It should be said that although Ling Yun thwarted their plans, the Sky Eye Society's strategy in Hong Kong was basically successful. The Berserkers and Witch Clan were almost completely wiped out, the Vampire and Ninja Families suffered heavy casualties, and the Arbitration Institute nearly lost several elites. Just the Sky Eye Society alone has caused so many deaths; who knows what even bigger conspiracies it might have in the next installment?
After organizing his thoughts, Ling Yun explained his ideas one by one. He mainly wanted to tell Xia Lan and Theodore, since Xia Lan represented the Superpower Headquarters, and Theodore represented the Arbitration Institute. Once these two understood the true purpose of the Sky Eye Association's trip to Hong Kong, they would alert the Superpower Headquarters and the Arbitration Institute, making them more wary of the Sky Eye Association and able to take precautions in advance to avoid being unable to remain unscathed due to the chaos in the world.
However, the Arbitration Institute is quite different from the Supernatural Headquarters. How to teach these devout followers of God to anticipate conspiracies and respond promptly remains a challenge. Otherwise, Theodore wouldn't have mobilized such a large force to plunge into the witchcraft barrier just because of news of a dark creature's appearance. In fact, although the Arbitration Institute is the longest-existing supernatural organization, it is completely detached from worldly affairs. Aside from its conflict with the dark creature and its faith in God, it doesn't participate in any external matters. Describing it as isolated is not an exaggeration. While this avoids turmoil, it also creates a sense of alienation from the outside world, which is neither a good thing nor a bad thing.
Everyone was stunned after hearing Ling Yun's explanation. They hadn't expected that someone so young could see things so clearly. Their eyes filled with admiration. Xiao Rou, in particular, looked at Ling Yun with delight, her beautiful eyes radiating deep affection. She didn't enjoy thinking about or analyzing such matters of power and strategy, but that didn't stop her from admiring her lover's captivating and eloquent manner. Women's perception of men is always driven by emotion.
Theodore and Xia Lan began to silently ponder the entire incident and its underlying meaning. For a moment, the underground bar was completely silent. A faint holy light slowly emerged from the three young Arbitrators, their brows lowered, and they silently recited prayers, using the special repair of their spiritual energy field to heal their injuries to their consciousness.
After Ling Yun destroyed the witchcraft barrier, it could no longer maintain the overall stability of its structural points, and the energy supporting the barrier was rapidly dissipating. As a result, the witchcraft barrier drastically shrank and collapsed, shrinking into a tiny ball in a short time before slowly dissipating in the wind, revealing the true appearance of this nameless underground bar. A ray of sunlight shone down from the skylight above the underground bar, involuntarily giving one the feeling of seeing the light of day again.
Ling Yun didn't hide the fact that the Heavenly Eye was on Xiao Rou, nor was there any need to hide it anymore. Even the berserkers from the Frozen Lands knew to come to the witchcraft barrier to snatch the Heavenly Eye, which meant that he and Xiao Rou had no secrets left. Mochizuki Nami was right; he had been under surveillance all along. The Heavenly Eye, far away, was very aware of his every move. Tian Yuning's words had already proven all of this; he just hadn't known it until now.
Theodore pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Why would vampires want to steal the Third Eye?"
Ling Yun was taken aback. Did the dark creatures need any reason to seize the Heavenly Eye? It was simply driven by self-interest. As for whether Tian Yuning offered the vampires any other benefits or advantages, that was beyond the knowledge of outsiders. However, the mere temptation of gaining supreme power by understanding the secrets of the Heavenly Eye was enough to drive most ability users mad.
Alternatively, it's hard to say whether other supernatural organizations besides vampires and witches, including ninja families, knew about the Heavenly Eye Society. The Heavenly Eye Society didn't even need to do anything else; simply spreading the news of the Heavenly Eye's whereabouts would achieve the same effect.
Xia Lan and Ling Yun shared the same question: "Lord Theodore, haven't you heard of the legend of the Heavenly Eye? As long as one comprehends the secrets of the Heavenly Eye, one can possess supreme power. Faced with such temptation, how could vampires not be tempted? Haven't they always wanted to challenge the Arbitration Council and go to places where the sunlight shines?"
"Won't they turn to ashes if they walk into the sunlight?" Ling Yun asked curiously. In his memory, vampires were afraid of sunlight, even laser beams. Sunlight was the most powerful weapon that could limit the survival of vampires.
“Only vampire vassals fear sunlight,” Theodore explained, somewhat puzzled, wondering why Ling Yun didn’t even know the basic common sense about dark creatures. “Real vampires are not afraid of sunlight. At most, their power is reduced in the sunlight. However, the stronger the vampire, the smaller the reduction in power. If it’s at the level of Duke William, sunlight has almost no effect.”
"Oh..." Ling Yun stroked his chin and nodded. It seems that real vampires are quite different from those in movies and on TV...
“What you say makes sense. Most people would think so, but the problem is that the Heavenly Eye has always been the Heavenly Eye Society’s most prized possession.” Theodore then turned to Xia Lan and said, “So, after all these years, with so many powerful figures in the Heavenly Eye Society, why haven’t we figured out the secret of the Heavenly Eye yet? If the Heavenly Eye Society really had an invincible expert, then we wouldn’t be sitting here discussing this issue.”
Xia Lan was taken aback. She had considered Theodore's question before. After thinking for a moment, she immediately replied, "Perhaps other superpower organizations would think the same way. The secrets that you can't understand might be able to be understood by me. After all, the legend of the Heavenly Eye is too amazing. Even I would like to see what the secret of the Heavenly Eye is."
Theodore laughed and said, "Your curiosity is the culprit, not your greed for power. In fact, I have been working at the Arbitration Institute for decades. The legend of the Heavenly Eye has only started circulating in the last fifty years. There was no such thing as the Heavenly Eye fifty years ago. As for the origin of the Heavenly Eye, it is a secret that no one knows. Golden Miracle, the founder of the Heavenly Eye Society, should know, but how could he make such a thing public?"
“Golden Miracle.” Ling Yun and the others repeated in surprise, only then realizing the name of the leader of the most powerful organization in the world. However, Golden Miracle sounded more like a nickname than a person’s name.
"In fact, the legend of the Heavenly Eye is inseparable from the rapid rise of the Heavenly Eye Society," Theodore said slowly, staring intently at the skylight above the underground bar, seemingly recalling events from many years ago. "The Arbitration Institute isn't some old relic oblivious to the outside world. We've closely observed the Heavenly Eye Society's development in Europe. The fact that the Heavenly Eye Society could rise to become one of the three major superpower organizations alongside the Arbitration Institute, the American Superpower Bureau, and the Chinese Superpower Headquarters in just a few decades must be inextricably linked to the Heavenly Eye. The Arbitration Director and we have privately speculated more than once that obtaining supreme power from the Heavenly Eye is merely symbolic. In reality, the Heavenly Eye is legendary, but its function is likely widespread. It is precisely this widespread function that allowed the Heavenly Eye Society to rise so rapidly. However, how to utilize the Heavenly Eye is an internal secret of the Heavenly Eye Society; outsiders could never know it."
Xia Lan nodded in agreement. She had participated in the Superpower Headquarters' discussion about the Heavenly Eye, and in fact, the Arbitration Institute's speculation and the Superpower Headquarters' discussion results almost coincided. Perhaps this was closer to the truth.
“Of course, all we can do is speculate,” Theodore continued. “As for whether the secret of whether the Eye of Heaven truly possesses supreme power is something no one can fathom, or whether it’s just a smokescreen released by the Eye of Heaven, no one in this world knows except for the Golden Miracle.”
Xiao Rou had been listening quietly when she suddenly interjected, "I think the legend is true, but no one has been able to decipher it yet. Perhaps the Heavenly Eye has been trying to comprehend it for so many years without success, so it deliberately threw the Heavenly Eye out to see if anyone in the world could decipher its secrets. And it's very possible that the Heavenly Eye will only undergo miraculous changes when it encounters a specific target or a specific person."
Everyone's eyes lit up immediately, and they couldn't help but look at Xiao Rou. This girl, who could be said to possess the most important treasure in the world, explained the possible role of the Heavenly Eye from another perspective. Xia Lan pondered silently, and even Theodore nodded repeatedly, obviously Xiao Rou's words had given him a new idea.
Ling Yun's heart stirred. He suddenly remembered how the Heavenly Eye had responded to his unique pulse and how it had miraculously replenished his powers twice when they were almost exhausted. Could it be that he was truly destined for the Heavenly Eye? But why couldn't he see through its mysteries any other way? Ling Yun followed Xiao Rou's gaze, and coincidentally, Xiao Rou was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and their hearts were in sync.
“Xiao Rou, take out the Heavenly Eye and show it to Lord Theodore. Perhaps he will discover something,” Ling Yun said after thinking for a moment. He originally wanted to talk about the strangeness of his encounter with the Heavenly Eye, but then he thought it was a bit inappropriate. Although he had reached a reconciliation with Xia Lan, and Theodore and the three Arbitrators were trustworthy friends, the three parties were obviously not yet in a relationship where they could reveal everything to each other. This secret was of great importance. If it were really revealed, then everyone's target might not be the Heavenly Eye, but Ling Yun.
Xiao Rou responded softly, opened the spherical box lid on the silver ball pendant, and gently took out the Heavenly Eye. For some reason, after such an intense battle, even though her mental energy field armor was destroyed, the silver ball pendant was still intact and hung unbelievably on Xiao Rou's snow-white neck.
The Heavenly Eye was lifted up by a gentle force and slowly floated in the air in front of everyone. This time, although it was in front of Ling Yun, the Heavenly Eye was strangely without pulse or faint light.
Xia Lan, Theodore, and the three Arbitrators stared wide-eyed at the legendary treasure. The three Arbitrators even held their breath, as if afraid that a single exhale would blow this supreme treasure away. Several extremely subtle silver rays of telekinetic energy emanated from their hands, gently touching the Heavenly Eye and carefully examining its surface and internal structure.
Xiao Rou and Ling Yun remained unmoved. Everything comes down to habit. No matter how precious a treasure is, if you look at it for a hundred days straight and there are no abnormalities, then you will lose interest in it.
After a long silence, Xia Lan couldn't help but whisper, "This is the Heavenly Eye? How come I can't sense anything? It doesn't have any special properties?"
Ling Yun shrugged with a wry smile, as if this was the impression everyone had of Tianyan.
Theodore's expression gradually changed; a shadow suddenly crossed his face, and he looked grim.
A whisper, barely audible, escaped from his slightly parted lips: "Hell Soul Eye?"
Chapter 270 The Death of the Gu Witch
Seeing the change in Theodore's expression, a glimmer of hope arose in everyone's hearts. Perhaps, with the power of the Vice-Chief Arbitrator and his light-attribute spiritual field, they might be able to discover something about the secret of the Heavenly Eye. Even a small discovery would be enough to shake the entire world, since only a handful of superhumans had ever seen the Heavenly Eye, let alone witnessed its transformation.
Ling Yun and Xiao Rou looked at Theodore with tense expressions, wondering what he meant by the "soul eye." Tang Tiejin had also seen the Heavenly Eye before, and at that time, the chief instructor seemed to have seen something, but he didn't say anything. Although Ling Yun and Xiao Rou found it strange, they didn't dare to ask him anything directly, wondering what the deputy chief arbitrator had seen.
Theodore stared intently at the Heavenly Eye, his expression growing increasingly grim and grave. The gloom on his face, like dark clouds gathering, quickly transformed into the omen of an impending storm. Everyone, including the several adjudicators, found it very strange. However, seeing Theodore's somber expression, they exchanged glances, not daring to interrupt the deep contemplation of this powerful figure.
What's even stranger is that Theodore never used his mental field to sense the Heavenly Eye, nor did he use any special abilities at all. He simply stared at the Heavenly Eye with his naked eyes, as if this inconspicuous black bead had become a shooting star from outer space in his eyes.
After a long pause, Theodore lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. "I hope my intuition is wrong, and this really is the Eye of Heaven, not the legendary Eye of Hell. Ms. Xiaorou, please put it away. If I see it again, my faith may be affected."
"Hell's Soul Eye?!" The group was stunned. When did the Heavenly Eye acquire another strange name? What did this Hell's Soul Eye mean? Xiao Rou gently placed the Heavenly Eye back into the spherical pendant and carefully closed the small, exquisite spherical box lid.
Seeing everyone staring at him in disbelief, Theodore forced a smile: "I'm sorry, everyone, I was a bit out of line just now. What I meant by the Hell Soul Eye was nothing more than my first sensory intuition from the Heavenly Eye. The Hell Soul Eye is a black bead described in the ancient holy texts passed down in the Arbitration Institute, which has the ability to communicate with other worlds. I don't know why, but as soon as I saw the Heavenly Eye, I suddenly had this intuition. But in reality, I have never seen the Hell Soul Eye, and the holy texts do not describe what the Hell Soul Eye feels like. But this feeling is indeed not very good..." As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Hearing his words, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Ling Yun couldn't help but ask, "Lord Theodore, what exactly do you mean by the Hell Soul Eye? Does it have any negative effects?"
Theodore said with a grim expression, "The holy text says that the Hell Soul Eye has the ability to communicate with another world, and is one of the sacred objects used in religious ceremonies to communicate with gods. But as for which world it can communicate with, and what beings it can communicate with, that's hard to say..."
As he said this, he suddenly seemed to remember something, his body jolted, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh no! Could it be that the Remore family stole the secret of the Heavenly Eye in order to... No, I must return to the Arbitration Institute immediately and report this to the Chief Arbitrator."
The judges had never seen their usually solemn and serious teacher so agitated, as if the world had ended. One judge couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, what's wrong? Has something happened? We've already wiped out most of the vampires; the dark creatures can't cause any trouble."
Theodore waved his hand: "That's not the point. We need to get back to Europe as soon as possible, right now!"
He turned to Ling Yun and the other two and said, “Mr. Ling Yun, Xiao Rou, and Ms. Xia Lan, I’m very sorry, I have urgent business to attend to and must leave immediately. Please be careful in Hong Kong. However, with Mr. Ling Yun’s current abilities, you should be more than capable of protecting yourselves. Remember, you must protect the Heavenly Eye in your hands and never let it fall into the hands of dark creatures. Ms. Xia Lan, please convey my greetings to Mr. Tang Tiejin after you return to the mainland, and tell him what happened here. No matter when or where, the China Superpower Headquarters is the Arbitration Institute’s closest and most advantageous ally. You are welcome to come to Europe at any time. No matter what difficulties you encounter, as long as you find the Arbitration Institute, we will do our best to help you.”
He spoke a long speech to each of the three people in one breath, without waiting for their reply or even pausing for a moment, before hurriedly leading the three adjudicators out of the underground bar. In the blink of an eye, they had vanished without a trace.
Lingyun, Xiaorou, and Xialan looked at each other, wondering what theodore had discovered that made him leave in such a hurry. Lingyun had many things he wanted to ask theodore in person, but seeing how quickly he left, he could only give up with a wry smile.
A moment later, the three of them walked out of the underground bar, which had been completely destroyed. Looking at the still deserted street with its bustling urban atmosphere, they couldn't help but feel as if they had been transported to another world. After experiencing one battle after another, when the peace returned, they always felt a faint sense of lost beauty.