No one knew what had happened where Lin Shuguang was.
Qin Taihang had died in frustration, and Watanabe Konoha had been knocked unconscious and taken away. It was as though this ending had played out without a sound.
Molten lava slowly filled the blasted gullies covering the ground, bubbling with boiling heat.
A kilometer away, the members Qin Taihang had brought had already been routed by the Eastern Ying Ninjas, fleeing in disarray, some dead and others wounded.
Elsewhere, under Elder Cheng's leadership, the West River Sect searched everywhere for Jiang Xue'er and Lin Shuguang.
Before long, the West River Sect encountered the Eastern Ying Ninjas, and another fierce battle erupted between them. Fortunately, the Qin Family had already worn these Eastern Ying Ninjas down considerably, allowing the West River Sect to secure a costly victory in the end.
The group continued feeling their way through the palace and soon spotted an opening that had been blasted through a wall. None of them knew that Elder Wang (Lin Shuguang), whom they had been searching so desperately for, had fought two opponents alone and smashed through this stone wall. He could be called the one responsible.
"There are signs of a fight here..." Zhao Xifeng studied the tangled slashes all around with uncertainty and alarm. The stench of blood filling the palace was particularly pungent, enough to conjure images of the carnage that had taken place here.
Lu You leaned close and whispered, "I just checked. The dead are all from the Qin Family. Zhao, do you think Elder Wang might have been here?"
Zhao Xifeng had no confidence about Lin Shuguang's whereabouts either. "Let's keep looking. Heaven watches over good people like Elder Wang."
At that, Lu You walked silently aside and resumed his careful search for Lin Shuguang.