Then Take a Look—Do I Count as an Evil Soul Master?

The air in the small courtyard fell completely silent.

Everyone's gazes fixed rigidly on the black-robed, silver-haired man who had appeared out of thin air. They were all frozen in place, their minds trembling.

Zhou Chun's pupils contracted, and his breathing stalled.

As a Rank 58 Soul King, he had seen experts from all walks of life in Heaven Dou City, yet he had never encountered anyone with such an eerie aura.

The man stood there quietly, without the slightest fluctuation of soul power around him or any trace of pressure leaking out. He was like an ordinary mortal.

Yet his ability to appear out of nowhere was enough to prove that he was unfathomable.

Jiang Nannan held her breath. Her petite body tensed slightly as she instinctively shifted half a step back, her eyes filled with reverence and unease.

The one most shaken, however, was the imposing silver-clad Shrek youth.

The youth was named Lin Chen. He was a core disciple of Shrek Academy's inner court, and despite his young age, he had already broken through Rank 60, firmly standing at the cultivation of a Soul Emperor in his sixties.

His talent was exceptional, making him a genius the academy focused on nurturing.

Coupled with his esteemed status in the Shrek Inspection Corps, he had traveled the continent with even ordinary Soul Sage experts giving him some measure of respect and treating him politely. No one had ever dared to openly contradict or mock him.

But at this moment, facing the black-robed, silver-haired expert before him, an unprecedented degree of gravity and wariness arose within him.

Ever since the man had appeared, his senses, his spiritual perception, and the soul power circulating through his body had failed to catch even the faintest trace of the other party's presence!

He could not see his foundations, gauge his depths, or sense any fluctuations.

There was only one conclusion.

The cultivation of the person before him far surpassed his own. He was a supreme expert beyond anything Lin Chen could imagine!

To descend here silently and conceal all traces of his aura—this ability alone was enough to crush ninety-nine percent of the continent's soul masters.

The arrogance and swagger in Lin Chen's heart instantly vanished, replaced by utmost caution and solemnity.

Suppressing all pride within himself, he straightened his posture, cupped his hands, and asked in a deep voice, "May I know this senior's esteemed name?"

Hearing this, the black-robed, silver-haired man curled his thin lips slightly and let out an incomparably cold snort. His tone carried bone-deep contempt and indifference. "You? You are not worthy of knowing my name."

It was a simple sentence, devoid of fierce killing intent, yet it carried an absolute suppression that transcended all levels and crashed heavily upon Lin Chen's heart.

Lin Chen's face turned livid at once. Rage surged in his chest, and humiliation instantly swept through his body.

As a Shrek genius and a member of the Inspection Corps, when had he ever been treated with such contempt?

Yet he knew perfectly well that the gap in strength between them was as vast as heaven and earth. If he clashed head-on now, he would only be courting death.

He clenched his fists tightly, forcibly suppressing the boiling fury and embarrassment within him. Taking a deep breath, he raised his eyes to meet the man's gaze. His tone hardened as he invoked the massive power behind him for support. "Senior, your cultivation is profound, and I admit I am inferior. But I am an inner court disciple of Shrek Academy and a member of the Shrek Inspection Corps!"

"From the day our Inspection Corps was established, our mission has been to slay evil souls throughout the world, cleanse the darkness from this land, and bring peace to the continent's people! Everything I did today was in strict accordance with the academy's rules and my duties!"

After a pause, his gaze sharpened with a subtle threat. "Does Senior insist on obstructing us today? Are you planning to make an enemy of me—and of Shrek Academy itself?"

Invoking the ancient mountain that was Shrek was his final source of confidence.

After all, on this continent, almost no one dared to openly sever ties with Shrek completely.

Yet after hearing his righteous speech, the black-robed man showed not the slightest apprehension. Instead, as if he had heard some enormous joke, he let out a low sneer.

"Make an enemy of me?"

He slowly lowered his eyes, his indifferent gaze sweeping over Lin Chen. The disdain in his eyes nearly overflowed. "You? You think you are worthy of speaking of being my enemy?"

A mere Soul Emperor ant, relying on the influence behind him to throw his weight around—how dare he speak of enemies before him?

His smile faded, and the black-robed man's tone abruptly turned cold. He struck at the heart of the matter, every word piercing to the bone. "I only ask you this: based solely on a martial soul's appearance and the nature of its aura, you directly judge whether a living being is good or evil, label them an evil soul master, and condemn them at will. Is that the standard by which your Shrek Inspection Corps judges people? Is that Shrek's so-called righteous code nowadays?"

Lin Chen's back stiffened, but he still held himself upright. His expression was resolute as he nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly. "That is correct! Evil martial souls are often accompanied by disaster, and dangerous martial souls must be dealt with even at the risk of mistaken judgment! This is the academy's ironclad rule and the Inspection Corps' unchanging code of conduct for ten thousand years! If Senior feels this is unfair, you may go to Shrek headquarters and protest to the higher-ups in person!"

He was certain that even if the other party was powerful, he would never dare lightly provoke Shrek's foundations.

"Go to Shrek and protest?"

A playful curve appeared on the black-robed man's lips. His expression was lazy yet profound. "Of course I will go."

"Just not now."

As the words fell, he slowly raised his long, fair right hand and spread his palm upward.

Buzz—!

A low, eerie tremor suddenly rang out!

The next instant, a strange crimson mist, black as ink and roiling in twisted waves, instantly condensed in his palm!

Black mist coiled and churned, carrying the utmost chill, savagery, bloodlust, and aura of annihilation!

It was a power even more sinister and evil than Li Changsheng's Destruction Scepter from earlier.

As wisps of crimson energy spread through the air, the temperature in the courtyard plummeted.

Bone-piercing cold swept across the scene, and countless blades of grass and plants instantly withered and blackened.

An aura of deathly silence, evil, and destruction shrouded the entire world!

This power alone, if released, would be enough to shatter the minds and guts of ordinary soul masters in an instant!

Smiling with his eyes, the black-robed man asked in an extremely teasing tone, "Then take a good look. Is my power evil enough? Do I count as an evil soul master?"

Boom!

At that moment, everyone's expressions changed drastically!

Zhou Chun's body hair stood on end, his face turning pale as paper.

Even his body began trembling uncontrollably.

It was over!

Completely over!

The power of this expert before them was far more sinister and terrifying than Li Changsheng's destruction martial soul!

If judged according to Lin Chen's standards from earlier, this man was absolutely a heinous evil soul master who had to be executed on the spot!

But the question was, who among them dared to condemn him?

And who dared to make a move and arrest him?

Forget attacking him—he only needed a single thought to wipe out everyone in the courtyard!

If they declared him an evil soul master, they would all die today!

But if they did not dare to declare it, if they deliberately denied it, then the standard they had just used to insist Li Changsheng was an evil soul master would collapse on its own and become a colossal joke!

They could neither advance nor retreat. Either way led to death!

Zhou Chun's scalp went numb. He wished he could immediately turn around and flee this place of trouble.

Beside him, Jiang Nannan had already squeezed her lips shut in fright, hurriedly hiding her petite body behind Li Changsheng.

Her little hand clutched tightly at Li Changsheng's clothes, while her bright eyes were filled with terror. She was too timid to raise her head.

Only Li Changsheng remained calm and relaxed, a broad, amused smile in his eyes as he quietly watched the farce unfold without the slightest tension.

The situation had become truly interesting.

The black-robed man looked with interest at Lin Chen, whose face alternated between green and pale as he remained silent. His tone urged him on teasingly. "What? Is such a simple question difficult to answer?"

"Weren't you full of confidence just now, constantly talking about Shrek's rules and how dangerous martial souls must never be spared?"

Just as Lin Chen stood stiffly in place, caught in a dilemma and at a complete loss,

Li Changsheng finally could not resist speaking.

With blatant mischief and the sort of teasing that delighted in making trouble worse, he added fuel to the fire. "Exactly! This senior is asking you a question!"

"You were so arrogant and certain just now. Why are you pretending to be mute now that you've encountered a question you don't want to answer?"

He had always been detached by nature and did not care at all about Shrek's prestige.

Now, with the principle of irritating people to death without consequence, he relentlessly stoked the flames and gave the other party no way out.

It would be best if he choked to death!

Hearing Li Changsheng's added jab, the tense, deathly atmosphere was instantly broken.

Jiang Nannan, hiding behind Li Changsheng, could not hold it in and let out a soft, "Pfft," before laughing quietly.

Her crisp, faint laughter was especially clear in the silent courtyard.

The next moment, everyone's gazes snapped toward her.

Jiang Nannan's little face instantly flushed crimson. She immediately covered her mouth and quickly lowered her head.

She pressed tightly against Li Changsheng's back, desperately trying to make herself less noticeable. She wished she could disappear on the spot, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

After the laughter faded, the scene once again sank into awkward silence.

Several seconds later.

Under the repeated torment of extreme humiliation, fear, and inner conflict, the proud and arrogant Shrek genius Lin Chen finally gave in completely.

He clenched his teeth tightly, veins throbbing at his temples. His eyes were filled with humiliation and unwillingness as he could only force out a sentence through gritted teeth. "S-Senior... naturally is not an evil soul master."

His voice was dry and stiff, utterly devoid of the domineering arrogance he had displayed before.