Chapter 343

This being, which has an identical appearance to them, is suffused with the aura of death; its eyes are also extremely clouded, showing no trace of reason.

Obviously, they are undead creatures created by Huo Yutong.

Huo Yutong pointed a finger; a streak of blood‑red light suddenly surged from her body, and under her guidance the light flew onto the undead creature that looks exactly like her.

Then she grabbed Tang Wulin's hand and rushed into the black gate.

After completing this series of actions, her expression finally relaxed.

Tang Wulin asked, "Yutong, what's the situation now?"

Earlier, Huo Yutong had conveyed to him telepathically that she was fine, and the weak demeanor was just an act, but to avoid revealing any emotional discrepancy, she did not give him further information.

Now that they were in a safe place, he could finally ask.

Huo Yutong breathed out, and her first words instantly weighed heavily on Tang Wulin's mood.

"The woman we just saw is named Ye Xi Shui, Honored Douluo, Death God, the being in Ri Yue Di Guo legend that comes closest to a Level‑10 Soul Master, and she is also an Extreme Douluo."

"…Really?"

It wasn't that he was unwilling to believe Huo Yutong; her words were simply too unbelievable.

Seeing Huo Yutong nod earnestly, Tang Wulin felt his already not‑great mood worsen further.

The titles Extreme Douluo and the strongest Soul Master of Ri Yue Di Guo were like mountains pressing on his heart.

The Douluo who originally belonged to the Three Kingdoms, the former strongest Mu En, was merely an Extreme Douluo, and because of that incident years ago he ended up with both legs crippled; whether even half of his original power remains is still unknown, and it's hard to say whether he could survive ten rounds against Ye Xi Shui.

Not to mention Mu En is now dead; the Three Kingdoms' former Douluo can be said to have completely lost any means against her.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner agitation, and asked, "Is there anything else? For example, did she do anything to you?"

Huo Yutong saw his agitation, squeezed his hand, and said softly:

"Don't worry. Although she placed a seal on me, its effect has already been blocked by Elder Yi, so it has no impact on me."

Then she recounted in detail to Tang Wulin everything that happened after she was taken away by Zhong Li Wu.

The more Tang Wulin listened, the paler his face became; after hearing Huo Yutong's words, he swallowed and said:

"Yutong, we must quickly inform the Academy of these matters."

The news about the Extreme Douluo is extremely important; it must be relayed immediately.

"Hmm."

Huo Yutong gave a gentle nod.

"Wait a little longer; once it's safer outside, we'll go out."

………..

"Huh?"

Ye Xi Shui, who was walking forward, suddenly let out a soft "eh?".

Zhong Li Wu hurriedly asked, "What happened, Mother?"

Ye Xi Shui touched her chin.

"The strand of spiritual energy I placed on those two kids has vanished; how interesting."

"Impossible!" Zhong Li Wu said in disbelief, "Don't they lack even Honored Douluo‑level cultivation? How could they have nullified your spiritual energy?"

Ye Xi Shui chuckled, appearing not at all hurried.

"I don't know either, but that's exactly what I need to ask them next."

Seeing her composed demeanor, Zhong Li Wu also calmed down.

"Mother, the seal is still active, right?"

As long as the seal remains, those two won't be able to escape.

Ye Xi Shui nodded.

"Of course. This is a secret technique passed down by the Holy Spirit Sect for millennia; how could it fail on such a little girl? I'm confident that within at most ten days we'll see her again."

The seal she placed on Huo Yutong has many functions; one of them is that whenever she thinks, the sealed person feels intense pain.

The pain intensifies over time, peaking on the tenth day, and after a month of continuation it will cause a sudden death.

The only way to erase this pain is to ask Ye Xi Shui for help.

Therefore, she isn't worried at all that Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong would just run away; they will certainly return.

In fact, she'd even like Huo Yutong to hold out longer, as that would at least show her willpower is strong enough.

Compared to that.

Ye Xi Shui arrived at a door, adjusted her expression, and without knocking or greeting, pushed the door open and entered.

In the room stood an elderly man in a black robe; when he saw Ye Xi Shui, he blinked in astonishment. "Xi Shui, why are you here? I recall you were in seclusion studying the Death God Tower, weren't you?"

Ye Xi Shui stepped into the room and replied:

"That was the case, but these past two days Xiao Wu told me something urgent had happened, so I came out of seclusion to investigate, and I discovered two promising seedlings, Xiao Yao. I hope you can teach them together with me."

If Xuanzi heard Ye Xi Shui's words, his jaw might drop.

He had heard the rumors about Mu En and Ye Xi Shui long ago; the elderly man seated at the table was now unmistakably identified as Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao, who once stood alongside Mu En as the black‑white dual saint dragons.

Mu En became an Extreme Douluo many years ago, and with Long Xiaoyao's talent, he obviously would not be any worse.

In other words, he, like Mu En and Ye Xi Shui, is also an Extreme Douluo.

Hearing Ye Xi Shui's words, Long Xiaoyao set down his tea cup, his expression showing both puzzlement and reluctance.

"It's not that I'm unwilling to grant your request, Xi Shui, but you know I'm not an Evil Soul Master, and I don't know much about the Evil Soul Master's cultivation methods; if I were to teach, I'd likely mislead them, wouldn't I?"

The Evil Soul Master's cultivation system differs from that of ordinary Soul Masters; instead of steady progression, an Evil Soul Master largely advances by taking lives.

This sort of thing is evidently better handled by people of the Holy Spirit Sect; Long Xiaoyao, as an external enforcer, knows little of its mysteries.

Ye Xi Shui said with a proud smile:

"Of course I know you're not good at teaching Evil Soul Masters, but rest assured, among those two there is a normal Soul Master, and she is a Dragon‑type Soul Master just like you, so you'll be willing to step in, right?"

"Oh?" Long Xiaoyao was truly surprised this time, "Is this a companion of a normal Soul Master and another Evil Soul Master?"

Ye Xi Shui chuckled meaningfully, "Not only companions, they're even a couple, Long Xiaoyao, what do you think?"

——

Seeing her rare slightly sweet expression, Long Xiaoyao finally understood why Ye Xi Shui had specially come to find him to come out of retirement.

It was because he saw his and her shadows in those two children.

He took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

"I understand, I agree."

Back then, because of their mistake, Ye Xi Shui went farther down the wrong road, and they themselves fell deeper; they can no longer stand by and watch similar things happen.

He decided that he would find a way to save those two children from the mire.

The tragedy must not be staged again.

………….

Inside the palace of the Ri Yue Di Guo, Xu Tianran was being pushed in a wheelchair by Ju Zi, wandering his thoughts in the palace's rear garden.

He smiled as he gazed at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, looking very pleased.

Ju Zi smiled, "Your Highness, you seem to be in a good mood."

"Hmm, indeed." Xu Tianran admitted, plucking a flower, a flash in his eyes, "Lately more and more insects have come to our Mingdu; the thought that they'll soon all meet their end here makes me extremely delighted."

He is determined to launch a war against the Douluo Former Three Kingdoms; since events are bound to unfold this way, the more high‑level forces of the Former Three Kingdoms that die before the war officially begins, the better.

He certainly doesn't think those Douluo Former Three Kingdoms' elites gathering in Mingdu can achieve anything; this is Ri Yue Di Guo's territory, not only brimming with war machines hidden underground and within the palace, but also guarded by the Holy Spirit Sect's two ultimate Douluo, so those hillbillies could never stir up any waves.

The day the unification project is completed draws ever nearer, which couldn't make his mood any better.

"I see." Ju Zi smiled gently, asking, "How's the underground tournament going? Does the Holy Spirit Sect feel confident about taking the championship?"

Hearing the question, the joy on Xu Tianran's face faded considerably, replaced by puzzlement.

"Regarding this, I've found it quite odd lately; the control over rare metals should be very important to the Holy Spirit Sect, yet these past few days their attention seems to have shifted away from the tournament, as if something more important has occurred for them."

This Mingdu Soul Master Elite Tournament was ostensibly organized because Xu Tianran banned gambling, but in reality it is a contest among underground factions and Xu Tianran for control of rare metals.

The faction that wins the Soul Master tournament gains control of the underground rare metals, and the Xi Shui Alliance representing the Holy Spirit Sect is Xu Tianran's allied force.

Originally both sides cooperated cheerfully; the Holy Spirit Sect also sent its most prized disciple to the tournament, but in recent days something happened, and the sect's higher-ups seem to have been drawn to another matter, causing their attention to the underground tournament to plummet.

Xu Tianran truly couldn't figure out what was happening with them.

Ju Zi, hearing Xu Tianran's words, also felt very puzzled; she furrowed her brows and quickly asked:

"Then what should we do?"

Xu Tianran squinted, a dim light flashing in his eyes.

"If it really doesn't work, I'll have to ask the venerable Xingkong Douluo to do some behind‑the‑scenes maneuvering; I must secure the rare‑metal market, and even if the spectacle looks a bit unsightly, I can accept it."

Watching his sinister demeanor, a chill gradually crept up Ju Zi's heart.

According to her knowledge of Xu Tianran, whenever he shows such an expression, it means some people are about to suffer misfortune.

If they wait a while longer, Mingdu will likely be engulfed in a storm of blood and gore.

(End of Chapter)