Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor-Chapter 296: Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor []

The underground black market of Great Sun City is not located underground but is instead situated in a relatively secluded area of the city. On the outskirts, soldiers patrol the area, making it appear far from being a shady or illicit place. However, upon entering, Chen Ming used his spiritual power to scan the area and quickly realized that this place was full of hidden talents. Casinos, brothels, and underground arenas were considered commonplace here, but the main business involved trading rare and illegal materials, soul tools, and intelligence.

In this era, a Level 6 Soul Engineer represented the pinnacle of the visible soul engineering system. Within this black market, Chen Ming sensed the presence of three Level 6 soul cannon shells.

A Level 6 soul cannon shell was equivalent to the power of a Soul Douluo, and in the Sun-Moon Continent, a Soul Douluo represented the pinnacle of combat strength. The entire continent had only one Title Douluo.

Surprisingly, the place was incredibly well-organized, so much so that Chen Ming felt as though he had entered a special institution run by the military rather than an underground black market.

Xu Bai quietly explained to Chen Ming that the black market was backed by the royal family. In his younger years, Xu Bai had worked as a steward here due to his status as a member of the royal family's collateral branch. However, during his tenure, he offended some powerful figures and was eventually exiled.

Although decades had passed since he last visited, Xu Bai, being a former steward, quickly familiarized himself with the changes in the black market over the years and skillfully purchased a wealth of information using a false identity.

The intelligence he gathered was mostly basic, not top-secret. Some of it was mere hearsay, while much of it had already become outdated and worthless. Nevertheless, this information proved quite valuable to Chen Ming, who was visiting for the first time, and to Xu Bai, who hadn't returned in decades.

Chen Ming scanned through the intelligence and analyzed it in his mind.

He filtered out conflicting and erroneous information, gradually piecing together the Sun-Moon Continent's trajectory and specific developments over recent years.

The alliance between the Rising Sun Empire and the Bright Moon Empire persisted. Ten years ago, during a war, the Sun-Moon coalition ambushed the emperor of the Tyrant Dragon Empire, the only Title Douluo on the continent, with a legendary Level 7 soul cannon shell. They severely injured him, leading to the defeat of the three-nation coalition and the advancement of the Sun-Moon coalition's battle lines toward the south.

Due to the emperor's severe injuries, the three-nation coalition fell into disarray, even experiencing internal conflict, allowing the Sun-Moon coalition to capture several cities. It wasn't until five years later, when the emperor of the Tyrant Dragon Empire reappeared, that the advance was halted.

When the emperor reappeared, his soul power had risen from Level 92 to Level 93. On the battlefield, he slew several Soul Douluo, withstood multiple Level 6 Soul cannon shells, and fought like a one-man army among ordinary soldiers. At one point, he even managed to push the battle lines back.

However, during another battle, the emperor was ambushed by a suicide soldier hiding among ordinary troops, who detonated another Level 7 soul cannon shell, leaving him gravely injured. Afterward, he disappeared for several years.

Rumors suggest he may already be dead, while others believe he is in the ancestral lands of the Tyrant Dragon Empire, attempting to break through to the legendary Level 94 Title Douluo realm.

Because the emperor's status remains uncertain, and since the Sun-Moon coalition detonated the Level 7 soul cannon shell within their lines to kill him, causing heavy casualties among their elite troops and high-ranking officers, large-scale battles between the northern and southern alliances have temporarily ceased, with only minor skirmishes continuing.

According to statistics from underground forces, at least four Level 7 Soul Engineers were exposed during the war: two from the Rising Sun Empire and two from the Bright Moon Empire.

Chen Ming handed the information about the four Level 7 Soul Engineers to Xu Bai for verification. Upon examining the data, Xu Bai's eyes lit up, and he immediately identified one of them.

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"My lord, this Soul Engineer, whose martial soul is the Spirit Turtle, was my teacher. By my calculations, he is now 118 years old, making him the oldest known Soul Engineer on the Sun-Moon Continent—perhaps even the oldest living human."

Pushing aside the other documents, Xu Bai pointed to the information about his teacher and explained to Chen Ming:

"The Spirit Turtle is an extraordinary martial soul, said to carry the bloodline of the divine beast Xuanwu. It possesses dual attributes: water and spirit. It is a martial soul with a long legacy within the Rising Sun Empire."

"Compared to other turtle-type martial souls, its defense is not particularly superior, but it has a unique talent: reducing its consumption. This ability not only decreases the soul power consumed during combat and soul skill use but also conserves spiritual energy and vitality. My teacher's strength, to be honest, is not impressive—he is a relatively weak Soul Douluo, barely reaching that level through age and medicinal supplements. However, with this talent, he has dedicated himself to researching soul tool technology, and after decades of accumulation and practice, he has become a top-tier Soul Engineer, highly esteemed across the continent."

"I was his seventh disciple, though my inclusion was mainly due to my family's connection to him. I was only ever a nominal disciple. My teacher doesn't particularly favor the empire but has remained there due to his upbringing and the general state of the continent. His sole focus has always been the pursuit of higher-level soul tool technology."

"If not for the fact that I offended some high-ranking figures back then..." Xu Bai trailed off.

"When I left, my teacher was already very frail. Despite his talent, his spirit and strength had deteriorated significantly, and he was reportedly experiencing a decline in soul power. When I wrote to him a few years ago, he mentioned that he was nearing the end of his life and didn't have much time left."

"I believe, with your abilities, my lord, if you could stabilize my teacher's condition, I could certainly persuade him to share the full set of Level 7 soul tool technology."

Xu Bai spoke without even considering whether Chen Ming could accomplish such a feat. It wasn't that he was trying to manipulate Chen Ming but rather that, having witnessed Chen Ming's divine abilities—his power to decay and rejuvenate, and even grant others extended lifespans—he simply assumed that such a task would be trivial for Chen Ming.

In truth, prolonging life was indeed not a difficult task for Chen Ming, who possessed the attributes of ultimate life and had comprehended the divine domains of life and death.

While he could not resurrect the dead, extending someone's lifespan was well within his capabilities. He could even rejuvenate someone's body, restoring their youth.

Alternatively, he could use his divine authority over plague, poison, and death to "curse" someone, making them immune to illness, poison, and death itself. Although this wouldn't grant true immortality, it would significantly enhance their resilience. Pairing this with a life-enhancing blessing could allow the elderly to gain decades—or even a century—of vitality.

Chen Ming, as a demigod with divine authority and an understanding of the laws of life and death, found such feats trivial.

However, while Level 7 soul tool technology was valuable, Chen Ming's ambitions were far greater.

Listening to Xu Bai's description of his teacher, Chen Ming conceived a bold idea.

Why not, as he had done with Lou Gao, subdue Xu Bai's teacher and bring him—and his fellow disciples—back to the Douluo Continent? Together with Lou Gao, they could research battle armor for him.

An experienced Level 7 Soul Engineer was far more valuable and useful than a collection of Level 7 Soul tool blueprints.