Ye Que's lips curled into a smile. "Brother, maybe other people are afraid of Evil Soul Masters, but I'm not. My specialty is wiping them out."
"May I ask, Lord Soul Master, how many rings do you have?" the stall owner asked cautiously.
Ye Que answered honestly. "I'm nothing special. I've just advanced to three rings."
Only three rings?
The stall owner was stunned, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Even the Lord Five-Ring Soul King who'd come before had died. What kind of trouble could a three-ring Soul Master stir up? Those people were the sort who ate people without spitting out the bones.
The stall owner immediately urged Ye Que to leave.
He was genuinely afraid that a young Soul Master, willing to humble himself to protect the people, would die at the hands of those Evil Soul Masters.
Ye Que shook his head with a smile, then took a token shaped like a small golden sword from his sleeve and revealed his identity.
It was a token unique to the Angel Clan's Martial Soul, a symbol of his status.
The stall owner looked up. His pupils suddenly shrank, and he nearly cried out in shock. Disbelief filled his eyes.
This young man was actually a Soul Master of the Holy Angel Clan, the natural enemy of Evil Soul Masters.
No wonder. No wonder he'd asked about all this.
It seemed the Angel Clan hadn't completely vanished. Their descendants still lived on the continent; they simply no longer appeared in the open.
In all these years, this was the first time he'd met a Soul Master from the Angel Clan.
Ten thousand years ago, Spirit Hall had wanted to unite the continent, but that had always been a matter between Soul Masters. It had nothing to do with the people. The continent had merely changed hands.
But the Angel Clan had truly wiped out every Evil Soul Master on the continent. That was beyond dispute.
Later, after the twin gods fell and the Sea God ascended to the Divine Realm, the continent returned to its old ways. The nobility ruled for ten thousand years, and the people suffered endlessly. The Evil Soul Masters began running rampant again.
Now, there was no way to awaken a Martial Soul for free anywhere on the continent, and Angel Soul Masters had vanished from sight.
Spirit Hall might have been detestable, but the only interests it harmed were those of Soul Masters. When it came to the common people, no one could fault it. Since it hadn't harmed the people's interests, it could be considered "good."
Just then, Ye Que took out a Gold Soul Coin and smiled. "I'll be staying for a few days. Sorry for the trouble."
There was no rush to hunt for his fourth Soul Ring; he could do that anytime. The Evil Soul Masters had to be eliminated.
The stall owner refused no matter what, waving his hand.
Being able to help an Angel Soul Master was something he could only dream of. How could he possibly accept money?
Those children had it so hard.
Ye Que sighed and settled into the stall owner's home. He left a bag of Gold Soul Coins beside the stall owner's bed and waited for the Evil Soul Masters to strike.
The stall owner's home had a courtyard, and he lived there with his wife and their daughter, who had just turned six. The family seemed to get along well.
Ye Que was given the west wing to stay in.
To his surprise, the stall owner's daughter hadn't awakened her Martial Soul yet.
The stall owner explained helplessly, "These days, unless you're a noble, who can afford to awaken a Martial Soul for free? Ordinary people like us can't afford the fee. We can only wait a few years and help our daughter awaken hers then."
For a moment, Ye Que didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Shrek had inherited Spirit Hall's position on the continent, but it had failed to take on the responsibility of awakening Martial Souls for free.
Ye Que immediately said, "Brother, let me awaken your daughter's Martial Soul."
"R-really?"
The stall owner could hardly believe it. He was overwhelmed with joy.
Ye Que smiled and nodded. Then he placed his hand on the little girl's head, releasing a rich, holy light.
In an instant, golden light enveloped the entire courtyard.
The stall owner was dumbfounded.
Was this the legendary Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul? It was truly sacred. He couldn't feel the slightest trace of aversion toward it.
Before long, the stall owner's daughter slowly opened her eyes. Behind her appeared the phantom of a Flame Jade Falcon, more than a meter tall.
"Level five innate Soul Power—and a top-tier attack-type Martial Soul, the Flame Jade Falcon!" Ye Que exclaimed in surprise.
The little girl's talent was nearly as good as his.
The little girl blinked her clear eyes and asked, "Big brother, does this mean I can become a Soul Master?"
Ye Que nodded. "That's right. It's a rare, top-tier Martial Soul."
Off to the side, the stall owner wept with joy. He hurriedly took his daughter's hand and knelt to kowtow, but Ye Que bent down and helped him up.
Ye Que said, "After I wipe out the Evil Soul Masters here, I'll leave you some cultivation resources. Let your daughter cultivate until she reaches three rings, then have her enroll at an advanced academy in the Star Luo Empire. Remember to disguise her as an orphan. She'll have an easier time getting accepted."
"Thank you, sir. I understand," the stall owner said.
After that, Ye Que stayed at the stall owner's home and experienced the simple warmth of country folk.
The food wasn't especially good, but it wasn't bad either.
In the blink of an eye, five nights passed.
Quite a few newborns had been born in the city recently, and the atmosphere had grown increasingly tense. The people all knew that Evil Soul Masters were committing atrocities. They kept their doors tightly shut, afraid the babies would be taken.
Suddenly, a gust of black wind swept through. More than a dozen shadows appeared across the vast city. At their head were two Evil Soul Masters, their auras immensely powerful. Their Soul Power Levels were estimated to be as high as five rings.
The other Evil Soul Masters were no weaklings either. Most were around three rings.
The black-clad man at the head raised his hand and shouted, "Move! Find nourishment for the Protector's cultivation. The Protector will surely reward us!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The Evil Soul Masters began searching house after house for infants. Whenever they were discovered, they killed the witnesses on the spot, giving the people no chance to react.
In only a moment, they'd already seized quite a few.
But just then, the Evil Soul Masters suddenly sensed a powerful spiritual force locking onto them. Almost as one, they looked up.
Beneath the bright moon, Ye Que stood with the Holy Sword in hand, his gaze razor-sharp as he gave them a friendly smile.
The two black-clad Soul Kings rose into the air, their blood-red eyes fixed on Ye Que.
One of the black-clad Soul Kings said gravely, "Who are you? You seem to have been waiting here for a long time. Could it be that you're dissatisfied with our great Saint Soul Master?"
The other Soul King said, "You're not with the Supervision Group, yet you still want to play hero? You'll pay with your life!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two attacked at once.
Five Soul Rings appeared beneath each of them, all with the optimal configuration. They were the Ghost Soul King and the Vampire Bat Soul King.
Then their Soul Rings lit up, unleashing Soul Skills at Ye Que.
In an instant, swarms of Vampire Bats and infant skeletons appeared, launching a fearless assault on Ye Que.
Ye Que stood up and pointed his sword at the two Soul Kings. He shouted, "I've never been one to play hero, but wiping you out is my duty. You can go to hell together. Damn Evil Soul Masters!"
"First Soul Skill: Eye of the Heavenly God!"
As Ye Que's first Soul Ring lit up, the entire sky suddenly brightened. One golden, vertical eye after another appeared, locking onto every Evil Soul Master present in an instant.
The two black-clad Soul Kings' expressions changed dramatically.
That... that aura, that Ultimate Attribute—
No good! It was their natural enemy, the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
Run!
But in the next instant, the vertical eyes in the sky unleashed golden beams of light. In the blink of an eye, they struck the Evil Soul Masters who'd just tried to flee.
Rumble!
"Ah! It hurts, it hurts!"
"I'm going to die, I'm going to die..."
"Save me, sir! Protector, save me!"
Screams and groans rose one after another.
That dense power of ultimate purity was like a force that judged all things, stripping the Evil Soul Masters of everything.
Of the dozen or so Evil Soul Masters who'd come with them, nearly all were annihilated by the light of the Eye of the Heavenly God at a single glance. Only the two black-clad Soul Kings remained. The others vanished from the world, without even leaving their souls behind.
As for the infants they'd taken, every one of them landed safely.
Before you continue