Attention

Lu Yuan kept a straight face and continued spinning his tale. "Precisely because we're strong, we have to be even more selective about promising talents. The older generation of powerhouses in our order will eventually grow old, and the legacy must be passed down from one generation to the next. Seeking out exceptionally gifted children in the secular world, guiding them in secret, and bringing them into the order for training—that is our tradition."

"What about you three?"

"I am one of this generation's 'Calamity Responders.' As for what exactly that identity entails, it isn't convenient to say. The order's rules forbid it."

Xiao Hongchen stared at Lu Yuan for several seconds, his gaze seeming to weigh the credibility of those words.

Lu Yuan's expression was candid in just the right measure, giving off an air of, "Believe it or don't. Makes no difference to me."

"You mentioned... responding to calamity, some great calamity. What exactly does that mean?"

"The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed."

"You didn't just make all that up, did you?"

"Which sentence I said just now do you think I made up?"

Xiao Hongchen thought about it, yet he genuinely could not point out anything wrong with it.

What Lu Yuan had said sounded mysterious, but none of it could be disproven on the spot.

But Gu Qiu'er and Xiao Xiao's five Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings were indisputable. If those two were already so extraordinary, then how terrifying must Lu Yuan be, when he had never shown his true strength?

Could his Soul Rings also all be black?

"Fine... I'll believe you for now."

The three girls ahead had already stopped at the entrance of the barbecue stall.

Meng Hongchen turned back and waved at them. "What are you two talking about? Everyone's here already. Hurry up and order!"

Lu Yuan answered, then smiled at Xiao Hongchen. "Let's go."

The two hurried after them. The fragrance of barbecue had already drifted over, while the charcoal crackled and the lights shone brightly.

At the same time, news of tonight's Soul Duel Arena matches spread as though it had grown wings.

Deep within the Mingdu imperial palace, inside a spacious study.

Xu Tianran sat upright in a wheelchair, holding a memorial in his hands. A thin blanket covered his lap, and his bearing was calm and refined.

He turned a page of the memorial and asked without raising his head.

"Tell me, what results did those three people from Douluo Continent achieve at the Soul Duel Arena tonight?"

The spy kneeling in the middle of the study lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, there were two highly watched matches on Soul Arena Stage No. 91 tonight."

"The first was Xiao Hongchen against a woman called the Golden Dragon Princess. The second was Meng Hongchen against a girl called the Abyssal Bard."

"Oh? Who won?"

"Both Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were defeated."

Xu Tianran raised his brows at this. He closed the memorial and placed it on his lap, leaning back slightly.

His gaze settled on the spy as he said with interest, "I've met that boy Xiao Hongchen several times. Though arrogant and conceited, he truly has some skill. There aren't many who can defeat him."

"It seems these people from Douluo Continent truly aren't simple..."

"They are all around twelve years old, according to our investigation."

Xu Tianran was somewhat startled. "Twelve?"

Twelve-year-old Soul Kings?!

Sun Moon's greatest genius had only become a Soul King at fourteen, even with the aid of medicine!

Were people from Douluo Continent this terrifying?

And they even had five Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!

He knew perfectly well what five black Soul Rings signified. Even if a great sect poured all its resources into someone, it could not produce a Soul Ring configuration of all Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.

Physical strength could be raised through medicine, but the spiritual shock from absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was a barrier that could not be overcome!

Yet two children around twelve had achieved it.

Xu Tianran leaned against the back of his chair. His tapping fingers stilled, and an inscrutable curve hung at the corner of his lips as he muttered, "Interesting... When did Douluo Continent produce people like this?"

He looked back at the spy and instructed, "Continue watching them. Record and report everything—their daily movements, the people they meet, and the places they enter and leave. Do not alert them, and do not let them notice."

"This subordinate understands."

"Also, investigate their backgrounds on Douluo Continent. Three such young geniuses could not have appeared out of nowhere. Check whether anything has happened recently in Star Luo Empire, or whether any people from hidden sects have emerged."

"Yes."

The spy bowed, rose to his feet, and withdrew from the study.

At the same time, lights were also lit in an inconspicuous courtyard in western Mingdu.

It was a three-section residence facing the street. Its exterior was utterly ordinary, with gray-white courtyard walls and old doors whose paint had long since peeled away.

A broad black carpet covered the floor of the main hall. At its center sat a woman in a black dress. She appeared to be in her thirties, her features deep and strikingly beautiful, carrying an indescribably bewitching air.

Feng Ling sat with her eyes closed and her fingertips resting on her knees as she listened to her subordinate report the day's findings.

"Reporting to Vice Cult Leader, there was another development at the Soul Duel Arena tonight. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were defeated by the Golden Dragon Princess and the Abyssal Bard."

Feng Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she did not open her eyes. "Mm..."

It was within her expectations. Based on her observations of Lu Yuan's group over this period, it was hardly strange that they had defeated Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

The spy continued, "The Golden Dragon Princess and the Abyssal Bard both have entirely Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!!"

"Mm?!"

Feng Ling abruptly opened her eyes, disbelief appearing on her face.

"Are you certain you didn't see wrongly? Or was it their illusion technique?"

The spy said, "Cult Leader, it is absolutely true!"

Feng Ling's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she fell into thought.

There were methods to raise the age of Soul Rings. Even she had used one, but that was a secret technique of the Holy Spirit Cult!

Could it be that the force behind those three also possessed such a secret technique?

But that secret technique came at an enormous cost. It required the souls and resentment of countless living beings to increase Soul Ring age.

Even she had only raised her first two Soul Rings by a thousand years.

Could the force behind those three little brats have slaughtered even more living beings than the Holy Spirit Cult?

Ordinarily, one could infer someone's origins on the continent from their Martial Soul.

Yet two swords, a golden dragon, and a great cauldron—those three Martial Souls together truly left her at a loss.

"A cauldron-type Martial Soul... that is rather rare. As for dragon-types, there is no need to mention them. They are born for battle."

She fell silent for a moment, lightly tapping her fingertips twice against her knee. "Can you tell what attributes that Gustot's Martial Soul possesses?"

The spy answered, "The intelligence says he has one black and one red longsword. The red one should be fire-attributed, while the black one should be darkness-attributed. He has never displayed his Soul Rings while fighting."

A curve slowly formed on Feng Ling's lips, carrying an indescribably chilling implication.

"Fire and darkness dual attributes? He is practically a successor tailor-made by heaven for me!"

She had searched for many years without finding a suitable successor.

"Continue watching them. Do not alert them. If an opportunity arises, find a way to bring him over to our side."

"Yes, Vice Cult Leader!"