The clamor of the individual competition temporarily subsided as night fell. Star Luo City, under the brilliant lights, shed its daytime frenzy and revealed a tranquil side beneath its bustling facade.
However, for some, the night was just the beginning of action.
Inside the Star Luo Grand Hotel, Tang Wulin had just finished his cultivation when the badge of the Tang Sect's Douhun (Battle) Hall in his chest pocket suddenly vibrated faintly.
His eyes narrowed, and he quickly checked the message—it was an emergency summons from the Douhun Hall's Star Luo branch.
Without any hesitation, Tang Wulin swiftly changed into the attire of the Tang Sect's Douhun Hall, donned a white mask, and silently left his room, blending into the shadows of the hotel corridor, preparing to exit through the back door.
He believed his movements were covert, unaware that in the eyes of higher-level beings, his whereabouts were as conspicuous as fireflies in the night.
In the neighboring room, Gu La was scanning the surroundings with his spiritual power, purely out of habitual environmental monitoring.
Tang Wulin's deliberately suppressed but still detectable soul force fluctuations, along with his swift donning of the mask, immediately caught Gu La's attention.
'A summons from the Tang Sect's Douhun Hall?'
A glimmer of understanding flashed in Gu La's silver eyes. He had heard of this organization within the Tang Sect but could never gain access; their exact location remained elusive.
It seemed like a good opportunity now. The Tang Sect steward leading the mission would surely know the true base location. Besides, they would need the Tang Sect's help when it came time to visit the Dragon Valley.
With a thought, Gu La's figure vanished into thin air.
His powerful telekinetic force acted like the most precise instrument, instantly enveloping his entire body. It not only perfectly concealed all his soul force fluctuations but also subtly distorted and shielded even his body temperature, scent, and light refraction.
He transformed into an invisible shadow, trailing far behind Tang Wulin who was carefully sneaking around.
Tang Wulin took many twists and turns, guided by the Douhun Hall badge, eventually arriving at an older residential area in Star Luo City.
He stopped in front of an unremarkable, even somewhat dilapidated courtyard, knocked rhythmically on the door a few times. The door silently opened a crack, and Tang Wulin slipped inside.
Gu La clung to the shadow of a lush tree outside the courtyard wall like a gecko. His spiritual power spread like invisible tendrils, quietly infiltrating the interior of the courtyard.
His spiritual power cultivation far exceeded anyone present, and with the perfect concealment provided by telekinesis, even a Title Douluo potentially stationed inside would find it hard to detect him.
Inside the courtyard, the lighting was dim.
Besides Tang Wulin, there were over a dozen other Douhun Hall members wearing masks of different colors. Leading them was a man wearing a black mask, exuding a steady and profound aura—this was the operation leader, "Black One."
"The numbers are sufficient."
Black One pressed the Douhun Hall badge, stopping the signal transmission.
"... The information has been confirmed," Black One's voice was low and serious, clearly transmitted to Gu La's ears through spiritual perception, "The group of madmen known as 'Green Skull' have tonight targeted the Tianxing (Heavenly Star) Theatre!"
"Heavenly Star Theatre?" A member codenamed "Yellow Seven" gasped, "That place is packed right now! During the tournament period, every evening performance and spirit projection show is fully booked. Moreover… the reGu Lar guard force there can handle petty thieves but is utterly incapable against organized terrorist attacks."
"Precisely so."
Black One's tone was heavy, "Green Skull chose this location to create maximum panic and casualties, demonstrating their power to the Star Luo Empire and all participants."
"Our mission is to intercept and annihilate them before they strike, either outside or inside the theatre. Under no circumstances can tragedy occur. To ensure civilian safety, you are authorized to kill Green Skull members on sight. Is that understood?"
"Yes!" Everyone, including Tang Wulin, shouted in unison, their killing intent palpable.
'Green Skull… Heavenly Star Theatre…' Gu La's mind cleared. The Green Skull was indeed relentless, constantly plotting terrorist attacks.
He did not alert anyone. His spiritual power spread like a spider web, firmly locking onto Black One and several other core members of the Douhun Hall.
Following them would make finding the true base of the Tang Sect in Star Luo City as easy as turning one's hand.
Soon, the Douhun Hall members split into several small teams, darting towards the brilliantly lit Heavenly Star Theatre like phantoms merging into the night. Gu La, like a leech, silently followed the main team led by Black One.
The Heavenly Star Theatre, a famous entertainment landmark in Star Luo City, was now bustling with activity and neon lights.
Long queues formed at the ticket office, with audiences wearing expectant smiles, completely unaware of the impending danger.
The Douhun Hall members were experienced and had already set up an intricate web at key entrances, vantage points, and evacuation routes based on intelligence.
Gu La, like an outsider, hid in the shadowy top of a building opposite the theatre, overlooking everything with an excellent view.
Time ticked by. As the midnight bell tolled, the hottest spirit projection show inside the theatre was about to end, with the faint sound of Haodong Sanjue's roar echoing from the screen, shaking the spirits.
At the moment when the crowd was most concentrated, some people approached the Heavenly Star Theatre furtively, emanating notable soul force fluctuations.
"Attack!" Black One's cold voice issued the command via soul-guided communicator.
The hidden Douhun Hall members pounced like leopards. Almost simultaneously, several cold and explosive presences erupted in the shadows surrounding the theatre—the Green Skull had arrived.
The battle erupted instantly, with the brilliance of soul skills exploding in the night, mingling with shouts, screams, and the hum of soul-guided devices.
The Green Skull attackers were fearless and cruel, but the Douhun Hall's preparation was more thorough, their coordination impeccable, and their individual strength superior. They quickly divided and surrounded the attackers, suppressing them step by step.
"Damn it! Why are the Tang Sect's dogs here?!"
A Green Skull leader wearing a green skull mask, with a strength level of a Soul Emperor, watched his subordinates being rapidly annihilated, both surprised and furious.
Their meticulously planned operation of over two years had been preemptively uncovered and intercepted by the Tang Sect, nearly making him explode in anger.
Seeing the situation lost, with his subordinates dead or injured, a look of madness and determination flashed in the Green Skull leader's eyes.
The mission failure was a foregone conclusion, but he couldn't let it end like this. At least he needed to drag these damned Tang Sect soul masters down with him, making them pay a heavy price. After all, the Tang Sect was closely related to the Star Luo Empire; regardless, their organization wouldn't be at a loss.
"Launch the Rank Seven Fixed-Soul Cannon Shell!"
He abruptly ordered and began retreating with his men.
Behind him, a two-word battle armor master shouldered the fixed-soul cannon shell, collaborating with two others. They retrieved a complex-shaped metal base, flashing with dangerous red light, from a storage soul-guided device.
Launching a fixed-soul cannon shell was no simple task; carelessness could affect themselves, thus requiring a base to focus the power and contain the energy released during launch.
For their own safety, they quickly secured the metal base to the ground while frantically injecting soul power into a reserved depression at the center of the base.
"Not good, it's a fixed-soul cannon shell!"
Fixed-soul cannon shells were extremely costly to manufacture, especially high-level ones, which were strategic weapons with earth-shattering power. A Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell could turn a kilometer-wide diameter into ruins.
Tang Wulin, with knowledge learned from the Tang Sect, recognized it immediately. His pupils contracted sharply, and he suppressed his soul force fluctuations. Amidst frequent victorious reports on other channels, he waited silently.
"I'm White Three, the enemy is in my area. They have a Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell."
After reporting, Tang Wulin's palms sweated, ready to burst forth and stop the Green Skull soul masters. However, pitted against a two-word battle armor master and two one-word battle armor masters, he lacked confidence. But with the current situation, he could only gamble!
"Stop him!"
Black One's face changed drastically upon hearing the news. Even if he could survive thanks to his three-word battle armor, none of the Douhun Hall members would survive, let alone the thousands of civilians and soul masters inside the theatre.
However, Gu La's reaction was faster than everyone else's.
Just as the two-word battle armor master took out the soul cannon shell and injected soul power, Gu La's eyes lit up—not with fear, but with an indescribable fervor.
'Rank Seven Fixed-Position Soul Cannon Shell?! A complete launching base?!'
Gu La's heart thumped violently. Even Leng Yaozhu in the Spirit Pagoda found it difficult to access the core manufacturing technology of such strategic soul-guided devices classified as the highest military secrets by various countries.
This was not just a weapon, but the pinnacle of soul-guided technology crystallization! The principles of the soul-guided arrays, energy compression technology, material applications—all were invaluable!
Moreover, the destructive power of fixed-soul cannon shells on facilities and civilians far exceeded the threat to top-tier fighters. Thus, even within the Federation, such weapons were rarely deployed.
At this moment, a ready-to-be-detonated Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell system, in his eyes, was akin to a mobile, waiting-to-be-explored treasure trove of top-tier soul-guided technology!
Dismantling, studying, reverse engineering... This held immeasurable value for his understanding of this world's top-tier soul-guided devices and possibly future "big toys" he might need.
As for detonation? Impossible.
Just as the leader's soul power was about to fully activate the base, summoning the devastating cannon shell at the critical moment...
Gu La's telekinetic force, like an invisible giant hand, instantly enveloped the launching base and its core depression area.
Space power was skillfully used to form a miniature, absolutely isolated dimensional bubble.
This bubble not only isolated soul power fluctuations but also instantly severed all connections between the base and the outside, as well as with the theoretically existent cannon shell in a special storage space!
Then, the space bubble, along with the launching base inside and the Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell forcibly "stuck" by spatial power, was directly absorbed into the system space by Gu La with unimaginable speed and secrecy.
The entire process was so fast that even the two-word battle armor master didn't have time to react. No energy leaked, no spatial ripples occurred.
To the outside world, it appeared that the two-word battle armor master had just fixed the base, injected soul power, and the base flashed red… then, the entire base along with the crucial depression vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
"???"
The Green Skull member furiously injecting soul power froze, staring blankly at the empty ground.
'My… cannon shell? That huge launching base? It was just here a moment ago!'
"Boom!" Black One finally arrived, his attack landing heavily. The Green Skull member, bewildered, was severely wounded and knocked flying, losing all combat capability.
"White Three, where's the cannon shell?!" Black One rushed close, looking at the shallow pit left by the fixed base on the ground and some traces of soul power burns, his face extremely grim.
He had seen the red flash just moments ago, then the item disappeared.
"Report." Tang Wulin rushed forward, equally shocked and confused behind his mask,
"I… I saw him activate the launching base with my own eyes, the red light flashed, then… then the base and the cannon shell disappeared, as if… as if they were taken away by spatial ability." He could only speculate.
"Spatial ability? Taking away a Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell… Are there others nearby?"
Black One crouched down, carefully examining the residual traces on the ground. The marks of soul power burns were clearly visible, the indentation left by the base fixation was still there, and one could even sense a trace of the unique violent energy fluctuations characteristic of high-level fixed-soul cannon shells.
His face turned ashen: 'The traces of the launching base activation are undeniable; White Three isn't lying! But… where's the cannon shell? Who took it? Whose side are they on, and what's their purpose?'
He immediately ordered all Douhun Hall members to thoroughly search a few hundred meters around, even using detection soul-guided devices, but found nothing.
The Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell, capable of destroying half a block, along with the launching base, had vanished like it evaporated.
Time was pressing. The audience inside the theatre, after some commotion, gradually calmed and were evacuated. The remaining Green Skull remnants were also cleared.
Black One looked at the chaotic scene and the fruitless search results, gritting his teeth and giving the order: "Withdraw, we can't stay here long. The disappearance of the cannon shell will be classified as top secret. I'll report it to headquarters; be careful not to leak it."
The Douhun Hall members withdrew like a receding tide, taking the wounded and captives, disappearing into the darkness before dawn.
On his way back, Tang Wulin couldn't help but glance back at the direction of the theatre, his heart filled with shock and confusion.
Who? Could someone take away a Rank Seven fixed-soul cannon shell about to be launched right under Black One's nose and those elite Douhun Hall members? What terrifying strength and advanced spatial equipment were required?
After everyone had left, Gu La's figure slowly emerged atop the shadowy building opposite the theatre.
He felt the metallic creation quietly lying in the system space, exuding danger and allure. His dark golden eyes gleamed with excitement akin to discovering a rare treasure.
"An unexpected delight." He curled his lips into a satisfied arc, his figure melting back into the shadows as if he had never appeared.
The night in Star Luo City seemed to hide secrets deeper than the Green Skull. And the location information of the Tang Sect's Douhun Hall base was now clearly imprinted in his mind through his spiritual lock on Black One.
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