"I see. Thank you both."
After asking around, Tang San learned what had happened in the Hundred Flowers Mountains.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the mountains was continuously releasing Poison Miasma and had taken control of a large band of Wolf Bandits.
The Spirit Hall members sent to investigate had suffered unexpected losses.
Hearing this, Tang San could not help worrying about Grandmaster.
When Tang San and Grandmaster had previously gone into the mountains to gather herbs, Grandmaster had mentioned that the Poison Miasma there seemed abnormal.
He had later discussed the matter with the local Spirit Hall.
After repeated investigations and efforts to persuade them, he had finally convinced Spirit Hall that something was strange about the Poison Miasma in the Hundred Flowers Mountains.
They had then begun investigating the source of the Poison Miasma, and Tang San had done his part as well.
He had supplied a hundred portions of First-Grade Purifying Dewdrop.
Nearly a week had passed since Grandmaster set out. Now that Tang San had heard news circulating, he figured there must have been some results.
Tang San therefore said goodbye to Ma Hongjun and the Black Rose Mercenary Group, preparing to find Grandmaster.
Over the past year, the Black Rose Mercenary Group had become loyal customers of Tang's Medicine Shop, and their frequent dealings had made them familiar with one another.
Today, they were celebrating every member of the mercenary group reaching the Soul Elder rank, while their leader had advanced to Soul Ancestor.
Everyone was already accustomed to Tang San taking his leave.
"See you, Third Brother! I'll pack up some good wine and food to bring back for you."
With that, Ma Hongjun went back to playing finger-guessing games with Xiao Ruoxue. Because of Grandmaster's rules, however, he could only drink juice.
"Mm. Goodbye."
Tang San left the tavern.
He then headed straight to Spirit Hall.
Since news had already arrived, Grandmaster and the rest of the investigation team should have returned.
Before long, Tang San reached Spirit Hall.
The guards at the entrance had a different air about them than usual, appearing more solemn and dignified.
It was as though a higher-up was coming for an inspection.
Tang San visited often and knew the staff, so after explaining why he had come, he entered Spirit Hall without trouble.
"Young Brother Tang San, you're just in time. Grandmaster is in the Infirmary on the second floor. He just sent someone to look for you."
"Thank you."
Hearing that Grandmaster was in the Infirmary, Tang San's heart tightened. He hurried upstairs and found him.
Grandmaster lay on a bed with his brow furrowed, his body covered in bandages and giving off a foul smell, but overall, his life did not appear to be in danger.
"Teacher!" Tang San called out with concern, keeping his voice low.
"Xiao San, you're here." Pulled from his thoughts, Grandmaster spoke weakly. "Don't worry. I won't die. There's no need to use your Soul Skill to heal me. Save some of your strength."
"Mm. As long as you're all right. What's the situation in the mountains now?" Tang San obediently stopped his right hand.
He then cut straight to the point. Although this was beyond his ability to handle, understanding the situation could do no harm.
"Not good. It's worse than I imagined."
"The Soul Beast in the mountains is a Calamity Flower Demon on the verge of reaching the hundred-thousand-year level."
The Calamity Flower Demon was an unusual plant Soul Beast. At first, it was merely a beautiful blue flower that gave off a soothing fragrance.
Some incense was made from it.
As its cultivation grew and it reached the ten-year and hundred-year levels, it would consciously strengthen the effects of its fragrance, drawing in creatures and immersing them in pleasure until they forgot food and drink and died in bliss. The Calamity Flower Demon would then devour their corpses to strengthen itself.
At this stage, humans and Soul Masters could still resist its fragrance and put the flower to another use.
For instance, drugs such as Five-Stone Powder and Worry-Forgetting Pills.
A thousand-year Calamity Flower Demon would grow a beautiful face within its blossom.
Upon reaching the ten-thousand-year level, a Calamity Flower Demon would develop a humanoid form to seduce humans.
At that stage, only Soul Masters with profound cultivation could resist its allure.
"And a Soul Saint-level Evil Soul Master is controlling it. He specializes in poison."
Hearing this, Tang San could not help trembling a little.
Evil Soul Masters were vile beings who could increase their cultivation by harming others.
They did so with astonishing efficiency. The greatest obstacle an Evil Soul Master faced in becoming a Titled Douluo was his conscience.
As long as he was ruthless enough, it was entirely possible to go from awakening his Martial Soul to becoming a Titled Douluo within ten years.
Of course, the resulting backlash would also arrive faster and strike more fiercely.
"From what I observed, that Evil Soul Master's Martial Soul is most likely a Jade Phosphorous Toad, a formidable poison-attribute Soul Beast."
"He used the Calamity Flower Demon's neurotoxins to control all the Wolf Bandits roaming the mountains, roughly a hundred of them. Every one of them has been saturated with poison, making them extraordinarily dangerous."
"We've used up all the Purification Dewdrop you made. Thank goodness we had it, or our entire team might have been wiped out."
Grandmaster then described the team's casualties. Ten people had set out: two Soul Emperors, three Soul Kings, four Soul Ancestors, and one Soul Grandmaster.
One of the Soul Emperors had been severely poisoned and was unconscious.
Two Soul Ancestors had died in ambushes, and everyone else had suffered injuries of varying severity.
Without the Blue Silver Dewdrop, there would only have been more casualties.
"By the way, Grandmaster, if that Evil Soul Master's Martial Soul is a Jade Phosphorous Toad, how did he become an Evil Soul Master?"
One defining trait of Evil Soul Masters was that their Martial Souls were exceptionally capable of benefiting themselves at others' expense.
Although the Jade Phosphorous Toad possessed powerful poison, how did it harm others to benefit itself?
Poison Douluo, whose Martial Soul was the similarly poisonous Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, had a poor reputation, but he was still officially registered as a legitimate Soul Master.
"Xiao San, the evil in an Evil Soul Master lies not in the Martial Soul, but in the Soul Master himself."
"Just as there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters."
"As long as your heart is evil, even your Blue Silver Grass could make you an Evil Soul Master."
"As long as your heart is righteous enough, you can be accepted even if your Martial Soul is a Ghoul. That path, however, is destined to be difficult."
Grandmaster's words gave Tang San food for thought.
"And that Jade Phosphorous Toad Soul Master seems to strengthen his cultivation by devouring poison.
"To develop his Martial Soul to such an extent, he could be considered an extraordinary talent."
"Grandmaster, what does Spirit Hall intend to do next?"
Tang San continued questioning him. The Hundred Flowers Mountains were an important resource for Geyin City, and allowing that Evil Soul Master to occupy them was a decidedly bad situation.
"Apparently, Spirit Hall has already dispatched people. They should arrive tonight."
"That fast?"
"Yes. Under the current Pope's guidance, Spirit Hall has been advancing a thousand miles a day."
"They can already use certain flying Soul Beasts as a means of transportation."
"I imagine Spirit Hall will even form an airborne army in the future."
Grandmaster's words astonished Tang San. He had not expected Spirit Hall to be even more unfathomable than he had imagined.
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