In a swampy area near Heaven Dou city.
A vast swamp area that was as large as the Great Star Dou Forest's core region. It was classified as a soul beast hunting area filled with soul beasts with poison attributes—to which several are at least 10,000 years old and one was reported to be 50,000 years old.
This kind of area was something that needed a group of at least Soul Sages to purge, so it wasn't regarded as highly dangerous. Instead, it would be a great hunting ground for soul masters.
However, it was strange. As records about this area was almost nonexistent.
It was as if....it had appeared out of nowhere!
Unbeknownst to many, hidden within the depths of the swamp, was the secret location of the Akatsuki. From the outside, it looked like the same swampy area as the rest of the environment except when entered, people would trigger all sorts of dangerous traps that, at the very least, would manipulate their memories and the worst being death.
That was the case, if someone didn't know the set of secret hand seals before entering a certain range.
Hidden within a hundred and eight layers of Self-Reparing Barrier Ninjutsu and sixty-nine Icy Nightmare Illusory Barrier Ninjutsu, was a large manor with a swimming pool and garden. Anyone who saw it would simply mistake it for a rich man's vacation home rather than the secret organization it truly was.
It was merely another cover for the true Akatsuki headquarters, hidden deep underground.
After passing through several checkpoints within the manor, one would descend one of many hidden elevator shafts, after passing the final biometric and ninjutsu verification, and enter a sprawling, high-tech underground complex that resembled the Illustrious Virtue Hall from the Sun Moon Empire but they were completely worlds apart.
If the Illustrious Virtue Hall was similar to a underground factory, the Akatsuki headquarters was akin to an underground city!
Unfortunately, the headquarters was inferior in terms of technology and security since this was constructed before Huo Yuhao's transfer to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. The level of soul tools for the HQ and security was, at most, high-level Class 8.
Vast corridors stretched endlessly, illuminated by sterile white and blue LED lighting strips embedded in the metallic walls. The air was crisp and filtered, with a faint hum of advanced ventilation and energy systems running in the background.
Multiple levels branched out like a honeycomb: training halls for mimicry cultivation and gravity manipulation chambers, research laboratories filled with glowing soul tools, armories stocked with custom soul tools and forbidden ninjutsu scrolls, and central command rooms lined with massive holographic displays showing real-time surveillance of most of the Douluo Continent.
In one of the central command rooms, several figures in Akatsuki cloaks were gathered around a circular table with a large holographic map of the continent in the middle.
One of them frowned and leaned forward, illuminating her face from the holographic light, revealed that she was beauty; with long flowing golden hair, snow white skin, icy-blue eyes that could see into one's true self, and rosy red lips that could easy bewitch any man. With a stoic and serious expression, she exuded dignity befitting a leader.
She was Ye Guyi, successor of the hidden Holy Angel Clan, and Huo Yuhao's subordinate(slave) and temporary leader of the Akatsuki.
Cultivation: Rank 70 Soul Emperor, in need of a seventh soul ring.
In just a couple of years, she went from a four-ringed Soul Ancestor to being half a step away from becoming a true soul master powerhouse in the soul master world.
Which shouldn't be a surprise. As someone with the Holy Angel martial soul, she would grow stronger in almost all aspects of her cultivation and martial soul every time she slays evil. And for the last couple of years she and members of the Akatsuki have been hunting down evil soul masters throughout the entire Douluo Continent except the Sun Moon Empire.
Not to mention, Huo Yuhao's clones had also helped her out hunting down evil soul beasts. With his eyes, scouring the continent for evil soul beasts was easy. Moreover, the Great Beasts were a great help for information about evil soul beasts.
Just as how humans don't automatically get along just because they're the same species, the soul beasts are also the same. They harbor deep animosity towards those with evil attributes; specifically to those that devour other soul beasts.
She was ready to get her seventh soul ring a few months ago when Huo Yuhao's clone informed her that he'd be gone for a while and every clone in HQ dissipated.
And no new clones had appeared since to help.
Instead, most of the Heavenly Demons and other members of Akatsuki had suddenly gathered within the manor; all bringing news of the sudden madness of Xuan Zi and the elders of Shrek Academy.
"What news have you all brought?" Ye Guyi calmly asked, looking at the core members of Akatsuki starting from her right.
Bei Bei, rank 61 Soul Emperor.
Xu Sanshi, rank 59 Soul King.
Jiang Nannan, rank 52 Soul King.
Xiao Xiao, rank 48 Soul Ancestor.
Ling Luochen, rank 67 Soul Emperor
Zhang Lexuan, rank 89 Soul Douluo.
They've grown stronger than before. It was thanks to opportunities they encountered through the years in the continent for missions and the exploration training the Great Beasts granted them in the Great Star Dou Forest, something that not even Shrek Academy and other top-tier organizations could easily offer.
As for Zhang Lexuan? Bei Bei won her over and would side with him more than the academy. She noticed the strangeness with the Elders and quickly escaped the academy to find him.
After the sudden breakdown between the Great Star Dou Forest and Shrek Academy, Di Tian had managed to teleport Huo Yuhao's friends in the academy had secretly marked to a safe area. They quickly organized themselves in the Akatsuki for the time being.
Bei Bei sighed. "It's bad. The entire Heavenly Dragon Sect is supporting the slanders the academy is spewing about us and Yuhao. They've recalled almost all of their members scattered throughout the continent."
"In less than a day after they voiced their support, they've resurfaced in society and has taken control over the entire Dragon City, absorbing the Earthdragon Sect entirely. They've passed around thousands of wanted posters of Yuhao and the others."
Not many know this, but ten thousand years ago, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was almost exterminated by the Spirit Hall. But, the surviving members rebuilt the clan with another name, Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Ten thousand years later, it became prosperous and much stronger than the former Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in Tang San's Era.
"There's a warrant for me as well, dead or alive."
He quietly said that part. He wasn't just Mu En's descendant but also a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as well. In fact, he was one of the candidates to become the sect master due to his talent and as the inheritor of Mu En.
Although he didn't spend long in the clan, he still remembered the childhood he had there and his shared blood with them. Obviously he was going to have mixed feelings about the clan.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to provide new information about them. The contacts I had in the clan went completely silent last night; I have a method of knowing their life signature and...well, they're dead."
Xu Sanshi looked away from Bei Bei after seeing him going silent and spoke, "The situation in my clan and the Dou Ling empire is more or less the same with Bei Bei's clan. They've disowned me and are actively trying to hunt me down."
"They even went as far as going after Nannan's mom. But thankfully I stopped them at the nick of time!" he flashed a grin and gave a thumbs up. He glanced at the girl beside him.
"Hmph." Jiang Nannan looked away from him, but there was no denying the softness on her expression.
As an expert Soul King, how could Xu Sanshi not notice the expression on her face before she looked away? He inwardly screamed in joy.
"Is it my turn now?" Xiao Xiao said, smiling softly. She looked more beautiful and fair, giving a fairy-like bearing and demeanor. Upon looking at her, one would feel as though spring had come. "Fortunately, I remain in contact with Tian and Feng. Their situation had almost resulted similarly with the senior brothers, but Tian and Feng's family had calmed down the situation and took control."
"But I heard that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is in favor of hunting us down? Should we really trust this information? What if both Ning Tian and Wu Feng are imprisoned, and the one relaying information to you is their sect members intent on hunting us?" Ye Guyi sharply questioned her. After being taught many things by Huo Yuhao's clone and years of sub-managing the sect, she had come to understand the bigger picture.
The world doesn't just work in black and white. Justice wasn't always straightforward. Evil comes in many shapes and forms.
As Huo Yuhao had once said to her; Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted.
The others nodded in agreement.
Xiao Xiao understood their wariness and said, "You make a valid point, however, I trust the information. I trust their capabilities."
"And as to why their clan would support the academy and the other sects...with how the entire continent is hunting us down, how could they openly support us? They will continue to voice their support but they wouldn't be as 'active' as the others."
"And considering that they're mostly support-type soul masters, the other sects and organizations wouldn't suspect them for a while." Zhang Lexuan added, easily completing the conversation.
Xiao Xiao nodded.
Ye Guyi remained silent for a moment, her icy-blue eyes scanning each member when she stopped at Ling Luochen, who stared back at her with a narrowed gaze.
"Where. Is. My. Lord?" she coldly stated, a chilling aura emitted out of her body. The others turned to Ye Guyi with mixed expressions.
They all knew who she was referring to as "Lord".
Ye Guyi was silent for a while and shook her head.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any information about master's situation. Even the contacts that I have in Mingdu City have nothing. He's totally off the grid."
"Tsk. I'm heading back to my room," Ling Luochen clicked her tongue and turned around, walking toward the exit of the command room with heavy steps. Her long ice-blue hair swayed behind her, and the temperature in the room dropped noticeably as frost began forming on the metallic floor where she passed.
Ye Guyi watched her leave without stopping her. She understood Ling Luochen's feelings better than anyone. Ironic, considering how she reached this point.
"Alright, we—!!!?"
Suddenly, the entire room began to shake. No, the entire HQ shook intensely!