"You all..." Nan Shuishui shook her head with a fond smile, her eyes full of affection.

She patiently explained, "It's not that I doubt the Stigmata, after all, the three great empires and Shrek Academy are all involved. Judging from the current situation, there shouldn't be any major problems. But you need to understand, fusing more Stigmata isn't always better—the key is to find ones that suit you. For us, hundred-thousand-year Stigmata are out of reach, they're simply too rare. As for ten-thousand-year Stigmata, they're also precious, but our Earth Dragon Sect can still manage. Once you all reach the Soul King level, I'll get suitable ten-thousand-year Stigmata tailored for you."

Clearly, Nan Shuishui had thoroughly researched Stigmata.

She knew each person could only fuse a limited number, and the higher the Stigmata's age, the better the effect.

Moreover, since Stigmata only recently appeared on the continent, they were extremely scarce. Even if you pre-ordered, you'd have to wait a long time.

Right now, Nan Qiuqiu and the others urgently needed soul rings to boost their strength, so waiting for custom Stigmata wasn't feasible. That's why Nan Shuishui had brought her disciples to the Sunset Forest to hunt soul beasts.

Although the number of soul beasts in Sunset Forest had dwindled over the years, its proximity to Dragon City meant the Earth Dragon Sect had long mapped out the territories of various soul beasts through years of activity and exploration.

Led by Nan Shuishui, the group soon found a five-thousand-year Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon in a secluded part of the forest.

Most of the Earth Dragon Sect's disciples possessed Earth Dragon martial souls, making them especially interested in related soul beasts.

This particular Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon had long been on their watch list, but until now, they hadn't come to hunt it.

For Earth Dragon Sect disciples, absorbing a soul ring from an Earth Dragon soul beast was ideal.

If they could obtain a true dragon soul ring, that would be even better—but with true dragons nearly extinct, most remaining creatures were merely sub-dragon species.

Thus, this Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon was a perfect match for almost everyone in the Earth Dragon Sect, including the young sect master Nan Qiuqiu.

After discussion, however, Nan Qiuqiu and the others decided to let Xu Shenshu, the big guy, have it since his martial soul was precisely Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon.

Nan Shuishui personally struck the beast down with ease, her strength overwhelming any resistance.

Finally, Xu Shenshu delivered the finishing blow, and the Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon died at his hands.

Xu Shenshu sat down to absorb his fourth soul ring, while Nan Qiuqiu and the others stood guard around him.

At this moment, the forest was eerily quiet, even the usual chorus of insects had disappeared.

Suddenly, Nan Shuishui frowned and stood up, eyes sharp as she looked toward a shadowy corner nearby.

She had sensed something unusual approaching.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Her voice echoed through the silent woods, startling Nan Qiuqiu and the others into alertness.

Though young, their sect upbringing taught them that in the wild, soul beasts weren't always the greatest threat.

Nan Shuishui, being a Soul Douluo, was powerful enough to protect everyone unless a hundred-thousand-year soul beast appeared—which was practically impossible with even ten-thousand-year soul beasts now rare in Sunset Forest.

So what could make Nan Shuishui this wary? Clearly, it wasn't a soul beast.

"Heh, you're as sharp as ever," a low, slightly raspy voice drifted from the darkness.

Moments later, figures in black robes emerged like ghosts from all directions, swiftly surrounding the Earth Dragon Sect group.

"Who are you?" Nan Shuishui's expression darkened. These intruders clearly had ill intent.

As a major sect, the Earth Dragon Sect had its share of enemies, but these black-robed figures were unfamiliar.

"Mom, what do we do?" Nan Qiuqiu and the others were clearly panicked.

Xu Shenshu was in the middle of soul ring absorption and couldn't be moved, leaving them in a precarious situation.

"Old friends meeting again, why so tense? I won't hurt you," the leader said, slowly pulling down his hood to reveal a pale, sinister face.

He stared at Nan Shuishui with a gaze full of deep obsession and longing.

"It's you? You're still alive?" Nan Shuishui's shock was immediate.

She finally recognized him as one of her former suitors, who had left Dragon City in disappointment after she rejected him. She had assumed him long dead.

"Dead? How could I die? I want to be with you forever—never apart!"

The Third Elder gazed at her, his feelings seeming only to have grown with time.

Even now, he was desperate to imprison Nan Shuishui by his side, to fulfill his twisted desire for forever together.

Nan Shuishui shivered at his fervent, bizarre stare.

She'd never had any romantic feelings for him; even after her husband's death, her only focus was raising her daughter and strengthening the Earth Dragon Sect, never seeking another partner.

What's more, the Third Elder now seemed corrupted, exuding a sinister aura that made her skin crawl.

"Take them alive! If anyone dies, you all die with them," the Third Elder ordered coldly.

Now a fallen evil soul master and a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, he was no mindless lunatic—he knew Nan Shuishui would never go willingly.

But he didn't care about her wishes; in his twisted mind, imprisoning her was enough.

He loved her—so he wouldn't hurt her or plan to kill the others.

At his command, the black-robed figures' soul rings lit up—most were Soul Kings, with several Soul Emperors among them.

The Third Elder could have brought Soul Sages or higher, but this was a private operation, so he'd only brought his own subordinates.

Such a lineup made Nan Shuishui's face grow even gloomier. She realized there'd be no easy way out and immediately released her martial soul.

With a blinding pink light, a giant Rouge Dragon phantom appeared behind her.

At the same time, pink dragon scales appeared on her arms and exposed skin, and a pair of delicate pink dragon horns grew from her forehead, changing her presence entirely.

Two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings glowed in the optimal configuration.

As one ring shone brightly, the Rouge Dragon phantom gathered a ball of pink annihilation energy in its mouth, firing it like a brilliant meteor at the Third Elder.

Nan Shuishui knew the principle: "Capture the leader first." With the enemy's numbers, her only chance was to take down the Third Elder quickly.

However, she underestimated his current strength.

Just as her attack was about to hit, the Third Elder's nine soul rings—two yellow, two purple, five black—appeared.

A purple-black soul tool shield materialized in front of him, easily blocking her full-force attack.

"Title Douluo!" Nan Shuishui stared in disbelief.

She knew his talent well; there was no way he could have reached Title Douluo on his own.

"Heh," the Third Elder chuckled darkly, pride and madness in his voice.

To pursue power, he'd sacrificed everything—literally—even his manhood, all to earn Nan Shuishui's admiration.

Now, as a Title Douluo and Rank 9 Soul Engineer, seeing her shock gave him immense satisfaction.

"Rouge Annihilation Burst!" Despite her shock, Nan Shuishui was no pushover.

Facing the oncoming evil soul masters, she coldly unleashed a barrage of pink energy spheres that exploded with tremendous force.

Explosions shook the forest, sending debris flying and bodies crashing to the ground.

"Fourth," the Third Elder called to another black-robed man.

"Third Brother, is it worth it for a woman? What if the sect master blames us?" Fourth Elder asked, worried.

He had never supported this attack on the Earth Dragon Sect, as the Holy Spirit Sect was focused on staying hidden.

But he and Third Elder were close, so he reluctantly went along.

"Don't worry, I'll take the blame. As a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, at worst I'll be punished a bit. If I can bring her back, it's all worth it," Third Elder replied confidently.

After all, Title Douluo—especially with advanced soul engineering skills—were too valuable for the sect to lose.

Besides, after recent conflicts in Mingdu and with the Wuchang Division, the sect already suspected their location was compromised.

So, the Holy Spirit Sect was not as strict about secrecy as before.