A Trace of Evil Aura

That day...

A Super Douluo had secretly intervened.

And that cry of "Do not harm My King" had further proved that Wang's identity was no ordinary one.

Was he a descendant of the former Heaven Dou Empire's Imperial Family?

Or the heir to some Hidden Great Clan?

Or perhaps a World-Entering Disciple from some Hidden Sect?

Regardless, to Qian Gu Dongfeng, any of those possibilities made him a partner with whom he could cooperate for mutual benefit.

Shrek Academy had dominated the continent for far too long.

For twenty thousand years, they had stood high above, looking down on all living beings.

Although the Spirit Pagoda wielded immense influence, Shrek had always held the upper hand.

Only by uniting more people and forces could they pull Shrek down from its lofty throne.

Qian Gu Dongfeng gazed at Shrek City in the distance, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

That boy...

Might become a useful pawn.

After leaving the Spirit Pagoda, Wang Zhi returned to Shrek City alone.

When he reached the Shrek City checkpoint, he was still thinking about what Qian Gu Dongfeng had said.

The Spirit Pagoda's offer...

It was indeed worth considering.

But he also knew that what Qian Gu Dongfeng valued might not be his talent.

It was the blade that had gravely wounded Wu Changkong...

That Blade.

As he pondered, his steps suddenly halted.

An exceedingly faint aura drifted over from the checkpoint entrance.

It was cold and evil, carrying a hint of decay. Had he not been innately sensitive to Dark Attribute Aura, he would never have noticed it.

A trace of amusement surfaced in Wang Zhi's eyes.

If he remembered correctly, Shrek City would be bombarded by two Level Twelve Soul Guide Cannonballs six years from now.

He hadn't expected the Spirit Pagoda and the Holy Spirit Cult to already be making their move.

No.

They had probably started much earlier.

He had simply happened to notice it.

He didn't stop walking, continuing toward the checkpoint at an unhurried pace as if he hadn't sensed a thing.

But the shadows beneath his feet stirred faintly.

Thirty Ghost Shadow Ninjas spread out from beneath him in shadow form, silently merging into the surrounding darkness.

The staff moved to and fro around them, and no one noticed anything unusual.

Wang Zhi continued forward, passed through the checkpoint, and entered Shrek Outer City.

He stopped in an inconspicuous corner, closed his eyes, and began sharing the perspectives of the thirty Ghost Shadow Ninjas.

Thirty images flooded his mind at once.

The Ghost Shadow Ninjas followed that faint trace of Evil Aura, crossing streets and walls, until they finally reached a room.

It was in the staff dormitory area of the checkpoint, inside an unremarkable two-story building.

That wisp of aura came from a room on the second floor.

The Ghost Shadow Ninjas passed through the walls in shadow form and entered the room.

There were two people inside.

One figure was shrouded in shadow, his face impossible to make out.

The other stood by the window, drawing the curtains tightly closed.

The middle-aged man in the shadows suddenly frowned. He whipped around, swept his gaze over every corner of the room, and released his full perception.

In that instant, he sensed something amiss—as if he were being watched.

But no matter how thoroughly he searched, he couldn't sense anyone's presence.

There wasn't even an insect.

Under the pressure of his aura, the young man by the window dropped straight to his knees, his face filled with fear.

He was afraid his true identity would be discovered, and that Shrek would sentence him to death under its laws.

He didn't want to die yet.

Fortunately, the middle-aged man sensed nothing amiss and slowly withdrew his oppressive aura.

Only then did the young man breathe a sigh of relief and climb to his feet.

The middle-aged man explained casually.

"I sensed someone watching us just now, so I checked."

The young man stood up and let out a long breath.

"Good. It was just a false alarm."

The middle-aged man nodded and continued.

"According to our previous agreement, your Patriarch promised our Vice Cult Master that your family would help us establish a secret outpost in Shrek City."

"Other envoys from our Holy Cult will come later. You'll handle things when they arrive."

The young man replied respectfully.

"The Patriarch has already given his instructions."

"He'll provide assistance to your Holy Spirit Cult."

"But in return, you need to keep a low profile over the next few years and avoid exposing yourselves in front of Shrek Academy."

"Otherwise, all our efforts will be wasted."

The middle-aged man replied calmly.

"Of course."

He took a cloak from his Storage Soul Tool and draped it over his shoulders.

The cloak looked ordinary, but a faint light shimmered across it. It was clearly some kind of Soul Tool.

This Soul Guide Cloak had been made using the latest Soul Tool Technology. It could not only reduce its wearer's presence, but also conceal his aura.

Once he put it on, the middle-aged man's aura became almost imperceptible, as if he had blended into the surrounding air.

He opened the door and disappeared into the night.

The young man watched the middle-aged man leave. The fear on his face suddenly vanished.

A look of disgust appeared, and he curled his lip.

"A bunch of Evil Soul Masters who live in the shadows think they can work with our Qian Gu Family?"

"What on earth is the Patriarch thinking?"

Muttering to himself, he turned to leave.

But the moment he took a step, the shadow beneath him suddenly stirred.

It seemed to come alive, transforming into a black swamp that swallowed his feet in an instant.

"What?!"

The young man cried out in alarm and struggled with all his might.

But the Shadow Swamp's pull was incredibly powerful. As a Three Rings Soul Elder, he couldn't resist it at all.

In just a few breaths, he had sunk completely into the shadows.

In the final moment before he lost consciousness, a thought flashed through his mind...

Who was it?

Beneath the city gate, Wang Zhi slowly opened his eyes.

The shadow beneath his feet stirred and spat out the unconscious young man.

Wang Zhi glanced down, casually drew the man into the shadows, then set off toward the outer city.

In an extremely remote Abandoned House in the outer city,

Wang Zhi had the Ghost Shadow Ninjas bring the young man out and throw him onto the ground.

A moment later, the young man slowly woke.

He opened his eyes and saw a cloaked figure wearing a mask standing before him. His heart lurched in terror.

"Who are you?!"

He barked, trying to intimidate the other with his presence.

"I'm warning you!"

"I'm a member of Shrek Academy!"

"Do you know who our Dean is?"

"Sky Pillar Douluo, the Continent's Number One Person, His Excellency Yun Ming!"

"If you don't want to die, let me go!"

Wang Zhi's tone was even.

"Tell me..."

"About the plans between your Qian Gu Family and the Holy Spirit Cult."

The young man was deeply shaken.

This cloaked man knew everything?!

But he still forced himself to stand his ground, jutting out his chin.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

A soft laugh came from behind the mask.

"You will."

Wang Zhi's thoughts stirred, and a Ghost Shadow Ninja emerged from the shadows and walked up to the young man.

The time that followed...

Was a nightmare for the young man.