"Evil Soul Masters?"
Xie Yue and Hu Liena both wore astonished expressions.
Hu Liena said, "Meng Xuanji, are you really sure the Evil Soul Masters did this? This is Papal City, guarded by the strongest angel. How could Evil Soul Masters have infiltrated it?"
"How should I explain this... Let me sort it out. Do you think someone who did not even have a first soul ring could really leave Papal City alone without making a sound?"
"This..." Hu Liena hesitated. "No."
Security within Papal City was extremely tight. Without a high-ranking Soul Master leading him, Yan could never have left without any warning.
"I do not deny the Great Worshiper's strength, but he is not a god either. He cannot ensure that everything is foolproof. If Evil Soul Masters disguised themselves as ordinary Soul Masters and took Yan away, I doubt the Great Worshiper could be bothered to manage such a matter."
"Unless an Evil Soul Master at the Titled Douluo level appeared, it would be impossible to draw the Great Worshiper's attention."
Yan was merely a child who had yet to obtain his first soul ring. Although his talent was rare, in the eyes of a powerhouse like Qian Daoliu, he was probably as ordinary as a grain of sand in the desert.
Without reaching the Titled Douluo rank, one could hardly enter the Worship Hall's sights.
"What you said makes so much sense."
Hu Liena lowered her head worriedly.
"Then do you think Yan might be in danger? Could those Evil Soul Masters do something inhuman to him?"
"I do not know. But I do not think you need to worry. Since the Evil Soul Masters dared to risk their lives to bring him away, they would certainly invest effort into Yan. What we should consider instead is how to defeat him the next time we meet."
"Do not forget, Evil Soul Masters advance at an absurdly fast rate, especially a Soul Master like Yan, who possesses a top-tier martial soul."
"Meng Xuanji is right, little sister," Xie Yue said.
"No matter where Yan went, we should become stronger. Only strength is the foundation for us to establish ourselves in Spirit Hall in the future. Once we possess enough strength, no matter what the continent becomes, we can make our own choices with our own hands, and even change this world."
"Yes, that is true." Meng Xuanji nodded approvingly.
Hu Liena's gaze suddenly became calm and resolute.
"I understand. I will work hard to become stronger! If Yan truly becomes an Evil Soul Master who harms Douluo Continent in the future, I will kill him with my own hands."
Hu Liena undoubtedly hated Evil Soul Masters. Her friendship with Yan was not enough for her to spare his life.
Anyone who endangered Douluo Continent could be killed.
The Purple Cloud Eagles flew at an extremely fast speed, and Spirit Hall's convoy reached the edge of Star Dou Great Forest after only two hours.
"We are here. All Purple Cloud Eagles, land."
The Purple Cloud Eagles landed steadily two kilometers from the forest. The skies above Star Dou Great Forest were a true no-fly zone. Without the strength of a Titled Douluo, exposure there was practically a death sentence.
And if it was a Titled Douluo, they would draw out the fierce beasts in the core region of Star Dou Great Forest. Therefore, regardless of their cultivation level, Soul Masters would usually choose to travel on foot within Star Dou Great Forest.
Qin Shi gathered everyone in an open clearing.
"All of you have three hours to enter the outskirts of Star Dou Great Forest and obtain the soul rings you need. When the sun sets, this soul-hunting operation will officially end. At that time, we will rank you based on the age of your soul rings. The team with the highest average soul ring age will receive ten trial points as a reward. These points will also determine your future standing in Spirit Hall."
"I will issue each of you a signal flare. When you encounter a soul beast you cannot defeat, you may immediately pull the fuse, and I will rush over to support you. However, if even one person in a team chooses to set off the signal flare, that entire team's trial points will be canceled, and today's soul-hunting operation will end for you. If you wish to obtain soul rings, you can only wait for the next assembly."
"Since you are the first batch to reach level ten Soul Power, each of you will receive three trial points after sunset. If you lack confidence in your own strength, you may naturally choose to remain at the gathering point. Even if you do not obtain a soul ring, you can still take your three trial points back to exchange for rewards and prepare for the next operation."
"But remember this: once you choose to set off the signal flare, all your efforts today will be wasted. Even the basic three points will be taken back by me. And those who dare not hunt soul rings should take note as well. Sooner or later, you will have to face the threat of soul beasts. By the second batch, you will no longer have guaranteed points. Those who still have not obtained a soul ring by the third batch will be assigned to the Miscellaneous Hall and spend their lives as the lowest-ranking Soul Masters."
"The opportunity to turn your lives around is right before your eyes. Whether you can seize it depends on yourselves. There is no limit to team size, and of course, you may choose to enter the forest alone. But if you overestimate yourselves and venture too deep, leaving yourselves unable to set off the signal flare, I will not save you. At most, I will bring back your corpses. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Then I declare that the soul-hunting operation has begun!"
With Qin Shi's command, everyone immediately began forming teams. However, those who had already recruited teammates entered the forest even faster, widening the gap between themselves and the unprepared from the very start.
There were only so many hundred-year soul beasts in the outskirts, far from enough for all of them. If they wanted soul rings stronger than everyone else's, they had to move faster.
One step ahead meant staying ahead at every step. That was the cruelty of Spirit Hall's competition.
Xie Yue had originally planned to turn back and team up with Meng Xuanji, but when he turned around, Hu Liena had already dragged Meng Xuanji into the woods of Star Dou Great Forest.
"Forget it. I can obtain a suitable soul ring on my own. Why should I need others interfering?"
Xie Yue maintained his pride. Since he had no teammates, he would hunt soul beasts alone and put his heart of a powerhouse into practice.
"Meng Xuanji, why did we not bring Xie Yue along? Xie Yue is already very strong among everyone here. Wouldn't it be more convenient for us to hunt soul beasts with him?"
It was Meng Xuanji who had taken Hu Liena away, leaving Xie Yue no chance to join them.
"More people does not mean less difficulty. If a team gathers ten people, then it needs ten soul beasts. If they fail to obtain enough soul rings before sunset, those who fail to get soul rings will become burdens to the team. They might even grow resentful and set off the signal flare, causing the entire team's points to drop to zero."
"Although the chances of that are low, that does not mean there are no idiots like that in this world."
"But what about Xie Yue? There are only three of us together. That situation should not happen, right?"
At that, Meng Xuanji stopped walking.
"Why did you stop?" Hu Liena looked at him in confusion.
"Hu Liena." Meng Xuanji looked seriously at her face.
"I am not an outgoing person, and I cannot entrust my back to someone I do not know well. Other than you, I trust no one."
Meng Xuanji suddenly raised his head and moved closer to Hu Liena, his face nearing hers and bringing an intense sense of pressure.
"If you choose Xie Yue, then you can only abandon me."
"Now, if I asked you to choose between the two of us, who would you choose? If it is Xie Yue, I will withdraw willingly, and we will no longer be friends from then on. But if you choose me, do not mention bringing him into the team again. I do not want my woman to keep mentioning another man's name in front of me."
Meng Xuanji stepped back half a pace, giving Hu Liena a little room to breathe.
"I hope you can understand me, Hu Liena. I do not want to share you with anyone else. After all, I am a selfish person."
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