A soft flash of red light, and Xiao Wu's spirit merged with her body, clarity returning to her beautiful eyes. It was Tang San who had woken her.
"Brother, where are this?" Xiao Wu couldn't help but look around.
Tang San said in a low voice, "We've returned to the mainland. I've decided to take you on a trip through the Star Dou Great Forest and add some Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer. This is Xilu City in the Hagen-das Kingdom. Something felt off when we were outside the city just now—the soldiers at the gate all had the words 'Spirit' on their chests. I'm not sure what it means. Let's go find out."
Now that they had entered the city, he couldn't keep carrying Xiao Wu the whole time—that would only attract suspicion. With her spirit merged, he only needed to hold her hand.
Xiao Wu lifted the veil of her bamboo hat and gave Tang San a long, meaningful look. Even though he hadn't said it aloud, how could she not understand his intention in taking her alone to the Star Dou Great Forest? She knew she couldn't change his mind. She took Tang San's left hand and said, "Let's go investigate. If those soldiers had the word 'Spirit' on them, it should be connected to Spirit Hall."
Tang San nodded. "Our thoughts align. The kingdoms and duchies under the two great empires have always had an ambiguous relationship with Spirit Hall—they've been its most loyal supporters. And precisely because of Spirit Hall, the two empires haven't dared to act rashly against those kingdoms and duchies. It seems that in the four years we've been gone, quite a lot has happened on the mainland."
As they talked, they emerged from a secluded corner onto the main street. The city's streets all looked more or less the same, with shops lining both sides of the road. Overall, Xilu City appeared quite prosperous, and the pedestrians walked at a brisk pace—a clear sign of the rhythm of daily life.
Xiao Wu whispered, "Brother, where should we go to ask around?"
A cold gleam flashed in Tang San's eyes. "The Martial Soul Main Hall, of course. Xilu City is a major city of the Hagen-das Kingdom, so it should have a Martial Soul Main Hall by default. Who would know better about what's happened than the Spirit Masters in Spirit Hall?"
Tang San had decided to investigate Spirit Hall's changes, and naturally Xiao Wu had no objections. Tang San glanced across the street and spotted a middle-aged man in his forties approaching. The man was dressed modestly, making it impossible to tell whether he was wealthy or poor. Tang San walked up to him and blocked his path.
"Excuse me, sir—I'd like to ask you a few questions." Tang San lifted the veil on his own bamboo hat and asked politely.
The middle-aged man startled at being stopped and eyed him warily, especially noting the cloth-wrapped bundle over a yard long in Tang San's hand. "What do you want to know?"
Tang San said, "We've come from the countryside. My wife and I are both Soul Masters. We heard that after taking Spirit Hall's assessment, you can earn some money. Could you tell us where the Martial Soul Main Hall in Xilu City is?"
Hearing Tang San's words, the middle-aged man's expression turned somewhat peculiar. But out of respect for Tang San's identity as a Soul Master, he replied respectfully, "So you're Soul Masters. But I'm afraid you might not be up to date on things around here. Have you been away from the outside world for a long time? Spirit Hall no longer exists."
"What?" Tang San was stunned. "Spirit Hall no longer exists? Has it been destroyed?"
The middle-aged man's face changed. He made a hushing gesture and said urgently, "Sir Soul Master, please don't say such things carelessly! My fault for not being clear. Spirit Hall no longer exists on the mainland—there is only the Spirit Empire."
Hearing this, Tang San immediately understood that during the four-plus years of his absence, the mainland must have undergone enormous upheaval. He quickly asked, "Sir, could you tell us exactly what happened? Consider this a small token of thanks." As he spoke, he produced two Silver Soul Coins and handed them over. It wasn't stinginess—offering too much money could cause problems of its own.
The moment he saw the coins, the middle-aged man's face lit up with a grin. He walked with Tang San and Xiao Wu to the side of the road and said with a laugh, "The country may have changed, but luckily the currency hasn't. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. You've come to the right person. To explain what happened to Spirit Hall, we need to start with the grand event in the Soul Master world from over three years ago—the Great Selection Conference of the Seven Great Sects."
It turned out that not long after Tang San and the others had departed, Spirit Hall had hosted the Great Selection Conference of the Seven Great Sects. A new generation of seven great sects had emerged, and without exception, all seven were Spirit Hall's most loyal supporters. Neither of the two great empires could produce any force capable of rivaling them. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan still had the strength to compete, but for self-preservation, they had declined to participate.
With the conclusion of the conference, Spirit Hall's prestige had surged to its peak. The seven great sects then jointly submitted a petition, declaring that all Soul Masters under heaven should revere Spirit Hall, and requesting that Spirit Hall better govern the Soul Master community.
Three months later, Spirit Hall declared the founding of a nation, renaming itself the Spirit Empire. All Spirit Hall branches within the borders of the two original empires were shut down, and their Soul Masters were withdrawn. The Spirit Empire's territory was formed by combining all the kingdoms and duchies that had originally existed between the two great empires. Stretched between them, it completely severed the connection between the two empires. With the amalgamation of over a dozen kingdoms and duchies, the Spirit Empire's total area was in no way inferior to either of the two empires after their split.
From a geographical standpoint, the Spirit Empire was clearly at a severe disadvantage—the Tian Dou Empire to the north, the Xing Luo Empire to the south. Yet ever since Spirit Hall became the Spirit Empire, it had in fact expanded in both directions simultaneously. In just a few years, it had already seized two provinces' worth of territory from each of the two empires. And this had happened without any large-scale military clashes between the three powers.
In terms of overall strength, the Spirit Empire had been cobbled together from over a dozen small nations, so its total military forces were naturally far inferior to those of either great empire, and its command structure could not be fully unified. However, the Soul Master force controlled by Spirit Hall was simply too powerful. The destructive capability a Soul Master could unleash in war was incomparable to that of a regular army. A single formation of a thousand Soul Masters was enough to stand against tens of thousands of regular troops.
At the same time, the Spirit Empire issued a decree summoning all Soul Masters on the mainland to join. Those who refused would be declared heretics. Coupled with the influence of the newly anointed seven great sects, Spirit Hall had come to control over seventy percent of the Soul Master forces on the continent. And its strong cultivators were numerous. There were more than ten Titled Douluo. This forced both great empires to bide their time, not daring to engage head-on. If they lost a battle, it could cascade into total defeat, leaving them no chance at all.
Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong, became the first emperor of the Spirit Empire. As a woman ruling an empire, she initially oversaw a brief period of outward expansion before turning inward—consolidating the empire, purging dissenters, and training her armies. Spirit Hall's years of accumulated wealth became the solid backbone of the empire's development. In just a few short years, the Spirit Empire had already become a formidable power standing in tripartite balance with the Tian Dou and Xing Luo Empires, and in raw strength it could surpass either one. Along its two borders, the stationed armies included over twenty thousand Soul Masters, personally led by Titled Douluo from the Elder Hall.
The temporary halt to expansion did not mean the Spirit Empire was content. Once Bibi Dong fully absorbed and integrated the strength of those subordinate kingdoms and duchies, a great war would become inevitable.
At its root, the reason the Spirit Empire had gained the upper hand so quickly after its founding was the original Spirit Hall apparatus—the tens of thousands of Soul Masters. The three former Upper Tier sects that might have offered some resistance had been neutralized: the Clear Sky Sect had gone into seclusion, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family had been utterly annihilated, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's strength had been severely diminished. There was simply no force capable of confronting Spirit Hall head-on.
The more powerful the Soul Master, the more terrifying they became in war. A single Titled Douluo was worth an army of thousands. Of course, the two great empires were not entirely without the power to fight. They had ruled for years and commanded vast elite armies. If they fought to the death, the Spirit Empire would certainly suffer devastating losses. This was precisely why Bibi Dong had not rushed to expand further. She needed to stabilize her internal affairs first, and only launch war when she had absolute confidence in victory.
After sending the middle-aged man on his way, Tang San fell into deep thought. He had guessed that enormous changes must have occurred on the mainland during these years, but he hadn't expected the situation to have deteriorated this severely. Bibi Dong's bold choice to found a nation had been somewhat hasty, but it had given Spirit Hall a genuine army and vast territory. For years, Spirit Hall had been regarded as a sacred ground by Soul Masters. The number of Soul Masters who could truly refuse Spirit Hall's recruitment and remain with the two empires would have been very small. Moreover, the Spirit Empire was brimming with powerful cultivators—merely the assassination of high-ranking officials in both empires by covert Soul Masters would be difficult for either empire to withstand.
If not for the need to resurrect Xiao Wu, Tang San would have wanted to rush back to Tian Dou City immediately to check on the situation there, and above all, on the Tang Sect's development. The Soul Master numbers were vastly unequal. The Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons' role in war was beyond question. Only through the massive deployment of devastating Hidden Weapons could they hope to counter Spirit Hall's Soul Master legions.
There was another matter Tang San had to see through. The conditions he had agreed to with the elders when he left the Clear Sky Sect had mostly been fulfilled—he had exceeded level eighty in strength and possessed at least one hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring. All that remained was to kill one of Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo, and he would have the right to return to the Clear Sky Sect and challenge his grandfather. The Clear Sky Sect's Soul Master numbers were not enough to shift the balance between the two empires and Spirit Hall. But it had once been the number one Soul Master sect in the world, and its symbolic significance was undeniable. Furthermore, the Clear Sky Sect possessed a full six Titled Douluo. Once they emerged from seclusion, they would surely have an enormous impact.
"Brother, why don't we go back to Tian Dou City too?" Xiao Wu was extraordinarily perceptive. Having been with Tang San for so long, she understood what he was thinking. The situation was dire, and the Tang Sect needed Tang San to return and take charge.
"No." Tang San shook his head firmly. "Only after I've resurrected you can we go back. Things may be dire, but Mubai and the others have already returned to Tian Dou City first. With them there, the Tang Sect won't face any serious problems. Until you've truly been resurrected, how could I devote my full attention to fighting Spirit Hall? Don't worry—in the short term, Spirit Hall won't be making any major moves. The two empires are currently in a relationship where if one falls, the other is doomed. If Spirit Hall attacks one, the other will absolutely not stand by idly. That means Spirit Hall will have to proceed cautiously. Having Mubai and the others return with news of our safety should be sufficient for now. I'm sure that over the past four-plus years, our Tang Sect must have grown to considerable scale. The Tian Dou Empire has surely also accumulated a substantial stockpile of Hidden Weapons in secret. Even if war truly breaks out, it won't be easy for Spirit Hall to conquer the empire."
Xiao Wu leaned against Tang San's chest and said softly, "Brother, I know you're doing this for my sake. But if my situation affects your great cause, I..."
Tang San placed a finger on her lips, not letting her finish. "Xiao Wu, I've never been a man of grand ambitions. I've never thought about changing the continent or anything like that. I fight Spirit Hall because of hatred—my parents' murder, and what they did to you. For me, the only thing that matters right now is resurrecting you, not fighting Spirit Hall. But since you're worried, then let's cause some chaos for this so-called Spirit Empire. Didn't that man just say that in addition to the original city governor, Xilu City also has a garrison Soul Master Corps dispatched by Spirit Hall, whose commander shares command authority with the governor? That's obviously Spirit Hall's way of monitoring the various kingdoms and duchies. Xilu City is a major stronghold of the Hagen-das Kingdom, so Spirit Hall must have sent at least fifty Soul Masters, led by no less than a Soul Saint. Tell me—if I were to make all those Soul Masters disappear, what would Spirit Hall think about Xilu City, and the Hagen-das Kingdom as a whole? One city might not mean much, but we'll be crossing through the Hagen-das Kingdom. If the same thing happened in a dozen cities, how would Spirit Hall view the Hagen-das Kingdom then?"
Xiao Wu froze for a moment. "Brother, you mean to...?"
A killing intent flickered through the depths of Tang San's eyes. "Anyone who aids Spirit Hall will be executed without mercy."
Night fell. A dark figure slowly materialized outside the garrison Soul Master Corps' compound in Xilu City. A deep blue cloak concealed his entire body; the only visible thing was the enormous weapon in his hand, roughly twelve feet long, pitch-black and utterly without luster.
The one who had arrived was none other than Tang San. He and Xiao Wu had settled into an inn in the city, resting for several hours and waiting until after dark before slipping out quietly. Tang San knew Xiao Wu disliked killing, so he had stored her body within his All-purpose Treasure Bag. The cloth wrappings around the Sea God's Trident had been removed. He had also purchased a large cloak specifically to conceal himself before coming here.
Tang San was not a bloodthirsty person by nature, but toward Spirit Hall, he would never show the slightest mercy. The vendetta against his parents was irreconcilable, and he still bore the grudge of Xiao Wu's sacrifice. He could never forget the deep anguish in his father's eyes, nor the despair in Xiao Wu's gaze when she offered herself to him. No matter how powerful Spirit Hall became, it would be his enemy for life.
His left hand pressed against the golden trident mark on his forehead, preventing it from radiating light when he released his spiritual force. A vast ocean of spiritual power surged outward, and once it reached the outside world, it spread like a thousand delicate streams. In barely a single breath, an enormous net of spiritual force had been cast. It covered not only the Soul Master Corps' compound before him, but also the surrounding area for several thousand square meters.
Countless streams of information flowed back into Tang San's brain at tremendous speed. Before heading to Sea God Island, performing such a precise scan would have required the aid of his Blue Silver Domain and the power of plants, along with careful measures to avoid detection. But now he had no such concerns. Unless someone here possessed spiritual force on the level of Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi, his spiritual power would reign supreme above all else, completely undetected by anyone. Like an eagle soaring high above the earth, he had a clear grasp of every shift in the entire scene.
At this late hour, the compound was quiet. Around thirty soldiers patrolled the outer perimeter of the garrison compound. Inside, roughly fifty more soldiers were stationed, along with thirty to forty servants. The number of Soul Masters was close to Tang San's estimate—nearly eighty in total.
Distinguishing these groups was not difficult. Soldiers generally had a steady, grounded aura. Servants moved with heavier footsteps. Soul Masters, by contrast, had long, deep breaths, and even their simplest gestures released ripples of Soul Power.
Tang San naturally had no intention of killing everyone here. His target was only the Soul Masters—he would not slaughter the soldiers and servants indiscriminately.
Without rushing into the compound, Tang San quietly circled around the perimeter. Guided by his spiritual force, he quickly located the soldiers patrolling and standing guard outside. Blue Silver Emperor erupted silently from the ground, and before these soldiers could react, their bodies were already tightly bound. With a sharp pulse from Blue Silver Emperor, Soul Power surged into them, and all thirty soldiers crumpled silently to the ground beneath the invisible wave of energy. Dealing with these ordinary soldiers was child's play for Tang San. They never even knew what hit them before they slipped into unconsciousness.