You Couldn't Have Colluded with Fallen Soul Masters, Could You?

Ma Xiunuo of Lai'an City was named Domiler. He was a middle-aged man in his forties and a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. Reaching only this level at his age, his potential had essentially been exhausted.

"My lord, this is a map of Lai'an City and the surrounding areas. This line is the Star Dou Great Forest's Star Luo Mountain Range, and these three villages are located here." Domiler pointed at the three red dots on the map.

"What do these large red circles mean?" Uchiha Huan pointed at the red circles scattered across the Star Luo Mountain Range on the map.

"These large red circles mark areas that have already been explored and are known to have Thirty-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts active within them," Domiler explained.

Although the Star Luo Mountain Range was home to many Soul Beasts, it was not the Star Dou Great Forest. Therefore, no Soul Beasts of exceptionally high age lived there. Thirty thousand years was already considered an extremely high age for a Soul Beast.

Uchiha Huan calculated that there were probably only around a dozen Soul Beasts in the entire Star Luo Mountain Range that were over thirty thousand years old.

"Are you certain the targets are Fallen Soul Masters at the Soul King level?" Uchiha Huan asked.

"Yes, my lord. One of them has already been identified. He is the second young master of Marquis Lai'an's House in Lai'an City. Because his talent was inferior to his elder brother's, he was unqualified to inherit the family business. No one knows when he began secretly cultivating an evil forbidden art, but in just two or three years, his strength rose from that of a One-Ring Soul Master to the Soul King level."

"You went two or three years without noticing?" Uchiha Huan's gaze sharpened.

How many lives would a Fallen Soul Master need to feed into their cultivation to advance from One-Ring to Five Rings?

If they continually attacked Soul Masters of the same level, they would need to kill at least five or six peers before they could possibly advance by one major realm.

But if they attacked ordinary civilians, the number of people an Evil Soul Master had to devour would increase exponentially.

To put it bluntly, a Spirit Hall Branch Hall served much the same function as a modern-day police station.

Yet someone had been openly using civilians or Soul Masters to cultivate an evil forbidden art, and the Spirit Hall Branch Hall had not noticed a thing.

This could no longer be described as mere dereliction of duty. Uchiha Huan scrutinized Domiler before him.

"You couldn't have colluded with Fallen Soul Masters, could you?"

"No, I truly haven't." Domiler hurriedly explained.

Though the youth before him was very young, the pressure radiating from his gaze was simply too great.

Even if Uchiha Huan had been an ordinary child without Soul Power, he had come bearing an Elder Token.

Anyone capable of producing an Elder Token had to have an elder of immense authority within Spirit Hall.

"If it wasn't you... then there is only one person in this city with the ability to conceal that Fallen Soul Master's murders, perhaps even assist him from the sidelines." Uchiha Huan's gaze turned icy.

Domiler also thought of the person Uchiha Huan meant.

The head of the Layan Family, Marquis Lian.

"Let's go. Take me to meet this Marquis Lian."

A marquis was already a high-ranking noble of the Star Luo Empire. The Layan Family and Lai'an City's name were intertwined, which alone showed that Lai'an City was the Layan Family's territory.

Therefore, the person most likely to have concealed the Fallen Soul Master's actions could only be this marquis.

"Huh? Right now?"

"What else? Should you gather every member of the branch hall and surround the marquis's estate?"

"Uh... then let's leave now." Domiler wiped the sweat from his forehead. This one really did not mince words.

Though Lai'an City could not compare to Spirit City, it sat along the main road leading to Star Luo City. Many merchant caravans passed through Lai'an City, bringing prosperity with them.

This had also brought immense wealth to the Layan Family. The Layan Family had ruled this city for several centuries, and the wealth they had accumulated over those years was beyond measure.

When Uchiha Huan arrived at Marquis Lai'an's Estate, he saw a magnificent complex of buildings.

Though it was not as large as the imperial palace, its extravagance was in no way inferior.

When they arrived before the marquis's estate, the guards at the entrance immediately stepped forward to stop them.

Uchiha Huan merely glanced at the guards, and the two men returned woodenly to their posts.

Domiler looked utterly confused. Had Uchiha Huan been here before?

Why had those two guards clearly intended to stop him, only to return to their posts after seeing Uchiha Huan?

Uchiha Huan strode straight ahead, heading toward the tallest building.

Though it was his first time here, the tallest building was surely where whoever was in charge would be.

When he entered the estate's main hall, an energetic old man sat in the seat of honor. Although his hair was graying, his face had been exceptionally well maintained. Clad in luxurious robes, he exuded the majesty of one in power.

Behind the old man stood a middle-aged Soul Master. Though he had concealed his aura, his towering frame still radiated dense vitality and blood energy. He was at least a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, and a strength-type one at that.

The old man was currently discussing family affairs with the various branches of the family. After several centuries of growth, the Layan Family had developed an enormous population.

When he saw Uchiha Huan and Domiler walk in, the old man's face darkened.

"Which branch are you from? Who allowed you in?"

Uchiha Huan turned to Domiler. "Is he the head of the Layan Family?"

Domiler swallowed. He had not expected Uchiha Huan to be so reckless, barging into someone's home without even announcing himself. Still, faced with Uchiha Huan's question, he nodded.

Uchiha Huan activated his Three Tomoe and stared at the old man. "Do you know that your son became a Fallen Soul Master?"

The old man's expression became blank, and he nodded. "I know."

"Where did the materials your son needed to cultivate that evil forbidden art come from?"

"I bought them..."

The old man's words immediately caused an uproar throughout the main hall.

At that moment, the old man suddenly came to his senses, and his face changed dramatically.

"Mad Dragon! Take them down!" the old man shrieked.

The Soul Sage beside him, called Mad Dragon, hesitated slightly, but he still revealed seven Spirit Rings beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black!

At the same time, a black Sub-Dragon appeared behind Mad Dragon. It had a bloated body, wings on its back, a savage and terrifying head, and a swollen belly. It looked like a giant lizard ten months pregnant, yet it emitted scorching Soul Power fluctuations.

"My lord, run! I... I'll hold him back!"

Domiler was terrified, but he could only step forward.

Black, black, black, black! Four black Spirit Rings appeared beneath Uchiha Huan's feet.

Everyone present saw the Spirit Rings beneath Uchiha Huan's feet, and their expressions changed drastically.

Uchiha Huan looked at Mad Dragon and produced the Elder Token. "Spirit Hall is conducting official business. Are you going to interfere?"

Mad Dragon saw this, and what he feared was not the Spirit Hall Elder Token, but the meaning behind the four Spirit Rings beneath Uchiha Huan's feet.

"My lord, I merely wished to help you bring the situation under control." Mad Dragon promptly backed down.

No matter how this person had obtained four Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings, he was certainly a genius of Spirit Hall. When such a genius went out to carry out a mission, powerful experts would surely be protecting him, perhaps even a Title Douluo.

Now that his employer had become entangled in a matter involving Fallen Soul Masters, getting involved any further would be little different from seeking his own death.

Douluo Continent might not have the practice of punishing nine generations of a family, but as long as one had even the slightest connection to Fallen Soul Masters, surviving meant losing a layer of skin.

There was no need for him to keep company with Fallen Soul Masters over a little money.

"Mad Dragon, don't forget how much money you've taken from our Layan Family over the years!" the old man roared.

Add Bookmark

Return to Contents

Report Chapter Error

Share with Friends: