Chapter 47: Ye Xishui
Lin Yu did not give her much time to think.
He felt the surging power within his body, more harmonious and powerful than before, as well as his newly acquired affinity for the elements of Water and Fire. A thought instantly became clear in his mind.
"Alright, my Tower Master."
Lin Yu straightened his slightly messy collar, his tone returning to its previous composure, even carrying a hint of anticipation for the actions he was about to take.
"The blueprint for the Spirit Pagoda, the core technology of the Soul Network, and the details of the cooperation with the Illustrious Virtue Hall—I have handed them all over to you. How to negotiate and how to operate them is entirely up to your decision. I believe your abilities go far beyond merely acting as a bodyguard for me."
He stepped toward the door. As they brushed past each other, he tilted his head slightly, his low voice carrying an unquestionable decisiveness: "As for me? Since I have come to the Sun Moon Empire, I must pay a visit to the local 'land snakes.' The Holy Ghost Church... they have occupied this place for many years. It is time they moved aside to make room for the great cause of the future, and incidentally... I'll collect some interest and add a few handy blades to my collection."
The moment his words fell, Lin Yu's figure blurred. Space rippled like water; with one step, he passed directly through the heavy metal door and vanished without a trace.
Gu Yuena was left standing alone in the empty reception room. The flush on her cheeks had not yet faded, but the complex emotions in her purple eyes settled, eventually transforming into a state of cold and deep contemplation.
The Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda... the Soul Network... controlling the lifeline of information... What exactly is this man plotting? To throw such authority to me—is he truly not afraid of nurturing a tiger that will cause trouble, or is he... after something else?
Her fingertips unconsciously brushed over her warm lips; that strange sensation seemed to linger.
Outside the door, Jing Hongchen, who had been waiting, felt an indescribable spatial fluctuation sweep past. Immediately after, he saw Lin Yu appear before him like a ghost. His aura seemed deeper and more restrained than before, carrying an inexpressible sharpness and a heart-palpitating elemental rhythm.
"Excellency Lin Yu?" Jing Hongchen's heart tightened, and he hurriedly bowed.
"Hall Master Jing," Lin Yu waved his hand, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable aloofness. "For the follow-up matters, Tower Master Gu Yuena will discuss them with you in detail. I have other important business to attend to. Farewell."
He did not give Jing Hongchen a chance to ask a single question. His figure blurred again, and with a flash of silver light, he completely disappeared into the strictly guarded corridors of the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Jing Hongchen stood frozen, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. This Excellency Lin Yu came and went like the wind, acting unpredictably, and his strength was unfathomable. That moment of spatial teleportation and the faint elemental fluctuations... were definitely not something an ordinary Titled Douluo could achieve!
He dared not be negligent for a moment, quickly straightening his clothes and preparing to face the equally unfathomable Tower Master Gu Yuena with the utmost respect.
...
West of Radiant City, deep within the desolate and eerie Barren Bone Wasteland.
This was an important stronghold of the Holy Ghost Church in the Sun Moon Empire, hidden beneath an abandoned ancient mine. The scent of blood and resentment had almost condensed into a physical substance here.
However, at this moment, this stronghold had turned into a silent ruin.
There had been no earth-shattering explosions, nor traces of tragic combat. There was only the brutal twisting, folding, and crushing of space itself.
The solid rock layers were kneaded like soft mud by an invisible, giant force. The secret underground hall, along with dozens of evil soul masters, their sinister formations, and blood pool altars, were all flattened in an instant. They were compressed into a pitch-black singularity smaller than a fist and then silently annihilated, without even raising a speck of dust.
Lin Yu's figure emerged at the edge of the ruins, a silver ripple of space remaining on his fingertips.
He looked at the ground that had been "erased" clean, feeling the newly acquired Water and Fire elemental powers flowing actively through his meridians, faintly echoing with his spatial power. A cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth.
"Efficiency is good. Next... hmm, Blood Soul Valley." He muttered to himself, his figure fading once more.
...
Just as Lin Yu was on his way to the next Holy Ghost Church stronghold—Blood Soul Valley.
This was a death swamp shrouded in thick gray mist. Decaying miasma and cold soul power intertwined, making even the light appear distorted and dim.
Lin Yu walked through the void as if on level ground, strolling leisurely. Suddenly!
Without any warning, the space in front of him distorted violently!
A massive claw—entirely condensed from viscous foul blood and the wailing faces of countless vengeful souls—seemed to reach out from the deepest depths of hell. Carrying an extreme malice and chill that froze space and tore at the soul, it instantly ripped through the gray mist and lunged at him ferociously!
The moment this giant claw appeared, the temperature of the entire death swamp plummeted. Countless hidden poisonous insects and evil creatures froze to death instantly, and even the pervasive gray mist was stained with a nauseating blood color!
The speed was so fast and the ferocity so savage that it far exceeded the limits of an ordinary Titled Douluo! The strike was meant to kill!
A cold, hoarse female voice, filled with endless madness and hatred, echoed through the distorted space like a chilling wind from the nine underworlds:
"You destroyed my foundation and slaughtered my disciples... Junior, do you truly think my, Ye Xishui's, Holy Ghost Church is made of clay?! Die for me!!!"
Facing the giant blood-soul claw that tore through space and carried overwhelming malice and bone-piercing chill, there was no panic in Lin Yu's golden eyes—only a hint of cold mockery and a burning, fierce battle intent.
"Oh."
Before his voice finished, the space in front of him suddenly distorted and folded!
The blood-soul claw, capable of freezing souls and crushing mountains, slammed into an invisible, extremely resilient barrier.
Foul blood exploded, and countless vengeful soul faces let out silent shrieks. A violent energy shockwave swept out, instantly clearing the gray mist of the death swamp below. The foul mud was kicked up into waves dozens of meters high, only to be frozen into crimson ice shards in mid-air by the pervasive aura of death!
Space vibrated violently, but Lin Yu's figure remained as steady as a rock amidst the distorted light and shadows. Not only did he not retreat, but he moved forward against the violent shockwave!
"Ye Xishui?"
Lin Yu's voice pierced through the screeching of space, clear and cold, with a hint of playful confirmation.
"I was just worrying about not being able to find the main person, yet you delivered yourself to my door. Saved me quite a bit of trouble!"
"Arrogant junior! You destroyed my foundation and killed my disciples; today I will ensure you wish for death but cannot find it. Your soul shall fall forever into the Blood Hell and suffer the pain of ten thousand souls devouring your heart!"
Ye Xishui's voice sounded like the grinding of eternal ice, filled with deep-seated malice. she had not expected that her strike, fueled by rage and containing spatial imprisonment and soul erosion, would be so easily neutralized by her opponent.
The moment the blood claw was blocked by the spatial barrier, her immense mental power, like an invisible sharp cone, stabbed fiercely toward Lin Yu's sea of consciousness, attempting to crush his soul directly!
However, within Lin Yu's sea of consciousness, his golden mental power was as vast as an ocean and as solid as a physical wall.
Ye Xishui's soul impact—which was enough to cause an ordinary Super Douluo to collapse instantly—hit the barrier and only stirred a faint ripple. It was then easily smoothed over by a deeper power that seemed to contain the rotational rules of the stars.