"Is there something else?" Her voice carried a hint of displeasure at being disturbed.
Arthur didn't waste words and got straight to the point: "Pagoda Master Leng, you don't want to fail to find your sister either."
Before the words had even faded, the temperature inside the cultivation room seemed to drop by dozens of degrees suddenly.
The aura around Leng Yaozhu's body abruptly congealed, and those eyes, which always carried a sense of coldness, instantly erupted with terrifying brilliance.
The terrifying pressure of a Rank 98 Super Douluo spread uncontrollably, and the air emitted an overburdened hum.
"What do you mean? Speak!" Leng Yaozhu's voice carried an almost imperceptible tremble, a reaction to the pain and hope buried deep in her heart for decades being touched.
Arthur never succumbed to pressure; his expression remained unchanged, and his tone was steady: "I don't have definitive evidence of where she is. But I am ninety percent certain that the Holy Spirit Cult must have clues regarding her whereabouts, or she herself might even be related to the Holy Spirit Cult."
He quickly and clearly explained his analysis, emphasizing the depth of the Holy Spirit Cult's concealment, their mysterious ways, and their habit of collecting special talents or Martial Souls.
Leng Yaozhu listened in silence, the pressure on her body slowly receding, but her gaze became increasingly sharp.
Every sentence of Arthur's analysis struck at the doubts and conjectures she had held over her years of fruitless searching.
Indeed, if Yu Lai were still alive and could evade her and the Spirit Conduction Tower's investigation, where else could she be except for a dark Empire like the Holy Spirit Cult, which existed almost independently of the continent's order?
"What do you want to do?" Leng Yaozhu's voice returned to calm, but beneath this calm was a volcano about to erupt.
"It's simple: take the initiative and sweep through the Holy Spirit Cult's overt strongholds or the hidden ones we might be able to find." Arthur spread his hands. "On one hand, it weakens their power and interferes with their plans, gaining time and the initiative for Shrek City."
"On the other hand, and most importantly, during the sweeping process, we look for any clues related to your sister. Combat and chaos are often the best times to force out secrets."
Agravaine added at the right time: "Pagoda Master Leng, we know this is risky. But rather than passively waiting for the executioner's blade that could fall at any time, it's better to take the initiative and cut off the hand holding the blade."
"Furthermore, with the three of us joining forces, it's enough to handle most situations."
Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept back and forth between Arthur's and Agravaine's faces, finally settling on Arthur's clear and determined eyes.
This young man possessed an extraordinary steadiness and insight; his words inexplicably made her willing to believe in that slim hope.
More importantly, the Holy Spirit Cult was indeed the most likely place to find her sister.
Decades of waiting and searching had long since exhausted her patience. Even if there was only a thread of possibility, even if what lay ahead was a dragon's pool or a tiger's den, she had to go and try!
In the next moment, Leng Yaozhu suddenly attacked, flames howling as they quickly bound Arthur in front of her.
She was testing his current strength.
True Fire wrapped around Arthur's body, and scorching heat waves swept the surroundings, but golden light surged from within Arthur, acting like an invisible barrier that steadily contained the flames.
Then, with a light flick of his finger, the originally violent Heavenly Phoenix True Fire actually became docile in an instant, turning into fine golden flames that circled around his wrist.
"When do we leave?" Seeing this, Leng Yaozhu didn't waste any more words and asked directly.
Arthur smiled: "Anytime is fine, it's up to you."
Leng Yaozhu nodded, turned back into the cultivation room, and walked out a moment later, having changed into a deep purple outfit suitable for action.
Her long hair was neatly tied up, and her whole person was like a sharp sword drawn from its scabbard, radiating a chilling aura.
"Let's go."
The three of them left without alerting anyone, quietly departing from the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, merging into the twilight, and speeding toward a desolate mountain range northwest of Heaven Dou City.
The night grew darker, and the starlight dimmed.
In the distant Shrek City, under the quiet shroud of Ya Li's holy power, it remained brightly lit and seemingly peaceful, but in reality, undercurrents were surging... At first, sensing that there were Evil Soul Masters in Heaven Dou City again, Arthur found it somewhat strange; he had just cleared them out not long ago, and yet they were back.
The desolate mountain range was filled with jagged rocks, and in the night, a cold wind whistled, carrying gravel.
The three figures glided through the air, landing silently without even disturbing a blade of grass.
"There's a stronghold three miles ahead, hidden in an abandoned mine. I sense twenty-six auras, two of which are close to the Titled Douluo level."
A faint light condensed at Arthur's brow as space unfolded, and the surrounding scenery appeared clearly in his eyes. "There's a Restriction at the mine entrance, and two hidden sentries are behind the rock wall."
Leng Yaozhu nodded, golden-red True Fire rippling around her body yet precisely restraining its aura: "I'll handle the cleanup; you break the Restriction."
"Agravaine, you go up to the sky and play your part as the moon properly to prevent any fish from escaping the net."
Agravaine: "?"
Seeing his reaction, Leng Yaozhu tilted her head and said coldly: "Isn't this what you usually like to do most? Is there a problem?"
A chill ran down his spine, and Agravaine hurriedly shook his head: "No problem."
Then, Leng Yaozhu's figure flickered, turning into a streak of fiery red light, so fast she was only a blur, fully displaying the speed advantage of the Heavenly Phoenix Martial Soul.
Behind the rock wall, the two hidden sentries were crouching in vigilance when they suddenly felt a surge of heat. Before they could even cry out, they were instantly incinerated by the True Fire, without making the slightest sound.
Leng Yaozhu retracted her move and turned back, her expression unchanged: "Move."
Arthur stepped forward, reached out, and light beams Binding and extending forward, condensing into a Holy Lance.
The tip of the spear lightly tapped the Restriction at the mine entrance that was glowing with a black light.
The black light flickered violently and vanished.
It didn't cause any commotion.
This made Leng Yaozhu unable to resist taking an extra look at Arthur, her evaluation of him rising another notch in her heart.
"This spear of yours..."
"Is there a problem?" Arthur blinked.
After a moment of silence, Leng Yaozhu shook her head: "No, it's nothing."
Then the two of them sneaked inside.
Inside the mine, it was dark and damp, and the sound of water dripping from the rock walls was clearly audible.
"Ten meters ahead to the left, there are three Evil Soul Masters guarding the passage. Turning right leads to a storage room, and the deepest part should be the meeting point."
"That's where the most people are; they're in the middle of a discussion."
"Huh, they're transporting soul guidance cannons?"
Arthur flicked his fingers, and two golden silk threads shot out, precisely Binding the ankles of the patrolling Evil Soul Masters ahead. With a light twist, the three of them groaned and slumped down, their Spiritual Power and bodies instantly imprisoned.
Leng Yaozhu followed closely behind, Heavenly Phoenix True Fire condensing at her fingertips. Whenever she encountered scattered Evil Soul Masters, she would tap them with the True Fire and immediately retract it, eliminating the person without alerting those deeper inside, her movements crisp and efficient.
With her Spiritual Power, she naturally heard the discussion in the depths as well.
Turning the corner, they pushed open the slightly ajar door of the storage room. Inside were many Soul Guidance Parts and several containers holding a dark red liquid, with a pungent smell of blood.
"They're core components for soul guidance cannons, from Rank 1 to Rank 9."
"Tsk, and there are imprisoned Vengeful Spirits."
Leng Yaozhu glanced over and sent out True Fire to release the Vengeful Spirits.
"How audacious! These beasts actually want to slowly transport these soul guidance cannons into Heaven Dou City and detonate them!"
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