Lin Xiao gently lifted the cloak covering his head. The familiar entrance to the headquarters looked different from before; the guarding disciples had already collapsed on both sides, clearly long since deceased.
From afar, with Lin Xiao's eyesight, he could still see the traces of destruction left in the corridor.
This was probably the last time he would come here.
With these thoughts in his mind, Lin Xiao continued walking inside. Most of the mechanisms on both sides of the corridor had already been destroyed. The defensive arrangements that the Holy Spirit Cult used against external enemies evidently could not hold out for long against a Super Douluo.
Moving further forward, bloodstains left on the ground could still be seen. The mechanisms at some branching paths had also been opened, not only blocking the way back but also guiding the intruders who entered here toward deeper traps.
Lin Xiao furrowed his brow slightly. He felt along the hidden mechanism on the nearby wall, and soon, with a rumbling "hong long long" sound, the stone wall in front of him slowly moved, revealing the path leading inside.
His spiritual power surged outward, and a trace of vigilance already appeared on Lin Xiao's face.
The mechanism used to seal the retreat had not been reset. The people inside had either left through other secret passages or were remaining within.
Stepping forward, Lin Xiao's feet seemed to tread on the ground, but upon closer inspection, there was still some distance between the soles of his feet and the surface. He walked without making the slightest sound.
Finally, the surroundings were no longer dark. Several strands of dark purple light appeared before his eyes.
The hall was already in complete disarray. Corpses of numerous Holy Spirit Cult disciples could be seen everywhere around. It appeared they had not put up any decent resistance. In front of a Titled Douluo, they had died almost without any chance to fight back.
The surroundings were completely silent. Lin Xiao slightly tilted his head, listening to the movements deep within the headquarters. The assassin's soul separated from his body and silently merged into the walls, searching for any traces left behind by the people from Shrek Academy.
Just as he was about to continue advancing deeper, there was suddenly movement on the ground to one side of the hall.
Lin Xiao abruptly turned his head to look. The "corpse" of the Dark Lightning Douluo lying on the ground suddenly seemed to come back to life, with a slight rise and fall in his chest.
"Cough—"
With a light cough, the Dark Lightning Douluo slowly opened his eyes. Turning his head to the side, he saw Lin Xiao standing right beside him.
"Is it Old Eight?" Although the gray cloak was completely unfamiliar, the familiar figure beneath the cloak still made the Dark Lightning Douluo vaguely sense something.
Lin Xiao did not speak, but this made the Dark Lightning Douluo even more certain of his guess. "The only ones who could enter here without triggering the mechanisms are people from within our Holy Cult… I have worked with you for too long…"
Hearing this, Lin Xiao let out a soft sigh and moved slightly closer. "It would have been better if you hadn't recognized me."
"If I didn't recognize you, would you have let me go?"
"No." Lin Xiao shook his head. "But at the very least, you wouldn't have to know that it was the person who worked beside you for so long who sent you off on your final journey."
"Heh." The Dark Lightning Douluo let out a light laugh. A stream of dark red blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth along with his breathing. "Betrayal… we people of the Holy Spirit Cult should have long been accustomed to it."
The Dark Lightning Douluo struggled as if wanting to do something, but his injuries left him unable to move. After emitting several pained, muffled groans, he finally gave up struggling and allowed himself to lie on the ground.
"Perhaps this is retribution. Back then, to control the underground business in Mingdu, I personally sent Old Four away. Now, you have come to send me off as well."
Hearing this, a slight change flickered in Lin Xiao's gaze.
Back then, when Huo Yuhao and He Caitou discovered the abnormality in Mingdu's underground arena, they had Yan Shaozhe and the elders of Shrek Academy come together to investigate. During the clash between the Netherworld Douluo and the opponent, the Second Elder Nan Gong Wan fled at the critical moment, causing the Netherworld Douluo to take a direct hit from a Super Douluo.
After that night, the Netherworld Douluo died, and the Dark Lightning Douluo had sorrowfully accused Nan Gong Wan in front of Feng Ling. In the end, Feng Ling ordered Nan Gong Wan to return to headquarters, and the business in Mingdu completely fell into the hands of the Dark Lightning Douluo.
Lin Xiao had originally thought that the Netherworld Douluo had truly been killed by a single strike from Shrek Academy's Super Douluo. But hearing the Dark Lightning Douluo's words now, it seemed the Netherworld Douluo had not died directly back then; instead, he had deliberately acted that way to frame Nan Gong Wan.
For some reason, after hearing this news, Lin Xiao did not feel particularly surprised. Instead, he felt that this was exactly how it should be.
After becoming an elder and constantly addressing the Dark Lightning Douluo and the others as brothers day after day, Lin Xiao had almost forgotten the scheming and plotting from his days as a disciple. But the Holy Spirit Cult had always been that same Holy Spirit Cult.
"It seems… You already understand. Cough, go ahead and do it."
The Dark Lightning Douluo coughed again. Blood surged from his chest and filled his throat, making his voice somewhat muffled.
Lin Xiao said no more. He gently raised his hand and pressed it against the center of the Dark Lightning Douluo's forehead. A flash of blue light immediately passed through the Dark Lightning Douluo's eyes, and then his body completely went limp.
Only a blurry shadow flickered past for an instant before vanishing at Lin Xiao's side.
Standing up again, Lin Xiao looked around once more. He found no one else still breathing. After pausing in place for a moment, he once again stepped toward the deeper parts of the corridor.
The people who came from Shrek Academy and Huo Yuhao were nowhere to be seen. Lin Xiao did not know whether they had escaped through secret passages elsewhere. However, he had no intention of searching for them. If he encountered them, a fight would be unavoidable, and he did not want to leave too obvious traces here.
He had come here this time with an even more important goal.
Without stopping, Lin Xiao soon walked into an extremely deep corridor. He continued all the way to the end before finally slowing his steps and coming to a halt.
Long Xiaoyao's figure was no longer here. The surroundings were bare, with nothing but stone walls.
Once again sending out his assassin to scout the area, he confirmed there was no other presence nearby. Only then did Lin Xiao finally close his eyes. The soul core in his body trembled slightly, and soul power, along with spiritual power, surged forth together. Faint spatial ripples spread from around him. At first glance, even his figure seemed to become indistinct and hazy.
Found it…
Ever since the last time he brought Nana here, he had already sensed that the entrance to the stone chamber containing the Holy Emperor statue was hidden within a nearby spatial rift.
It was usually undetectable, and ordinary people could not perceive it at all. Only soul masters who controlled spatial power could sense the location of the entrance. One of the reasons this place was guarded by the Limit Douluo Long Xiaoyao was precisely because he could manipulate spatial power.
A moment later, Lin Xiao slowly opened his eyes. A large door gradually appeared before him.
Without any further hesitation, Lin Xiao pushed the door open and entered. The Holy Emperor's statue appeared before him once again.
From the fear he felt the first time Nightmare Douluo brought him here, to preparing the spirit ascension ceremony for Nana, and now, after going around in circles, he had still returned to this place.
"Hu—"
Letting out a gentle breath, a layer of gray light rose and swirled around Lin Xiao's body. Soon, the Holy Emperor's statue also began to change slowly.
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