’Seven Mo Luo... Peak of the First Generation...’

Zhou Yuanjue whispered to himself. He had only ever encountered one being of that caliber: Zhang Dongwei, whom he had met in the Kunlun Mountain Range. It was under Zhang Dongwei’s immense pressure that he first grasped the powerful burst of the Soaring Seal, a technique he continued to use to this day.

Back then, Zhang Dongwei had been sealed for a thousand years and had yet to recover his peak strength. Furthermore, he was merely in a Spirit Body state, without a suitable physical body.

Even so, the power he displayed back then had been overwhelmingly terrifying. And a member of the Seven Mo Luo was just that kind of figure.

"Isn’t there any more specific data?"

Zhou Yuanjue quickly looked through the data Ning Muqing had brought before looking up to ask.

"This is everything we have. The Seven Mo Luo have only acted a handful of times. Even their name was something we intercepted from the Starry Sky Country’s intelligence network through special means, and we paid a considerable price for it."

"In short, headquarters’ evaluation is that the Seven Mo Luo are ’monster-level’ beings. This isn’t just because of their strength, but also because of the extremely strange and unpredictable abilities they’ve displayed in their few recorded appearances. These abilities might even rival or surpass those of the most elite Spirit Guardian Bloodlines."

"When you fight them, you can’t be too careful."

Ning Muqing said gravely.

"I understand."

Zhou Yuanjue nodded, a solemn look in his eyes.

At this point, many of the things they faced were far beyond the realm of common sense. They couldn’t be comprehended through conventional understanding.

Zhou Yuanjue had come to understand this well ever since the Spirit Guardian initiation.

While the principles behind a Spirit Guardian’s Bloodline abilities might be traceable, they were nearly impossible to anticipate upon a first encounter.

For instance, when he faced Hong Miao, if his terrifying regeneration hadn’t countered the man’s Water Breath Thunder, any other expert unfamiliar with that ability would have likely suffered a bitter defeat.

What they faced was no longer simply the Martial Dao, but Divine Powers and superpowers.

’But that’s precisely what makes the fight so much more exciting...’

A bright light flashed in Zhou Yuanjue’s eyes.

’No matter how strange or unpredictable an ability is, it must have underlying principles. By analyzing these principles and exploring the mysteries of these powers, I can gain a deeper understanding of the human body and develop a bolder imagination when it comes to power.’

’And all of it will make me stronger.’

...

...

「Four days passed in a flash.」

Night slowly fell over Banku, Tai Lan Country.

The annual Zhengwang Festival was now in full swing.

The streets were colorfully decorated and filled with endless streams of people. The locals of Tai Lan Country, dressed in festive attire and wearing bright smiles, held lively parades and gatherings. The entire city bustled with excitement, commemorating the King of Thonburi who had once saved their nation from dire straits.

Nearly half of the massive crowd were foreign tourists, and of those tourists, almost two-thirds were from Donghua Country.

Tai Lan Country was a major tourist destination in its own right. Its unique culture and local color, combined with vigorous government development, had led to an extremely prosperous service industry. It was one of the top choices for international travel among the people of Donghua Country, resulting in a staggering number of visitors.

Kao San Road. It was one of the busiest areas in Tai Lan Country.

Lining both sides of the street, vendors sold all kinds of specialty handicrafts and savory snacks, capturing the attention of many tourists.

At that moment, a tall young man was strolling down the street. He wore plain, unremarkable tourist attire and appeared to be a Caucasian from the Ori Region. He had slightly curly blond hair and very fair skin, but his features were utterly plain—a typical face you might forget after a single glance.

The young man acted just like a real tourist, his eyes scanning everything on the street with interest. He held two or three kinds of specialty snacks he had just bought from a stall, sampling them as he walked.

Suddenly, upon reaching a certain point on the street, he stopped. After a glance to his left and right, he skirted the bustling main thoroughfare. He pulled out his phone, checked his direction, and headed into a dark alley.

Unlike the bustling street, the alley was deserted. A dim, yellow streetlight swayed gently, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.

The alley was far from clean. The surrounding walls showed signs of groundwater seepage, and an unpleasantly indescribable smell wafted from a nearby trash can.

Development in Tai Lan Country was uneven. The lively areas were vibrant and prosperous, while the quiet corners were cramped, damp, and filled with strange odors.

However, the young Caucasian man seemed unbothered, continuing to eat his snack as he walked deeper into the alley. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The only sounds in the alley were his footsteps and the sharp CRACK of bones as he chewed the spicy and sour lemon chicken feet, adding a touch of horror to the atmosphere.

Then, in the darkness at the end of the alley, he saw the glowing and fading ember of a cigarette. Amidst a hazy cloud of smoke and its pungent smell, a young man appeared before him. The newcomer had dark, brownish skin, large tattoos, and the distinct features of an indigenous person from the South India Continent.

The young man wore a hoodie, jeans, and a baseball cap. With an earring and his visible tattoos, he had something of a hip-hop style.

"I was wondering who the big man paired me with. So, it’s you. Calling you all the way from the South India Continent... what a long trip."

A smile touched the Caucasian man’s lips as he looked at the newcomer. He thought for a moment, then said, "Let me think... hmm... This body of yours should be Jones, right? Isn’t that it, Ghost Night?"

"For fuck’s sake, Yuan Luàn. Is the big man joking? Making me work with a disgusting bastard like you? I can smell the spiritual stench of the bodies you infect from a mile away. Are they doing this just to gross me out?"

Ghost Night’s face turned ugly as he got a clear look at the Caucasian man.

"Can’t be helped. Our abilities are just the most suitable for this kind of large-scale chaos."

Yuan Luàn’s smile didn’t falter. He plucked a chicken foot from his snack bag, held it out to Ghost Night, and said, "Want some? It’s pretty good."

"I’m not interested in physical food. Especially not food offered by you. I’d like to use this body for a while longer."

Ghost Night straightened up and stubbed out his cigarette on the ground, not bothering to hide his disdain.

"What a shame."

Yuan Luàn nonchalantly tossed the chicken foot into his mouth and began to chew, producing a skin-crawling crunch of cracking bones.

"I have no intention of working with you. We’ll split up. This block is yours; I’ll go somewhere further out. Are you fully prepared?"

Ghost Night asked.

"Of course. I have more than enough to destroy the entire city."

A smile touched the corners of Yuan Luàn’s mouth. He opened the satchel at his waist, revealing its contents.

It was a bag of colorful Sugar Beans.