Chapter 493: Holy Spirit Annihilation (6k)

The rose-gold vortex rapidly expanded, under Huo Yutong's control, affecting no material thing but specifically targeting mental power.

Instantly, countless Evil Soul Masters had their heads blown apart by Huo Yutong's terrifying mental power, and a bloody smell quickly spread underground.

This sudden change instantly terrified the Evil Soul Masters, who instinctively set aside what they were doing and tried to flee.

But it was already too late; given their situation, from the moment Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong discovered this base's location, escape had become impossible.

Tang Wulin raised his hand to the top of his head and then clenched it tightly.

「Screech—」

Tens of thousands of black spikes instantly shot out from every corner underground, piercing the bodies of the nearby Evil Soul Masters.

Because the number of summoned dark spikes was truly excessive, and he might still have to fight the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch later, he did not use much soul power, so each spike's power was low.

Although this power was low for him, its attack strength still reached the level of a Soul Douluo's attack, enough to instantly kill the vast majority of Evil Soul Masters here.

What remained were all high-end combatants; as long as we focus on eliminating them, that will suffice.

After this round of attack, the number of Evil Soul Masters underground plummeted, dropping from several thousand to under a hundred in an instant.

Even those who luckily survived were mostly severely wounded, and it was clear they would not live much longer.

「Ha, ha, uh…」

The Honored Douluo with the highest cultivation among them clutched his wound in pain, gasped twice, then exerted force with his hand, soul power surging, and violently shattered the three rings worn on his fingers.

In the next instant, he was pierced through the head by a dark spike and met his end.

Tang Wulin furrowed his brows; the action of this Honored Douluo-level Evil Soul Master before death gave him a bad premonition.

He no longer held back, bringing down the hand he had raised overhead, and the field erupted again with hundreds of dark spikes, completely killing the Evil Soul Masters who had survived the previous round.

As soon as he finished doing all that, he felt the space not far away twist, and an elderly figure appeared here.

He was one of the two Ultimate Douluo of the Holy Spirit Sect, the Dragon King Douluo Long Xiaoyao.

「! 」

Seeing him, Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong quickly assumed battle-ready stances.

Their current strength was certainly not inferior to Long Xiaoyao's, but Long Xiaoyao, being an elder-generation Ultimate Douluo, no one dared say whether he had any hidden ultimate techniques.

Perhaps due to their reverence for Mu En in their hearts, Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong subconsciously overestimated Long Xiaoyao, who was famed alongside Mu En.

As a result, it's hard to say whether it was unexpected or expected, but after Long Xiaoyao glanced around the surroundings, he actually let out a relieved sigh.

He looked at Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong, smiling as he asked:

「You two little brats are Mu En's two disciples, right? I recall your names are Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong. 」

Both of them were stunned.

Seeing their surprised expressions, Long Xiaoyao burst out laughing.

「Don't make that face; it's easy to figure out. 」

He casually found a spot to sit, as if wanting to chat with the two like family, and pointed to the box in front of him.

「Come, you two sit too; let's have a chat. 」

Tang Wulin looked at him somewhat warily.

「Senior, even if we talk, I suggest we change locations; the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch is likely to arrive imminently. 」

After a brief surprise, he also realized why Long Xiaoyao could recognize him and Huo Yutong.

As individuals who reached the Ultimate Douluo realm before twenty, their recognizability is extremely high.

The rings had just been crushed less than five seconds ago, and Long Xiaoyao had already arrived at the battlefield; only an Ultimate Douluo could slaughter the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters to this extent in such a short time.

Therefore, from the moment he saw the two youths, Long Xiaoyao likely already guessed their identities.

If possible, Tang Wulin would indeed like to chat with this Dark Holy Dragon, but unfortunately now is really not the time.

That Honored Douluo had just died, and Long Xiaoyao arrived; considering he crushed three rings before death, one is Long Xiaoyao's, another likely Ye Xi Shui's, and the last one Tang Wulin thinks was probably used to call for help from the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch.

If the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch arrives and Long Xiaoyao joins forces with him to attack us, that would be troublesome.

Long Xiaoyao shook his head helplessly.

「You kid, you're indeed smart, but your cleverness is a bit over the top; sometimes you fail to see many things, so let's do this. 」

He extended a hand and raised it above his head.

「I swear by my martial soul that if Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong fight the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch, I, Dragon King Douluo Long Xiaoyao, will certainly help them battle it; if I break this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me. 」

Having said that, he gave the two a playful wink.

「How about that, does it satisfy you? 」

Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong couldn't help but glance at each other, both feeling deeply puzzled inside.

This Dragon King Douluo gave them a feeling somewhat different from what they had imagined.

According to common sense, an oath sworn to one's martial soul on the Douluo Continent is the most vicious oath, and no soul master would break it, but can they truly believe this Holy Spirit Sect Ultimate Douluo? Seeing them still hesitant, Long Xiaoyao sighed helplessly.

「Alright, do I really look that bad? Moreover, if you trust me, the upcoming battle against the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch will gain an Ultimate Douluo-level ally—a rare opportunity. If I remember correctly, little miss, you are a spiritual attribute, right? You really don't want to absorb it as a soul ring? With its soul ring energy, condensing a soul core when breaking through to Honored Douluo will be much easier. 」

What he said does make sense; if the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch could become her ninth soul ring, Huo Yutong's difficulty in condensing a second soul core would undoubtedly drop sharply, which is also one of the important reasons Tang Wulin considered fighting it on the way here.

In the end, Huo Yutong made the decision first, telling Tang Wulin in her heart: 「Wulin, I think we can trust him. 」

At the final moment of her battle with Ye Xi Shui, she saw Ye Xi Shui's memories.

Although what she saw was not comprehensive, she still saw much information about Long Xiaoyao from Ye Xi Shui.

Based on the content shown in those memories, Long Xiaoyao is unlikely to go back on his word.

Since Huo Yutong said so, Tang Wulin had no objection.

He nodded, took Huo Yutong's hand, sat down not far from Long Xiaoyao, and said in a low voice: 「Let's make it short. 」

Long Xiaoyao chuckled and said:

「It's fine; the Evil Eye is now close to the next great calamity, and he has been in slumber during this period to prepare for the next great calamity. The Holy Spirit Sect's distress call will indeed wake him, but waiting for his rescue would take at least a few minutes—this time is already enough. 」

The three rings crushed by that Honored Douluo were originally a set.

Normally speaking, the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters would always be garrisoned with multiple Honored Douluo, even Super Douluo‑level Evil Soul Masters; even if not said to be impregnable, ordinary people could hardly do anything about it.

Only a powerhouse at the Limit Douluo level could possibly deal a devastating blow to the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters.

Therefore Tang Wulin's guess was correct: those three rings correspond respectively to Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xi Shui, and the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord.

According to the original procedure, if the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters encountered a crisis, these three rings would shatter, and the first to arrive would be Ye Xi Shui and Long Xiaoyao, the two Limit Douluo.

With these two veteran Limit Douluo present, even if Emperor Tian himself arrived, it would be difficult to destroy the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters in a short time.

The two Limit Douluo only need to buy a few minutes to fully awaken the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord; afterward, three world‑top powerhouses would besiege it, and even Emperor Tian could not gain an advantage before such a formation.

But now this procedure has been completely disrupted.

Ye Xi Shui died at Huo Yutong's hands, making it impossible for her to come to the rescue.

Although Long Xiaoyao has arrived, it seems he has no intention of joining the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord to protect the Holy Spirit Sect; instead, he wants to team up with Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong to eliminate it.

As for the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord…… he will indeed follow the original plan, but this time he will have to face a siege by three Limit Douluo‑level powerhouses.

Tang Wulin looked at Long Xiaoyao before him with a somewhat strange expression; for some reason, he always felt that Long Xiaoyao's expression was especially open‑minded, as if after being troubled for hundreds of years he had finally let go.

Long Xiaoyao smiled and asked:

"First, let me, the old man, ask a question: Ye Xi Shui was killed by you, right?"

As soon as he spoke, he dropped a bombshell, causing Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong to involuntarily hold their breath.

But both are people who dare to act and take responsibility; after a slight hesitation, they nodded together.

Long Xiaoyao immediately laughed.

"You are very honest; although well‑meaning lies aren't bad, I still prefer honest children. You're great—Mu En truly has two fine disciples."

Then he let out a long sigh.

"Don't be afraid; I have no intention of seeking revenge on you. Ye Xi Shui has harmed far too many people. Although I wanted to protect her, I'm not so indiscriminate as to blame those who killed her after her death."

He scratched his head and said, "By the way, let me tell you the story of me, Ye Xi Shui, and Mu En. This story has been bottled up in my heart for almost two hundred years; I've long wanted to confide in someone."

Something unexpected happened: upon hearing this, Huo Yutong immediately showed a hard‑to‑speak expression.

"Um… Senior Long Xiaoyao, I know your story from back then."

"Huh?" Long Xiaoyao stared for a moment, "How come, did you hear this from Mu En?"

Huo Yutong gently shook her head. "No, while fighting Ye Xi Shui I glimpsed her memories, and from them I learned about your story with her back then… though the truth might not be what you think."

Long Xiaoyao couldn't help but furrow his brows.

"What do you mean? Are you saying Ye Xi Shui hid some things from me?"

"Mm."

Huo Yutong let out a sigh and asked:

"If I'm not mistaken, the thing you regret most in this life is not being able to leave in time that night, thereby hurting the teacher and Ye Xi Shui."

"That's right."

Long Xiaoyao nodded candidly.

It was precisely because of that night's events that he, once one of the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons, chose to join the Holy Spirit Sect to help Ye Xi Shui.

Huo Yutong's face showed a hint of reluctance, but she ultimately decided to tell this Dragon King Douluo the harsh truth.

"What happened that night was actually planned deliberately by Ye Xi Shui."

"……What did you say?"

Long Xiaoyao showed an expression of not understanding what Huo Yutong was saying.

Huo Yutong repeated:

"That night's events were entirely orchestrated by Ye Xi Shui herself."

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Long Xiaoyao quickly reached out to stop her from continuing and asked:

"It's not that I didn't hear clearly; I just don't understand the logic. What reason did Ye Xi Shui have to do this?"

Huo Yutong couldn't help but reveal a sympathetic expression.

"Because she wanted to bind you to the Holy Spirit Sect."

"……"

Long Xiaoyao was at a loss for words for a moment.

Seeing that he did not immediately refute, Huo Yutong leisurely recounted the scheme Ye Xi Shui had set up against Long Xiaoyao and Mu En that she knew of.

"Ye Xi Shui was originally a member of the Holy Spirit Sect; she approached you and the teacher because she wanted to bind the two young‑generation geniuses to her side, and if that failed, she at least wanted to destroy you, or at the very least make you go your separate ways."

"As expected, you both developed feelings for her due to her deliberate enticement, which in turn created some conflict."

"But beyond her expectations, the bond between the teacher and you was far better than she imagined; you would not truly turn against each other over love for her. Instead, you reached a private agreement to compete fairly, swearing that the loser would not resent the winner, and no matter the outcome, you would remain friends."

"Thus, after thinking it over, she devised an even more outrageous plan."

"She first attached herself to the teacher, because compared to you, the teacher was the most dazzling genius of Shilake Academy at the time, the first heir to the future Sea God Pavilion Master, and thus far more valuable."

"Then she personally schemed to make you suffer for life, so that you would lose all face to see the teacher again, and she also succeeded in binding you to her side, forcing you to serve the Holy Spirit Sect for the rest of your life."

"All of her actions were premeditated; perhaps she did have some genuine feelings for you, but your entire life has been ruined by her scheme. Honestly, I really feel it's a waste for you, and also for the teacher."

Long Xiaoyao listened to Huo Yutong's words with a solemn face, not interrupting; but the more he heard, the heavier his expression became, until it was almost as if water could drip from its weight.

Although he was unwilling to believe it, much of what Huo Yutong said could only be spoken by someone who knew the truth of those years; at the very least, Xuanzi could not possibly know the details, and the only people who might have told her were Mu En and Ye Xi Shui.

Long Xiaoyao knew Mu En very well and believed Mu En would never tell Huo Yutong about this; if so, then what she said must be true.

Tang Wulin, standing aside, had already been stunned into silence.

According to Huo Yutong's account, one could say Long Xiaoyao's entire life was ruined in Ye Xi Shui's hands; this Death God Douluo is not only a murderous demon but also a woman who deceives emotions to destroy others' lives—a truly toxic woman.

Merely listening to Huo Yutong's account made Tang Wulin involuntarily feel a chill run down his spine.

After a long silence, Long Xiaoyao finally let out a long sigh.

Perhaps everything you say is true, but right now, all of this has become meaningless.

He raised his head and looked upward.

Mu En is already dead, Ye Xi Shui is already dead; even if I wanted to apologize to Mu En, or confront Ye Xi Shui, it's now something I can only think of but cannot do—everything is too late.

The trio from back then is now only him, so he feels that nothing matters anymore.

When he learned two days ago that the front line of the Heavenly Soul Empire had completely collapsed and that everyone, including Ye Xi Shui, had died in battle, his heart was in intense pain yet unexpectedly calm.

He had no urge to destroy the world in anger, nor any plan to seek vengeance from the people of the three original Douluo nations; he only felt that he had suddenly let go, and at the same time lost the motivation to keep living.

The events of the past ultimately dissipated with Ye Xi Shui's death, and he also lost the meaning of living; if it weren't for Mu En, who before his death managed to find him and urged him to take care of his two disciples, he might have committed suicide the moment he heard the news.

Long Xiaoyao is actually already dead; what remains here is merely an empty shell.

He lightly shook his head, redirected his gaze to the two youngsters, and smiled: "Forget it; since you already know, even more than this old man does, there's no need for me to say more—let's get to the point."

He said solemnly:

In order to make amends for Ye Xi Shui, during these years in the Holy Spirit Sect, although I did not directly participate in evil deeds, I still helped them quite a bit; therefore you need not think I am a good person—I am an utterly wicked great villain, and for those I harmed to death, I must die, otherwise I could not forgive myself.

As he said, regardless of his thoughts or actual conduct, from the moment he joined the Holy Spirit Sect, the once noble Dark Holy Dragon ceased to exist, replaced by the tyrant-aiding Dragon Emperor Douluo.

Over these years, whether voluntarily or not, the help he gave the Holy Spirit Sect has piled up as high as a mountain.

Without his support, the Ri Yue Di Guo might not truly dare to launch war so swiftly.

Without his backing, the Evil Soul Masters of the Holy Spirit Sect might not have become so arrogant.

Without his patronage, there certainly wouldn't be so many ordinary people in the world ruined and families destroyed by the Holy Spirit Sect.

Even speaking of the present situation, if the Holy Spirit Sect did not have two Limit Douluo, they might not be able to cooperate with the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch.

He deserves death.

But I cannot die yet.

His eyes were filled with pain.

I am sorry to Mu En; no matter whether what you say, little lady, is the truth, I am sorry to him, so I must agree to his request—before his death he entrusted me to take good care of you two and help you, so I must do something for you before I die.

But the problem is that your growth speed is truly too fast; in the blink of an eye, you have grown from the little ones who needed Mu En to specially entrust me with protecting, into top-tier powerhouses standing at the pinnacle of the continent, and even now in one-on-one fights I could no longer defeat any of you.

So the solution I came up with is to help you hunt down the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch.

He took a deep breath and said:

I know you will surely find this place, and it's very likely to happen within these two days, so I've been waiting these two days for you to come, to help you hunt down the entity ranked second among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.

The Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch is the most powerful spirit-type soul beast with the highest age in the present world, so he is undoubtedly the most fitting existence for you, little lady; having him as your Ninth Soul Ring would not bury your top-tier talent.

Moreover, there's no need for any psychological burden; as far as I know, just during the period of cooperating with the Holy Spirit Sect, the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch has killed many innocent people—while that's normal for a soul beast, conversely, we humans hunting him need feel no hesitation.

In the upcoming battle against the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch, I will stake my old life to create opportunities for you; you must seize the moment, end the fight swiftly, and not give him a chance to go all out—the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch, who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Beast God Ditian, has strength that is no empty reputation; even now, you could be counter-killed by him with a slight mistake.

After saying that, his face showed a look of relief.

What he did not say outright was that this was the most suitable way for him to find his own death.

Being able to die while helping Mu En's disciples is, for him, the greatest redemption.

Only thus could he possibly meet Mu En again beneath the Nine Springs and tell him, without burden, that all the entrusted matters have been completed.

Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong were momentarily unable to speak.

Although Long Xiaoyao did not state it explicitly, they both already understood the meaning behind his words.

Although they originally had no intention of letting this Holy Spirit Sect Limit Douluo live, hearing him say this now still stirred a bit of regret in them.

Tang Wulin was about to say something when he suddenly stopped.

Not only him, but Huo Yutong and Long Xiaoyao also shuddered all over and simultaneously lifted their heads.

Although above them was the solid ceiling of the Holy Spirit Sect's headquarters, they still managed, through mental power, to directly see the outside scene through it.

The clouds in the sky were pulled to both sides by an invisible force, revealing a gigantic eye between them, from which a towering aura burst forth.

Although a layer of earth separated him from the Evil Eye Tyrant Monarch, Tang Wulin felt a strange sensation as if their gazes had locked.

Long Xiaoyao took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Let's go, let's hunt the legend."

Side note: I fell asleep while writing in bed last night, so there was no update.

Today during the day something disgusting happened: the computer couldn't connect to the internet, causing the update progress to fall far behind.

Tonight I estimate there will still be a four-thousand-word chapter.

(End of chapter)