"Strange…"
Holy Spirit Cult, main headquarters.
In an underground hall.
It was like a roundtable meeting. As Grand Elder, Long Xiaoyao's seat was second only to Supreme Elder Ye Xishui's. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if pondering something.
Soon, the voice of Second Elder Nangong Wan sounded beside him. "Reporting to Supreme Elder: Our sub-altar near the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineering Academy—the cause of death for our Saints has been confirmed. The wounds retained traces of Ultimate Ice, Ultimate Wind, and other multiple elements. Most were killed in a single strike to the neck. The killer's strength was not ordinary, about Titled Douluo level, and…"
Nangong Wan inclined his head slightly, pausing.
"Continue," Ye Xishui said, still leisurely trimming her purple nails, voice without a ripple.
"And judging by the expression on quasi-Holy Son Huo Yuhao's face before death, he likely knew the two. Also, the quasi-Holy Maiden Na na became the sole survivor of this calamity and has volunteered to become Su Wen's maid."
Nangong Wan's expression was complicated.
The hall fell silent.
Clearly.
All clues pointed to Su Wen. If it were any other faction, they'd probably strike him from the suspect list first—his age was simply too misleading. But the Holy Spirit Cult… had experienced his monstrosity firsthand.
After all, at the Eighth Elder's seat, that empty chair was a bloody lesson, a constant reminder of that youth's monstrous nature.
"So? You want to kill him?" Ye Xishui's slitted eyes flicked toward Nangong Wan. Cold sweat poured down his back and he quickly lowered his head. "I wouldn't dare. But if he lives… the whole Cult will live in fear!"
"If you kill him, then the next day, Mu En will come all the way from Shrek Academy to kill his way here." Ye Xishui snorted softly.
"But…" Nangong Wan opened his mouth.
You may not be afraid, but the brothers are!
That guy led a bunch of soul beasts, chanting 'eliminate demons, defend the Dao' and 'evil soul masters must die,' and pressed down on us. His strength is unfathomable. If he roams the Sun Moon Empire, won't these sub-altars be crushed at will?
Even he felt a hint of crisis…
"I met Su Wen once," Long Xiaoyao said faintly, drawing every gaze.
"Within three years, before he leaves the Sun Moon Empire, he will not move against the Holy Spirit Cult again."
"…"
Everyone fell silent.
Nangong Wan also let out a breath. He controlled the Duskwater Alliance, one of the largest forces in Mingdu's underground black market. If Su Wen was already slaughtering sub-altars, wouldn't his force be casually wiped out?
He'd have nowhere to cry.
Long Xiaoyao took in their reactions, face impassive.
But he sighed inwardly.
Everyone was underestimating Su Wen.
That sounded absurd—hadn't the Holy Spirit Cult already taken him seriously?
Underestimating?
But from his meeting yesterday and that unfathomable ability, even an Limit Douluo like him had been utterly baffled.
The future belongs to Shrek…
The Holy Spirit Cult will ultimately be swept into the garbage heap of history. Xishui, all I can do is accompany you through this final afterglow…
…
"Rank-9 soul engineer?!!"
Xuan Ziwen stared as Su Wen removed Hongchen's Blessing's metal casing and perfectly replicated its soul tool formation core. His pupils quaked.
"Mm-hmm. I accidentally advanced," Su Wen said, rolling his shoulders and placing Hongchen's Blessing on the table.
"Ah, I forgot—you're only a rank-8 soul engineer. They say a master need not be superior to his disciple, so don't be too anxious. There's time ahead; you'll have a chance to condense a soul core."
"But…"
Xuan Ziwen hesitated, eyes burning as he stared at Su Wen. "Jokes aside, your talent is absolutely enough to conquer the legendary rank-10 soul engineer! In the entire history of the Sun Moon Empire, that's a blank spot. The only one likely to achieve it now is the empire's stabilizing pillar, Kong Deming."
"If you achieve rank-10 before the Sun Moon Empire does…"
Xuan Ziwen's expression was complicated.
It would slap the Sun Moon Empire's face swollen.
For ten thousand years, countless soul engineers have thrown themselves at that peak, only for a student from Shrek Academy to break it—that would be something.
"Not interested," Su Wen said unexpectedly, waving a hand.
"I've already invested enough time into soul tools. Now that I've reached rank-9, I have no problem fully understanding those so-called humanoid soul-guided mechas. As for advancing to rank-10, it's nothing more than creating a life-bound soul tool—basically an incomplete version of battle armor."
Xuan Ziwen: "…"
Enough… you mean these past few months?!!
And just to use soul tools as a means to forge battle armor, you advanced to rank-9 in a few months… This freakish learning aptitude left him numb.
He used to only disdain those unworthy to join his lab, even wonder how the world had so many so-dull people. But at this moment, he was starting to look down on himself…
Still, the more monstrous Su Wen was, the more confident he felt about forging divine armor together. If the two of them joined forces, maybe they could really create something earth-shattering.
"By the way, has the Body Sect rumor been spread?" Xuan Ziwen shook his head, suppressing his shock, and looked at Su Wen.
"Mm-hmm."
Su Wen smiled.
"Those guys are like cats smelling fish. I only just contacted Xu Jiujiu to spread the news in Star Luo's imperial capital, and they're already contacting the Star Luo Empire to purchase drilling soul tools."
"Hard to pin down the exact time, but it should be in the next few days."
"…"
The two exchanged knowing smiles.
"Are you going to take the certification?" Xuan Ziwen picked up Hongchen's Blessing, examined it for a moment, and asked.
"The rank-9 badge? Not interested. If it's only to access Mingde Hall resources, I don't need it…" Su Wen waved, bored.
"Tsk, you…" Xuan Ziwen sighed, unable to put down the exquisite rank-9 core formation in his hand. This had been his life's aspiration, yet this kid completed it casually and acted like it was nothing.
Geniuses come in grades…
"Though you reached rank-9, it's only early rank-9. Simple rank-9 tools like Hongchen's Blessing are fine, but higher-tier ones—rank-9 fixed-mounted artillery shells, and Ye Yulin's Sun Moon Divine Needle—will still be hard to replicate," Su Wen said with some dissatisfaction.
Xuan Ziwen: For f—…
You gonna ascend to heaven now!