"Hu— Hu—"
As the night was about to end, outside the Evil Demon Forest, the figure of Masquerade Douluo was dashing close to the ground, panting heavily while constantly looking back behind him.
Seeing that no one had chased after him along the way, he finally relaxed a little, and his speed slowed somewhat.
"A Titled Douluo… there was actually a Titled Douluo who found the headquarters, hu— hu—"
Masquerade Douluo panted, muttering intermittently in a low voice, "Ever since I lost my Titled Douluo cultivation, those people in the cult call me Elder with their mouths, yet they aren't even willing to find me a single cauldron, forcing me to make do with those mediocre, vulgar women."
"Zhongli… the cult leader keeps saying he'll help me recover my cultivation, but how many years have passed? Has he ever glanced at me again?"
"A Titled Douluo, whoever wants to deal with it can deal with it. Since you all think my current cultivation doesn't deserve the position of Elder, then I'll just do what someone with my cultivation should do."
Masquerade Douluo grumbled curses under his breath and once again turned to look behind him.
However, when he turned his head back around, a figure seemed to appear out of thin air right in front of him. Unable to stop in time, he crashed straight into it, then flew backward as if he had slammed into a wall, his whole body numb from the shock.
"What—"
Masquerade Douluo was about to curse loudly, but hurriedly stopped himself. "It was I who startled Senior. Please forgive me, Senior."
Masquerade Douluo hastily stood up straight, slightly bowing, his eyes lifting just enough to look at the gray cloak drawing closer and closer to him.
"Seventh Elder?"
Lin Xiao stopped in front of Masquerade Douluo.
"Ol… Old Eighth?"
Masquerade Douluo jerked his head up at the voice and tentatively spoke.
"It's me. Why isn't Seventh Elder at the headquarters?"
"It's good that it's you, quick, quick, quick, go back to the headquarters." Masquerade Douluo straightened himself without showing any change in expression, his tone extremely urgent.
"Someone attacked the headquarters. Third Brother is leading the disciples to hold them off. My cultivation is insufficient, so I escaped through the secret passage to seek help. Hurry, go support Third Brother."
"Does Seventh Elder know who attacked the headquarters?"
"I don't know their exact identity, but their cultivation is definitely above nine rings. Hurry back to support Third Brother; I'll go find others."
Lin Xiao looked at the "extremely anxious" Masquerade Douluo; his own tone also became somewhat urgent, yet his feet showed no sign of moving at all. "All right, I'll go right now. But why would Third Brother be at the headquarters?"
"He brought that newly accepted disciple to hold the soul-raising ceremony." Masquerade Douluo glanced in the direction of the Evil Demon Forest. "I think that disciple isn't much to speak of. Maybe the ones who attacked the headquarters were drawn here by him."
Lin Xiao followed Masquerade Douluo's gaze, his heart stirring slightly.
Perhaps he had actually guessed correctly.
"Why aren't you moving yet?"
Masquerade Douluo urged once more. At this, Lin Xiao merely gave a faint smile.
"I think Seventh Elder doesn't seem particularly anxious. Didn't you just say that headquarters affairs have nothing to do with you?"
Masquerade Douluo's expression stiffened. "You… you heard everything?"
"Yes, otherwise how could we have 'coincidentally' run into each other like this?"
Lin Xiao spoke with a smile, but his gaze grew colder and colder.
Masquerade Douluo felt a sudden chill in his heart, goosebumps rising all over his body.
His feet moved rapidly, Masquerade Douluo flashing and dodging, clearly about to slip past Lin Xiao.
But the moment he made his move, he felt a palm land on his shoulder. Though his feet kept struggling, his body remained firmly in place.
"Seventh Elder, why the rush to leave? Think about my 'teacher,' Nightmare Douluo. He usually has no one to talk to; he must have been lonely for a long time. Why don't you go keep him company?"
"Nightmare… he's still alive?"
Masquerade Douluo instinctively replied, but he quickly realized something was wrong. His body slipped, then transformed into countless maggots scattering in all directions.
Lin Xiao had seen this move before; it was precisely this life-saving technique that had once allowed him to escape from Shrek Academy's hands.
But under such a vast gap in soul power, and with Lin Xiao fully aware of his abilities, how could he possibly let him escape again?
With a shake of his soul power, a wave of deathly aura rapidly spread outward from Lin Xiao as the center. Those demonic maggots instantly burst apart, turning into pools of bloody water.
With a wave of his hand, specks of remnant souls gathered toward Lin Xiao's palm, soon condensing into a twisted face.
"I really never imagined your title would be Masquerade. I think, from now on, 'Demonic Maggot' suits you much better."
The soul of "Demonic Maggot" in Lin Xiao's hand seemed to struggle still, but it was uncontrollably drawn into the World of the Dead by Lin Xiao.
After finishing this, Lin Xiao withdrew his soul power and slightly raised his eyes to look into the distance.
Dark Lightning Douluo had brought Huo Yuhao to conduct the soul-raising ceremony, and then the headquarters were attacked. This matter had probably truly been guessed correctly by Masquerade Douluo.
Although Shrek Academy had not come to destroy the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters as he had expected, with this person who attacked the headquarters, some things now had a reasonable explanation.
As for whether others would believe it? Let them go find people from Shrek Academy to verify it themselves.
Collecting his thoughts, Lin Xiao wrapped his cloak tighter and, with flashes of his figure, once again sped forward.
"Boom—"
A loud explosion rang out in the underground hall. Dark Lightning Douluo's figure was instantly sent flying backward, smashing heavily into the wall on the side.
As the dust settled, Lin Huiqun's figure slowly appeared in the hall. Her clothes were already torn in many places, with streams of blood continuously seeping from her wounds.
The layout of the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters was naturally not simple. Even as a Super Douluo, she could not avoid taking some damage while passing through that long corridor.
Fortunately, during that time, she had sensed a familiar spiritual fluctuation. With the assistance of Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection sharing, she had managed to enter the hall smoothly; otherwise, who knows how many mechanisms she would have encountered in those winding, intersecting passages.
Lin Huiqun's gaze swept over Dark Lightning Douluo, lingering only for a moment before locking onto another passage nearby.
Seeing this, Dark Lightning Douluo instantly understood in his heart and also looked toward the passage. "So it really was you."
Struggling somewhat, he stood up and tore off the tattered sleeve beside him with one pull. "Greed truly harms people. I was greedy for money, greedy for disciples, and reluctant to part with your talent. In the end, it was I who harmed myself."
Dark Lightning Douluo let out a long sigh. "Old Four, Old Four, what you said before you died was not wrong at all."
For a Titled Douluo, level 95 was already a dividing line. Even though Lin Huiqun was currently in poor condition as well, dealing with Dark Lightning Douluo was still far too easy.
Outside the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters, strangely shaped trees swayed with the wind. The sun had just risen, casting shadows on the ground that made the already irregular trees appear even more grotesque.
And on those swaying shadows, a figure lightly stepped forward.
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