When Elder Mu called his name, Zhou Sicheng slowly stood up and succinctly explained the events of their mission, clearly expressing his stance and opinion.
After hearing Zhou Sicheng's words, the elders and deans present fell into silence.
After a moment, Xuanzi was the first to speak. "Elder Mu, I agree with Sicheng's opinion. We must act swiftly to join forces with the Three Great Empires and other sects to launch a full-scale purge against these heinous Evil Soul Masters."
Although Xuanzi had accompanied them on the mission, even he hadn't realized how rampant the Evil Soul Masters had become, collecting rare ores across the entire continent.
And the scale of their operation—carried out over an extended period—had gone completely unnoticed?
What did that indicate?
It showed the depth of infiltration these Evil Soul Masters had achieved. They were also cunning, occasionally causing disturbances to divert attention from their true objective.
Had it not been for Zhou Sicheng's unique soul-searching technique, it would have been extremely difficult to uncover the Holy Spirit Cult's plot.
In fact, the original work doesn't describe this in detail—either because the main characters weren't involved, or because the Holy Spirit Cult was simply too discreet, acting quickly and disappearing before raising suspicion.
Yan Shaozhe also stood up. "Teacher, I'll contact the Three Great Empires and the sects."
This time, all the elders and deans were in complete agreement. They would seize this opportunity to eliminate as many Evil Soul Masters as possible.
Now that they had uncovered their goals and operational scope, wasn't this the perfect opportunity?
The united powers of the former Douluo Continent could definitely deal a heavy blow to the Holy Spirit Cult. And with a united front, any attempt at retaliation would come at a high cost for them.
While everyone discussed the matter, their attitudes remained aligned. Zhang Lexuan shared the same thoughts as the other seniors and found herself becoming increasingly curious about Zhou Sicheng.
Such a young man with so many skills and abilities—if someone like him succeeded Elder Mu in the future, she would feel assured.
After a long pause, Elder Mu raised his hand lightly, and the room fell silent.
"Shaozhe, you will contact the Three Great Empires. Xiao Song, visit the various sects—pay special attention to the Body Sect and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Yan Shaozhe and Elder Song immediately stood to respond. With Elder Mu personally giving the orders, there was no room for second opinions.
One word: Execute.
Elder Mu continued, "Xuanzi, you will personally lead and coordinate all members of the Shrek Inspection Group. While the goal of this mission is to eliminate Evil Soul Masters, the children's safety is still our top priority."
Xuanzi gave a slight bow. "Understood."
Elder Mu was a man of decisive action. He quickly assigned tasks, and everyone received their objectives and responsibilities.
The students of the Shrek Inspection Group who were still cultivating in the Inner Court were immediately ordered to halt their training and prepare for their upcoming group mission.
Shrek dispatched four Title Douluo: Xuanzi led the operation, accompanied by Deans Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and Qian Duoduo. These four Title Douluo divided the Inner Court's Inspection Group into five squads, each led by one of them.
The fifth squad was led by Zhang Lexuan, with Zhou Sicheng as her vice-captain.
Although Zhang Lexuan had yet to become a Title Douluo, she already possessed the strength to rival one. And Zhou Sicheng… there was no need to elaborate.
This mission wasn't just a purge—it was also a trial for these younger members.
Yan Shaozhe and Elder Song were both flying Super Douluo. It took them only a day to notify all parties.
When the Three Great Empires heard Yan Shaozhe's explanation—that even the Martial Soul Department Dean of Shrek Academy was personally involved—they understood the gravity of the situation. This truly was a golden opportunity to strike at the Holy Spirit Cult.
In truth, few knew of the Holy Spirit Cult's existence. Only the upper echelons of power were aware. However, the brutality and cruelty of the Evil Soul Masters were known far and wide.
No one would let this chance slip away.
The Three Great Empires responded immediately, quietly sealing their borders. They left only a single escape route connecting the three empires and leading directly to the Sun Moon Empire.
The reason for not sealing the escape path entirely was to avoid pushing the Evil Soul Masters into desperation—cornered, they might resort to catastrophic actions.
After all, Evil Soul Masters were still human. As long as there was hope of survival, they were unlikely to self-destruct.
Moreover, with one clearly visible escape route, it would be easier to intercept and eliminate the fleeing Evil Soul Masters before they reached the Sun Moon Empire.
Once they were outside the borders of the Three Great Empires, there would be no further risk to civilians.
Elder Song contacted the major sects of the former Douluo Continent. The Body Sect and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect took the lead, each sending out their own Title Douluo powerhouses.
Many factions also brought members of the younger generation with them—this was a rare opportunity for their training.
The only major concern was ensuring the safety of these young participants.
But no mission is ever absolutely safe. This one, in particular, was exceptionally dangerous. Those unwilling to go were not forced.
Two days after the Sea God's Pavilion meeting, the various powers of the former Douluo Continent and the Three Great Empires launched a coordinated surprise attack.
They targeted locations in major cities known for trading rare ores and materials, conducting investigations and arrests. Upon confirming any trace of Evil Soul Masters—they executed them on the spot.
The Three Great Empires each managed their own territory. The Shrek Inspection Group took charge of the Star Luo Empire; the Body Sect was responsible for the Heavenly Soul Empire; the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect handled the Dou Ling Empire.
Thanks to the coordination between imperial and sect forces, the Evil Soul Masters suffered immediate and heavy losses. Yet their reaction was swift—they went underground and ceased all activity.
Some Evil Soul Masters attempted to flee through the single escape path the empires had intentionally left open—still unaware that danger awaited them at the end of that road.
At the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire, just a hundred kilometers from the Ming Dou Mountain Range, a secluded valley near Tianhui City sat between the two territories.
In that valley, Zhou Sicheng silently observed the direction of Tianhui City.
Behind them lay the Sun Moon Empire. Tianhui City stood as the final gateway for the fleeing Evil Soul Masters.
Fifty kilometers past Tianhui, beyond the Mingwang Mountain Range, lay the Sun Moon Empire border.
Zhou Sicheng and Zhang Lexuan led a squad of the Inspection Group stationed at this final checkpoint.
They didn't need to worry about anything else. Their sole task was to eliminate any Evil Soul Masters who made it through.
Besides Zhang Lexuan and Zhou Sicheng, the team included Ye Guyi, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Gongyang Mo, Dugu Xianmeng, and Ling Luocheng—eight people in total.
Ignoring Zhou Sicheng's "cheat-level" strength, even the weakest among them was a five-ring Soul King. With the captain and vice-captain counted in, it was like having two Title Douluo leading the team. That was more than enough for this mission.
Whether or not other hidden forces were secretly stationed nearby remained unknown.
Having traveled for two days without rest, and capturing some fleeing Evil Soul Masters along the way, the group was now resting.
Everyone except Zhou Sicheng and Zhang Lexuan was in deep meditation, recovering their strength.
Zhang Lexuan glanced at Zhou Sicheng. "Seems like you're even stronger than I expected."
Zhou Sicheng smiled lightly. "Senior Sister, you flatter me. I'm just benefiting from my Martial Soul advantage."
Zhang Lexuan didn't entertain his modesty. Martial Soul was part of one's strength, after all. That kind of excuse might fool the naive, but there was no point in pretending.
She looked toward the closed gates of the distant Tianhui City and asked, "How many Evil Soul Masters do you think will make it through?"
Zhou Sicheng thought for a moment. "Not many. With the Three Great Empires and all the sects mobilized, the Holy Spirit Cult must've taken a massive hit."
Zhang Lexuan nodded. "What if we encounter an Evil Douluo? Do you think we have a chance?"
Zhou Sicheng turned to meet her gaze. "We? Including the others? Not much of a chance."
Zhang Lexuan raised an eyebrow. "And if it's just the two of us?"
After a moment of thought, Zhou Sicheng replied, "If the opponent isn't a Super Douluo, we can definitely kill them. If they are a Super Douluo, the two of us together should still have a fifty percent chance."
Seeing Zhou Sicheng's serious expression and hearing his calm, calculated analysis, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but feel slightly shaken.
She had already thought very highly of Zhou Sicheng—yet she realized she had still underestimated him.
Though they had only known each other for two days and exchanged barely a few words…
Facing an Evil Douluo, and being burdened with a few dead weights, there was virtually no chance of victory.
However, if it were just her and Zhou Sicheng, then she had confidence they could survive an encounter with an Evil Douluo.
Even so—despite her talent and strength—she still wouldn't dare to claim she could definitely defeat an Evil Douluo.
Yet Zhou Sicheng, with merely four soul rings, claimed that the two of them working together could guarantee the death of any Evil Douluo below Rank 95?
And that they even had a fifty percent chance of defeating a Super Douluo at Rank 95?
What kind of concept was that?
Zhang Lexuan had a clear understanding of her own strength. Though she was extraordinarily gifted, she had never been arrogant.
This meant that Zhou Sicheng didn't just possess the power to confront a Titled Douluo—he genuinely had the strength to overwhelm one head-on.
Even though Zhou Sicheng had spoken with a calm tone, to Zhang Lexuan, his words were deafeningly shocking.
After a long silence, Zhang Lexuan revealed a meaningful smile.
"Since you're that confident, then I can rest easy about this mission."
The two of them then began discussing the mission's success rate. After all, the target area was too vast, which gave the Evil Soul Masters plenty of room to maneuver. Things might not go as smoothly as expected.
Some Evil Soul Masters would surely be clever enough to go into deep hiding and not show themselves again.
But others would choose to flee. The former Douluo Continent's empires and sects had now joined forces. Numerous Titled Douluo had been mobilized, and they had managed to pinpoint the Evil Soul Masters' locations with remarkable accuracy. Staying behind would be no different from waiting to die.
As the pursuit went on, the fleeing Evil Soul Masters began to gather in greater numbers. By the time they forced their way out of Tianhui City, and excluding those who continued hiding or were killed in battle, nearly fifty Evil Soul Masters had escaped.
Fortunately, the highest cultivation among them was only at the Soul Douluo level. Most were merely Soul Kings or Soul Ancestors.
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