Douluo Jueshi: I Don't Want to Be an Evil Soul Master

Chapter 4: The Power of the Dragon
Although there had been news that the Shrek Supervisory Group appeared nearby, Lin Xiao did not expect to meet them so soon. Fortunately, Shrek Academy did not know the existence of the Holy Spirit Church at that time, so it did not arouse too much suspicion.

However, Lin Xiao still headed towards the territory of the Sun and Moon Empire and did not intend to continue dealing with the affairs of other branch temples.

He didn't know if there were other masters secretly following the three people, and he had no way of guessing the perception of such masters. If he was discovered to know the locations of the evil soul masters' strongholds, it would not be so easy to deceive them.

What he has in mind is much more important than a few branch temples.

The city near the border was already sparsely populated, and it was still some time before dawn, so the city was shrouded in darkness. Only in a remote courtyard was a ray of light from a soul guide.

"Come back so soon?"

When Lin Xiao returned to his residence, Sleeping Nightmare Douluo was already waiting in the room.

Lin Xiao wasn't too surprised to see the figure sitting at the table. He had long ago discovered that his teacher was exceptionally well-informed about his whereabouts.

"Teacher, I met someone from the Shrek Supervisory Group."

Hearing Lin Xiao's words, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo looked over with interest, "Did you fight with them?"

"No." Lin Xiao shook his head and then recounted what had happened before.

"I didn't expect them to move so quickly." Sleepy Nightmare Douluo pondered, "It seems they have spies among the border troops."

"Forget it, time is running out. Let's put this aside for now. The Shrek Supervisory Group can't extend its reach into the Sun-Moon Empire for the time being. As long as the matter in Mingdu can be accomplished, even if they find out, what difference does it make."

"Teacher, what exactly are you talking about?"

"Humph, this is a huge achievement." Sleepy Nightmare Douluo said as he stood up and walked out the door, "Let's go and pack up your things here. You probably won't be coming back."

As a member of the Holy Spirit Church, Lin Xiao rarely kept important things in the room. After taking a quick look around, he simply put away the lighting soul guide on the table and quickly followed.

"Lin Xiao, what do you think is the greatest achievement in this world?"

"Teacher, I don't know."

"Nothing is more meritorious than following the dragon."

"The merit of following the dragon?" Lin Xiao listened to what Sleepy Nightmare Douluo said, raised his head slightly and glanced at him, and suddenly remembered something in his mind.

"Indeed, no matter when, assisting the emperor to ascend the throne is something that countless people dream of. Although the court of the Sun-Moon Empire is peaceful now, there are many people secretly dissatisfied with the current situation, and some even covet the position above everyone else."

"And what our Holy Church needs to do is to help them achieve their goals. By then, with the royal family's protection above and the noble officials' support below, our Holy Church will no longer have to live in such a cautious manner as it does now."

Lin Xiao murmured, "As expected." He had lived in the Holy Spirit Church for nearly ten years, and the disciples had to conceal their identities when traveling, hiding at the slightest sign of trouble. He hadn't seen the arrogance of those who openly participated in the Soul Fighting Competition and wantonly took lives on the field.

In retrospect, the Holy Spirit Cult likely played a significant role in the coup in the Sun Moon Empire and the ascension of Xu Tianran's lineage to the throne. It's no wonder that the Holy Spirit Cult later became the state religion of the Sun Moon Empire. "Alright, not many people know the truth, so don't leak it out." The Nightmare Douluo's cloak lifted, revealing a withered hand. "Your pace is too slow; let me give you a ride."

After saying that, before Lin Xiao could react, a gloomy soul power spread out and carried him into the night sky.

Although Sleepy Nightmare Douluo's strength was not outstanding among the Titled Douluo, he was a ninth-ring cultivator after all. The night wind blew by his ears, and soon, a bright light vaguely appeared in Lin Xiao's eyes.

"It's already this late, why hasn't Lao Ba come back yet?"

Mingdu was brightly lit, and the light from countless soul guides even obscured the moonlight. Near the imperial palace, where the nobles should have lived, a group of evil soul masters were gathering.

Several of the highly skilled figures simply sat there, and an uncomfortable aura spread out.

"It seems he went to pick up his beloved disciple."

"Old Eight's apprentice is truly gifted." A sitting figure raised his head slightly and licked his lips. "And the soul smells unusual too. I wonder where Old Eight found it."

"Alright, Lao Wu, if you want to find nutrients for your Myriad Souls Banner, wait until this matter is accomplished and don't dwell on Lao Ba's disciple. If you really attack him, Lao Ba will probably fight you to the death. Besides, the sect also needs some fresh blood."

"Heh." The man called "Lao Wu" didn't know what he remembered, he chuckled and said no more.

"Master, I'm late." The voice of Sleepy Nightmare Douluo rang out, and everyone looked up and saw Sleepy Nightmare Douluo leading Lin Xiao into the house.

Dozens of eyes fell on Lin Xiao. For a moment, he felt a chill in his body, and the soul power flowing slowly in his meridians seemed to be completely stagnant.

"Okay, it's definitely him without a doubt." The "leader" sitting in the main seat spoke, and the pressure on Lin Xiao immediately dissipated.

"Master, I personally brought Lin Xiao here, why do we have to do this every time?" Sleeping Nightmare Douluo was a little dissatisfied.

"This is a serious matter, so we must be careful. Once he completes the ascension ceremony, we won't have to go through so much trouble."

After hearing the explanation, Sleepy Nightmare Douluo said nothing more and walked to the side to sit down. Lin Xiao followed and stood behind him.

Looking up slightly, Lin Xiao glanced around, matching the names of the people before him with the ones he remembered. Aside from the elders and the leader, Zhongli Wu, he didn't recognize many of the others. He only knew that they were probably, like him, trusted aides of the elders.

"Now everyone is here." Zhongli Wu raised his right hand, and the door closed instantly. "You should all know what to do next. I don't want to say anything else, but you must control your hands during this operation."

"Those who covet blood and food, those who covet souls..." Zhongli Wu glanced around, "Now is not the best time. As long as you endure for a while, the entire Sun-Moon Empire will be a sacrifice to my Holy Church in the future. No one is allowed to act without authorization. If this trip fails, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Yes."

The room became quiet for a while. After a while, Zhongli Wu suddenly looked up at the door. Lin Xiao also followed his gaze and looked outside. Soon, two footsteps were heard getting closer.

(End of this chapter)