The silence inside the residence persisted for several long moments. Not a single breath could be heard, not even the faint rustle of fabric. The air itself seemed to hold its breath, heavy with unspoken tension.

Alex slowly placed the golden card back into the envelope. His movements were deliberate, almost ceremonial. The soft scrape of the card against the paper echoed in the stillness.

His expression had returned to its usual calmness, the earlier flicker of surprise已经完全消失. But Kremlin could still sense the change. It was not in Alex’s face or posture. It was in the air around him, a subtle shift in the atmosphere that made the hair on Kremlin’s arms stand on end.

Something about this invitation was different. Kremlin had served powerful masters before. He had witnessed threats that could shatter mountains and warnings that could freeze blood. But this was neither.

"Interesting."

Alex’s voice broke the silence like a stone dropped into still water. The single word carried no fear, no hesitation. Only genuine curiosity.

Kremlin looked toward him, his throat dry. "My lord?"

Alex turned the envelope over once more, examining the seal with fresh eyes. The golden wax gleamed under the ambient light, the unknown sigil seeming to pulse with hidden meaning.

"The sender knows who I am," Alex said quietly. His tone was matter of fact, as if he were commenting on the weather.

Kremlin nodded grimly, his earlier suspicions confirmed. "That much is obvious. But my lord, the central continent is vast. The powerful beings there are numerous. For someone to specifically target you...."

Alex continued as if Kremlin had not spoken. "They also know exactly what information I seek." His golden eyes narrowed slightly, the irises catching the light like molten metal. "And they knew I would be interested enough to consider accepting."

He tapped the envelope against his palm once, twice. The soft sound punctuated his thoughts.

"The question is how," Alex said, and a smile curved his lips. It was not a warm smile. It was the smile of a predator who had just caught an intriguing scent. He had an idea about it.

He looked at Kremlin.

Kremlin felt a chill run down his spine when he saw that smile.

"My lord?" Kremlin’s voice came out shakier than he intended. He hated that tremor, but he could not suppress it.

"When you entered the continent, you were bound by a soul contract," Alex said, his voice soft and precise. Each word landed like a hammer blow. "And even now, you are still their slave. They can see what you see. They can hear what you hear."

Kremlin felt the chill deepen, sinking into his bones. Two thoughts crashed through his mind simultaneously, both of them ice cold.

The first thought was the obvious one. He was still under their control. The contract he had believed to be broken, or at least forgotten, was still active. His every action, every word spoken in Alex’s presence, might have been observed by unknown masters from the central continent.

The second thought was far more personal, and far more terrifying. If Alex considered this a betrayal, even an unwitting one, he would be killed. Kremlin had no illusions about his chances against the being standing before him.

The sound of his knees hitting the floor was loud in the quiet room. He slammed down hard, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his legs. He knelt low, his forehead nearly touching the ground.

"My lord, please trust me," he said, his voice cracking. A sob threatened to escape his throat. "I did not know any of these. I swear upon my soul, upon everything I hold sacred. I had no idea the contract was still active. Please, my lord, you must believe me."

Alex looked down at the kneeling figure. His expression softened almost imperceptibly. "I know. You do not have to panic. I am just curious what kind of contract this is."

He raised his hand slightly, and his eyes turned golden once more. But this was not the calm gold of his normal state. This was something deeper, something primordial. The air around him shimmered with invisible power.

Instantly, he activated the law of karma. The world shifted in his perception. Every action, every consequence, every invisible thread binding beings together became visible to his enhanced sight. The karmic line of Kremlin appeared before his eyes like a glowing river of fate.

And instantly, a black line caught his attention. It was thick and dark, pulsing with a malevolent energy that seemed to feed on Kremlin’s own life force. The line stretched from Kremlin’s chest and vanished into the distance, beyond the horizon, beyond the continent itself.

He activated his eye of revelation and looked into that line. Information flooded his senses, raw and unfiltered.

[Name: Karmic line of soul enslavement. History: It was done by a contract originated from a level 149 being.]

"This central continent is way too interesting," he thought to himself, his inner voice buzzing with anticipation. "Let us leave now."

He looked down at Kremlin, who was still trembling on the floor. Then he raised his gaze slightly, looking past the kneeling man, looking through the walls, through the distance, as if he could see the unknown listener on the other end of that black karmic line.

"If you are hearing me, I am coming to the continent," Alex said, his voice ringing with quiet authority. "Won’t you welcome me with a huge celebration?"

He smiled again, that same sharp, dangerous smile. Then he turned and started walking outside. His steps were unhurried, almost leisurely. He had preparations to make.

His students all needed to become level one hundred as soon as possible. The central continent was no place for the weak. If he was going to answer this summons, he would do so with an army behind him.

"Everyone gather around the central region," Alex’s voice sounded inside the heads of all fifty students simultaneously.

They had been practicing in the arena at that moment, sweat dripping from their brows, weapons clashing, energies colliding. When they heard his voice, their eyes flew wide open. Their master was too awesome, they thought in unison. Someone who could talk inside their heads, who could reach them across any distance. They had never heard of such power.

They looked at each other, excitement and curiosity burning in their eyes, and started running toward the central region.

By the time they arrived, Alex was already standing there with Kremlin. The students formed a loose semicircle, their breathing still elevated from their training. Leon stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Greetings, master." The rest followed, a chorus of respectful voices filling the air.

Alex waited for them to settle before speaking. His voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of urgency that made them pay close attention.

"Listen carefully," he began. "I am going to send you inside a secret realm. The time there flows one thousand times faster than here. One day outside will be nearly three years inside."

Gasps rippled through the group. Their eyes went wide with disbelief and wonder.

"Your task is to become level ninety nine there," Alex continued. "I will arrange your soul rings as well. You will not have to hunt for them yourself. Additionally, there will be different trials waiting for you inside. According to your accomplishment in the trials, you will gain points. The one with the highest number of points, I will take with me to the central continent."

Everyone’s eyes widened even further. Every piece of information was jaw dropping. A secret realm with accelerated time was beyond anything they had thought possible. And their master would take them to the mythical central continent, whose legends were famous all across their own continent. Stories of gods and demons, of power beyond imagination, of civilizations that made their own world look like a primitive village.

"Master, we will not disappoint you," everyone roared in unison. Their voices shook the air with determination and gratitude.

"Good. Now stand here," Alex nodded.

As they arranged themselves in a tight formation, Alex waved his hand. There was no flash of light, no dramatic thunderclap. Just a subtle distortion in the air, and then the fifty of them vanished as if they had never existed.

Kremlin watched all this with his jaw dropped to the ground.

"What are you looking at?" Alex’s voice broke through his stupor. "Come with me. We need to catch some suitable soul beasts for them. Let us go to the Ancient Soul Forest."

Kremlin snapped his mouth shut and bowed quickly. "Yes, my lord. Please allow me to guide you. I know some really good types of soul beasts in that forest. Beasts that have been sleeping for centuries, their soul rings ripe for harvesting."

"Teacher Alex, can we come with you?"

The voice belonged to Lucien. Alex turned to see the fifteen Titled Douluo standing behind them, their eyes gleaming with anticipation like children waiting for candies. They had clearly overheard everything.

Alex considered for a moment. "Sure. It would make things faster."

Instantly, those supreme clan elders and teachers could barely contain their excitement. They had lived for centuries, achieved the pinnacle of power in their continent, and yet here they were, eager to follow a young man on a soul beast hunt.

Alex waved his hand. Instantly, everyone’s aura was suppressed to the point where they seemed like normal persons now. No trace of their immense power remained visible. They looked like ordinary travelers setting out on a simple journey.

"Let us go there by walking," Alex said, looking out at the landscape. The evening sun was beginning to descend, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. "This continent is very beautiful."