Deserters

Eliminating Evil Soul Masters and all potential evils had been a rule Spirit Hall established from the very beginning.

Thanks to Spirit Hall's harsh measures, very few people on the continent now even knew the words "Evil Soul Master."

This showed that Spirit Hall had truly done practical things.

"What's the situation now? Has it been resolved?" Wu Qi asked quietly.

Qiangu Changkong frowned. "One was killed, and one escaped. The methods of Evil Soul Masters are unheard of. Even the Soul Emperor leading this operation failed to capture him."

Wu Qi nodded and did not ask further.

Evil Soul Masters had always been a hidden threat.

In the original timeline, after Spirit Hall was destroyed, Evil Soul Masters emerged one after another. After the two continents collided, Evil Soul Masters experienced explosive growth.

However, since Wu Qi was here, he definitely would not sit and watch Spirit Hall be destroyed.

Still, Evil Soul Masters would remain a grave future threat to them.

After Spirit Hall's experts withdrew, the many Soul Masters in Soul Beast Town merely discussed the matter briefly.

Under Bibi Dong's leadership, Spirit Hall had become increasingly overbearing.

Many Soul Masters had suffered their suppression. Thus, no one dared speculate recklessly about the details of this Spirit Hall squad's operation, much less spread rumors casually.

The three of them had lost their appetite and found an inn in town to stay at.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, the three left the inn and searched the town for Soul Hunting teams, intending to purchase information on Soul Beasts.

Seeing that the three were well dressed, many people took the initiative to surround them as they entered the area where Soul Hunting teams were stationed, promoting their own teams.

Ning Rongrong had little experience in the world and did not understand the situation with Soul Hunting teams. She asked, "With a Soul Hunting team helping us hunt Soul Beasts, our safety can also be guaranteed. How about—"

Wu Qi interrupted her.

Surrounded by the Soul Hunting teams, he did not explain the truth.

During the early years when Soul Hunting teams first emerged, they made up for the difficulty Soul Masters faced in hunting high-year Soul Beasts alone.

Many Soul Masters in need of Soul Rings would actively hire them to assist with Soul Hunting after arriving in Soul Beast Town, rather than having the teams solicit customers as they did now.

However, as all sorts of shady people joined their ranks, the reputation of Soul Hunting teams had long since been ruined.

Rumors of employers being murdered were endless, causing the Soul Master world to grow increasingly resistant to Soul Hunting teams.

Of course, not every team would harm its employers. Yet under the current circumstances, many Soul Hunting teams that relied on this for a living were already on the verge of disbanding.

For Wu Qi, Golden Eagle Douluo's secret protection was already enough to complete their Soul Hunting. He would not gamble on whether they could hire a legitimate Soul Hunting team.

Seeing more and more people approaching them, Wu Qi stated his purpose. "I'm here to buy information on thousand-year Soul Beasts. If you don't meet the requirements, stop crowding around us."

As human activity intensified, thousand-year Soul Beasts had already vanished from the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. To obtain information on thousand-year Soul Beasts, one had to venture deep into the forest.

The strongest members of most Soul Hunting teams were only high-level Soul Grand Masters or Soul Elders. Thousand-year Soul Beasts were difficult for them to handle, so naturally they could not obtain such information.

Very quickly, the bustling crowd around them scattered, leaving only two or three people behind.

From their expressions, Wu Qi knew that these people most likely did not have any useful information.

After some thought, he decided to seek out higher-level Soul Hunting teams.

Strong teams with good reputations would not come out to solicit customers on their own. They had to be sought out proactively.

Soon, a Man drawing water beside a well caught their attention.

"I recognize the tattoo on his arm." Ning Rongrong moved closer to Wu Qi and reminded him, "That is the Totem of the Heaven Dou Empire Soul Master Corps. Moreover, this is an elite unit. Few people outside know of this unit's existence."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was a staunch supporter of the Heaven Dou Empire, so it was not strange for her to know such secrets.

However, Douluo Continent did not have the concept of fixed service terms. Ordinary people might serve for several years before retiring from the military once their bodies could no longer keep up, but members of the Soul Master Corps generally served for life. At most, when they grew old, they would be transferred to idle positions.

This Man was most likely a deserter!

A deserter was certainly not a good person, but that did not necessarily make him a bad one. If they were only buying information, there was no harm in dealing with him.

With that thought, the three stepped forward and struck up a conversation.

Qiangu Changkong clasped his fists. "Big Brother, are you with a Soul Hunting team?"

The Man lifted a bucket of water from the well. Turning to see the three young faces, he answered casually, "What is it? If you need Soul Hunting, our prices aren't low."

Qiangu Changkong quickly said, "We want to buy information on tiger-type or bear-type Soul Beasts, around fifteen hundred years old."

The Man's brows rose slightly. A Soul Ring of that age could only serve as a Third Soul Ring.

Wu Qi and the other two were not very old, yet one of them had already broken through to Soul Elder. Such talent was truly terrifying.

Compared to before, the Man's attitude softened considerably. "Come with me. Our captain has the information you want."

His discipline is quite good!

Wu Qi nodded to himself.

Following the Man to a tent, they found three burly men seated inside.

The insides of all three men's arms bore the same tattoo.

After the Man explained the three visitors' background, the Middle-aged Man seated at the head stood up. "Five hundred, one thousand, or five thousand. What price range do you need?"

Different prices corresponded to Soul Beasts with different bloodline strengths.

Qiangu Changkong was not short of money and said seriously, "The best!"

After thinking for a moment, the Middle-aged Man took out a route map from his Soul Tool.

"This is a sixteen-hundred-year Fear Bear. It costs ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. If you can afford it, take it."

Ning Rongrong could not help muttering, "One piece of information costs so much. Who knows whether it's real or fake!"

Back when she had been in Heaven Dou City, many people had tried to sell her treasure maps, but they had all turned out to be fake.

After being deceived so many times, she did not dare easily buy such expensive information.

At her words, the men in the tent darkened. "Our Black Tiger Squad has never done anything against our conscience. If you have no sincerity, then please leave."

Qiangu Changkong hesitated for a while before finally paying for the information.

After leaving the tent, Ning Rongrong said in a low voice, "How could you so easily trust those people?"

"They came from the military, though we don't know why they left the camp. But compared to all sorts of shady people, they are more trustworthy."

Wu Qi agreed with Qiangu Changkong's decision.

The Fear Bear's bloodline strength was second only to dragon-type Soul Beasts. It was a rare Soul Beast, so it was worth taking the gamble.

Meanwhile, in Suotuo City.

Flender had searched the city all night without finding any news of Ning Rongrong. Even Wu Qi and Qiangu Changkong had vanished without a trace.

When he returned to the academy, his expression was terrifyingly grim.

Today was the opening day of Shrek Academy. When he stood before the students, he forced a smile onto his face.

After briefly explaining the academy motto and rules, he had the new students pay their tuition fees.

Originally, he had planned to ask Tang San about Yu Xiaogang. Now, he had completely lost interest.

He called Dai Mubai to the Principal's Office and told him what he had discovered.

Dai Mubai was shocked. "Principal, no way. Three geniuses disappeared in Suotuo City. Could someone be secretly hunting them down?"