Leng Shuang left the Soul Fighting Arena. Shui Yue'er hurried over to her and asked curiously, "Teacher Leng, is that Lu Chen really that powerful?"
Leng Shuang unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. The final scene in the arena flashed through her mind again, and the tips of her ears were still tinged with red.
Her voice, full of embarrassment and anger, stumbled a little. "That guy... he's just..."
The words caught in her throat. What little reason she had left told her that Lu Chen hadn't actually done anything wrong just then, but she couldn't shake the strange frustration welling up inside her.
Shui Yue'er hadn't noticed Leng Shuang's awkwardness at all. She leaned closer and asked curiously, "Teacher, he's just what?"
Shui Yue'er's eyes were practically glowing. She wanted to know everything she could about Lu Chen.
Leng Shuang lightly tapped Shui Yue'er's head with her slender hand. "Yue'er, did you win your one-on-one Soul Fighting match?"
Shui Yue'er's expression immediately turned uneasy. She quietly shuffled half a step back, hoping to avoid Leng Shuang's "questioning."
Seeing Shui Yue'er cowering like a mouse before a cat, Leng Shuang knew the answer. Her face darkened.
"Yue'er, when we get back, you're adding an extra hour of training!"
"Teacher Leng! I was wrong! I'll definitely win next time!"
Shui Yue'er immediately grabbed her sleeve and pleaded, her voice soft and urgent.
Leng Shuang ignored her. Her mind was still entirely occupied with what had happened at the very end of the Soul Fighting match.
A trace of embarrassment and anger flashed in her eyes as she hurried away from the Skywater Soul Fighting Arena with the rest of the Skywater Team.
Meanwhile, with the Imperial Fighting Team...
Lu Chen suddenly stopped in the corridor leading to the lounge and said coldly, "Come out!"
As soon as he spoke, a man in black emerged from the shadows cast by the wall behind him.
"Who are you?" Lu Chen sensed the bloodlust coming from the man and grew wary.
A flash of blood-red light appeared in his hand, and the Asura Demon Sword materialized. Two yellow, one purple, and two black Soul Rings pulsed up and down along the Sword Body.
Soul Power abruptly surged around him.
The man in black slowly took off his hat, revealing a gaunt face with sunken eye sockets and skin wrinkled like an old tree's bark.
He gazed at the Slaughter Aura coiling around Lu Chen and smiled faintly. Black mist churned in his hand, and a palm-sized Blood Mosquito flew out, its buzzing grating on the ears.
Seven Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—appeared beneath the gaunt old man's feet. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tuoba Jie!"
Looking at the evil aura around Tuoba Jie, Lu Chen thought, A Soul Sage-level Evil Soul Master! This is bad...
If Lu Chen had been alone, it wouldn't have been a problem. Even if he couldn't win, he could still escape.
But the members of the Imperial Fighting Team were in a nearby room. And since Tuoba Jie had dared to reveal himself, there might well be other Evil Soul Masters nearby.
"May I ask why you've been following me in secret?" Lu Chen asked calmly.
Tuoba Jie's gaunt face twisted into a smile uglier than a grimace. He slowly replied, "Because... you and I are cut from the same cloth..."
Have I met this man before?
Confusion showed in Lu Chen's eyes. Then he seemed to realize something. Don't tell me he thinks I'm an Evil Soul Master too?
Tuoba Jie's next words confirmed his suspicions. "I can sense the surging Slaughter Aura within you. And that Fifth Soul Skill of yours, which devours other people's Soul Power and makes it your own... that's not something a proper Soul Master would use."
When Tuoba Jie finished speaking, his Turbid Eyes fixed on Lu Chen.
Seeing this, Lu Chen decided to drop the act. "Blood Sword greets you, senior. May I ask what you want with me?"
At the word "senior," Tuoba Jie's smile grew even uglier. He said slowly, "I can't believe a little brat like you managed to hide yourself so well among those Soul Masters! Now that I've found you, you're coming with me!"
Seeing the unyielding look in Tuoba Jie's eyes, Lu Chen feared the man might notice something amiss. He nodded. "Yes!"
Tuoba Jie handed Lu Chen a Black Cloak.
And so, under Tuoba Jie's lead, Lu Chen slipped away from the Skywater Soul Fighting Arena.
As soon as they left the arena, five shadows darted out from either side like ghosts, surrounding them in an instant.
Among those five were three Soul Kings and two Soul Emperors!
They all reeked of blood, and every one of them was an Evil Soul Master!
Lu Chen was glad he hadn't started a fight inside the arena. Forget protecting the Imperial Fighting Team—he wasn't even sure he could have gotten away himself.
"Boss, who's this kid?" one of the tall, thin Evil Soul Masters asked, staring at Lu Chen.
Tuoba Jie introduced him. "Our new member, Blood Sword. He's a Five-Ring Soul King!"
"Boss, are you sure he's an Evil Soul Master like us?" A sharp-faced, ratlike Evil Soul Master edged forward, scrutinizing Lu Chen.
"How could I not know whether he's an Evil Soul Master?"
A cold glint flashed in Tuoba Jie's eyes. His gaunt fingers shot up, black mist curling around them. A palm-sized Blood Mosquito landed on the Rat-faced Evil Soul Master's head, its long proboscis poised to pierce his skull at any moment.
"Or do you have a problem with me?"
The Rat-faced Evil Soul Master's legs gave way. He dropped to his knees before Tuoba Jie with a thud, his voice trembling with fear. "N-no, of course not!"
"Hmph!"
Tuoba Jie snorted and asked in a low voice, "Have you found out what happened to Old Seven?"
One of the Soul Emperor Evil Soul Masters bowed and replied, "We found Old Seven's body in a small town near Sunset Forest. We learned that before he died, he'd abducted a student from Skywater Academy named Shui Bing'er!"
"Shui Bing'er..."
Tuoba Jie murmured the name. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he said coldly, "I want Shui Bing'er brought to me in three hours!"
"Yes!" the six Evil Soul Masters answered in unison.
Inside the Imperial Fighting Team's lounge.
Xiao Wu stared at the clock on the wall. She didn't know why, but she felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen.
"No, Lu Chen still isn't back. I'm going out to find him!"
Xiao Wu sprang to her feet and started to look for Lu Chen.
Qin Ming also sensed something was wrong. He stood and said, "Let's go look for him together!"
Xiao Wu yanked open the door and was about to step outside when she suddenly stopped and looked at the doorframe.
The character "邪" was carved into it.
Xiao Wu crouched and brushed her finger over the carving. A familiar Soul Power fluctuation passed through her fingertip.
As if she'd realized something, Xiao Wu shuddered. Her voice trembled as she said, "Th-this... Lu Chen carved this... He must've been taken by the Evil Soul Masters! I'm going to find him!"
By the time the members of the Imperial Fighting Team ran out of the Skywater Soul Fighting Arena, Tuoba Jie had already taken Lu Chen away.
Before you continue