Outside the Slaughter Capital, in a small tavern tucked away in the nearby town, four men in heavy black cloaks sat huddled together in a shadowy corner. Each had a blood-red cocktail set before them—Bloody Marys, eerily appropriate for the company they kept.
"Any news?"
The one who spoke was the same man who had once stopped Golden Crocodile Douluo outside Martial Soul City—Mie Li. His voice was soft, yet carried a weight that made the others instinctively lower their heads.
"That kid Lu Yuan seems to have vanished into thin air," one of them reported bitterly. "We've scoured every corner of the Douluo Continent for more than a year, and there's still nothing. No whispers, no shadows."
"We've been monitoring the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan too," another added grimly. "Still no signs of him."
"And as for the Martial Soul Hall's Elder Hall… they're extremely guarded when it comes to any information about Lu Yuan. We don't dare push too close. The risk is too high."
Despite their hushed tones, there was tension simmering beneath every word. These were evil spirit masters—individuals whose mere existence on the Douluo Continent was fuel for fear. For the first time in history, so many of them had been dispatched together. Such a mass appearance was dangerous, impossible to hide forever. Already, a handful of unlucky Angel Clan members had caught wind of them… and had quickly been silenced.
All this chaos, all this risk… just for one person. For Lu Yuan.
Whispers had begun spreading among their subordinates. Was it truly worth gambling their lives for this boy? Anger and doubt simmered, but none of them dared voice it too loudly. They all knew Mie Li's temperament. His cruelty and methods were unmatched. To complain before him was to court death.
"How about the Slaughter City?" Mie Li asked suddenly, his tone flat but eyes glinting beneath his hood.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"The situation inside the Slaughter City is… unclear," one finally admitted. "We want to find out, of course. After all, most of our main force is trapped inside. But as you know, the Slaughter City is a one-way door. Once you enter, you don't come back. As for the Hell Road after the Slaughter God Trial… how many throughout history have lived through it?"
"Useless," Mie Li muttered, his robe swaying as though stirred by an unseen wind.
A suffocating force rippled out of him at once, and the entire tavern froze. The cheerful noise of drinking, dice games, and the waiters' greetings cut off midair. For one heartbeat, the world seemed suspended.
Then silence.
When Mie Li and his men rose and silently exited, the tavern collapsed into a ghastly tableau. Everyone inside fell limp to the ground, dead without even a sound of struggle. A bustling pub, transformed into a grave in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, deep within Martial Soul City, in the revered Elder Hall, Qian Daoliu stood before the towering angel idol, his gaze fixed on the young woman kneeling before it.
"How are you thinking, my granddaughter?" he asked, voice warm yet probing.
Qian Renxue lifted her eyes, clear and bright with newfound conviction. "Grandfather, I've made up my mind."
"Oh?" A smile softened Qian Daoliu's dignified face. It had been over a year, and he had been waiting for this very day. For Qian Renxue to confront her doubts, to reach her own understanding, was the greatest relief to his heart. One day, he would entrust this Elder Hall to her hands. That thought alone brought him comfort.
"Tell me, child."
"When I was with Lu Yuan," Qian Renxue began slowly, her voice carrying both thoughtfulness and hidden emotion, "at first, my Martial Soul resisted him. There was a rejection, a natural pushing away. But over time… that feeling has weakened. And when I used the power of the Angel God in the Star Dou Forest, if he had truly been an evil spirit master, one of us would have been seriously hurt. Yet nothing happened."
She paused, then spoke more firmly. "I've thought long and hard over the past year. I'm more certain than ever—Lu Yuan is not an evil spirit master!"
"Enough!"
Qian Daoliu's expression darkened in a flash. His long beard quivered as his anger burst out. This… this was it? He had thought his granddaughter had finally awakened to greater insight. But all she had come to declare was—this?
"Grandfather!" Qian Renxue insisted, violet-gold eyes blazing with emotion. "Lu Yuan truly isn't an evil spirit master. It's only that… our attributes clash!"
Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed until his whole face twisted with irritation. "Continue your reflection here!" he snapped. "When you finally accept Lu Yuan for what he clearly is—an evil spirit master—then come speak to me again!"
With a snort, the great elder turned on his heel and vanished, leaving only the heavy silence of the idol chamber behind.
"Attributes can't coincide with angels—what nonsense!" he muttered as he disappeared down the hall.
Left behind, Qian Renxue sighed softly, shoulders drooping as she whispered into the loneliness, "Lu Yuan… where are you? Are you safe?" She longed to see him once more, but could not leave Martial Soul City without giving up her freedom entirely. All she could do was hope.
Far away, in the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, a much lighter scene was unfolding.
"Uncle Daming! When will I have my own Martial Soul, like my dad?"
Perched on the massive, broad head of the Sky Azure Bull Python, the young boy Lu Xiaoyu propped his chubby cheeks on his palms, blinking wide, eager eyes. In all the vast forest, there was not another human child who could ride upon the head of the forest's emperor.
He had witnessed everything—his father obliterating the three terrifying ant kings not long ago. To him, it was the grandest show of strength imaginable. His father was his idol, and he dreamed of one day being just as mighty.
"According to human years," Daming rumbled in his deep, gentle voice, "you'll awaken your Martial Soul at six. That's when you'll become a soul master."
"What's so great about becoming a soul master anyway?" the massive python teased. "Isn't it better to just stay here, carefree with your Uncle Daming forever? Your father's strength may look impressive, but compared to me, he's nothing!" He let out a booming, prideful laugh.
"No way! Don't talk about my dad like that!" Xiaoyu puffed out his cheeks angrily, arms crossed, glaring down at the vast scales beneath him. To him, his father was invincible, untouchable.
Daming chuckled again, moving smoothly through the lake's clear waters. He'd only been joking, but he couldn't help admiring the boy's fierce loyalty.
Still, a hint of unease stirred inside him. If Xiaoyu truly awakened his Martial Soul, he might one day leave the forest for the human world. And that thought, deeply, troubled him.
"Uncle Daming, so after I awaken my Martial Soul… how do I get stronger?" Xiaoyu leaned eagerly forward, his little legs kicking excitedly as questions tumbled out of his mouth.
For all his boundless energy, his mother never taught him about cultivation systems. Instead, she only drilled in kind rules: Don't bully the soul beasts. Never the details of hunting, rings, or combat.
"The path of a soul master," Daming explained patiently, "is to cultivate diligently, then hunt soul beasts, absorb their rings, and even take their bones. That's how strength is gained."
He sighed heavily at the words. He could not deny the truth, though it pained him. For Xiaoyu to become strong, he would have to one day hunt down creatures like himself.
"Absorb spirit rings? What's that? I've never seen Father do anything like that," the boy said innocently, tilting his head.
A strange look flashed in Daming's ancient eyes. "Your father is… different. Very different. He's a strange flower. Unlike other humans, he doesn't hunt soul beasts for rings. He can generate them himself—like us spirit beasts. I've lived for a hundred thousand years and never seen another like him."
Lu Xiaoyu's eyes widened with awe. His father really was amazing!
"But promise me, Little Feather," Daming continued gently, "if you grow into a powerful soul master, don't casually hunt spirit beasts. Black Bear Uncle and Ghost Tiger Uncle are kind to you, aren't they?"
"Of course they are! I'd never fight them!" the boy said quickly. "I'll only battle bad soul beasts… like that big ant! Right, Uncle Daming?"
"Hahaha… fine, Little Feather. Big ants it is."
Amusement rumbled through Daming. The boy's innocence charmed him, his words a small comfort.
"Uncle Daming, then… what's a soul bone?" Xiaoyu piped up immediately, bubbling with curiosity.
"It's like the bone your father pulled from the big ant after slaying it. You saw that," Daming replied patiently.
"Ohhh… then Father's soul bones must have grown out naturally too, just like his rings!" Xiaoyu clapped his little hands, eyes sparkling with imagination.
Daming nearly choked on his own spiritual energy. "No, no! Your father's soul bones didn't grow from him. The one on his head was a reward from a tournament. And the one on his left leg…" The great python hesitated, then added with a wry tone, "That one… was given as a gift, to celebrate your full-moon banquet after you were born."
"What?!" Xiaoyu's mouth dropped open. "You mean my present?!"
The little boy's face immediately scrunched up in indignation, his tiny fists balling. "Grandpa gave my gift to Dad?!"
Daming's booming laughter echoed across the lake. "Hahaha! Your father… truly is one weird flower."
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