Chapter 26: Body Sect Mission, Hunting Evil Soul Masters
Inside the grand expanse of the Sect Master's Hall, Du Busi's booming exclamation echoed against the high stone walls, carrying enough sheer force to set the massive crystal chandelier overhead swaying on its heavy iron chains.
The Level 98 Super Douluo closed the distance to Liu Yuan in three massive strides. His deep green eyes gleamed with a predatory, fervent light, staring at the young man as if he had just unearthed a peerless, world-shaking treasure.
"Level 27? How on earth did you cultivate, kid?"
Du Busi circled Liu Yuan, his gaze raking up and down the boy's frame. Unable to restrain his curiosity, the towering old man reached out, his thick fingers prodding the faintly shimmering layer of condensed soul power shielding Liu Yuan's body.
In a single month, not only had the boy mastered the Body Secret Method, but he had also surged forward by another two entire levels. Such terrifying progression could no longer be contained by a word like genius. It was the mark of an absolute monster.
Sensing his master's intense, almost unhinged scrutiny, Liu Yuan kept his expression perfectly neutral. He maintained a posture of strict humility, bowing slightly at the waist.
"In reply to Master, I merely experienced a sudden moment of clarity while cultivating the secret method. Combined with the dense spiritual energy of the Tingtao Pavilion and the high-grade soul beast meat you provided, I was fortunate enough to break through."
"Don't try to feed me that nonsense!" Du Busi barked out a sudden, roaring laugh. His massive hand came down, slapping heavily against Liu Yuan's shoulder with enough force to crack stone.
"Your talent is simply monstrous, kid. It outstrips even Aotian's, and it certainly eclipses my own from back in the day! Hahaha, the Body Sect has truly struck a vein of pure gold this time."
Du Busi's chest heaved with unrestrained joy, his laughter bouncing off the cavernous walls. Liu Yuan waited patiently for the booming echoes to fade. He steadied his breathing, his demeanor shifting from a humble disciple to a sharp, calculating pragmatist.
"Master," Liu Yuan began, his voice cutting through the lingering amusement in the hall. "I assume you did not summon Senior Brother and me here today solely to test my cultivation. Is there a specific matter requiring our attention?"
The jovial warmth vanished from Du Busi's face in an instant. The towering old man straightened his posture, and the surrounding air immediately grew heavy, saturated with the suffocating, deep pressure of a Super Douluo.
"Since both of you have solidified your foundations and achieved success in your recent cultivation," Du Busi spoke slowly, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble, "it is time for you to step outside these walls and see some real blood. I have a sect mission. I want the two of you to lead it."
'A sect mission?' Liu Yuan's thoughts raced, his mind instantly dissecting the implications.
To the outside world, the Body Sect maintained a strict facade of absolute seclusion. They were a myth, a gathering of recluses hidden away in the mountains. Yet, Liu Yuan understood the underlying truth of their existence. The Body Sect was the hidden blade and the absolute guardian deity of the Heavenly Soul Empire. They isolated themselves to focus purely on martial dominance, avoiding the petty squabbles of the continent, but they never turned a blind eye to the empire's survival. They operated in the shadows, silently guarding the borders and maintaining the fragile peace of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Because of this deep-rooted connection, the vast majority of the Body Sect's missions involved neutralizing hidden threats that endangered the royal family's rule or the safety of the civilian populace. This often meant hunting down the twisted, depraved Evil Soul Masters who dared to cross into their territory to commit atrocities.
On the surface, it sounded remarkably similar to the vaunted Inspectors of Shrek Academy.
But Liu Yuan saw the glaring, fundamental difference between the two factions. Shrek Academy's Inspectors operated on a delusional, almost saintly concept of unrewarded justice. They threw their students into life-and-death meat grinders, fueled entirely by sheer passion, empty glory, and the arrogant belief that they were the continent's moral arbiters.
The Body Sect, however, operated on a foundation of tangible benefits. They shared an incredibly deep bond of mutual interest with the Heavenly Soul royal family. A sect mission was not a suicide run for empty praise; it was a highly calculated, elite training exercise with massive, guaranteed payouts.
By completing these tasks, the disciples fulfilled their duty as the empire's protectors. In return, the sect provided them with incredibly rare cultivation resources., the Heavenly Soul royal family would shower them with heavy monetary rewards, rare soul bones, and even hereditary noble titles.
This pragmatic model, exchanging blood and effort for massive, tangible rewards tied to real political power, was infinitely superior to Shrek's hypocritical, self-sacrificing brainwashing. Real power required real resources, not empty applause.
"Please instruct us, Master," Liu Yuan said, his tone steady and focused. "What exactly are the parameters of this mission?"
Du Busi clasped his massive hands behind his back. He turned his gaze toward an enormous, detailed map of the Heavenly Soul Empire draped across the far stone wall. He raised a thick finger, pointing toward a remote region near the edge of the parchment.
"In the western reaches of the empire, there is a small, isolated border town known as Yaluo City."
Du Busi's eyes narrowed, a cold, murderous glint flashing within his green irises. "Recently, a pack of Evil Soul Masters has surfaced in that territory. Their methods are exceptionally cruel. They burn, kill, and pillage without restraint. Several outlying villages have already been slaughtered, leaving nothing but ash and corpses. The local populace is drowning in panic. I have already dispatched our sect's scouts to verify the intelligence."
He paused, letting the weight of the situation settle over the hall. "Their numbers are small. We estimate roughly five or six individuals. Judging by the residual soul power signatures left at the massacre sites, their strength hovers around the Level 20 Soul Grandmaster realm. While their cultivation levels are pathetic, Evil Soul Masters possess twisted, highly unpredictable methods. You must not underestimate them."
Du Busi turned his piercing gaze back to the two young men. "For this deployment, Aotian will take the lead and manage the overall tactical situation. Liu Yuan, you will act as his second-in-command, assisting him and covering his blind spots."
"Understood," Long Aotian replied, his voice deep and resolute.
"Aside from the two of you," Du Busi continued, "you will take Chen Lu, Gu Tong, and Wang Yanfeng from the inner sect., Vina and Mu Xue will be joining your squad. Consider this a collective, live-combat training exercise for your generation. Do you understand?"
Liu Yuan's brow twitched slightly, a rare flicker of genuine surprise breaking his calm facade. "Vina and Mu Xue are deploying as well?"
Vina was not just a talented disciple; she was the legitimate princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire. She possessed a delicate, incredibly precious status. Mu Xue, acting as her personal companion and shadow guard, held an equally sensitive position. Sending a royal princess to the absolute front lines to suppress a pack of deranged, bloodthirsty Evil Soul Masters in a highly volatile combat zone seemed like an unnecessary risk.
Du Busi caught the subtle shift in Liu Yuan's expression. A faint, knowing smirk touched the old man's lips.
"I know what you are thinking, kid. Vina may carry the blood of royalty, but as long as she stands within the borders of the Body Sect, she is a disciple of my Body Sect first and foremost. We do not raise fragile porcelain dolls here."
Du Busi's voice grew stern, echoing with absolute authority. "Her status demands that she lead by example. If she is to command the respect of the empire's soul masters in the future, she must bleed with them. She must stand as a pillar of strength, not a pampered royal hiding behind high walls."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly. "Do not let her polite demeanor fool you. Though she spends much of her time at the capital, she has executed numerous covert sect missions. When it comes to actual life-and-death slaughter, her combat experience might just eclipse your own."
Liu Yuan absorbed the information, his mind rapidly adjusting his tactical assessment of the princess. He nodded slowly, a look of realization settling over his features. "I understand, Master. I will ensure the mission is completed flawlessly and assist Senior Brother to the best of my abilities."
Moving in perfect synchronization, Liu Yuan and Long Aotian offered a deep, respectful bow to Du Busi. They turned on their heels and marched out of the Sect Master's Hall, their footsteps echoing against the stone floor as they headed out to gather Chen Lu and the rest of the squad at the main mountain gate.
Du Busi stood in silence, watching the retreating backs of his two golden-grade disciples until they vanished beyond the heavy oak doors at the end of the long corridor.
The moment they were gone, the imposing dignity on the old man's face melted away, replaced by an unmatched, heavy gravity.
He raised his hands and clapped twice. The sharp sound cut through the empty, silent hall.
From the deep shadows cast by the massive pillars, two figures materialized. They moved without a single sound, sliding into the light like formless phantoms.
Both were elderly men. One possessed a frame as withered and gaunt as dry firewood, his sunken eyes gleaming with a sinister, chilling light. The other stood tall, a wild, untamed aura rolling off his body, his hair a shock of fiery, blazing red.
Neither man deliberately released their soul power, yet the very space around them seemed to warp and groan under their passive presence, instantly betraying their terrifying identities.
Titled Douluo.
"Sect Master," the two elders spoke in unison, bowing their heads respectfully toward Du Busi.
Du Busi looked at them, his expression turning ice-cold as he delivered his absolute command. "I am sending the two of you to follow them. However, under no circumstances are you to let Liu Yuan or Aotian detect your presence."
He paced slowly across the dais. "I kept this from them to provide a genuine crucible for their growth. A flower raised in the safety of a greenhouse will inevitably be shredded by the first real storm. They need to feel the breath of death on their necks."
Stopping in his tracks, Du Busi turned back to the two elders, emphasizing every single syllable. "But hear me clearly. Liu Yuan and Long Aotian are my personal, direct disciples. The others in that squad represent the absolute future and hope of the Body Sect."
"You are to ensure their survival at all costs. If the situation spirals out of control, if an anomaly occurs that threatens their lives..."
A terrifying, absolute determination burned within Du Busi's green eyes. "Even if it means burning your own cultivation, even if it means sacrificing your very lives, you will bring every single one of them back to me! They must not suffer any irreversible harm!"
"We obey the Sect Master's decree!" The two Titled Douluo accepted the absolute order, their voices low and heavy with solemn conviction. They stepped backward, their physical forms dissolving silently back into the pitch-black shadows of the hall, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.
Left alone in the vast, empty hall, Du Busi let out a long, heavy sigh. He turned his gaze toward the massive arched window, staring out at the endless, surging sea of clouds blanketing the mountain peaks.
"Young eagles must eventually spread their wings and face the storm," he muttered to the empty air. "Grow up quickly, brats... grow up quickly."
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