Douluo Dalu 2 – The Unrivaled Tang-Clan Chapter 174

Published at 11th of October 2023 11:25:04 AM

Huo Yuhao was like a bystander now. He sensed the three of them talking in his Spiritual Sea and found it very weird.

The Illustrious Virtue Hall's underground base was a mess. Besides the Illustrious Virtue Hall members who chased after the Body Sect, those with lesser cultivations remained to help those who had been injured.

Huo Yuhao was among those who needed help. He was brought to a safer place after he was verified to be alive. He also acted like he was unconscious, and was thus temporarily safe.

“Snow Lady, let me help you to gather your origin power first. Maybe you'll have a chance at recovery.” The Ice Empress wanted to use Huo Yuhao's soul power to help the Snow Empress shrink the transparent fluid that was the manifestation of the Snow Empress' origin power.

However, the Ice Empress soon realized that something was amiss. That was because she couldn't control Huo Yuhao's internal strength like she could before.

“Yuhao, do something. Come and help.” The Ice Empress snapped.

Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly. “Ice Empress, I'm not doing nothing! I'm just scared that the Snow Empress will misunderstand if I just suddenly appear.”

The Snow Empress did misunderstand. She sensed Huo Yuhao's aura and asked in shock, “Ice, you're residing in a human's body? How did your dignity fall to this stage? What happened? It's you. You're the one who smashed the Godsealing Altar and released me?”

Huo Yuhao was annoyed. “But you took advantage of my kindness and froze me too. Without the Ice Empress' strength, I would've become a real ice sculpture.”

The Snow Empress was furious, “You humans are all evil. I don't need your help.”

The Ice Empress sighed. She knew that no one could change the Snow Empress' mind when she got angry. The only way was to clarify things first.

She tried her best to explain how she had met Huo Yuhao and the Skydream Iceworm, as well as how the Skydream Iceworm had convinced her to become Huo Yuhao's second martial soul.

The Snow Lady's emotions were evidently surging. Huo Yuhao also took this opportunity to gather the Snow Empress' remaining origin power into a small, transparent pearl using his Ultimate Ice soul power under the Ice Empress' guidance. He stabilized this pearl below his navel.

It seemed like the Ice Empress was similar to Electrolux then. She was only left with this origin sense. She had fared better than Electrolux in the sense that her origin sense was complete and wasn't in pieces. However, the Snow Empress couldn't compare to Electrolux in terms of her divine sense. Without the protection of Huo Yuhao's Ultimate Ice, her origin power would've dissipated.

“Ice, I didn't expect that you'd choose such a path.” The Snow Empress sighed after hearing the Ice Empress out. She had also calmed down significantly.

The Ice Empress laughed bitterly. “I had no choice! If not because I was desperate, I wouldn't have entrusted my fate to someone else. Right now, I can only do my best to help Yuhao. I hope that he can reach that stage one day.”

The Snow Empress said, “Skydream.”

“Yes, I'm here. I'm here.” The Skydream Iceworm appeared eagerly once again.

The Snow Empress said, “I never thought you'd be so loyal. You found a path to success, but you never forgot Ice. Solely based on this, Ice is fortunate to follow you. You must take good care of her in the future.”

“Alright, alright.” The Skydream Iceworm didn't rush to answer.

“Snow Lady, what do you mean?” The Ice Empress asked, “Snow Lady, are you unwilling to walk the same path as me?”

The Snow Empress laughed bitterly, “It's not that I don't want to. I can't. Your situation is different from mine. I've already decided to be reborn as a human. My own strength is suppressed within my origin power. If my rebirth is successful, this strength will slowly be released from my human body and turn into my human strength. Now that a part of this strength is still present, do you think this human can accept this shrunken origin power of mine?”

“Furthermore, Skydream was the one who reserved a spot for you and allowed you to undergo fusion. But do I have a place here? If I stay, I'll only be a time bomb. Once I detonate, the two of you will also die, along with this human.”

“Without my original body, my origin power is in an unstable state. It can blow apart at any time.”

After the Snow Empress listened to the Ice Empress, she was actually tempted. She had to admit that Skydream's path was a good opportunity for soul beasts like them who had no choice. Once Huo Yuhao became a god, they might be released. However, she was in a different situation from the Ice Empress. There was no place for her here. If she underwent fusion, everyone would die.

The Ice Empress was speechless. Yes! She had guided the Snow Empress here, but how could she help her? She could also sense that the Snow Empress' origin power was very unstable. The Snow Empress had lost the ability to control her own origin power. If something went wrong, disaster might ensue!

“Skydream, what do we do? Think of a way.” The Ice Empress couldn't help but ask the Skydream Iceworm.

“Me…?” The Skydream Iceworm laughed bitterly. “What idea could I possibly have? Although my cultivation seems to better than yours, my capabilities are extremely inferior to the two of you. The two of you can also clearly sense the condition of Yuhao's body. His potential is slowly being developed, but it's impossible for him to bear the Snow Empress' origin power.”

“Is there not even a single solution?” The Ice Empress asked anxiously.

Skydream said, “If the Snow Empress could control her own power and follow us in sealing the parts that Yuhao can't absorb, she could become your martial soul's second soul ring, and there's a possibility of retaining her intelligence. However, the Snow Empress is above your level. If she fuses into a martial soul that you form, there'll be a conflict. That'll be a very serious matter. Furthermore, the Snow Empress can't control her own origin power now.”

“If I retract my power and let the Snow Lady replace me, is it possible?” The Ice Empress asked flatly.

Skydream became annoyed. “Do you think this is a game? Do you think giving up your position is so easy? Your strength has already fused with my ice martial soul. Without Yuhao's agreement, you can't retract your power. Even if you could, it would only cause the ice martial soul to be crushed. Everyone will perish together.”

The Snow Empress' voice became much gentler, “Ice, don't be like that. We've lived in this world for hundred thousands of years. I've lived even longer than you. When I was first born, there weren't even humans around yet. Is death really that scary? I don't think so. Maybe it's just a new beginning. If there's a next life, I hope we can be of different genders. I'll marry you then. It's time to say goodbye, Ice.”

As she spoke, the Snow Lady's origin power struggled slightly beneath Huo Yuhao's navel. It started to swim like a fish. Huo Yuhao's soul power couldn't restrict it as it tried to escape his body.

The Skydream Iceworm was stunned. “What's going on? Ice Empress, you and the Snow Empress…”

“Shut up!” The Ice Empress screamed, and her voice already sounded like she was sobbing. “Snow Empress, don't go. We'll think of another way.”

The Snow Empress sighed. “I have to go. I don't know how long I can suppress this origin power anymore. After I leave, all of you should leave this place quickly. Once my origin power blows apart, it'll be even more terrifying than what happened earlier. Ice, Skydream is a nice chap. Be nicer to him.”

“You don't have to go.” Elder Yi's voice sounded at this moment. He finally spoke.

“Elder Yi.” The Ice Empress seemed to have found her savior, “Elder Yi, help the Snow Lady. If you can help her survive, I'll do anything.”

Electrolux smiled as he said, “Even if it means giving up your spirit?”

The Ice Empress was in a momentary daze. After that, she said determinedly, “Yes.”

Electrolux was silent for a moment before he replied, “I seem to have seen something. Reveal yourselves in the Spiritual Sea. Yuhao still needs to make a decision. After all, we're in his body.”

Amidst an intense undulation of spiritual power, Huo Yuhao peered into his own mind. A boundless, golden ocean drifted into his vision – he had arrived beside his Spiritual Sea.

The Ice Empress turned into an Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, while the Skydream Iceworm was still the huge worm that had ten, flashing golden soul rings on it.

Huo Yuhao was shocked by the Snow Empress' appearance.

She looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old teenage girl. Her long, white hair flowed freely to her legs, and her sky-blue eyes were very clear. It was as if she could see through everything in the world. Her slender figure was flawless, and her long white dress wasn't adorned with any accessories. However, she still looked very elegant and ravishing.

Even though she was only left with a shred of her origin power, the Snow Empress paid very meticulous attention to her appearance. She stood out above the common crowd and had a proud demeanor.

Huo Yuhao had revealed his original appearance in his Spiritual Sea, but his body had a layer of dim gold that wasn't found on the Ice Empress or the others.

Electrolux's figure slowly surfaced. He wore a long, golden robe that had rose patterns on it. His white hair and beard revealed the vicissitudes of life that he had been through, and he carried a sense of simplicity and profundity.

When the Snow Empress saw him for the first time, her body jerked. Huo Yuhao could sense an agitation in her origin power.

Electrolux also looked at the Snow Empress and said with a calm gaze, “You have one of the most powerful spiritual senses I've seen since coming to this world. Although that worm has a greater cultivation than you, he can't compare to you in terms of his spiritual sense. Your spiritual sense is also very pure, which is a very rare thing. No wonder you're the Icesky Snow Lady.”

The Snow Empress was aloof as she looked back at Electrolux, “Human, you don't have to say such useless things to me. You're very powerful.”

Electrolux smiled, and the wrinkles on his face became very obvious. “You can sense my power because you're on a different level. Although I was only left with a shred of my divine sense when I came to this world, it still exists. Although your level isn't low, it has remained stagnant at that level. After all, one's spiritual and divine sense don't belong in the same category.”

The Snow Empress' spirit jerked a little. “Are you the split consciousness of a god?”

Electrolux shook his head and said, “No, I'm just a human who didn't want to be a god. In my previous world, becoming a god signified eternal death. It seems to be different in this world. It's a pity that I no longer possess the foundation to become a god.

“Let's talk about your matter. Your situation is actually very simple. After you lost your body, your immense spiritual sense no longer has a body to house it. Your spiritual power can no longer contain your origin power, and it'll eventually blow apart. There doesn't seem to be a place in Yuhao's body that can contain you, because he is still not strong enough right now. While it isn't possible to contain you now, that doesn't mean that it will be impossible in the future. That's why I'm willing to help you. I'm also helping myself, the worm, and the scorpion.

“With your strength, it'll be much easier for Yuhao to advance in the future.”

The Snow Empress replied, “If I'm going to live, I'd rather return to nature than live so pathetically.”

Electrolux smiled. “No one's asking you to live pathetically. I've already thought about your future. But the time isn't ripe. You need to preserve your powers and prevent them from dissipating. Your intelligence will exist with your spiritual sense.”

“My future?” The Snow Empress was a little confused, and looked at Electrolux with a new sense of curiosity.

Electrolux nodded, and his lips moved as if he were saying something, but Skydream, the Ice Empress, and Huo Yuhao couldn't hear him.

The Snow Empress listened very carefully. After a long while, her confusion turned into shock. “Is that really possible?” she asked, and everyone could hear her.

Electrolux answered in a deep voice. “I never exaggerate things. I'm seventy percent confident that it can be realized. Furthermore, it's only your origin power that will need to be sealed. Your spiritual sense and intelligence can remain in Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea just like the worm and the scorpion, which will allow you to consolidate your spiritual sense and help you familiarize yourself with this place. When Yuhao's cultivation reaches seven rings, it'll be a great opportunity to evolve.”

“Snow Lady, I beg you. Please stay here.” The Ice Empress pestered the Snow Empress, and used her long scorpion tail to caress the Snow Empress' slender thigh.

“That's right. Stay here.” The Skydream Iceworm followed her to the Snow Empress' side. However, he was smacked by the Ice Empress' pincer before he could get close to the Snow Lady.

The Snow Empress turned to Huo Yuhao, and her icy-blue eyes bore a complicated look.

At this point, Huo Yuhao knew what he should do. He stared at the Snow Empress with a sincere look on his face and said, “Greetings, Snow Empress! Although I don't know what Elder Yi said to you, I really hope that you can stay. I can't guarantee that I'll fulfill your wish in the future, but I'll do my best to. You're the darling of nature, you can't just die. I'll treat you like a friend, partner, and even kin, just like how I treat Skydream and the Ice Empress.”

If the Snow Empress stayed, it would be very beneficial to him. Although Huo Yuhao didn't know what Elder Yi said to the Snow Empress, he had clearly heard the word 'evolve'. Furthermore, his control over his body would become stronger as his abilities increased. Even the powerful spirits that existed in his body couldn't forcefully control his body anymore.

Before the Snow Empress had turned into a human embryo, she had nearly seven hundred thousand years of cultivation! Even though she had blown her own body apart, her main strength was sealed within her origin. It would certainly be very useful for him in the future. In addition, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress appeared to very close, the Ice Empress would be delighted if the Snow Empress stayed.

Her desire to survive eventually trumped her pride. The Snow Empress glanced at the Ice Empress' hopeful eyes and nodded, albeit with a little hesitation.

The Ice Empress quickly changed the topic. “Snow Lady, how did you manage to do it? With your seven-hundred thousand years of cultivation, you can't possibly be reborn as a human! Above a hundred-thousand years of cultivation, our strength can't be restricted just by sealing it. Even if we're willing to give up our strength, we won't be able to do it! How did you succeed?”

The Snow Empress said, “I encountered a hundred-thousand year Snow Lotus. The Snow Lotus can't unlock one's spiritual intelligence, but it contains the purest essence of heaven and earth. I used it to seal my origin, which allowed me to be reborn as a human. But who knew that I would be so unfortunate as to meet a human that had snuck into the Extreme North? He exploited the opportunity to seal me in that vicious Godsealing Altar.”

The Ice Empress was enlightened. “I see. No wonder you chose this path. It's a pity…”

Electrolux spoke in a deep voice. “Snow Lady, your spiritual sense is too unstable because your sealed origin power is too immense. We must begin quickly.”

Although the Snow Empress was very proud, she wouldn't delay after she made her choice. She nodded and answered, “I'll have to trouble you, then.”

Electrolux drifted to the Snow Empress and reached his right hand forward. The Spiritual Sea beside them started to surge as Huo Yuhao entered a trance. Countless golden spots formed a light that was as bright as the stars, gathering towards Electrolux.

A long, golden staff slowly took form. Huo Yuhao felt a sudden and intense weakness as it condensed in Electrolux's hand.

Electrolux was in a different situation than the Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress. When he fused into Huo Yuhao's body, he was only left with a shred of his divine sense. He needed to rely on Huo Yuhao's strength every time he wanted to exhibit any form of ability. Under such circumstances, the power that he wanted to use must be within Huo Yuhao's ability to handle.

The formation of this staff had undoubtedly drained Huo Yuhao's spiritual power.

Electrolux's aura changed when the golden staff entered his hands. An indescribable sense of purity and elegance made him seem like a god that had descended.

A deep chant soundedout, Electrolux was reciting mystical words. At the start, his voice was very deep. However, it gradually started to echo in Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea.

His mighty voice made him appear even more majestic. Skydream and the Ice Empress didn't move from where they were. The Snow Empress had already shut her eyes, and appeared to be sensing something.

Huo Yuhao was the only one in pain. He felt weaker and weaker. To his horror, he discovered that his boundless Spiritual Sea was shrinking at an alarming rate. His spiritual power was also decreasing significantly.

He initially felt that he already overestimated Elder Yi. But now he realized that Elder Yi was far stronger than he had thought. Huo Yuhao made such this judgment after witnessing the Ice Empress, Snow Empress, and Skydream Iceworm's reactions.

The Snow Empress' pride quickly disappeared as Elder Yi recited his incantations. What replaced it was a sense of solemnity and esteem.

How powerful would Elder Yi be if he wasn't just a shred of divine sense? Perhaps even a Transcendent Douluo would be inferior to him!

Huo Yuhao's belief grew despite the weakness he felt. He had realized how small he was during the fight between Illustrious Virtue Hall and the Body Sect. He wasn't at a level where he could get involved in such an intense fight. He couldn't even use his Spiritual Detection in such circumstances.

He might be one of the best among others of his same age, but he was still very far from the true elites.

Elder Yi's voice was very deep right from the start. However, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea started to shake as Elder Yi continued to chat. In his Spiritual Sea, both bright and dim rays of light intersected. Huo Yuhao fell to a half-conscious state from the drain on his spiritual strength.

At this point, a huge golden vertical eye slowly opened in his Spiritual Sea. A golden beam of light turned into a strong ray shining directly on Huo Yuhao's body. He was jolted awake by the strong light.

Elder Yi's voice was blocked out by the light. The golden beam also started to emit brilliant spots that lit up his Spiritual Sea.

This was the feeling that came from the Eye of Destiny's second mental sea. The power of destiny was keeping Huo Yuhao conscious.

He still felt weak, but he managed to stay conscious. Huo Yuhao realized that Elder Yi wasn't just chanting anymore.

Electrolux wielded the golden staff in his hand, a ball of transparent golden light glowing blindingly above it. Strange runes slowly formed on the sphere. Every time a mysterious rune was formed, it would detach from the globe, drift towards the Snow Empress, and imprint onto her forehead. While the rune slowly fused into the Snow Empress' forehead, a second rune would slowly take form before drifting towards her again. This process carried on very smoothly.

Huo Yuhao gradually felt the weakness disappear. Electrolux seemed to have finally gathered enough strength, and the golden runes began to appear faster and faster. The Snow Lady was gradually engulfed in a layer of golden light, while her divine sense was magically stabilized.

Huo Yuhao could sense that the transparent pearl below his navel was now encased in a layer of gold energy, the entirety of the pearl's strength restrained by it.

It was a very strange feeling. It was as if a force on the brink of collapse had been frozen in that state. The Snow Empress' expression had also become calmer. Her aloof demeanor was much gentler now.

Something weird seemed to have been etched into Huo Yuhao's heart, and he slowly shut his eyes. He didn't know what had enabled him to become enlightened, but he slowly became immersed in his Spiritual Sea and entered a deep meditative state.

……

Within the Illustrious Virtue Hall.

Jing Hongchen grit his teeth as he stood in the underground base. Everything in front of him was simply too startling.

The entire underground base was a complete mess. Less than a third of the costly laboratory desks were still in working order; the rest had been completely destroyed, leaving all sorts of rare metals strewn about. The underground base was in tatters.

Jing Hongchen was most depressed by the fact that the underground base was beginning to show signs of instability as a result of the intense battle that had ensued earlier. Luckily, it wasn't beyond salvaging. He immediately instructed his people to solidify and stabilize the base's foundations before they did anything else.

The Illustrious Virtue Hall had never been hit so badly before. The material damages it had sustained would be astronomically costly, and then there was the lives they'd lost. The Illustrious Virtue Hall didn't even belong to him; it was the soul tool research base for the entire Sun Moon Empire! It also had to bear the responsibility of developing advanced soul tools. Even with his current status in the Sun Moon Empire, he'd still be held responsible for such a grave matter. He was bound to receive pressure from the imperial family for this.

“Body Sect…Body Sect!” Jing Hongchen was enraged. His attempt to pursue them hadn't achieved anything. Halfway through one of the tunnels, Du Busi had collapsed the tunnel behind him while they were chasing them, which had allowed the Body Sect the chance to flee the area.

Jing Hongchen immediately commanded the military to lock down the entire city. However, he knew that this wouldn't work. With the Body Sect's abilities, how would the military be able to stop them?

“Hallmaster.” Lin Jiayi's voice trembled as he walked up to Jing Hongchen. Jing Hongchen lowered his head to look at him.

“What's the situation?” Jing Hongchen attempted to calm down.

Lin Jiayi lowered his head and answered, “The warehouse is still fine—we didn't really lose anything. All of the advanced soul tools in storage are intact.”

Jing Hongchen heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Lin Jiayi's words; at least there was still some good news. It seemed that the Body Sect's target had been the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo, and that they'd employed their entire sect to launch a surprise attack on them. Jing Hongchen was determined to take revenge.

“However…” Lin Jiayi's next word caused Jing Hongchen to tense up.

He glared at Lin Jiayi, “'However' what? Don't stutter, speak clearly.”

Lin Jiayi grit his teeth. His voice trembled as he said, “However, Test Subject 1 is missing…”

“What?” Jing Hongchen felt as if his vision had suddenly gone dark. His body shook, and he almost toppled to the ground. Lin Jiayi quickly moved to support him.

Jing Hongchen felt as if the sky had just collapsed. He was panicking, and was extremely upset now.

“Repeat what you just said.” Even Jing Hongchen's voice was trembling this time.

Lin Jiayi's voice continued to tremble as he said, “Test Subject 1 is missing.”

Jing Hongchen cursed, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then collapsed into Lin Jiayi's arms.

What was Test Subject 1? It was the pinnacle of the Illustrious Virtue Hall's research on soul tools! Even though it was only half-complete, it was the essence of the Sun Moon Empire's research on soul tools over the past few thousand years!

Jing Hongchen face had become pale and his eyes were now full of fear as he looked at Lin Jiayi. He could get away with the fact that the Illustrious Virtue Hall had suffered a great amount of damage in this incident, but he couldn't bear the consequences brought about by the theft of Test Subject 1. This was something that threatened the entire empire's safety!

He took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. After a moment, he asked, “Who else knows about this?”

Lin Jiayi shook his head hurriedly and said, “I personally went to Laboratory 1 to check. I sealed the door to the lab and changed the door's passcode the moment I discovered that it was missing. I immediately came to report it to you.”

Jing Hongchen finally managed to calm himself down and said, “Good job. No one else can know about this.”

“Alright.” Lin Jiayi hurriedly answered. Jing Hongchen's face was currently half-red and half-white. His hatred towards the Body Sect had reached a peak. His only hope right now was that Test Subject 1 was too difficult for anyone to use—that its technology was too advanced. If it were to be stripped apart, the explosive device within it would immediately detonate. This was a theft prevention plan they'd implemented, and right now, it seemed that doing so had been the right choice.

Even so, the metals they'd lost were still extremely valuable. Fortunately, the Illustrious Virtue Hall was greatly autonomous. So long as this matter wasn't exposed, there was still a chance that they could resolve it quietly.

Jing Hongchen forced his body to straighten up, somehow managing to maintain his cool despite the critical situation.

“Lin Jiayi, instruct everyone who was present today to keep their mouths sealed. Anyone that dares to leak news of the incident will be executed, no exceptions.

“Send people to every single auction houses, including those in the empire. Have them monitor any and all higher-level auctions. If Test Subject 1 is discovered, retrieve it at all costs.

“Finally, use the Illustrious Virtue Hall's name to send a mission out to all mercenaries and assassins: Kill anyone from the Body Sect and you'll be heavily rewarded.”

Jing Hongchen paused for a moment, then said, “Besides the injured Illustrious Virtue Hall disciples, all remaining Illustrious Virtue Hall members are to aid in restoring our underground base. Help me inform the elders that we'll need them to beef up the Illustrious Virtue Hall's defenses as well. No further flaws will be accepted. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Lin Jiayi answered hurriedly. He was relieved that Jing Hongchen had regained his reason.

Jing Hongchen seemed to have thought of something, and asked anxiously, “How're the exchange students from Shrek Academy? Especially Huo Yuhao. Were any of them hurt?”

Lin Jiayi knew that Jing Hongchen would ask him this question, thus had done his homework beforehand.

“Fan Yu and He Caitou are currently out for an experiment, thus they weren't in the underground base. Most of the rest were also outside of the experimentation zone; the initial explosion didn't affect them. They were all very sly, and managed to swiftly retreat to a safe place where they didn't have to participate in the battle. Some of them are injured, but their injuries aren't serious. Huo Yuhao is one of them. Our healing-type soul engineers have already checked on him. Even though he's unconscious, he isn't critically injured. He must've suffered a concussion; he just needs some time to recover.”

Jing Hongchen heaved a sigh of relief and said, “That's good. If anything had happened to the Shrek students, it would've caused even more trouble. They have to be well taken care of—nothing can happen to them.”

Lin Jiayi hesitated for a moment before saying, “Hallmaster, do you think it's possible that this attack was some sort of collusion between Shrek Academy and the Body Sect? How else could the Body Sect accurately know the position of our underground base—especially where Test Subject 1 and the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo were? They even managed to release the hundred thousand year soul beast embryo. I'm afraid that there's a mole!”

Jing Hongchen glared at him and said, “Idiot. Don't I know that? However, Shrek wasn't involved. Is your brain empty? Does anyone from Shrek Academy know where our hundred thousand year soul beast embryo is? None of them can even enter the core region of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. Furthermore, we have Huo Yuhao with us. Shrek Academy wouldn't be so stupid. They might mock us for this incident, but it wasn't their doing. And do you really think that they're that close to the Body Sect?

“Alright, quickly pass down my instructions. We need to minimize the effects of this incident. I'll head to the palace immediately; It seems that I need to pay the Crown Prince a visit after all. It's really heaven's will!” Once he'd finished speaking, Jing Hongchen quickly walked away.

Even though the Illustrious Virtue Hall was doing its best to suppress the news, how could such a huge matter be concealed?

The matter had been made known to the entire continent after just a few days. Although the Sun Moon Empire's officials didn't reveal who the perpetrators had been, the Illustrious Virtue Hall's murderous mission towards the Body Sect clearly indicated who the mastermind behind the attack had been.

The entire continent shook from the news, and the other empires were jubilant at the news. Even though they didn't know how much damage the Illustrious Virtue Hall had suffered, it was a good thing for them no matter what!

The Sun Moon Empire's Emperor was enraged when he learned about the matter, and his physical condition worsened as a result. Jing Hongchen was severely punished as a result: his Dukedom was revoked. If not for Xu Tianran, his punishment would've been even more severe.

The prices of advanced soul tools on the continent dropped significantly following this, while the prices of rare metals soared. The exchange of rare metals suddenly became much more prevalent.

Chapter end