Chapter 216: Star Luo's True Nature Is Madness

"That I wouldn't know."

The middle-aged man chuckled and shook his head. "I bought it from someone too. These incomplete dragon bones were just a freebie the other party threw in because the item I traded for was too valuable... though I can't use them either."

Because they couldn't be absorbed as soul bones, the value of these incomplete dragon bones plummeted, and they had always been treated by the major families of Star Luo as collectibles that were tasteless to eat but a pity to discard.

Although some had tried using them to make soul guide weapons, the results weren't very good.

"Could you introduce him?" Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes and said flatly, "I'll give you a satisfactory reward."

"You want complete dragon bones, right?"

The middle-aged man considered for a moment, then nodded. "Of course I can, but I'm not sure if the other party is the first-hand source of the dragon bones either."

Speaking up to here, his tone shifted, and a strange smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"So, compared to looking for them, I have a better proposal."

Standing behind Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na, Le Xiao Ling, acting as their "guard," narrowed her eyes. Sensing a dangerous aura, she was about to warn the two of them.

But a black shadow flashed past, and Le Xiao Ling only felt darkness before her eyes as she lost consciousness.

The middle-aged man had unknowingly arrived behind her, without even using his martial soul.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na watched this scene calmly, neither feeling surprised.

Someone who knew the core intelligence of Dragon Valley wouldn't be an ordinary Soul Master; they had been prepared for this long ago. Moreover, although Le Xiao Ling couldn't sense it, in their eyes this middle-aged man's strength was laid bare.

He was shockingly a Titled Douluo.

The only thing that surprised them somewhat was probably that the visitor wasn't from the Holy Spirit Cult or Star Luo's official side, but from the Dawn Society.

The man made no attempt to conceal his actions. After confirming Le Xiao Ling had fainted, he even set up a soul power barrier before bowing respectfully to the two. "I've startled the two honored guests of the Spirit Pagoda. I am Mo Yan, representing the Dawn Society, and I hereby apologize to you both."

Glancing at Le Xiao Ling fallen into a deep sleep on the floor, Huo Yuhao paid her no mind, simply staring at the Mo Yan before him who claimed to be from the Dawn Society.

"You just attacked the train our federal delegation was on, and now you've knocked out the guide Star Luo assigned us, disrupting my trade plans. Do you think a single apology is enough?"

The man's expression didn't change; instead, a meaningful smile curved his lips, and the heavy mood in his heart relaxed somewhat.

Sharing a room with Huo Yuhao, this powerhouse who had just defeated a Red-Grade Mecha Master and established his prestige on the Star Luo Continent, his pressure was no small matter.

Fortunately, Huo Yuhao didn't attack immediately, which meant things could be talked out.

Mo Yan coughed lightly. "The attack was also forced by circumstances. We didn't know how you all planned to deal with the Star Luo Federation. If we let you enter Star Luo City and sign various agreements with the Star Luo Federation, even become allies, we'd have no chance at all. But through the previous battle, we've understood that you temporarily have no intention of participating in Star Luo's strife... I apologize to you two here."

From the previous probing attack, the Dawn Society had obtained a very important answer — the Douluo Federation's powerhouses did not pursue the Dawn Society members who fled. From this, they could understand the Douluo Federation's true attitude.

And this, in his view, was the greatest significance of that attack.

Seeing Huo Yuhao's flat reaction, understanding he had zero interest in his explanation and apology, Mo Yan smiled again.

"For the displeasure the Dawn Society brought the delegation members, I will soon deliver compensation. Ling Hefan, who acted on his own and attacked you, has already been dealt with. If you two are still angry, I can present his head!"

His palm rested on his soul guidance bracelet, looking like he could produce the head if Huo Yuhao and the other needed it.

At this, Huo Yuhao finally frowned slightly. "He's already dead?"

"Correct. The leader already made him pay the price."

Mo Yan smiled faintly. "After all, there's no foundation of trust between us. If a heavy dose of medicine at the start could win your trust, that would be best of all." Beside him, Gu Yue Na looked at the smile on this man's face and let out a cold snort. "What I sense from it is only madness."

A Red-Grade Mecha Master, killed just like that. Facing a companion's death with a grin, treating it as a bargaining chip. Compared to the Star Luo Federation's surface normalcy, this Dawn Society isn't any less crazy.

"Star Luo's true nature... is madness. Among the powerhouses who've survived to now, which one isn't crazy?"

Mo Yan chuckled, looking toward the still-ongoing auction outside, and said inexplicably, "Unlike you two, we weren't born in paradise!"

At this very moment on the auction stage, the host was introducing passionately:

"Esteemed guests, the next item is the 'Soul Origin Elixir'! You're all surely familiar with this elixir. It's refined from an ancient secret recipe, can help Soul Masters break through bottlenecks and raise their soul power rank, and has absolutely no side effects! Starting bid, five million Star Luo coins!"

The audience instantly boiled over, countless bidders vying to raise their paddles, the price climbing steadily.

Finally, it was hammered down by a guest in a private box shouting hoarsely.

"Do you two know who's in that box?"

Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na didn't answer, but Mo Yan didn't mind, asking and answering himself. "The person inside is from the Douluo Federation, and has been in Star Luo for decades. In the past, he didn't value the Soul Origin Elixirs sold by Star Luo, thinking an elixir that could be used continuously was fraudulent, and didn't even look at them."

"After all, there are plenty of medicine jars who became Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo. In forces that value sub-occupations like the Blacksmith Association and Mecha Master Association, such people aren't few, but their combat strength is generally very low — they can't even fight those weaker than themselves, let alone leapfrog challenges. His view isn't strange."

"But the Soul Origin Elixir is different. He just happened to try it once, and then could no longer extricate himself. The effect of that elixir is similar to the soul power surge after obtaining a soul ring. As long as you don't swallow too many at once, you won't become those medicine jars. And the Soul Origin Elixir has no drug resistance; with enough Soul Origin Elixirs, becoming a Titled Douluo isn't hard."

Gu Yue Na frowned at the Soul Origin Elixir being auctioned, her heart sinking slightly.

Any elixir has drug resistance. To be able to keep swallowing it and still have superb effects, and it's sold in a Star Luo auction house... she thought of the Dark Phoenix Douluo's speculation.

Could this Soul Origin Elixir... also be a human elixir?

Mo Yan continued, "But isn't this very strange? How can such an unreasonable elixir exist in the world? Rapidly raising cultivation without harming the foundation... it inevitably makes one think of a dangerous group — Evil Soul Masters."

"Our Dawn Society has existed in Star Luo for hundreds of years. Investigating along this direction, though we initially hit many obstacles, no defense can withstand the power of time. In the end we still discovered the truth — Star Luo cooperates with Evil Soul Masters, and the materials for these elixirs are... humans!"

"We, who once swallowed elixirs to grow strong and resist the Star Luo army, after learning the truth, how could we not go mad?"

Mo Yan originally thought that after he revealed this, no matter how strong these two youths were, with the nature of youths they would surely show shock, disbelief, or anger.

And as long as this seed of doubt was planted, things would develop in the direction he hoped.

Evil Soul Masters — everyone has the right to execute them.

The Douluo Federation would not cooperate with Evil Soul Masters, yet the Star Luo Federation secretly colludes with Evil Soul Masters — this truth is enough to make the Federation hostile toward the Star Luo Federation, and bear fruit in the future.

However, Huo Yuhao merely glanced at him indifferently. "Keep these one-sided words for someone else! I'm just a delegation member, not the delegation leader. If you want to seek cooperation and explain Star Luo's situation, go find His Excellency Duo Qing and them. What I want now is only the information you originally intended to give."

Mo Yan: "..."

What's with this person?! Shouldn't a normal person fly into a rage on the spot upon hearing Evil Soul Masters refine living people into elixirs?

You don't care about Star Luo cooperating with Evil Soul Masters?

Aren't you curious about these inside details at all!

Finally, under Huo Yuhao's calm gaze, Mo Yan conceded, revealing a helpless smile. "Seems the leader was right that I'm not good with words... Fine. Since you want to know about Dragon Valley, I'll tell you now, hoping to make up for the previous offense."

(End of Chapter)