The next day, terrifying news spread through the streets and alleys of Star Luo City like a plague reeking of blood. Not one or two, but a whole host of powerful figures from the Soul Master World had silently become cold corpses the night before.
Even the weakest among them had been a Soul Emperor, and there had been no shortage of prominent Soul Saints and Soul Douluos within Star Luo City.
They were no nameless nobodies. Each had their own residence and servants. When the servants pushed open their masters' bedroom doors that morning as usual, they were greeted by horrifying scenes of corpses with eyes still wide open and blood already congealed.
The panic swiftly swelled into a storm. To accomplish something like this within Star Luo City meant the killer possessed the power to overturn everything, along with the arrogance to disregard the empire's order.
For a time, everyone in the noble district feared for their own safety. The great Soul Master families barred their gates and tightened security. Streets that had once bustled with prosperity became eerily deserted, and unease permeated the air.
Inside the Imperial Palace, Xu Jiawei listened to the urgent report with a thunderous expression. A freshly compiled list of the dead lay spread across the desk before him. The longer he read, the colder his gaze became, though a trace of conflicted emotion lingered within it.
"Your Majesty." Heavenly Fiend Douluo Huang Jinxu stood below him with a respectful bow. Even this Titled Douluo, renowned for his baleful aura, wore a grave expression. "I have carefully examined every scene. All the victims were killed with a single strike. Their wounds were extremely narrow, consistent with a soft sword or a similarly slender, sharp weapon. The residual soul power fluctuations were exceptionally faint,