Glory City was in uproar. Recently, both the Alchemist Association and the Divine Medicine Pavilion announced that they would be selling several long-lost elixirs to the public.
At first, due to the timing of the announcement, everyone thought that the Alchemist Association and the Divine Medicine Pavilion had collaborated and worked together to refine the elixirs, expecting that both alchemy businesses were going to sell the same products.
But to everyone's surprise, each alchemy business introduced a different set of elixirs.
The Divine Medicine Pavilion announced that the Meridian Detoxifying Pill, Demon Spirit Enchantment Pill, Soul Forging Pill, Core Fortification Pill, Body Rejuvenating Pill, and Legend Physique Tempering Pill, once long-lost elixirs, were now available for purchase at their store.
At the same time, the Alchemist Association announced that the Soul-Nurturing Pills, Soul-Concentration Pills, Soul-Tempering Pills, and Scarlet Body-Enhancing Pills were going to be sold by them.
Each of these elixirs had effects ten times or even hundreds of times better than the current elixirs everyone was using to increase their strength.
The best thing about it was that the elixirs from the Divine Medicine Pavilion and the Alchemist Association were priced so affordably that many commoner families were preparing to purchase some for their younger generation.
All this news sent shockwaves through everyone's hearts. How could those long-lost elixirs, once thought by many to be nothing more than legends, suddenly begin appearing left and right at the same time?
Everyone was asking how, or rather who, made this happen.
Naturally, both organizations remained tight-lipped about the identity of the mysterious alchemist master who provided the elixir formulas.
Speaking of one of those two mysterious alchemy master, inside the Holy Orchid Institute library, Nie Li sat cross-legged as he pondered everything that had happened during their expedition to the Ancient Orchid City ruins, the life-and-death encounter with that Spirit-grade demon beast, and his discovery of the collusion between the Dark Guild and the Sacred Family.
Nie Li had decided that he needed to increase his strength to better protect himself, and he did so by borrowing the strength of the Alchemist Association.
After providing them with the elixir formulas, which resulted in the Alchemist Association increasing both its wealth and influence, Nie Li now possessed enough money and influence to openly confront the Sacred Family and, by extension, the Dark Guild as well.
But if Nie Li was being completely honest, the person he was most concerned about was Xue Hui.
Ever since he returned from the future, he already knew that this was no longer the same Glory City from his past life.
And Nie Li suspected that all of these changes had something to do with Xue Hui.
That was what made Nie Li suspicious about Xue Hui's origins, motives, and the kind of power he possessed.
Nie Li had the vast experience of his past life and the Temporal Demon Spirit Book with him.
Those were the reasons why he was so capable and knowledgeable even at his current age.
But what about Xue Hui? What kind of technique did he use to cause so many changes throughout Glory City, especially regarding Ye Ziyun's fate?
Nie Li let out a low, tired grunt. If there was one thing he had proven while spending time with Ye Ziyun during their trip, it was that Xue Hui was a tricky topic to bring up around her.
Wanting to probe more about that guy's identity, Nie Li began asking Ye Ziyun questions about Xue Hui.
From what Nie Li gathered through Ye Ziyun's stories, she and Xue Hui did not have a particularly deep relationship other than knowing each other when they were little. The two were practically strangers to one another, which was good news for Nie Li.
So imagine Nie Li's surprise when he made a slight remark about Xue Hui's appearance, dubbing it garishly dramatic, and Ye Ziyun got offended by it and told Nie Li that she would stop talking to him if he kept making fun of Xue Hui.
Caught off guard, Nie Li had no other choice but to apologize to Ye Ziyun and promise that he would not badmouth Xue Hui again, all while cursing him in his heart.
Sighing, Nie Li stood up and walked toward the window to look at the school grounds. The Holy Orchid Institute was much quieter than usual since many students were focused on cultivating in preparation for the incoming test.
With a thoughtful look, Nie Li decided that the only way to know Xue Hui's motives was by asking him directly.
That would require a great deal of preparation on his part. As of now, his strength was only at the Bronze rank, and based on the quality of Xue Hui's aura, Nie Li surmised that Xue Hui's strength was at least an entire realm above his own, perhaps Silver or even Gold rank.
Nie Li's eyes flashed with determination.
"It doesn't matter who you are, Xue Hui. Since I've returned, how can I still remain powerless against anyone? Even you," Nie Li murmured under his breath.
In this matter, he was confident that it would not take long before his strength surpassed Xue Hui's.
Now that the Holy Orchid Institute exam was around the corner and he had already broken through to Bronze rank, he could not wait to chase Shen Xiu out of the academy.
The Sacred Family and the Dark Guild were both colluding to destroy Glory City.
Nie Li's fists clenched tightly as memories of the deaths of his friends and family in his previous life surfaced in his mind. His eyes shone with vicious light.
"The crimes from my previous life and the crimes of this lifetime, I, Nie Li, will make sure all of you pay for them," Nie Li declared within his heart.
Snow Wind Family Mansion, secret underground bunker.
Inside were three of Glory City's most powerful figures: Lord Ye Mo, City Lord Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong. Asked by Xue Hui to help him set up a powerful defense for Glory City, they had all dropped their work and immediately come to assist him.
After hearing the details of Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er's trip and the treasure they had stumbled upon, Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong all realized the immense importance of this treasure to the safety of everyone in Glory City, so they wasted no time gathering all the necessary materials Xue Hui needed to set up the Myriad Soul Puppet Army.
One of those necessary materials was a living, breathing human being.
Tied to a chair, the man's deep, labored breaths echoed throughout the small room. His head was lowered, unable to meet the gazes of the important figures around him. Sweat soaked through his dirty clothes as he tried, and failed, to stop his body from trembling.
As the man struggled to calm himself, Lord Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong all remained silent, their eyes fixed on him.
While the man was a convicted prisoner, his crimes did not warrant death.
Unfortunately for him, Xue Hui had personally chosen him for this ritual and carefully explained to everyone that his role was essential for activating the Myriad Soul Puppet Army.
Although Ye Mo and the others knew how unethical what they were about to do was, none of them tried to stop Xue Hui.
If one wished to become a Demon Spiritualist, it was inevitable to dirty one's hands, especially if it meant protecting the people one cared about.
They had protected Glory City for many years. Their hands had already been stained with the blood of countless enemies, so something like this would not faze them.
THUD
Breaking the silence, the door swung open.
The man's body flinched upon hearing the steady footsteps behind him. Those footsteps belonged to Xue Hui, who entered the room holding the head-sized golden egg in his hands.
Hearing Xue Hui walk past him, the man let out a shuddering breath.
He had met Xue Hui once before, and if he was being completely honest, despite Xue Hui's strikingly handsome appearance, those soul-piercing eyes of his frightened the man out of his wits. Behind those calm and calculating gazes were the eyes of a dangerous monster.
Xue Hui gave the three men a knowing look before stepping in front of the bound prisoner.
The man lifted his head and met Xue Hui's gaze, and terror immediately filled his heart, causing him to gulp nervously.
"Tell me what your wishes are before we begin the ritual. Anything, I'll make sure to grant it as your final wish."
The man's eyes scanned the room. Seeing Lord Ye Mo, the City Lord, and Chen Zhenlong all staring at him, he let out a shaky breath before forcing himself to speak.
"M-my family… my wife and childrens. I'm begging you, can you make sure they're safe and able to live comfortably? I was a failure as a father and husband. I couldn't even provide food for them. That's my wish. Please give them a comfortable life."
He was ashamed of himself.
Not only had he failed to give his family a better life, but he had also made their lives miserable after being caught committing crimes.
Still, his family had remained by his side. They visited him in prison even though it meant being ridiculed by everyone. They still called him husband and father despite all his failures.
He only wanted a better life for his family, but he was a failure, unable to become an expert and incapable of holding a steady job. In the end, he resorted to stealing just to put food on the table.
But now, after hearing Xue Hui explain everything, he knew he would never return to them. Still, he wanted to give them a better life even after he was gone.
Hearing this, Xue Hui gave Chen Zhenlong a sidelong glance. Chen Zhenlong immediately understood Xue Hui's intentions and nodded.
"By doing this, you'll make a huge contribution to Glory City and protect not only your family, but everyone else as well."
The man raised his head to look at Chen Zhenlong, his heart pounding loudly upon hearing those words.
"As for your family, I, Chen Zhenlong, promise you that your wife and children will live comfortably, as they will become members of my Divine Family from now on. Not only that, I will ensure your children receive the best nurturing possible to secure their futures."
Upon hearing Chen Zhenlong's promise, the man let out choked sobs as he bowed gratefully.
This was the best outcome he could have hoped for.
He had committed many crimes in the past and was eventually caught stealing from a noble family.
That offense was punishable by either lifelong imprisonment or being sent to work in the mines, where prisoners often died due to the harsh conditions.
Worst of all, his children were unaware of the burdens he had placed upon them. Not wanting to carry the stigma of being related to a criminal, both sides of their family had already distanced themselves from his wife and children.
His poor wife was doing her best just to scrape by, a responsibility that was already taking a toll on her body. Her health looked worse every time he saw her.
Steeling his heart, he gave Chen Zhenlong a resolute look and nodded.
"Do it! I, Meng Tao, have already failed as a husband and father. All I can do now is pave a better future for my family with my own blood. Take whatever you want. This is my responsibility as a husband and father."
Upon hearing his affirmation, Xue Hui leaned forward and slapped a paper talisman onto Meng Tao's forehead, followed by several more placed at his meridian points.
Before anyone could ask about it, Meng Tao let out a bone-chilling shriek as his soul was torn away from his body and guided into the Myriad Soul Puppet Army to become its new soul under Xue Hui's complete control.
"Give me ten years of your time, and afterward, you will be free to return to the cycle of reincarnation," Xue Hui promised.
He was not Xan Kang Hang, who trapped souls for so long that they lost their spirits and became permanently severed from the cycle of reincarnation.
Xue Hui only needed time to grow stronger. Once he became a supreme expert, he would no longer need to rely on the Myriad Soul Puppet Army to protect Glory City.
Time passed.
Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong watched as Xue Hui spent time setting up the head-sized golden egg.
Once he was finished, Xue Hui explained the functions of the Soul Puppets and how to utilize them, greatly shocking the three upon learning the enormous power possessed by the Myriad Soul Puppet Army.
After recovering from their shock, Xue Hui passed secondary control over the army to them. This meant that aside from Xue Hui himself, only Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong could command the Soul Puppets whenever deployment became necessary.
The Myriad Soul Puppets would be hidden somewhere within Glory City. With the control they possessed, each of them would be able to summon any Soul Puppet anywhere within the city walls, and once used, the Soul Puppets would automatically return to the Myriad Soul Puppet Army.
Xue Hui also took out the Pure Automatons and gave one to each of them to form contracts with.
With their strength, the Pure Automatons would gradually reach their level, effectively doubling the combat strength of Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong.
To say the three men were delighted by this development would be an understatement. Even Ye Mo, who usually wore a calm and stoic expression, could not hide the satisfied smile on his face.
After a brief discussion, mostly regarding Xue Hui's discovery of the collusion between the Dark Guild and the Sacred Family, Ye Mo, Ye Zong, and Chen Zhenlong all headed toward the City Lord's office to discuss the matter and devise a plan to expose the Sacred Family's crimes to everyone.
Meanwhile, Xue Hui decided to take a break and sat somewhere within the City Lord's courtyard to rest. Transferring a soul into the Myriad Soul Puppet Army had consumed quite a large amount of his spiritual energy.
Before Xue Hui could enter a meditative state, he heard footsteps approaching him.
Turning toward the sound, he saw Ye Ziyun looking at him with a surprised expression.
Her lips quivered slightly before she managed to call out to him.
"Xue Hui, what are you doing here?"
End of Chapter 57
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