range. Flecks of light trickled down the ridges like streams of golden dust. At the base, a desolate town lay quiet save for the occasional murmur—soon swallowed again by silence.
Lin Xiao's shadow stretched long beneath the waning light. His gaze fell upon a broken stone stele by the roadside, where only one weathered character could still be faintly discerned—Du.
Rongguan Crossing.
Once a coastal port of the Heavenly Soul Empire, it had served as a gateway to the Western Sea. But after the collision of the Sun Moon and Douluo continents, the endless mountain range had risen, swallowing the sea and cutting the land in two. The port was abandoned, the people gone, its name fading into dust.
Now, only smugglers and wanderers who dared to cross the border passed through this forgotten place.
As Lin Xiao entered the ruined town, wary eyes peeked from the shadows. Upon seeing the dark cloak that hid his face, most onlookers glanced once and then turned away.
Everyone here dressed the same—and everyone shared an unspoken rule: never ask questions.
Finding a half-intact building, Lin Xiao settled in a corner, leaning against the wall. Half a roof remained overhead, shielding him from the biting wind.
In the vast lands of the Heavenly Soul Empire, searching for one person was like looking for a drop of water in the sea. He hadn't expected much success; even the Holy Spirit Church had sent people out more for show than purpose.
Closing his eyes, he thought back to Xu He—until a rough voice outside broke his meditation.
"Hey. Passing through, or looking to trade?"
Lin Xiao opened his eyes. The doorway had long since rotted away. A burly man stood several paces off, face wrapped in cloth, his eyes wary as they sized Lin Xiao up.
"What business are you in?" Lin Xiao countered calmly.
The man hesitated, then glanced back. Lin Xiao followed his gaze. A group of men were huddled around a large, square object draped in a black cloth. From beneath it came faint, muffled sobs.
"You've got the wrong man," Lin Xiao said coolly. "I don't deal in flesh."
The man frowned, his gaze flicking once more to Lin Xiao's mask, before turning away.
"Big Brother," someone whispered from the group, "wasn't that supposed to be our contact?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
"But this is the last day—what if someone's toying with us?"
"Then we wait a bit longer. If no one comes by morning, we move out."
Their hushed voices were well within Lin Xiao's perception. When they finally drifted away, he reopened his eyes, watching their retreating forms in silence before shaking his head slightly.
The sun sank beyond the mountains, and a pale new moon climbed into the sky. There were no lighting soul-tools here—only the flicker of scattered campfires.
Lin Xiao's meditation was cut short again as his eyes snapped open. He looked upward, then toward the distant edge of the town.
In the howling wind, the sound of hurried footsteps drew near.
Soon, five shadowed figures appeared at the edge of his vision. Like most here, they wore cloaks—but unlike the usual black, theirs were a deep, uncommon shade of green.
"Big Brother, looks like more people just arrived."
The watchman from earlier nudged the burly man awake.
"Go ask."
"Got it."
The sentry strode forward. "You folks passing through, or looking to trade?"
"Trade," came a cool female voice from beneath one of the cloaks. "We've already made contact."
The man's eyes brightened. He turned back eagerly. "Big Brother, it's them!"
"Good. Let's see the goods."
The burly man stood and gestured.
One of his companions lifted the black covering—and revealed a metal cage.
Inside were two stunningly beautiful women. Scales ran across their skin and faces—neither fully human nor beast. Upon seeing the open air, they struggled desperately against their bindings, but their mouths were gagged, their cries muffled.
Dragon Maidens.
Lin Xiao recognized them instantly. Among Sun and Moon Empire's nobles, such captives were luxury playthings—not something one would expect to find smuggled here at the border.
Before he could think further, the moon above suddenly split in two. A blade of silver light sliced through the air.
In an instant, a head rolled across the ground.
Six spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, two black—rose slowly.
A heartbeat later, multicolored lights erupted throughout Rongguan Crossing as people scattered in every direction.
Those who had been resting here clearly knew the signs of danger. Without hesitation, they fled.
Lin Xiao's body flickered and vanished into the chaos. The moment he saw those green cloaks, he had already guessed who they were—now he was certain. He had no intention of staying.
The newcomers ignored the bystanders, focusing only on the traffickers.
"Who do you think you're dealing with?! These are the Common Alliance's goods!" the burly man shouted, invoking the name of his backers.
But the green-cloaked figures paid him no mind. Two freed the captives while the others charged forward.
The lead attacker's right hand flared, and eight rings rose—two yellow, two purple, four black. A Spirit Douluo.
In moments, the traffickers were slaughtered, their blood mingling with the dirt and dark stains that already marred the ruined town.
"Senior Sister, what about these two?"
"Take them to the nearest Heavenly Soul city with Ming'er. Explain their identities and hand them to the officials. Ruoruo and I will stay and assist Teacher Fan with the mission from the Soul Engineering Department."
Her tone was steady as she cast one last glance into the darkness beyond the town.
Far away, Lin Xiao froze mid-step. He could feel the aura of a Spirit Douluo flaring behind him. Taking a sharp breath, he accelerated, vanishing into the mountains.
Those green cloaks… that level of power…
Aside from the Shrek Investigation Team, who else would send such elite Spirit Masters to a forsaken border town?
And sending an eight-ring Spirit Douluo at that—Shrek truly lived up to its name.
Lin Xiao exhaled and veered off the road, seeking shelter among the rocks. As a member of the Holy Spirit Church, he dared not be seen by them. Traveling through the night would only draw attention—it was safer to lay low and wait.
(End of Chapter)