Night fell, and Eastsea City's neon lights flickered on one by one. As always, a long line had formed outside Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop. Inside, the place was even more bustling, filled with voices and the rich aroma of food. Tonight was a little special. To celebrate winning the class's internal sparring match and earning the right to represent the class in the grade selection tournament, Tang Wulin had invited his teammate and friend Xie Xie, along with their classmate Gu Yue and his younger sister Na'er, to celebrate at the shop. Of course, the deeper reason was that Tang Wulin wanted Na'er to meet Huo Yuhao and the others more often. He had never stopped thinking about that mysterious yet kindly "Uncle Huo."
"Uncle Huo, good evening!" Tang Wulin called out familiarly toward the busy grilling area as he led the three inside.
Huo Yuhao was tending several grills at once. Under his precise Soul Power control, the flames danced as they seared the fish steaks until they sizzled, golden and dripping with oil. Hearing him, he looked up, fine beads of sweat on his brow, and gave a gentle smile. "Hello, Wulin. You brought friends? Find a seat first. There are a lot of people today, so you'll have to wait a little." His gaze paused briefly on Gu Yue and Xie Xie, and he gave Gu Yue an almost imperceptible nod.
Demon Spirit was unusually "off duty" today. She was seated at the longest table in the back with Di Tian, Bi Ji, Zi Ji, Myriad Demon King, Scarlet King, Bear Lord, Dark Gold, and the others. The table was piled with all kinds of grilled fish, skewers, and side dishes, and laughter never ceased. Golden Dragon King, Jin, had already finished an entire barrel of fruit juice and was now launching an assault on an enormous grilled cod.
Before long, a boy in the shop's apron, who looked like a student from a nearby academy working part-time, jogged over with a menu. He wore a professional smile. "Welcome, students! What would you like to eat? Here's the menu." He handed it to Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin took the menu and was about to turn to ask his companions what they wanted when Gu Yue, seated beside him, abruptly stood up.
"No need. I know them." Gu Yue pointed toward the lively table of ferocious beasts inside, her tone calm and natural, as though she were merely saying, "I'm going over to say hello at the next table." "Order for yourselves. Eat without me." With that, she walked straight toward Di Tian's table.
"Huh? Sister Yue, you..." Xie Xie froze for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, Gu Yue had already gone too far away.
"Sister Yue's here! Come sit, come sit!" Dark Gold spotted Gu Yue first and immediately greeted her enthusiastically. He even pulled out the stool beside him that had just become vacant. "Everyone's really here today! But seriously, Sister Yue, with such a huge disturbance this time, there really won't be any follow-up trouble from the Spirit Pagoda or the Federation? Or is your influence just that great?"
Gu Yue sat down without ceremony, casually snatched a freshly grilled, oil-sizzling squid skewer from the tray, and took a bite before replying vaguely, with a hint of smugness, "Of course. Just look at who my master is. The process was handled beautifully, and the reasons were sufficient. Even if they have doubts, they have to accept it on the surface. Besides, 'experimental failure' is far too common in soul-guided research and development. As long as no one was hurt and no important facilities were damaged, who has the time to investigate?" As she spoke, her eyes swept across the remaining food on the table. Seeing that Jin had already eaten half the largest grilled cod, she immediately joined the "battle," deftly tearing off another fragrant, crispy piece of belly meat.
"Hey, hey, hey! What does she mean by that?" At the other table, Xie Xie watched Gu Yue's carefree departing figure and couldn't help wailing under his breath. "Didn't she insist on coming with us because I provoked her? Didn't we agree that I'd treat her to make up for it? How did she run off to mooch food and drinks from another table in the blink of an eye? So I got beaten for nothing and still can't even treat her?" He remembered how, during training that afternoon, he had foolishly called Gu Yue "a shut-in girl who only knew how to play games." Gu Yue had then beaten him into a panicked retreat with all kinds of basic elemental control, forcing him to agree to treat her to a meal as an apology. Thinking about it now made him feel even more cheated.
Holding back a laugh, Tang Wulin patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. "Forget it, forget it. Gu Yue... well, maybe she's closer to Uncle Huo's friends. Let's eat our own food." He quickly scanned the menu and ordered five signature grilled fish in different flavors, along with a large pitcher of mixed fruit juice.
Because there were simply too many customers, their grilled fish took nearly half an hour to arrive one after another. The rich charred aroma mixed with the scent of secret spices instantly conquered everyone's noses.
"Wow! This smells incredible!" Xie Xie took a deep breath, his eyes shining as he temporarily forgot his frustration at failing to treat Gu Yue. He looked at Tang Wulin curiously. "Tang Wulin, you seem really familiar with this place. You didn't even need to look at the menu to order?"
Tang Wulin and Na'er exchanged a knowing glance. Without changing expression, Tang Wulin replied, "Not really. This is only my second time in Eastsea City. I came here once with my parents before, and the food was especially good, so I remembered it." They tacitly concealed their true relationship with Huo Yuhao and the secrets they knew.
"Oh, right, I remember now. You obtained your first Soul Spirit around Eastsea City." Xie Xie suddenly understood, then patted his chest. "No matter what, I owe you all a meal today! Tomorrow at noon, I'll treat you to that super-famous Iron-Pot Braised Beef place beside the Mecha Research Institute. I heard their soul beast meat is stewed until it's unbelievably tender and flavorful!"
"Sure!" Tang Wulin agreed with a smile.
Once they started eating, Xie Xie was shocked again. He had only slowly finished half a fish and taken a few sips of juice when he looked up and saw that the two grilled fish on Tang Wulin's and Na'er's plates had been reduced to spotless fish bones! The two were wiping their mouths with tissues, looking as though they still wanted more.
"Damn! You two siblings... are you gluttons or something? That eating speed is terrifying!" Xie Xie clicked his tongue.
Na'er blinked her beautiful large eyes and put on an expression of utter fragility. She casually explained, "I'm an ordinary person. I don't have a martial soul or Soul Power. I run laps and train with Soul Masters like you every day, so I burn a lot of stamina. Of course I need to eat more to keep up." This was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Wu Changkong had long since learned of Na'er's circumstances from Huo Yuhao—that her martial soul was temporarily unable to manifest due to some powerful seal or restriction. Thus, he allowed Na'er to train with them as usual, only requiring her to do her best to keep up physically and not forcing her to practice soul skills. Na'er was quite happy with this arrangement. She could stay with her brother without exposing her special nature too early.
Xie Xie shifted his probing gaze to Tang Wulin and raised an eyebrow. "What about you, Lord Soul Master? Your appetite doesn't look anything like that of a 'newcomer' who just obtained his first soul ring."
Tang Wulin scratched the back of his head and gave a simple, honest smile, coming up with a catch-all excuse. "I... I'm growing, aren't I? Boys eat more and grow faster! Teacher Mang Tian also says forging is hard physical work, so I need to keep up with my nutrition." The explanation sounded flawless as well. Though Xie Xie felt that something was off, he did not press further. He merely muttered to himself that the siblings' appetites were truly extraordinary.
Just then, the curtain at the shop entrance was violently flung open, and an air of faint severity swept in. Captain Guang Biao entered in his Eastsea City Enforcement Team uniform, accompanied by seven or eight similarly dressed team members. They looked somewhat tired, but their gazes were sharp.
"Boss Huo! The usual, first..." Guang Biao's voice was loud, but halfway through his words, he saw that the shop was nearly packed to capacity, with even the aisles filled with people waiting for seats. He paused, then laughed. "Whoa! Business is still booming! Fine, brothers, let's sit outside. Don't affect Boss Huo's business." Being quite considerate, he led his team back outside and sat down at several open-air tables and chairs set up by the entrance.
Huo Yuhao had just finished handling the last few orders in front of him. After wiping his hands, he personally came out with menus and tea. "Captain Guang, why did you bring so many brothers today? Is there a mission?" As he poured everyone hot tea, he asked the question.
Guang Biao took the tea and gulped down a large mouthful. He sighed, the relaxed expression on his face fading as he lowered his voice. "Don't mention it, Boss Huo. The Evil Soul Masters... are showing signs of activity. They disappeared for so many years, and now they've suddenly surfaced again. It can't be anything good! There was an emergency meeting at noon today. The Spirit Pagoda, the Federation Security Bureau, and our Enforcement Team are all mobilizing. We've been ordered to increase patrols in every area, especially densely populated areas and places with abnormal Soul Power fluctuations. The brothers will be running nonstop these next few days."
He paused, his tone heavy. "Those lunatics were dormant for five years. If they're appearing now, there's bound to be bloodshed. The higher-ups gave us strict orders to report any suspicious signs immediately, but only on the condition that we guarantee our own safety. When dealing with those things, losing one brother is the same as giving them a piece of 'nourishment.' Their strength won't fall—it'll increase. This is the hardest kind of battle."
"Evil Soul Masters?" Huo Yuhao's heart tightened slightly. This news was worse than he had expected. After five years of peace, the continent had almost forgotten that shadow. Yet they had chosen to reappear when Di Tian was undergoing his tribulation, when the attention of every major force had been drawn elsewhere and undercurrents were stirring. The timing was thought-provoking. Most importantly, the enemy was hidden while they stood in the open. What had changed during the other side's five years of lurking? What were their goals? How strong were they? They knew almost nothing. A war without intelligence was the most passive kind.
"Boss Huo," Guang Biao saw the gravity in Huo Yuhao's eyes and softened his tone, half-jokingly saying, "Your street is lively at night, but all kinds of people mix around here. Close up a little earlier at night recently and stay safe. I don't want to come by for your grilled fish one day and find the shop shut, with the owner gone."
"Exactly! Boss, we're all thinking about your grilled fish! Don't worry. When we patrol, we'll definitely make extra rounds around this area. With us here, nothing will happen!" The other team members chimed in with smiles, though the seriousness in their eyes was undeniable. They were all regular customers and had a good relationship with Huo Yuhao. Their words were both a joke and a promise.
Warmth filled Huo Yuhao's heart. He said solemnly, "Thank you all very much. You need to be especially careful while carrying out your mission as well." He noted down everyone's orders, then turned and returned to the kitchen to get busy.
However, Huo Yuhao did not notice—or rather, the conversation about the "Evil Soul Masters" had been clearly caught by several "non-human beings" inside the shop whose hearing far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Myriad Demon King, who had been fighting Gu Yue for fish, suddenly stopped moving. He closed his eyes, and an exceedingly faint emerald-green glow, almost impossible to detect, spread around him. As the king of plant-type ferocious beasts, he was actively extending his ultimate perception of all plant life and related energies in the world, searching and probing.
A few seconds later, he abruptly opened his eyes, which were filled with shock and gravity.
"I sensed a wave of power that was... Life Unending, yet also intensely contradictory." Myriad Demon King's voice was not loud, but it instantly quieted the ferocious beasts at the table. Even Jin stopped chewing. Gu Yue put down the food in her hand and looked over.
"Life Unending? That sounds like the domain characteristic of Blue Silver Grass. Among plant types, Blue Silver Grass is one of the representatives of that kind of 'wildfire cannot burn it all away' resilience." Scarlet King's middle head analyzed.
"No, something's wrong!" Myriad Demon King frowned deeply and slowly shook his head. "The essence of that Life Unending power is extraordinarily pure, perhaps even... noble. But entwined around it is a cold, viscous evil aura filled with plunder and corruption! It is devouring, yet also giving birth. Life and death cycle repeatedly within a twisted balance... It's too strange. I have never sensed such a contradictory and dangerous life form!" His tone grew increasingly grave, even carrying a trace of barely perceptible fear. "Based on the timing Guang Biao mentioned... the appearance of this power is likely inseparable from the Evil Soul Masters!"
Golden Dragon King, Jin, who had been quietly listening nearby, also darkened. He remembered what Huo Yuhao had previously asked him to investigate.
"I think... I may know the source of this evil Life Unending power." Jin slowly spoke, briefly explaining to the ferocious beasts and Gu Yue present what Huo Yuhao had told him: that they were searching for Tang San's parents, Tang Hao and Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, and that they might have lost the support of divine power after the Divine Realm separated, leaving them in an abnormal state.
"...If Senior Ah Yin truly lost the support of divine power and fell into an extremely weakened or dormant state, while her true body, the Blue Silver Emperor, contains the highest-grade origin of life on Douluo Star..." Jin's gaze swept over everyone as he voiced the worst possibility. "Then to Evil Soul Masters skilled at controlling souls, flesh and blood, and all forms of life energy, she would be an irresistible, coveted 'supreme treasure'! Controlling, corrupting, or even devouring the Blue Silver Emperor's power would be enough for them to create unimaginable monsters, or complete some horrifying ritual!"
The moment those words were spoken, the temperature around the table seemed to plummet.
Di Tian's expression completely darkened, cold light flashing in his dragon eyes. "If that is the case, then the problem is far more serious than we imagined! If the Blue Silver Emperor has truly fallen into the hands of Evil Soul Masters and been controlled or corrupted... then it would not only mean that the two legendary seniors are in imminent danger. It would also mean that the Evil Soul Masters possess a terrifying trump card whose threat we cannot estimate. To purify or counter this highest-grade life power contaminated by evil energy..." He looked toward the kitchen, from which came the sound of Huo Yuhao stir-frying food. "There may truly be only an existence possessing divinity and a deep connection to the laws of life and purification."
At present, the only one on their side who possessed "divinity" and was in a relatively complete state, though still in terrible condition, was Huo Yuhao. The God of Emotions' Divine Godhood might have shattered, but its essence remained. His control over souls and emotions might be able to oppose the Evil Soul Masters' distortion of life's origin.
Gu Yue also put down the half-eaten grilled fish in her hand, thoughts churning in her purple eyes. The threat of the Evil Soul Masters, intertwined with the possible plight of legendary beings on the same level as the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King, made her realize that a storm far beyond her previous expectations was brewing in the continent's darkness.
"Sigh..."
A long, heavy sigh came from someone, quietly blending into the still-boisterous background noise of the grilled fish shop. Outside the window, the night seemed even darker, and the distant flickering neon lights appeared to be veiled by gloom. This evening, once filled with the aroma of food and joyful laughter, had been shrouded in an inescapable shadow by sudden news and a grim deduction. The fangs of the Evil Soul Masters might already have silently emerged in the darkness, and their target might be aimed directly at the heart of this continent's oldest legends. Tonight, many people were destined to find sleep difficult.
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