"This is a level-five fixed soul cannon shell. It's extremely powerful, enough to deal a devastating blow to the soul-guidance defense barrier of a small city..."
The academy's students were all in the weapons exhibition area. The one seated before them and giving the presentation was the warehouse manager from earlier—Chen He.
He was responsible for this batch of armaments, so naturally he was also in charge of the exhibition.
Adolf stood at the entrance to the weapons exhibition area, listening intently as Chen He explained the fixed soul cannon shells to the students. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure at the exhibition hall's entrance, and his heart gave a sudden jolt.
A bad feeling instantly rose in Adolf's heart. He had just started forward to ask what was going on, and the words were still caught in his throat, when he saw Shen Yue's face turn stern. Without the slightest hesitation, she swept out her hand and issued a crisp order: "Take him down!"
Before her words had even faded, the soldiers behind her were already in motion.
They were all elite Soul Masters carefully selected by the North Sea Legion, with abundant combat experience. They moved silently, yet as fast as lightning, instantly closing in around Chen He at the center of the exhibition area. Soul Power surged, and the air in the hall warped under the pressure.
Chen He had been holding the presentation manual for the level-five fixed soul cannon shell and speaking confidently to the students. The warm, professional expression on his face froze at once.
But he reacted quickly. In almost the same instant, he seized the student closest to him. By a cruel twist of fate, it was Ye Xi.
He grabbed Ye Xi by the shoulder, his grip immensely strong. Soul Power instantly flooded into her body, bringing her under his control.
Ye Xi felt a sudden suffocating pressure. All strength left her body, and the specter of death filled her mind. Her little face turned deathly pale, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
No matter how she had been raised in the legion since childhood, she was still only ten years old. It was perfectly normal for her to be helpless in the face of such a sudden crisis.
"Don't come any closer!" Chen He's voice was nearly hoarse with desperation. He had realized that his crime had been exposed.
Shen Yue's expression darkened. She raised a hand to stop the soldiers from advancing, then cried coldly, "Chen He, do you know what you're doing? If you release the hostage now and tell us the truth, you may still receive a lighter punishment."
"Deputy Legion Commander, I have no way back!" Chen He shook his head bitterly, tightening his grip on Ye Xi.
"So you really did join the Evil Soul Masters?"
At first, Shen Yue had sent people to bring him in for questioning only because she trusted Shen Nanxun.
But now that she had confirmed it was true, she still felt a chill run down her spine. This meant that the Evil Soul Masters had managed to infiltrate the legion. Their wolfish ambition was plain to see.
Chen He's voice was hoarse as he said in anguish, "They took my wife and son. Xi'er is only four years old—four! I left camp yesterday, and they let me see her from a distance. They were holding Xi'er in their arms. Her face was wet with tears, and when she saw me, she called out for Daddy until her voice went hoarse."
"I understand your pain. We can face some things together; it's not as if there's no solution. You have to understand that even if you work for the Evil Soul Masters, things won't end well for you. How could a bunch of desperate criminals ever keep their promises?"
Shen Yue urged him calmly. Until the very last moment, she truly didn't want to resort to force. After all, Ye Xi wasn't the only child in the room.
Chen He shook his head bitterly. The hand gripping Ye Xi's shoulder trembled violently, and his voice grew ever more desperate. "That's not all. Those Evil Soul Masters are cruel and ruthless. To keep me from betraying them, they planted a Blood Curse inside me long ago! If I disobey even slightly, or if this is exposed, the curse will instantly detonate my Soul Power and make me self-destruct on the spot! When that happens, everyone in this hall—all these innocent children—will be buried with me!"
His words sent a wave of uproar through the crowd.
The students turned deathly pale with fright and retreated in a panic, barely daring to breathe. The elite Soul Masters behind Shen Yue also looked grim. They instinctively shielded the students, yet, wary of the curse inside Chen He, they didn't dare rush forward.
Shen Yue's heart sank. She had never imagined that this would involve both the lives of his family and a deadly curse. Her brow furrowed as she found herself caught in a dilemma.
Just as everyone stood at a loss, a clear, steady voice rang out from the entrance to the exhibition hall.
"I can help." Shen Nanxun instinctively shielded Na'er behind him before speaking. "Sis, I can help."
"Nanxun." Worry showed in Shen Yue's eyes. If there had been any other way, she would never have wanted her younger brother to put himself in danger.
"Trust me!" Shen Nanxun replied, then stepped forward.
"I may be able to remove the curse inside you."
"Angel Power is pure and cleansing, and it specifically counters the sinister curses of Evil Soul Masters. If you're willing to cooperate, I can try to purify the Blood Curse inside you and free you from the threat of self-destruction."
Shen Yue stepped forward as well and urged Chen He gravely, "Chen He, my younger brother's power of angelic purification is incredibly strong. I'm not making this up.
"As long as you release the hostage and let him remove the curse, the legion will do everything in its power to rescue your wife and son. We'll make sure to wipe out every Evil Soul Master who's holding your family hostage!"
Chen He's whole body shook. He stared blankly at the warm holy light around Shen Nanxun, then remembered his wife and son suffering in the hands of the Evil Soul Masters. At last, a crack appeared in the despair in his heart. He didn't want to betray the legion, much less drag these innocent children into this. But with his family's lives at stake and the curse inside him, he had been forced onto a dead-end path.
After a long while, his grip on Ye Xi slowly loosened. The ruthlessness in his eyes faded, leaving only exhaustion. His voice hoarse, he said, "All right... I believe you. I'll go with you. I can die, but please, you have to save my family..."
Shen Nanxun and Shen Yue exchanged a glance. Only then did he slowly approach, golden light appearing in his hand as he prepared to act.
But just then, a sudden change occurred!
Chen He's body abruptly stiffened. His eyes rolled back, and a dense, pitch-black aura of evil instantly enveloped him. His formerly mild aura vanished completely, replaced by the cold, violent presence unique to the Evil Soul Masters.
His limbs twisted against his will, and a strange smile curled across his lips. The Soul Power inside him began to rampage, while bizarre black patterns rapidly spread across his skin.
It was an Evil Soul Master!
They had actually manipulated the Blood Curse remotely, forcibly taking control of Chen He's body.
Chen He's consciousness was still struggling desperately. He summoned the last of his strength to roar, his voice filled with pain and despair. "No... Don't! I don't want to hurt you! Stop me, quickly!"
But his body was completely beyond his control. His Soul Power surged, the black curse energy continued to gather, and the signs of self-destruction grew more and more obvious. The oppressive aura of death shrouded the exhibition hall.
A catastrophe was about to descend.
It all happened in an instant. Shen Nanxun yanked Ye Xi, who was nearest, back behind him, then turned and wrapped his arms around Na'er.
Na'er cried out, her pupils widening in shock. If the explosion really went off right then, Shen Nanxun would be the one hurt.
The explosion happened in an instant!
"Big Sis Xue, save me!"
He dared to do this because Qian Renxue had his back.
But just then, before Qian Renxue could act, his Soul Power broke through. In the month and a half since then, Shen Nanxun's Soul Power had successfully risen from level twenty-eight to level twenty-nine, just one step away from another breakthrough.
He hadn't expected the breakthrough to happen at that very moment.
Shen Nanxun's eyes instantly became vertical pupils. His aura turned heavy, and a long, resonant dragon's roar sounded from within him.
Nine-colored light burst from his body!
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