The entire underground passage trembled faintly beneath the pressure released by the Limit Douluo. Fine cracks appeared across the heavy metal walls, and the air seemed to have solidified into hard iron, making even breathing incomparably difficult. Tang Wulin shielded Gu Yue behind him, his adult frame standing straight as a spear. Golden Dragon King Bloodline surged rapidly through his body, yet he did not rashly unleash it. His golden eyes remained fixed on the figure standing ahead with hands clasped behind his back, as calm as an Ice Seal blade.
He recognized this man.
In his memories of his previous life, this Limit Douluo had been one of the Spirit Pagoda Master's most loyal followers. His title was Soul-Severing, and he excelled at spiritual erosion and soul attacks. His methods were vicious and ruthless. Back then, he had also taken part in the siege against Tang Wulin and his parents. The blood on his hands was beyond counting.
Old hatred layered atop new enmity made Tang Wulin's knuckles turn white, but he forcibly suppressed the urge to strike immediately.
This was an underground passage beneath the Spirit Pagoda. If the battle caused too much of a disturbance, it would immediately draw more powerful guards. By then, forget rescuing his parents on the seventh underground level—even the two of them would find it as hard as climbing to heaven to escape unscathed.
"Dragon Emperor Douluo, give up resisting." Soul-Severing Douluo slowly stepped forward. Each step he took made the ground let out a dull boom. His Soul Rings pulsed slowly behind him, the vivid red Soul Ring particularly glaring. "You infiltrated the Spirit Pagoda, a crime punishable by death. The Master is merciful and is willing to give you a way out. Submit to the Spirit Pagoda and hand over the Golden Dragon King's Origin Essence. I can guarantee that neither of you will suffer the slightest harm."
Gu Yue stepped out from behind Tang Wulin and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. There was not the slightest trace of fear in her silver-gray eyes. The power of six elements silently circulated around her, subtly warping space into an invisible barrier that protected them both. She said nothing more, merely raised her gaze and fixed it on Soul-Severing Douluo. Her cool voice carried the unique pressure of the Silver Dragon King:
"Move."
Two simple words, yet they carried an imposing force capable of shaking heaven and earth.
Even when facing a Limit Douluo, she had never yielded in the slightest.
Soul-Severing Douluo immediately sneered. "Silver Dragon King, I acknowledge that you are the descendant of an ancient divine beast and do not wish to make things difficult for you. But if you insist on protecting Tang Wulin, then do not blame me for showing no mercy!"
The instant his words fell, his spiritual power erupted!
An invisible soul shockwave swept toward Tang Wulin and Gu Yue like a tsunami. Wherever it passed, the air gave off a piercing tearing sound, and the metal panels along the walls instantly shattered. Its power was enough to easily crush an ordinary Titled Douluo.
This was Soul-Severing Douluo's most terrifying method—indiscriminate soul crushing.
Tang Wulin's expression sharpened as he instantly activated the power of the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. Golden Bloodline Power shot into the air, forming a heavy barrier before him. The Golden Dragon King possessed the ultimate bloodline that cultivated both soul and body, granting it a natural resistance to spiritual attacks. Even so, Tang Wulin still felt a stabbing pain in his mind, proving just how powerful his opponent was.
Gu Yue's gaze turned cold as she gently raised her right hand, instantly gathering the power of space.
An invisible spatial barrier rose before them. Soul-Severing Douluo's spiritual shock slammed into it and was immediately twisted, torn apart, and dispersed into nothingness.
"The power of the elements? You truly have some skill." Soul-Severing Douluo's eyes turned fierce as he stopped holding back. "Since you refuse to appreciate kindness, do not blame me for taking you down and offering you to the Master!"
The red Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and his strongest Soul Skill erupted!
Countless pitch-black soul claws reached out from the void, carrying the power to tear apart souls as they frantically pounced on the two of them. The entire passage was completely shrouded in that sinister, venomous force. Both the road ahead and the path behind were sealed off.
"Keep his attacks occupied. I'll break the passage blockade!" Tang Wulin shouted in a low voice.
He knew very well that their goal was not to kill this Limit Douluo, but to continue deeper and rescue his parents.
"Alright."
Gu Yue did not hesitate in the slightest as the power of the elements erupted in full.
Wind, fire, lightning, earth, water, and space—the six powers intertwined into a dazzling yet deadly torrent of elements that met Soul-Severing Douluo's soul claws head-on. Explosions instantly resounded throughout the underground passage. Blinding light burst forth, shockwaves rolled outward, and rubble and fragments of Soul Power scattered everywhere. The terrifying aftermath of the battle made the entire Spirit Pagoda tremble faintly.
Soul-Severing Douluo's attention was instantly drawn to Gu Yue. He was both shocked and enraged, never having imagined that the Silver Dragon King's strength had already reached such a terrifying level. Even a casual attack from her was enough to contend with him head-on.
At that very instant, Tang Wulin moved.
He did not choose to launch a frontal assault. Instead, he circulated the Golden Dragon King's ultimate physical strength, clenched his right hand into a fist, and let golden dragon patterns coil across his arm. His Bloodline Power condensed to the limit as he viciously punched the section of wall at the side of the passage that had been reinforced by Soul Tool restrictions!
This punch did not produce an earth-shaking boom, yet it contained enough power to shatter mountains.
"Boom—!"
The heavy metal wall instantly collapsed, revealing a damaged passage leading into the dark alley outside.
This was the weak point in the restrictions Tang Wulin had found using the memories of his previous life. It was also their only path to temporarily escape the encirclement.
"Gu Yue, go!"
Tang Wulin shouted low as he grabbed Gu Yue's wrist and turned to charge through the opening.
Soul-Severing Douluo was shocked and enraged. He shouted sharply, "Trying to run? Stay right there!"
He wanted to give chase, but Gu Yue's erupting elemental power held him tightly in place, leaving him unable to break free. He could only watch helplessly as the two figures vanished through the opening, his entire body trembling with rage.
"Pass down the order! Seal the entire city! Tang Wulin and the Silver Dragon King have entered the western dark alleys. Search for them at all costs!"
The icy command instantly spread throughout the Spirit Pagoda and beyond.
Tang Wulin pulled Gu Yue along as they raced through the damaged passage, finally escaping Soul-Severing Douluo's encirclement and entering the maze of dark alleys outside the Spirit Pagoda's main city. The place was narrow, gloomy, and connected in all directions. Dense, low buildings blocked the line of sight, making it the perfect place for them to hide.
The two leaned against the cold wall and adjusted their breathing slightly.
Though the battle just now had been brief, it had been dangerous to the extreme. One moment of carelessness would have trapped them within the Spirit Pagoda's layers of pursuit and left them with no chance of escape.
"The Spirit Pagoda's defenses are even tighter than we imagined," Tang Wulin said gravely, his golden eyes filled with seriousness. "Soul-Severing Douluo was only the first checkpoint. Before we reach the seventh underground level, there will definitely be more powerful guards."
Gu Yue nodded slightly, her silver-gray eyes still calm. "Our movements have already been exposed. It is no longer possible to infiltrate silently. The Spirit Pagoda's hidden sentries, guards, and Soul Tool detection arrays must all be activated by now. The entire main city has become a cage."
Tang Wulin closed his eyes, and the scene of his parents' tragic deaths in his previous life once more surged uncontrollably into his mind.
The stabbing pain of Soul Tool beams piercing through their chests, the despair and reluctance in his parents' eyes, and his own heart-wrenching yet helpless agony...
The remorse and heartbreak buried deep in his bones made his heart clench violently.
He took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, only unwavering determination remained in them.
"No matter how many traps they have laid, I must break through them."
"My parents are still waiting for me."
Gu Yue gently raised her hand and took his, the warmth in her palm firm and steady:
"I'll go with you.
The dark alleys conceal the Spirit Pagoda's lowest-level agents and spies. We can use the chaos to find the true entrance to the underground passage, avoid the main defensive line, and continue sneaking deeper."
As the two spoke, faint footsteps sounded from the end of the alley, accompanied by low voices. Several covert agents wearing secret Spirit Pagoda insignias were approaching with detection Soul Tools in hand, searching this way step by step.
Their gazes were sharp and their auras sinister. They had clearly received the order and were searching with all their might for the two of them.
Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged a glance, then simultaneously concealed their auras. Their figures flashed, vanishing into the shadows deep within the dark alley.
Sunlight was blocked by the tall buildings, leaving only mottled patches of light on the ground. The two figures hid in the darkness like fierce beasts poised to strike.
The Spirit Pagoda's hidden agents had finally emerged from the shadows.
And their journey had shifted from a frontal assault into an even more dangerous, nerve-racking game within the dark alleys.
The true danger had only just begun.
Before you continue