Land of Opium, Lair of Evil Soul Masters

The earth shook. Bone claws burst from the ground one after another, followed by skeletons—some beneath the carriages, others beside them. Soon, the forest was packed with white-boned figures.

Seated on his bone chair, Zhong Hunmie frowned at the skeletons below. "Why are there only human skeletons and no animals? And why is there no demonic energy around them?"

The Titled Douluo who had summoned the undead was just as baffled. When he saw Zhong Hunmie's questioning look, he shook his head. "Leader, I don't know why either."

"Zhong Hunmie, when did you get that map of yours?" Qian Xunji could not resist a sneer. "Are you brain-dead? We're descendants of the Angel God. How could the Qian Family leave bones tainted by demonic energy buried in the ground? Year after year, we of the Angel Clan have purified this land with sacred power."

"You're supposed to be a descendant of the Angel God too. How could you not know? Are you sure your ancestors were named Qian, and not some other Qian? Maybe you've been hating the wrong people all along."

"You... I..." Zhong Hunmie was left speechless by Qian Xunji's mockery.

"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul True God! Angel Domain!" Qian Xunji released his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and activated his Seventh Soul Skill, transforming into a towering angel. His Angel Domain spread into a circle thirty meters across. In an instant, sacred light purified the skeletons that had crawled from the earth, wiping them out.

Zhong Hunmie and his companions were caught within it. Heavenly Cripple Douluo stood there, perfectly calm. Bathed in the sacred light, Zhong Hunmie and the other five felt miserable, an indescribable burning sensation sweeping through their bodies.

"Senior, it looks like I misunderstood you. You really aren't an Evil Soul Master!" Seeing that Heavenly Cripple Douluo was completely unharmed, Huang Batian leaped down from the carriage and bowed, his voice full of apology.

"That's enough, little old man. I'm a magnanimous fellow, so I won't hold it against you." Heavenly Cripple Douluo waved a hand. "I stay with them mainly because I have more freedom there. No one looks at me with disgust."

"Ninth Soul Skill: Death Claw!" Zhong Hunmie rose from his bone chair. It broke apart, becoming six bone wings that returned to the Angel of Hatred's back. As Zhong Hunmie's ninth, black Soul Ring lit up, a vast bank of dark clouds appeared overhead. From the swirling clouds, a withered, pitch-black hand reached down.

"Ninth Soul Skill: Angel Thunder Punishment!" The red Soul Ring beneath Qian Xunji's feet lit up. A white cloud in the sky turned gold, lightning flashing and thunder rolling within it. Bolt after bolt struck wherever Qian Xunji looked.

The withered hand formed by Zhong Hunmie's Ninth Soul Skill shattered under the lightning in an instant. Wherever Qian Xunji turned his gaze, Zhong Hunmie and the five Titled Douluo beside him faced a lightning strike. They dared not meet it head-on. Black mist engulfed them once more, and when it dispersed, they were gone.

"They ran away that quickly? I thought I'd get to see Titled Douluo fight Titled Douluo." Huang Tieyi sounded disappointed as he watched Zhong Hunmie and the others leave.

"A Yi, a fight between Titled Douluo isn't much of a spectacle if you get caught in it. One wrong move and you could lose your life." Ling Yuan Douluo's expression was grave. "If fourteen Titled Douluo fought here, there'd be nothing left nearby."

"The Evil Soul Masters probably won't return for now. Pick up the pace. We'll find a city and rest there," Qian Xunji said.

Huang Tieyi and the others climbed back into their carriages, and the three carriages sped toward Spirit City.

The three carriages entered New York City. Curious, Huang Tieyi lifted the side curtain and saw people moving sluggishly through the streets, some even walking on all fours. "Is New York City celebrating some special festival? Why does everyone walk so strangely?"

"New York City is the capital of the White Mold Principality. Its nobles enjoy smoking opium, so the rest of the country followed their example. They aren't celebrating anything. Opium has numbed their nerves, weakened their bodies, and muddled their minds," Ling Yuan Douluo explained. "Spirit Hall has a branch in every important city, but there isn't a single Spirit Hall Branch anywhere in the White Mold Principality.

"Even the annual Martial Soul Awakening ceremonies are conducted by Soul Douluo who come here and leave the moment they're done. No matter how promising someone's awakened Martial Soul is, Spirit Hall has never taken a single person away. This country is poisoned. What good could its people be?"

"Does Spirit Hall really tar everyone with the same brush?" Huang Tieyi could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"So what if we do? Every few years, the White Mold Principality has an armed clash with one of its smaller neighbors. Most of those clashes happen at Spirit Hall's instigation," Ling Yuan Douluo said coldly. "A country addicted to opium, a country without a moral bottom line—its only purpose is to be pushed around and serve as a breeding ground for Evil Soul Masters.

"Spirit Hall doesn't like this country, but Evil Soul Masters do. The wars between the White Mold Principality and the other small countries draw them out. Whenever we find them, Spirit Hall sends experts to scour the place."

"Then why not destroy the principality outright?" Huang Tieyi asked, puzzled.

"If the White Mold Principality were destroyed, the surrounding small countries would start fighting each other. It would lead to a much larger war," Ling Yuan Douluo said evenly. "For the sake of regional stability, isn't it better to leave one small country for everyone to beat up?"

"Could Zhong Hunmie and the others be hiding here in New York City too? Have we walked right into an Evil Soul Master lair?" Huang Tieyi asked with a wry smile.

"You could say we've entered one. Whether Zhong Hunmie and the others will show themselves, though, I don't know," Ling Yuan Douluo said. "If they're here, you'll get to see what a fight between Titled Douluo looks like. Once you've seen the heavens and earth torn apart, you won't be so eager to watch another."

"I really do want to see Titled Douluo fight, especially His Holiness the Pope," Huang Tieyi said sincerely. "I'm curious just how much damage the Angel God Martial Soul can do to Evil Soul Masters..."

"Brat, if you want to see me fight, you'd better get out here..." Qian Xunji's voice came from outside. Huang Tieyi hurried out of the carriage. Somehow, New York City had been sealed off.

"Qian Xunji, I didn't expect you to actually come..."