Douluo: Steal Tang San's luck and become stronger!

"This item did not originate from a human Soul Master, at least not initially."

His first words sent a jolt through Ding Huo's mind.

"About half a month ago, after a medium-sized beast tide attack in Rose City was repelled, our personnel discovered this object deep in the fur of the neck of a 'Shadow Leopard' with a cultivation level of about 50,000 years, known for its cunning and speed, while cleaning up the battlefield and examining the corpses of the slain crazed soul beasts."

Tang Lan's narration was calm and uneventful, as if she were talking about an ordinary matter.

"This object was not so complete at the time; it was more like a small part that had fallen off or been damaged from a complex device."

It was deeply embedded between the neck bones and muscles of the Shadow Leopard, seemingly forming some kind of eerie connection with its nervous system.

When we removed it, the residual soul power within the Shadow Leopard's corpse exhibited abnormally chaotic fluctuations, and deep within its pupils, a faint black pattern, seemingly of the same origin as this object, flashed by.

He pointed to the fine lines on the black metal sheet.

"These patterns, after preliminary analysis, are not simple soul guidance arrays. They contain a large number of complex structures involving soul guidance, forced conversion of life energy, and high-intensity mental suggestion and oppression."

We infer that its core function is likely to be to forcibly embed itself into the vital parts of a soul beast, releasing a special mental fluctuation and energy field to interfere with, cover up, or even tamper with the soul beast's true consciousness.

This triggers their most primal desires for killing and destruction, and they may receive simple instructions from a certain 'source' via specific frequencies, thereby driving a large-scale, seemingly organized beast tide.

Tang Lan paused for a moment, looked at Ding Huo whose expression had become extremely solemn, and slowly stated her final conclusion.

"We believe that this object is very likely one of the 'keys' causing the abnormal beast tide in the southwest. It is a fragment of a core component of an evil soul tool that we have never seen before, specifically used for 'parasitic control' of high-level soul beasts. And the forces capable of developing and deploying this kind of soul tool on a large scale..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already self-evident.

Ding listened quietly, his expression gradually shifting from initial doubt and inquiry to shock and realization, and finally to an incredulous solemnity and horror! His breathing became slightly rapid, and his gaze was fixed on the small black metal piece, as if he were looking at an entrance to hell.

Although Tang Lan's narration was brief, it contained a wealth of information and was logically clear, strikingly matching the clues and guesses he had gathered! The image of the "humanoid shadow" standing beside the controlling soul beast, and the bizarre death of the scout upon his return, now seemed to have more reasonable and terrifying answers!

A soul tool that parasitizes and controls soul beasts! This is something no ordinary soul master organization could accomplish. The technology, materials, and blasphemous research into the soul realm of soul beasts involved all point to forces that act without any moral compass and lurk in the deepest darkness!
Ding Huo's heart pounded, and a chill crept up his spine.

The air on the bridge seemed to freeze for a few breaths. Ding Huo's gentle smile had vanished, replaced by a complex expression that mixed shock, lingering fear, and deep apprehension.

His gaze shifted back and forth several times between the black metal piece lying quietly in Tang Lan's palm and Tang Lan's calm and expressionless face. His chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating that he was experiencing a violent internal struggle.

"call……"

After a long while, Ding Huocai exhaled a long breath of stale air, which seemed to carry ice crystals and made the temperature on the bridge seem to drop a few degrees.

He slowly raised his head, looked at Tang Lan, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and his voice was dry and low with disbelief.

"The Holy Spirit Cult... They actually dare to defy the world and research and use such... such an evil and forbidden thing?! Aren't they afraid of bringing trouble upon themselves and becoming the common enemy of all forces, all soul masters, and even all living beings on the entire continent?!"

His voice rose slightly involuntarily due to excitement and shock, creating a faint echo on the silent river.

Tang Lan frowned almost imperceptibly, her gaze quickly and sharply sweeping across the shadows at both ends of the bridge and on both sides of the riverbank. After confirming that there were no abnormal soul power fluctuations or spying, she gently waved her other hand at Ding Huo, making a shushing gesture.

His voice was even lower, carrying a hint of warning.

"Master, be careful with your words. These words are fine to say between you and me, but if they are overheard by certain 'ears,' even if they are just baseless speculations, I'm afraid... you will be hunted down to the ends of the earth, never to be killed."

He deliberately emphasized the words "ears" and "never give up," his eyes carrying a meaningful warning.

Ding Huo was reminded by Tang Lan and suddenly came to his senses, realizing his loss of composure.

He immediately suppressed his emotions, carefully surveyed his surroundings again, and after confirming that it was safe, a bitter smile mixed with lingering fear, helplessness, and a hint of annoyance appeared on his face.

His gaze toward Tang Lan became more complex, even carrying a hint of accusation.

"Your Excellency...you really are..."

Ding smiled wryly and shook his head.

"I originally thought it was just an intelligence exchange where both parties got what they wanted, at most involving some minor movements of the Holy Spirit Cult. But I never expected that you would throw out such a... heavy 'bait,' directly stirring up this bottomless, turbulent water right in front of me, and even... trying to drag me into it as well!"

He sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and resignation.

"Now that I know the origin and possible function of this black metal piece, and have heard your deduction about its connection to the Holy Spirit Cult... the weight of this information is far too great. So great that... it would be difficult to pretend not to know. I never imagined that such a profound and horrifying conspiracy was hidden behind this seemingly 'ordinary' beast tide!"

Tang Lan remained calm, neither confirming nor denying, simply watching Ding Huo quietly, awaiting his next words. Now that the other party had realized the seriousness of the problem and admitted to being "dragged into it," it was time for them to demonstrate their sincerity and fulfill their promise.

Ding Huo's lips twitched again as he looked at Tang Lan's "of course" expression, which seemed to be waiting for a reward.

He knew that the person before him was no ordinary opponent; his strength was unfathomable, and his mind was meticulous, having led him into this predicament step by step. It was too late to extricate himself now; at least in this matter, he was now in the same boat as the other—knowing secrets he shouldn't have.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and the helplessness on his face was gradually replaced by the calm and professionalism befitting an intelligence broker. Since he couldn't stay out of it, he would try to obtain as much information as possible and seek some degree of "cooperation" or "balance."

"That's enough." Ding Huo waved the sleeve of his Taoist robe, as if trying to brush away those chaotic thoughts, and said solemnly.

"Now that the deal is done, I shall fulfill my promise. As for the 'humanoid shadow' that our scouts saw standing next to the soul beast..."

He recalled briefly, then lowered his voice and described the scene in a slow but clear manner.

"According to the surviving scout's vague description before he died, and our subsequent retrospective analysis based on the few remaining energy traces at the scene, the figure... was roughly human-shaped, quite robust, and even somewhat hunched over. Our initial assessment is that he was an old man."

The soul power emanating from him was extremely peculiar; it wasn't of a single attribute, but rather a... purplish-red light mixed with deep purple and violent crimson. As the light pulsed, it gave off an extremely evil, filthy, and unstable feeling, as if it could devour life force and corrupt soul power.

A lingering fear flashed in Ding's eyes.

"The scout himself was a Soul Emperor with considerable spiritual power, but after only catching a glimpse of the purplish-red light from afar, he became listless and his soul power sluggish upon returning, ultimately succumbing to his injuries. We speculate that the light itself may have possessed strong characteristics of spiritual erosion and life-stealing."

As for its strength… although it cannot be precisely determined, judging solely from the residual energy traces and its 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder' stance against that powerful controlling soul beast, its strength far surpasses that of an ordinary Title Douluo. A preliminary estimate… suggests it is at least level 95 or higher, perhaps even more! A true Super Douluo!

A Super Douluo of level 95 or above! An old man with a strange purplish-red soul light! This information, combined with the evil parasitic soul tool fragment in Tang Lan's hand, instantly made the image of the mastermind behind the scenes clearer and even more terrifying!
After Ding finished speaking, he looked at Tang Lan and shrugged.

"This is the most concrete information we have about that 'figure.' Combined with the fragment of the 'parasitic controller' you provided, things are quite clear—"

There is a figure whose strength is at least at the Super Douluo level, who possesses bizarre and evil soul-guiding technology, and who is very likely a core member of the Holy Spirit Cult, who is secretly conducting this horrific experiment or conspiracy in the southwest region, using soul beasts as weapons to slaughter living beings.

He paused for a moment, then concluded.

"In this way, the information from both sides has been completely combined, piecing together a relatively complete picture. Although many details are still unknown, the general source and method of the threat are now clear."

Ding changed the subject, his face regaining its slightly aloof professional smile, and his tone became cautious.

"However, I must remind you that I am merely a middleman selling information. The purpose of 'Listening Wind Pavilion' is neutrality and the flow of information. We provide intelligence, but we do not directly participate in the grudges and disputes between our clients."

Now that all the information I know has been revealed, this transaction, in my opinion, is complete. As for how you choose to react after learning this information—whether you report to the Empire, contact your sect, or handle it yourself… that is your own business, and seems… to have no direct relation to me.”

His words were clever; they both indicated that the transaction was complete and attempted to extricate himself and Tingfeng Pavilion from this murky situation, or at least absolve them of direct responsibility.

He knew that the person in front of him was no ordinary person, and what he wanted was definitely not just to buy information. He did not want to be involved in a life-or-death battle that might involve facing a Super Douluo of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Tang Lan looked at Ding Huo's attempt to "leave without a trace" and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

That old Taoist priest was indeed very slippery; he tried to withdraw as soon as he sensed things were going wrong. However, knowing so much, how could he possibly remain completely uninvolved? It wasn't that easy.

"Master Daoist."

Tang Lan's voice remained calm, but to Ding Huo, it carried an undeniable air.

“You possess level 92 soul power, and your martial soul is the ‘Wind Chasing Bird,’ which boasts top-tier speed and follows an extreme agility-based attack path. With such cultivation and martial soul talent, you have been appointed as the intelligence chief for this southwestern region. You must be no ordinary person within the ‘Listening Wind Pavilion.’ You must be deeply trusted and have your own way of surviving.”

Tang Lan directly exposed Ding Huo's strength and martial soul, causing Ding Huo's eyes to narrow slightly, but he did not deny it. Given the other party's discerning eye, it wasn't surprising that she could see through his approximate cultivation level.

"but."

Tang Lan changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of teasing and a touch of sharpness.

"It's a pity that he has such cultivation and speed, yet he is so cautious and timid when it comes to doing things, only willing to hide behind the barrier of intelligence trading."

Ding Huo's smile remained unchanged, but a subtle ripple flashed deep in his eyes. He stroked his beard and said.

"Your words are incorrect. There are different paths for each Soul Master. My aim is to gather information from all over the world, protect myself wisely, and make good connections, rather than to be brave and violent and get involved in pointless conflicts. Strength is merely the cornerstone to ensure that this 'business' can continue in the long run. It is not wise for a person to provoke a behemoth like the Holy Spirit Cult, especially its core leaders."

"is it?"

Tang Lan remained noncommittal. He gently rubbed the black metal piece in his hand and then put it away.

“I understand that you don’t want to cause trouble, Daoist Master. I’m not a bloodthirsty or belligerent person either. However…”

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Ding Huo, his calm gaze seemingly able to see through people's hearts.

"Since the Taoist priest already knows about the existence of this 'parasitic controller' and that there may be a super Douluo of the Holy Spirit Cult behind it."

So, if the Holy Spirit Cult knew that someone from the 'Listening Wind Pavilion' possessed such core secrets, and might even be continuing their investigation... what do you think they would do? Would they believe the 'Listening Wind Pavilion's' promise of absolute neutrality and absolute confidentiality, or would they... rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free?

Tang Lan's voice was soft, but every word struck Ding Huo's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Especially since you, as the intelligence chief for this area, personally handled this matter, do you think you can completely remain uninvolved?"

Ding Huo's expression finally changed slightly. Tang Lan's words struck at his deepest concern. How could he not know the Holy Spirit Cult's modus operandi? They always dealt with the most ruthless methods against anyone or any organization that might leak their core secrets!
The so-called promise of neutrality is probably worthless in the eyes of the Holy Spirit Church. Once they set their sights on them, Listening Wind Pavilion might be able to protect itself, but Ding or anyone else, as well as the stronghold of Rose City, would likely become the primary targets for elimination!

Seeing Ding Huo's shifty eyes, Tang Lan knew the time was almost right. (End of Chapter)