The Hunter Behind the Oriole

"Clever!"

"Then let me ask you, what exactly is the purpose of the Spirit Hall's massive acquisition of Whale Rubber in recent years?"

"Does Whale Rubber have any unknown new effects?"

Yu Luosha asked directly.

"So it was about Whale Rubber..."

"Damn Qian Xunji, it's all because of your overly aggressive actions that I've been targeted."

"I've remembered this debt, and I'll settle it with you one day."

Xia Yang cursed inwardly.

"Hmph, what are you thinking? Speak up!"

Jade Yu Luosha's tone turned stern as she urged him on.

"Actually, Whale Rubber..."

Just as Xia Yang was about to reveal the secret of the Whale Rubber, an astonishing pressure suddenly erupted from the nearby forest!

"Clear Sky True Body!"

Immediately afterwards, a beam of light, like a black meteor, shot up from the forest and hurtled straight toward the location where Yu Luosha and Xia Yang were!

The meteor was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye it was right in front of the two of them.

Only then did Xia Yang realize that it was not a shooting star at all, but a Great Hammer radiating a dark golden light!

Yu Luosha reacted extremely quickly, immediately turning around and unleashing her Soul Power to block Xia Yang.

His purpose in coming here was to obtain the secret of Whale Rubber from Xia Yang. Before he got the information, he absolutely could not let anything happen to Xia Yang.

Faced with this incredibly powerful attack, Yu Luosha unleashed her strongest Soul Skill without hesitation.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon True Body!"

In an instant, Yu Luosha's body swelled up, transforming into a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon that was eight or nine meters tall.

The dragon's body was majestic, its blue scales shimmering with a chilling light under the moonlight, completely protecting Xia Yang behind it.

Sixth Soul Skill: Heaven-Breaking Dragon Roar!

"Roar--"

The Tyrant Dragon let out a deafening roar, followed by a powerful shockwave.

The shockwave actually froze the incoming dark gold Great Hammer in mid-air!

"The Clear Sky Hammer?"

Yu Luosha recognized the hammer at a glance and immediately shouted into the forest, "Who are you from the Clear Sky Sect!"

"Hmph, take this move first!"

Sixth Soul Skill: Earth Ant Emperor Slash!

"Explode!"

As the sound from the forest subsided, the Clear Sky Hammer, suspended in mid-air, suddenly shone with golden light and then unleashed a deafening roar!

"Boom--!"

Xia Yang was violently thrown back by the shockwave from the explosion.

In the last moment before he lost consciousness, Xia Yang glimpsed that Yu Luosha was also blasted away and forced to revert to human form in mid-air.

"This... this is the Martial Soul Avatar?"

"They actually broke through it in one move?"

This was the last thought that flashed through Xia Yang's mind before he fell into a coma.

Who is it?

Yu Luosha struggled to get up from the ground.

That attack just now actually knocked him back to his original form from his Martial Soul Avatar state.

At this moment, Yu Luosha's heart was filled with fear.

Dust and smoke filled the air all around.

Behind the hazy smoke and dust, a tall figure slowly emerged.

The man exuded an imposing aura, radiating a suffocating pressure.

With each step the newcomer took forward, Yu Luosha felt the pressure on her increase.

"Gulp!"

Yu Luosha unconsciously swallowed.

Then, he quickly raised his hand to wipe away the cold sweat that had seeped from his forehead due to nervousness.

"The Clear Sky Sect is conducting official business; all unauthorized personnel must leave immediately!"

From the other side of the smoke and dust, a cold voice rang out, its tone firm and unquestionable.

"I am a disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. My mission is to obtain information from that person. I wonder if you could do me a favor..."

Yu Luosha announced the name of her sect, attempting to leverage the connections between the Three Upper Clans to persuade the other party to make an exception.

However, the other party interrupted him without any politeness.

"Not leaving? Then you'll only face death!"

The threat in that person's words was obvious.

"Farewell!"

Yu Luosha dared not think any further, fearing that if she lingered any longer, she would lose her life.

So he immediately turned around and completely forgot about Xia Yang.

Without looking back, Yu Luosha Rakshasa sped off into the depths of the forest.

Xia Yang was already unconscious at this point.

The bleeding from the previous serious injury had not yet been stopped.

Immediately afterwards, he was struck by the explosion again.

As a result, Xia Yang lost too much blood and completely lost consciousness.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The steady footsteps approached from afar, and the tall figure finally emerged from the dust and came to Xia Yang's side.

"Injured? But it's alright, just external wounds. With timely hemostasis and bandaging, it should be fine."

After a careful examination, the man began to treat Xia Yang's wounds.

He moved with practiced skill and quickly finished stopping the bleeding and bandaging the wound.

After everything was settled, the man hoisted Xia Yang onto his shoulder and strode away from the battlefield.

At the edge of the forest, a carriage stood quietly.

A strong black horse was harnessed to the front of the carriage, and the driver was a silent old man.

Judging from the old man's agile figure and neat attire, he was clearly a Soul Master, yet he was willing to serve as a cart driver here.

Before long, a tall man emerged from the woods and headed towards the carriage.

"Young Master, what is this?"

The driver quickly got out of the carriage and bowed to inquire.

"This person was a key figure in the battle just now."

"I have a use for this person, and I plan to take him back to my sect."

As the man explained, he carefully placed Xia Yang into the carriage.

He then boarded the car and went inside.

"Let's go back to the sect!"

The man gave the order.

"Yes!"

The driver responded by cracking his whip.

"Crackling--"

The whip cracked crisply above the black horse.

The crisp sound carried far through the silent night sky.

"Drive!"

The driver gave a shout.

"Neigh--"

The black horse raised its head and neighed loudly.

The carriage began to move slowly forward, its wheels making a regular "creak, creak" sound.

In the stillness of the night, a carriage slowly made its way along the edge of the forest, gradually disappearing into the vast darkness.

Inside the carriage, Xia Yang remained unconscious, while the man opposite him closed his eyes and rested, as if deep in thought.

The carriage left only two shallow tracks on the road, bearing witness to this extraordinary night.

On the other side of the forest, Yu Luosha ran wildly until she was sure it was safe before stopping.

He leaned against the tree trunk, catching his breath for a moment. Looking back with lingering fear, he muttered a curse under his breath, "Who was that person? Their strength was terrifying..."

He dared not linger. Composing himself, he consoled himself, "So be it. Failing the mission is better than losing my life. At least I've survived."

With that thought in mind, Yu Luosha no longer hesitated and turned to rush towards the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

The most important thing now is to return to the sect as soon as possible and report the mission failure to the sect leader.

Meanwhile, inside the Martial Soul Academy.

Director Xuan sat alone in his dormitory. Ever since he entrusted the task of hunting down Xia Yang to Meng Shan, he had been waiting here for news.

Time slipped away quietly as we waited, and before we knew it, the whole night had passed.

As the first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the dormitory window, Director Xuan slowly opened his slightly closed eyes.

He gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, his brow furrowing slightly. "A whole night has passed, and Meng Shan still hasn't returned..."

He stood up, paced around the room for a moment, finally stopped, and sighed deeply, saying, "It seems the mission has failed."

"However, this is for the best; at least Xia Yang should be safe and sound."

"With Xia Yang alive, I can finally give an explanation to Chrysanthemum Douluo and the Holy Maiden."

However, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, another worry welled up in his heart.

Director Xuan rubbed his throbbing temples and muttered to himself, "But... how am I supposed to report this to His Holiness the Pope?"

"This is a real headache."

The morning light grew brighter, but it couldn't dispel the ever-deepening worry between Director Xuan's brows.