The three major underground forces of Mingdu actually all have above-ground branches — they've established some legitimate industries on the surface.
The Common Alliance controls several entertainment venues.
The Alto Chamber of Commerce oversees some mercenary organizations.
The Xishui Alliance has connections with the military and officialdom of the Sun-Moon Empire.
Frankly, while they're called the "three major powers," if it ever came down to a real fight, even if the Common Alliance and the Alto Chamber teamed up, they still wouldn't be a match for the Xishui Alliance.
The Xishui Alliance has a Title Douluo.
The strongest individuals in the Common Alliance and the Alto Chamber are only Soul Douluo.
The reason a monopoly hasn't formed is that the Xishui Alliance has no interest in what the other two control. That's what allows the Common Alliance and Alto Chamber of Commerce to survive.
Where there is light, there is darkness. Whether it's Star Luo, Heaven Soul, Dou Ling, or Sun-Moon, underground forces always exist. One thing remains consistent — the underworld comes in different layers.
At the lowest level, there are those who survive off sex trade, murder, and human trafficking — this includes the business scope of the Common Alliance and Alto Chamber. Higher-level operations involve arms deals, underground political transactions, and rare resource smuggling — all within the domain of the Xishui Alliance.
To put it simply: in the eyes of the Xishui Alliance, the Common Alliance and Alto Chamber are far too low-grade to be taken seriously.
The reason they don't clash much is that the Xishui Alliance doesn't care about such scraps. The things Common and Alto fight over are often leftovers the Xishui Alliance has discarded.
Yet, the Common Alliance and Alto Chamber still worry the Xishui Alliance might take those scraps and have started tentatively aligning with each other. Now, they even have their eyes on Xishui's actual assets.
Still, the so-called three major underground forces are just toys or chess pieces for the big players. Without the tacit approval of those in power, they wouldn't have lasted this long.
To survive, they must follow the rules laid out by the elites — underground forces must never surface.
So while the Common Alliance and Alto Chamber stir chaos below, their above-ground influence remains modest in size.
The limited surface operations they maintain aren't for profit, but to serve as pointers for those who seek them out.
By dispatching branch disciples, it only took a day for Huo Yuhao to gather most of the intel he needed.
That included identifying the Alto Chamber's surface-level operations, how to connect with them, and how to track An Litong.
Most spirit masters in Mingdu have at least heard of the three underground forces and some have even worked with them.
So too have many of the disciples from the White Lotus Altar.
Besides their spirit power, these disciples often have an affinity for dark-type attributes, making them naturally suited for underworld dealings.
Not every disciple can be like Nana, who made a name for herself at the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy and wants for nothing. Those with lesser talent either go to less prestigious academies or start grinding for survival early on.
In the past, many disciples sought side gigs to provide "offerings" to their branch, which led to connections with the three major underground forces.
Of course, none of them could possibly know that the Xishui Alliance is tied to the Holy Spirit Sect — even the other two underground powers are unaware of that.
Among the three, the one White Lotus disciples interacted with most is the Alto Chamber.
The Common Alliance mostly deals in flesh trade. As capable spirit masters, the disciples wouldn't stoop to degrading themselves unless utterly desperate.
The Xishui Alliance's operations are high-end — one needs serious strength and skill to even approach them. White Lotus disciples are obviously unqualified.
The Alto Chamber, however, is more like a thieves' or assassins' guild — anyone can take on missions without being judged on background, only results. No hidden strings attached.
Perfect for those looking to make extra coin.
To enter the underworld side of the Alto Chamber, the usual route is through one of their mercenary groups on the surface.
In fact, most mercenary groups in Mingdu know how to access the Alto Chamber. Plenty of people want to make extra money — especially mercs used to living on the edge.
The Alto Chamber employs more operatives than even the Xishui Alliance. The only reason they're still second-tier is that they lack the ability to organize those people effectively. Otherwise, they wouldn't be feeding on scraps.
There's also another way in: through connections.
After all, the Alto Chamber doesn't care who you are — only what you can do.
Huo Yuhao, in control of the Death Messenger, followed a White Lotus disciple to an Alto Chamber entry point.
It was a completely unremarkable tavern.
But most of its patrons were mercenaries.
Inside, the mood was lively and relaxed — just another bar full of drinking, boasting warriors.
But as soon as Huo Yuhao, cloaked in black, stepped in with the disciple, he immediately felt most eyes turn to them, scrutinizing.
These mercs weren't just drinking. Some were clearly Alto Chamber plants, stationed there to drive off clueless intruders. The rest were more than happy to spectate.
The disciple was unfazed, as if used to this. As per Huo Yuhao's instructions, he went straight to the bar.
"Two Blue Enchantresses," he said.
The bartender nodded politely and began preparing the drinks — no signs of anything unusual.
But Huo Yuhao suddenly fell silent.
The scene felt oddly familiar.
"Isn't this the same trick as the Slaughter City?"
Different era, same old routine?
Soon, the bartender served two glasses of Blue Enchantress and placed them on the counter, watching Huo Yuhao and the disciple.
The disciple took one, handed the other to Huo Yuhao, and whispered,
"Master, this drink is part of the test I mentioned. You must down it in one go. Don't worry — it's safe, and actually tastes good."
Following Huo Yuhao's request, the White Lotus disciples had shifted from calling him the traditional "teacher" to the more reverent "Master," which felt more fitting for the Death Messenger.
Huo Yuhao took the drink calmly and said,
"No need to explain. I trust you. Just proceed."
Then he downed it in one gulp.
Unfortunately, as the Death Messenger, he couldn't taste it.
"Thank you for your trust, Master!"
The disciple was so moved he almost cried. Then he carefully asked,
"And… my family's souls?"
"That depends on your performance. Don't let them wait too long," Huo Yuhao said coolly.
"Rest assured, Master — I would die for you!"
The disciple felt Huo Yuhao was a truly great leader.
After finishing the Blue Enchantress, the bartender, now convinced of their intentions, asked directly, "Will the guests be going up or down?"
The guide disciple quickly answered, "We're going down!"
"Then please head to the back."
The bartender didn't lead them but instead began cleaning the two used glasses behind the counter.
Throughout the entire exchange, Huo Yuhao remained silent, simply following the guide. When they circled around the bar and their figures disappeared behind the wall, the observing gazes within the tavern withdrew, and the lively atmosphere resumed as if nothing had happened.
Only the bartender now had two more glasses to wash.
…
Behind the bar, a descending passageway opened in the floor. Huo Yuhao followed the guide and stepped in. Once inside, the entrance sealed shut seamlessly, leaving no trace behind.
They proceeded through a long underground tunnel. It was narrow, barely enough for one person to walk at a time, and stretched into total darkness. Fortunately, faint soul lamps were spaced intermittently above their heads, casting a dim glow to see by.
The two walked single file—naturally, the guide led the way—while Huo Yuhao remained silent, contemplating the information he had gathered.
Among that intelligence were notes on this exact place.
Different contact points have different methods of vetting visitors. This tavern's method was to down the Blue Enchantress in one gulp.
Once approved, visitors could choose to go "up" or "down."
Each choice led to different things.
Going up meant taking a staircase on the side to a private room above the tavern, where one could take on or post tasks. While some tasks were illegal, most were not dangerous—things like locating items, theft, or tracking targets.
Each contact point offered different tasks, and the upstairs setup resembled a regional adventurers' guild with slightly higher difficulty.
It was suitable for earning some extra income.
But going down was entirely different.
Going down meant heading toward the true heart of the Alto Commerce Guild, seeing its real face, and gaining access to truly illicit and thrilling activities.
No matter which entrance you used, everyone eventually passed through underground tunnels to reach the same place. Like rats, the Alto Guild had carved out a sprawling tunnel network using Mingdu's underground drainage system.
There were no signs or markers. If not led by someone familiar, one had to blindly grope through the tunnels to find the guild's location. These tunnels also served as natural defense mechanisms.
Of course, since the tunnels were connected to the sewer system and never cleaned, the smell was… unpleasant.
The guide had to cover his mouth and nose.
But when he saw Huo Yuhao utterly unbothered, he couldn't help but think, "As expected of my master—such amazing composure! He can even endure this stench without flinching!"
Still, he explained, "Master, the smell will improve once we reach the Alto Guild."
Huo Yuhao: "???"
Smell?
Oh… the Death God Envoy can only smell the living. Never mind, then.
He nodded coolly.
The disciple admired him even more but still quickened his pace.
…
After twisting and turning through the tunnels for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the guide finally said, "Master, we're almost there!"
Actually, Huo Yuhao had already smelled the presence of the living. A little further, and they saw a light ahead and the hum of a bustling crowd.
It was as if a commercial street lay ahead!
At the tunnel's end, soul tools blocked the smell but not physical passage. As they stepped out, a bright scene unfolded before Huo Yuhao's eyes—the Alto Guild's domain really looked like a street market!
Before them lay a full-fledged street, lined with storefront-like buildings that stretched far out of sight. Two rows of soul-powered streetlamps lit the way, revealing plenty of people strolling about, entering shops, and browsing stalls set up under the lamps.
If he hadn't come personally, Huo Yuhao might've thought this was a late-night street market in Mingdu.
Everyone—buyers and sellers alike—was heavily disguised. Some wore simple black cloaks, while others sported more elaborate disguises.
Only the main street was well-lit. Side alleys remained pitch dark, exuding a chilling air.
"Master, this is the Alto Guild's commercial street. Rumor has it the guild's headquarters is also located here. But we usually just call this place Ghost Street," the disciple explained, leading Huo Yuhao toward the side.
Each underground entrance led to a network of narrow side paths, lit here and there, which all connected to the main street of Ghost Street.
As Huo Yuhao and his disciple headed toward the main street, they coincidentally encountered others entering from different tunnels. However, no one exchanged greetings. On the contrary, there was mutual wariness.
No one dared step into the dark alleys to shortcut to the main street either.
According to intel, danger lurked in the shadows.
The lit areas were under the Alto Guild's jurisdiction and rules. The dark zones? They were like wild zones on a map—lawless.
Huo Yuhao tested his Aura-Sight Technique—and was speechless.
Indeed, there was danger in the darkness.
Several stealthy types had camouflaged themselves in the shadows, using skills or soul techniques to lie in wait for unlucky prey.
Soon, they exited the side path and entered Ghost Street proper. Huo Yuhao immediately sensed that the others they'd met along the way exhaled in relief and quickly melted into the crowd, distancing themselves from one another.
All extremely cautious.
Only those confident in their power dared act less carefully.
No one truly believed in the rules here.
This is the underground world—trusting in rules is a death wish.
The Alto Guild's rules were for managing the weak. The true strong—those lunatics—never played by the rules.
After all, these people didn't even care about the empire's laws. Would they care about the Alto Guild's?
According to intelligence, the Alto Guild's HQ likely lay somewhere within Ghost Street. Aura-Sight confirmed this—the clouds of power above were unmistakable.
Whether the target Huo Yuhao was looking for was already present, however, remained to be seen.
This time, without needing his disciple, Huo Yuhao walked straight into Ghost Street, heading for the source of the power aura.
The disciple swallowed nervously but still followed him closely.
An Litong, chairman of the Alto Chamber of Commerce, was a man in his forties, dignified in appearance, exuding an implicit aura of authority. Just by looking at him, one would hardly suspect that he was actually the head of an underground force that controlled thieves and assassins. He looked more like an official than a criminal overlord. His steps were commanding and confident, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
In terms of soul power, however, he was the weakest of the three underground faction leaders. Though he had reached the level of an eight-ring Soul Douluo, he was still a considerable distance from becoming a Titled Douluo.
His martial soul was the Night Demon Fire Lizard—a control-type eight-ring Soul Douluo—paired with an optimal soul ring configuration. He was also a rare Level 8 Soul Engineer.
Only a Titled Douluo or a Level 9 Soul Engineer could truly suppress him.
Given this level of strength, his position as chairman of the Alto Chamber of Commerce was well-deserved.
Though the leader of the Common League, Shangguan Weier, had higher soul power than An Litong, her expertise in soul devices was inferior to his. Hence, An Litong never feared her. Of course, Shangguan Weier didn't fear him either.
Why did Huo Yuhao know so much about An Litong?
Because An Litong had knelt before him and confessed everything personally.
Originally, Huo Yuhao had come to Ghost Street just to scout things out.
But to his surprise, An Litong happened to be at the headquarters.
An Litong was in the top-floor room of the most luxurious and tallest auction house on all of Ghost Street—the headquarters of the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
At first, Huo Yuhao didn't know that. He simply followed the aura of the Death God Envoy's Soul Douluo-level soul power and made his way to the auction house. His presence prompted the manager to receive him personally. Huo Yuhao then asked to meet An Litong and handed over a slip of paper.
There were only two words on the note:
Sun Moon
Upon seeing those two words, An Litong broke into a cold sweat. Who would dare to write that? Who would dare to use those two words?
The answer was obvious.
—It had to be someone from the royal family!
He immediately invited the guest in with utmost respect.
An Litong didn't even consider the possibility of deception. The fact that the visitor could call him by name meant their identity had to be extraordinary.
Of course, An Litong wasn't exactly afraid either. After all, this was his base of operations. Even if the royal family had sent someone, they couldn't act recklessly here—he had powerful backers too!
If it was a trap, the intruder wouldn't make it out of Ghost Street alive.
There were several Soul Douluos stationed at the headquarters, not just An Litong, and the street itself was rigged with numerous soul tools. Even a Titled Douluo could fall here.
So instead of worrying about who the visitor was, An Litong focused on why they had come.
Was the royal family secretly commissioning the Alto Chamber for some shady business?
Huo Yuhao, of course, had no idea what An Litong was overthinking.
He only knew that those two words on the paper—Sun Moon—would be impossible for An Litong to ignore. At the very least, it would secure him a meeting.
That was enough.
Naturally, all of this hinged on the soul power of the Death God Envoy Soul Douluo. If it had been a weakling holding that note, no one would even have opened the door—let alone arranged a meeting.
Without much effort or time, Huo Yuhao met An Litong in the top-floor room of the auction house. Inside were An Litong and two Soul Douluo elders from the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
Before An Litong could speak, Huo Yuhao revealed his trump card.
Solemn Brahma Voice—Activate!
An Litong was lucky to still be alive.
This time, Huo Yuhao only used the Brahma Voice to control their consciousness—not to kill.
Though the body was that of the Death God Envoy, the spirit descending was Huo Yuhao's, meaning he could still wield some of his own techniques.
This was similar to a divine possession technique.
However, it wasn't a literal god—just Huo Yuhao's own primordial spirit. He couldn't descend with full power, but it was still enough to deploy some of his abilities.
What could a mere Soul Douluo like An Litong do to resist Huo Yuhao's mental domination?
The moment An Litong stood before the Death God Envoy, his fate was sealed.
And it was a "buy one, get two free" deal.
After that, there wasn't much else to say.
An Litong and the two elders all knelt.
Because there was no actual battle, the rest of Ghost Street remained unaware that the Alto Chamber had already fallen.
What followed was Huo Yuhao interrogating An Litong.
...
After listening to everything An Litong had to say about the Alto Chamber, Huo Yuhao's initially turbulent spirit began to calm.
Using the Death God Envoy's body to channel divine abilities was still quite inconvenient.
Because the Death God Envoy was simply too weak.
Yes, it wasn't his spirit that was shaken—but the Death God Envoy's.
He had been extremely careful. If the envoy's spirit had shattered, its sentience would have deteriorated.
The disciple who came in with Huo Yuhao now admired him even more—utterly devoted. That disciple had also been influenced by the Brahma Voice.
"So you're saying that the Alto Chamber's true backer... is the military?" Huo Yuhao looked thoughtfully at the three kneeling figures.
On either side of An Litong knelt the two elders of the chamber, both Soul Douluos, brought in to bolster the chamber's presence.
Now, all three were kneeling alike.
Faint golden light glowed in their eyes. Until it faded, they would remain under Huo Yuhao's control. And the longer the control lasted, the harder it would be for them to break free.
To further solidify his grip, Huo Yuhao didn't act again right away. He waited for the golden influence to deepen—after which he would strike again, completely binding their lives to his will.
At this point, there were no free high-level members left in the Alto Chamber headquarters.
There were still two elders outside, but they no longer posed any threat.
Upon hearing Huo Yuhao's question, An Litong immediately nodded.
"That's right. Our chamber's main business is assassination and theft. On the surface, it looks tied to the noble circles, but in truth, we're backed by the military. All of us, including the elders, have military backgrounds. For example, my family descends from the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Regiment."
"My family descends from the Terrorclaw Regiment," said one elder.
"Reporting, sir—mine descends from the Evil Monarch Regiment," added the other.
This piqued Huo Yuhao's interest.
When it came to the military of the Sun Moon Empire, one could not ignore the "Protective Hands of the Empire." These were five elite soul engineer legions.
They included four Beast King-level regiments and the Royal Soul Engineer Legion.
The empire's four Beast King-level regiments were:
Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment
Terrorclaw Soul Engineer Regiment
Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Regiment
Evil Monarch Soul Engineer Regiment
The recruitment standard for these four elite regiments was soul power at Level 40 or above—meaning Soul Ancestor level. Each regiment had a total of 300 members.
All of their commanders were Level 9 Soul Engineers.
The strength of the Beast King-level regiments spoke for itself.
As for the Royal Soul Engineer Legion, its reputation went without saying.
There was no doubt—all five regiments were packed with top-tier talent!
Especially the Fire Phoenix Regiment—comprised entirely of women, it could truly serve multiple functions.
Back in his original body, Huo Yuhao was already getting... rather interested.
With the current strength of the Death God Envoy, he still wasn't qualified to challenge the National Protector.
However, now that the Aldu Chamber of Commerce was in hand, the next phase of the plan could begin.
Huo Yuhao chatted casually with the three for a while longer, deepening the effect of the Brahma Sound, while also probing for information about the other two major underground factions.
An Litong had some insights and speculations about these two groups.
He suspected that the Common Alliance (Plain Alliance) was secretly backed by the royal family, while the Xishui Alliance (Evening Water Alliance) might be supported by the evil soul masters.
Unexpectedly, his guesses were quite accurate.
What? Isn't Xu Tianran behind the Xishui Alliance too?
Huo Yuhao wasn't entirely sure. Even if Xu Tianran did secretly support the Xishui Alliance, it didn't change much—because the royal family's involvement extended beyond just them. In some ways, Xu Tianran and the royal family were even somewhat estranged.
When the time was right, Huo Yuhao made his move again. He forced the three to abandon resistance and first offered up a portion of their soul essence. Then, he implanted spiritual slave marks on them.
Extracting another's soul essence required special techniques, but it was nothing Huo Yuhao couldn't handle. And as long as one had a part of another's soul, they could exert partial control over them.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao had used this method to control Nana.
Although Nana was easier to manipulate due to her unique martial soul, Huo Yuhao's current methods were even more refined than before.
The spiritual slave mark was unique to Huo Yuhao. As long as the targets' spiritual power did not surpass his, they could not escape his control. With the marks in place, he no longer had to worry about the trio turning disobedient once the Brahma Sound wore off.
A double layer of insurance ensured there would be no rebellion.
Under the deep influence of the Brahma Sound, the three felt no desire to resist throughout the process.
It wasn't until some time later that they fully awoke from the trance, retaining clear memories of being controlled—leaving them visibly shaken.
The two elders immediately turned hostile and tried to retaliate, intent on attacking the Death God Envoy.
However, Huo Yuhao merely curled a finger, and the two of them froze, collapsing to the ground in agony, as if undergoing some unbearable torment.
If not for the room's soundproofing, their screams would have echoed throughout Ghost Street.
An Litong didn't make a move, but he was drenched in sweat, his pupils trembling.
When Huo Yuhao turned his attention to him with amusement, An Litong suddenly prostrated himself, banging his head on the floor with loud thuds as he swore allegiance:
"Greetings, Master! Your most loyal servant is willing to offer you everything!"
"You're quite sensible," Huo Yuhao chuckled, his raspy voice as the Death God Envoy making An Litong even more nervous.
An Litong no longer dared to act tough. He only wanted to survive. So what if he had the military behind him? They were far away—while the Death God Envoy was right here.
"Don't worry. Serve me well, and I won't mistreat you. If you do well, I'll help all of you break through to Titled Douluo within this year," Huo Yuhao said with a smile as he lifted the punishment on the two elders.
After a beating, it was time to show them some reward.
In just a few minutes, the two elders had been tortured to the brink of death, lying like dying dogs.
But upon hearing Huo Yuhao's promise, all three showed disbelief and deep skepticism in their eyes.
Break through to Titled Douluo this year?
What a joke.
Them?
They were already Soul Douluos. They hadn't failed to become Titled Douluo because of time.
No—it was because they couldn't break through!
Sun Moon Empire's soul masters often relied heavily on drugs for advancement. Many had inflated power and shallow foundations, making it much harder to ascend to Titled Douluo.
Even if the trio had decent talent, they were already nearing their limits. Reaching level 89 would already be rare for them.
Not even trying to lie with a better excuse?
And wasn't he just a Soul Douluo himself?
Still, they didn't dare voice any of this.
Nor did they dare to investigate Huo Yuhao's background.
"You'll understand my methods in time," Huo Yuhao said calmly.
Indeed, helping them become Titled Douluo within a year was no issue—though once they did, they would only have a few years left to live.
The price for gaining great power was steep, and the deal was anything but fair.
The three were on the losing end.
Huo Yuhao had no interest in explaining. They didn't deserve one. He directly issued his order:
"I need corpses and blood. A lot of corpses and large amounts of blood. The fresher the better. The more vibrant the life force, the better."
"I'm leaving this task to you. Use any means necessary. In three days, I want five hundred corpses and their blood. They don't have to be soul masters."
Hearing this, the three paled.
He was an evil soul master!
The realization sent a chill down their spines. They feared being used as cultivation fodder themselves.
After all, Huo Yuhao had outright asked for corpses. His purpose was obvious—cultivation.
But…
"Five hundred corpses is a bit much. The number of people who die and are buried in the city every day…" An Litong tried to argue.
But Huo Yuhao snorted coldly and gave him a minor punishment. An Litong groaned, a trickle of blood running from his nose.
His head spun, but he dared not cry out, nor even wipe the blood away.
"I'm not asking for your opinion," Huo Yuhao said indifferently. "Besides... is five hundred really so many? Aren't there so many people up there?"
He meant for them to go kill people in the city?!
The three were horrified and cursed their luck internally.
Are you serious?! Do you even understand what underground forces are? A little assassination is one thing. But mass killing of civilians? You think the Sun Moon Empire won't respond?
But clearly, Huo Yuhao didn't care to reason with them. He did, however, offer a cryptic hint:
"This world is vast. Losing a few people won't halt its progress. There are always those who are nothing more than leftovers in the grand scheme—people no one would miss even if they vanished."
An Litong seemed to understand, nodding thoughtfully.
"This is your test. If you satisfy me, I might show you a different kind of world."
Then, Huo Yuhao prepared to leave.
Before he left, he gave them a gag order, took a map of the underground passages, and demanded that they prepare some special materials. He would return in three days to collect everything.
They didn't dare betray him after he left—because he could sense their thoughts.
After Huo Yuhao and his disciple left, the trio slowly got to their feet and looked at each other with bitter, miserable expressions.
They wanted to contact the military, but an overwhelming sense of impending doom made them hesitate.
"Beggars, vagrants, outsiders, the slums... anyone who won't be missed can be our target. Elders, we have only three days. Live or die—it's up to us now," An Litong said seriously.
The elders nodded, understanding their dire situation.
"One last thing—this operation must remain absolutely secret. No leaks!"
"Understood."
"Got it."
Three days later.
Huo Yuhao once again arrived at his loyal Alto Chamber of Commerce.
This time, he came alone.
An Litong, ever the tactful one, was already waiting for Huo Yuhao at the entrance of Ghost Street. Fortunately, both were cloaked in black robes that concealed their appearances, so their identities remained unnoticed and caused no commotion.
This time, they didn't head to the underground auction.
Instead, under An Litong's lead, they arrived at a warehouse on the outskirts of Ghost Street. From the outside, the warehouse looked utterly ordinary, but it was protected by soul tools that concealed all traces of aura.
Huo Yuhao had no worries about being betrayed by An Litong and followed him into the warehouse without hesitation. Before he could fully take in the scene inside, the Reaper's body was already reacting with excitement to the thick scent of blood in the air.
Even though his consciousness was dormant, the body's instincts were still very much active.
He almost got boki.
Oh right, the Reaper's body doesn't have that function. Never mind then.
Looking around—
The entire warehouse was roughly the size of a soccer field. It was filled with shelves, each stacked with corpses. Several refrigeration-type soul tools were in operation, lowering the temperature just enough to keep the bodies fresh.
Two other elders were respectfully standing by. When they saw Huo Yuhao arrive, they immediately bowed deeply.
"Greetings, my lord!" x2
Huo Yuhao casually told them to rise, then curiously walked to one of the shelves and reached out to touch one of the bodies.
He found that the corpses on the shelves were of both genders, young and old, and all were well-preserved. The fatal wounds were small, mostly located at the neck, and the bodies were intact.
Also, the refrigeration wasn't too cold—the corpses weren't frozen stiff and still had some elasticity to them.
"President An, you really know your stuff~"
"Thank you for the praise, my lord." An Litong quickly bowed with humility after closing the warehouse doors.
Huo Yuhao continued, "Preserving the bodies like this keeps the flavor intact."
An Litong and the two elders fell silent.
They really didn't want to understand that!
They thought he was talking about freshness—how could they have guessed he was referring to flavor? That's messed up!
Still, none of them dared say a word. They could only force out awkward smiles.
An Litong quickly gave the two elders a look. They immediately got the hint and brought out the other "gifts" prepared for Huo Yuhao, smoothly shifting the mood away from the awkwardness.
One elder bowed, presenting a tray with both hands. On the tray was a storage soul tool ring. Before Huo Yuhao even asked, he explained, "My lord, this contains all the blood extracted from the corpses. It's been properly treated for preservation. The ring itself is specially made to keep contents fresh."
The other elder dragged over two bound individuals—both Soul Douluos. They were unconscious and had their soul power sealed by soul tools.
"My lord, these are the other two elders of the Alto Chamber of Commerce. We leave their fate in your hands," the elder bowed and said.
Huo Yuhao glanced at all three of them and couldn't help but exclaim, "You guys are real damn talents!"
No need for detailed instructions—they were already thinking ahead and going above and beyond.
Originally, Huo Yuhao hadn't planned to deal with the remaining two elders right away, but An Litong and his crew had directly captured and delivered them to him.
It had the vibe of villains seizing the heroine.
Huo Yuhao didn't rush to accept the offerings. Instead, he asked the three how things had gone over the past three days—particularly, where the 500 corpses came from and how they managed to capture the two elders alive.
An Litong led the explanation, with the other two adding details.
It wasn't difficult to find 500 corpses in Mingdu. The real challenge was doing it in just three days without drawing attention.
If questions came down from above, Huo Yuhao could simply walk away—but they'd be the ones left holding the bag.
So, half of the 500 were gathered from Mingdu's outskirts—beggars, slum dwellers, and outsiders.
Even if nobody cared about the slums, killing too many would attract trouble—officials needed the poor to pad their political achievements.
The other half were bought.
There are always human traffickers—Mingdu was no exception. In fact, the Alto Chamber had already been involved in human trafficking.
However, they couldn't suddenly produce hundreds of slaves. So they reached out through underground connections and bought many people from the Common Alliance and Xishui Alliance.
The Common Alliance sold only women. The Xishui Alliance was initially unwilling, but they paid extra to get a few dozen.
Then, since Huo Yuhao needed corpses, the three of them had to personally kill and drain the victims—to ensure none were alive.
When Huo Yuhao heard this part, he almost slapped them all.
Don't they know fresh ones taste better?
And you get a soul out of it too!
Fortunately, the 500 corpses included very few soul masters. The strongest was a single-ring white soul master. Not a huge loss, just a mild pang of regret.
As for how the other two elders got caught? That was a bit of poetic irony.
To avoid exposure while collecting corpses, the trio either acted personally or sent trusted subordinates.
Unexpectedly, one elder's subordinate had been a mole for the two missing elders. Their corpse-collecting activities were discovered.
The two elders tried to intervene, even making a move against them—only to fall into a trap. One of the two had a concubine who was actually An Litong's informant.
Realizing the jig was up, An Litong and the others decided to strike first. After a brief meeting, they drugged and subdued the two elders, then presented them to Huo Yuhao.
By now, all three were firmly tied to Huo Yuhao—no benefit could change that, and resistance would only mean death.
They absolutely couldn't be exposed—if they were, the military wouldn't let them off. Soul Douluos might dominate the underworld, but against the army, they were just bigger chess pieces.
If these three became liabilities, the military would dispose of them and replace them with new handlers for the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
Compared to the individuals, the chamber itself held far more value.
All Huo Yuhao could say was—brilliant.
The top ranks of the Alto Chamber of Commerce all had military backgrounds, but they came from different factions—coincidentally aligned with the five major corps of the Hand of the Nation, so unity was always shaky.
As for the captured elders? They'd now become dogs at his command.
After a flurry of activity—
Half an hour later.
The warehouse was empty.
An Litong and the four elders knelt before Huo Yuhao.
An Litong, Level 84, Grade 8 Soul Engineer, Martial Soul: Night Demon Lizard.
Murong Qianjun, Level 81, Grade 7 Soul Engineer, Martial Soul: Swamp Rage Bear.
Duanmu Wanma, Level 81, Grade 7 Soul Engineer, Martial Soul: Shadow Falcon.
Ximen Baiwan, Level 81, Grade 7 Soul Engineer, Martial Soul: Blood Dragon Sword.
Gongsun Xiongbing, Level 81, Grade 7 Soul Engineer, Martial Soul: Soul-Stealing Dagger.
"From now on, the five of you are the Five Great Protectors of my White Lotus Altar. Here is the White Lotus Sacred Technique, the White Lotus Doctrine, the White Lotus Secret Method, and a special training scroll: Protector's Path of the White Lotus. Train well. I hope you break into the Titled Douluo realm soon and contribute even more to our cause!"
The five were tearfully grateful, bowing deeply and exclaiming in unison, "Thank you, Lord, for the sacred teachings!"
Huo Yuhao nodded with satisfaction—and then stopped manipulating them just as they were about to break into sobs.