If You Are Unwilling to Join My Holy Spirit Sect, You Shall All Die!

Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu, Mingde Hall.

Inside the magnificent hall, the atmosphere was solemn.

An elderly man dressed in luxurious robes, his hair groomed with meticulous precision, sat in the main seat. He held a cup of steaming hot tea, his demeanor imposing.

He was the master of this Mingde Hall, the highest authority on Soul Tool research in the Sun Moon Empire, and a Rank 9 Soul Master—Jing Hongchen.

"What did you say? Repeat it."

Jing Hongchen took a sip of tea without even lifting his eyelids, his voice so calm that not a ripple of emotion could be detected.

But below him, the captain of the guard, who had just galloped back from the outskirts, felt a terrifying pressure, like the heavy stillness before a storm.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to remain calm, and repeated what had happened earlier, word for word.

"...Hall Master, that is how it happened. The Young Master and the Young Miss encountered three youths of unknown origin by a small river in the outskirts. According to them, the river possesses a magical power that can turn one person into three... Then... then a mysterious figure truly emerged from the river and turned one of my subordinates into three identical people, though the aura emanating from each was completely different."

The captain of the guard spoke until his throat was dry, yet Jing Hongchen, sitting above, did not even twitch an eyebrow.

After a long while, Jing Hongchen slowly set down his teacup, producing a soft "clack."

He finally lifted his eyelids. His eyes, which bore a slight resemblance to Xiao Hongchen's but were far deeper and sharper, fell upon the captain of the guard.

The captain continued, recounting the scene in greater detail, such as the three questions and three answers, and the specific temperament each soldier exuded when they were brought out—the first filled with iron-blooded slaughter, the second relatively gentle.

Jing Hongchen watched him quietly, his eyes flickering with a scrutinizing light. The captain's tone did not sound like he was lying.

However... the content was simply too absurd.

River God?

One person turning into three?

This sounded more like a farce staged by his grandson and granddaughter, conspiring with their subordinates to play a prank on him.

The corners of Jing Hongchen's mouth curled into a faint arc.

A deity? What a joke.

On this Douluo Continent, there hadn't been a trace of a god for a full ten thousand years. The last legend of a god was Tang San, the Sea God, leader of the first generation of Shrek Seven Devils who had single-handedly destroyed the Martial Soul Empire and founded the Tang Sect, along with his companions.

But that was a legend from ten thousand years ago, after all.

In this current era, the closest things to the word "god" were likely the decrepit old immortal Mu En at Shrek Academy, and the Beast God Di Tian, who topped the Beast Ranking deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.

A River God who popped out of nowhere? If it were a true deity, it would have ascended to the God Realm long ago; why would it stay in this godforsaken place?

Heh, perhaps those two little ones, Xiao and Meng'er, had cooked up some new type of Soul Tool and wanted to give him a surprise.

Thinking of this, although a ten-thousandth of a doubt still lingered in Jing Hongchen's heart, he felt more strongly that this was just a prank meticulously planned by the younger generation.

However, since they were performing so diligently, it would be unreasonable for him, as their grandfather, not to go and see it for himself.

"Get up."

Jing Hongchen stood up and brushed off his robes.

"Lead the way. I want to see exactly what kind of trick they are pulling."

"Yes! Hall Master!"

The captain of the guards felt as if he had been granted an amnesty and hurriedly led the way.

Jing Hongchen's figure flickered slightly, and he followed like a ghost. His speed was not the slightest bit slower than a Soul Emperor flying at full power.

Soon, the group arrived at the small river on the outskirts of Mingdu.

From a distance, Jing Hongchen saw the group of people gathered by the river—it was indeed his grandson, granddaughter, and that squad of guards.

"Grandfather!"

Meng Hongchen had sharp eyes and was the first to spot Jing Hongchen. She immediately ran up like a cheerful little bird and affectionately took his arm.

"You finally arrived! You didn't see it—a celestial being actually appeared just now! Whoosh, he popped right out of the river, holding a fishing rod, and he looked so cool! Then he went whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and turned Brother Wang into three people! Three identical people!"

The little girl gestured wildly as she spoke, her face full of excitement and exaggeration.

Jing Hongchen smiled helplessly and patted her head dotingly.

This girl, she really acted the part well.

"Grandfather."

Xiao Hongchen also walked over, his expression much more serious.

He did not describe the scene vividly like his sister; instead, he turned to the side and pointed toward an open space not far away.

"See for yourself."

Jing Hongchen looked in the direction he was pointing.

At just one glance, the faint smile on his face froze completely.

On the open ground, there stood three soldiers wearing the same armor, looking exactly the same!

Not only that, but on the other side, there stood three youths. They were also extremely similar in appearance, yet each possessed a distinct temperament!

One was gentle and delicate, one was sunny and cheerful, and one was cold and handsome.

This...

Jing Hongchen's pupils shrank violently!

With his mental power as a Rank 9 Soul Master, he could tell at a glance that all six people—whether the three soldiers or the three youths—were living beings with real flesh, blood, and souls!

This was absolutely not any form of illusion or trickery!

How could there possibly be identical people in this world?! Of course, the three Huo Yuhao brothers were quite distinct—one could call them triplets—but Jing Hongchen knew his grandchildren's guards better than anyone; it was impossible for them to be triplets.

"This... what exactly is going on?"

For the first time, a trace of imperceptible tremor entered Jing Hongchen's voice.

Xiao Hongchen's expression was incredibly grave. He briefly explained the origins of the three Huo Yuhao brothers, how they had jumped into the Divine River in the Star Dou Great Forest, and how they had appeared here.

Afterward, he pointed to the three soldiers and recounted the appearance of the River God, the "three questions and three answers," and the final results of the strength test, relaying everything exactly as it had happened.

As Jing Hongchen listened to his grandson's account, he noted that it matched what the captain of the guards had just said.

In this world, such an inconceivable thing actually existed!

A Divine River connecting the Star Dou Great Forest and the Sun Moon Empire? A River God capable of splitting a person into three?

This completely overturned the worldview he had built over the last hundred years!

Just as Jing Hongchen's mind was reeling and he intended to immediately launch the most thorough investigation into this bizarre little river—

A hair-raising aura, filled with extreme evil and chaos, erupted from the nearby woods without any warning!

That aura was overbearing, violent, lawless, and filled with a desire to despise and destroy all the rules of the world!

"Hehehehe..."

Accompanied by a teeth-grating, strange laugh, a figure slowly walked out from the woods. The figure was gaunt, but that withered body contained terrifying power; its mere appearance was enough to shake the hearts of everyone present!

"Xuan Zi?!"

Jing Hongchen was greatly astonished. Wasn't this Xuan Zi from Shrek Academy? How had he become like this?

"I am the Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Sect, Taotie. If you are willing to join my Holy Spirit Sect, I will spare your lives. If you are unwilling, then die!"

A terrifying force of slaughter instantly enveloped the entire scene!