C19 Trade

What's your take on this?

Lord Zhan's voice, though seemingly nonchalant, carried an undercurrent of lethal intent. The trio were fugitives on the Martial Soul Hall's most-wanted list. An encounter with a Soul Master from the Hall would inevitably lead to a clash.

With a wry smile, Zuo said, "Lord Zhan, Elder Shee leads us brothers. Could we perhaps wait for his arrival before making a decision?"

Casually picking at his ear, Lord Zhan flicked his fingertip and replied, "Certainly!"

Su Yuntao's brow furrowed with concern.

As a Soul Master of the Martial Soul Hall, he was well aware of the havoc Shetian and his accomplices wreaked within the Hall's jurisdiction. Two Soul Ancestors and a Soul Sovereign represented a formidable presence within the Martial Soul Hall's branches. Despite Lord Zhan being the most powerful expert there, the elusive Elder Shee and his cohorts surely possessed some secret strategies.

In a hushed tone, Eryou suggested, "Big brother, now that we've encountered Lord Zhan, I could stay behind to buy us time. I'm already poisoned by Ye Cann and my time is short. You handle Ye Cann. You and Elder Shee should flee the Star Dou Great Forest at once."

Zuo shot back, "Impossible. How could I leave you behind? If we are to die, we die together. Elder Shee, a forty-ninth grade Controlling Soul Ancestor, combined with our powers, could give us a fighting chance to escape in a battle."

"Yun, keep an eye on our surroundings. We're on the forest's outskirts, but we must still be vigilant for any Ten Thousand Year Soul Beasts."

Yun nodded, then leaped onto a centennial Thunderlord Vine, vanishing from sight.

Lord Zhan's eyes twinkled as he watched Ye Cann, as if spotting a hidden gem.

Ye Cann shuddered involuntarily.

Though his wounds inflicted by Eryou were healing thanks to his Ancient Saint Body, he hadn't shaken off Eryou's hold when he ran into a Soul Emperor from the Martial Soul Hall. Could his luck get any worse today?

The Soul Emperor's curiosity about him was unsettling, to say the least.

Standing beside Lord Zhan, an elderly man cleared his throat and relayed, "Lord Zhan, the Hall Master has sent a message. The Martial Soul Hall is preparing to dispatch a team into the inner circle of the forest to hunt down three Soul Beasts. There was a disturbance within the forest a month ago, and the Hall Master wants to ascertain the cause of that chaos, as well as verify the current state of the forest's Soul Beasts."

Lord Zhan, stifling a yawn, muttered, "The Hall Master always hands me these dull assignments. Doesn't the main hall send teams to hunt Soul Beasts as a way to train the younger Soul Masters? Why do they need us to scout ahead every time before they embark on a hunt?"

The elder was a revered Soul King with formidable supporting abilities. Soul Masters from the branch halls often sought his assistance on challenging missions. This time, Lord Zhan's task wasn't just to aid Su Yuntao in obtaining his third Soul Ring; their primary objective was to assist the elder in locating medicinal herbs within the forest, needed by a prominent figure in the Martial Soul Hall to heal their injuries.

"Elder Zhuang, what poison did that youngster employ? Are you able to cure the Soul Sovereign in short order?" Lord Zhan inquired.

With a stroke of his beard and a chuckle, Elder Zhuang replied, "The lad used nothing more than the venom from a Poison Soul Beast found in the forest's outskirts."

The Poison Soul Beast was a creature Ye Cann had hunted during the first level of his twelve trials of immortality. Had it not been for the Ancient Saint Body's Indestructible ability, Ye Cann would have been gravely injured.

The Poison Soul Beast resided within the Soul Beast Forest, a rare and feeble species. An adult was on par with a fifty-year-old Soul Beast, with a lifespan capped at fifteen years. Their brief existence and potent bloodline constraints relegated them to the lowest tier of the forest's hierarchy.

Yet, despite their lack of combat prowess, the Poison Soul Beast posed one of the greatest threats to Soul Masters venturing into the forest. Its venom was incredibly potent and swift-acting. In the absence of a healing Soul Master, any Soul Master without a poison attribute would undoubtedly perish within two hours. Those poisoned for more than an hour would suffer irreversible muscle damage.

Elder Zhuang spoke with grave seriousness, "To the Soul Masters over there, heed my warning. The poison of the poison may be easily neutralized, but every minute you delay could lead to the degeneration of your bodily functions."

"Eryou, we should turn him over to the Martial Soul Hall first! Your life is what matters most!"

Zuo hoisted Ye Cann off the ground.

Seizing his chance, Ye Cann spat a thick glob of phlegm onto Zuo's face and said icily, "You'll regret not killing me today! But that's only because you lucked out running into a Soul Master from the Martial Soul Hall. If not, your brother would surely have died by my hand."

Zuo calmly wiped away the spit from his face, unfazed. His temperament was exceptionally even-keeled, making him the natural choice to lead negotiations with other powers.

Eryou was hot-headed, and Elder Shee was too cold. Neither was cut out for diplomatic talks. Only Zuo could convincingly play the part of the amiable peacemaker. With a chuckle, Zuo taunted, "Kid, do you really think you can slip through our fingers? The Martial Soul Hall is incredibly selective. Unless you've awakened a formidable martial soul or possess an innate Soul Point of level six or higher, you stand no chance of joining."

Undeterred, Ye Cann retorted, "Give me one year, and I'll make sure you're dead!"

The insult from Zuo had struck a nerve in Ye Cann, hitting him where it hurt most.

"Kill me? I'm a Soul Ancestor. Even with your Innate full soul power, you'd only reach the rank of grand soul master in a year!" Zuo flung Ye Cann aside, "Lord Zhan, I trust you'll honor our agreement and help my brother detoxify."

Lord Zhan effortlessly caught Ye Cann and handed him off to Su Yuntao. "You're in charge of his Martial Spirit awakening. Elder Zhuang, attend to their treatment."