Attack from the Holy Spirit Cult!

"Master... you mean to use assassinations to wear down the power Tang San left behind."

After pondering for a moment, Leng Yulai finally understood Su Mo's intentions.

"Correct!"

Su Mo nodded approvingly.

With Tang San's divine consciousness present, directly killing Tang Wulin was nearly impossible.

But he could disgust Tang San by having others repeatedly assassinate Tang Wulin, wearing down the power Tang San had left within his body.

The power consumed might be limited, but it was still better than doing nothing.

"But wouldn't that alert the enemy and make Tang San suspicious?"

Leng Yulai frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashing through her eyes. "If the Holy Spirit Cult went to such great lengths to assassinate a Soul Master, wouldn't that look suspicious no matter how you saw it?"

Su Mo curled his lips slightly and asked with confidence, "Do you still remember Wu Zhangkong, whom I had you investigate before?"

When Su Mo mentioned Wu Zhangkong, Leng Yulai's eyes instantly lit up. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "Master, you mean to pin this on that idiot Fengniao."

"Correct answer!"

Su Mo nodded in satisfaction and reached out to pinch Leng Yulai's soft, springy cheek.

When Tang Wulin joined Class Five, Su Mo had already asked Leng Yulai to investigate Wu Zhangkong's background.

What a find. He had been shocked once he looked into it.

A disciple of Zhuo Shi, the Red Dragon Douluo and elder of Sea God Pavilion; a core disciple of the Tang Sect; and his lover, Long Bing, had died protecting him at the hands of Dark Fengniao, the foremost of Su Mo's father's Four Heavenly Kings of the Holy Spirit Cult. Every possible buff had been stacked on him.

The last person with that kind of buff was called Kakashi.

So the moment Su Mo saw Wu Zhangkong's information, he concluded that Wu Zhangkong would definitely become Tang Wulin's guide at Eastsea Academy.

And just as Su Mo had expected, among the Class Zero students, Wu Zhangkong cared about Tang Wulin far more than he did about anyone else.

Look, it was only the first day of vacation, and Wu Zhangkong had already rushed Tang Wulin off to Heaven Dou City.

Through Bandai Group's surveillance network spread throughout the Federation, Su Mo could easily track Wu Zhangkong and Tang Wulin's whereabouts.

As early as when Wu Zhangkong and Tang Wulin bought Soul Guidance train tickets to Heaven Dou City, Su Mo had already received the news.

"I'll leak Wu Zhangkong's whereabouts to that guy Fengniao right away!"

Leng Yulai acted immediately. She picked up her personal Soul Guidance Communicator, her fingers rapidly tapping across the screen as she sent Wu Zhangkong's location to Dark Fengniao.

The instant the message was sent, Leng Yulai lifted her chin smugly and glanced at Su Mo as though asking for praise.

Understanding her meaning, Su Mo reached out and gently stroked Leng Yulai's smooth long hair.

Feeling the warmth from Su Mo's palm, Leng Yulai contentedly narrowed her eyes like a kitten.

A faint blush rose on her cheeks, and her lips curved slightly upward as an unprecedentedly satisfied expression appeared on her face.

But the joy on Leng Yulai's face quickly faded, and her bright eyes gradually clouded with reluctance and loss.

Because she knew she had to leave again.

Depressed, Leng Yulai looked exactly like a kitten about to be abandoned. She silently curled up beside Su Mo, wrapped her arms around him, and deeply inhaled his scent.

It was as if she wanted to firmly remember his scent before leaving.

Seeing Leng Yulai's humble appearance, Su Mo could not help recalling the first time he had met her.

Su Mo first met Leng Yulai during a sightseeing event organized by the Spirit Pagoda.

Back then, Leng Yulai had been practically a different person from who she was now.

At the time, Leng Yulai had been timid and introverted, like a pebble lying by the roadside, with pitifully little presence.

Whether it was people her age or even her parents, everyone's attention was focused solely on her extraordinarily talented older sister—Leng Yaozhu.

No one cared about her, the little nobody, to the point that no one even noticed when Leng Yulai went missing.

By the time the Spirit Pagoda discovered that Leng Yulai was lost, the little nobody had already wandered through the perilous Star Dou Forest for three days and three nights.

If Su Mo had not saved the near-death Leng Yulai back then, she would likely have become food in the stomach of some other Soul Beast.

Su Mo had not had any ulterior motive when he saved Leng Yulai. He had simply felt pity for her.

A seven- or eight-year-old girl in ragged clothes, her face covered in mud and blood, had curled herself tightly beneath an ancient tree like an injured little beast, trembling as terror and helplessness filled her eyes when she looked around.

Even the most stone-hearted person could not have stood by and ignored such a sight.

Su Mo simply had not expected that after he saved Leng Yulai, she would cling to him and refuse to leave him and return to the Spirit Pagoda no matter what he said.

In the end, Su Mo had no choice but to tell Leng Yulai that he would need her help in the future, and that he hoped she would return to the Spirit Pagoda and cultivate diligently.

Only then did Leng Yulai reluctantly leave the Star Dou Forest and return to the Spirit Pagoda, so that she could help Su Mo in the future.

Later, once Leng Yulai had cultivated to become a Titled Douluo, Su Mo sent her to the Holy Spirit Cult as an undercover agent.

Thinking of this, Su Mo felt somewhat unwilling to put her through it.

"Things on the Holy Spirit Cult's side aren't urgent. How about you stay and keep me company for this month?"

"Long live Master!"

The moment she heard that Su Mo was not making her rush back to the Holy Spirit Cult, Leng Yulai happily threw herself at him like a little girl and fiercely kissed his face.

Heaven Dou City

Tiandou Public Cemetery

Wu Zhangkong led Tang Wulin down the straight road toward the deepest part of the cemetery.

Since it was Tang Wulin's first time at a cemetery, he looked around from side to side like a curious child.

Soon, Wu Zhangkong stopped before a tombstone engraved with the words, "Tomb of Long Bing."

At the sight of the tombstone, the aloof, gloomy expression on Wu Zhangkong's face disappeared completely, replaced by unprecedented tenderness.

Wu Zhangkong took out a white cloth and carefully wiped away the dust on the tombstone. Seeing this, Tang Wulin did not dare step forward to help and could only stand quietly to one side and watch.

Though the tombstone was not particularly large, Wu Zhangkong spent more than an hour wiping it down.

"Bing'er, in the other world..."

Just as Wu Zhangkong finished cleaning the tombstone and was about to pour out his heart to it, a skull radiating dense dark energy silently flew toward Tang Wulin from the darkness.

"Careful!"

Having sensed the approaching danger, Wu Zhangkong had no time for melancholy. He pulled Tang Wulin behind him and summoned his Martial Soul, the Sky Frost Sword.

A flash of sword light cut through the air, splitting the massive skull burning with ghostly green flames in two. It dispersed into wisps of ghostly energy.

Wu Zhangkong stared coldly toward an empty corner opposite him.

"Come out!"

The moment Wu Zhangkong's words fell, a tall figure slowly emerged from the dark corner.

The newcomer wore a black robe, his face concealed in shadow, with only a pair of eyes glowing with eerie light visible.

"As expected of someone Lord Fengniao specifically mentioned. Wu Zhangkong, you are qualified to become a member of my Soul Mourning Banner."

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a chilling coldness that made one's heart shudder.

The normally unruffled Wu Zhangkong's expression changed dramatically the instant he heard the word "Fengniao." His eyes filled with killing intent as he looked at the other man, his voice icy. "You're from the Holy Spirit Cult?"