Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao, the villain from a parallel world

“Okay,” Nana readily agreed.

Then Nana began to tell her story about Huo Yuhao.

After listening, Ye Guyi's tense expression eased considerably.

I found a reasonably clean place to sit down, and the complex thoughts in my mind slowly began to calm down.

Because in Nana's words, Huo Yuhao is not a bad person; on the contrary, in some ways, he is even a good one.

As the owner of the Holy Angel Martial Soul, Ye Guyi was destined to fight alongside evil soul masters almost from the day she awakened her Martial Soul.

After all, once all the evil spirit masters know about her martial spirit, they will regard her as a thorn in their side and will never let her go.

She traveled all over the continent, hunting down countless evil spirit masters and witnessing the madmen whose humanity had been devoured by evil forces.

What she couldn't accept the most was being controlled by an evil person; that was even more unbearable than dying directly at the hands of an evil spirit master.

But the Huo Yuhao she heard from Nana was completely different from the evil soul master she had imagined.

Chapter 103 Resolving Conflict

According to Nana, Huo Yuhao helped her rescue her parents' souls and also helped many other lost souls, including her parents, find peace.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao did not ask for any reward for helping Nana.

Clearly, this is not something an evil spirit master would do.

As for Nana calling Huo Yuhao "master," Nana explained that it was because he wanted to repay a debt of gratitude that he recognized Huo Yuhao as his master, and it was not something he forced him to do.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao is also someone who hunts down evil soul masters.

Although Huo Yuhao killed evil soul masters to devour their souls, Ye Guyi's killing of evil soul masters also had the element of accelerating her own cultivation.

"He possesses the power to devour souls, yet he has never become an evil soul master; instead, he specializes in hunting evil soul masters."

Ye Guyi thought to herself, her mindset gradually changing.

"Perhaps he really isn't a great villain. He placed this restriction on me, but he didn't force me to do anything."

"He could have killed me that night, but he spared my life."

She suddenly remembered that night when she secretly sneaked into the Holy Spirit Cult branch and witnessed the courtyard full of the corpses of evil spirit masters.

At that time, she was still wondering what kind of person could make sixteen evil soul masters kill each other.

It now appears that all those evil spirit masters died at Huo Yuhao's hands.

A person who possesses the power to devour souls, but instead of focusing on the common people he could easily devour, he uses this power to devour evil soul masters.

This shows that he is not the kind of person who bullies the weak.

"Perhaps it was my own curiosity that led me to insist on going there, which resulted in this outcome."

As soon as this thought popped into Ye Guyi's head, she couldn't help but smile bitterly.

So her current situation is a result of her curiosity at the time?

She wasn't an unreasonable person. If Huo Yuhao really was that kind of heinous evil soul master, she would definitely fight to the end.

But if Huo Yuhao did the same thing as her, hunting down evil soul masters, then what grounds would she have to resent him?

She recalled Nana's calm yet resolute words from earlier: "I simply believe in the power of my master."

"Perhaps I should try to accept it," Ye Guyi thought.

Of course, she had no other options.

................................................

Mingdu, Imperial Palace, Crown Prince's Residence.

The night was deep, but the lights were still on in the Crown Prince's study.

Xu Tianran sat behind his desk, engrossed in reading a book.

His face appeared angular in the candlelight, but as a member of the royal family of the Sun Moon Empire, his skin was very dark, so he could not be described as handsome.

Just then, a light footstep sounded outside the door, followed by a knock.

"Come in," Xu Tianran said loudly.

A waiter pushed open the door and entered, followed by a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties.

The man was dressed in a dark gray robe, thin, and had a very ordinary face, except for his bright eyes, which gleamed with shrewdness.

After bringing the person in, the waiter immediately left the room.

Xu Tianran looked up and saw the middle-aged man. The moment his expressionless face turned into a kind and warm smile.

Xu Tianran casually put down the book in his hand and asked with a smile, "Researcher Li, how's the matter I asked you to inquire about going?"

When Xu Tianran encountered Jing Hongchen in the palace last time, he couldn't get any information out of him, so he realized that something extraordinary must have happened.

As the head of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen's late-night audience with the Emperor, and his reticence about it, suggests that something significant is at play.

Xu Tianran immediately set about sending people to investigate what Jing Hongchen had said to the emperor that day, and what secret mission the emperor had assigned to Mingdetang.

However, the matter was covered up very well. He used most of his connections, but couldn't find a single useful piece of information.

Ultimately, in order to obtain crucial information, Xu Tianran had to use his connections with the Holy Spirit Cult to ask them to help with the investigation.

Researcher Li quickly bowed and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Highness, I have already found out some clues."

Xu Tianran's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but lean forward: "Tell me about it."

Researcher Li thought for a moment, then slowly said, "During this time, I have been staying in Mingde Hall and have gathered some information through conversations with other researchers."

"The five level-eight soul masters in Mingde Hall have rarely made public appearances recently, and the projects they were originally in charge of have been temporarily handed over to their deputies."

"After making inquiries from various sources, I learned that all five of them had been transferred to a secret research lab, where they were conducting experiments day and night. And these five people,"

He paused slightly, then lowered his voice even further, "They are all confidants of Hall Master Jing Hongchen."

Xu Tianran nodded slowly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

Five level-eight Soul Masters were simultaneously transferred and confined to a secret research lab.

The last time Mingde Hall saw such a spectacle was when the humanoid soul guide device project was launched.

He didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand, signaling Researcher Li to continue.

Researcher Li took a deep breath, as if organizing what he was about to say.

His voice was lowered even further, so low that only the two of them could barely hear it: "I managed to get close to one of the researchers' assistants and, through subtle questioning, managed to extract a few key pieces of information from him."

"The soul tools that those researchers are now studying are said to be 'epoch-making'."

"Judging from various clues, what they are most likely researching is a charged soul tool."

The moment the words "charged soul tool" were uttered, the air in the study seemed to freeze instantly.

Xu Tianran's body, which had been leaning slightly forward, suddenly tensed up, and he became very nervous.

Those deep-set eyes suddenly shot out two incredibly sharp beams of light, which remained fixed on Researcher Li. His voice was low and slow: "Are you... sure?"

Feeling immense pressure from Xu Tianran, Researcher Li's forehead instantly broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat.

"What on earth is going on? Wasn't this crown prince supposed to be crippled? How can he have such a strong sense of oppression?" Researcher Li couldn't help but wonder to himself.

No one in the entire Sun Moon Empire was unaware of the madness of this lame prince.

Although Xu Tianran usually appeared gentle and refined, Researcher Li knew better than anyone what became of those who had offended him.

So he didn't dare to make a definitive statement, and could only swallow hard and carefully choose his words: "The possibility is... very high."

Chapter 104 Xu Tianran's Complete Dark Turn

Having received a somewhat uncertain answer from Researcher Li, Xu Tianran's momentum suddenly eased.

Leaning back in his wheelchair, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, the sharp light in them had completely disappeared, and she had returned to her initial gentleness.

He certainly knew what the words "charged soul tool" meant.

Once this technology matures and is widely adopted, the Sun Moon Empire will be able to arm millions of ordinary civilians into soldiers who can use soul-guided devices.

With so many soldiers using soul tools, both the three great empires and Shrek Academy will become vulnerable.

Whoever masters this technology will have the power to change the entire continent.

Seeing that Xu Tianran's expression had softened, Researcher Li mustered his courage and continued, "In addition, I have also learned something else."

"The night before Hall Master Jing Hongchen summoned those five researchers, Elder Kong Deming had a private conversation with Jing Hongchen."

"On the same day, Researcher Xuan Ziwen also brought one of his students to see Professor Kong."

“Since then, that student has been studying under Confucius ever since.”

"What's that student's name?" Xu Tianran asked, staring at Researcher Li.

Researcher Li immediately replied, "Huo Yuhao."

"Master Kong... Huo Yuhao." Xu Tianran also immediately fell into thought.

Kong Deming is the Grand Priest of the Sun Moon Empire, and his strength is immense. Even Emperor Xu Tianlin treats him with great respect.

A student whom Kong Deming personally intervened in and Xuan Ziwen personally recommended, a young man who appeared in Jing Hongchen's field of vision at such a coincidental time with the start of the research and development of the charging soul tool.

There can be no coincidence among these three.

Xu Tianran clenched his fists under the desk, the veins on them bulging, clearly indicating that he was not at peace.

After all, he was the crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire, a legitimate heir to the throne, but in his father's eyes, he was nothing more than a crippled and useless figurehead.

He had no right to interfere in the affairs of the court, nor could he mobilize the troops in the army.

Even in a place as central as Mingde Hall, such a momentous event had occurred, and he was completely unaware of it.

If it weren't for his connection with the Holy Spirit Church, Xu Tianlin would have kept it a secret from him forever.

Clearly, Xu Tianlin never intended to pass the throne to him.

"Then don't blame me." Xu Tianran's voice was extremely cold, revealing a hysterical madness.