Sea God Pavilion, Soul Spirit Method

Sea God Pavilion's meeting room.

By the time Yan Jingzhe pushed open the door, the elders had already taken their seats.

A long table stood in the center of the spacious hall. Elder Mu sat at the head, his black hair neatly combed, while faint wisps of steam still rose from the teacup before him.

Elder Xuan sat to his right, still holding a chicken leg and continuously stuffing it into his mouth.

Elder Song sat to his left, her eyes slightly closed as if resting. Yet her fingertips lightly tapped against the table, showing that she was not truly at rest.

Elder Lin and Elder Zhuang sat quietly in their places as well, waiting.

Yan Jingzhe walked to his seat and sat down. Xian Lin'er, Feng Ling, and Yan Shaozhe took their seats beside him in turn.

After receiving the message, Cai Meier, the vice dean of the Martial Soul Department, had hurried over from the Inner Court and sat beside Yan Shaozhe.

Once everyone had arrived, the doors were gently shut behind them.

"Jingzhe, you called a Sea God Pavilion meeting the moment you returned. Did something happen on the road?" Mu En asked first from the head seat.

"Yes, Teacher." Yan Jingzhe did not hesitate before speaking directly. "It was Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao. He intercepted me on our way back."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room fell silent. Elder Xuan and the others exchanged looks.

Who among their generation did not understand the weight carried by that name?

Long Xiaoyao—a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo with the Dark Sacred Dragon as his Martial Soul. He had been a peak powerhouse as renowned as Elder Mu in his youth, yet had vanished from the continent without a trace for decades. Now that he had suddenly reappeared, this was clearly no simple matter.

"Did he come for you, or for the Soul Beast embryo?" Mu En asked with a complicated expression when speaking of his old brother Long Xiaoyao.

"He came for me," Yan Jingzhe replied. "He said he had been asked by someone to test the strength of a newly advanced Limit Douluo like me. He had no intention of fighting to the death. We exchanged blows head-on twice, and after confirming my strength, he fled immediately."

"So, Jingzhe, are you saying that a powerful force stands behind him?" Elder Lin, Lin Huiqun, asked gravely. As the master of Shrek Academy's Treasure-Gathering Pavilion, whose branches were spread throughout the continent, he was responsible for Shrek's external intelligence work. The existence of such a powerful force that had gone undiscovered was a failure on his part.

"Yes, Elder Lin. And this force is called the Holy Spirit Cult, an organization composed of Evil Soul Masters," Yan Jingzhe said startlingly.

He did not conceal anything and revealed the information in his mind regarding the Evil Soul Master organization.

"An Evil Soul Master organization? Impossible! Whenever Evil Soul Masters appear on the continent, our Shrek Inspection Corps wipes them out. How could they possibly form such a massive organization?" Elder Xuan stopped eating even the chicken leg in his hand. He rose to his feet, his face flushed red with agitation.

It was no wonder Elder Xuan was anxious. As the commander of the Shrek Inspection Corps, it was his duty to eliminate Evil Soul Masters. Yet now someone was telling him that, right under his nose, Evil Soul Masters had organized themselves into a massive collective. Who would not be enraged?

"That's enough, Xuan Zi. Sit down first," Mu En said with a slight frown.

Only after Elder Mu spoke did Elder Xuan sit back down, looking disgruntled.

"In that case, Huiqun, I'll leave this matter to you. Focus on the Sun Moon Empire. I suspect the Holy Spirit Cult is hiding there," Mu En said solemnly to Elder Lin.

"Understood, Elder Mu. I'll investigate this personally," Lin Huiqun replied with an equally grave expression.

"Mm." Mu En nodded, then asked, "Jingzhe, what was the outcome of your battle with him?"

At Elder Mu's question, the others all turned curious gazes toward Yan Jingzhe.

A faint smile touched Yan Jingzhe's lips. "I was fortunate enough to win by a move or two."

Elder Xuan, Elder Song, and the others moved their lips as if they wanted to say something, but swallowed their words in the end. They could only nod, for the shock of this matter was simply too great. A Limit Douluo renowned for many years had lost to someone who had only just advanced...

Xian Lin'er and Feng Ling looked at Yan Jingzhe with worship in their eyes.

Yan Shaozhe also wore an expression of pride.

"There is one more matter," Yan Jingzhe continued. "When I fought Long Xiaoyao, he was not the only one at the scene."

"Who else was there?" Mu En asked.

"Jin Peng, the Body Sect's Great Elder," Yan Jingzhe said calmly. "He had been hiding in the dark and watching the battle. He only came out after I exposed him. He claimed he bore no hostility and was merely passing by, but I do not think so. They were likely interested in my disciple Huo Yuhao and the Soul Beast embryo, and had come to see what my strength was like."

"That should be the case, but there is no need to worry. The Body Sect is no longer a threat," Mu En stated firmly. "By the way, Jingzhe, how do you intend to deal with that Soul Beast embryo?"

"Teacher, esteemed elders, I need that embryo." Yan Jingzhe hesitated for a moment before speaking truthfully. "I am currently researching something that can change the entire Soul Master system. It is a method through which one can obtain Soul Rings without killing Soul Beasts, while Soul Beasts can survive in another form without affecting their lifespan or strength. I call it the Soul Spirit Method, and this embryo is a crucial part of it."

As soon as those words were spoken, the meeting room fell silent for a long time.

No need to kill Soul Beasts, no impact on their lifespan or growth, and Soul Masters could still obtain Soul Rings. If this could truly be accomplished, the foundations of the entire Soul Master world on the Douluo Continent would be transformed.

The elders, including Mu En, stared at Yan Jingzhe in shock. No one rushed to speak, as though they were trying to digest information capable of changing the entire world of Douluo.

"Yan Jingzhe, are you certain this research you speak of is real? And that you have a reasonable chance of succeeding?" Mu En spoke first, his tone stern. "If you simply want this Soul Beast embryo, there is no need to tell such a lie. I can make the decision to hand it over for you to handle."

Seeing Mu En's serious expression, warmth filled Yan Jingzhe's heart. He knew his teacher was protecting his reputation. He said in a deep voice, "Teacher, my research is real, and I have a reasonable chance of succeeding. Please rest assured."

"Good." Mu En smiled in satisfaction. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This matter will have too great an impact on the continent. If you require manpower or resources, Shrek Academy will offer its full support. Do any of you elders object?"

"No." The elders were no fools. They knew this matter would have an enormous impact on the continent. Shrek Academy had to stand at the forefront and claim the first share of the benefits.

Next, the elders began discussing in low voices how to travel to the Sun Moon Empire and investigate the Holy Spirit Cult. Some suggested sending Titled Douluo directly, while others proposed dispatching ordinary people first to gather information.

Yan Jingzhe listened to their discussion without interrupting, silently calculating his next arrangements. Electrolux's deductions regarding the advanced Soul Spirit Method should be nearly complete. It is time to persuade the Snow Empress to become my second Martial Soul and Soul Spirit. Then I can call Yuhao over and have the Ice Empress help persuade her.

Once that succeeds, I can establish the Spirit Pagoda and begin gathering the power of faith from the Soul Beasts of the Great Star Dou Forest.