Noumenon Sect?

His Soul Power finally stopped at level twenty-seven. Compared to the outrageous ten-level leap after his first Soul Ring, this time he had only risen seven levels. Ye Chenxing could not help but inwardly lament the pity of it.

After all, the Evil Eye was purely a spiritual entity. Theoretically, it should not have granted him even a single level of Soul Power. Those seven levels came from the residual Soul Power from his previous Soul Ring absorption and the Golden Tree, as well as the enhancement brought by absorbing the hundred-thousand-year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's metacarpal bone.

Of course, if outsiders heard that, they would probably be furious enough to cough up blood. He had gained seven levels upon obtaining his second ring and still thought it was too little? Others would be thanking heaven and earth for gaining three levels with their second ring.

This special Soul Ring, condensed from the Evil Eye's remnant soul, did not grant him any additional physical enhancement. His body remained at its original level. However, thanks to a Soul Ring formed purely from spiritual power, his spiritual power had directly crossed from the advanced Soul Emperor level into the threshold of the Soul Saint level.

Another trait of the Evil Eye had also become part of Ye Chenxing along with its absorption: Twin Unity.

In other words, if Ye Chenxing could kill the Evil Emperor, he could directly absorb the Evil Emperor's Soul Ring and fuse it into his own second Soul Ring. As for whether the Soul Rings of their Twin Evil Eyes could glimpse the realm of a million years... that was unknown.

But none of that was the main point. What he looked forward to most now was something else—after breaking through level thirty, he could perform his second Heroic Spirit Summoning.

Thinking that he would soon gain another Servant, Ye Chenxing could not help but feel expectant.

"Is it going to rain?"

Meng Hongchen suddenly looked up at the sky beside him, her brows furrowing slightly. A dense mass of dark clouds drifted over from the horizon. Though it was not moving quickly, it gave off a suffocating sense of oppression.

"We need to leave. Now."

Jing Hongchen looked up, and his expression abruptly changed. Even his voice lost its usual composure.

Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen both froze. They had never seen their grandfather wear such an expression.

Jing Hongchen, a level ninety-four Titled Douluo, swept out with his spiritual power, only for it to vanish like a mud ox entering the sea. He could not sense anything at all. Let alone a cloud, even if a real mountain were pressing down above his head, it should not have been able to block his perception.

Ye Chenxing's brows were tightly knitted as well. His spiritual power had just entered the Soul Saint level, and his perception had increased severalfold. For someone to conceal their aura within such an enormous expanse of dark clouds, their concealment methods far surpassed his own.

"Hehehe—where are the four of you going?"

Four figures descended from the clouds. All were cloaked in black robes and wore masks that concealed their faces, revealing not the slightest distinguishing feature. Even their builds had been deliberately obscured. Clearly, they had come thoroughly prepared.

Without drawing attention to it, Jing Hongchen shielded the three juniors behind him and said coldly,

"Who are you four? I am Jing Hongchen of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, here to hunt Soul Beasts with my juniors. What business do you have with us?" He first invoked the Illustrious Virtue Hall's name. Although he already knew they had come with ill intent, he still hoped that revealing his identity would make them back down.

In his perception, the first three were nothing to fear. They were three Soul Douluo.

But the strength of the fourth person behind them had actually escaped his perception. One had to understand that there were only a handful of people on the entire continent whose true strength could be completely undetectable to a level ninety-four Titled Douluo like him. Though his expression remained calm, his vigilance had already been raised to its peak.

The three in front stepped forward together. The man in the middle spoke first, his voice as hoarse as a broken bellows.

"We have come under our sect master's orders."

The person on the left continued, "To invite you to have a talk at our Noumenon Sect."

The person on the right said, "Hall Master, please come with us."

Jing Hongchen frowned deeply. The Noumenon Sect? Du Busi's people?

Unable to determine their true origins for the moment, he replied, "I have no time today. I will certainly pay a visit another day. Please decline your sect master's kind offer on my behalf."

The three suddenly let out strange laughter together. Their pitch, rhythm, and volume were completely identical, making it indescribably eerie.

"That is not up to you!"

The three spoke in unison and surged forward together. Twenty-four Soul Rings lit up at once. Jing Hongchen snorted coldly, releasing his Toad Martial Soul as golden light blazed forth. Without the slightest fear, he met them head-on. The four figures immediately clashed in battle.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen stood behind him, their expressions full of excitement. In their eyes, their grandfather would have no trouble dealing with three Soul Douluo. And that was indeed the case. Jing Hongchen fought one against three, and though the three Soul Douluo coordinated seamlessly, the gap in cultivation was there. They could not get close to him at all.

But Ye Chenxing's heart had risen to his throat. On the surface, Jing Hongchen was fighting three alone and still suppressing them, yet he knew that the truly fatal danger remained hidden in the shadows, waiting to strike.

The reason was simple: he had already recognized the origins of these four people. They were not from the Noumenon Sect at all. They were from the Holy Spirit Cult!

At first, he had not dared to be certain. Although the three had never revealed any characteristics of their Martial Souls, the patterns of their attacks were clearly not those of body Martial Souls.

They were the household servants of the Holy Spirit Cult's leader—the Zhongli Brothers. And the one who had remained silent in the rear... judging from the fleeting dark-cloud technique from earlier, he was that legendary figure of the Holy Spirit Cult: the level ninety-four consecrator who had once pursued Di Tian and retreated unscathed, Dark Cloud Douluo.

Jing Hongchen was said to be capable of escaping from Xuan Zi, and might even have a chance of victory if he widened the distance between them. But judging from the battles of later generations, he was only marginally stronger than a level ninety-five powerhouse. At this moment, he could easily suppress the Zhongli Brothers, but once Dark Cloud Douluo acted, the situation would likely fall into a stalemate.

Just as Ye Chenxing had anticipated, the silent Dark Cloud Douluo finally moved.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings rose one by one as the Dark Crow Martial Soul suddenly possessed him. In that instant, his entire body seemed to transform into a shadow beneath a gloomy sky. Dense dark energy pressed outward like a tide. As he stepped into the battle, the atmosphere on the battlefield abruptly became heavy and stagnant.

The moment Jing Hongchen saw that Martial Soul, his pupils constricted. Then he roared in fury, "You four are definitely not from the Noumenon Sect! Who exactly are you?!"

Yet even now, he found it difficult to accurately determine their true origins. To conceal their identities as Evil Soul Masters, the Zhongli Brothers had been relying purely on Soul Power and physical strength, revealing not the slightest hint of their Martial Souls. Dark Cloud Douluo, meanwhile, had only recently become a consecrator of the Holy Spirit Cult. He was not an Evil Soul Master himself and merely possessed the darkness attribute.

"How ignorant. Who told you that the Noumenon Sect only has Titled Douluo with body Martial Souls?"

"Enough nonsense. Once this Hall Master takes you down, I will naturally learn your identity!"

Jing Hongchen rapidly calculated in his heart. These four were certainly troublesome, but he remained confident that he could defeat them. The problem was this—he could not end the battle in a short time. This Titled Douluo was simply too difficult to deal with. The darkness attribute was unpredictable and sinister; every strike carried a vicious force of suction and corrosion. Once he became entangled, it would be like sinking into a swamp. The more fiercely he attacked, the harder it became to break free.

More fatal still, he was not alone.

Behind him were his grandson and granddaughter, along with future pillars of the Sun Moon Empire like Ye Chenxing.

As if confirming this worry in his heart, the Zhongli Brothers exchanged glances. In but an instant, they understood one another's intentions. One of them abruptly twisted his body, turning into an afterimage as he fiercely pounced toward Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Ye Chenxing.

Ye Chenxing's expression darkened.

His worst suspicion had now been confirmed. Their true target was not Jing Hongchen, but him.

Ultimate Light—had it still been exposed?

Although he had known from the beginning that such talent could not remain hidden forever, he had not expected it to happen so quickly. The Holy Spirit Cult, those Evil Soul Masters lurking in the shadows of the Sun Moon Empire, had precisely tracked him down on the third day after he entered the Jingyang Mountain Range.

Hall Master and Elder Kong could never have... It must have been a problem during the test... I just don't know whether someone among those nobles recognized its value, or whether it was one of the inspectors...

Before he could think further, the black-robed figure was already rushing at the three of them like a vulture swooping upon a rabbit.

"Run!"

Ye Chenxing shouted decisively, grabbing Xiao Hongchen's and Meng Hongchen's arms on either side before turning and sprinting deep into the forest.