Douluo Continent: The Purple Dragon's Roar, the End of the Dark Abyss

Ye Linyi frowned, looking at the dry ground with a puzzled expression, his voice tinged with confusion: "Master, there's nothing there. This ground looks completely ordinary. Where's the passage?"

Long Xiaoyao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mysterious and confident smile.

He quickly formed hand seals, his fingertips flashing with pale blue soul power, and a complex magic circle slowly appeared beneath his feet.

The magic circle emitted a faint and mysterious light, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.

"Take another look," Long Xiaoyao said in a deep, magnetic voice, as if it contained boundless wisdom.

Ye Linyi stared wide-eyed at the ground.

Suddenly, he noticed that a faint crack had appeared on the previously dry ground under the light of the magic array.

The gap slowly widened, gradually forming a downward passage, filled with an ancient and mysterious aura.

Seeing this, Long Xiaoyao gently patted Ye Linyi's shoulder, his eyes full of encouragement: "Come on, let's go down and take a look." After saying that, he took the lead and flew straight down the passage with Ye Linyi.

The passage was dimly lit, but Long Xiaoyao's soul power illuminated their path forward.

After Ye Linyi and Long Xiaoyao entered the passage, the entrance slowly closed again, as if no one had ever been there.

Long Xiaoyao led Ye Linyi along the passage for a long time, and finally arrived at a blood-red gate.

The door was tall and imposing, carved with intricate and mysterious runes, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

Outside the door, several guards dressed in black bodysuits stood ramrod straight, their eyes sharp and alert, as if ready to deal with any threat at any moment.

Long Xiaoyao's speed did not decrease at all. While flying, he took out an ancient-looking token from his pocket.

The token is engraved with a lifelike dragon pattern, emitting a faint golden light.

With a flick of his wrist, Long Xiaoyao sent the token flying towards the guards like a golden lightning bolt.

Upon seeing this, the guards quickly reached out and steadily caught the token.

They glanced at the dragon design on the token, and their expressions instantly became respectful and solemn.

One of the guards spoke first, his voice deep and solemn: "Welcome, Grand Elder!"

Long Xiaoyao smiled and nodded, put away the token, then walked to the door and gently pushed open the blood-red door.

The door creaked open, revealing a mysterious and vast space inside.

"Yes, Grand Master!" The other guards echoed in unison, their voices clear and resonant, echoing through the passage.

Seeing the gate open, Long Xiaoyao did not hesitate at all, and flew straight in with Ye Linyi like a streak of light.

The gate slowly closed behind them, like an invisible barrier that completely isolated the outside world from this mysterious place.

After entering the gate, Long Xiaoyao deliberately slowed down his flight speed, giving Ye Linyi enough time to observe the surrounding environment.

Ye Linyi's gaze swept around like a hawk's. He saw a long, bright red carpet stretching from the entrance into the distance, like a flowing line of blood, which stood out conspicuously in the dim light.

On both sides of the long carpet stood thick stone pillars, their surfaces carved with intricate and mysterious runes, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

At the top of the stone pillar, there are skulls of various sizes of soul beasts. These skulls are of different shapes, some are ferocious and terrifying, while others are mysterious and unpredictable.

Between the skulls, candles burned silently, their flickering light casting shifting shadows and creating an eerie yet solemn atmosphere.

As Long Xiaoyao and Ye Linyi ventured deeper into the palace, a vast and magnificent palace gradually came into view.

This palace is grand in scale and unique in architectural style, with every detail showcasing unparalleled luxury and majesty.

The palace walls are inlaid with various precious gems, which shimmer brilliantly under the candlelight; the roof is made of a special material that emits a soft and mysterious glow even in dim light.

A strong sense of shock welled up in Ye Linyi's heart. He thought to himself: How much manpower, resources, and time must have been spent to build these huge and magnificent buildings? Compared to the Great Wall, which one took longer to build?

"Xiao Yi, the Holy Spirit Cult's headquarters is just ahead." Long Xiaoyao's voice interrupted Ye Linyi's thoughts.

Upon entering the palace, Ye Linyi immediately spotted two men in black robes standing quietly at the palace entrance. Their eyes were sharp and wary, as if they were waiting for the arrival of some important figure.

Long Xiaoyao slowly stopped, his gaze sweeping over the two men, a hint of doubt in his voice: "Masked, Scorpion Tiger, what are you doing here?"

Ye Linyi, standing behind Long Xiaoyao, also peeked out, curiously examining the two men in black robes.

They were tall, their faces hidden by wide black robes, only their eyes, which gleamed with a cold light, were visible.

Scorpion Tiger stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a low and respectful voice, "Grand Elder, the leader specially sent us here to welcome you and the Holy Son and take them to the leader's side."

Long Xiaoyao nodded, his tone calm yet authoritative: "Lead the way."

"it is good."

Led by Scorpion Tiger and Mask, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Linyi continued their journey.

Upon entering the palace hall, Ye Linyi noticed a significant increase in the number of men in black robes.

They stood or sat, scattered throughout the palace, each with an inscrutable expression on their face, as if pondering something important.

Before long, led by Scorpion Tiger and Mask, Long Xiaoyao and Ye Linyi arrived at the door of a room.

This door is consistent in style with the rest of the palace, but appears more imposing and mysterious, with intricate runes carved on it, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

"We've arrived." Scorpion Tiger and Masked Man simultaneously reached out and slowly pushed open the door.

Ye Linyi and Long Xiaoyao then went inside. The door closed automatically behind them with a soft "click," as if an invisible barrier had once again shut them out from the outside world.

Scorpion Tiger and Mask bowed simultaneously, reporting in low, respectful voices, "Master, the Holy Son has arrived."

Ye Linyi's gaze quickly swept across the scene before him.

What comes into view is a spacious and solemn hall, with a row of seats on both the left and right sides, and each seat is occupied.

There is one empty seat on each side, the left empty seat is the last one, and the right empty seat is the first one.

The entire hall was filled with a repressive and mysterious atmosphere, as if even the air itself had frozen.

Suddenly, a deep and authoritative voice rang out, drawing Ye Linyi's attention.

In the center sat a silver-haired man whose entire body was a skeleton. Although his face was obscured by the skeleton, his deep eyes shone with a chilling light. He was none other than Zhongli Wu, the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult, who possessed a cultivation level of 98.

Beside Zhongliwu was a huge and ferocious lion's head, with flames leaping in its eyes, as if it contained endless energy and rage.

"Very well, Scorpion Tiger, Mask, return to your places." Zhongli Wu's voice, like a booming bell, echoed throughout the hall.

"Yes, Master." Scorpion Tiger and Mask responded and moved. Scorpion Tiger quickly walked to the first empty seat on the right and sat down, while Mask sat in the last empty seat on the right.

Immediately afterwards, the seven elders and the sect leader Zhongliwu all turned their gazes to Ye Linyi.

Those gazes held scrutiny, expectation, and a hint of barely perceptible doubt, like invisible pressure bearing down on Ye Linyi.

At that moment, Ye Linyi suddenly heard his master Long Xiaoyao's voice, which carried a subtle reminder: "Go to the person in the middle."

Ye Linyi nodded.

Seeing everyone staring intently at him, Ye Linyi quickly composed himself, a hint of determination and confidence flashing in his eyes.

He strode towards Zhongli Wu, each step steady and powerful, as if carrying an innate majesty.

As he walked around, the seven elders began to whisper among themselves.

One of the elders frowned, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction and doubt, and said, "Why does the new Holy Son seem so foolish? Can someone like him handle the position of Holy Son?"

As Ye Linyi walked around, he keenly caught these words.

A slight thought crossed his mind, and he paused briefly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Don't let me catch you, or you'll be in for it."

However, he quickly continued walking forward, showing no sign of anything amiss on his face.

Just as Ye Linyi was about to reach Zhong Liwu, Zhong Liwu coughed slightly, his voice low and powerful, echoing in the hall: "Quiet!"

The hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes were once again focused on Ye Linyi.

The seven elders fell silent, their gazes like sharp arrows fixed on the sect leader, Zhongli Wu, in the center. A tense and oppressive atmosphere filled the hall, as if even the air itself had frozen.

Zhongli Wu slowly rose from the central throne, his figure as straight as a pine tree, exuding an aura of quiet authority, and approached Ye Linyi.

His gaze swept over everyone present, his voice deep and powerful, echoing through the hall like muffled thunder: "Do you all know why I've summoned you all here today?"

Ming Lei broke the brief silence first. He straightened up, his eyes filled with a mixture of urgency and confidence, and said loudly, "So what if someone else becomes the Holy Son of our sect?"

Zhongli Wu nodded slightly, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips, his voice carrying a hint of certainty: "That's right, the one who can serve as the Holy Son of my sect is the one sitting next to me."

Seeing this, Ye Linyi waved gently, a confident and gentle smile on his face, and his voice clearly reached everyone's ears: "Hello, my name is Ye Linyi, and I am the soon-to-be Holy Son."

However, Ming Lei looked at Ye Linyi with disdain. He frowned, his voice full of doubt and sarcasm: "If he's not the sect leader, this dim-witted kid can be my sect's holy son? That's just lowering the sect's prestige!"

He paused, a sly glint in his eyes, and continued, "Therefore, I suggest once again that my grandson be the Holy Son of my sect! No problem with that, everyone?"

After speaking, Ming Lei looked at the elders triumphantly, as if victory was already in his grasp.

At this moment, a cold and disdainful voice suddenly rang out: "Lei Ming, does your good-for-nothing grandson even deserve to be a Holy Son? Isn't he the same? Does he lower the prestige?" The speaker was You Ming, one of the seven elders. His eyes were full of contempt, as if he were looking at a clown.

Upon hearing Youming curse his grandson, Lei Ming was instantly enraged. He slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with fury, and roared, "Aren't you worthy?"

Youming showed no weakness. He straightened his body, his eyes flashing with determination, and said coldly, "Not worthy. In my opinion, my grandson is the most worthy."

Lei Ming's face flushed with anger. He pointed at You Ming and said in a trembling voice, "I don't even want to say anything more. Your grandson is unbearable to look at, you know that?"

"What did you say?" Youming suddenly roared, and a powerful aura of a Title Douluo spread out instantly, sweeping through the entire hall like a storm, making everyone present feel suffocated.

Lei Ming was so shocked by this aura that he took a step back, but he quickly regained his footing. A look of defiance appeared on his face as he shouted, "Afraid of you? There's an aura of a Title Douluo emanating from you!"

Watching the two tearing each other apart, Ye Linyi couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking to himself: This is a bit amusing.

I don't know why, but I always have a feeling that the grandson they're talking about will poop a big mess.

Seeing that the two were arguing so fiercely over the position of Holy Son that they almost came to blows, Zhongli Wu frowned and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

Immediately, a powerful aura belonging to a level 98 expert surged towards Ming Lei and You Ming like a tidal wave.

"Enough!" Zhongli Wu's slightly angry voice boomed like thunder into the ears of everyone present, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly became extremely tense.

Seeing that their leader was angry, Ming Lei and You Ming wisely shut their mouths. After all, they were not as strong as Zhong Li Wu, so they could only obediently keep quiet.

Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Zhongli Wu knew they were dissatisfied with the arrangement of the Holy Son position. He paused for a moment, then slowly said, "How about this? A year from now, we'll hold a selection for the Holy Son, fair and just. The strongest among us can become my Holy Son. Is that alright?"

The Sixth Elder Scorpion Tiger was the first to stand up, his eyes showing a hint of approval, and he said loudly, "No problem!" Immediately afterward, Mask, Ten Thousand Souls, Nightmare, Nangong, and Abomination also stood up and said in unison, "No problem, I agree."

Zhongli Wu nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Ming Lei and You Ming, asking in a calm tone, "What do you two think of these elders?"

Ming Lei thought for a moment, and although he was somewhat unwilling, he dared not argue any further and could only helplessly say, "I have no problem with that either."

Zhongli Wu then looked at Youming and asked, "And you?"

Youming nodded and said, "I'm fine with it too."

Zhongli Wu nodded, and announced in a loud and powerful voice, "That's good. I hereby announce that the selection of the Holy Son will be held one year from now, and the final winner will become the Holy Son of our sect!"

Ye Linyi's lips curled up slightly, a hint of disdain and anticipation flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself: A year from now, I'll see just how powerful these two bastards really are.

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Wu nodded slightly and announced in a steady and powerful voice, "Alright, today's meeting is adjourned. Do not leak any information about today's meeting."

"Understood." Scorpion Tiger and the seven elders responded in unison, and then left the conference room one by one.

Without anyone noticing, Long Xiaoyao stood silently beside Ye Linyi, his eyes filled with a barely perceptible concern.

Zhongli Wu said to the gate, "Come in, Scorpion Tiger."

Upon hearing the sound, Scorpion Tiger, who was waiting outside, immediately entered and quickly approached Zhongli Wu. He bowed slightly and respectfully said, "Master, Holy Son, and Supreme Elder, greetings."

Zhongli Wu stared intently at Scorpion Tiger, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "Scorpion Tiger, have you thought it through? Stand on our side."

Scorpion Tiger patted his chest, his eyes firm and sincere, and said loudly, "I've already made up my mind, I'm definitely staying with you guys."

A satisfied smile appeared on Zhongli Wu's face, his voice carrying a hint of approval: "Very good, you've made the right choice! You wait here for now."

"Yes, Master." Scorpion Tiger responded and stepped aside, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zhongli Wu turned to look at Ye Linyi, his eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation, and said, "Holy Son, may I see your Martial Soul?"

Without wasting words, Ye Linyi waved his right hand lightly, and the Dark Abyss God-Slaying Halberd Martial Soul instantly appeared. An aura of extreme darkness spread outwards like a tide, plunging the entire conference room into a mysterious and oppressive atmosphere.

At the same time, two purple soul rings appeared on Ye Linyi's body, emitting a faint purple light.

Zhongli Wu's face was filled with excitement, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, and his voice trembled slightly: "They really didn't deceive me! It truly is the ultimate attribute!" He suddenly stood up and shouted, "With the Holy Son here, our sect will surely prosper!"

Ye Linyi scratched his head, a simple smile appearing on his face, and softly replied, "Mm."

Seeing Ye Linyi display his ultimate martial soul and two purple soul rings, the Scorpion Tiger secretly rejoiced and a smug smile appeared on his face. He thought to himself: I've made the right choice. Following Ye Shengzi will mean a life of luxury and a bright future.

Zhongli Wu snapped out of his daze, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He said to Ye Linyi, "By the way, Holy Son, it seems that Ming Lei and You Ming have some designs on your position as Holy Son. Do you need to..." As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.

Ye Linyi narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and said in a calm but firm voice, "Didn't we just agree? The battle for the Holy Son will be a year from now, a decisive contest that will determine life and death!"

Zhongli Wu nodded, a look of relief on his face, and said, "Alright, I was overthinking it."

Then, Zhongli Wu stood up and said, "Alright, there's nothing else. Holy Son, you can go to your lodgings with Sixth Elder Scorpion Tiger to rest. You've traveled for so long, so get some rest for a day. Scorpion Tiger will come to find you tomorrow night."

"Okay." Ye Linyi replied, then turned to his master, Long Xiaoyao, and said respectfully, "Master, I'll go back to rest now."

Long Xiaoyao nodded and said gently, "Let's go."

"Huh?" Scorpion Tiger was taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Holy Son, what did you say to the Supreme Elder?"

Seeing the puzzled look on Scorpion Tiger's face, Ye Linyi shrugged helplessly and said, "Master, I'm going back to rest first. What's wrong?"

Scorpion Tiger quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "Nothing, Holy Son, come with me, I'll take you to your residence." But secretly, he was overjoyed. "Damn, with a Limit Douluo as my master, my future Holy Son position is secure! This Holy Son, I, Scorpion Tiger, am determined to cling to his coattails!"

Scorpion Tiger opened the door and said to Ye Linyi, "Holy Son, let's go."

"Okay." Ye Linyi replied and followed Scorpion Tiger out of the conference room.

The spacious conference room was empty except for Zhongli Wu and Long Xiaoyao.