After Lin Moyu's analysis, everyone agreed that the possibility he raised seemed highly likely. Meng Anwen said, “A powerful soul brings many benefits. It’s not just about enhanced attributes and talents. More importantly, it improves perception.” “Perception is the key. Without it, even the best attributes and talents are wasted.” Everyone present—except for Dongfang Yao—understood this hidden attribute called perception. Its strength was deeply tied to the strength of the soul. Dongfang Yi asked, “So how do we eliminate the Soul-Devouring Beasts before they sprout?” “With conventional methods, they’re nearly impossible to detect unless they reveal themselves. And if we wait too long, we’ll be giving them exactly what they want—time to grow.” Meng Anwen chuckled, “I had the same concern at first, but I may have overthought it.” “The Soul-Devouring Beasts have a long incubation period after parasitizing a host. We have plenty of time to prepare.” Lin Moyu nodded, “They usually grow slowly. We have three to five years, which is more than enough.” One was violent, like what happened with Gao Yang. The other was subtle. The host felt nothing as the creature hid deep in the soul, quietly siphoning soul power, cultivation energy, and even EXP gained from defeating monsters. In short, everything the host gained became food. But the drain was so gradual that it was nearly undetectable. Depending on the method, the growth period could range from six months to three to five years. Gao Yang’s case was the violent kind. Unfortunately, he wasn’t strong enough. If the creature had infected a high-level class user who had undergone a second class awakening, it would have become far more powerful. Historical records even mentioned God-level Soul-Devouring Beasts. Some managed to parasitize God-level powerhouses, eventually consuming their souls and taking over their bodies. Seeing Meng Anwen and Lin Moyu’s confidence, Dongfang Yi realized they must already have a plan, “What do you need from us?” Meng Anwen replied, “This won’t be a small operation. It’ll involve many people and require extensive planning.” “Once everything is in place, the Shenxia Empire may see an explosion of geniuses in the coming years.” Read complete versıon only at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩 Lin Moyu added, “Our first priority is containment. We cannot allow the Soul-Devouring Beasts to spread to other nations. This opportunity must remain within our borders.” Dongfang Yi's eyes lit up. As emperor of the Shenxia Empire, achieving something so monumental during his reign would secure his legacy. He could already envision the Shenxia Empire rising above all other human nations, overflowing with talent. The group began discussing next steps. The top priority was information control. No word of the Soul-Devouring Beasts could be allowed to leak. Gao Yang wouldn’t be the first case—and certainly not the last. Others could have similar experiences, and they might not be from Jiangning Academy. They could be people Gao Yang had interacted with, or even neighbors from his home in Xihai City. No one knew how many Soul-Devouring Beasts had emerged with Gao Yang. Anyone showing similar signs would need to be located and discreetly contained. Meng Anwen said, “I’m heading to the site where Gao Yang underwent his trial. According to historical records, the tools needed to counter the Soul-Devouring Beasts should be there.” Lin Moyu said, “I’ll go to the Immemorial Battlefield and speak with him.” Meng Anwen summoned the Shenxia Tower, “I’ll send you.” Countless runes lit up, forming a teleportation formation in an instant. This time, there was no need to scout for a safe location, so the formation activated in a flash. For Meng Anwen, setting up such a formation was trivial. To others, it was nothing short of miraculous. As the only God-level expert in both alchemy and formations among all mankind, Meng Anwen’s power inspired awe. Lin Moyu stepped into the teleportation formation and vanished, bound for the Immemorial Battlefield. Meng Anwen turned to Dongfang Yi, “Emperor Dongfang, as we agreed, I’ll leave external affairs to you.” Dongfang Yi clasped his hands, “Rest assured, Serene Anwen. Everything will be handled properly.” Meng Anwen departed as well, heading to where Gao Yang had his accident in search of clues. By now, light was breaking across the eastern sky, a dazzling brilliance piercing the horizon. Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Li were visibly excited. Dongfang Yi felt certain he stood on the brink of being immortalized in history, perhaps even remembered as one of the greatest emperors of the Shenxia Empire. Dongfang Yao, still puzzled, asked, “Father, Lin Moyu said he was going to the Immemorial Battlefield to ‘speak with him’… Who is ‘him’?” She had been to the Immemorial Battlefield before, but couldn’t think of anyone worth such a statement. Dongfang Yi and Dongfang Li exchanged a look, stumped by the question. Who could Lin Moyu possibly be speaking to in the Immemorial Battlefield? He was only level 53 and thus was restricted to the upper layer. Suddenly, both of them froze, their faces contorting in shock. Their reactions were even more intense than when they first heard about the Soul-Devouring Beasts. Dongfang Li trembled, “No way... Could it really be him? Does Godly General Lin actually have the right to speak with him?” Dongfang Yi wasn’t doing much better, “Maybe... Maybe he really does.” Their cryptic exchange only deepened Dongfang Yao’s confusion, “Father, Grandpa Li, what are you talking about?” Dongfang Li shook his head, “We can’t say. That being... is terrifying beyond reason.” Dongfang Yao frowned, “How terrifying could he possibly be?” Dongfang Yi snapped, “Yao, enough.” Startled, Dongfang Yao fell silent. Her father rarely scolded her. Dongfang Li gave a bitter smile, “He could kill me like swatting a fly. One breath—gone.” Dongfang Yi added, “Not just us. Even Meng Anwen and Bai Yiyuan wouldn’t stand a chance.” “Godly General Lin is far more than we imagined. Let’s not speculate and just stick to the plan.” Dongfang Li nodded, “Yes. This could be a major opportunity for the Shenxia Empire.” Meanwhile, on the Immemorial Battlefield, Lin Moyu found himself close to the core area. Flying at full speed, he estimated he’d arrive at the center in under four hours. Unleashing the Lightning Deathwings, he became a streak of lightning, flashing across the sky. The land blurred beneath him, and soon, he entered the core area. Half an hour later, a cry echoed overhead. The Archaic Luanniao swooped down, wreathed in flames—but instead of attacking, it let out a sharp cry, as if issuing a challenge. Lin Moyu smiled wryly, “I give up. No way I can beat you.” The Archaic Luanniao chirped proudly. Lin Moyu chuckled. During his conversation with Antares, the Archaic Luanniao had circled them. Although there had been tension before, but that was in the past. After flying beside him for a while, the creature clearly grew impatient with his pace. Suddenly, it dove under him and lifted him onto its back. Its flames retracted, keeping him unharmed. Lin Moyu blinked, “You’re really letting me ride you?” The Archaic Luanniao cried twice, as if saying: Only because you’re too slow. Then it surged forward like a black comet blazing through the sky. A journey that would’ve taken four hours was cut down to just thirty minutes. Antares cracked open one eye, “You again?” Lin Moyu said, “Something’s happened in the Human World. I came to ask a few questions.” Antares didn’t object, “Go ahead.” “Soul-Devouring Beasts have appeared in the Human World, and I wanted to—” “What!” Antares interrupted, his voice sharp, “What kind of ridiculous goddamn luck do you have, kid? You even ran into them?” Wait—was that supposed to be good luck?