A shiver of dread surged within at the thought that beneath the city she had lived in for so long lay such a scene.

Xu Xiaoyou shook her head, keeping her mind clear, and forced herself to calmly look away.

She could sense that this heart was currently in a dormant state.

Even in slumber, the aura it inadvertently emitted was suffocating her.

Perhaps an ordinary person with lower intelligence attributes would lose their sanity and become mad the instant they faced this heart.

"This is the Mother, our Mother," Alina said. "Such a powerful, mysterious, and beautiful life."

Xu Xiaoyou remained silent and nodded.

"We are all children of the Mother; it is under her protection that we grow," Alina said sincerely. "She nurtures us with her soul, so we must repay her with flesh and blood."

"Come, Soya, I'll take you to meet the 'Prophet'.

"The Prophet?"

Xu Xiaoyou heard a new term.

"He is our guardian," Alina said.

Xu Xiaoyou nodded, restraining her inner doubts, and followed the Dissector beside her deeper into the lair.

The various holes in the lair were the habitats for the Dissectors. As they entered a tunnel of holes, the silhouettes of Dissectors gradually became more numerous, no longer appearing sporadically as before.

She observed her surroundings, discerning the strong smell of blood in the air, and finally directed her gaze to one spot.

In a dark-red blood pool, the bright red liquid boiled and surged, with bubbles popping on the surface, emitting steamy heat.

This blood pool was formed by the gathering of countless vengeful spirits and souls, with horrifying cries and chilling screams occasionally echoing. The bubbles burst on the pool's surface, revealing one ghastly, evil ghost-like face after another.

Countless figures of Dissectors soaked in the blood pool, as if they had lost consciousness, their limbs hanging loosely. Occasionally, one or two would awaken, glance around in confusion, and then fall back into slumber.

Xu Xiaoyou saw a familiar figure in this blood pool.

It was the burly man she had encountered earlier in Alley No. 5.

Now, most of his body had transformed into that of a Dissector, covered entirely with the strangely characteristic Alchemy Armor, but the iconic Gatling Gun made her recognize him at once.

Thinking of the transformation, she recalled the last little Daoist.

After prolonged contact of her skin with this eerily characteristic metal, she always felt something strange.

It felt as if this armor was becoming part of her body; she could feel how it fit her more snugly over time, gradually feeling like a perfect fit.

If she wore this armor long-term, she feared she would truly become a Dissector like those who had been transformed.

As the two moved deeper, a teasing voice rang out.

"Yo, Alina, who have you brought back, this guy, I don't think I've seen him before."

The originally prostrated Dissector in the blood pool turned around.

That Dissector moved about, rusty hook in hand, and drifted to the two, then leaned against the pool's edge, supporting his face with his hand.

"Andrea, this has nothing to do with you," Alina said coldly.

"How could it have nothing to do with me? We are family; of course, we should pay attention to everything."

"This guy, with a scent of Cookie on him, makes my stomach growl with hunger," Andrea pointed at Xu Xiaoyou. "Maybe this guy is just wearing our clothes and sneaked into our lair?"

"Andrea, stay away from my sister!"

Neo, who had been staying in the back, suddenly charged forward fiercely.

With that, Neo reached out with his metal claw, trying to grab the Dissector in the blood pool.

Startled by Neo's aggressive charge, Andrea's body swung backward.

"Come on, don't run away!"

"I don't lower myself to bicker with a low-intelligence creature like you," Andrea said leisurely. "Hey, you, newcomer, come here."

Xu Xiaoyou didn't comply.

She was observing.

She wasn't sure if it was her illusion, but Alina seemed to be wary of this guy in front of her.

Could it be that his power was greater than Alina's?

Moreover, judging by his verbal capabilities, his intelligence level didn't seem low...

"Hmph, are you guilty? Did I guess it right?" Andrea slowly rose from the blood pool.

Large splashes of blood scattered onto the pool surface, rumbling loudly.

Seeing the nearly five-meter-tall, straight and slender figure of the opponent, Xu Xiaoyou froze in place.

The sheer shadow he cast completely enveloped her body.

"Let me see what's under your mask!"

Andrea spoke fiercely, as his mantis-like, slender hands reached for Xu Xiaoyou's face.

Upon seeing this, Alina spoke: "Soya is just a little shy. Besides, if she really had issues, having entered the lair, how could the Mother possibly not know?"

"Are you questioning the Mother!?"

She deliberately raised her voice, waking many of the slumbering Dissectors in the blood pool, who then noticed the scene unfolding here.

Andrea's hand froze in mid-air, advancing no further.

Xu Xiaoyou felt that the face under his mask was turning livid with anger.

Being burdened with such a large accusation, Andrea's hand was caught in mid-air, unable to move forward or retract it.

Clearly, if he stretched his hand a bit further, he could remove the opponent's mask and see through her true identity!

But Alina was right; even in her dormant state, the Mother wouldn't be so insensitive as to not react to a human entering this deeply.

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