Douluo: In an extraordinary world, with unparallel understanding!

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"..."

There was no shortage of such information, Su Yu noted.

In fact, he suspected that even if it wasn't related to the specific evil soul masters he was tracking, there would still be plenty of related intel.

He paid special attention to one thing Songzi mentioned: the recent activity of the Iron-Blood Sect.

"The Iron-Blood Sect? Aren't they the old employers of the guard corps?" Su Yu asked, surprised.

"Hehe, I hear the Iron-Blood Sect's leader recently had a breakthrough. He absorbed a spirit ring and is now a Soul Saint."

*A Soul Saint?*

"So soon?"

"Yeah, unbelievably fast. The Iron-Blood Sect's leader really has monstrous talent. Ten years ago, he was only a Soul King, and now he's about to become a Soul Saint."

The leader of the Iron-Blood Sect, Kuang Tie, was only forty years old. While reaching the Soul Saint rank at that age wasn't exactly genius-level, his case was special because he was a late bloomer.

He only became a Soul King at thirty, and at twenty-five, he was still a Soul Elder.

"Apparently, he had some kind of fortuitous encounter, and his martial soul underwent a mutation. His Steel Hammer martial soul evolved into the Soul Suppression Hammer."

*Tsk, tsk.*

As Songzi spoke, he couldn't hide his envy. Such a beneficial mutation in a martial soul was a dream opportunity for any lower-level soul master.

*Soul Suppression Hammer?*

Su Yu nodded but didn't press further.

Huo Yuhao's voice echoed in Su Yu's mind, "Brother Yu, do you suspect that the Iron-Blood Sect's leader is an evil soul master?" 

The speed of his later breakthroughs did align with the characteristics of an evil soul master.

However, breaking through from Soul King to Soul Saint in ten years was actually quite normal. Averaging about two levels per year, it was slower than the rapid progression typical of an evil soul master.

The most suspicious phase of Kuang Tie's growth was between the ages of twenty-five and thirty when he advanced from Soul Elder to Soul King in just five years.

But even then, it averaged out to just under four levels a year, and if his martial soul had truly mutated, that rate would still be reasonable.

"No, it's not Kuang Tie. If it were really him, Shrek Academy would never let him go unchecked."

Kuang Tie had openly seized territory from the Tang Sect. No matter how indifferent Shrek Academy might appear, they would never fail to investigate such an obvious issue.

If Kuang Tie were an evil soul master, he would have been exposed by now.

"Then why are you so interested in the Iron-Blood Sect, Brother Yu?" Huo Yuhao asked, sensing Su Yu's unusual curiosity about the sect.

"Kuang Tie isn't an evil soul master, but he might still be connected to our mission. My assessment task this time is to stop a regular soul master from falling into corruption and becoming an evil soul master."

Huo Yuhao hadn't previously asked Su Yu about the specifics of his assessment, but now Su Yu took the initiative to explain.

"To stop it? Does that mean the Holy Spirit Church has already set its sights on Kuang Tie?"

Soul Suppression Hammer... 

A martial soul related to the soul itself could indeed mutate under extreme circumstances. If combined with the influence of evil soul masters, the chances of falling into corruption would be significantly increased.

"No, it's not Kuang Tie—it's someone else."

Huo Yuhao was growing increasingly curious. Su Yu's roundabout way of speaking was driving him a bit crazy.

"Brother Yu, who is it? Have you already figured it out?"

Honestly, from the journey starting in Tianjia City to reaching Heaven Dou City and now gathering intel at the Kuangyun Guard Corps, Su Yu had already pieced together the target of his assessment. Huo Yuhao could only attribute this to Su Yu's unique guidance from the God of Life. The extreme life element within him likely allowed Su Yu to perceive clues that were beyond Huo Yuhao's reach.

"Yuhao, remember that the Iron-Blood Sect has occupied the former site of the Tang Sect."

Su Yu offered him a subtle reminder.

Huo Yuhao's pupils constricted, his breathing quickened, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Teacher Xiao Ya? 

Could the target being lured into corruption be Teacher Xiao Ya?

Huo Yuhao's feelings for Tang Ya were profound. Back then, Tang Ya and Bei Bei had helped him enroll at Shrek Academy and even given him the Xuan Shui Pill, which had greatly aided his development.

His transformation came later, after absorbing the Ice Empress as his second martial soul.

But that transformation was built on his training to reach Rank 20. During that process, the Xuan Shui Pill's assistance had been invaluable.

Moreover, the Mysterious Heaven Skill she taught him had been a crucial foundation. For someone like him—initially ordinary and even lacking in talent—her guidance had made a world of difference.

"How could it be Teacher Xiao Ya?"

Su Yu could tell from Huo Yuhao's voice that he was already deeply unsettled.

"Why not? The Blue Silver Grass martial souls of the Tang Sect have always absorbed soul rings from Man-Faced Demon Spiders, inheriting their devouring ability. Furthermore, the Blue Silver Grass martial soul of the Tang Sect founder, Tang San, also had devouring capabilities. There's no doubt about this. Tang Ya's fall into corruption is not out of the question."

"So, when you met Teacher Xiao Ya in the Star Dou Forest, you already sensed something unusual about her?"

Huo Yuhao recalled how Su Yu had once cautioned Tang Ya.

He had advised her to always absorb soul rings with life-attribute energy—not just to articulate the cultivation philosophy of Blue Silver Grass, but perhaps also to purify the dark powers hidden deep within her martial soul.

Deductive reasoning truly is a valuable skill, Su Yu thought, silently praising Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao had pieced together the logic himself, saving Su Yu the trouble of further explanation.

"But, Brother Yu, why would the Holy Spirit Church go to such lengths to lure Teacher Xiao Ya into corruption?"

After returning to the guest room arranged by Zou Yun, Huo Yuhao still found it hard to comprehend, so he decided to ask Su Yu directly.

"Why would they try to corrupt Tang Ya?"

"The God of Life has already noticed, and naturally, it's because Tang Ya's fall into corruption would bring considerable harm."

"Don't forget her identity. Tang Ya is the Tang Sect's Sect Master, and her relationship with Shrek Academy."

Moreover, based on Su Yu's own understanding, there might be some personal intentions from Zhongli Wu involved as well.

If Tang Ya is being targeted, and there's a specific plan to corrupt her, it definitely hasn't been just a matter of days.

In fact, it may have been in motion since her birth.

It might even have started before her parents were even born.

Su Yu, with his deeper understanding of evil soul masters, realized that the Holy Spirit Church—who should be well aware of such things—was surely in the loop.

Back when the Tang Sect was at its peak, it wouldn't have been hard for the Holy Spirit Church to notice the Tang Sect's heritage.

So, everything fits together logically.

Additionally, Su Yu knew that after joining the Holy Spirit Church, Zhongli Wu treated Tang Ya almost like his own daughter.

All these pieces fit together, helping Su Yu piece together the general sequence of events.

Listening to Su Yu's perfectly plausible reasoning, Huo Yuhao's lips turned pale.

"What are you worried about? My task is to stop the Holy Spirit Church's plans. Tang Ya is fine for now," Su Yu replied, feeling exasperated.

It was clear that Huo Yuhao still had deep feelings for Tang Ya.

Su Yu didn't know how a bond had been built in just a year, or whether there had been external factors influencing it.

But it didn't matter. He had already repaid the favor. These emotional ties would fade soon enough.

"Kuang Tie breaking through to level seventy—there's definitely an explanation for that. Keep an eye on the Iron-Blood Sect's movements in the next few days; they're likely part of the Holy Spirit Church's plan. If Tang Ya is lured, the Iron-Blood Sect might be wiped out."

Su Yu was also curious about how Tang Ya, a mere Soul Master, could be capable of destroying all the Iron-Blood Sect's soul masters, including Kuang Tie.

With Huo Yuhao's assistance, Su Yu's investigation into the Iron-Blood Sect was progressing smoothly. Sharing mental scans made things much easier.

"Brother Yu, there really might be evil soul masters behind the Iron-Blood Sect orchestrating things," Huo Yuhao said, more and more convinced by Su Yu's analysis. "What do we do now? Should we track down and kill the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Church?"

Su Yu shook his head.

"That's not going to work."

It was a joke. If Zhongli Wu showed up in person, both of them wouldn't be enough to deal with him.

So they would have to rely on other forces.

Tang Ya was Bei Bei's girlfriend, and her safety couldn't be ignored. Bei Bei was also Mu En's great-grandson, and the Sea God Pavilion couldn't just turn a blind eye.

Of course, simply relying on that connection wouldn't achieve what Su Yu wanted.

Instead, he was searching for ways to leverage that connection.

Whether or not they were directly saving Tang Ya, if someone like Bei Bei accidentally discovered the traces of evil soul masters and went after them, that would still be considered as saving her.

Su Yu's idea was unconventional. Not only would it help bring powerful Shrek experts to deal with the danger, but it could also create plenty of other plausible reasons for action.

It actually made a lot of sense.

Huo Yuhao was stunned, his mind racing.

(End of Chapter)