Chapter 44: A New Sect Mission? Crossing Paths with Shrek Again?
The summons arrived without warning. Liu Yuan did not delay, his strides measured and swift as he handled the winding corridors of the Body Sect toward the Sect Master's grand hall. Stepping over the heavy stone threshold, his gaze swept the expansive room. Standing gracefully in the very center of the hall was a familiar figure—Vina.
"It has been a while, Vina," he greeted, a faint hint of surprise coloring his usually placid tone. He offered a polite nod. Between his intense cultivation and the recent excursion to the Far North, their paths simply had not crossed in quite some time.
Vina turned at the sound of his voice. As she took in his approaching figure, the sheer admiration in her eyes was completely undisguised. She stepped forward, offering a warm smile. "Liu Yuan, congratulations. I have already heard the news from Chen Lu and the others. You are now officially recognized as the strongest among the younger generation of the Body Sect."
Liu Yuan merely shook his head, his expression remaining perfectly calm. "It was mostly situational luck. I held a certain advantage in my choice of Soul Ring. When it comes to the complex application of a Martial Soul and raw combat experience, I still have much to learn from our fellow disciples."
Vina's smile deepened, her eyes curving into crescents. "You are as grounded as ever."
A dry, deliberate cough echoed from the elevated dais at the head of the hall. Instantly, the ambient murmurs and quiet conversations among the gathered disciples ceased. Du Busi sat upon his imposing throne, his presence alone enough to suffocate the room into absolute silence.
His sharp gaze swept over the seven youths assembled below—Liu Yuan, Long Aotian, Chen Lu, Wang Yanfeng, Gu Tong, Vina, and Mu Xue. The atmosphere grew heavy as Du Busi slowly rose and descended the stone steps, his tone deadpan and serious.
"I have summoned you all today for a specific purpose. You are being dispatched to execute a live combat mission." Du Busi stopped at the base of the steps, his hands clasped behind his back. "According to the latest intelligence provided by the Heavenly Soul Empire's royal family—brought to us by Vina—a five-ring Soul King level Evil Soul Master has recently surfaced. Their hunting ground is the vicinity of Yaluo City, the very same region you operated in during your last excursion."
He narrowed his eyes, the temperature in the room dropping slightly. "This individual's movements are highly erratic and deeply concealed. They have already slaughtered numerous civilians, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. The royal family has formally requested the Body Sect to step forward and eradicate this threat. I have decided to entrust this execution to the seven of you."
A heavy, suffocating silence immediately descended upon the hall. The weight of the task pressed down on the disciples. Wang Yanfeng's brows locked together in a deep frown. Unable to hold back his concern, he stepped forward and bowed.
"Sect Master, with all due respect... the target is a five-ring Soul King." He swallowed hard, his voice tight. "The combat power of an Evil Soul Master is inherently far more bizarre, sinister, and formidable than that of an ordinary Soul Master of the same rank. Looking at our current lineup, we do not possess a single Soul King among us. Is it not excessively dangerous to send us into such a suppression mission?"
Though Chen Lu and Vina remained silent, the subtle widening of their eyes betrayed their internal unease. Crossing an entire major cultivation realm to surround and suppress an Evil Soul Master was practically unheard of in the Sect's historical mission records. It was a gamble with their lives.
Du Busi let out a cold, derisive snort. The sound alone felt like a physical blow against their eardrums. His piercing gaze swept over the hesitating youths. "The opponent is merely one person. You are seven. As the elite Core Disciples of the Body Sect, do you truly lack even this meager shred of courage?"
He paced before them, his imposing aura flaring. "also, you are all well aware of the true combat capabilities possessed by Liu Yuan and Long Aotian. With the two of them anchoring the formation, as long as your tactical coordination is flawless, a mere Soul King level Evil Soul Master will find no opportunity to turn the tables."
Du Busi paused, letting his words sink into their bones before issuing his absolute decree. "For this operation, Liu Yuan will serve as the captain. Long Aotian will act as the vice-captain. Every single action, every maneuver, must strictly adhere to their commands. Long Aotian, do you have any objections to this arrangement?"
Long Aotian stepped forward without a second of hesitation. He cupped his fists, his posture rigid and respectful. "This disciple obeys. I will exert my absolute utmost to assist Junior Brother in ensuring the flawless completion of this mission."
His attitude was perfectly upright, devoid of any hidden resentment. Ever since his crushing defeat at Liu Yuan's hands, Long Aotian had thoroughly and genuinely acknowledged the younger boy's absolute superiority and right to lead. In the Body Sect, strength was the only truth that mattered.
Feeling the sudden weight of command settle onto his shoulders, Liu Yuan stepped up beside Long Aotian. He cupped his hands toward Du Busi, his expression calm and resolute. "Rest assured, Master. This disciple will ensure the target is eliminated and bring everyone back alive."
Under Du Busi's strict urging, the seven-person squad wasted no time. After gathering their essential supplies and combat gear, they departed from the hidden valleys of the Body Sect, pushing their movement techniques to the limit as they sped toward Yaluo City.
However, less than half an hour after Liu Yuan's party vanished into the horizon, the heavy doors of the Sect Master's hall burst open. Elder Chen, having just caught wind of the deployment, rushed inside. His usual calm demeanor was entirely replaced by frantic urgency.
"Sect Master!" Elder Chen gasped, his chest heaving slightly as he closed the distance to the dais. "I just heard the reports. Did you truly dispatch Liu Yuan and the others to suppress a five-ring Evil Soul Master?" His tone was strained, his weathered face etched with deep worry. "This is far too dangerous! The methods employed by Evil Soul Masters are notoriously sinister, vile, and ruthless. These children have not even touched the threshold of the Soul King realm yet! If the slightest variable goes wrong, the loss to our Sect would be catastrophic!"
Du Busi leaned back into his towering seat. He casually picked up a porcelain teacup from the side table, blew away the rising steam, and took a slow, deliberate sip. His expression remained utterly indifferent to the elder's panic.
"Of course I know it is dangerous. But unpolished jade can never become a masterpiece. The sheer potential housed within Liu Yuan and Long Aotian is too vast. Routine sparring matches and mundane escort missions can no longer provide the life-and-death pressure required to force their growth."
He set the teacup down with a soft clink. "Especially Liu Yuan. During his time in the Far North, he slaughtered a twenty-thousand-year Soul Beast in a pure, one-on-one confrontation. Do you honestly believe his true combat power can still be measured by the standards of an ordinary three-ring Soul Elder?"
Elder Chen froze, his jaw dropping slightly. When he finally found his voice, it pitched up in sheer disbelief. "He killed a twenty-thousand-year Soul Beast? Alone? Liu Yuan has already reached such a terrifying level of strength?"
"Correct." Du Busi's lips curled into a faint, proud smirk, a flash of sharp, predatory light passing through his eyes. "However, your concerns are not entirely unfounded. Evil Soul Masters are indeed treacherous and unpredictable."
He shifted his gaze back to the elder, his tone turning deadly serious. "Therefore, I require you to trail them from the shadows. You are to remain completely undetected. Unless it is an absolute last resort, you are strictly forbidden from intervening. Only if they are pushed to the brink of true, unavoidable death are you permitted to step in and clean up the mess."
Hearing this contingency plan, the tight knot of anxiety in Elder Chen's chest finally loosened. He let out a long exhale of relief and immediately bowed, accepting the mandate. "Since the Sect Master has already accounted for everything, I will set off at once. I swear on my life, I will not let those children come to harm."
Without another word, Elder Chen's figure blurred. A gust of wind swept through the grand hall, leaving behind only a fading afterimage as the elder shot into the distance, rapidly closing the gap with the departing squad.
...
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, nestled within the sacred and highly revered grounds of Shrek Academy, stood the Sea God Pavilion.
Elder Xuan sat slouched at a wide wooden table. He aggressively gnawed the meat off a greasy roasted chicken leg, his chewing loud and filled with blatant irritation. He tossed the clean bone onto a growing pile and glared at the trembling intelligence officer standing at attention before him.
"Well?" Elder Xuan demanded, wiping his greasy fingers on his robes, his voice dripping with deep dissatisfaction. "What progress has there been regarding Ling Luochen's search? Has that genius been located yet?"
Ever since Ling Luochen returned from the Heavenly Soul Empire and reported her encounter with a monstrously talented youth, Elder Xuan had been obsessively brooding over the missed opportunity. The very thought of such an unpolished diamond slipping through his fingers gnawed at his pride. He desperately wanted to drag the boy into Shrek Academy's fold. In his mind, it was an absolute law of the continent: a genius of that caliber naturally belonged to Shrek Academy. Any other outcome was simply a waste of heaven-defying talent.
The intelligence officer lowered his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he answered in a trembling voice. "R-Reporting to Elder Xuan... Senior Sister Ling has already led multiple search teams across various provinces and cities. However... as of right now, we have yet to uncover any definite information regarding his whereabouts."
"Useless!" Elder Xuan roared. He slammed his greasy palm against the table, the sheer force causing the heavy wood to groan and the remaining chicken bones to scatter across the floor. He shot to his feet, his messy beard trembling with indignation. "If she had just used her brain back then and dragged him directly back to Shrek, we wouldn't be dealing with this massive headache! If that boy were at Shrek right now, he would have already been inducted into the Shrek Guardians for priority cultivation!"
The more Elder Xuan dwelled on the monumental loss, the angrier he became. His chest heaved as he aggressively waved his hand, dismissing the terrified officer. "Go! Fetch Ling Luochen and bring her here immediately."
A short while later, the heavy doors of the Sea God Pavilion opened, and Ling Luochen stepped inside. The usual icy aloofness that defined her features was currently marred by a layer of deep exhaustion. The relentless, fruitless search missions over the past weeks had clearly taken a heavy mental and physical toll on her.
Elder Xuan looked at her tired state, and the burning anger in his chest cooled slightly. He sighed, his gruff tone softening just a fraction. "Luochen, put the matter of tracking down that boy on hold for now."
He tapped a thick finger against a scroll on his desk. "A far more urgent matter has crossed my desk, and I need you to lead a team to handle it. The Heavenly Soul Empire has officially submitted a request for aid. A five-ring Soul King level Evil Soul Master has surfaced in the Yaluo City region. According to the reports, this bastard's methods are exceptionally cruel and depraved."
Elder Xuan crossed his arms. "You have executed missions in that specific territory before. You are already familiar with the local environment and the terrain. Assemble a squad and head there immediately. I want this scum eliminated without fail."
Ling Luochen's weary expression instantly hardened, the cold, professional demeanor of an elite inner court student returning in full force. She offered a crisp nod. "Understood, Elder Xuan. I will gather my team and set off immediately."
As Elder Xuan watched Ling Luochen turn and march out of the pavilion, he let out another long, frustrated sigh, his thoughts drifting back to the elusive genius he so desperately coveted.
He remained blissfully ignorant of one deep irony.
The heaven-defying talent he complained could not be 'found' was currently acting as the captain of the Body Sect's elite strike force, marching relentlessly toward the exact same destination.
The gears of fate had already begun to turn. Two fiercely proud factions were hurtling toward an inevitable, explosive collision at the bloody intersection known as Yaluo City.
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