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--- Chapter 472 ---
Crash! Boom!
A blinding streak of silver light tore through the void of the infinite chasm, screaming downward through the atmosphere of the Douluo Continent. It slammed into the earth with a destructive, deafening explosion, casting a heavy, smoldering wave of superheated shockwaves outward.
Fortunately, this wannabe meteor hadn't really harmed a single innocent soul upon its descent. Of course, that was assuming one didn't count the degenerate scum of the Holy Spirit Cult as "innocent."
The landing site was a hidden, notorious den of Evil Soul Masters. It lay hidden beneath the bustling streets of a coastal city on the northern shoreline of the Douluo Continent, a place officially registered on the Federation maps as Whale's Laugh City.
"Arrgh! What is happening to me?! My soul... my soul is burning! It's burning!"
Agonized screams echoed one after another through the underground of Whale's Laugh City, shattering the eerie atmosphere as a flood of eerie, silver-green flames erupted from the ground.
The dazzling blaze expanded like a tidal wave, hungrily devouring every Evil Spirit Master in its path.
The Evil Soul Masters tried desperately to fight the encroaching silver-green fire with their twisted martial souls and dark energy, but every countermeasure proved entirely useless.
It's like dousing silver-green flame with oils. So instead of killing it, they make the flame even bigger.
The flame behaved like greedy, hungry maggots that bypassed the Evil Spirit Master's defense and then slowly devoured their targets' spiritual essence from the inside out.
Within minutes, the only things left in the area were the ordinary, enslaved civilians.
They had been oblivious to the horrors occurring beneath their feet, while some had been locked away under the cruel mental control of the Evil Spirit Masters, broken free and cried in happiness.
When the terrifying silver-green flames finally vanished, all that remained for the stunned witnesses was an empty, ash-strewn street and the glare of the morning sunlight piercing the horizon.
A few hours later, news of the strange event reached the high command, prompting a dispatch from the nearest military garrison.
A Title Douluo was sent from the Northern Army Corps to investigate the bizarre phenomenon that had momentarily blinded their regional sensors.
Guo Zhenfeng, Level 92, known as the Blight Mountain Douluo. arrived on the scene. His expression was incredibly grim and heavy. He certainly hadn't expected his investigation to immediately uncover the hidden, foul traces of an Evil Soul Master stronghold right in the heart of Whale's Laugh City.
Reaching up, he clicked the transmitter on his communication device and gave a brief report, "This is Regimental Commander Guo Zhenfeng."
"I have detected traces of Evil Soul Master activity within Whale's Laugh City... However, the current situation is highly abnormal. I cannot see or sensory-track a single one of them."
He paused, scanning the eerie quiet of the sector. "I am proceeding with a thorough, personal investigation of the city. But to ensure operational security... send a heavy backup unit to my coordinates immediately."
As Guo Zhenfeng leaped across the rooftops to scan the perimeter, his confusion only deepened. He discovered absolutely no living trace of the Evil Spirit Masters.
It was as if a massive web of high-level criminals had simply vaporized into thin air, leaving their captive civilians behind.
Suddenly, his footsteps halted.
"What the..."
Peering down toward the shoreline, Ghuo Zhenfeng's eyes narrowed as he discovered a massive, perfectly circular crater freshly carved into the sandy beach.
It stretched almost a mile wide and ran nine to ten meters deep, its edges completely glassy and warped by terrifying, lingering scorch marks.
He flew down into the crater to assess the damage solemnly. "Base, this is Zhenfeng. I've detected a massive crater that appears to be the crash site of a meteorite, but I have never seen anything like this."
"The hole... it gives me an eerie feel. Something about it is tickling my senses."
His gaze wandered for a second, catching sight of a burnt-out, massive sewage flush hole built into the concrete retaining wall nearby. "I think this may be directly connected to the sudden disappearance of the Evil Soul Masters."
"I am going to check the underground sewage network... expect an update soon."
"Huuf..." Guo Zhenfeng summoned his martial soul, the Blight Mountain Axe, holding the heavy weapon warily as he ventured into the murky depths of the sewage system.
As he pressed deeper into the underground structure, his brow furrowed fiercely at the sight of scattered, unidentifiable human remains.
"Damned Evil Soul Masters..." he growled, clenching his fist around the shaft of his axe with burning hatred.
Following the faint traces of heat, he quickly discovered the primary lair of the Evil Spirit Masters. Yet, he couldn't find a single living enemy. Instead, he found dozens of neat mounds of fine grey ash scattered across the floor.
Eventually, Guo Zhenfeng arrived at a row of iron cells. His jaw clenched so hard the bone popped as he saw several young children tied to iron chains like animals. "Damn you, monsters!"
"Not even sparing children... if you ever cross my path, it will be your downfall!"
He contacted the military headquarters again, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and urgency. "This is Zhenfeng. I have successfully located the lair of the Evil Soul Masters."
"I... I have also discovered several survivors. They are young children, around six to seven years old. They appear to be the victims of human experimentation. Send a medical squad! Immediately!"
After reporting the updated situation, Guo Zhenfeng gently sheared through the chains with his soul power, releasing the children from their cages.
Each frail form made his heart ache fiercely. He made sure the children were alive and wrapped them in his gentle spirit energy, helping them stay warm before searching the rest of the dark laboratory desk.
There, he discovered a blood-stained clipboard containing handwritten logs: 'Project: Spirit Beast Bloodline Infusion on Child Subjects Before Spirit Awakening.'
Reading the cold, clinical descriptions of torture made his guts violently churn.
"Evil Spirit Masters deserved to die..." He hissed, his eyes bloodshot. He desperately wanted to smash this god-forsaken place to dust, but he forced himself to remain calm for the sake of the fragile survivors.
He gathered all the evidence, took several high-resolution photos, and transmitted a secure backup copy straight to the Northern Corps headquarters.
Not long after, tactical agents and patrols from the Federation arrived, establishing a hard perimeter and taking control of the scene.
Several high-level Healing spirit masters rushed into the area, directly channeling their gentle, glowing soul skills to stabilize the harmed children.
Unfortunately, it was clear that many of these kids would suffer lifelong trauma from the cruel experiments inflicted upon them.
All Guo Zhenfeng could do was stand silently to the side, praying for their well-being and hoping they might one day grow up normally.
"Hey, don't stand up yet! You've only just woken up, boy!" One of the healing spirit masters suddenly shouted in a panic.
"Hmm?" Guo Zhenfeng glanced to the right.
Standing up from a makeshift medical stretcher was a frail, silver-haired boy dressed in ragged, ash-stained clothes. His small frame looked very delicate and malnourished, yet he walked with an uncanny power and determination.
His striking silver eyes focused forward, staring past the shadows toward the distant morning sun cutting through the drain pipes.
The boy rolled his shoulders, completely ignoring the frantic healer, and spoke with deadpan seriousness.
"I am hungry..."
Pfft!
"..." Guo Zhenfeng almost choked on his own saliva. He stared at the silver-haired child, entirely dumbfounded.
The serious words of comfort he had been preparing to offer completely died in his throat, replaced by sheer, pure bafflement.