Surrender, and You May Be Shown Leniency
Leng Yaozhu nodded. "The Tower Master of Douling and Star Luo Empire Spirit Pagoda are both from Qiangu Dongfeng."
"When you were attacked by the Holy Spirit Cult in the Star Luo Empire last time, I felt something was wrong, as if someone had leaked your whereabouts beforehand."
"I followed that line of investigation and found that it was indeed the case, and the Douling side wasn't clean either."
Huo Yuhao understood Leng Yaozhu's meaning. He frowned slightly and asked, "So what is Aunt Leng's plan?"
Leng Yaozhu voice, "Now that we've discovered it, we naturally have to go to Douling."
"I have already announced my seclusion, so no one will suspect anything. Let's set off today."
Huo Yuhao glanced at Leng Yaozhu and Han Tianyi, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two. "Just the three of us?"
Leng Yaozhu glanced at him. "If there are too many people, we'll be more noticed. The three of us are enough."
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
With their combined strength, the three of them could handle even the Nether Emperor of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Moreover, even if he ultimately loses, he can still take Leng Yaozhu and Han Tianyi into the Undead Plane, and if he wants to escape, no one should be able to stop him.
That day, the three of them quietly disappeared from the Spirit Pagoda without alerting anyone, and embarked on their journey to the Douling Continent.
Normally, people would choose an ocean liner to travel from the Douluo Continent to the Douling Continent, and the long sea voyage would take more than two months to reach the destination.
However, given the urgency of the situation and the current strength of Huo Yuhao and his two companions, they naturally couldn't choose a leisurely approach.
The three piloted two Mecha, traversing the seas at a speed far exceeding that of a cruise ship, and arrived at the Douling Continent in just ten days.
As they set foot on the Douling Continent, the sea breeze, carrying an unfamiliar scent, swept over them. Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Aunt Leng, shall we go straight to the Heaven Dou City headquarters?"
Leng Yaozhu shook her head, her gaze fixed on the undulating horizon in the distance. "We won't go to Tiandou. According to the information we've gathered, there should be a secret research institute in Lingbo City, and the Holy Spirit Cult should be there as well."
After a short rest, the three of them did not linger any longer and flew directly to Lingbo City.
Although the Spirit Pagoda in Lingbo City is only a Branch Tower, its staff naturally recognize Leng Yaozhu, the deputy Spirit Pagoda Vice Tower Master.
The moment Huo Yuhao and his two companions stepped through the gate of the Branch Tower, the eyes of several staff members in the hall turned to them. Immediately, someone recognized the familiar figure, and their steps involuntarily faltered.
A young staff member hurried forward, his expression shifting from surprise to panic, stammering, "Deputy... Vice Tower Master?!"
Leng Yaozhu glanced at him and asked in a nonchalant tone, "Who's in charge here now?"
The staff member took a deep breath and tried to steady his voice. "Tower Master Hua Tao is here today."
Hua Tao, as the head of the Spirit Pagoda of the Dou Ling Empire, should have been stationed at the headquarters in Heaven Dou City, but he appeared in this Branch Tower instead.
However, Leng Yaozhu showed no surprise when she heard this news, as if she had expected it all along.
She simply nodded slightly, her tone carrying an undeniable authority. "Have him come to see me."
The young staff member of the Spirit Pagoda quickly bowed his head and replied, "Yes!"
He then jogged towards the front desk, intending to contact the Tower Master's office.
However, at that moment, the elevator in the lobby suddenly opened, and a figure quickly stepped out.
The man looked to be in his fifties or sixties, of medium build, wearing a Spirit Pagoda uniform, and with a smooth and amiable face that suggested he had spent years dealing with people.
The moment he saw Leng Yaozhu, he quickened his pace, taking a few steps closer. A perfectly timed smile spread across his face, and his tone was warm and respectful. "Vice Tower Master Leng, your sudden arrival was quite unexpected. Why didn't you give me any advance notice? I could have made arrangements for your reception."
As he said this, his gaze lingered for a moment on Huo Yuhao and Han Tianyi, who were behind Leng Yaozhu.
Hua Tao, being a high-ranking member of the Spirit Pagoda, recognized the two of them at a glance, and at the same time, a sense of foreboding welled up from the bottom of his heart.
Leng Yaozhu looked at Hua Tao's smiling face, said nothing more, her tone cold and hard, devoid of any warmth. "If you surrender now, you may receive a lighter sentence."
These words caused the expressions of the staff at the surrounding Spirit Pagoda to change.
Hua Tao's smile froze abruptly, his pupils contracted slightly, and he seemed to be nailed to the spot by that blunt and inhuman remark.
However, he quickly regained his composure, his smile fading, and said, "Vice Tower Master Leng, what mistake have I made?"
"Even if I made a mistake, as the head of Branch Tower of the Dou Ling Empire, you have no right to directly convict me. The Tower Master needs to convene a meeting to decide."
Leng Yaozhu: "Don't try to intimidate me with the Qiangu Dongfeng' theory. The Holy Spirit Cult colluded with the Abyss to invade Douluo Continent, and is now the enemy of the entire continent."
"And since you are secretly colluding with the Holy Spirit Cult, even if I were to kill you on the spot now, Qiangu Dongfeng wouldn't be able to utter a single word."
Hua Tao's expression changed again, his mouth slightly open, clearly wanting to say something more to defend himself.
Huo Yuhao, who was standing to the side, spoke up at this moment, saying in a calm tone, "Those Evil Soul Master underground are still there. The evidence is conclusive. Tower Master, you should just admit it."
Huo Yuhao's Divine Power had already scanned the Spirit Pagoda inside and out of Lingbo City, but he did not find Leng Yulai's figure.
However, there are indeed several Evil Soul Master at the Soul Saint level in the underground laboratory, and this is concrete evidence!
The hall fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Even the staff who had been peeking around earlier now held their breath.
Hua Tao's face was ashen, and the expression in his eyes changed several times.
Fear, resentment, regret, and a host of other emotions flashed across his eyes, eventually settling into a sense of dejection.
His shoulders slumped slightly, as if the last rope supporting some kind of pillar had finally snapped.
He sighed, his voice hoarse, and said, "I am willing to return to headquarters with Vice Tower Master Leng to face trial, but I beg you to be lenient with the other staff members here. Many of them are unaware of the situation in the underground laboratory."
Leng Yaozhu didn't answer immediately upon hearing this, but instead glanced at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao immediately understood, stepped forward, and produced five silver-gray rings in his hand.
The rings gleamed with a cold metallic luster, their surfaces covered with intricate soul-guiding patterns. The five rings were fastened to Hua Tao's limbs and neck.
This is Soul Power Suppressor developed by Huo Yuhao; it belongs to the Level-nine Soul Tool.
Once worn, all Soul Master, except for those at the Limit Douluo level, will have their Soul Power completely sealed. Apart from having a slightly stronger physical body than ordinary people, they will be no different from ordinary people.
Hua Tao could feel his own original Soul Power being sealed off layer by layer, like gates falling one after another, completely cutting off the power flowing within his body.
His fingertips twitched slightly, then relaxed, and his expression calmed considerably, as if he had found a sense of relief after accepting the outcome.
Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over the others in the hall. Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "The Spirit Pagoda is sealed today. No one is allowed to enter or leave."
The staff members remained silent, none daring to raise any objections.
Then Leng Yaozhu turned her gaze back to Hua Tao and said, "Take us to see the underground."