"Crash—!"
A several-meter-thick layer of ice shattered as a figure shot out from the ice cave, sending large splashes of water glittering under the sunlight.
Lin Xiao gasped heavily for air, savoring the sensation of airflow passing through his mouth.
After staying under the sea for so long, it had been a long time since he had breathed like this.
Glancing at the endless sea around him, Lin Xiao rummaged through his storage soul tool. Soon, a pair of folded wings slowly unfolded from his back.
Now, the aura around his body was perfectly rounded and harmonious—he had clearly reached the level 80 bottleneck and could stay airborne for a period of time.
However, on this vast icy ocean where there was nothing but a few icebergs to land on, it was still better to conserve soul power by using a flight soul tool.
After being flushed out of the merfolk clan's royal palace, Lin Xiao had no idea where the undersea currents had carried him.
Only after carefully identifying his surroundings for a long time did he finally confirm his direction. The flight soul tool on his back ejected several streams of white airflow, carrying his figure southward.
Just as he had flown a certain distance, far away where the sky met the sea, a faint black dot flickered in and out of sight.
Frowning slightly, Lin Xiao's mind stirred, and the Assassin's figure instantly separated from his body.
When the Assassin was alive, he had been an eight-ring Soul Douluo. Although Lin Xiao had not yet obtained his eighth soul ring, his soul power level had already surpassed 80, allowing him to almost fully exert the Assassin's complete strength.
Before he even got close, a thick aura of death reached Lin Xiao's mind.
During the period when his consciousness had been blurred, Electrolux had fused his power with Lin Xiao's, granting him a second martial soul and completely transforming his attributes into Extreme Death. His sensitivity to death was now far sharper than before.
Just through the Assassin's vision, he could sense that not long ago, a battle of considerable scale had taken place here—many living beings had died in this place.
Scanning the surroundings, Lin Xiao finally "saw" what that black shadow was.
It was a humanoid "object," roughly two meters long, its surface completely covered in charred black, making it impossible to discern its original appearance.
With a light point of his finger from afar, a wave surged toward the black shadow. The next moment, under the washing of seawater, the charred layer finally peeled away somewhat, revealing patches of blue scales underneath.
Lin Xiao abruptly halted, instantly realizing what lay beneath the charred exterior. Without a second thought, he stomped his foot and shot backward.
Yet before he could fully retreat, a voice reached his ears at a speed far exceeding his own.
"What's the rush to leave?"
Lin Xiao paused mid-air, slowly turning around. "Great Elder."
Indeed, just from the scales, Lin Xiao had already recognized that beneath the charred black was none other than the Great Elder of the mermaid clan—the one who had previously ordered him to steal the Ocean Heart and nearly caused his consciousness to dissipate under the merfolk's mental shock.
The Great Elder slowly moved her body. The charred black on her surface continuously flaked off, revealing smooth skin underneath. Many scales on her fish tail had fallen off, and the newly grown flesh beneath was slowly wriggling.
Despite her battered appearance, the aura she exuded was now far stronger than anything Lin Xiao had felt from her before.
With a light tap of her finger, a stream of seawater rose gently and flowed over her body, completely washing away the remaining charred residue.
Only then did she raise her head to look at Lin Xiao. "You're actually still alive."
Ripples appeared on the sea surface. In the blink of an eye, the Great Elder was standing directly in front of Lin Xiao.
"Before, you were able to block my voice and resist their seduction. I was merely slightly interested in you."
"But now, something that even I wouldn't dare attempt personally—you endured it completely unharmed. The secrets on your body have truly begun to pique my curiosity."
"Perhaps from you, I might find a way to survive my next heavenly tribulation…"
As the Great Elder spoke, a flash of coldness passed through her eyes, and an icy killing intent pressed toward Lin Xiao without any concealment.
Lin Xiao's heart jolted. His body instinctively shot backward. The Great Elder's fingertip had nearly grazed his neck. Soul power within him was already primed and ready.
Yet just as he prepared to fight, the Great Elder suddenly chuckled and stopped pursuing.
"Good vigilance. Don't worry, I was only testing you just now." The Great Elder took a slight breath, and the soul power within her gradually calmed.
"I am indeed interested in you, but my next heavenly tribulation is still far off. There's no rush—I can slowly investigate after you're dead."
"Come. I will honor what I promised you before. Once we return, you will be the Holy Envoy under this Great Elder of the Holy Spirit Church. I'll speak to the Eighth Elder on your behalf."
"Yes."
Lin Xiao slightly lowered his head, watching the Great Elder's heaving chest, his eyes slowly narrowing.
Just from that simple movement earlier, the Great Elder's breathing had become noticeably rapid. Logically, with her level of cultivation as a soul beast, she should not be this weak.
Moreover, from her words, he could already guess why she had ended up in that charred state.
The charred blackness was not caused by ordinary flames, but by heavenly tribulation lightning. The reason she had sent him to steal the Ocean Heart was most likely preparation for her tribulation.
Judging by the changes in her aura, her tribulation had clearly just passed.
At this thought, a trace of coldness appeared in Lin Xiao's gaze. In that instant earlier, the killing intent had been unmistakable—she had genuinely intended to strike at him.
She simply hadn't expected to be this weakened immediately after surviving her tribulation, nor had she expected Lin Xiao to so easily evade her sudden attack.
Even if the Great Elder was different from the merfolk clan he remembered, their previous interactions made it clear that her mental power was equally formidable. Lin Xiao did not believe for a second that she wouldn't covet something capable of resisting the merfolk clan's mental shock.
Lin Xiao reached up and pulled his hood down tighter over his head.
Honoring her promise was probably just an excuse. She only said that because, in her current state, she had no absolute confidence in taking him down.
Once she fully recovered…
In just a few breaths, Lin Xiao had made his decision.
He knew all too well what kind of people the Holy Spirit Church were, and as a soul beast, the Great Elder's attitude toward humans was even worse.
This matter would absolutely not end here. Once she fully recovered, he would no longer be her match.
If he wanted to truly end this, the perfect timing to act was right now.
Lin Xiao abruptly raised his head, staring at the Great Elder's back ahead of him.
Moreover… right now, he truly needed a new soul ring.
The thought flashed through his mind. His cloak flared, and countless dark red streams of light surged toward the Great Elder like a tidal wave covering the sky.
At the same moment, several translucent phantoms separated from his body, and a massive metal case appeared beside him, floating in midair.
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