There were only a few immortal herbs that Huo Yuhao could retrieve from the Icefire Yin Yang Well, but there were still quite a lot of supplementary and nutritious items. The Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears would have no problem eating a little more because of their physiques, and these herbs could catalyze their growth. The bears would eventually become the Tang Sect’s Divine Beast Guardians.

Huo Yuhao hadn’t expected to meet these five evil soul masters when he had just arrived, and his real body drew a cold breath when he saw them.

Two of them were Titled Douluo, while the other three were Soul Douluo. The five of them had the strength to fight against five Titled Douluo at the same time. Furthermore, there were at least several dozen evil soul masters stationed in this place, and he had no clue how many other exceptionally powerful evil soul masters were here.. and there were two soul engineer legions outside. Sunrise City also wasn’t that far away from Radiant City, so Radiant City could muster reinforcements in no time. The Sun Moon Empire’s arrangements were incredibly meticulous and tight!

Battle had to have broken out at the borders, but the Sun Moon Empire could still afford such an arrangement. This level of defensive strength wasn’t something that the Tang Sect could fight.

Huo Yuhao continued to contemplate as he controlled his spiritual avatar and flew over to one of the cages. He hid discreetly in one corner and completely suppressed his spiritual undulations. He didn’t dare to release even a single bit of spiritual power.

The Third and Fourth Elders scanned the prisoners inside the water prisons as they strolled. The hostages could naturally see them too and glared at them with vengeful eyes as they walked by. However, these hostages were just too weak, and they didn’t even have the strength to curse and swear.

The Third Elder said as he walked, “Are we good on our restraints? Are we using enough drugs?”

“We are using enough. We infuse Soul Eradicating Powder into the water every day. With this powder dissolving in the water, not even Titled Douluo can think about concentrating and mustering their soul power. Furthermore, these fellows haven’t eaten anything in a long time, and they must be weak and limp even with their physiques as soul masters. Several prisoners have fainted, but we gave them sufficient nutrition in time,” Zhong Litian answered.

The Third Elder paused and turned back as he glanced at Zhong Litian. “Ah Tian, you still have to give them food. These people can’t possibly cause any disturbances or trouble with our Soul Eradicating Powder, but we can’t let them starve to death, because they are still very valuable to our leader in the future. I know you and your brothers have a great need for these powerful spirits but now is not the time. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Third Elder.” Zhong Litian nodded. One could tell from his expression that he didn’t quite approve of the Third Elder’s words, but he was very respectful towards the man nonetheless. Zhong Litian immediately continued, “I will make the necessary arrangements now, and we will give them some food. Second brother, third brother – let’s go together.” He nodded in the Third Elder and Fourth Elder’s direction before turning and leaving.

A cold look flashed by the Fourth Elder’s eyes as he watched them leave. He lowered his voice and said, “These brothers are pushing it more and more, just because they are the Leader’s slaves. Do they have to go personally to get some food for those prisoners? They are clearly trying to show defiance.”

The Third Elder glanced at the Fourth Elder, and a disdainful and indifferent look flowed from his eyes. “Don’t spout nonsense, fourth brother. The three of them are under the Leader’s personal command, and we are also loyal to the Leader. We have to place our Church’s interests as our top priority.” These were his words, but a cold look flickered in his eyes at the same time; he was very displeased with how the three brothers were handling things.

They followed the stone platform and went up and down once through the water prison before walking out.

Huo Yuhao had been quietly observing them this entire time. He was delighted!?These two Titled Douluo have some beef with the three brothers, and furthermore, the three brothers should be the ones in control of this water prison. This is important intel. I will have a better chance of rescuing the prisoners if I make good use of this information. Also, what’s that Soul Eradicating Powder? The water inside this water prison is connected to moat outside. Are they not afraid of this powder losing its effects?

Huo Yuhao drifted discreetly towards the entrance he had come in from. He didn’t waste this trip and had discovered and scouted out many things. He needed to go back so that he could digest everything further before he could determine how to rescue these prisoners.

Huo Yuhao was about to submerge himself into the water and was going to bring back some water samples when something happened at the stone platform’s other end. The Third Elder and the Fourth Elder were just walking out when they uttered reverently, “Greetings, Holy Lady!”

Holy Lady? The Holy Ghost Church’s Holy Lady is here??Huo Yuhao vaguely recalled that Tang Ya had been addressed in a similar fashion. His operation would be a lot harder if Teacher Xiao Ya was here. How could he save Tang Ya with his current strength?

Huo Yuhao paused in his tracks and looked over to the stone platform’s other end. The Third Elder and the Fourth Elder were standing on either side of the platform, while the three evil brothers and a girl who was clad in a long dark red dress began to walk towards him.

Huo Yuhao’s eyes went slack when he saw this girl, and he could no longer shift his eyes away. Huo Yuhao lost control of his spiritual undulations, and they became a little disorganized.

“Who goes there?” the Third Elder suddenly snarled. Even though controlling spirits wasn’t his forte, he was the strongest amongst the evil soul masters in this place. The Third Elder immediately detected Huo Yuhao as soon as his spiritual power showed a little disorder.

However, this exclamation jolted Huo Yuhao out of his shock and lifelessness. He didn’t dare to stay even a single moment longer, and his spiritual avatar dove into the water in a flash as he started swimming outwards as fast as he could.

The girl decked in the flowing dark red dress grunted coldly as she raised her right hand and pressed forward through the air. A thick and intense dark red light instantly drilled through where Huo Yuhao had dove into the water, and the beam’s scorching heat immediately dyed the turbid moat’s water a dark red color as large amounts of steam surged into the air.

Huo Yuhao was still escaping through the water as quickly as he could, and he immediately felt a wave of searing heat attacking him from behind in the next moment.

Huo Yuhao wouldn’t be afraid if his original body had been here. He would have his Ultimate Ice to protect him, and any fire-type abilities would have trouble causing him any damage at all. However, at this very moment, he only had his spiritual avatar. His avatar couldn’t possibly have his Ultimate Ice-type soul power.

Huo Yuhao’s spiritual avatar weakened rapidly as that searing heat assaulted him, and even his spiritual origin was shaken. Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that this heatwave his enemy had launched against him, which was full of heat and darkness, also possessed an ability to track and lock onto spiritual undulations. He had absolutely no chance of escaping before this heatwave could eradicate his spiritual avatar.

“Sister!” Huo Yuhao called out desperately, and his spiritual avatar unleashed Spiritual Shock at the same time.

The heatwave that was running him down brutally suddenly paused and Huo Yuhao immediately took advantage of this instant as he picked up the pace and rushed through the iron fence outside. He emerged from the city’s moat and soared into the sky as he followed his original path and escaped through the air.

——

Inside the water prison..

The Holy Lady personally took action, so the Third Elder, the Fourth Elder, and the three brothers had looked on from the side. They had absolute faith in this Holy Lady’s strength.

But in the next moment, they watched as the Holy Lady frowned and said, “That’s strange – some spiritual undulations did appear before this. Can it be that we are too sensitive? My phoenix flames didn’t find anything.”

The Third Elder said, “Can it be that there’s too much vengeance and resentment inside the water prison, and that has produced a lifeless spiritual form?”

The Holy Lady turned towards the three brothers and said, “Check it out carefully.”

The three brothers were a lot more respectful towards her, and all three of them bowed reverently as they acknowledged, “Yes, Holy Lady.”

The Holy Lady turned and walked towards the exit. A vacant look that had a tinge of struggle flashed deep in her eyes, but these emotional changes were instantly extinguished by the dark red flames in her eyes.

Huo Yuhao scaled the city wall and crossed to the other side after he left the water. He rushed back to the hotel as quickly as he could and reintegrated his spiritual avatar into his body.

Jade-green light gradually rose through the air, and only then did Huo Yuhao dispel the heat filled with evil that lingered in his spirit.

Huo Yuhao expelled a deep breath and gradually opened his eyes.

Xu Sanshi and Ye Guyi had been protecting him by his side this entire time. They instantly saw the shock deep in Huo Yuhao’s eyes the moment he opened his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Yuhao?” Xu Sanshi asked softly.

Huo Yuhao leapt down from his bed and took a deep breath. “Sister Xiaotao. I saw sister Xiaotao.”

“Sister Xiaotao? Are you referring to.. Ma Xiaotao?” An astonished expression immediately came over Xu Sanshi’s face as he stared at Huo Yuhao with blank eyes and slack jaw. He was at a loss for words.

Huo Yuhao nodded vigorously. His lips were pressed tightly together, and he couldn’t maintain his composure at this moment no matter how much self-control he had.

“Yes, it’s her, my sister. She’s really at the Holy Ghost Church, and they have actually kidnapped her. She’s their Holy Lady now.” The scene that he had just seen was deeply imprinted in his mind. She was wearing a long dark red dress and had seemed so coolly elegant and glamorous. She also possessed scorching phoenix flames, so who else could that be, but Ma Xiaotao?

Ma Xiaotao looked a lot more mature compared to five years ago. Her enchanting features had an extra tinge of cold mystery that came from darkness, while her figure had become more exaggerated and alluring. Ma Xiaotao’s status had surpassed that of those two elders, who were Titled Douluo. Holy Lady, Holy Lady.. she was actually addressed as Holy Lady, just like Teacher Xiao Ya. What exactly had happened to her?

The two of them had no words as they stared at one another. Ye Guyi was befuddled as she listened on from one side. “Ma Xiaotao? Who’s that?”

Huo Yuhao explained as concisely as he could. “She’s our senior, and she also graduated from Shrek Academy. Her martial soul had some problems, and she was captured by evil soul masters. She seems confused and is not in her right state of mind right now, and she’s become the Holy Ghost Church’s Holy Lady.”

Ye Guyi didn’t have a good impression of any evil soul masters. She frowned and asked, “How powerful is she?”