Encounter and Suppression

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the carriage came to a halt before a small city.

"My Lord, young masters, we have arrived at Nuoding City."

Upon hearing Yang Fan's words, Su Zhen lifted the curtain and poked his head out to gaze at the plaque above the city gate, which bore the carved characters for Nuoding City.

"Enter the city and head to the Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy."

Yang Fan drove the carriage slowly into Nuoding City, making his way toward the primary soul master academy in the west of the city.

The crowded streets were packed with pedestrians, and the carriage moved sluggishly through the surging tide of people.

Just as Yang Fan intended to use his soul power to clear a path, Su Zhen spoke up.

"Park the carriage in front of the Martial Soul Branch Hall; we shall walk the rest of the way."

"As you command, young master."

The three of them disembarked, and Yang Fan drove the carriage toward the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall.

"Grandfather, Little Ao, let us go."

The four of them merged into the sea of people and, after a short while, arrived before the gates of the Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy.

Looking at the rusted iron gates and the small academy—which didn't even occupy as much space as a single Worship Hall—Su Zhen couldn't help but chuckle softly. Who could have imagined that someone emerging from this tiny place would one day topple the entire Spirit Hall Empire?

"Are you gentlemen here for a visit?"

The guard approached them with a fawning expression and asked in a low voice.

"Scram!"

Li Hao, the other Soul Douluo accompanying them, barked a reprimand at the approaching guard.

"You!"

The guard was so startled by the shout that he took a step back. Just as he was about to start cursing, Li Hao used his soul power to knock him unconscious.

Su Zhen did not stop Li Hao's actions; he, too, disliked guards who judged people by their appearance.

Su Zhen and his group walked inside and stopped in front of what appeared to be the teaching building, where Su Zhen intercepted a male student.

"Hello, little friend. May I ask, where is Xiao Wu?"

"Who are you?"

The student looked at the group before him, observing their luxurious attire, and asked timidly.

"Oh, we are Xiao Wu's family, here to visit her."

Su Zhen replied with a gentle, smiling face.

"So you're Sister Xiao Wu's family! Sister Xiao Wu is currently practicing in the backyard; it's just behind the teaching building."

Hearing Su Zhen's words, the student relaxed and pointed out Xiao Wu's location.

"Thank you, little friend. You are truly kind."

Su Zhen patted the boy's head, took a piece of candy from his ring to give to him, and sent him on his way.

"Brother Zhen, who is Xiao Wu? A friend from your childhood?"

Oscar was full of confusion, as he had never heard Su Zhen mention anyone by that name.

"No. You will understand once you see her in a moment."

Su Zhen led the group toward the back of the teaching building, though Guang Ling, watching Su Zhen's back, felt a profound sense of shock.

The group wound their way through the buildings until they reached the backyard mentioned by the student.

The backyard was a miniature park with a few flower beds, a patch of grass, and several benches. At that moment, a little girl with rabbit ears, dressed in a pink dress, was sleeping on one of the benches.

Upon seeing the girl, Guang Ling was struck with alarm, and when he turned to look at Su Zhen, the intensity in his eyes was even more fervent than when he had looked at the girl.

Su Zhen did not notice Guang Ling's gaze. He approached the girl and, just as he reached out to shake her awake, she seemed to sense someone's arrival and opened her eyes first.

"You... who are you?"

Startled by the sudden appearance of the group, the girl jumped up from the bench and landed on the grass nearby.

"You must be Xiao Wu. Come with us."

Su Zhen withdrew his hand and spoke to Xiao Wu, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Why should I go with you? Even though you feel familiar, I don't know you at all."

Xiao Wu watched the young man warily. She felt a craving emanating from him—a primal instinct, the instinct of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. She knew that if she were to consume this young man, she would surely gain unimaginable benefits.

"We are—"

"Why waste words on this beast, Xiao Zhen? Just capture her."

Guang Ling interrupted Su Zhen, using his soul power to restrain Xiao Wu's body.

"A Titled Douluo!"

The moment she was restrained, Xiao Wu realized something was terribly wrong. Her identity had been exposed; she had never expected this white-haired youth to be a Titled Douluo.

Guang Ling gave her no time to react, using his vast spiritual power to knock her unconscious the instant she let out a startled cry.

"Xiao Zhen, pack this rabbit away. I sense a rat approaching."

Su Zhen was left speechless by Guang Ling's sudden move; he had intended to use coercion and enticement, but he hadn't expected Guang Ling to be so direct.

After stowing the unconscious Xiao Wu into the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch, a middle-aged man with a crew cut walked in from outside the garden.

"Who are you people! How dare you trespass into the academy's restricted area? You are truly bold beyond measure—kneel and admit your wrongs at once!"

Upon seeing the figures of the group, the middle-aged man began to curse loudly, demanding they acknowledge their faults.

"Yo, isn't this Little Trash Gang? You've grown quite bold, haven't you? Did you break through to become a Soul Elder?"

Seeing the newcomer, Guang Ling's expression turned cold as he spoke with a mocking tone.

"Who are you? You're from the Worship Hall!"

Yu Xiaogang exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the white-haired youth's robes; only those from the Worship Hall had the Martial Soul emblem embroidered on their garments. Although he had never seen one before, Bibi Dong had told him about them in the past.

"So what if I am from the Worship Hall? I am an Honorary Elder of the Martial Soul Hall, personally appointed by your Pope. Kneel and admit your wrongs immediately, or I shall have Bibi Dong strip you of your position."

Yu Xiaogang was only startled for a moment before he regained his composure, clasping his hands behind his back to project an inscrutable air.

"The Pope's name is not something you are permitted to utter so casually!"

Su Zhen was furious. He flashed to stand before Yu Xiaogang and slammed a fist into his abdomen. He wasn't defending Bibi Dong—even if she were to drop dead suddenly, it would be of no concern to him—but he simply could not stand Yu Xiaogang's arrogant, self-important face, and he struck to uphold the dignity of the Martial Soul Hall.

Yu Xiaogang was doubled over by the punch, collapsing to the ground and groaning in agony.

"Honorary Elder of the Martial Soul Hall, is it? From today on, you are no longer one. It will be useless to beg the Pope for mercy."

Su Zhen stepped on Yu Xiaogang and ground his heel down ruthlessly. He casually snatched the storage Soul Tool from him, rummaged through it, and retrieved the Pope Token inside.

"Is this the capital for your arrogance?"

Su Zhen gripped the Pope Token in his hand, applied a slight force, and crushed it, the fragments raining down onto Yu Xiaogang's body.

"Let's go, Fifth Grandfather. We have another destination to reach."

Su Zhen signaled for the group to leave, ignoring Yu Xiaogang, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. Now was not the time to kill him; Su Zhen wanted to make everyone related to Tang Hao suffer a fate worse than death, and killing him now would only incite a frenzied retaliation from Bibi Dong.

Guang Ling walked outward, though his gaze lingered for a few moments on the shattered Pope Token. There were only six tokens of this caliber in existence, held respectively by the Martial Soul Hall and the Upper Three Sects. Where had Yu Xiaogang's token come from? A suspicion took root in Guang Ling's mind.

Once the group left the academy and reached the street, Oscar finally voiced the question in his heart.

"Brother Zhen, who was that little girl just now? Why did you and the teacher want to capture her?"

"She is a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form."

"What! A hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast! We just stepped out, and we already encountered one?"

Oscar was deeply shocked by Su Zhen's words. Hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts were incredibly rare; to have captured one the moment they stepped out was unbelievable.

"We will discuss the ownership of this Soul Beast when there is time. First, let's rendezvous with Yang Fan, then head to the next location."

The group followed the flow of the crowd toward the Martial Soul Branch Hall.

After walking for a while, a young boy wearing the Nuoding City Academy uniform passed by them. Su Zhen's peripheral vision fell upon the belt around the boy's waist, which held twenty-four jade stones.

Heh, Tang San, is it?

Su Zhen did not stop walking, but as they brushed past, he condensed a black arc of electricity in his hand and quietly struck it into Tang San, where it vanished into his body. Tang San only felt a slight numbness and, assuming it was a normal physical reaction after forging, thought nothing more of it.

Xiao Zhen, hurry. I sense a Titled Douluo nearby. He hasn't discovered us yet, but this place is not suitable for a long stay.

Guang Ling's voice echoed in Su Zhen's mind. Su Zhen showed no signs of abnormality and continued walking.

After finding Yang Fan at the Martial Soul Branch Hall, the group boarded a carriage and left the city.

"Fifth Grandfather, who was the Titled Douluo from earlier?"

As soon as they were out of the city, Su Zhen inquired about the identity of the Titled Douluo who had appeared earlier. He knew full well it was Tang Hao, but he needed to reveal Tang Hao's identity indirectly.

"Around level ninety-four, his aura is heavy but he is severely injured. It is likely that little beast, Tang Hao."

Guang Ling stated his deduction.

"It was him! Then why didn't you stop him, Fifth Grandfather? With your strength, it would have been easy to take down Tang Hao while ensuring our protection."

Su Zhen questioned him, his voice rising in volume.