Douluo Dragon King: One-Sword Soul Douluo, Shadow of the End of Dharma

Shrek City, headquarters of the Spirit Tower.

Inside the towering metal office, a simply dressed, dignified old man sat at his desk, his gaze sweeping over the newsletter in his hand.

A bizarre incident has occurred! The branch master of the Spirit Pagoda perished on the spot, and the truth behind it is...

The federal government issued a statement declaring a thorough investigation into the incident and vowing to show zero tolerance for any lawless perpetrators!

Shrek Academy issues the following statement...

Most of the information in the newsletter is conspiracy theories designed to grab attention. I wonder what those reporters would think if they knew that the culprit is currently at the Spirit Tower headquarters.

Putting down the newsletter, Leng Jianying rubbed his forehead and looked at the figure in the black trench coat across the table, his face showing worry.

This was the first time he had shown such an expression since he began to retire from the front lines and no longer interfered in the affairs of the Spirit Pagoda.

The only person who could make Leng Jianying, the former deputy tower master, level 99 Limit Douluo, and Fierce Phoenix Douluo, so helpless is probably this disciple.

He hesitated for a moment, then slowly began to speak:

"Bai Ye, the Spirit Pagoda shouldn't have offended you in any way, right?"

"no."

The black-haired youth across the table didn't even look up; he simply gazed quietly out the window.

Bai Ye, 20 years old, level 79 Soul Saint, twin martial souls, formerly a member of the Spirit Pagoda.

Compared to the information above, he has a more widely known name—

[Holy Flame Pharmacist]

"I don't think I've offended you in any way, old man, have I?"

"no."

"So what are you up to, you brat?!"

Leng Jianying's eyes widened in anger, and even his beard trembled slightly. He clearly couldn't understand his apprentice's actions at all.

Even if you've left the Spirit Pagoda, there's no need to be so ruthless, is there?

Even if you're going to kill, why don't you go after the ancient family? Why don't you even spare your own faction!

It is extremely difficult to support a branch tower master to take the position. There are already too many wolves and not enough meat, and now the position has to be re-evaluated. Most likely, the position will not be able to be kept.

"You better have an explanation today, or this old man will..."

Facing the furious Leng Jianying, Bai Ye remained unfazed and silently placed a purple-glowing potion on the table.

[Holy Light (Purple)]

[Effect: Permanently increases cultivation speed and maximum mental power by 1 (only effective for those below Super Douluo level)]

"I heard she's about to break through to Super Douluo?"

call out!

In the blink of an eye, the medicine vanished.

Leng Jianying's expression softened slightly, but he still wore a sour face.

"Even if there's a reason for it, can't we sit down and talk it out?"

Bai Ye didn't speak, and a potion with a completely gilded appearance was placed on the table again.

This was his final gift to his master.

[Sacred Flame Miracle (Gold)]

[Effect: Permanently elevates one's minor life level, enhances perception of dimensional laws, and grants immunity to negative mental effects (such as aging, fluctuation, and stagnation)]

This time, the potion disappeared before it was even properly placed, replaced by that dignified old face, smiling broadly at him:

"Good child, your master knows you must have some reason for your distress."

"But why does it have to be him?"

Although he never intended to investigate anything, Leng Jianying was still completely baffled as to how the person his family had promoted had offended his disciple.

Possessing unparalleled potion-making skills across the entire continent, their status is comparable to that of the divine craftsman Zhenhua. Both are figures that no force dares to easily offend.

In this respect, Bai Ye is even more enviable than Zhen Hua.

After all, not just anyone can afford a four-word battle armor, but who doesn't have a junior or student in their family?

If others have something you don't, the gap will only widen.

Seeing Leng Jianying looking over, Bai Ye stroked the scabbard at his waist, his tone calm:

"Holy Spirit Cult, Evil Soul Master."

Upon hearing those six words, Leng Jianying instantly understood their meaning.

His apprentice had no other hobbies; he just liked to go find some evil spirit masters and play a little game of mutual attack.

At only twelve years old, the other party was able to cause a bloodbath at the stronghold of evil spirit masters, which shows how enthusiastic he was about this.

"That's unlikely, isn't it? This is a promising talent specifically recruited from Shrek Academy..."

Leng Jianying frowned, seemingly still incredulous, as such a thing sounded utterly absurd.

A fourth-year student who reached the Soul Emperor level before the age of 20 was actually an undercover agent planted by the Holy Spirit Cult?

The family spent a considerable amount of money to poach him.

Believe it or not.

Bai Ye leaned back slightly. The fact that the 20-year-old Soul Emperor hadn't even entered the inner courtyard already spoke volumes. It was just that he hadn't had time to investigate before the Leng family poached him.

He only made the move recently when he was confident of success.

"I believe you, I do."

Leng Jianying sighed, looking slightly melancholy.

Over the years, the Leng family's influence in the Spirit Pagoda has been diminishing. Among the younger generation, there are only two granddaughters who are worth mentioning, one of whom almost went astray.

Then there's this apprentice.

Beep~ Beep~

Just as the atmosphere became silent, a clear bell rang.

Bai Ye picked up the communicator, pressed the button, and a soft, girlish voice came from the other end, filled with excitement:

"Master! I've broken through to the second ring!"

"I'm finally, finally a Great Soul Master..."

"Okay, I understand."

Bai Ye replied calmly into the communicator; this speed was only considered average for someone his age.

It's more accurate to say that with my occasional feeding, it's only now that it has broken through to the second ring.

However, they did try their best.

"When you arrive in Donghai City, wait for me at the usual place."

"Okay! Got it!"

As Bai Ye hung up the call, he looked up and saw the old man on the other end of the line looking like he'd seen a ghost.

Even though people get old, their mindset remains young.

"Bai Ye, did you just laugh?"

You've misjudged.

Bai Ye got up to say goodbye. He had only come to visit the old man and finish up his business.

Just as he reached the door, Leng Jianying called out from behind him again.

"white night."

Turning his head, he saw the old craftsman standing there, looking at him with an extremely complex expression:

"Over the years, I've never asked about it. Who knows how much longer this old body will live?"

"Just how many people did you secretly plant using the drug?"

Spirit Tower, Federal Government, Shrek Academy, Temple of War, and even various associations—every year, some unknown figures emerge as dark horses and quickly gain a foothold.

Although various forces sensed something was amiss, they could only observe in secret due to a lack of evidence.

However, as the one closest to the source, Leng Jianying naturally felt it more intensely.

He was nearly two hundred years old and had never been destined to become a Limit Douluo in his life, but his disciple broke through his shackles with a potion, extending his life by several decades.

If even someone as old as him can resist this temptation, it's hard to imagine how many people could resist it...

Not many.

Bai Ye turned around and showed no intention of looking back.

Even after his apprentice left the office, Leng Jianying remained staring blankly at his departing figure.

Looking at the two vials of medicine on the table, he suddenly remembered that distant afternoon fourteen years ago when he first saw the other party awaken their martial spirit.

He had almost forgotten what his apprentice looked like back then, but he could never forget those deep eyes...

If it weren't for the unexpected turn of events, he would have been my grandson-in-law, making our relationship even closer.

"Sigh, what a disappointment."

"By the way, it seems like Yu Lai's workplace is quite close to Donghai City..."

Leng Jianying narrowed his eyes and nodded thoughtfully.

Is it not too late now?

...

As Bai Ye left the office, a notification popped up in front of his eyes.

[You have killed Hua Feng (Deacon) of the Holy Spirit Cult]

[You have obtained 1 random Soul Bone Chest and Extreme Dark Attribute Damage Reduction]

[Side Quest Part 1: Cleanup (Completed)]

P.S.: The timeline has been slightly altered, but the differences are minor.