MTL NOVEL Chapter 129: Chapter 129: A Wonderful Misunderstanding is Born
"Bang!"
"In my Heavenly Soul Imperial City, preaching their doctrine? The Holy Spirit Cult is truly audacious!" The enraged voice of the Heavenly Soul Emperor echoed through the grand hall, accompanied by the sharp sound of a teacup smashing against the floor.
Although the palace's furnishings appeared somewhat aged, ever since the Heaven Dou Empire split into the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires, the former capital, located in the northwest, naturally became the imperial city of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The palace bore the marks of time, but those marks were a testament to its legitimacy.Yes, ever since the empire's division, both sides had been fixated on proving themselves the rightful successor.
However, in recent years, the Heavenly Soul Empire had grown rapidly in strength with the backing of the Body Sect. This advantage allowed it to hold the upper hand over the Dou Ling Empire in many aspects. For instance, in the recent Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, the Heavenly Soul Empire achieved third place—far surpassing the Dou Ling Empire, which finished sixth.
This impressive performance had put the Heavenly Soul Emperor in a good mood. But before he could fully enjoy this success, troubling reports about the "Soul Stripped" began surfacing among the populace. Investigations revealed whispers of the Holy Spirit Cult spreading its influence, and when his ministers confirmed these claims, his anger erupted.
This was the scene unfolding now.
"Father, please don't let your anger harm your health."
A soft, gentle voice spoke as a young girl stepped forward to console him.
She had long, flowing black hair cascading down her back, her beauty almost rivaling Jiang Nannan's. Her clear, water-like eyes exuded tranquility and elegance. At only fifteen or sixteen years old, she possessed the unique charm of youth.
"Sigh, if they were spreading their heresies in Dou Ling or Star Luo, I wouldn't be this furious. But in our empire… my dear daughter, see for yourself."
The emperor handed her a document detailing the minister's findings.
As she read, a troubled expression appeared on Weina's face.
Her delicate brows knitted together.
The document was filled with highly persuasive rhetoric—it was an open conspiracy, impossible to guard against.
Especially regarding Martial Soul Awakening—this issue was a glaring weakness…
"Father, we must take immediate and decisive action. If we allow this to continue unchecked, I fear the entire imperial city will fall under their sway. The Holy Spirit Cult is insidious, their ability to distort the truth is unmatched…"
The Heavenly Soul Emperor let out a heavy sigh.
"Enough. If words can't counter them, then we'll resort to force. Issue orders for a thorough crackdown—uproot their foundations and seal the borders tightly."
Weina's mind drifted as she stared at the document.
A certain figure flashed through her thoughts.
Could it be him? The Holy Spirit Cult's Saint Child…?
"By the way, my dear daughter, how goes your training at the Body Sect? Any promising young talents there who have caught your eye?" The emperor grinned teasingly.
"Father, not yet," Weina blushed, shaking her head. "However, in terms of cultivation, the Body Sect truly lives up to its reputation. I have successfully undergone my second Martial Soul Awakening and broken through to rank 40. In a month or two, I plan to enter the Star Dou Forest for my next soul ring."
"Hahaha! Excellent, excellent! They say an elder sister is like a mother. Since your mother passed away early, take good care of Muxue…"
"Yes, Father…"
—
Shrek City
In a restaurant—
"How did it go, Sister Xiaotao?"
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao asked nervously as Ma Xiaotao walked in.
"No word from Teacher Wang Yan. The only thing my teacher said was that he received some kind of reward and is now studying in the Sea God Pavilion's library. No further details," Ma Xiaotao sighed in frustration as she took a seat.
"…"
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao exchanged glances, both seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.
Before returning, Teacher Wang Yan had been absolutely determined to report Elder Xuan.
Everyone knew how dangerous this was. Elder Xuan was the strongest expert in Shrek Academy—if something mysterious happened to Wang Yan, no one would be surprised.
And now?
Wang Yan "received a reward" and went to study in the Sea God Pavilion's library for a month?
That basically equated to "Wang Yan has disappeared."
"Sister Xiaotao, are you absolutely sure you saw Teacher Wang Yan enter the Sea God Pavilion?" Wang Dong rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
"That… I'm not sure," Ma Xiaotao hesitated. "When we got back to the academy, Teacher Wang Yan left with Elder Xuan. They said they were heading to the Sea God Pavilion, but when I asked to go along, Elder Xuan stopped me and told us to rest instead…"
Then, she suddenly froze.
"Wait a minute…"
"It seems… there's only one possible truth," Wang Dong said gravely, his face serious.
"Teacher Wang Yan is… dead?" Xiao Xiao gasped, covering her mouth in horror. Her eyes darted around nervously.
After all, with Elder Xuan's strength, killing a Soul Emperor would be effortless…
But what was even more terrifying was the possibility that the entire Sea God Pavilion had been compromised.
"Death might be an exaggeration," Wang Dong said cautiously. "After all, Teacher Wang Yan is still an outer court teacher, and his status is sensitive. But it's not impossible that he was… controlled in some other way."
"Sister Xiaotao, you deal with evil soul masters often. As an inner court disciple and part of Shrek's Investigation Team, you should be familiar with their techniques. Do they have any methods to manipulate or control people's minds?"
"Yes. Not only do they exist, but there are many of them…" Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath.
"For example, Xu Cheng's Blood Eyes—a type of illusion technique. I don't know how strong his illusions are, but as a Soul King, he could briefly control even a Titled Douluo. Imagine what the Holy Spirit Cult's real illusion masters could do…"
"And that's just through Martial Souls. When it comes to mind-controlling drugs, the Holy Spirit Cult has plenty. We've raided numerous evil soul master hideouts, and in nearly all of them, we've found people who seemed to have lost their souls, completely enslaved by drugs…"
Silence followed.
Even Ma Xiaotao felt a sense of powerlessness.
They had uncovered a grand conspiracy, but their enemy stood in the light as righteous figures, while they were just insignificant pawns.
The sheer disparity in power was suffocating.
At that moment—
"Ah! What a coincidence, you three are here too?"
A familiar voice interrupted them.
The three turned their heads, faces stiffening.
"Teacher… Wang Yan…?" Wang Dong swallowed hard and forced a smile.
"Haha, well then, I won't disturb you. Enjoy your lovely meal!" Wang Yan laughed warmly, giving off a kind and gentle aura.
The noon sunlight shone down on him, making him appear even more peaceful and kind.
But in Wang Dong and the others' eyes, this only confirmed their worst fears.
As Wang Yan walked away, Ma Xiaotao bit her lip.
"Do you guys feel like… Teacher Wang Yan is a completely different person now?"
Wang Dong forced himself to speak.
"It seems… we were right. Think about it—before going to the Sea God Pavilion, he was determined to report Elder Xuan. He was scared, anxious… but now, just a month later, he's acting like nothing happened."
Elsewhere—
Wang Yan paused mid-step, rubbing his head.
"Ah, did I forget to explain? Oh well, I'll just tell them next time. Elder Xuan, a traitor? Now that I think about it, that idea was ridiculous… Those kids are probably laughing at me now, haha!"
(End of Chapter)