lowly concubine?

Thus, stewards like Xu Zhao suffered headaches every year over finding suitable candidates. Until a few years ago, when he came up with a "brilliant" idea that killed two birds with one stone.

If there were no suitable candidates, why not raise them myself?

So he found several small sects dependent on the Profound Darkness Sect and worked with them to abduct pretty girls and carefully "raise" them. In this way, those girls would only think of repaying their sect. Not only would there be suitable candidates every year, but the money distributed by the sect would also end up in Xu Zhao's hands.

Linhai City was already located on the border of the Dou Ling Empire, and with so many sects in the area, Xu Zhao's actions had gone undiscovered all this time. This business had been running for several years.

Xu Zhao did not know how much Wang Nan and the others knew about the whole affair, but the Shrek Oversight Group's reputation preceded it. With a guilty conscience, he had already lost his composure.

"Attack!" Xu Zhao called to the people beside him. Then he raised a hand, and a black disc-shaped object fell into his grasp. It was his Martial Soul, the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield. That very shield had blocked Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Fire Line earlier.

Yet the instant his words fell, the moon overhead suddenly blazed with light. Streams of silvery-white moonlight descended from the sky, blocking his path.

Gongyang Mo activated his Soul Skills, casting all kinds of enhancements upon Wang Nan and the others. Wang Nan, Ma Xiaotao, and Dai Yueheng each chose a Soul Ancestor and charged forward.

Wang Nan faced the only female Soul Master among the three opposing Soul Ancestors. When she had first come out of the room, she had been standing beside Xu Zhao.

Her Soul Power circulated, and a blue seashell appeared in her hand. She gently brushed it with a wave of her hand, and a soft, tender voice emerged from it, like a young maiden whispering sweet nothings into one's ear.

So this was the Control Type Soul Master who had released her Soul Skill at the start.

Wang Nan was completely unaffected. With a single staff strike, he knocked the seashell to the ground.

Xu Zhao's Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield truly deserved to be called a Top-tier Martial Soul. While resisting Zhang Lexuan's attacks, it still had the spare capacity to protect the female Soul Master beside him. The shield in his hand split into two, enclosing the woman within its protection.

Though the other side had the protection of the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield, Wang Nan showed no fear. His Second Soul Ring lit up, and he gripped his staff with both hands, thrusting it toward the shield.

Although the Coiling Dragon Staff was blocked by the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield, a shadow of the staff still passed through the shield and struck the female Soul Master.

Wang Nan's strike could leave a crack in a Tyrant Dragon's scales. When it landed on a Soul Master now, the female Soul Master's chest instantly caved in. She then spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

Xu Zhao glanced back, letting out a low growl. Two red dots lit up on his Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield, as though something were slowly opening its eyes. Even the air around them became viscous.

Do all you Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield Soul Masters pull this trick?

Once the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield awakened into the Black Tortoise Shield, it could even surpass an Ultimate Martial Soul in some respects. Wang Nan had no desire to test the power of a Martial Soul with a Divine Beast Bloodline. The Soul Tool Thruster flared with light, Overlord Armor already covering his body as he rapidly retreated.

Zhang Lexuan was also hurrying over. Though she did not know what change had occurred within Xu Zhao, the aura that had suddenly surged from him could not be false.

But this was as far as it went.

A golden rope descended from the sky and wrapped around Xu Zhao's hands. The aura of a Soul Saint erupted from Han Ruoruo. Forget Black Tortoise Awakening—even Xu Zhao's original Martial Soul, the Profound Nether Tortoise Shell Shield, was sealed by Han Ruoruo's Shaking Gold Rope.

A real battle was not an arena duel, and there was no such thing as becoming invincible after transforming. When Xu Zhao used Black Tortoise Awakening, he was unable to move from where he stood. Han Ruoruo had struck at precisely his weakest moment, when he could not move and had yet to fully awaken, sealing him in one stroke.

With Xu Zhao captured, the remaining Soul Masters could no longer resist. Aside from the female Soul Master whom Wang Nan had knocked unconscious with his staff, the other two Soul Ancestors were soon brought down as well.

After learning the full story from Xu Zhao, Wang Nan and the others quickly rescued the girls inside the room.

"Senior Sister, how should we deal with these people?"

"Kill them." Zhang Lexuan looked at the rescued little girls, her gaze shifting slightly as though she had thought of something.

Wang Nan gave Zhang Lexuan a surprised look. He had not expected this senior sister to have such a side to her.

"Senior Sister, according to Xu Zhao, these people are all from nearby sects. If we kill them all, I'm afraid..." Dai Yueheng asked uncertainly.

"After we return, I will report this matter to the academy. The academy will send people to negotiate with the Profound Darkness Sect." Zhang Lexuan glanced at Dai Yueheng. "Do not forget the duty of our Shrek Oversight Group."

That glance made Dai Yueheng feel a chill run through him, and he said nothing further.

"What about those who have already been taken away by them..." Though he noticed that Zhang Lexuan's mood was somewhat off, Wang Nan still forced himself to ask.

"Our Shrek Oversight Group only carries out Inspection Missions. We will not interfere in the affairs of other sects. Once the academy has negotiated with the Profound Darkness Sect, leave it to them."

Wang Nan sighed inwardly. It seemed the Shrek Oversight Group had many limitations as well.