Chương 82: Chapter 83: Evil Soul Masters, Shi Yue's Warning
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The root of all this chaos was… the Evil Soul Masters!
Evil Soul Masters—a term used to describe a certain group of soul masters whose martial souls are twisted and corrupted.
Their martial souls are malevolent, often allowing them to devour the flesh, martial souls, and soul power of others, rapidly enhancing their own cultivation.
This insidious, self-serving path of cultivation once led to widespread outrage and a united front across the continent to eradicate them.
But since the founding of the Spirit Hall, a crusade led by the Spirit Hall itself swept through the soul master world, determined to wipe out the Evil Soul Masters.
In the end, these groups were nearly eradicated, disappearing from the continent as if they had never existed.
However, this didn't mean they were completely gone.
In truth, the appearance of Evil Soul Masters is often a result of martial soul mutations. As long as martial souls exist on Douluo Continent, the possibility of Evil Soul Masters emerging remains.
Fortunately, due to the strict monitoring of the Spirit Hall, Evil Soul Masters, once discovered, are quickly hunted down.
Thus, these twisted soul masters are forced to live like rats—constantly hiding, fleeing, unable to live in peace for even a single day.
But that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous.
In fact, within the soul master world, Evil Soul Masters are still viewed as terrifying threats, akin to a natural disaster.
Because they can elevate their cultivation swiftly by consuming the blood and soul power of others, their growth often far outpaces ordinary soul masters.
A regular soul master might stumble upon an Evil Soul Master by chance, and despite being stronger, fail to capture them. Driven by righteousness, they might continue the chase, but if the Evil Soul Master escapes and wreaks havoc on a nearby village, by their next encounter, the balance of power may shift dramatically.
By consuming the blood and souls of innocent villagers, the Evil Soul Master's cultivation could surge, allowing them to overpower and even kill the pursuing soul master. Such tragedies have indeed occurred.
For this reason, whenever someone encounters an Evil Soul Master, they often alert the Spirit Hall immediately.
The Spirit Hall dispatches experts to deal with the threat, though this process can take at least a month.
During this time, there's no guarantee whether the Evil Soul Master will move on or stay in the area.
Recent records show that, due to the Spirit Hall's relentless efforts, Evil Soul Masters have grown exceptionally cunning. Not only do they often band together, but they're also cautious, rarely staying in one place for longer than a month.
Of course, this information is based on known records; the true nature of Evil Soul Masters is shrouded in mystery. They're too dangerous, too elusive!
…
The discovery of desiccated corpses stirred the Evernight Forest.
Once word got out that an Evil Soul Master had appeared in Evernight Forest, the entire hunting community of Evernight City grew tense and uneasy.
Though this matter was reported to the Spirit Hall branch in Evernight City, no response had come, leaving everyone wondering when the main hall would dispatch experts to handle it.
Evernight City's economy relies heavily on the Evernight Forest, and if news of an Evil Soul Master lurking there spread, the city's economy would crumble.
Thus, the nobles of Evernight City banded together to pressure the hunting community.
To protect their businesses in the city, they prohibited anyone from disclosing the discovery of an Evil Soul Master.
Under such intense pressure from the nobility, the hunters of Evernight City had no choice but to comply.
The atmosphere among the hunters turned tense and strange.
But Lin Ye knew nothing of this.
…
The day after Lin Ye reached level twenty.
He heard that the Bear Hunter Team had returned from a recent soul-hunting expedition in the Evernight Forest.
Excited about his breakthrough, Lin Ye was about to find Shi Yue and the others to share his joy.
But before he could set out, a messenger from Shi Yue arrived, inviting him to a tavern for drinks that evening.
Yet when he saw Su Ying, the messenger, her face looked unusually troubled.
With mounting curiosity, Lin Ye waited until evening, then headed to the Blood Rose Tavern.
Night fell upon the Blood Rose Tavern.
"Brother Shi Yue!"
As Lin Ye stepped into the familiar tavern, he spotted several familiar faces seated at a table not far off. He greeted them with a wave and walked over.
"Lin Ye, take a seat."
Shi Yue saw Lin Ye but lacked his usual cheerful smile. Instead, he took a long drink and sighed, gesturing for Lin Ye to sit.
A bit puzzled, Lin Ye took a seat and looked around.
Both Xie Lin and He Feng wore serious expressions, lost in thought.
"Brother Shi Yue, what's going on with you all?"
Noticing the strange mood among the Bear Hunter Team, Lin Ye couldn't help but ask.
"Lin Ye, you haven't heard?"
Shi Yue sighed and asked in a low voice.
"Heard what?"
Lin Ye frowned, growing more curious.
"Ah, right, you're not officially part of the hunting community yet. You probably don't know what's been happening lately."
Shi Yue shook his head, taking another drink with a bitter smile.
"Though we're not supposed to spread the news, you're practically family to us hunters, and with our connection, I think you need to know."
Shi Yue set down his glass, took a deep breath, and looked at Lin Ye with a grave expression. "Lin Ye, are you aware that several hunting teams have recently gone missing from Evernight City?"
"I… I heard a bit. Why?"
Lin Ye remained curious; hunters encountering misfortune in Evernight Forest wasn't exactly rare, was it?
"Disappearing hunters isn't new, but this frequency is alarming. Even a team on par with our Bear Hunter Team vanished. Initially, we thought these disappearances were caused by a particularly aggressive soul beast crossing into our hunting grounds, but it turns out we were wrong…"
Shi Yue gave a bitter laugh and spoke slowly.
"Then what's the real reason?"
Lin Ye's curiosity grew, and he leaned in closer.
"It's because of… an Evil Soul Master!"
Shi Yue's face grew serious as he spoke each word with a solemn weight.
"An Evil Soul Master?!"
Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.
He'd read about Evil Soul Masters in books left by his father and notes from his mentor. They were twisted beings, extremely dangerous.
"Brother Shi Yue, are you saying these disappearances in Evernight Forest are the work of an Evil Soul Master?"
Lin Ye finally understood.
"Exactly!"
Shi Yue nodded gravely.
"Brother Shi Yue, I've heard that Evil Soul Masters are extremely wicked and dangerous. Since there's one in Evernight Forest, maybe you all should refrain from taking on new missions until the Spirit Hall sends someone. A short break shouldn't be too hard, right?"
Knowing the danger lurking in the forest, Lin Ye tried to advise them.
"We'd love to do that!"
But Shi Yue gave a wry smile at Lin Ye's suggestion.
"If only it were that simple. But we have no choice!"
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