Sky Screen Descends Upon the Soul Clan-Could He Be a Half-Step Dou Emperor?

Within the main hall of the Soul Clan's Hall of Souls.

Soul Heavenly Emperor sat in the seat of honor, his face so gloomy it was almost terrifying.

He had been holding a wine cup in his hand, but upon hearing the report from the Soul Clan's Four Demon Saints below, he crushed it with a snap. Shards scattered in every direction.

"You've investigated for so long, yet found not a single clue?!" Soul Heavenly Emperor's voice carried barely restrained fury.

The Soul Clan's Four Demon Saints stood there with their heads lowered, none of them daring to breathe too loudly.

One of them forced himself to answer, "Clan Chief, our people have searched all of the Central Plains and inquired with every major faction. We truly found no information whatsoever regarding Lu Chuan."

"It is as though this person appeared out of thin air. We cannot uncover his origins or background at all."

Upon hearing this, Soul Heavenly Emperor slapped the armrest of his chair, shattering it instantly.

"Appeared out of thin air?! How could a Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint possibly appear out of thin air? You useless fools, you can't even investigate one man! What am I keeping you for?!"

After being harshly rebuked, the Soul Clan's Four Demon Saints trembled from head to toe and lowered their heads even further.

Just as Soul Heavenly Emperor was about to continue his outburst, a golden radiance suddenly lit up within the hall. He paused, then looked up.

The familiar Sky Screen appeared out of nowhere once more in midair, lines of golden words emerging upon it.

Soul Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw the Sky Screen. He was curious what information it would reveal about Lu Chuan this time.

He fixed his gaze upon the contents displayed on the Sky Screen, only to see a scene of battle.

Two people were fighting in the image. One was Lu Chuan, who had previously been exposed by the Sky Screen, while the other was Gu Yuan, the Gu Clan's chief. The Sky Screen clearly displayed the result of the battle: Gu Yuan had been effortlessly defeated by Lu Chuan, with no ability to fight back at all.

Soul Heavenly Emperor was utterly stunned by this sight.

"Gu Yuan?!" He abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes locked firmly onto the image on the Sky Screen. "Gu Yuan, chief of the Gu Clan, a Nine-Star Dou Saint, actually lost so easily?!"

Even Soul Heavenly Emperor's voice trembled now, and shock gradually filled his face.

Who was Gu Yuan?

He was not only the chief of the Gu Clan, one of the Ancient Eight Clans, but also a Nine-Star Dou Saint—one of the foremost figures on the entire continent.

Even Soul Heavenly Emperor himself knew that if he fought Gu Yuan, he might have a certain chance of victory, but he could never win so easily.

Yet the image on the Sky Screen clearly showed that Gu Yuan had almost no power to resist before Lu Chuan. Within just a few moves, he had been beaten until he vomited blood and suffered severe injuries. At that thought, Soul Heavenly Emperor drew in a sharp breath, and a chill suddenly rose up his back.

If this Lu Chuan could defeat Gu Yuan so effortlessly, just how terrifying was his strength?

Soul Heavenly Emperor stood in the hall, and even his fingers began to tremble.

"This man... could he have already reached the Half-Step Dou Emperor realm?" Soul Heavenly Emperor muttered, his voice filled with deep fear.

What did Half-Step Dou Emperor mean? It was a realm no one had reached on the entire Dou Qi Continent for thousands of years. If Lu Chuan had truly entered the Half-Step Dou Emperor level, then no one on the continent would be able to contend with him.

The Soul Clan, the Gu Clan, and every other ancient clan and faction combined would likely still be no match for him alone.

The Soul Clan's Four Demon Saints, Hun Yu, and the others had also seen what was displayed on the Sky Screen. Every one of them had gone pale.

"The Gu Clan's chief was actually defeated by him so easily..."

"Even a Nine-Star Dou Saint was no match for him. Just how terrifying is this man's strength?"

"The Clan Chief just mentioned a Half-Step Dou Emperor. Could it really be true?"

They whispered among themselves, unable to conceal their fear. Soul Heavenly Emperor took a deep breath, striving to calm himself before speaking. "Pass down the order. Continue investigating. At any cost, we must determine exactly which faction this Lu Chuan belongs to."

"If there is another force behind him, then it means an unknown power has been operating in secret on the continent."

"If he has no background, then this man is even more terrifying."

Soul Heavenly Emperor's voice became somewhat hurried as he spoke. After all, someone with no background yet possessing the strength of a Half-Step Dou Emperor was the most terrifying kind of existence. With no clan to restrain him, he could do whatever he wished, and no one could stop him.

As Soul Heavenly Emperor continued pondering these matters, the image on the Sky Screen began to move again.

In the next scene, Lu Chuan unleashed a battle skill. Its power was so immense that it shattered the heavens and split the earth, while even space twisted violently.

The Soul Clan members were shocked once more when they saw this.

"Th-this... what level of battle skill is that?"

"The heavens are collapsing, the earth is splitting, and space itself is warping. Ordinary battle skills could never compare to such power!"

"Could it be a Heaven Class Battle Skill?!"

The Soul Clan's Four Demon Saints, Hun Yu, and the others stared at the scene on the Sky Screen with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Even Soul Heavenly Emperor's expression changed again when he witnessed the battle skill's might.

The Soul Clan possessed only a handful of Heaven Class Battle Skills in total. Each was a clan-defending treasure that would not be used lightly. Yet the battle skill Lu Chuan had unleashed appeared even more terrifying than the Soul Clan's Heaven Class Battle Skills.

Soul Heavenly Emperor's lips twitched slightly, and a deep sense of helplessness welled up within him.

He returned to the seat of honor and let out a long sigh. Then he muttered, "This man... must not be provoked lightly."

Someone who could easily defeat Gu Yuan and possessed such a terrifying Heaven Class Battle Skill—if they offended him, the Soul Clan's fate was easy to imagine.

Soul Heavenly Emperor then closed his eyes and remained silent for a long while. When he opened them again, he looked at the people below and said, "Listen carefully. Until we uncover Lu Chuan's true background, no one is to act rashly, much less provoke him."

"All Soul Clan members operating outside are to restrain themselves. Do not stir up trouble. If you happen to offend Lu Chuan, no one will be able to save you."

Upon hearing their clan chief's instructions, the Soul Clan members promptly bowed and replied, "Yes, Clan Chief!"

After lingering for quite some time, the image on the Sky Screen finally faded away. Yet the atmosphere in the hall became even more oppressive than before.

Soul Heavenly Emperor remained seated there, his gaze fixed in the direction where the Sky Screen had vanished. The fear and apprehension in his heart refused to fade.

Half-Step Dou Emperor... those four words were like a towering mountain pressing down upon his heart, leaving him unable to breathe!