Liu Yuan wasted no time. Upon receiving the Sun Moon Emperor's imperial decree, he immediately mobilized an elite Soul Engineer legion stationed within the imperial palace.
He mounted a soul-tool warhorse with a cold expression, while the Snow Empress floated silently at his side. The group radiated a chilling killing intent as they thundered through the broad avenues of the Bright Capital, heading straight for the Crown Prince's Mansion.
Deep night still hung over the city, carrying the lingering shockwaves of the earlier battle. The streets were brightly lit, yet countless civilians hid behind their windows, peering out in fear as this murderous force swept past.
When Liu Yuan arrived at the gates of the Crown Prince's Mansion, the entire estate felt unnervingly silent.
The private guards who should have been stationed outside were nowhere to be seen. The two massive iron gates stood half-open, creaking sharply as the cold wind blew through.
"Search it," Liu Yuan ordered with a casual wave of his hand, his voice devoid of warmth.
The Soul Engineer legion surged forward at once, activating infrared detectors and soul-power scanning devices. Doors were kicked open one after another, hidden compartments thoroughly searched.
Yet aside from a handful of abandoned, terrified servants, the core members of the mansion had vanished completely.
Liu Yuan stepped into Xu Tianran's study.
A cup of tea on the desk still gave off faint wisps of steam. Clear tracks from a wheelchair rolled across the carpet, leading straight toward a concealed entrance in the rear garden.
A Soul Engineer hurried over and bowed, his voice tinged with frustration.
"Reporting to the Duke—the exit of the underground passage has been completely destroyed by a high-level soul-tool bomb. There's nothing left to trace."
"Judging from the residual spirit-power fluctuations, Xu Tianran was forcibly taken away by two extremely powerful individuals just minutes ago."
Liu Yuan's gaze lingered on the wheelchair tracks. He knew perfectly well who those two auras belonged to—Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui.
After their failed assassination attempt, the two Limit Douluos had clearly realized Xu Tianran was fully exposed. Retrieving their only remaining puppet had been inevitable.
"A pity. We were a step too slow," Liu Yuan said calmly, without any visible anger. Racing against Limit Douluos had never been easy.
He left personnel behind to seal the scene, then turned and headed back to the imperial palace to report.
—
As Liu Yuan re-entered the imperial bedchamber, two dazzling silver-blue streaks of light descended from the sky, landing squarely in the inner palace courtyard.
Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen stepped down from their flying soul tools, their expressions grave. Dust clung to their armor, and their breathing was slightly hurried.
While pursuing Xuan Zi, they had received the emergency signal reporting the Holy Spirit Cult's attack on the palace. Without hesitation, they had abandoned the chase and rushed back at full speed.
"Your Majesty!" Kong Deming strode into the hall. Seeing the Emperor alive—though weakened—he finally let out a breath of relief.
Jing Hongchen turned toward Liu Yuan, his gaze complex. "Liu Yuan, what's the situation?"
Liu Yuan shook his head slightly and addressed the Emperor and the two worshipers.
"Xu Tianran was taken away by Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui. The Crown Prince's Mansion is now empty. As for Xuan Zi… I assume the two seniors also failed to intercept him?"
Kong Deming sighed deeply, self-reproach evident in his tone.
"That old fox Xuan Zi burned his essence blood to activate a teleportation talisman, making consecutive jumps. Coupled with the palace emergency forcing us back, he ultimately escaped toward the Star Luo Empire's borders. The Hall of Worship has failed in its duty this time."
The Sun Moon Emperor sat quietly on the dragon bed, his expression uncertain under the lamplight.
Though the two most critical targets—Xu Tianran and Xuan Zi—had escaped, he placed no blame on anyone. He understood all too well that without Liu Yuan, he would already be dead.
With a weary wave of his hand, the Emperor spoke in a low, resolute voice.
"Xuan Zi's escape will be handled through diplomacy and, if necessary, future war. But Xu Tianran and the Holy Spirit Cult… inviting wolves into the house and attempting patricidal usurpation—this is something I will never tolerate."
He lifted his gaze toward Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen, his tone turning icy.
"Pass down my oral decree. From this day forward, the Holy Spirit Cult is declared an enemy of the state."
"Order all military and administrative authorities across the empire to immediately purge every Holy Spirit Cult branch within Sun Moon territory."
"Wherever traces of Evil Soul Masters are found, there is no need to report—execute them on the spot. We will sever all ties with the Holy Spirit Cult. It is either their extinction, or ours."
Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen exchanged glances, then accepted the command in unison.
Previously, constrained by political balance, they had been forced to cooperate with these Evil Soul Masters—resentment had long since festered. Now that the Emperor had personally ordered a purge, they naturally supported it without reservation.
Standing to the side, Liu Yuan listened with quiet satisfaction.
In truth, he had always despised Evil Soul Masters. Though he never claimed to be a paragon of righteousness, he held utter contempt for their cruel and debased cultivation methods.
To him, it was not merely a moral degeneration, but a desecration of the Spirit Master system itself.
In the past, he had tolerated their presence for the sake of the greater picture. Now, with this complete break, he finally felt unburdened—at the very least, he would no longer have to work alongside those reeking abominations.
"Your Majesty," Liu Yuan stepped forward and bowed, "this humble servant requests permission to personally lead troops in purging Holy Spirit Cult strongholds around the Bright Capital."
The Emperor nodded with evident approval.
"Granted. Duke Liu Yuan, act as you see fit. All imperial resources are at your disposal."
Liu Yuan bowed once more to the Emperor and the two worshipers, then turned and left the bedchamber.
The instant he stepped beyond the palace gates and his foot touched the marble steps, a familiar synthesized mechanical voice echoed within his sea of consciousness.
"[Current environment and situational development detected. System task triggered.]"
"[Task Name: Scavenger Operation]"
"[Task Objective: Personally lead a team to annihilate three or more key Holy Spirit Cult branches and completely eliminate Evil Soul Master forces around the Bright Capital.]"
"[Task Reward: Random Pokémon ×1.]"
Liu Yuan paused briefly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
The timing of this task could not have been better.
He had already intended to cleanse those disgusting vermin—now he would even be rewarded for it.
"Snow Empress, let's go," Liu Yuan said calmly, lifting his gaze to the night sky. "Tonight, the blood of Evil Soul Masters in the Bright Capital is destined to run dry."
The Snow Empress transformed into a wisp of icy mist and followed behind him, their cloaks snapping loudly in the cold wind as they vanished into the darkness.
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