Soul Hall's Trail

Gu Long had just returned to the courtyard near Jia Nan Academy and had not even settled down when an urgent message from Zhou Yu, transmitted through the system, echoed in his mind.

"Lord." There was a hint of gravity in Zhou Yu's voice.

"Gong Jin, what is it?"

Gu Long's thoughts stirred. For Zhou Yu to contact him personally, it could not be a minor matter.

"The Dragon Domain's Dark Division has discovered that Soul Hall envoys have become increasingly active in the Jia Ma Empire and its surrounding regions." Zhou Yu delivered his report at an even pace.

"Cross-verification from multiple sources indicates that they have been secretly contacting high-ranking figures in the Chu Yun Empire, Luo Yan Empire, and Mu Lan Empire.

"They are also deliberately spreading false rumors that the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family is weakening and that the Misty Cloud Sect's leader has been seriously injured and entered seclusion, while provoking border conflicts among the various sides."

Gu Long's gaze narrowed slightly upon hearing Zhou Yu's report.

Those rats from Soul Hall hiding in the shadows had indeed begun to stir.

Their intention in inciting war was obvious—large-scale conflict and death would produce vast numbers of Soul Bodies, the ideal breeding ground for them to gather Soul Essence.

The Jia Ma Empire lay on the edge of the Northwest Continent and bordered several empires. Once it was drawn into war, countless lives would surely suffer.

"What is the current situation?" Gu Long asked.

"There are indeed signs of escalating border conflicts, with small-scale clashes occurring constantly.

"The Chu Yun Empire and the Jia Ma Empire have already had several armed clashes involving more than a hundred people at Scorpion Valley along the border.

"The Luo Yan Empire and Mu Lan Empire are also gathering troops and moving them toward their borders.

"There is some unrest within the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family as well. They both rely on and fear the Misty Cloud Sect, and their response has been somewhat disorganized." Zhou Yu gave a brief analysis.

"Without outside intervention, war will likely break out in full within three months."

Three months?

Gu Long lightly tapped his fingers against the table. That timing happened to overlap with his estimate for the next large-scale eruption of the Falling Heart Flame.

Had Soul Hall chosen to strike now by coincidence, or did they have another objective?

Were they intending to disrupt the external situation while Jia Nan Academy was tied down by the Heavenly Flame within the Inner Academy, allowing them to fish in troubled waters?

Jia Nan Academy was not merely a place for teaching and nurturing people. It was also a place that cherished peace and upheld order.

"What measures has the Dragon Domain taken?" Gu Long asked.

"Following Lord's previous instruction to 'develop covertly and avoid premature conflict,' the strategist and I discussed the matter and have taken the following measures."

Zhao Yun's voice joined the transmission, carrying the clang of steel and iron.

"First, we have dispatched additional elite spies to closely monitor the movements of Soul Hall envoys and gather their contact points and identities as thoroughly as possible. However, we will not eliminate them proactively, lest we alert them."

"Second, we are using Dragon Travel Business's influence in the various empires to secretly provide the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family and military with strategic supplies and accurate intelligence, helping them stabilize their defenses and delay their collapse.

"At the same time, we are making 'business' contacts with certain influential figures in the other empires, spreading ideas such as peaceful coexistence and joint resource development in an attempt to undermine Soul Hall's provocations."

"Third, the Dragon Domain War Department has entered Level Two combat readiness. Some elite squads have disguised themselves as mercenaries.

"They have begun infiltrating the relevant border regions so that, if the situation spirals out of control, they can intervene swiftly, seize key points, or carry out special missions."

Zhou Yu added, "Furthermore, I have ordered the Medicine Division to hasten the refining of medicinal pills for healing wounds, detoxification, and rapid Dou Qi recovery, while stockpiling supplies for possible refugees or wounded personnel.

"The intelligence network's priorities have also been shifted toward this incident to ensure information flows smoothly."

After hearing the report, Gu Long was quite satisfied with Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun's response.

They had both surveillance and intelligence gathering directed at Soul Hall, as well as covert support for the Jia Ma Empire to buy time.

There was also the Dragon Domain's own combat preparation and infiltration. Each measure built upon the next, maintaining secrecy while preparing for every possibility.

"Well done," Gu Long affirmed.

"Soul Hall's purpose is souls.

"The larger the war and the longer it lasts, the more beneficial it is to them.

"Our core objective is to prevent or limit the outbreak of large-scale war. At the very least, we cannot allow events to unfold according to Soul Hall's predetermined script."

After a brief pause, he issued new orders:

"First, continue monitoring them and try to locate Soul Hall's bases in the Northwest Continent or higher-ranking personnel.

"Second, increase covert support for the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family. You may appropriately reveal that Yun Shan of the Misty Cloud Sect has stabilized his injuries and will soon recover, in order to stabilize their internal morale.

"Third, focus on gathering evidence of collusion between the pro-war leaders of the Chu Yun, Luo Yan, and Mu Lan Empires and Soul Hall. If necessary, use secret channels to help anti-war factions or their political rivals within those empires obtain that evidence.

"Borrowing a knife to kill and creating internal disorder are far more covert and effective than directly sending troops to intervene.

"Fourth." Gu Long's tone turned cold.

"If Soul Hall envoys are discovered directly participating in the slaughter of civilians or refining Soul Bodies, authorize the frontline squads to use every means necessary to execute them on the spot and leave no trace.

"The prerequisite is to ensure absolute safety and prevent any trail from leading back to the Dragon Domain."

"Yes, Lord!" Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun accepted the order solemnly.

Gu Long's instructions were clear and decisive. They preserved strategic resolve while giving the frontlines enough flexibility to respond, especially the final order, which made his stance toward Soul Hall's bottom line clear.

"Gong Jin will take full charge of this matter, with Zi Long assisting in its execution," Gu Long instructed at last. "I have my own plans for Jia Nan Academy. Stay in contact."

"Understood!"

The communication ended. The courtyard returned to silence, but Gu Long's thoughts remained unsettled.

Soul Hall's reach truly extended everywhere.

Their choice to stir up turmoil across the Northwest Continent at this time would inevitably affect his plans, whether or not Jia Nan Academy was their target.

If large-scale war broke out, the situation would become chaotic and variables would multiply. His attempt to obtain the Falling Heart Flame would become correspondingly more difficult.

"Looks like I need to move a little faster." Gu Long looked toward the Inner Academy, his gaze deep.

He had originally planned to proceed steadily for a while longer, but Soul Hall's actions were forcing him to become more proactive.

At the very least, he had to ensure that when the Falling Heart Flame erupted, the external situation would not completely spiral out of control.

He needed a deeper understanding of the Inner Academy's current circumstances, especially the stability of the seal on the Heavenly Flame Refining Qi Tower and what preparations the Inner Academy's higher-ups had made for possible changes.

Perhaps he could obtain more internal information through Zi Yan.

At the same time, he had to make sure the Dragon Domain was ready to respond to a sudden war at any moment.

If the situation worsened to the point where intervention became necessary, the Dragon Domain, this lurking behemoth, would need to bare some of its fangs to deter petty threats and stabilize the situation.

"Troubled times indeed."

Gu Long murmured to himself, yet there was little worry on his face. Instead, there was a faint calmness born of control.

The storm was approaching. The pieces he had long since placed were finally about to serve their purpose.

Whether it was the Dragon Domain hidden within the Northwest Continent, the Misty Cloud Sect, or even forces within Jia Nan Academy that could potentially be won over, all would become important bargaining chips in his response to the undercurrents stirred up by Soul Hall.

He turned and returned to the Quiet Room, beginning to adjust his condition while considering the specific plan for his next contact with the Inner Academy.

Time was becoming increasingly urgent.