Anomaly!

"Emm..."

Su Mo clicked his tongue regretfully as he stared at the blank screen on the soul-guided television, unable to see Tang Wulin's current condition.

If he could clearly see what Tang Wulin looked like now, perhaps he could uncover even more secrets hidden within him.

But soon, Su Mo lazily stretched and muttered indifferently, "Forget it. Once next semester starts, I'll be joining Tang Wulin's little group anyway. There'll be plenty of chances to investigate then."

Su Mo casually switched off the soul-guided television, then turned to Leng Yulai and asked, "By the way, Yulai, why didn't Dark Fengniao act personally this time?"

If Dark Fengniao had come in person this time, even if Tang San logged in, he would have had to pay a heavy price. How could Wu Zhangkong have resolved the crisis so effortlessly?

Leng Yulai, who had been focused on peeling grapes for Su Mo, froze for a moment before softly replying, "Master, that idiot Fengniao received an order from Ghost Emperor on his way to Heaven Dou City. He changed course halfway through to assassinate the Tang Sect's chief scientist, Ling Zichen."

"Oh?"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow, surprise appearing on his face. "Is that big-assed woman really so gifted in research that the Holy Spirit Cult fears her this much?"

After all, the strongest among Ling Zichen's group was only a Spirit Saint, while Ling Zichen herself was an ordinary person without the strength to truss a chicken.

Who was Dark Fengniao?

He was the foremost of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings, a level ninety-eight Super Douluo who possessed Three-Word Battle Armor!

Sending such an important figure to assassinate an ordinary person was enough to show just how highly the Holy Spirit Cult valued Ling Zichen.

Leng Yulai shook her head. "This subordinate did not investigate it in depth."

"This was a sudden request from the Spirit Pagoda. The Holy Spirit Cult was only responsible for carrying it out."

"The Spirit Pagoda?"

A faint, amused smile curled Su Mo's lips. "It seems Douluo Continent will soon fall into chaos. Our opportunity is coming."

Su Mo was more than happy to see the Spirit Pagoda use the Holy Spirit Cult to weaken the Tang Sect.

If the major powers of Douluo Continent continued maintaining their superficial peace, his future plan to plant the Divine Tree would definitely encounter considerable resistance.

But now that the Spirit Pagoda could no longer suppress its ambition and had wielded the Holy Spirit Cult as a double-edged sword—

The undercurrents hidden beneath the peace would finally begin to surge once more.

The balance of power on Douluo Continent would undergo a new, massive reshuffling, just as it had ten thousand years ago.

"Yulai, I'll have to trouble you again. Bring back some of Ling Zichen's body tissue for me."

After considering it for a moment, Su Mo gave Leng Yulai the order.

Hearing that Su Mo wanted her to bring back Ling Zichen's body tissue, Leng Yulai immediately understood. "Master, are you going to use Impure World Reincarnation to bring her back?"

"Mhm."

Su Mo nodded without denying it. "I'm rather concerned about what she said yesterday."

Su Mo had remained curious about what Ling Zichen had told him yesterday.

Even after learning that she had overdrawn her life force, Ling Zichen had still dared to confidently claim that she had a way to keep herself alive.

One had to know that on Douluo Continent, once life force had been overdrawn, there was no way to restore it unless one made a major breakthrough in cultivation and raised one's life level by an entire rank.

If there really were a method on Douluo Continent to make up for overdrawn life force, Zhen Hua would definitely have been the first to know about it.

As the only Divine Craftsman of the current era, Zhen Hua possessed countless connections, yet he had retreated from the forefront while still in his prime.

The reason was that when Zhen Hua had forged Four-Word Battle Armor in his youth, he had overdrawn too much life force and was now forced to stop.

Even the most esteemed Divine Craftsman could not replenish his overdrawn life force, much less anyone else.

That was why Su Mo was still quite interested in Ling Zichen.

If not for the fact that Ling Zichen was the Tang Sect's chief scientist, whose disappearance would surely trigger an extensive Tang Sect investigation, Su Mo would have long since found a way to keep her.

Now that the Holy Spirit Cult could take the blame for him, he naturally had to make good use of this opportunity.

"Master, I'll be leaving for a while, then."

Leng Yulai changed into an outfit that wrapped her perfect figure tightly from head to toe, her gaze toward Su Mo full of reluctance.

"Go on."

Su Mo nodded.

But before leaving, Leng Yulai made a particularly bold decision and bent down to plant a fierce kiss on Su Mo's lips.

The instant their lips met, Leng Yulai's excited heart seemed ready to leap from her throat, and her pretty face turned as red as a ripe apple.

Before Su Mo could react, Leng Yulai fled in panic like a startled rabbit.

Watching the direction in which Leng Yulai had disappeared, Su Mo touched his lips, which still retained a trace of warmth, and helplessly shook his head.

For Leng Yulai, the lovestruck woman who obeyed his every word, he truly could not think of a better reward than satisfying her.

"Hehehe~"

On the way from Su Mo's villa to the place where Dark Fengniao had ambushed Ling Zichen, Leng Yulai could not stop the corners of her lips from rising, letting out foolish little laughs from time to time.

Her mind replayed, over and over, the moment her lips had touched Su Mo's.

Though she had often taken advantage of Su Mo whenever they met in the past, getting handsy with him—

At most, she had merely stolen little benefits by kissing his cheek or forehead. It was on a completely different level from that genuine "kiss" just now.

"Master, my soft and sweet Master!!!"

After savoring the feeling of kissing Su Mo once again, Leng Yulai could not help squeezing her thighs together.

Tang Sect Heaven Dou City Branch.

The unconscious Tang Wulin lay quietly on an antique wooden bed.

The bedposts, carved with cloud patterns and soaring dragons, gave off a faint sandalwood fragrance. The wind blowing in through the lattice window could not disperse the tense atmosphere inside the room.

On the bed, cold sweat covered unconscious Tang Wulin's forehead, and his chest heaved violently as if he were enduring unimaginable agony.

His once slender yet powerful arms had now completely transformed into dragon claws covered in golden scales, each scale glinting with a cold golden light.

His youthful face had become incomparably twisted from the intense pain, and low, beastlike growls even escaped from between his lips and teeth.

An elderly, short and stout man sat beside the bed.

The old man's bald head shone so brightly it nearly reflected people's images, while an unusual steadiness and authority lay hidden between his brows.

The old man was none other than Zhao Song, one of the Outer Hall's three great hall masters. A level ninety-five assault-type Super Douluo, he was the man in charge of the Tang Sect Heaven Dou City Branch.

After Wu Zhangkong had called the Tang Sect for help, Zhao Song had been the first to arrive at the scene, bringing Wu Zhangkong and the unconscious Tang Wulin back to the Tang Sect's Heaven Dou City Branch.

"Elder Zhao, what exactly is happening to Wulin?"

Seeing Tang Wulin's agonized expression, Wu Zhangkong could no longer suppress the panic in his heart. He turned toward Zhao Song beside him, his tone so urgent that it was nearly unrestrained.

Zhao Song fell silent for a moment, raising a hand to rub his shining bald head. His brows twisted together as though he were choosing his words carefully.

"Zhangkong... your student has most likely suffered a backlash from the bloodline within his body."

"A bloodline backlash?"

Wu Zhangkong froze, his face full of disbelief. "Isn't a bloodline something one is born with? How could it cause a backlash?"

"Well..."

Zhao Song's gaze flickered, and his tone became hesitant and stammering.

Wu Zhangkong urged him anxiously, "Please, just tell me already! Wulin is a Tang Sect disciple!"