Platinum Bishop Salas

"Hahaha, kid, cut that out." Resak laughed heartily and clapped Yan hard on the shoulder.

"But breaking through to Soul Douluo really does feel completely different. If you get into trouble later, your teacher can finally be a little more confident when backing you up."

After the joking ended, Resak turned serious. "Spirit Hall has reached a decision regarding your trial mission."

"A trial mission?"

Yan's smile faded as well.

At the Advanced Academy, students of the Core Class had to complete various trial missions every year.

These included hunting down Evil Soul Masters, killing soul beasts, or traveling to certain places for training.

Trial missions were intended to improve the students' strength and practical combat abilities. Yan's hunt for Fallen Soul Masters four years ago, as well as Xie Yue and Hu Liena earning their Gold Soul Fighting Badges, had all fallen within this category.

However, Yan's strength had risen so unreasonably over the past few years that many of the original trial missions could no longer achieve their intended effect.

As a result, every trial mission assigned to Yan had to be considered again and again before it was issued.

Over the years, Yan's trial missions had included not only hunting Fallen Soul Masters and training with Spirit Hall's affiliated legions, but even serving as a deacon at Spirit Hall Main Temples in the two great empires.

It could be said that he had done just about everything.

Now that his strength as a Martial Artist had broken through once more, Yan had been looking for an excuse to leave Spirit Hall Academy. The arrival of this trial mission was like a pillow being delivered just as he grew sleepy.

"This trial mission is quite difficult. Chrysanthemum Douluo personally designed it for you, and it consists of two parts. First, a team of Fallen Soul Masters has appeared along the Heaven Dou Empire's border. There are around five members in the group, and they have been burning, killing, looting, and pillaging along the border. They have already slaughtered several villages, and even the soul masters sent by Spirit Hall's Sub-Halls and Main Temples to eliminate them have suffered severe casualties. This group is extremely cunning and never stays in one place for long. Moreover, their strongest member has already reached the Soul Emperor level. Your first task is to find this team of Fallen Soul Masters and kill them all. You must complete this task alone, and no one will supervise or protect you. During the mission, the only assistance you can receive will be intelligence provided by Spirit Hall. Aside from that, whether in battle or tracking them down, you must handle everything by yourself."

As he spoke, Resak paused and looked at Yan. "This time, your teacher will not be there to cover you."

Yan nodded. Although the mission was somewhat troublesome, he could barely suppress the joy rising in his heart.

No supervision or protection—put another way, did that not mean he would have absolute freedom while carrying out the mission?

Yan immediately realized that this was a perfect opportunity to make a move on the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

"What about the second part of the mission?" Yan asked Resak, forcefully suppressing his delight.

"The second part concerns a noble in Heaven Dou City, Viscount Sindis, who was recently ennobled by the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family. He is also a Soul Emperor. According to intelligence gathered by Spirit Hall, Viscount Sindis is very likely connected in some way to the Fallen Soul Master team from before. Your second task is to gather evidence of Viscount Sindis's crimes. If he truly is colluding with Fallen Soul Masters, report it to the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City. The Holy Temple will take the lead in cooperating with the Heaven Dou authorities, and you will personally arrest him. Since this trial mission is rather dangerous and complicated, Spirit Hall has given you four months. You must complete the mission within those four months."

"Four months is fairly ample."

Yan nodded and accepted the mission.

"Very well. It is getting late today, so rest first. Tomorrow, I will prepare a carriage for your departure."

Resak looked at Yan. "This is your first time carrying out a mission alone. Be careful in all things. If you encounter any unusual circumstances, you can abandon the mission immediately and return to Spirit Hall."

After so many years together, although Resak had not taken Yan as his personal disciple, Yan was already no different from one in his heart.

Thus, compared to Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others, Resak showed Yan a little more warmth and concern—something even Xie Yue and Hu Liena had rarely received.

"Remember this: your own life is the most important thing."

After giving Yan that final reminder, Resak left.

Yan went to the training grounds to practice his fists for a while. After dinner, he returned to rest.

Early the next morning, Yan departed from Spirit Hall Academy in the carriage Spirit Hall had prepared for him, heading toward Heaven Dou City.

Yan's final destination was Heaven Dou City, more than two thousand kilometers away from Spirit City.

After traveling by carriage for two days, he felt that the pace was far too slow.

He simply left the carriage at a Spirit Hall Sub-Hall in a remote city, traveled light, and continued on his way.

Traveling from Spirit Hall to Heaven Dou City by carriage generally took around twenty days.

But with Yan's current Apprentice Rank Six strength as a Martial Artist, aside from the first two days spent traveling by carriage, he covered the remaining distance in only three days and arrived in Heaven Dou City.

As the most prosperous city in the Heaven Dou Empire and the economically most flourishing city on the continent, Heaven Dou City's bustle and wealth were easy to imagine.

The streets were broad, shops lined both sides in neat rows, and many soul masters passed through the streets. There were even quite a few high-level soul masters whose auras were formidable.

However, Yan had no interest in sightseeing and soon arrived at the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City.

After presenting his identification, Yan was respectfully invited into the Holy Temple by one of its deacons, where he met Salas, the Platinum Bishop of the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City.

Salas was Bibi Dong's loyal subordinate. He oversaw Spirit Hall's affairs in the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, and his status was immensely prestigious, comparable even to the sect masters of the Lower Four Sects among the Seven Great Sects.

Moreover, the power controlled by the Spirit Temple of Heaven Dou City was exceedingly terrifying.

Aside from Salas, a Soul Douluo, it was staffed with four archbishops, dozens of high-ranking personnel, and a Hall Guard Corps of more than ten thousand people.

All of them were soul masters, making them a powerful force in Heaven Dou City that no one could ignore.

If Salas wished it, he could even use the power of the Spirit Temple to strike at the imperial palace.

Salas held an exalted position in Heaven Dou City. The fact that he was willing to meet Yan at all was out of consideration for Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo.

After meeting Yan and reading the letter Yan had brought, Salas instructed one of his archbishops to fully cooperate with Yan in intelligence matters, then left ahead of him.

After reading the information provided by the archbishop regarding the Fallen Soul Master team, Yan truly felt the difficulty of this mission.

There was no other reason: even the most recent intelligence was already ten days old.

Based on this information alone, Yan felt that even if he stayed in Heaven Dou City for ten years, he would never find any trace of the Fallen Soul Master team.

Fortunately, Yan had not placed all his hopes on the Spirit Temple.