Stone was the head of Medicine Valley’s operations in Mirevia. Since Sloane was the next heir to Medicine Valley, his duty was to ensure her safety at all costs. Because Sloane couldn’t contact Medicine Valley directly, she had asked Stone to secretly send her suspicions back to the Valley through covert channels. Stone gave a calm nod. "The Valley Master received your message and replied immediately. But the situation is serious—so I came here to tell you in person." Sloane frowned. "What did Master say?" "The Valley Master said that if it truly is ‘Soul Exchange,’ then the situation is far worse than we imagined." Stone’s voice lowered instinctively. "This isn’t an ordinary dark spell. It’s a forbidden art that was outlawed over three hundred years ago." Lucas asked, "What makes this spell so special?" Stone took a deep breath. "‘Soul Exchange’ completely rewrites a person’s emotional memories. The victim’s soul is reshaped so they loathe their former lover from the depths of their heart and become obsessed with the caster. The ritual requires the aid of something called the ‘Emotional Lock Bell.’" Lucas immediately thought of the bracelet he had seen on Dania’s wrist. Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper, he said, "Dania does have a pair of bracelets that look very unusual." As he spoke, he quickly sketched the pair from memory. Lucas had an exceptional memory—just one glance was enough for him to recall every strange symbol etched on them. When he finished, he handed the drawing to Stone. Stone studied the design carefully, his brows knitting tighter with every passing second. "These patterns are indeed unsettling. But we’ll have to wait for the Valley Master to confirm whether it’s truly the Emotional Lock Bell." Sloane looked puzzled. "Senior, it’s only a transference spell. Why would Master take it so seriously? To leave the valley personally… that’s never happened before." Her master hadn’t stepped foot outside the valley in twenty years—not since the last time, when he had done so to save her life.Stone’s expression grew grave. "That’s exactly why I had to come myself today. To explain, we have to start three hundred years ago." "Three centuries ago, the founder of Medicine Valley joined forces with the six great families to eradicate the Soul Guild. Afterward, that entire chapter of history was sealed away as forbidden knowledge. Every record related to the Soul Guild was locked up," he said, glancing at Sloane. "The book you stumbled upon was one of those forbidden volumes." "The Soul Guild?" Sloane’s face turned somber at the name. "That’s right," Stone said heavily. "The Soul Guild was built upon seven extreme emotions—each emotion corresponded to a different dark art. The transference spell you mentioned is actually the mildest of them all." Sloane drew in a sharp breath. "The mildest? Then what about the others…" "The Joy Art can make a person die from overwhelming euphoria. The Rage Art can incite mass riots…" Stone’s voice grew quieter with each word. "But the most terrifying of all—the Thought Art—traps its victims in an endless cycle of obsession until their souls are completely destroyed."Outside, thunder cracked through the sky, and a torrential downpour began to fall. A flash of lightning illuminated Stone’s pale face. "Back then, the Soul Guild’s leader used hypnosis to drive an entire city into madness. The citizens slaughtered one another until none were left alive." Sloane shuddered at the thought. "If Mr. Tony is truly under the influence of a transference spell, then that means remnants of the Soul Guild may still exist." "Exactly." Stone’s voice was tight, every word forced out through clenched teeth. "That’s what the Valley Master fears most—if that’s the case, then the Soul Guild has already rebuilt itself and is laying its plans in the shadows." The thought of such a group returning to the world sent a chill crawling down Sloane’s spine.