Back in the room, Mu Ren had vaguely overheard parts of their conversation. He sneered inwardly. Lin Xiong’s problem had been discussed at the Soul Master Tower’s exchange, and even the president had said it was incurable. ’This little brat thinks he can cure it? He can’t cure shit.’
Ye Xuan’s expression darkened. The formula he’d written was a true, priceless treasure. In his past life, even Tier Eight and Tier Nine Soul Emperors had vied for it, yet a lowly Tier One Soul Refiner was calling it trash. He immediately said coldly, "You’re Mu Ren?"
A flash of anger crossed Mu Ren’s face. ’A mere brat dares to use my name directly?’ Even the powerful and influential figures in the city had to respectfully address him as "Master."
A cold smirk appeared on Ye Xuan’s lips. "Mu Ren, is it? I regret to inform you that a piece of trash like you, who only managed to become a Tier One Soul Refiner in his fifties or sixties, wouldn’t even be accepted as my disciple."
"What did you say?"
Mu Ren’s body trembled, and his face contorted in fury, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard.
"I said..." Ye Xuan’s voice grew louder, echoing throughout the Soul Master Tower’s main hall, "a piece of trash like you wouldn’t even be accepted as my disciple. Did you hear me clearly this time? It seems you’re not just trash, but also old, half-blind, and deaf..."
The entire hall fell silent. Everyone was stunned.
Chen Sisi’s jaw dropped, her eyes bulging in disbelief.
"You... you... you..."
Mu Ren almost choked. He pointed a trembling finger at Ye Xuan, his face twisted with rage, rendered speechless for a long moment.
Utterly lawless. This was completely outrageous.
When had he, a Tier One Soul Refiner, ever been so humiliated? From the day he became a Tier One Soul Refiner, he had only ever enjoyed looks of admiration and respect. Wherever he went, whoever he met, they all had to respectfully address him as Master. But today, a mere boy had shattered it all.
"Kid, do you have any idea who I am? How dare you speak to me like that..."
Ye Xuan had seen all kinds of posers. He said dismissively, "Aren’t you just an old fool?"
"You!"
Mu Ren flew into a rage, nearly spitting blood. He trembled like a leaf. In the Soul Master Tower, who would dare speak to him this way, especially in front of so many people!
"Kid, don’t think your sharp tongue will save you. For insulting a dignified Tier One Soul Refiner like myself, I don’t care who you are or where you’re from. Not even the heavens can save you today! You’re finished, you hear me? Finished..."
"Heh, the old fool is angry. It’s quite a show. A dignified Tier One Soul Refiner? The amount of Soul Power you have barely reaches the Tier One threshold. What are you posturing for?"
"AHH..." Mu Ren was about to go insane. He had never met such a vulgar person in his entire life.
"Master Mu Ren, please calm down. Young Master Xuan, please, don’t say any more," Chen Sisi hurriedly stepped forward to mediate.
"Get lost!"
Mu Ren flicked his sleeve, knocking Chen Sisi to the ground. His eyes, nearly spitting fire, were bloodshot as he cursed, "You traitorous bitch! Say another word and I’ll kill you."
He was so incandescent with rage that he even took it out on Chen Sisi for bringing Ye Xuan.
"Kid, don’t even think about walking out of here alive today! Not just you—your family, your relatives, I’ll have them all drawn and quartered!" Mu Ren roared and lunged like a fierce tiger, unleashing his full cultivation as a Third Layer Tier One Samurai as he clawed viciously at Ye Xuan.
How could Lin Xiong, standing by, let Mu Ren harm Ye Xuan? He grabbed Mu Ren mid-lunge, set him aside, and said flatly, "Master Mu Ren, your temper is a bit too hot."
Mu Ren’s face flushed red as he roared, "Lin Xiong, you dare to stop me?!"
Ye Xuan’s gaze turned frosty. He said coldly, "Lin Xiong, teach him a lesson."
Lin Xiong hesitated. Beating up a Tier One Soul Refiner in the Soul Master Tower... even as the Vice Commander of the City Guard, he didn’t have the guts for that.
"Hm?" Ye Xuan’s eyes went cold. ’This is my chance. The perfect chance to test Lin Xiong. If he doesn’t even have the courage to act, then I’ll forget it. Even if Lin Xiong begs me later, I won’t help him again. I need a warrior who charges forward bravely, not a coward who shrinks back and hesitates. A person like that is not worthy of following me.’
Seeing the look in Ye Xuan’s eyes, Lin Xiong felt a chill run down his spine.
"Lin Xiong, get the hell out of my way! If you stop me again, I’ll kill you too!"
The old fool had completely lost his mind to rage.
Lin Xiong’s gaze suddenly turned icy. "Old bastard, I gave you face, but you refused to take it. You brought this on yourself by offending Young Master Xuan."
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Lin Xiong let loose a flurry of back-and-forth slaps, hitting Mu Ren seven or eight times in an instant. The old man’s face swelled up like a steamed bun, making it impossible for him to speak. Lin Xiong then threw him to the ground. Mu Ren glared venomously at Lin Xiong, unable to believe he had dared to strike him.
After the beating, Lin Xiong said coldly, "Mu Ren, as a Soul Refiner, you have disregarded the kingdom’s laws and openly attempted to kill a minor in a public place. As the Vice Commander of the City Guard, I naturally cannot tolerate such vicious behavior. This is a small punishment. I hope you will take this as a warning for the future. Otherwise, even if you are a Soul Refiner, you will not escape the long arm of the law."
Having beaten Mu Ren, Lin Xiong even lectured him from a position of righteousness. Given his status as the Vice Commander of the City Guard, his words were perfectly appropriate. Moreover, Mu Ren had indeed been the one to attack first. Even if this case went to the City Lord’s Mansion, he wouldn’t be afraid.
After landing those seven or eight slaps, Lin Xiong felt incredibly gratified. He looked at Ye Xuan as if seeking praise, like a subordinate who had perfectly completed a major task.
"Not bad." Ye Xuan nodded slightly. "It seems I wasn’t wrong about you," he said flatly. "Let’s go."
Hearing Ye Xuan’s praise, Lin Xiong felt as though he’d been granted a divine elixir; a deep sense of comfort washed over him, which shocked even himself.
"Little... bastard... you’re finished... you... hear me? You’re finished... No matter where... you go... you’re... dead meat... Offending... my Soul Master Tower... no one... can save you... Your whole... family will die..."
Lying on the ground, Mu Ren mumbled indistinctly through his swollen, twitching mouth. His eyes shot out a venomous glare as if to burn Ye Xuan’s image into his memory, and the Soul Power in his mind fluctuated violently.
"A piece of trash like you is fit to represent the Soul Master Tower?" Ye Xuan turned around, his eyes turning cold as he suddenly let out a low shout.
As he shouted, an immense spiritual force erupted from his sea of consciousness, slamming directly into Mu Ren’s Soul Power. Mu Ren hadn’t anticipated such an attack from Ye Xuan and had no time to react. Ye Xuan’s Soul Power struck him hard in the mind.
"PUH!" His Soul Power grievously wounded, Mu Ren violently spat out a mouthful of blood and cried out in horror, "You... a Soul Power impact! How is that possible?!"
As his words fell, Mu Ren’s face turned deathly pale. His eyes dimmed, and his entire body seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. He suddenly let out a terrified scream, "My Soul Power! Why did it suddenly drop so much? No... I’m a Tier One Soul Refiner! This can’t be happening! I’m a Tier One Soul Refiner..." He muttered to himself, his once-venomous eyes now vacant. It was as if his body’s very essence—his vitality, energy, and spirit—had been sucked dry in an instant.
Everyone was frozen in shock. Mu Ren’s Soul Power had plummeted in an instant, dropping rapidly from the level of a Tier One Soul Refiner to that of an ordinary Soul Refiner apprentice. In the end, he was even weaker than a common person.
Losing his powerful Soul Power and his status as a Tier One Soul Refiner, Mu Ren had instantly lost everything.
This was a fate worse than death.
And at Mu Ren’s age, once his Soul Power decayed, there was absolutely no chance of it ever recovering.
From this day forward, the Tier One Soul Refiner Mu Ren no longer existed in this world.
By the time everyone came to their senses, Ye Xuan and Lin Xiong had already left the hall.
Such an incident occurring at the Soul Master Tower immediately caused an uproar. As one of the most prestigious places in all of Blue Moon City, no one had dared to attack a Soul Refiner in the Tower for many years. The event shook the Soul Master Tower like an earthquake.
"Outrageous! Who does Lin Xiong think he is? A man who’s about to become a cripple himself, yet he dares to lay such a heavy hand on a Soul Refiner from our Soul Master Tower! This is completely lawless!"
"Exactly, President! We must immediately report this to the City Lord’s Mansion and demand the perpetrator be severely punished! Have Lin Xiong bound and brought back here to be dealt with by our Soul Master Tower as we see fit!"
"And that boy with Lin Xiong! He insulted a Soul Refiner of our Soul Master Tower! His crime is heinous! He must be brought here and dealt with as well!"
The Soul Refiners who had returned upon hearing the news were now gathered in the Soul Master Tower’s meeting room, filled with righteous indignation. All of them wore furious expressions as they looked toward President Jiang Xun, who sat at the head of the table.
"President, if we do nothing about this, what will outsiders think of our Soul Master Tower? This time, Lin Xiong must die!"
One Soul Refiner ground his teeth, wishing he could tear the man’s flesh from his bones. Soul Refiners were the noblest profession on the continent. To be beaten on their own territory was a slap in the face to the entire Soul Master Tower.
Just then, an old man spoke up. "Heh, President, I, for one, don’t think this is entirely the other party’s fault. We’ve heard the whole story. It was Mu Ren who rashly attacked first, so he was in the wrong. Of course, Lin Xiong daring to act in our Soul Master Tower must also be punished."
"Tie Rou, what do you mean by that? Are you saying they were justified in beating Mu Ren? What is that boy? Even if Mu Ren had beaten him to death, it would have been the boy’s honor. He has absolutely no right to fight back."
"Hmph, Chen Fan, your words show a blatant disregard for the kingdom’s laws. Although we Soul Refiners have a high status, we are not a gang of thugs and hooligans."
Chen Fan slammed the table and shot to his feet. "Who are you calling thugs and hooligans, you old bastard? I dare you to say that again!"
"Chen Fan, I didn’t say it was you. If the shoe fits, wear it. What does it have to do with me? What, are you going to attack me now?" Tie Rou sneered repeatedly.