Mr. Soul

"What's the good news?"

Xu Mu asked with a smile, "You didn't break through, did you? Reached the Grandmaster realm."

"Holy crap! You guessed it. I was hoping to surprise you."

Chen Xuan's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"Mainly because I believe in your ability. Since you've become a Grandmaster, we'll rest today and go out to fight tomorrow."

Xu Mu said to Chen Xuan.

He planned to rest for a day, then go check out the branch Yuli had mentioned.

After hanging up the phone, Xu Mu took out the spatial ring and opened it to check. He was inwardly shocked.

There was actually a ninth-grade natural treasure as well. The gains from this trip were truly substantial.

...

Within an unknown ruin.

The structures here were very orderly, like a massive industrial city.

Between the large factory buildings, rows of electric scooters were parked.

It was completely different from ruins in the traditional sense.

Yuli, wearing a white lab coat with her hands in its pockets, walked towards the depths.

By her side was Zi Wangyou.

Dressed in leather, Zi Wangyou's purple eyes scanned the surroundings.

Although she had long since joined the Eternal Life Research Institute and even become the deputy head of the Defense Department, she had met Mr. Soul less than five times in total so far.

Today, she finally added one more to the count.

The two arrived before a cylindrical building at the very core.

Outside the building, there was a patch of grassland where three people sat around a stone table.

"Mr. Soul."

Yuli called out softly.

In the distance, a black-haired middle-aged man in a suit and sunglasses said gently, "Yuli, you're here."

"Yes."

Yuli glanced at Zi Wangyou beside her, signaling her to follow.

After approaching, Zi Wangyou bowed her head in greeting. "Hello, Mr. Soul. Hello, Minister Zhou."

Among the three seated here, Mr. Soul was a given. She had seen him on her very first day joining the Eternal Life Research Institute.

He was always in a black suit and sunglasses.

As for another, he was a white-haired elder with a long beard, braided into a plait that hung down past his neck.

This was the Minister of the Defense Department, Zi Wangyou's direct superior.

A powerful formation master capable of inscribing ninth-grade formations.

The other woman, she was seeing for the first time.

Observing this woman carefully, she looked to be only around twenty years old, with shoulder-length red hair and a perfectly proportioned oval face, devoid of any expression.

Most striking were her eyes. The irises were red, but the surrounding sclera was transparent like glass.

Through the sclera, one could clearly see golden gears inside, slowly rotating.

Zi Wangyou's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't even sure if this person was real or a robot.

"Yuli, please have a seat."

After Mr. Soul spoke, he looked at Zi Wangyou and said softly, "Wangyou, there are only four seats here. I'm afraid you'll have to stand for a while."

"That's fine."

Zi Wangyou nodded slightly and stood behind Yuli.

Mr. Soul's speech was as gentle as ever, but who would have thought such a gentle person was the founder of the Eternal Life Research Institute.

Countless test subjects had died by his hand.

"What happened with this branch? You know, Wang Liu had a ninth-grade natural treasure I gave him."

Mr. Soul looked at Yuli and asked.

Yuli thought for a moment, then explained the entire sequence of events.

Zi Wangyou, standing behind her, was inwardly shocked. Yuli really hadn't lied at all, even though some details were unfavorable to her.

For example, she had told Xu Mu about two other branches—a serious crime—yet she admitted it outright.

If she hadn't mentioned it, Zi Wangyou certainly wouldn't have brought it up.

"I see."

Mr. Soul nodded gently. "There are indeed quite a few details."

"Yuli! You disclosed the locations of two of our branches without authorization. That's a capital offense. As the Minister of Defense, I cannot let this slide."

The seated Zhou Guyang said sternly.

"Old Zhou, what's done is done. No need to pursue it further. Moreover, Yuli did it to save someone under your command."

Mr. Soul, sitting nearby, said with a smile.

"Zi Wangyou! You are also guilty!"

Zhou Guyang shot a cold glance at her.

Zi Wangyou immediately apologized, "Minister! I truly deserve death!"

"Alright, what I'm curious about now is this Xu Mu—did I get the name right?"

Mr. Soul adjusted his sunglasses and asked.

"Uncertain."

Yuli shook her head. "He also said his name was Wang Shouyi."

"Hmm, regardless of his name, I'm very curious about him now. Why could his physical body easily defeat our modified humans within the Spirit-Dispersing Formation?"

Mr. Soul looked at Yuli and asked. "Logically, even Wang Liu couldn't do that."

"That is indeed the case, but the fact remains."

Yuli shook her head slightly.

"Yuli, with your intellect, the two branches you told him about must have had a purpose, right?"

Mr. Soul suddenly smiled.

"One is a transit point for the Jiangnan branch, containing almost nothing of value. The other is a branch located in Qilu."

Yuli explained. "The defensive formation there was personally inscribed by Minister Zhou over two years. Minister Zhou is more of an authority than I am."

"You told him about the Qilu branch?"

Zhou Guyang was startled at first, then laughed. "Mr. Soul, forget that kid being only at the Grandmaster realm; even if he were at the peak of the Transcendent Mortal realm, once the formation is activated, he wouldn't be able to get out."

"I knew Mr. Soul would be interested in him, so I gave him that address. Once he's trapped, it will be like catching a turtle in a jar."

Yuli said softly.

"Mr. Soul, let me go. I'll capture him personally."

The red-haired woman here volunteered.

"Guoguo, sending you would be overkill."

Mr. Soul said with a smile. "But it's fine. This person is likely not simple, and I wouldn't trust anyone else. Remember to capture him alive."

...

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Mu spent the day in focused mode, refining pills.

After Ye Tong returned home from work, Xu Mu proactively asked her to call the others over.

Today, Xu Mu planned to harvest a wave of Justice Points. With Ye Tong present, the Justice Points gained would be doubled.

During dinner, the whole group sat in the living room.

Ye Yu and Bai Yi, as usual, sat in a corner of the sofa, playing mobile games.

Dai Xingluo, Meng Wanyue, and Feng Yue were discussing cultivation matters.

Xu Mu and Ye Tong were busy in the kitchen.

"Alright, come get the food."

Xu Mu called out.

Everyone came to the kitchen and placed the dishes on the dining table.

"I obtained some treasures again during my recent training expedition and plan to distribute them to you all."

Xu Mu said, looking at the people before him.

[Favorability +10] x4

[Favorability +40]

Looking at the black characters above Ye Tong's head, Xu Mu grinned from ear to ear.

"Brother-in-law! What treasures this time?"

Ye Yu asked excitedly, looking at Xu Mu.

"Xiao Yu, first, here's a divine pill for you."

Xu Mu took out three golden pills and handed them to Ye Yu.

Things needed to be given out bit by bit to maximize favorability gains.

For now, he at least needed to make up for the three hundred cultivation points he owed.