The crystal's light shone on the red-robed man's face. He instinctively closed his eyes, and Lin Taichu seized the chance to stab at his shoulder. The trident struck, and the red-robed man let out a miserable scream as the Short Blade fell from his hand.
Lin Taichu stepped forward and planted a foot on the red-robed man's wrist, leaving him unable to move. "You can't escape now. Talk! Who's your boss? How many more strongholds like this do you have?"
The red-robed man gritted his teeth and refused to speak. Suddenly, he pulled a small black ball from his robes and threw it to the ground.
The ball exploded with a bang, releasing a massive cloud of black smoke that instantly filled the passageway and blocked all visibility.
Lin Taichu quickly covered his nose. By the time the smoke dispersed, the red-robed man was gone—there was another exit at the end of the passage, and he had escaped through it.
Lin Taichu chased him to the exit, only to find the vast deep sea outside. There was no trace of the red-robed man.
He knew the red-robed man had escaped this time, but at least they had stopped the transaction and destroyed this stronghold. It was not a total loss.
He turned and returned to the underground chamber, where the battle was already nearing its end.
Of the four Guards, three had died. The remaining one was surrounded by the soldiers and was quickly subdued. The Black-clothed Men had either been killed or captured. Only a few had escaped, but they were stopped by the ambush at the entrance and captured as well.
Under the suppression of the Deep Sea Crystal, some of the released ferocious beasts were killed, while others were locked back inside their iron cages.
Aron walked