Heaven Dou City.
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao shared the same thoughts as Bibi Dong.
The rumors circulating in the Spirit Master World couldn't have been spread by Bibi Dong.
As the other party involved, they also wouldn't expose their own weaknesses.
So who could this mysterious person be!
The King of Slaughter seemingly had no reason or vested interest to publicize this matter.
Only the hidden Evil Soul Masters could plausibly explain it!
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao grew even more convinced that the Clear Sky Sect was being targeted.
At this point, they could no longer afford to be angry; only a chilling fear remained.
Because the strength of this hidden enemy exceeded their imagination.
Someone capable of leisurely observing their battle without being detected by either them or Bibi Dong...
Such power was already sufficient to threaten the safety of the Clear Sky Sect.
After returning to the sect, Tang Xiao immediately ordered the mountain gates sealed and the entire sect to enter closed-door training.
Even if they needed to absorb Spirit Rings, they could only capture suitable Spirit Beasts through cooperation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Heaven Dou Empire.
No one was permitted to leave the mountain gates.
Tang Xiao was afraid!
The unknown was the most terrifying.
Even if the Spirit Hall were to fight them to the death, they could still make the Spirit Hall pay dearly.
But this hidden enemy had caused them such significant losses without even revealing a trace—that was truly frightening.
Ning Fengzhi in Heaven Dou City, and Qian Renxue (disguised as Xue Qinghe), both received Tang Xiao's notification.
They confirmed the existence of this hidden enemy.
Among them, Qian Renxue was the most convinced of this enemy's existence.
Snake Spear Douluo had returned from Spirit City, bringing Bibi Dong's decision to delay the Soul Hunting Operation, leaving the spirit master forces of the Heaven Dou faction for her to subdue.
Qian Renxue should have been excited, but soon news spread that Bibi Dong was severely injured and near death.
Yet she had already learned from Snake Spear Douluo that Bibi Dong had been presiding over Spirit Hall meetings normally; even if she was injured, it wasn't that serious.
Combining this with the news from the Clear Sky Sect, she immediately understood—this was the hidden party fanning the flames.
"How interesting. Someone is hiding even deeper than me!"
Qian Renxue stood by the lake at the Prince's Mansion, where schools of goldfish swam close to the shore.
She leisurely fed the fish.
In her mind, she reviewed every major force on the continent.
The Spirit Hall's intelligence was undoubtedly the most comprehensive.
She pondered each faction one by one but still couldn't figure out how this hidden organization had emerged or which side it was connected to!
"So it seems, Yu Yuanzhen was also killed by this hidden party.
I heard the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family possessed several Soul Bones—they must have been taken by the other side. This hidden party certainly has a special fondness for Soul Bones!"
Qian Renxue continued analyzing.
Suddenly, Qian Renxue smiled.
She thought to herself: "If you orchestrated this battle between Bibi Dong and Tang Hao, then I must thank you.
If Bibi Dong hadn't been injured, how would I have gained more time?
Two years, just two more years!
Two years from now will be when I ascend the throne and unify the continent!"
Qian Renxue concealed her excitement, eagerly anticipating the day she would leap over the dragon gate.
Far away in Slaughter City, Dugu Feng remained unaware that the top forces on the continent had already begun secretly guarding against the Evil Soul Master he was impersonating.
Of course, after his consecutive actions, it was impossible for other factions not to have suspicions.
Dugu Feng had long anticipated this.
He had made up his mind to focus seriously on cultivation for the short term and refrain from taking action.
If he acted too frequently, he would eventually be recognized.
Walking by the river often, one's shoes are bound to get wet.
Improving his strength was what mattered most.
Through his cultivation in Slaughter City, the killing intent radiating from Dugu Feng had grown sharper.
In his Sea of Spirit, his mental energy had transformed entirely into killing intent.
His Upper Dantian also emitted a dark red glow.
This killing intent could erupt at any moment through his Soul Skills, making his enemies feel the chilling cruelty of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The Asura was born for slaughter.
When the Asura Bloodline was cultivated to its peak, whether it was blood, Soul Power, or spiritual energy, all would become vessels of slaughter, causing Dugu Feng to radiate Asura's killing aura, capable of carving out a path of carnage at any moment.
Dugu Feng meticulously cultivated his Asura Domain while also keeping an eye on the two Emerald Dragon Snakes.
They had evolved in this Blood Pool before and had no resistance to its energy.
Now, benefiting from Dugu Feng's presence, they continuously absorbed the energy.
Their age was steadily increasing, much to Dugu Feng's satisfaction.
Months passed in the blink of an eye, and Dugu Feng had advanced to the 59th rank, steadily improving his strength.
He began to consider his sixth Spirit Ring.
"Tang San's sixth Spirit Ring came from a 100,000-Year Soul Beast. There's no way I can settle for less than Tang San!"
Dugu Feng pondered the matter of hunting Soul Beasts.
Currently, the known 100,000-Year Soul Beasts included two in the Star Dou Great Forest, along with Xiao Wu, though it was unclear whether she was at the Clear Sky Sect or had returned to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Then there were the Evil Orca King and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King in the ocean, and, of course, Xiao Bai, the Demon Soul Great White Shark.
Among other Soul Beasts, only the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could satisfy Dugu Feng.
But it would be best to absorb a 100,000-Year Soul Beast, as it would directly grant a Soul Bone that matched the Spirit Ring Skill.
Suddenly, Dugu Feng recalled Bibi Dong's Spirit Rings.
In the original storyline, Bibi Dong's second Martial Soul had a red Spirit Ring.
Where had she found a 100,000-Year Soul Beast?
Dugu Feng suddenly remembered the conversation between Yan and Xie Yue, which he had overheard through the Core Pearl.
The two had once mentioned Death Canyon, where many high-aged Soul Beasts resided.
"Could it be that Bibi Dong obtained her 100,000-Year Soul Beast from Death Canyon?"
The more Dugu Feng thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
His Martial Soul, the Azure Phosphorus Serpent, shared similarities with Bibi Dong's Martial Soul, the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor.
Both were poison-attribute Soul Beasts.
Perhaps the attribute of the 100,000-Year Soul Beast that Bibi Dong would absorb in the future would also suit him.
With this in mind, Dugu Feng sensed the Core Pearl within Yan's body.
Yan and Xie Yue were currently training in Death Canyon.
Death Canyon was located south of Spirit Hall, a long and narrow great rift valley.
This great rift could be described as a rift valley group, composed of several fractured mountain ranges forming a unique terrain.
Its area was only half the size of a province, far smaller than the Star Dou Great Forest.
The outside world only knew it as a Soul Hunting Forest controlled by Spirit Hall.
In reality, due to its complex terrain and dense mountains, the concentration of Soul Beasts there was no less than that in Sunset Forest.
It was called Death Canyon precisely because of its extreme danger.
Every year, Soul Masters from Spirit Hall who trained there would die within its confines.
Even when Hu Liena and the other two trained there, Bibi Dong was so concerned that she arranged for a Titled Douluo to protect them, highlighting the perilous nature of the place.
For several consecutive days, Dugu Feng had been continuously sensing the situation in Death Canyon through his Core Pearl.
He had also noticed something unusual.
There were more Spirit Hall Soul Masters stationed there than before.
It seemed they were strictly controlling Death Canyon.
At regular intervals, there were supply points set up by Spirit Hall Soul Masters.
Each concealed a squad of Soul Masters.
What secret was hidden here?
(End of Chapter)