The 150 million auction item was too expensive; Jing Hongchen only felt at ease personally safeguarding it. He knew how many greedy wolves this item would attract and that it required close protection.
However, the time for his transaction with Shrek was approaching, and he couldn't leave Star Luo City. He was also concerned that some extremists might attempt a kidnapping, so he had to guard it himself.
On the way back to the hotel, Jing Hongchen, ever vigilant, felt somewhat fortunate that he had called for reinforcements from the Sun Moon Empire early on. If he were the only Level 9 Soul Engineer in Star Luo City right now, he would truly be overwhelmed.
"The items my Mingde Hall acquired with real gold and silver aren't easily taken. If anyone wants to seek death, this Hall Master will gladly oblige!"
Sensing the presence of some restless individuals lurking in the shadows, Jing Hongchen coldly snorted, took out several Ninth Level Soul Guided Devices to awe the crowd, and safely led the Sun Moon Battle Team back.
Back in the conference room, Jing Hongchen let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"It seems there are some benefits to showing off in public. If I hadn't decisively taken down that woman earlier, those guys might have charged in at any moment."
Xiao Hongchen laughed, "I doubt those petty individuals would dare to act recklessly in front of you. And now, the item is safely in our hands."
"Don't celebrate too soon. Just a moment ago, I detected the auras of at least two Titled Douluo. We can't underestimate them."
Jing Hongchen's face was solemn as he said, "I don't know which factions these people belong to, and I don't know if there are more people behind them."
"The Starlight Auction House has truly thrown a hot potato this time, and I, unfortunately, had no choice but to catch it. It's truly infuriating."
Meng Hongchen asked, "Then, Grandpa, how many experts from our Sun Moon Empire came this time?"
Jing Hongchen replied, "Including myself, a total of four Level 9 Soul Engineers came. Originally, that would have been enough to handle various crises, but now with this incident, I'm a bit less confident, mainly about your safety."
"Ordinary factions are easy enough to deal with; we just fight our way through. But if Shrek, the Body Sect, or the Clear Sky Sect also get involved, then we'll have big trouble—"
For this Grand Competition, Jing Hongchen had requested top-tier protection, and Kong Deming was very cooperative, sending three disciples to assist. It was arguably the most splendid escort team in history.
But treasures are alluring. When the Starlight Auction House auctioned off the Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast Embryo, they claimed it could not only provide a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and a Soul Bone but also grant a talented Soul Master a Second Martial Soul. This temptation was immense; no faction would ever complain about having too many Twin Martial Soul geniuses.
Xu Tianxi said, "Then, Dean, will you send someone to deliver the item back to Mingde Hall now, or will you request more reinforcements?"
Jing Hongchen's expression darkened. "I want both! I need to secretly send the item back to Mingde Hall, and I also need to request reinforcements from home!"
"I'd like to see which greedy fools dare to scheme against me. This time, I'll have a good fight with them!"
"Xu Jiawei's arrangements tonight were clearly aimed at my Mingde Hall. First, he forced me to bleed money to acquire the item, and then he gave me such a huge ticking time bomb. Who knows how much trouble lies ahead? He pulled two tricks on me, so I'll prepare for a major battle right here in his Star Luo City. Let's see if he can still laugh!"
"Hmph, my Mingde Hall has been focused on researching Soul Guided Technology for years, rarely showing its fangs to the outside world. It's time to let them know how formidable we are!"
"Grandpa (Dean) is wise!"
Starlight Auction House, Room 2.
After tidying up the arrangements, Xu Jiawei entered the room with Xu Jiujiu. Star Shattering Douluo stood up and saluted, and Xiao Changfeng also rose with his subordinates to greet them.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Hahahaha, Star Shattering Enshrinement and Guild Leader Xiao, there's no need for such formalities. Today, I came to see Guild Leader Xiao. I've long heard of Guild Leader Xiao and your esteemed Teacher's renown, and I've wanted to meet you for a long time, but I regret that I've been too caught up in trivial matters to escape."
Xu Jiawei smiled, "I never expected Guild Leader Xiao to personally come to Star Luo to capture that Evil Soul Master. I absolutely had to meet you."
Xiao Changfeng smiled, "Changfeng is just an ordinary person; there's nothing special to see. Your Majesty overpraises me."
"Guild Leader Xiao is being too modest. You are the only Ultimate Ice Soul Master in the current era, one of the few strong individuals in the world. How could I not meet you? How goes Guild Leader Xiao's task? You've eliminated a menace for my Star Luo; if you need anything, I will certainly not refuse."
Xu Jiawei's words were sincere. That Evil Soul Master had been rampant in the Ming Dou Mountain Range for a long time and had even killed several elite members from Shrek, which was chilling to hear.
Xiao Changfeng's expression was strange for a moment as he replied, "I've already captured him, but I didn't expect him to truly be only a Soul King."
He had come to avenge Xu Sanshi and also to eliminate this future pillar of Evil Soul Masters. He personally led a large number of Soul Sages and Soul Douluo to seal off the Ming Dou Mountain Range, collaborating with two Titled Douluo to set up a Heavenly Net. He had expected at least a Soul Douluo-level individual.
But it was only a Soul King, and he didn't even have the optimal Soul Ring configuration.
With such strength, he truly couldn't understand how Xuan Zi had let him escape.
However, their efforts weren't in vain this time. They managed to extract some information about the Holy Spirit Church from the Death God Envoy.
Xu Jiawei knew the source of Xiao Changfeng's change in expression and said no more. He clapped his hands, and Xu Jiujiu, standing behind him, presented a beautifully packaged jade box. She said,
"Guild Leader Xiao, there was an incident with this Ice Jade Scorpion left arm bone earlier, and we had to retrieve it. It can no longer be auctioned. To thank Guild Leader Xiao for eliminating evil for our nation, we would like to present this Soul Bone to Guild Leader Xiao."
Xiao Changfeng's eyes flashed, and he raised his hand to refuse. "I cannot accept a reward without merit. If it were killing a Titled Douluo, perhaps, but a mere Soul King, how could he be worth such a treasure?"
This Soul Bone had previously been auctioned for thirty million Gold Soul Coins, and Xiao Changfeng had followed a few rounds before stopping. He didn't want to accept this favor.
Xu Jiawei smiled and said, "Guild Leader Xiao, please don't refuse. I can tell you that the peculiarity of this Soul Bone lies in its attribute. Because it possesses Ultimate Ice, this Soul Bone cannot actually be absorbed by ordinary Ice Attribute Soul Masters. To absorb it, one must also possess Ultimate Ice."
"In other words, this Soul Bone is a perfect match for Guild Leader Xiao. If you don't accept it, it will only gather dust."
"Is it really such a coincidence?" Xiao Changfeng was surprised by these words, and a shifting expression appeared in his eyes.
Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu watched with smiles, quietly waiting.
Half a minute later, Xiao Changfeng looked up, a solemn expression on his face. "Your Majesty's generosity, Changfeng humbly accepts. From this day forward, I owe the Star Luo Empire a favor."
Xu Jiawei immediately beamed with joy; that was precisely the statement he wanted from Xiao Changfeng.
"Good! Then I wish Guild Leader Xiao daily progress in your cultivation and an early ascent to the realm of your esteemed Teacher."
Xu Jiawei said with a radiant smile, and Xu Jiujiu handed over the jade box from behind him.
Xiao Changfeng accepted the jade box and said solemnly, "Having accepted Your Majesty's treasure, Changfeng shall offer Your Majesty a piece of information:
After capturing that Evil Soul Master earlier, we obtained some news from him. Based on our deductions, Evil Soul Masters have likely formed an organization, and their strength is considerable."
"What?!"
Xu Jiawei's pupils sharply constricted. Star Shattering Douluo and Xu Jiujiu, who were beside him, were even more shocked.
Star Shattering Douluo questioned, "Evil Soul Masters have always been independent and defiant. How could they form an organization? Senior, are you mistaken?"
Xiao Changfeng shook his head. "If I had no basis for such a major matter, why would I speak nonsense? This organization has likely existed for a long time, but it wasn't strong before. It's only now that it has become terrifyingly powerful."
"Please, Hall Master Xiao, speak frankly. Your Majesty is all ears," Xu Jiawei said, his expression extremely solemn.
Xiao Changfeng cleared his throat and slowly said in a grave tone, "Your Majesty might not know this, but over two hundred years ago, a group of Evil Soul Masters attacked Shrek City. They even had a major battle with Mu En's Teacher, the former Sea God Pavilion Master, which led to the former Sea God Pavilion Master's demise."
"The purpose of that group of Evil Soul Masters was to rescue an Evil Soul Master powerhouse captured by Mu En and the Sea God Pavilion. She was also the most talented female Soul Master of that era, Ye Xishui. She had a complicated emotional entanglement with the Light and Darkness Twin Sacred Dragon of that time—"
"—If I'm not mistaken, the current king of Evil Soul Masters should be this Ye Xishui. She is a contemporary of my Teacher. As for how powerful her subordinates are, that remains unknown."
"Additionally, they seem to be looking for some Fire Phoenix Saintess recently, claiming that with the Fire Phoenix Saintess's return, the Holy Sect will flourish—"
As Xiao Changfeng finished speaking, the faces of Xu Jiawei and other high-ranking officials of the Star Luo Empire were filled with deep worry. A single Evil Soul Master was troublesome enough; if they banded together, it would be maddening.
And a Fire Phoenix Saintess? What kind of nonsense was this? Evil Soul Masters talking about saintesses? Did they deserve it?
Wait, wasn't that crazy woman from Shrek's Martial Soul the Evil Fire Phoenix?
Connecting this to a certain genius from Shrek whose behavior was somewhat like an Evil Soul Master, Xu Jiawei's expression turned very ugly. "Does Ice Phoenix Crown mean that those people might have set their sights on someone from Shrek?"
"I'm not sure, but it's possible. The Grand Competition is chaotic, so Your Majesty must be careful from now on."
"Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. I will strengthen security upon my return."
Xu Jiawei solemnly agreed, no longer in the mood for pleasantries. He instructed Star Shattering Douluo to entertain Xiao Changfeng well, then hurried away with Xu Jiujiu.
After Xu Jiawei left, Star Shattering Douluo said with a worried expression, "Senior, as you said, those Evil Soul Masters who have become established are extremely difficult to deal with. Your Xuanming Sect is a top sect on the continent; you can't just stand by."
"Don't worry, as orthodox Soul Masters, we naturally stand against these evil forces."
Xiao Changfeng agreed, then added, "I will send word to the Sect and ask my Teacher and the others to send reinforcements, just in case."
"That would be wonderful! With your help, this Soul Bone that His Majesty sent will have been well worth it—"
Star Shattering Douluo excitedly shook hands with Xiao Changfeng, unaware that Xiao Changfeng's initial thought of "just in case" wasn't for their own misfortune; helping Star Luo was merely a bonus.
Leaving VIP Room Two, Xu Jiawei patted his chest and let out a long breath, a lingering shadow of gloom still on his face:
"I never imagined that giving a gift would yield such alarming information. It's truly unsettling."
Xu Jiujiu asked, "Brother, is what Ice Phoenix said reliable?"
"A powerhouse like him wouldn't stoop to lying to us. Besides, what he said is logical and well-substantiated. Although the old events from over two hundred years ago are hard to find, there must be records. We can verify them."
Xu Jiawei had lost count of how many times he had rubbed his temples lately. Ever since the incident involving the explosion at Shrek, he hadn't had a moment's peace.
"If what he said is true, and that Ye Xishui, who was a contemporary of the Light and Darkness Twin Sacred Dragon and Eternal Douluo, is still alive, she's likely an old monster at the Limit Douluo level. Only a handful of people in the current era can stop her, and none of them are in Star Luo. It's a headache—."
"After this Grand Competition ends, immediately strengthen ties with the Xuanming Sect. The Black Tortoise Merchant Guild's trade tax exemptions in the Empire will be halved."
Xu Jiawei looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with a fear of the unknown:
"I don't know why, but I have a very bad premonition. I fear something truly terrifying will happen in Star Luo City. I must tell the Venerables to prepare for battle."
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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