Deserter

Eliminating Evil Spirit Masters, as well as all potential evils, had been a rule Spirit Hall established from the very beginning.

Thanks to Spirit Hall's high-pressure methods, the words "Evil Spirit Master" were now rarely known across the continent.

This showed that Spirit Hall had truly done practical work.

"What's the situation now? Has it been resolved?" Wu Qi asked quietly.

Qian Gu Changkong frowned. "One was killed, and one escaped. The methods of Evil Spirit Masters are unheard of. Even the Soul Emperor leading the team this time failed to capture him."

Wu Qi nodded and did not ask further.

Evil Spirit Masters had always been a hidden threat lurking in the shadows.

In the original timeline, after Spirit Hall was destroyed, Evil Spirit Masters emerged one after another. After the two continents collided, they experienced explosive growth.

However, since Wu Qi was here, he certainly would not stand by and watch Spirit Hall be destroyed.

Still, Evil Spirit Masters would remain a grave threat to them in the future.

After Spirit Hall's Experts withdrew, the many Soul Masters in Spirit Beast Town merely discussed the matter briefly.

Under Bibi Dong's leadership, Spirit Hall had become increasingly domineering in its actions.

Quite a few Soul Masters had suffered their suppression. Therefore, no one dared speculate recklessly about the details of Spirit Hall's operation this time, much less spread rumors casually.

The three lost their appetite and found an inn in town to stay at.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, the three left the inn and searched the town for soul-beast hunting teams, intending to purchase information on spirit beasts.

Seeing that the three were dressed extravagantly, many people took the initiative to surround them as soon as they entered the area where the hunting teams were stationed, promoting their own teams.

Ning Rongrong had little experience in the world and did not understand the situation with these hunting teams. She asked, "With a soul-beast hunting team helping us hunt, our safety can also be guaranteed. How about—"

Wu Qi cut her off.

Surrounded by the hunting teams, he did not explain the truth.

In the early years when soul-beast hunting teams had first emerged, they made up for the regret of Soul Masters being unable to hunt high-age spirit beasts alone.

Many Soul Masters in need of Soul Rings would actively hire them to help hunt after arriving in Spirit Beast Town, rather than needing the teams to solicit business like they did now.

But as all sorts of unsavory people joined them, the reputation of soul-beast hunting teams had long since been ruined.

Rumors of employers being murdered never ceased, causing the Spirit Master world to grow increasingly resistant to such teams.

Of course, not every team would harm its employers. But in the current environment, many hunting teams that made their living this way were already on the verge of disbanding.

For Wu Qi, Golden Eagle Douluo secretly protecting them was already enough to complete the hunt. He would not gamble on whether they could hire a legitimate hunting team.

As more and more people came up to them, Wu Qi stated his purpose. "I'm here to buy information on thousand-year spirit beasts. Those who don't meet the requirements, stop crowding around us."

As human activity intensified, thousand-year spirit beasts had already vanished from the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. To obtain information on thousand-year spirit beasts, one had to venture deep into the forest.

The strongest members of most soul-beast hunting teams were only high-ranking Soul Grandmasters or Soul Elders. Thousand-year spirit beasts were difficult for them to handle, so naturally they could not obtain such information.

Very quickly, the lively crowd around them scattered, leaving behind only two or three people.

From their expressions, Wu Qi knew that these people most likely did not have the information either.

After some thought, he decided to seek out high-level soul-beast hunting teams.

Teams that were strong and well-regarded would not come out to solicit customers on their own. They had to be sought out proactively.

Soon, a burly man drawing water beside a well caught their attention.

"I recognize the tattoo on his arm." Ning Rongrong moved closer to Wu Qi and reminded him, "That is the totem of the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Master Legion. And this is an elite unit—very few people outside know that this unit even exists."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was a staunch supporter of the Heaven Dou Empire, so it was not strange for her to know such secrets.

However, there was no such thing as a fixed term of service on Douluo Continent. Ordinary people might serve for a few years before retiring from the military once their bodies could no longer keep up, but members of the Soul Master Legion basically served for life. At most, once they grew old, they would be transferred to an idle post.

This burly man before them was most likely a deserter!

A deserter was certainly no good person, but that did not necessarily make him a bad one. If they were only buying information, there was no harm in dealing with him.

With that thought, the three stepped forward and took the initiative to speak with him.

Qian Gu Changkong cupped his fists. "Brother, are you with a soul-beast hunting team?"

The burly man lifted a bucket from the well. Turning around and seeing their youthful faces, he said casually, "What is it? If you need a hunt, our rates aren't low."

Qian Gu Changkong hurriedly said, "We want to buy information on tiger-type or bear-type spirit beasts, around fifteen hundred years old."

The man raised his brows slightly. A Soul Ring of that age could only serve as a third Soul Ring.

Wu Qi and the other two were not very old, yet one of them had already broken through to Soul Elder. Such talent was truly frightening.

The man's attitude became much gentler than before. "Come with me. The captain has the information you want."

Good discipline!

Wu Qi nodded to himself.

Following the man, they arrived at a tent where three burly men were seated.

The insides of all three men's arms bore the same tattoo.

After the man explained their backgrounds, the middle-aged man seated at the head stood up. "Five hundred, one thousand, five thousand. What price range do you need?"

Different prices corresponded to soul beasts with different bloodline strengths.

Qian Gu Changkong was not short on money. He answered seriously, "The best!"

After a brief moment of thought, the middle-aged man took a route map from his Soul Tool.

"This is a sixteen-hundred-year Dire Bear. The information costs ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. If you can afford it, take it."

Ning Rongrong could not help muttering, "Information this expensive? Who knows whether it's real or fake!"

Back when she was in Heaven Dou City, plenty of people had tried to sell her treasure maps, but every single one had turned out to be fake.

Having been deceived too many times, she did not dare casually buy such costly intelligence.

At her words, the men in the tent darkened. "Our Black Tiger Squad has never done anything without a conscience. If you have no sincerity, then please leave."

Qian Gu Changkong hesitated for a while before ultimately paying for the information.

After leaving the camp, Ning Rongrong said gravely, "How could you trust those people so easily?"

"They came from the military. Though I don't know why they left the barracks, compared to the riffraff, they are more worthy of trust."

Wu Qi agreed with Qian Gu Changkong's decision.

The Dire Bear's bloodline strength was second only to dragon-type soul beasts. It was a rare soul beast, well worth taking a gamble on.

Meanwhile, in Suotuo City.

Flender had searched the city all night but found no trace of Ning Rongrong. Even Wu Qi and Qian Gu Changkong had vanished without a trace.

When he returned to the academy, his expression was frighteningly grim.

Today was the opening day of Shrek Academy. When he stood before the students, he forced a smile onto his face.

After briefly explaining the academy's motto and rules, he sent the new students to pay their tuition fees.

Originally, he had planned to ask Tang San about Yu Xiaogang, but now he had no interest in it whatsoever.

He called Dai Mubai into the dean's office and told him the results of his investigation.

Dai Mubai was shocked. "Dean, that can't be true. Three geniuses disappeared in Suotuo City. Could someone be secretly hunting them?"