Not Even Ashes Remain

The square in front of Martial Soul Hall gradually emptied as the crowd thinned.

Su Yuntao walked away with hurried steps, his Martial Soul Hall uniform—emblazoned with the emblem of three crossed longswords—flapping loudly in the morning breeze.

This level 26 Soul Grand Master had been completely rattled by Holy Soul Village today.

First, three children with extraordinary talent appeared, followed by one of them inexplicably vomiting blood and suffering a shattered martial soul; then came a girl with Innate Full Soul Power and Blue Silver Grass; and finally, a monster with Twin Martial Souls popped out.

Su Yuntao didn't even look back, as if some prehistoric beast were chasing him from behind.

His only thought now was to rush back to the Nuoding City Branch Hall and report these absurd developments to his superiors.

The villagers dispersed in twos and threes, whispering to each other about the bizarre events that had just unfolded.

"What was up with that fat kid? Why did he suddenly go flying for no reason?"

"Who knows? Maybe he was struck by divine retribution. Look at how arrogant he was acting earlier."

"Shh, keep it down. Don't bring trouble upon yourself."

As the villagers left, the once-noisy square quickly fell silent.

Su Yu held Tang Wu's soft little hand, standing motionless in place.

His pupils, now awakened as the Eye of Truth, were fixed quietly on Li Hu, who lay collapsed in a corner near the wall.

Li Hu looked miserable to the extreme.

He lay limp on the ground like a pile of mud, blood mixed with visceral fragments still bubbling from his mouth.

The Villain Luck Plunder System that had been floating above his head, once so arrogant, had turned into a dull, gray slab displaying only a few cold words:

System energy depleted, in hibernation.

This cheater, who had harbored delusions of plundering luck, was completely finished.

Tang Wu hid behind Su Yu, clutching his sleeve tightly, a trace of lingering nervousness in her large eyes.

Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, the sight of Li Hu's wretched state frightened her.

"Brother Yu, will... will he die?"

Tang Wu asked in a small voice.

Su Yu squeezed her sweaty little hand, his tone indifferent: "He won't die, but he's a cripple from now on."

Just then, the faint sound of a cane tapping against the ground approached.

"Tap... tap... tap..."

The sound was slow and rhythmic.

Su Yu raised his head, his gaze sharpening slightly.

He saw Old Jack, who had already left, returning slowly while leaning on his tattered wooden cane.

The expression on Old Jack's face remained as kind as ever, his wrinkled old face appearing exceptionally amiable under the sunlight.

He looked just like an ordinary, benevolent village elder concerned for the younger generation, walking with trembling steps until he reached the side of the heavily injured and unconscious Li Hu.

Su Yu's breathing slowed instantly, and he immediately focused the Eye of Truth on Old Jack.

In an instant, the blue light screen above Old Jack's head appeared clearly in Su Yu's field of vision once more.

A stream of data was scrolling frantically across the Dao of Cowardice Sign-in System panel.

Su Yu clearly saw that at the very bottom of the panel, an icon for a passive skill called Erase Traces was flashing with a piercing red light.

Skill Name: Erase Traces (God-level passive)

Trigger Condition: When the host kills or severely injures a target that poses a threat, the system will automatically determine if the target might expose the host's strength or leave behind hidden dangers.

Current Judgment: Although the target Li Hu is severely injured, his existence may attract outside investigation and increase the risk of the host being exposed.

Action: Erase completely!

Watching these system prompts, the corner of Su Yu's eye twitched violently.

This old man was planning to destroy the body and eliminate all evidence!

Old Jack stopped in front of Li Hu without even glancing down at him, his gaze fixed straight ahead as if admiring the tranquil morning scenery of the village.

His withered right hand, which held the cane, lifted seemingly nonchalantly, and he tapped the bottom of the cane lightly against Li Hu's shoulder.

It was just a light tap—no soul power fluctuations, no dazzling light, not even a gust of wind.

But what happened next caused Su Yu's pupils to shrink to the size of needle points.

Li Hu's body stiffened the moment the cane touched him.

Immediately after, starting from the point of contact on his shoulder, his clothes, flesh, and bones began to disintegrate silently, as if they had instantly endured ten thousand years of weathering.

There were no screams and no struggles, for Li Hu had long since lost consciousness.

Su Yu watched helplessly as Li Hu's massive frame turned into fine gray dust in less than two seconds.

A gentle breeze blew by.

The flying ash instantly scattered with the wind, merging into the air until it vanished without a trace.

The ground was left pristine, without a single drop of blood or a scrap of clothing remaining.

It was as if Li Hu had never existed in this world at all.

Su Yu felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp, his skin crawling.

Ruthless!

Absolutely damn ruthless!

Su Yu roared frantically in his heart.

This old man's methods were absurdly dark!

One second he was acting kind and benevolent, and the next, he didn't even leave a speck of dust behind!

What did it mean to grind bones and scatter ashes?

This guy literally scattered the ashes until nothing was left!

The most terrifying part was that after doing all this, Old Jack's expression didn't show the slightest ripple.

He maintained his trembling posture, leaning on his cane, his gaze fixed on the distant sky.

Su Yu suppressed the shock in his heart, feigned ignorance, and pulled Tang Wu to turn around, pretending to look at a tree on the other side.

"Brother Yu, where did that fatty go just now?"

Tang Wu rubbed her eyes in confusion; she had only felt a gust of wind pass by, and the fatty lying on the ground had disappeared.

"Maybe he was blown away by the wind."

Su Yu spouted nonsense with a straight face.

"Can the wind blow a person away?"

Tang Wu tilted her little head, her face full of bewilderment.

"Of course it can. This is Douluo Continent; the wind is very strong here."

Su Yu continued to bluff with complete seriousness.

Just then, Old Jack turned his head.

His wrinkled face once again revealed that signature, kind-hearted smile.

He looked at Su Yu and Tang Wu, his voice raspy and gentle: "Little Yu, Little San, the awakening ceremony is over, why aren't you home yet? It's early in the morning, you must be hungry, right?"

As Old Jack spoke, he walked toward them with a trembling gait, looking so frail that it seemed a gust of wind could knock him over.

Su Yu looked at this ultimate schemer who had just turned a living person into ash, and could only marvel at his expertise.

With acting skills like this, it would be a waste if he didn't win an Oscar.

"Grandpa Jack, we were just about to head back."

Su Yu immediately put on an obedient smile, his tone so respectful that not a single flaw could be found.

"Mm, good children."

Old Jack walked up to them and reached out the hand that had just killed without blinking to pat Su Yu on the shoulder twice.

Su Yu felt his heart skip a beat.

He was terrified that if the old man became displeased, some passive skill might trigger and turn him into ash as well.

Fortunately, Old Jack withdrew his hand after two pats and said with a smile: "Little Yu, you gave Grandpa a huge surprise today. Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power—our Holy Soul Village hasn't seen a genius like you in hundreds of years. And Little San, you also have Innate Full Soul Power. You two must look out for each other, cultivate well, and bring glory to our village."

"Don't worry, Grandpa Jack, I will definitely protect Little San."

Su Yu promised solemnly.

"Good, good, hurry home and eat."

Old Jack nodded in satisfaction, then leaned on his cane and turned around, walking shakily toward the village chief's house.

Su Yu stood in place, watching Old Jack's hunched back.

His Eye of Truth clearly saw a line of text floating above Old Jack's system panel:

[Successfully eliminated potential threat, Gou Dao Value +100. Current Gou Dao Value: 10099.]

Su Yu took a deep breath, feeling that the surrounding air carried a dangerous scent.

He looked down at Tang Wu beside him.

Tang Wu was looking up at him, her large eyes filled with innocence and reliance.

Her small hand gripped his finger tightly, her palm slick with cold sweat.

Su Yu squeezed her sweaty little hand, his tone incredibly firm: "Little San, let's go. We're going home to pack."

"Pack? Where are we going?"

Tang Wu was stunned.

"To Nuoding City."

Su Yu watched the direction in which Old Jack had disappeared and gritted his teeth. "There is simply no way to stay in this village anymore."

Everywhere he looked, there were cheaters equipped with systems; even the elderly village chief, who looked like he had one foot in the grave, was a ruthless character who could kill without leaving a trace of ash.

If they stayed any longer, heaven only knew which day he and Tang Wu would be farmed as quest targets by some psychotic transmigrator.

He had to leave!

Leave immediately!