Lin Yun followed the other person's gaze. The rock wall over there was indeed unusually smooth, and looked like a doorway.
The three patterns that the upperclassman had said resembled Soul Seals came into view.
The dragon was above, with the book and flower on its left and right. The three Soul Seals formed a triangular arrangement.
From the looks of it, the upperclassman was right: they needed people with the three corresponding Martial Souls to open this door.
But Lin Yun still felt uneasy. The reason was simple: here, he was practically illiterate, while this upperclassman could read what was written above.
That gap in information was terrifying.
If the upperclassman really meant well, then fine. But if she didn't—or if she'd found some way to guarantee her own survival—
Lin Yun would die without even a place to be buried.
He told Electrolux about his concerns. Electrolux shared them, but his words were right to the point.
"But you don't trust her, and you have no other way out."
Lin Yun thought it over, then sighed. For now, he could only take things one step at a time. If worse came to worst, he could team up with Chu Zhengzhang and help her open the door.
Chu Zhengzhang was looking at Lin Yun, his meaning plain as day.
They'd come to the same conclusion.
After exchanging a few glances with Chu Zhengzhang, Lin Yun turned to the upperclassman and said calmly, "Since that's the case, let's stop wasting time and get started."
At his words, the upperclassman nodded and stepped forward. "The main problem is that we don't know how to use this door. We can only try pouring in Soul Power first, and if that doesn't work, use blood. We'll have to test each thing one by one."
Lin Yun glanced at her, then nodded and placed his hand on the Soul Seal bearing the dragon-type Martial Soul.
Just like when his Soul Power had been tested after awakening his Martial Soul, Lin Yun felt his body grow light, as though the stone door had drawn some of his Soul Power away.
Lin Yun said, "It worked. It absorbs Soul Power."
At the same time, the dragon-type Martial Soul's Soul Seal changed slightly, taking on the shape of a tattoo of the Skeletal Bone Dragon.
A miniature version, at least.
The change startled the other two. Only after confirming it wasn't harmful did they put their hands on the seals.
This time, the two Soul Seals didn't change. Instead, the ground shook, and the entire cavern began to tremble violently.
The doorway retreated, then slowly sank down, revealing a pitch-black passage.
Lin Yun and the other two looked at one another. In the end, Chu Zhengzhang, the oldest of them, led the way, the upperclassman followed in the middle, and Lin Yun brought up the rear.
They hadn't gone far when the ground ahead suddenly gave way. All three of them fell straight down.
When Lin Yun woke again, Chu Zhengzhang and the upperclassman were entangled on the ground. Chu Zhengzhang was barely breathing, and the upperclassman was dead.
Chu Zhengzhang spoke weakly to Lin Yun. "Just now, that so-called upperclassman of yours suddenly rushed ahead and touched something. Then we fell. An evil dragon was coiled around you, so your upperclassman couldn't kill you. She came after me instead."
In Lin Yun's Sea of Consciousness, Electrolux said, "I can't be sure whether that so-called evil dragon is real, but everything else is. Your so-called upperclassman really did have ulterior motives."
Lin Yun stepped forward, pried the two apart, and said to Chu Zhengzhang, "The disciples of Shrek Academy's Inner Court are all very self-centered. It's a flaw in the academy's system. I'd rather trust you."
After separating them, Lin Yun quickly leaped out of Chu Zhengzhang's attack range, struck a fire starter, and looked around.
The sunken area seemed to be a secret chamber. Only one wall bore signs of human handiwork, and an amber-colored sphere was embedded in it.
Chu Zhengzhang stood up and came to Lin Yun's side, looking with him at the wall marked by human hands.
Suddenly, Chu Zhengzhang cried out, "It's Him! It's Him!"
Lin Yun looked at the amber-colored, irregular, vaguely humanoid thing in the mural. Since "he," "she," "it," and "Him" were four different sounds in Douluo Continent, Lin Yun knew Chu Zhengzhang meant the one that referred to a god.
Confused, he turned to Chu Zhengzhang. "What—what is this painting of?"
A hint of reverence appeared on Chu Zhengzhang's face. "It's the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who descended into the mortal world, the Holy Son of peerless majesty, and the Holy Maiden whose immortal beauty endures forever. The Holy Spirit is the supreme god of legend in our Holy Spirit Cult."
Lin Yun's mouth twitched. "You made your god look this ugly? If you paint Him this ugly, how could He be happy? How could He protect you?"
Chu Zhengzhang replied, "What do you know? The Holy Spirit is formless. Everything is the Holy Spirit, and everything can also not be the Holy Spirit. He is everywhere, yet exists nowhere in particular."
Lin Yun rolled his eyes and said, "That's still no reason to paint Him like a mud monster."
Chu Zhengzhang was staring at the amber-colored, diamond-shaped crystal. Gradually, a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.
"I understand. This is the Land of Martyrdom and Rebirth described in the Holy Spirit Scripture. This is where I'll be buried and become a saint!"
Chu Zhengzhang abruptly flung Lin Yun toward the crystal, pressing Lin Yun's forehead against it.
"You son of a—"
Before Lin Yun could finish cursing, Chu Zhengzhang threw the upperclassman's corpse to Lin Yun's right, then lay down against the stone wall on his own left.
The stone wall seemed to come alive. Thirty thousand red threads wrapped around Lin Yun and Chu Zhengzhang as Chu Zhengzhang murmured, "No matter whom the gods choose, please let the Holy Light illuminate the earth, so that the world will never again have someone as foolish as me."
The next moment, the amber crystal began to glow. It swiftly merged into Lin Yun's heart, pulsing with his heartbeat as it activated his Skeletal Bone Dragon Martial Soul.
"Roar!"
The Skeletal Bone Dragon sensed the threat and rapidly reacted to protect him, forcing the crystal outward. The crystal shuddered violently and fought back, making Lin Yun shake all over as if he were having a fit.
After gritting his teeth and enduring it for a while, the amber crystal abandoned Lin Yun's heart acupoint and rushed into his Sea of Consciousness, where it curled up in a corner.
Panting, Lin Yun finally struggled free of the red threads and looked toward where Chu Zhengzhang lay.
Chu Zhengzhang had a smile on his face. It was pure and unclouded, as if before dying, he had truly returned to the carefree days of his childhood...
Before you continue