The sword-wielding Five Elder and the Five Elder with the handlebar mustache stood on one side of the conference table. Their gazes were clear and resolute, and they radiated normal auras. The other three—the bald one, the blond one, and the bearded Five Elder—were clearly different. Purple light flickered in their eyes, and Void Energy flowed faintly around their bodies.
"The Light Stone must never be handed over to the Lord of Nothingness!" the sword-wielding Five Elder declared firmly. "It is a sacred relic our ancestors guarded with their lives. It represents hope and light!"
The blond Five Elder sneered. "Ancestors? Those weak predecessors died long ago. This is a new era. The Lord of Nothingness will lead us beyond everything!"
The Five Elder with the handlebar mustache glared at his controlled colleagues. "Do you still remember your oath? We swore to protect this world, not destroy it!"
"Protect?" the bald Five Elder mocked. "This rotten world should have been cleansed long ago. Only in nothingness can true order be born!"
The atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly tense. A clash between the two factions seemed ready to erupt at any moment. Lin Ye realized this was an opportunity, but also an enormous danger.
"We have to make a choice," Lin Ye whispered to Kizaru. "Either we support the two Five Elders who are still clear-headed, or we try to complete the mission on our own."
Kizaru considered it. "Supporting them is risky. We can't be sure they're truly trustworthy. But acting alone is almost impossible. Those three controlled Five Elders are too powerful."
Just then, the bearded Five Elder suddenly turned toward the ventilation shaft. An eerie gleam flashed through his purple pupils.
"There are intruders," he said coldly. "The Lord of Nothingness has already sensed their presence."