Du Busi's furious roar echoed through the great hall.
The disciple trembled all over and kowtowed repeatedly, knocking his forehead against the floor until it split open and blood streamed down his face:
"This disciple deserves to die! This disciple deserves to die!"
"At the time, this disciple thought he was just an ordinary child and never imagined he had such talent. His Soul Power also suddenly disappeared, which made this disciple think he was just a cripple, so I didn't report it."
"Besides, the Soul Master World has an unwritten rule against awakening Martial Souls for commoners... This disciple only acted on impulse, coveting that family's money-"
Du Busi stared coldly at him, killing intent surging in his eyes:
"Not only did you break the rules, you also concealed such important information! Do you realize that if that child could join the Body Sect, he would surely become a pillar of our sect in the future? He might even lead the Body Sect back to its peak!"
"And you... for your own selfish gain, you've destroyed our sect's future!"
The disciple trembled all over, his voice almost breaking into sobs:
"Sect Master, spare me! This disciple knows he was wrong! I'm willing to atone for my mistake with meritorious deeds and do everything I can to find the child!"
He truly hadn't known that the child, who hadn't even had any Soul Power left in the end, was so important to the sect master.
Du Busi snorted coldly:
"If you can bring that child back, I won't hold you accountable for your mistake."
A moment later, he raised his head and looked at the other elders and disciples in the hall. In a deep voice, he said, "Pass down my order. Send more people immediately to search for the child surnamed Shen. You must find him."
An elder stepped forward and asked respectfully:
"Sect Master, that child has been missing for eight years, and he has no Soul Power at all. How are we to find him?"
Du Busi said, "No Soul Power? That's only on the surface. Since his Martial Soul has the potential for a Gold Grade Second Awakening, he can never be ordinary. Pass down the order: report immediately if anyone finds a youth with abnormally great fighting strength and no Soul Power fluctuations whatsoever!"
"Also, send people to investigate the location of the family whose home that child's Martial Soul was awakened in eight years ago. Have this fellow lead them."
With that, Du Busi pointed at the disciple below, who was still kowtowing and apologizing.
The elder nodded his assent, then turned and left the hall to arrange the manpower.
The disciple raised his head and hurriedly said:
"Thank you, Sect Master, for giving me a chance to atone for my mistake!"
Du Busi looked at him for a while, then took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart. In a cold voice, he said:
"Don't think you can escape punishment. I'll personally go looking for the child surnamed Shen. If I don't find him, I'll give you a taste of a fate worse than death."
The disciple's body shook.
Du Busi stood up:
"Lead the way immediately. No matter what, I must bring him back to the sect and bring out the talent of his top-tier Martial Soul."
The disciple nodded repeatedly:
"Yes... yes! This disciple will lead the way right now!"
Night lay deep, and the Soul Fighting Arena's dome looked especially eerie in the moonlight. Toji had already brought Father Zhang here, ready to carry out the assassination of Liang Wu.
In any case, having a Soul Emperor to help made him feel much more reassured.
"What you asked for—a Soul Tool that should suit your hand." Father Zhang handed Toji a short blade.
"This is a Level 3 Soul Tool. See if it suits you."
Toji swung it a few times and found it was indeed a vast improvement over an ordinary weapon. At least he wouldn't have to worry about his weapon shattering anymore.
Unless his opponent was stronger than he was.
"Thanks," Toji said.
"Let's get started."
Toji and Father Zhang slipped soundlessly into the Soul Fighting Arena, their footsteps as light as a cat's, making almost no noise.
Along the way, they encountered several of Liang Wu's men, but Toji and Father Zhang quickly dealt with them all. They dragged the bodies into the shadows without attracting anyone's attention.
"Liang Wu's office is just ahead. He stays here often and rarely goes anywhere else," Toji said quietly, looking ahead.
Father Zhang nodded in understanding, and the two silently made their way to the door of Liang Wu's office.
Toji gently grasped the doorknob and was just about to push his way in when a sharp blade suddenly pierced through the door, shooting straight at his and Father Zhang's faces.
"Watch out!"
Father Zhang gave a low shout and swiftly pulled Toji back.
The sharp blade flew past their cheeks, nearly slicing their skin.
Had Liang Wu already discovered them?
"So, my men died just like that, and at your hands, no less." Liang Wu's icy voice came from inside, and the office door slowly opened.
Liang Wu stood in the doorway, holding a blade that glinted coldly. Six Soul Rings slowly revolved beneath his feet, their perfect configuration of two yellow, two purple, and two black displaying his formidable strength as a Power Attack System Tool Martial Soul Soul Emperor.
"Toji, it's true that I can't sense you with Soul Power, but sensing a Soul Master at the same level as me is still within my abilities." Liang Wu turned his gaze to Father Zhang, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to make it out alive. That surprised me."
Toji didn't answer. He only tightened his grip on the short blade and stared fixedly at Liang Wu.
Father Zhang stood beside him, his Soul Rings lighting up as well. The presence of a level sixty-two Soul Emperor erupted in an instant.
"Be careful. His cultivation is a little higher than mine, probably around level sixty-four," Father Zhang said in a deep voice. "The gap between us isn't large, but the quality of my Martial Soul is better than his. I'll hold him off head-on; you act when you see an opening."
His Martial Soul was the moon. Zhang Lexuan had inherited her Martial Soul from her father.
Father Zhang stepped forward, and his First Soul Ring lit up. A crescent moon rose above his head and bore down on Liang Wu with a piercing rush of wind.
Liang Wu sneered and swung the long saber in his hand. Saber light flashed, easily blocking Father Zhang's Soul Skill.
Toji didn't join in. It was difficult for him to take part in a battle at the Soul Emperor level.
But he had another trick prepared.
From the Storage Soul Tool at his waist, he took out a palm-sized pouch. It was the poison the poison-using Soul Emperor had given him earlier.
He opened the pouch and took out a purple pill the size of a thumb. Its surface was smooth, and it gave off a faint, pungent smell.
Toji pinched the pill and pressed lightly with his fingertips. It instantly crumbled into a cloud of purple powder.
He carefully spread the powder evenly over the short blade.
Once he was done, Toji fixed his gaze on Liang Wu.
As soon as Father Zhang tore through the Soul Power protecting Liang Wu's body, Toji would be able to stab the short blade into him and poison him.
Once poisoned, Liang Wu would naturally be no match for Father Zhang, especially with Toji interfering from the side.
By now, the battle between Father Zhang and Liang Wu had reached a fever pitch.
Father Zhang moved like lightning. His fifth Soul Skill, Moonfall, appeared once more, descending from the sky in silver arcs that swept toward Liang Wu's vital points with fierce Soul Power fluctuations.
Liang Wu seemed to be struggling against Father Zhang's fierce onslaught. Though his Soul Power Level was somewhat higher, he could never gain the upper hand against Father Zhang's Martial Soul.
Father Zhang's Martial Soul combined offense and defense, and its quality was far superior to his.
Liang Wu roared, his Sixth Soul Ring rising as he brought his long saber down. A gigantic saber beam shot straight at Father Zhang.
Father Zhang condensed silvery-white Soul Power into crescent-shaped blades of light that collided fiercely with Liang Wu's saber beam.
"Boom-"
The two powerful forces of Soul Power exploded in the air. A blast swept outward, shaking the surrounding walls until they cracked.
The impact sent Liang Wu staggering back several steps, his face turning slightly pale. The Moon Blade tore straight through his protective Soul Power, cutting a deep wound across his chest. Blood gushed out in an instant.
An opening!
Seeing Liang Wu's protective Soul Power disappear, Toji burst from the shadows like a ghost.
His target was Liang Wu.