Jing Hongchen: What, His Majesty Rebelled... Oh, His Majesty Was a Rebel to Begin With.

"Evil Soul Masters were hated by all. Even if a Martial Soul possessed dark attributes and the potential for evil power, not everyone was willing to transform into an Evil Soul Master, nor could every Martial Soul be easily corrupted."

"So, who knew how long ago, the Evil Soul Masters' group may have developed Blood Medicine, this poisonous bait, either to gain more companions or for some other reason."

"Blood Medicine was an evil substance created when Evil Soul Masters used ordinary high-year medicinal herbs as a base and, through a ritual, infused them with vast amounts of life force and blood."

"The lowest-quality Blood Medicine was filled with baleful and bloody energy, and even the medicine's efficacy itself was contaminated. Its flaws could be seen at a glance."

"High-quality Blood Medicine, on the other hand, retained the medicine's original efficacy while blending blood energy and baleful energy into it, using blood energy and life force to stimulate the medicine's innate potential."

"On the surface, Blood Medicine looked like the finest possible herb. Its quality was no lower than before, and might even be higher."

"But the baleful and bloody energy within Blood Medicine did not disappear. Instead, it fused with the medicinal power, becoming more insidious and harder to detect."

"When a Soul Master refined Blood Medicine, the hidden baleful and bloody energy within it would surge into their body along with their Soul Power. Together with the medicinal power, it would gradually alter the Soul Master's body and taint their Soul Power with a trace of evil."

"The stronger the medicinal power of the Blood Medicine, the greater the evil it contained. The greater its alteration of the body, the deeper its invasion."

"This evil would mix into a Soul Master's Soul Power, sink into their flesh and meridians, and gradually alter their Martial Soul, causing it to slowly develop an affinity for evil."

"For Low-level Soul Masters, the medicinal power provided by Blood Medicine could even permanently corrupt their Martial Souls. Even for high-level Soul Masters, using Blood Medicine for cultivation would inevitably leave hidden dangers within their Martial Souls."

"Blood Medicine was evil, but its effects were real. It was highly effective for ordinary Soul Masters, and once used, it was easy to become addicted to."

"The more Blood Medicine one used, the more deeply the evil would fuse into them. The more they used it, the more malice would accumulate within their Martial Soul, until one day it erupted."

"Without realizing it, those who cultivated using Blood Medicine would develop an unusual interest in blood. Gradually, they would no longer be satisfied with cultivating through Blood Medicine and would instead seek blood and life directly."

"At that point, the Soul Master would have completely fallen into an Evil Soul Master."

"Damn, what an evil thing." Jing Hongchen sucked in a cold breath. He did not doubt whether the effects of Blood Medicine were truly as exaggerated as Chen Li claimed.

As the Hall Master of Mingde Hall and one of the Sun Moon Empire's highest-ranking figures, almost beneath only one person, he could vaguely hear certain rumors. He knew that across the two continents, Soul Masters were occasionally lured into falling and becoming Evil Soul Masters.

Jing Hongchen had only heard about such matters before. He roughly knew that these Soul Masters had been tampered with during cultivation and gradually led astray, but he had not known of the existence of something like Blood Medicine.

"What symptoms appear after Blood Medicine enters the body?" Jing Hongchen glanced at Qian Hongchen, who had gone mad and was trying to bite Chen Li for verbally defiling the "Treasure Herb" in his heart. He had already guessed something.

"Martial Soul corruption, reduced Soul Power purity, an aura tainted by evil energy. Declining intelligence, violent emotions, loss of empathy, emotions that easily spiral out of control and become extreme..."

Chen Li took out an iron chain as thick as an ordinary person's arm. He directly broke the frenzied Qian Hongchen's limbs, tied him to the chair, and then looked at Jing Hongchen.

"Clearly, this was not his first time taking Blood Medicine."

"Declining intelligence, extreme emotions, the Fourth Prince..." Watching Qian Hongchen's crazed behavior, Jing Hongchen immediately thought of the Fourth Prince's usual brainless conduct, as well as the maternal clan behind him that had provided enormous support during the palace coup.

"It seemed there was a very large evil organization within our court. I wondered whether His Majesty knew of this organization's existence..."

"He definitely knew." Chen Li took out a wine gourd and took a fierce swig, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

"Did you see Black Moon Douluo Kong Jie? He did not have much time left."

"By my estimation, he had at most ten years left to live?" Jing Hongchen replied.

"Weren't you curious? Kong Jie was only ninety-one this year. For a ninety-first-level Titled Douluo, that was the prime of life. Even if he had been injured, he should not have appeared so frail."

"Kong Jie had never fought head-on on the battlefield in decades. That was hardly a secret within the Sun Moon Empire. He simply had no opportunity to suffer injuries severe enough to damage a Titled Douluo's foundation. And his talent..."

"Innate level-seven Soul Power did not make it impossible to become a Titled Douluo, but the process was ultimately more difficult than for someone with innate level eight, nine, or full Soul Power. It required greater effort, more struggle, a few opportunities, and determination beyond that of ordinary people."

"But from what I knew of Kong Jie, he was not particularly capable in either Soul Power cultivation or Soul Tool talent."

"If people with the same innate level-seven Soul Power could still differ in talent, then Kong Jie was undoubtedly in the lower-middle tier. Even in terms of personal will... in my view, he was not steadfast enough."

"Without some tremendous opportunity, forget becoming a Titled Douluo. Even with the support of the one on the throne, it would have been difficult for him to become a high-level Soul Douluo with Pills assisting him."

"You're saying he used Blood Medicine too?" Forgetting that his grandson and granddaughter were present, Jing Hongchen panicked upon hearing this, because he had thought of something even more terrifying.

Black Moon Douluo Kong Jie himself was not important. His status as a Titled Douluo and the Kong Family's background were both secondary.

The most important label attached to him now was that he was the current emperor's Confidant, a brutal official who had once suppressed all of Mingdu by almost cruel means after the palace coup.

He was one of the Confidants most trusted by the current emperor, the eyes and ears now monitoring all of Mingdu and the civil and military officials.

Perhaps he did not hold much authority in name, but aside from the emperor, no one could understand how much he controlled in secret.

Such a powerful man with such a special identity was being exposed as connected to Evil Soul Masters?!

"Yes. Only a Titled Douluo who had broken through using Blood Medicine would become so weakened from the erosion of baleful and evil energy."

"But Kong Jie most likely only used Blood Medicine rather than truly becoming an Evil Soul Master. Otherwise, with an evil Titled Douluo's control over baleful and evil energy, his lifespan would have normalized long ago, and his Soul Power Level should at least have been a little higher."

"There were traces of Evil Soul Masters behind the Fourth Prince's family—or rather, they themselves were Evil Soul Masters hidden within the Sun Moon Empire. As the emperor's Confidant, Kong Jie also used Blood Medicine to improve himself."

"And during the palace coup back then, it was also the Fourth Prince's maternal clan that provided enough strength to help the current ruler ascend the throne."

"Did you think the current ruler could possibly be unaware of Blood Medicine or Evil Soul Masters? He had most likely even used some Evil Soul Master methods for cultivation, which was why he was in his current condition."

"Not just Kong Jie. That one had probably indeed taken Blood Medicine before as well. That was why he had become so weak now."

Chen Li made this bold speculation.