Chapter 1231 The Title Douluo is So Young

They dared not ask any more questions, thanked them again, and then respectfully withdrew.

Besides these powerful Soul Masters, there were also a few merchants who had survived by chance and were quite wealthy. Driven by huge profits, they mustered up their courage and came over, speaking earnestly and even obsequiously, wanting to offer a high price to buy the 100,000-year-old Soul Bone from Tang Lan.

"Lord Tang Yun, I am willing to offer three million gold soul coins, no, five million! to purchase the soul bone you obtained. What do you think..."

"My lord, our merchant guild is spread throughout the Three Kingdoms. In addition to Gold Soul Coins, you can also freely choose any of the treasures in our guild's treasury..."

"My lord, as long as you're willing to part with it, name your price..."

Faced with these tempting offers and promises, Tang Lan merely glanced at them indifferently, then shook her head, rejecting them simply and directly.

"Not for sale."

Tang Lan's calm yet undeniable refusal was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last vestiges of hope and greed in the hearts of those businessmen.

They awkwardly retreated, not daring to look at the young man sitting upright beside the carriage with his eyes closed, as if even a glance would be an offense.

The outcome of this battle spread like wildfire throughout the ravaged caravan. Although most people did not witness the moment Tang Lan drew his sword, the massive corpse of the Silver Armored Demon Ape collapsing with a bang, and the subsequent appearances of Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, and other usually aloof Soul Douluo and Soul Saint powerhouses, all witnessed the battle.

The scene of people dragging their injured bodies, bowing respectfully and even humbly to express their gratitude, silently confirmed the unbelievable fact—this seemingly too young "Tang Yun" possessed terrifying strength at least at the level of a Title Douluo! Perhaps even stronger!

To instantly kill a 100,000-year-old soul beast with a single strike—what kind of concept is that? In the minds of most soul masters, this is almost a scene that only appears in legends. People who were originally just curious about Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er, this pair of "brother and sister," or who paid a little attention to them because of their young age and remarkable cultivation, were now unaware of this.

At this moment, their mindset underwent a complete transformation. Awe, fear, curiosity, and obsequiousness... a complex mix of emotions permeated the surviving group. Whenever Tang Lan or Wang Qiu'er's gaze inadvertently swept over them, those nearby would instinctively hold their breath, lower their heads, and avoid eye contact.

The changes in Yu Ting and Yue Lan's mindset were the most obvious. Before, they could regard Tang Lan and Yue Lan as "junior students" with whom they could talk on equal terms and even take care of each other. Now, when they face them again, they can't help but feel restrained and pressured.

Yu Ting has a cheerful personality, but she is not unaware of the gravity of the situation. She knows very well that being able to travel with a powerful figure who is suspected to be a Title Douluo for several days is already a great opportunity, but she must also be careful to maintain a proper balance.

During a brief break, Yuting, along with Yue Lan, nervously approached Tang Lan and Yue Lan, who were resting by the roadside.

She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound natural.

"Senior Tang... Senior Tang Yun, Senior Tang Qiu'er, please forgive my previous rudeness."

The way people address each other has changed from "brother" and "sister" to the more polite "senior".

Yue Lan followed behind, whispering in agreement, her eyes filled with both admiration and a hint of unease in the face of her superior.

Tang Lan opened her eyes and looked at them calmly. She was not affected by the change in address and simply nodded slightly.

"No need for formalities, just continue as usual. I must thank Captain Yuting for taking care of me throughout this trip."

His tone remained calm, devoid of emotion, yet an invisible sense of distance was clearly present.

Wang Qiu'er was much gentler; she smiled and waved to Yu Ting and Yue Lan.

"Sister Yuting, Sister Yuelan, don't be so polite. We're still the same people. Didn't we have a good chat before? Come and sit down."

She took the initiative to defuse the awkward situation with a kind attitude, which eased the tension between Yuting and the other two girls.

They sat down carefully, and although their conversation remained respectful, under Wang Qiu'er's guidance, it was no longer as stiff as it had been at the beginning. However, the conversation was limited to what they had seen and heard along the way and safety precautions; no one dared to pry into Tang Lan and her companion's origins or purpose.

The team was not completely out of danger during the next three days. As expected, they encountered several more waves of out-of-control soul beasts along the way, forming small-scale beast tides.

These spirit beasts come in various species and range in age from hundreds to tens of thousands of years. What they have in common is that they have scarlet eyes and are fearless in the face of death.

Fortunately, no more terrifying beings of ten thousand years like the Silver-Armored Demon Ape appeared among them.

The greatest threat is a "Splitter Bear" with approximately 50,000 years of cultivation, which is also under control.

This time, before Tang Lan could even make a move, Tan Yuan, Yu Sen, and the others, whose injuries had somewhat healed, took the initiative to lead the Soul Saints who were still able to fight to meet them.

They were holding their breath, partly to prove they weren't useless, partly to repay the life-saving grace, and partly because they dared not trouble Tang Lan, this "important person," again.

The battle was still fierce, but with the lessons learned and teamwork from before, and the fact that the Earth-Splitting Bear was far weaker than the Silver-Armored Demon Ape, it was eventually killed by the combined efforts of everyone. Although it suffered new injuries, no one died, and the situation was stabilized.

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er simply observed quietly from the sidelines without intervening.

Their attitude was quite clear.

They will not easily take action unless the overall survival of the caravan is threatened or an uncontrollable powerful enemy emerges.

This "detachment" only further confirms its unfathomable strength and status.

During this time, not everyone harbored illusions or ambitions. The gray-robed elder from the Guangyan Chamber of Commerce, who had been quietly handling the aftermath and was now the de facto leader of the caravan, along with several other business leaders or representatives of small sects with some background, all extended olive branches to Tang Lan, either openly or covertly. The conditions they offered were increasingly generous.

Offering the esteemed position of an elder, inexhaustible resources, and even a marriage alliance... In their view, any price would be worth paying to recruit such a powerful figure.

However, all attempts to probe and recruit Tang Lan were met with rejection.

He simply shook his head, or simply did not respond, his attitude clear and indifferent.

After a few times, no one dared to come and make a fool of themselves. Everyone could only secretly guess that this "Senior Tang Yun" either came from some hidden powerful force and looked down on their things, or he was just a loner who kept to himself.

They never imagined that Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er's true purpose in this trip was to infiltrate the Holy Spirit Cult, the lair of the evil soul masters that struck fear into the hearts of the entire continent. Any involvement that might expose their identities or attract extra attention was something they had to avoid.

The journey continued amidst tension and unease. On the afternoon of the fifth day, the exhausted but thankfully surviving caravan finally caught sight of their destination in the distance—Rose City, a major town on the southwestern border of the Douling Empire.

However, the scene that came into view instantly plunged everyone's slightly relaxed mood into despair.

The towering city walls were riddled with breaches and charred marks, clearly the result of a fierce attack. The plain that should have been open before the city gates was now riddled with potholes, littered with broken chevaux-de-frise, shattered weapons and banners, and…

A vast number of soul beast and human corpses lay scattered, too many to be completely cleared away! Dark red bloodstains soaked the soil, and the air was thick with the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and a faint, unpleasant smell of decaying corpses. The smoke of battle had not yet completely dissipated, and the soldiers patrolling the city walls were few and far between, each bearing a weary and vigilant expression.

This is no peaceful border town; it is clearly a brutal battlefield that has just experienced, and may still be experiencing, a fierce battle!

"This……"

In the caravan, someone gasped and turned pale.

"Are we...are we really going to this city?"

Fear spread through the crowd once again.

"Judging from this, the city hasn't fallen yet, but they must be holding on very hard..."

“Those corpses… so many soul beast corpses, and our people too…”

Whispers filled the air with unease. Many merchants who had originally planned to sell their goods in Rose City, or use it as a transit point, were now having second thoughts.

Just then, the damaged city gate slowly opened a crack, and a troop of about twenty cavalrymen from the city defense forces galloped out.

Their armor was stained with blood, their faces were tired and grim, and their sharp eyes scanned the caravan, becoming noticeably more vigilant when they saw the size of the caravan and the many Soul Masters among them.

The caravan stopped.

The gray-robed elder from the Radiant Flame Merchant Guild, an elder named "Han Song" with a cultivation level of seventy-eight Soul Saints, had no choice but to bite the bullet and ride forward alone.

He presented the Radiant Flame Merchant Guild's credentials and some documents, while quickly explaining in a low voice the caravan's origins, the attacks it had suffered, and the nature of the goods it was transporting.

The city defense squad leader carefully checked the credentials and then looked at the caravan. He noticed the Soul Masters in the caravan who were obviously injured but had strong auras, as well as the several particularly heavy and well-protected carriages. His tense expression eased slightly.

He exchanged a few words with Han Song, then waved to signal him.

Soon, the caravan, "escorted" by the city's defense forces, passed through the battle-scarred city gate and entered the city of Rose.

The situation inside the city was slightly better than outside, but it was far from optimistic. The streets were sparsely populated, and most pedestrians hurried along with worried expressions. Many buildings were damaged, and smoke was still rising from some places. The transport of supplies appeared chaotic yet urgent. A sense of oppression and tension permeated the entire city.

On the way to the Rose City branch of the Radiant Flame Merchant Guild, the city defense squad leader, perhaps considering that the caravan had brought supplies and that there were many Soul Masters in the group, gave a brief and somber explanation of the situation.

"You have arrived at just the right time, but it is also the most dangerous time. In the past three days, there have been seven large-scale beast hordes attacking the city! That's more than twice a day on average! Those beasts have gone mad, wave after wave, giving us no chance to catch our breath."

Nearly half of our Soul Master brothers in the city have been lost! The casualties among ordinary soldiers are even greater! What we lack most now are clean water, food, and life-saving medicine! The supplies your merchant guild brought this time, especially the batch of 'Black Soul Star Iron' and medicine that Elder Han mentioned, are urgently needed supplies personally ordered by the City Lord!

Seven beast tides! Three days! Half of the Soul Masters lost! These numbers sent chills down the spines of the caravan members, giving them a more direct sense of the dire situation facing Rose City.

At the same time, everyone was secretly alarmed and making guesses.

Who exactly is Xu Yu, the lord of Rose City? How could he lead his remaining troops to hold out until now under such fierce attacks, and even place orders for such crucial strategic materials ahead of time? His skill, courage, and even strength are probably extraordinary.

Within the group, the merchants' reactions began to diverge. Some, already timid, were now filled with regret, wishing they could turn back immediately and leave this dangerous place, even at the cost of their goods. Others, bold and adventurous, however, began to have a gleam in their eyes—

Such a fierce battle means there are a massive amount of soul beast materials outside the city! Among them are many precious high-age ones! If we can take advantage of the current shortage of resources and the panic in the city to buy some at low prices, or even... once the situation stabilizes, resell them to the rear, the profits will be unimaginable! Risk and opportunity coexist, as has always been the case.

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er watched all of this with indifference, without offering any opinions.

Their goal was not to gain or lose the city, but to use it as a springboard to find clues that would bring them closer to the core of the Holy Spirit Church's activities.

The caravan eventually arrived at the branch of the Radiant Flame Merchant Guild located in the central area of ​​Rose City.

This was a rather large courtyard, now shrouded in a tense atmosphere, with a noticeable increase in guards. Elder Han Song stepped forward to arrange temporary accommodations for everyone and immediately began organizing the unloading and inventory of the goods; clearly, the handover of the supplies was of utmost urgency.

Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er, as "distinguished guests," were arranged to stay alone in a relatively quiet courtyard.

They were happy to have some peace and quiet, which gave them a good opportunity to observe the situation inside the city.

However, this tranquility did not last long. About an hour later, footsteps and voices could be heard outside the courtyard. Soon, Elder Han Song's slightly hurried voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate.

"Senior Tang Yun, I apologize for disturbing you. City Lord Xu Yu has come in person, hoping to have an audience with you."

The courtyard gate opened, and Tang Lan and Wang Qiu'er stood in the courtyard. Han Song stepped aside and led a middle-aged man in.

The man was about forty years old, with a resolute face, distinct features, and bright, piercing eyes. Even though his face showed undisguised fatigue and a sense of travel, he still exuded the imposing aura of a superior without being angry.

He wore a slightly worn but clean and tidy dark blue outfit, covered by a worn leather armor, with a long sword at his waist. His steps were steady, clearly indicating that he was a seasoned Soul Master with a cultivation level of eighty-five Soul Douluo. He was none other than Xu Yu, the city lord of Rose City.

Xu Yu's gaze immediately fell on Tang Lan.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, scrutinizing, but even more so filled with an urgent and expectant look, as if he had seen a lifeline. Han Song quickly and quietly explained a few things to Xu Yu, clearly having already briefly told him about Tang Lan's one-hit kill of a 100,000-year-old soul beast and his refusal of various offers of recruitment.

Xu Yu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and solemnly clasped his hands in a salute to Tang Lan, his voice loud and earnest.

"I am Xu Yu, the city lord of Rose City. I have taken the liberty of coming to pay my respects to Your Excellency Tang Yun! I have heard that Your Excellency's cultivation is extraordinary and that you saved the caravan from danger. I admire you greatly!"

Tang Lan nodded slightly in return, her tone indifferent.

"Lord Xu, you're too kind. I was just passing by."

Xu Yu didn't mince words. The situation was critical, and there was no room for formalities. He spoke directly.