The Small World

"With matters settled and dust fallen, I shall be off. To find my open road..." After burying the elderly Evil Soul Master, Gu You took one final look at the place where he had just fought and departed.

Remaining mission time: one and a half hours...

The deeper he went into the area, the stronger its medieval aesthetic became.

In the elderly Evil Soul Master's memories, this place had once been an unremarkable small town on the outskirts of Shrek.

It had been abandoned around fifty years ago. By then, it should already have featured modern Federation-style architecture.

But why? Why were the buildings so different in style?

Could this have originally been a medieval-style town?

Gu You licked his lips. They were somewhat dry.

"This place is far stranger than I imagined, and even more powerful enemies are waiting for me. Can I really make it out alive?" Gu You asked himself with a bitter smile.

A fragrance drifted over...

Wait? A fragrance!

Gu You looked into the distance and suddenly discovered, to his surprise, that quite a few houses still had lights on inside.

Cooking smoke rose everywhere, and the scent of food rode the wind toward him.

People still lived here!

Gu You quickened his pace. If people lived here, then perhaps this area could be understood as a small world. If so, that was far too absurd. Some unknown being had actually created a small world unknown to the outside world.

One could only enter, never leave.

That was likely the rule of this world as well.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Gu You gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A childish voice came from inside.

"Hello, little friend. Are there any adults at home? I'd like to ask your family some questions." Gu You lowered his voice and spoke in a cutesy tone.

Clack!

The door opened. Gu You looked down and smiled. "Thank you, little friend."

"No need to thank me! My dad says we should be helpful." The child patted his chest.

"Holly, how could you let a stranger into our home?" A deep, muffled voice came from inside.

Gu You raised his head again. It was a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard, dressed in medieval clothing as well.

"That outfit of yours? You're not from around here, are you?" the middle-aged man said coldly.

"I'm indeed not from here. I want to leave this place. May I ask how I can get out?" Gu You nodded.

"Get out? Hahaha, you can't get out." The middle-aged man laughed loudly.

"Why? What kind of place is this?" Gu You frowned.

"Have you heard a myth?"

"What myth?"

"Over a hundred thousand years ago, all the gods emerged, and a great war broke out. Many deities fell, their divine positions incomplete and scattered across the world. This place was formed from a fragment of a divine position scattered by a fallen deity. No one can escape unless they possess the power of a god."

"So stop thinking about leaving. Since you've entered this place, just live here properly." The middle-aged man shook his head and hurried to close the door.

"In your eyes, neither you nor I can get out? I know you also came in from outside. A bird in a cage—when will it fly?"

"At your age, are you really planning to let your life end like this?"

Gu You merely asked calmly.

"My life now is wonderful! I won't allow anyone to disturb it." The middle-aged man's hand, which had been about to shut the door, stopped.

"Holly, go back inside first. I need to talk with this big brother for a while."

"Okay!"

"You really want to get out?" The middle-aged man looked at Gu You.

"I have to get out. There are things I must do." Gu You nodded heavily.

"Since you came later than me, I'll tell you. Perhaps it might be useful to you, but I've been immersed in this place for too long. I can't leave, nor can I bring myself to leave," the middle-aged man said with resignation.

"The one controlling this place now is an Evil Soul Master called the Spatial Envoy. His cultivation was nearly Rank 79 when I learned of him back then. By now, he's probably already at the peak of Soul Sage."

"I've already given you the hint on how to get out. It can only depend on your ability. And your courage." The middle-aged man patted Gu You on the shoulder, then closed the door and went inside.

A peak Rank 79 Soul Sage!

Gu You was stunned. How was he supposed to fight that? Just from the name, he could tell that it was a spatial-type martial soul, unpredictable and ever-changing. Add the words "evil martial soul," and it became even more sinister and unfathomable.

Spatial power itself was already difficult to deal with, and when combined with evil energy, it became even more indescribable.

Against a peak Evil Soul Sage, perhaps only a Titled expert could subdue him.

But was that really it? Was he supposed to give up resisting and remain in this world forever?

"Now that it had come to this, life and death were up to fate, wealth and honor up to heaven. I refuse to believe that this place is where I'll fall today." Gu You's gaze sharpened. If there truly was no other way in the end, he would still choose to go out and challenge a peak Soul Sage.

If he was cowardly, he would only remain here for the rest of his life.

To others, this might be no different from throwing his life away. Gu You knew that as well.

But in his previous life, he had admired certain people—people who feared no death and gave everything for their beliefs.

Some people considered that heroism, a forced elevation of the self.

But he believed such claims were utterly mistaken. There was no such thing as heroism in this world; everyone fought for themselves. It was only that the ways they fought differed.

Mission time: one hour!

Gu You glanced at the time on his Soul Guidance Communicator, his resolve growing even firmer.

Find every Evil Soul Mark!

Complete the mission.

Boom!

A flash of fire rose in the distance.

Gu You looked up and saw a distinct mushroom cloud reflected in his eyes.

A Soul Guidance shell?

Gu You was somewhat shocked. Judging by its power, it was likely a fixed soul-guided artillery shell of at least Grade 4.

How could there be Soul Guidance shells here?

And who had fired it? What had happened up ahead?

This was clearly a residential area, presumably the territory of that Evil Soul Soul Sage. Who would dare be so bold?

One had to know that a peak Soul Sage, coupled with the title of Evil Soul Master, could rival a Soul Douluo even without battle armor.

Besides, which great figure had managed to acquire Soul Guidance shells?

The Sun Moon Federation had explicitly decreed that fixed soul-guided artillery shells could not be sold to civilians. Once discovered, the punishment was immediate execution.

Even if the faction behind you was powerful enough to reach the heavens and could purchase military equipment, once you were reported and caught, not even a forced rescue could save you.

Unless you truly had the power to threaten the Federation's rule—like the Tang Sect, that ancient organization with a legacy of nearly thirty thousand years, secretly purchasing arms.

Gu You believed the Federation government definitely knew about this. If a country did not even know something like that, then it was truly beyond saving!

It was merely because of the Tang Sect's influence, as well as the pressure from Shrek, that they could not speak of it openly.

That was why the Sun Moon Federation government had established its own forces, drawing in...