Guest? Assassin? Or Neither?

Lin Xiao swaggered through the gates of the Extraordinary Palace. Inside, the palace was incredibly vast and open, so spacious that it was astonishing!

The ground was carefully paved with marble as smooth as a mirror, polished to the extreme, seemingly capable of clearly reflecting every person's image!

At the very center of the palace lay an exceptionally broad main road, straight as an arrow as it led toward the majestic main hall in the distance. On either side of the road stood numerous neatly arranged stone-carved flower beds.

All kinds of flowers bloomed within those stone flower beds. In the tranquil night, they continuously released a captivating fragrance that left one utterly intoxicated.

Lin Xiao looked over the flower beds lining the main road, took a deep breath, and greedily inhaled the rich floral scent rushing toward him. Then he murmured softly, "From the outside, this palace is incomparably magnificent. Its grandeur is truly extraordinary, and its imposing presence is breathtaking. Yet the interior is no less impressive, every bit the equal of its exterior!"

Just as Lin Xiao was about to follow the broad main road toward the main hall, he suddenly heard a series of footsteps. Immediately afterward, a squad of soldiers emerged from a side path!

Every one of them wore sturdy silver armor, with a distinctive emblem clearly branded upon the left side of their chests. They tightly gripped silver spears in their hands and stood ramrod straight, exuding an extraordinary presence that drew the eye.

Lin Xiao watched the approaching soldiers without attempting to hide. He simply stood where he was and thought, These dozen or so people are all Soul Masters, and even the weakest among them are Soul Ancestors. Could they be the Spirit Master Knight Order stationed in the Crown Prince's Mansion?

The Spirit Master Knight Order had been patrolling the Crown Prince's Mansion when they arrived here. Upon seeing Lin Xiao standing ahead, the lead knight paused slightly, then whispered a few words to the knight beside him. That knight promptly left the formation.

"Hello. Let me introduce ourselves. We are the Crown Prince's Mansion Guard Knight Order First Squad, and I am the captain of the First Squad. Who are you, and why have you appeared here? Could you be an honored guest of His Highness?" The lead knight stared at Lin Xiao with clear wariness in his eyes as he questioned him.

Judging from the young man's appearance, he had never seen him in the Crown Prince's Mansion before. He was certain that this young man was entering their Crown Prince's Mansion for the first time!

Lin Xiao watched the knight who had left the formation hurry past him toward the palace gates. He neither made a move nor answered the lead knight's questions, merely standing there and quietly watching him.

When the young man did not respond, the lead knight instantly became alert. The knights behind him raised their spears and pointed them directly at Lin Xiao. The atmosphere immediately grew tense, like a bowstring on the verge of snapping!

"Why do you not dare answer? Are you an assassin? But that does not seem right. You are so young, and what assassin would appear here so openly? Should you not be hiding in the shadows like a rat? But if you are His Highness's guest, I have never seen you before!" The lead knight stared intently at Lin Xiao and voiced every doubt in his heart.

If this young man were an assassin, he was far too young. His Soul Power Level likely had not even reached Soul Emperor, while the guards at the gates of the Crown Prince's Mansion were Soul Saint-level experts. How could such a young assassin have slipped past the watch of two Soul Saints?

More importantly, if he truly was an assassin, why would he dare appear so brazenly before them? It even looked as though he had entered through the gates of the Crown Prince's Mansion. Could those two Soul Saints have been slacking off today?

But if he were a guest, their Highness had not informed them that a guest would be arriving tonight. Besides, he remembered every person who had ever visited the Crown Prince's Mansion, yet this young man was not among them!

"How strange. Truly strange. This makes no sense at all. What exactly are you?" The lead knight looked at Lin Xiao in bewilderment, his mind nearly frozen. He did not seem like an assassin, yet he was not a guest either.

"Captain, he is an assassin!!! The two top-tier Soul Saint experts are unconscious right now! Move quickly!" The knight who had left the formation shouted in panic as he ran out through the gates!

"Assassin!!!" The lead knight's previously stalled mind immediately began working again. His eyes gradually lit up as he thought, No wonder this young man dared to stroll in so openly. So he has formidable strength!!!

But just how powerful did he have to be to defeat the two Soul Saints outside without causing any disturbance?

He knew the strength of those two Soul Saint experts outside extremely well. If the two joined forces, they could hold their own even against a Soul Douluo-level expert!

Moreover, many years ago, those two Soul Saint-level experts had achieved a brilliant feat: they had successfully killed a Soul Douluo-level assassin outside the Crown Prince's Mansion!

Yet those two exceptionally powerful Soul Saints had been defeated by the young man before them, allowing him to enter the Crown Prince's Mansion. Just how terrifying was this young man's Soul Power Level?

Could it be that this youthful appearance was merely an illusion, and he was actually a veteran senior who had cultivated for many years?

On the Douluo Continent, what kind of bizarre Martial Soul did not exist? Perhaps there was a particularly unusual Martial Soul that allowed someone to retain the appearance of a young man even at an advanced age?

"Kill!!!" With the lead knight's firm and sharp command, the many knights behind him instantly surrounded Lin Xiao. Each held a sharp spear as they charged at him with murderous force!

They did not care how the young man had managed to defeat two Soul Saint experts. Since he had come here and intended to assassinate their Highness, he deserved to die!

Watching the sharp silver spears stab straight toward him at incredible speed, Lin Xiao's expression remained as calm as still water. Then, he began to unleash a soul skill!