What Do You Mean, "If Spirit Hall Still Existed"?

At that moment, in the Dense Forest, Lu Jing was being chased into a corner by Beibei and the Man in Black. Beibei's Lightning Dragon Claw nearly grazed his back, smashing an ancient tree to pieces; the Man in Black's wind blades followed like shadows, forcing him to weave through gaps between the trees.

"Tian Meng! If you don't come up with something, we're done for!" Lu Jing shouted, his throat practically on fire with panic.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice carried a trace of madness. "Coming, coming! I'll risk damaging my spiritual power and hit them with something brutal one more time!"

Just then, a golden figure streaked overhead like a meteor, carrying the overwhelming might of a mountain range as it instantly enveloped the entire Dense Forest.

The three people fighting all froze at once.

It was a Sense of Oppression that came from the depths of their souls, as though they were facing the Heaven and Earth Law itself.

Lu Jing looked up and saw a blond man and a girl standing atop the treetops. Their gray robes snapped in the wind, and their calm gazes swept over the group—yet he did not even have the strength to move a finger.

"What... what is this thing?" Lu Jing was completely dumbfounded. Had he run into something cursed today? He had just escaped two lunatics, and now someone even worse had shown up?

Beibei and the Man in Black fared no better. Their faces turned deathly pale as they stared at Qian Daoliu, their Soul Power seemingly frozen solid. Even breathing became difficult.

Qian Daoliu's gaze settled on Lu Jing—or rather, on the faintly visible World-Destroying Black Lotus above his head. His brow lifted slightly. "A dark martial soul? Interesting."

His voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear clearly, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Qian Daoliu's pressure bore down like Dark Clouds overhead, and the air in the Dense Forest seemed to solidify into iron.

Beibei was the first to break free from his shock. He glared at Lu Jing, his voice trembling with fury. "Senior! This child is an Evil Soul Master! His martial soul is exceptionally sinister and can release corrosive power. He has already killed someone! Please Make a Move and suppress him with us. We absolutely cannot allow him to bring disaster upon the world!"

He deliberately stressed the words "Evil Soul Master," his eyes filled with certainty. In his view, anyone with a martial soul like the World-Destroying Black Lotus could never be good. If Lu Jing was not eliminated today, he would surely become a great calamity in the future.

As a student of Shrek Academy and an embodiment of justice, he had to eliminate such a being before it was too late.

Standing beside Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue studied Lu Jing curiously with her violet eyes, beautiful as the Milky Way.

Though the Youth looked bedraggled, his eyes were astonishingly bright. The black lotus floating above his head appeared strange, but she could not sense even the slightest bloody, sinister aura from it. No matter how she looked at him, he did not resemble the Evil Soul Masters of legend who delighted in killing. She could not help whispering, "Grandfather, he... doesn't look like a bad person."

Qian Daoliu ignored his granddaughter's words. His gaze shifted between Lu Jing and Beibei as he frowned slightly. "Tell me what happened."

Just then, Yu Yuanzhen arrived with Yu Tianheng. Seeing the confrontation in the clearing and the World-Destroying Black Lotus above Lu Jing's head, a trace of gravity flashed through his eyes. Without drawing attention to himself, he stepped to Qian Daoliu's side.

Beibei took a deep breath and explained rapidly, "Senior, this brat's martial soul is the World-Destroying Black Lotus, a dark and evil type that can release corrosive black mist. He is undoubtedly an Evil Soul Master! He just killed one of our companions in the forest, using cruel methods. If he is not eliminated in time, he will surely become a great menace in the future!"

Lu Jing was so furious that smoke nearly came out of his ears. Before Qian Daoliu could speak, he roared back, "That's complete bullshit!"

He pointed at Beibei's nose, his voice brimming with rage. "Have you people got no shame at all? I only awakened my martial soul not long ago and have absorbed just one Soul Ring, yet you've already slapped the label of Evil Soul Master on me? As for the person I killed, he was one of your lot. He took the initiative to kill me, so was I wrong to fight back? Is it only natural for you to kill me, while me fighting back makes me utterly unforgivable?"

"You!"

Beibei was choked speechless, his face flushing red. "An evil martial soul is an evil martial soul! That is an unchangeable fact!"

"Heh, you're just twisting logic. You only dare bully me because I have neither backing nor strength."

Lu Jing sneered and retorted, "By your logic, the Evil Fire Phoenix is tyrannical and vicious, impossible to suppress. Once it loses control, its owner will completely become an Evil Soul Master. So why don't you call Ma Xiaotao an Evil Soul Master?"

The two argued back and forth without end. Yu Yuanzhen was utterly confused. He quietly leaned toward Qian Daoliu and asked in a low voice, "Great Enshrined, what should we do about this...?"

Qian Daoliu did not answer directly. He turned to Beibei and asked indifferently, "Which faction are you from?"

It was as though Beibei had found his anchor. He straightened his chest and declared, "This junior is a student of Shrek Academy, and also the great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo Mu En!"

He deliberately raised his voice, with a barely noticeable hint of pride in his eyes. In his view, Mu En's name was enough to intimidate everyone present. As long as he invoked this ancestor, the man before him would surely help him eliminate Lu Jing without hesitation.

Yet as soon as the words fell, both Qian Daoliu and Yu Yuanzhen froze.

Qian Daoliu frowned more deeply, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes. "Dragon God Douluo Mu En? Why has this Old Man never heard of such a person?"

Yu Yuanzhen nodded as well, wearing a Blank Expression. "Yes, there is no such person among the Title Douluo registered with Spirit Hall. Could he be a reclusive Strong Person?"

After all, any Title Douluo on Douluo Continent would register with Spirit Hall after becoming famous. First, it was to display their strength; second, it was to obtain the corresponding status and resources. A title like "Dragon God Douluo," which sounded so imposing, could not possibly belong to someone unknown if such a person truly existed.

The pride on Beibei's face instantly froze, as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him. "Impossible! Ancestor Mu En is Shrek Academy's Stabilizing Needle. How could no one know him?"

The more he spoke, the less confidence he had. Even he began to wonder—could it be that Ancestor Mu En's reputation had not spread throughout the entire continent?

Lu Jing watched this unfold and laughed inwardly, though he deliberately sighed aloud, his tone carrying a hint of regret. "Beibei, Beibei, all you can do is use Mu En and Shrek Academy to pressure me. It's truly a pity. If Spirit Hall still existed, how could I have ended up being chased by you people and branded as someone who deserved to be killed?"

"What?!"

The instant those words were spoken, the expressions of Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue, and Yu Yuanzhen all changed dramatically.

The pressure around Qian Daoliu suddenly surged. His golden eyes locked tightly onto Lu Jing, and his tone was Ice-cold, like poisoned steel. "What did you just say? What do you mean, 'if Spirit Hall still existed'?"

Qian Renxue was stunned as well, her beautiful eyes full of disbelief. Spirit Hall was her grandfather's life's work and the most powerful faction on the continent. How could it possibly no longer exist? What nonsense was this little brother saying?

Yu Yuanzhen was even more horrified. He instinctively looked toward Qian Daoliu, afraid that the Great Enshrined would fly into a rage.