Dongfang Yi didn’t dare reject Meng Anwen’s request outright. Accessing the imperial family's most classified documents was a grave matter; even he couldn’t approve it lightly. “I’ll speak to my uncle, Dongfang Li.” Dongfang Yi said, “He oversees the secret archive. If anyone knows about the Soul-Devouring Beasts, it’s him.” Meng Anwen nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, Emperor.” “It’s my duty.” Dongfang Yi replied courteously, without the slightest arrogance. He led them to a reception hall, ordered the finest tea, and then went to the secret archive in person. Not long after, Princess Dongfang Yao arrived. She was a close friend of Shu Han, and the two began chatting the moment they met. When Shu Han recounted the earlier events, Dongfang Yao was shocked. Shu Han nodded solemnly, “They’re absolutely terrifying. My grandfather’s expression changed drastically. Even the Serene God was visibly shaken. Thank goodness Godly General Lin saved me.” The memory still haunted her—the helplessness, the fear. The key issue was that Detection had failed completely, nearly getting her killed instead. She couldn’t fathom how something so dangerous could exist in this world. Dongfang Yao discreetly glanced at Lin Moyu and scoffed quietly to herself. She still hadn’t forgiven him for refusing to lend his skeletons. Even though he had promised to save her mother, and even though she had nearly gotten him killed, those were different matters. Emotions weren’t always rational. Not to others, and sometimes not even to oneself. Noticing her expression, Shu Han said gently, “Don’t hold it against Godly General Lin. If he can help, he will. He even brought two drops of Venomous Flood Dragon’s Spinal Fluid, something that can neutralize poison. He said my grandfather might be able to concoct a cure for the Putrid Corpse Poison.” “That’s spinal fluid from a level 85 world rank boss. A priceless treasure.” “Really?” Dongfang Yao whispered. Shu Han smiled, “Would I lie to you? It’s true.” Meanwhile, Lin Moyu was speaking with Meng Anwen. “Teacher, do you think the imperial family holds any records on the Soul-Devouring Beasts?” Meng Anwen replied, “The Shenxia Imperial Family has stood for over a thousand years. Great families have risen and fallen, but only they have endured.” “If even they have no record, then no one does.” “To confront the Soul-Devouring Beasts, we’ll need to mobilize the full strength of the imperial family.” To seal off a province or city, military force wasn’t enough. They also needed administrative authority, something only the imperial family possessed. Without an imperial decree, even a successful lockdown would lead to chaos. Lin Moyu lowered his voice, “Everything has a counter. There must be a solution. If the imperial family has no records, I can ask him.” “Him?” Meng Anwen’s expression changed, “You mean... the one in the core area?” Lin Moyu grunted, “He’s lived for who knows how long—he might know something about the Soul-Devouring Beasts.” Meng Anwen nodded, “I’ve never spoken to him, but the legends say he knows everything.” Lin Moyu chuckled, “Not quite everything.” Footsteps echoed as Dongfang Yi returned, accompanied by Dongfang Li. Dongfang Li, who managed the imperial secret archive, had read nearly all of its contents. Meng Anwen asked directly, “What did you find?” Dongfang Li produced an ancient-looking book, “This holds everything we know about the Soul-Devouring Beasts.” “The information is incredibly old and chaotic. Eight hundred years ago, the imperial family compiled and revised it into this volume.” Meng Anwen flipped through the pages. With his memory, absorbing everything at a glance was effortless. He handed the book to Lin Moyu once he was finished. Dongfang Li then asked, “Serene God, are you certain it was a Soul-Devouring Beast?” Meng Anwen grunted, “No doubt. The description matches perfectly.” Dongfang Yi frowned, “This could be a catastrophe. Serene God, what do you plan to do?” Meng Anwen replied, “I’ve already thought of a countermeasure, but I need to discuss it with you, Emperor Dongfang. At first, I thought this was a disaster. But after reading this, I believe it might also be an opportunity.” Dongfang Yi raised an eyebrow. An opportunity? What did he mean? He hadn’t read the book, only heard Dongfang Li describe how terrifying the creatures were. Could the book suggest something different? Dongfang Li had read it too and saw nothing promising. “Please explain, Serene God.” Dongfang Yi urged. By now, Lin Moyu had finished reading as well. He exhaled lightly. “Disaster and fortune are often two sides of the same coin—this might really be an opportunity.” Meng Anwen’s words were already convincing. With Lin Moyu’s agreement, it was almost certain. Dongfang Yi flipped through the text himself but found nothing unusual. Dongfang Li said, “I’ve studied this before and didn’t see anything hopeful. Serene God, Godly General Lin, why are you so certain this could be an opportunity?” ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁 Meng Anwen turned to Lin Moyu, “Moyu, you explain.” Their interpretations should be the same. Lin Moyu nodded, “We have to start with the history of humanity…” He had studied non-confidential documents from the imperial secret archive, academy materials, and had gained insights through personal experiences—including some “friendly” exchanges with Antares. His understanding of human history and high-level knowledge far surpassed most, even among God-level powerhouses. Ironically, it was the basics, like dungeon types and their locations, he lacked. “A thousand years ago, humanity was fragmented. Within just the Shenxia Empire’s borders, there were over a hundred states.” “The larger ones controlled land equivalent to a province or two, while the smaller ones were barely a single city.” “Other nations were worse off, with some states consisted of just a handful of villages.” “There were plenty of God-level powerhouses, but constant internal conflict kept humanity divided and weak.” Lin Moyu spoke slowly and methodically, his voice like flowing notes—elegant and distant. In the stillness of the deep night, it sounded especially ethereal. As Shu Han listened, she found his voice unexpectedly pleasant. Gradually, she became entranced, murmuring inwardly, “How did I never realize Junior Lin’s voice was this soothing?” Dongfang Yao watched Lin Moyu speak with such calm confidence and was reminded of the time he had stood before her in the Putrid Corpse Land. Now, his figure felt even more impressive. Just as Lin Moyu had described, in that era long buried by time, known as the Age of Chaos, the human race was fractured and scattered like sand. When the Soul-Devouring Beasts first emerged, they were largely ignored. By the time humanity took notice, it was too late. The creatures had grown powerful, strong enough to challenge even God-level powerhouses. A war lasting several years ensued. Although humanity ultimately triumphed, the price was devastating: nearly all of their God-level powerhouses perished. In the aftermath, the Abyssal Demons and Dragonkind descended. Had it not been for the sudden rise of a group of geniuses, the human race might have been wiped out. These geniuses rose rapidly, evolving from ordinary class users to God-level powerhouses within a decade. They became humanity’s pillars, buying precious time for recovery and resurgence. That chapter of history lied buried, known to few. “The birth of those geniuses is directly tied to the Soul-Devouring Beasts.” “These creatures dwell in the soul, consuming soul, flesh, blood, and power. But if they’re destroyed before fully forming, their soul power merges with the host’s soul.” “This fusion enhances the soul and the attributes, greatly increasing the chance of awakening a powerful talent and triggering class sublimation during class awakening.” “That’s how that generation of geniuses came to be.” The origin of the Soul-Devouring Beasts remained unknown. They could burrow deep into the soul and slowly consume their host, as with Gao Yang, or devour the soul outright. But no matter the method, they would eventually erupt from the body.