An Accidental Discovery

Ye Qiong, a Heaven-class Protector of Soul Hall, had remarkably bad luck today. His battered soul body was racing through the air, leaving only a blurred gray afterimage in its wake.

Not long ago, he had gone through a bitter battle, only for Soul Hall to suffer a crushing defeat. His flight had nearly drained all his strength. His heart still pounded with lingering terror, while fear of mission failure and Soul Hall's brutal punishment filled him with dread.

"Damn it! How dare you steal something from Soul Hall? Once the Venerable Elders arrive, they'll take your dog life!" Ye Qiong cursed as he fled at top speed.

Just as rage consumed his heart and he focused solely on running for his life, an extremely familiar aura that made his soul tremble suddenly emerged from deep within the dense, ink-black forest ahead.

That aura was powerful and chilling, carrying the unique oppressive force of Soul Hall's upper ranks. It was undoubtedly someone at the level of a Venerable Elder!

Ye Qiong's heart clenched, and overwhelming joy instantly swept away his fear. He had never expected reinforcements to arrive so quickly—and for it to be a Venerable in person! He charged desperately toward the source of that aura, immediately pouring out his experiences from today the moment he arrived.

"Venerable, you've come! This is wonderful!"

The Venerable hidden deep within the forest shadows did not reveal himself, but his voice rang out clearly. "You're so flustered. What happened?"

Ye Qiong's manner was so respectful it was almost servile, and he spoke at a rapid pace. "Reporting to the Venerable, something terrible has happened! Venerable Ye Guang obtained a map fragment concerning the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, but news somehow leaked halfway through the journey. It was forcibly stolen by some arrogant