"It seems you've prepared almost everything."
In the study, it was still just Ju Zi and Lin Xiao. Ju Zi's complexion looked much more relaxed than it had a few days ago.
"Mm. I also want you to participate in the decision-making of the Sun Moon Empire's state affairs. Do you have any thoughts?"
Lin Xiao looked at Ju Zi with some surprise. In his opinion, Ju Zi had always placed great importance on power, yet now she was actually thinking of sharing the handling of political affairs with others.
"I'm not good at these things. You handle them for me."
"Alright." Ju Zi smiled slightly. "Once I prepare for a while longer, we can begin."
"Report—"
As they were speaking, the voice of a guard suddenly sounded from outside the study.
Ju Zi's expression changed slightly as she looked toward the door.
When she was discussing important matters, she generally would not be disturbed. For someone to interrupt her conversation with Lin Xiao at this time, it must be something important.
"Come in!" Ju Zi sat back down behind the desk and raised her voice.
"What is it?"
"Reporting to the Holy Empress, a message has come from the Illustrious Virtue Hall. They say that while testing a submersible soul tool overseas, Illustrious Virtue Hall salvaged a strange soul beast from the bottom of the sea."
Ju Zi frowned slightly upon hearing this. Soul beasts on the Douluo Continent were all sorts of strange and varied; merely an unseen soul beast would not be enough to make the Illustrious Virtue Hall report so urgently.
"What is strange about it?" Ju Zi glanced at Lin Xiao beside her and asked again.
"Replying to the Holy Empress, they discovered an aura similar to that of an evil soul master on this soul beast. Following the Holy Empress's instructions, Illustrious Virtue Hall was unsure how to handle it, so they sent it to the National Teacher."
"Has the soul beast been brought over?"
Lin Xiao's expression shifted slightly as he spoke up.
The sea, a soul beast, and an evil soul master aura, these things made him involuntarily recall the sea soul beast he had found at the bottom of the sea before.
An evil soul master aura… Could it be related to Electrolux's divine sense fragment again?
"Replying to the National Teacher, it has already been brought over."
"Good." Lin Xiao stood up, turned to look at Ju Zi, nodded at her, then withdrew his gaze. "Take me to see it."
"Yes."
Before seeing the "soul beast" the guard had mentioned, Lin Xiao had still been thinking whether he could find something related to Electrolux on it.
However, after seeing the soul beast, even with Lin Xiao's current cultivation, his expression could not help but change.
No, rather, it was precisely because of his cultivation that his reaction was so strong.
In a courtyard within the imperial palace, Lin Xiao stared fixedly at the thing that had been locked inside a soul tool prison cage. His emotions surged continuously.
The thing before his eyes was not a soul beast at all.
The figure inside the cage was pitch black all over, and the malice emanating from its body had condensed into something tangible, continuously drifting out like black mist.
Its shape appeared to be that of a sea soul beast, but in Lin Xiao's spiritual perception, the thing only had the outward form; internally, it had none of a soul beast's structure at all.
No, it didn't even have the structure of any living being on the Douluo Continent.
Lin Xiao took two steps forward. It showed no fear whatsoever and instead bared its fangs and claws as it lunged toward Lin Xiao, only to be blocked by the soul tool cage and bounced back inside.
"Where was this discovered?"
Lin Xiao turned to look at the guard beside him.
"Replying to the National Teacher, it was encountered by chance by Illustrious Virtue Hall during the voyage test of their submersible soul tool in the Ice Sea."
"According to the people from Illustrious Virtue Hall, their soul tool traveled quite far. They encountered many soul beasts along the way, but only this one looked special, so they specially captured it and brought it back."
Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this. His gaze returned to the cage as he extended his spiritual power. A hard-to-conceal malice surged toward his mind.
It was a complex and indescribable feeling, as if it were completely incompatible with the entire world.
"Teacher…"
Lin Xiao called out softly in his heart.
"Mm, it seems to have worked," Electrolux's voice had also become much more serious.
"Huu—"
Lin Xiao let out a gentle breath. In his memory, there was absolutely no sign of such a thing appearing on the Douluo Continent at this time. It seemed that this world had once again undergone many changes because of him.
"What happened? Is it very serious?"
Beside him, Ju Zi had also walked over, accompanied by several maids and guards. Her gaze swept across the cage, and she unconsciously furrowed her brows.
Clearly, she too felt a sense of discomfort from the thing before her eyes.
"It's not that serious yet," Lin Xiao shook his head upon hearing her. "However, there is something I need to deal with. I have to make a trip back near the extreme north."
"So urgent…" Ju Zi spoke softly.
"Mm, I must go back for this matter." Lin Xiao understood what Ju Zi meant.
At this time, she was preparing to ascend the throne as emperor. Having him appear in public would naturally solve many issues.
But the appearance of this thing was clearly more important than Ju Zi's matter.
"Alright." Ju Zi paused for a moment, but still nodded.
Lin Xiao no longer hesitated. He stepped forward, grabbed the soul tool cage with one hand, then looked at the guard beside him. "Tell the people from Illustrious Virtue Hall that I have a use for this… 'soul beast'. I'll be taking it first."
"Yes, National Teacher."
Afterward, soul power surged within Lin Xiao's body, and his figure, along with the massive cage, disappeared from the courtyard.
Ju Zi subconsciously raised her head to look at the sky, but Lin Xiao's trace was nowhere to be seen.
Slowly withdrawing her gaze, Ju Zi let out a soft breath, and her expression quickly changed again.
"Go and report to Illustrious Virtue Hall as the National Teacher instructed."
"Yes, Holy Empress."
On the other side, Lin Xiao had already flown into the air. His figure flickered continuously, and with every appearance, the sound of whistling wind filled his ears.
From time to time, he turned his head to glance at the cage. Seeing that the thing was still securely locked inside, Lin Xiao felt somewhat relieved.
Although it was not a real soul beast, it seemed that soul tools still affected it. It could not escape for the time being.
Looking toward the north once more, Lin Xiao's gaze seemed to pierce through space, seeing the Eternal Tower standing tall in the depths of the extreme north.
"Cult Leader, you've returned!"
In less than half a day, Lin Xiao's figure had already appeared within the Tongming Cult. With his arrival, the soul that was guiding the other disciples in crafting soul tools in the cult seemed to become a bit more active.
Disciples passing through the square grew rather excited upon seeing Lin Xiao and greeted him. After all, even for the disciples of the Tongming Cult, the number of times they saw Lin Xiao was not many.
"Mm." Lin Xiao nodded. "Where is Elder Abomination?"
"Cult Leader." Before the few disciples could respond, Abomination had already sensed Lin Xiao's aura and walked out.
The moment he saw the thing beside Lin Xiao, a gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes.
"Why? Have you seen it before?"
"No." Abomination shook his head. "I've only encountered something somewhat similar to it. I was planning to wait until the Cult Leader returned to tell you. I didn't expect the Cult Leader to have encountered one as well."
Lin Xiao's eyes stirred upon hearing this. "You encountered it in the north?"
"Mm."
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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