The girl reclining in the bamboo chair raised an eyebrow at her subordinate's report.
"Good, very good. Finally, some good news."
Lilina had been debating lately whether to have her feng shui checked. Her luck had been especially rotten ever since the incident with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect a few years ago.
Not only had the plan she spent years preparing failed, but she had also been swindled out of tens of millions right under her nose.
Most infuriating of all, she had boasted to her subordinates that he could not escape, only to fail to catch so much as a hair.
Recently, someone had even been using her name to swindle people in the Federation.
They claimed she intended to defect from the Holy Spirit Cult.
The Underworld Emperor and Dark Hummingbird had descended upon the Star Luo Continent together.
They had subjected her to an investigation lasting three days and three nights.
Even though they ultimately found nothing, they still stripped her of the vast majority of her authority.
Now, her promotion to the Four Heavenly Kings was more distant than ever.
Fortunately, the thief from back then had finally been caught. She would vent the hatred of these past few years on him first.
"Bring him up."
Dark Bell's voice was soft, but the cultists beside her could hear the edge beneath it.
An ugly man in an ill-fitting forging robe was brought forward by two cultists.
For some reason, looking at that terrifying face left Lilina feeling uneasy.
The man's pupils were an uncanny red and blue, and his gaze roamed the moment he entered.
His eyes kept sweeping over the rare metals stockpiled in the back row.
Dark Bell barked angrily:
"Little rat, you still dare look around? Your eyes will be hanging up there in a moment."
"Looks like this is the place. Hopefully, there's enough."
Ignoring Dark Bell, the man muttered to himself.
Dazzling red light instantly erupted within the cramped room, and five-colored elements surged from his body.
With only his first Soul Skill, terrifying five-element power ran rampant through the small space.
The two Holy Spirit Cult members went straight to heaven on the spot. Realizing something was wrong, Dark Bell immediately released her Martial Soul, but her life-bound bell still shattered in an instant.
She braced herself against the corner of the wall, gasping for breath as her presence plummeted wildly. The man before her had not even used an offensive Soul Skill.
This was unquestionably combat strength at the Limit Douluo level.
How could the Star Luo Empire possibly have a second Limit Douluo!
By the time Yan Qing saw Tong Yu again, he had already filled the warehouse Yan Qing had designated.
Yan Qing tilted his head for a furtive glance. A vast expanse shimmered with brilliant colors, with several kinds of rare metals piled into small mountains. At a glance, their value looked to exceed eleven figures in Federation Coins.
What a powerhouse. Tong Yu had actually robbed the entire Star Luo branch of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Apparently, no high-level combatants had been stationed there.
"I've fulfilled your request. Now it's your turn to tell me who that person is."
The Qilin Douluo stared intently at him, his eyes even a little moist.
Back when Tong Yu became a Super Douluo, rage had clouded his mind, and he had disintegrated a former enemy in front of her child.
Such a heinous crime had led his teacher, the Star Luo Empire's first Limit Douluo, Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci, to hide him away, removing him from public view.
After taking his revenge, Tong Yu himself had been filled with remorse, repenting his actions day after day. Only two concerns remained to him: repaying his teacher's kindness and making amends to the child he had hurt back then.
Thus, when Yan Qing said he could help him find that person, the Qilin Douluo had defied his teacher's orders and forcibly taken action, razing the Holy Spirit Cult's Star Luo branch.
And the person whose childhood he had scarred so terribly was none other than Tang Wulin's adoptive father, Tang Ziran.
Yan Qing naturally had no right to forgive Tong Yu on someone else's behalf, but Tang Ziran had now been captured and taken to the Star Luo Empire to serve as forced labor.
In a few years, once that drug was developed, disposable production materials like Tang Ziran would also be destroyed.
Yan Qing told the Qilin Douluo the time and place of Tang Ziran's impending incident, letting him do his best to atone, while also ensuring that the Little Golden Dragon King would not have to fight alone at the Dou Ling Spirit Pagoda when the time came.
After receiving the information, Tong Yu solemnly bade Yan Qing farewell. He still had to continue honing his cultivation.
Yan Qing did not want to remain in the Star Luo Empire much longer either. This had been no petty affair; he could call it an extraction worth ten billion.
Watching the portals on the world map transport the resources away one after another, Yan Qing grinned from ear to ear.
With such a huge sum of starting capital, he would definitely make something big happen when he returned.
After teleporting back to the Federation, Yan Qing's first order of business was to head straight to the Tang Sect and sell off some of the rare metals at a discount.
Tang Sect contribution points could also be exchanged for Federation Coins, but the exchange rate was frighteningly poor, resulting in losses of more than double. Only disciples who were just a few contribution points short of an item they wanted would choose this method.
Having struck it rich, however, Yan Qing naturally did not care about such things. He made his way to the Soul Fighting Hall with practiced ease.
Standing at the counter, he kept pulling out all kinds of resources.
Exchange them all!
He was going to enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well today and grind out that system mission.
Hall Master Guo, who handled internal affairs, had his horizons broadened as well. This was his first time seeing a Yellow-Rank Soul Fighter produce resources worth hundreds of millions.
Even a top-grade forging material like starfall iron was being measured by the ton.
Had he robbed Shrek and the Tang Sect, or the Spirit Pagoda?
He had stumbled into the imperial household.
"Hall Master Guo, can I exchange these?"
Yan Qing gave him a harmless smile.
That put Guo Xiaoxu on the spot. He truly did not have the authority to approve an exchange order of this size.
"Of course you can."
A gentle voice came from behind Yan Qing, making the decision for Hall Master Guo.
Yan Qing turned toward the voice. A handsome young man had appeared behind him at some point and was examining the fine items Yan Qing had placed on the counter with interest.
"Hall Master, what brings you here?"
Hall Master Guo nodded to the newcomer, then began tallying the resources. Since the hall master had spoken, there was naturally no problem.
At least he could not have robbed their Tang Sect.
"Little fellow, you're quite capable. These things came from the Holy Spirit Cult, didn't they?"
"Greetings, Hall Master. These..."
Yan Qing's eyes shifted, and he was about to recount a tale of overflowing luck and picking up metals while walking down the road.
The young man raised a hand to stop Yan Qing.
"No need to explain. Since you had the ability to bring them out, and you're a Tang Sect disciple, the Tang Sect will certainly back you up."
The Amorous Douluo smiled, tapping a finger lightly against the counter as his gaze settled on Yan Qing's face.
"Come to think of it, I keep getting a familiar feeling from you."
"To be precise, your presence resembles that of an annoying, stubborn fellow. Little friend, could you tell me-
"What is your Martial Soul?"