The alarm sounded like a blunt knife, cutting through the deathly silence deep within the forbidden area.
Hyuga Xiao did not even turn back to look at the dark-gold Watcher Contract. He grabbed Samui by the wrist, his voice lowered to a near whisper. "Go."
Two words, absolute and final.
Samui did not resist. She knew better than anyone that the commotion from breaking the barrier and freeing the soul had been far too great. The Main House response unit had likely sealed every exit by now.
The two of them retreated swiftly along the passage they had come through.
Xiao's Tenseigan gave off a faint azure glow in the darkness. His vision pierced through layer after layer of rock, reconstructing the entire forbidden area in his mind. Three main passages, twelve side paths, seven trap nodes—the Main House forces were closing in from three directions, and the closest had already reached the second stone gate.
"The third side path on the left has a hidden drainage channel." Xiao's voice sounded beside Samui's ear. "Follow me."
He turned into a narrow corridor first, with Samui close behind. The passage grew narrower and narrower until they could only pass sideways. Icy droplets seeped from the rock walls, landing on their necks and sending chills through them.
Hurried footsteps echoed from behind them.
"There's movement in the depths of the forbidden area!"
"The barrier has been destroyed—someone broke in!"
"Split up and search! Bring them back alive, or bring back their corpses!"
The Main House Guard's roars reverberated between the stone walls, carrying barely restrained shock and fury. Xiao could sense at least twenty chakra signatures rapidly approaching, three of them especially solid—Elite Ninja level.
He stopped and pressed his right hand against the damp rock wall.
The Tenseigan's vision pierced through