Under the enormous gap in soul power, even though Huo Yuhao unleashed the powerful Ruler's Dominion, he still could not compare to Lin Xiao, who had not even released his martial soul.
Bang—
His body crashed heavily to the ground. Huo Yuhao did not dare pause for even a moment. He quickly rolled and stood up, glanced at his position, then suddenly turned and dashed toward the exit of the tunnel.
Watching Huo Yuhao's constantly flickering figure, Lin Xiao showed no sign of fear that he might escape. He simply followed unhurriedly.
"Senior Brother, Dong'er! Quick—"
Just as he was about to reach the first level, Huo Yuhao did not dare linger at all. He no longer bothered hiding his identity and shouted loudly.
However, before his voice could fully fade, the final word "escape" became firmly stuck in his throat.
On the first level of the warehouse, where He Caitou and Wang Dong were supposed to be loading rare metals, the two of them were now tightly bound by ropes made of some unknown material, unable to move. Dark purple arcs of lightning continuously danced across them.
"Yuhao, don't come over!"
Wang Dong shouted loudly. A figure slowly emerged from behind him.
"Oh? The last rat has finally come out?"
The Dark Lightning Douluo looked at Huo Yuhao leisurely, seeming to let out a laugh. "Or perhaps I should call you… Tang Wu?"
Huo Yuhao glanced at the Dark Lightning Douluo, then looked back at the tunnel behind him. Before he could speak, the Dark Lightning Douluo clapped his hands, and Chen An's trembling figure appeared beside him.
"I know that the disciples of the church who came with me here did not do so for nothing. I am willing to give you the gold soul coins you deserve."
The Dark Lightning Douluo took two slow steps forward and leaned slightly toward Chen An's ear. "I am even willing to turn a blind eye to some disciples colluding with outsiders to sell certain rare materials and the like."
"After all, this is the kind of business we do, and I quite like it. However—"
The Dark Lightning Douluo drew out his words. "I may do these things very cautiously, but I have never been as reckless as you, inviting wolves into the house."
Hearing this, Chen An trembled like a sieve. Sweat beads continuously rolled down his forehead. He shakily raised his hand, trying to wipe the sweat away, but his hand missed several times.
"T… Third Elder, I… I…"
"It's fine, no need to be nervous." The Dark Lightning Douluo smiled, then suddenly pressed his hand onto the top of Chen An's head. "I have always had no objection to others doing business with me, but I hate most those who ruin my business."
As soon as the words fell, a sharp sound instantly echoed through the entire warehouse—like a sonic boom from high in the sky, or the wretched wail of vengeful spirits.
A streak of dark purple light descended from the top of Chen An's head, pierced straight through his entire body, and sank into the ground.
As the Dark Lightning Douluo lifted his palm, Chen An's body immediately went limp and collapsed to the floor, no longer making any sound.
"Good. Now that the internal matters have been dealt with, it's time to properly settle the external accounts."
The Dark Lightning Douluo distastefully patted his hands, as if brushing off some impurity that had clung to his palm. Although he was still dressed in that luxurious outfit, the merchant-like demeanor on his face had completely vanished, replaced by nothing but icy coldness.
"I never imagined that people from Shrek Academy would stoop to such sneaky, underhanded dealings?"
Hearing the Dark Lightning Douluo's words, Huo Yuhao's expression changed drastically. He gritted his teeth but still did not speak.
Seeing this, the Dark Lightning Douluo shook his head. "Still trying to struggle? Are you afraid of ruining Shrek Academy's reputation?"
As he spoke, the Dark Lightning Douluo took two steps forward, his tone suddenly turning cold. "Then don't treat us like fools!"
"Tang Si, and Tang Wu?" The Dark Lightning Douluo's gaze swept across He Caitou and Huo Yuhao. "Did you really think I didn't know the name of your Tang Sect's sect master?"
"From the moment you entered the territory of the Sunset Water Alliance, I knew that with your ages, you must be participants in the Elite Youth Soul Master Tournament. And now, with the tournament already in the round-robin stage and you three still remaining in Mingdu, your true identities naturally lie among the remaining thirty-two teams."
"Tang Si, Tang Wu… you didn't even bother to hide it at all. What, were you afraid others wouldn't connect you to the Tang Sect?"
As the Dark Lightning Douluo's voice echoed through the warehouse, Huo Yuhao suddenly realized exactly where things had gone wrong.
Originally, the names were chosen merely to commemorate the Tang Sect's ancestor Tang San, yet unexpectedly, those very names had betrayed their true identities. And once it was known they came from Shrek Academy, the Holy Spirit Cult would naturally pay close attention.
Perhaps from the moment he found this warehouse, they had already been targeted by people from the Holy Spirit Cult.
"So tell me, you few little brats, daring to toy with us like this—what should I do with you?"
As the Dark Lightning Douluo spoke, his gaze swept once more over Chen An's body nearby.
The expressions of Huo Yuhao and the other two instantly darkened.
If this were any ordinary time, perhaps teachers from the academy would have intervened, but tonight, all the powerhouses had gone to assassinate Xu Tianran and raid the Mingde Hall. They had taken advantage of this opportunity to come here in search of rare metals for the Tang Sect.
Yet unexpectedly, even after the assault on the palace, someone had remained behind—two Titled Douluo, no less.
Looking at the captured He Caitou and Wang Dong, and at the Dark Lightning Douluo who was closing in step by step, Huo Yuhao subconsciously took half a step back. Then, sensing something, he abruptly turned around.
At the entrance, Lin Xiao had already emerged from the tunnel in pursuit.
So much for any "limit single soldier." Under such an overwhelming disparity in strength, Huo Yuhao only felt a wave of powerlessness.
If it were just him alone, at worst he would pay the price for his own carelessness. But now, not only him, even He Caitou and Wang Dong had been dragged down because of him…
No… there must still be something he could do…
Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. Looking at the approaching Dark Lightning Douluo, he suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing before him.
"Elder, I wish to join the Holy Spirit Cult."
"Oh?" The Dark Lightning Douluo suddenly halted his steps and looked at Huo Yuhao kneeling on the ground.
"Yuhao—"
"junior brother—"
Wang Dong and He Caitou tried to say more, but the Dark Lightning Douluo merely waved his hand, sealing their mouths and reducing their words to muffled "mmph mmph" sounds.
"To save your life, you're even willing to say you want to join the Holy Spirit Cult?" The Dark Lightning Douluo leaned closer. "As someone from Shrek Academy, how do you expect me to believe you?"
Though his tone was full of mockery, to Huo Yuhao's ears it brought a sudden wave of relief.
As expected, the appreciation the Dark Lightning Douluo had shown during the Soul Engineer Tournament had not been an act.
He was not being arrogant, but with his talent, it was not surprising to gain others' admiration, even within the Holy Spirit Cult; he was more than capable of attracting attention.
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