Hearing Olds say that walls had ears, Gu Ding froze and looked around the cage, but he could not see anything beyond it. Still, he understood most of the situation. Since the cage had been deliberately placed here and Olds had also been imprisoned within it, it was entirely possible that someone outside was watching the battle between him and Olds.
The battle with Olds had been thoroughly satisfying, and Gu Ding trusted his character. With a single step, he appeared before him.
Olds raised a hand to cover his mouth. Gu Ding leaned forward and pressed his ear close, hearing Olds's barely audible voice transmission: "Trust me. Don't resist..."
Before Gu Ding could understand what Olds meant, Olds suddenly sprang into action and pointed a finger at Gu Ding's forehead.
Gu Ding instinctively wanted to strike back, but he recalled Olds's words from moments ago and forcibly stopped himself. Olds's finger landed on Gu Ding's forehead.
The instant Olds's finger touched Gu Ding's forehead, a Blood-colored Array Pattern rapidly condensed above Olds's head. The pattern fired a blood-red beam downward, completely enveloping him.
Bathed in the crimson light, Olds's body slowly began to break apart into golden motes of light, which were absorbed by the array pattern above him.
At the spot on Gu Ding's forehead touched by Olds's finger, an array pattern identical to the one above Olds's head appeared. It was many times smaller and rotated quietly upon Gu Ding's forehead.
At first, Gu Ding thought Olds was attacking him. But he quickly realized that Olds's gesture was not an attack, but something akin to a contract.
Outside the cage, the ponytailed man's expression changed drastically as he prepared to intervene. Yet he was stopped by the goat-bearded elder in the projection.
"Even if you act now,