While the Seven-Colored Egg was shocked by the Southern Hall's counter-intuitive move.
The source of pollution, which had gradually learned to think, finally sensed something amiss after repeated failed sneak attacks.
Then, it disappeared.
It did not reappear for the next six months.
It was as if it had vanished completely.
However, the Four Halls, who understood the source of pollution well, knew this was just an illusion.
Based on various pieces of information, they identified several hiding places for the sources of pollution.
Then,
They launched a direct assault while the sources of pollution were caught off guard!
They annihilated a large number of pollution sources in one fell swoop, severely weakening them.
Counterattack! Counterattack! Then wipe them all out!
This was the unified goal of the Four Halls.
But,
The Southern Hall's actions left many ghost officers bewildered.
If you say the Southern Hall cooperated... it did cooperate.
But why did they open the Boundary Gate and the Underworld Gate so wide?
All other underworlds were strengthening their defenses, fearing a raid by the sources of pollution.
Only the Southern Hall acted in the opposite way.
Which side were they helping?
...
Which side were they helping?
Qicai Dan had also asked Jiang Lin this question.
After consolidating all the information, Jiang Lin glanced at Qicai Dan.
Then, using tea, he drew four circles on the table.
He then raised his hand and erased the southern circle.
He said nothing more.
After Qicai Dan and Ao Bai, who had come closer, finished reading, he wiped away all the circles.
"Do you understand?" Jiang Lin asked.
Qicai Dan looked up: ???
Did the master say anything just now?
Beside him, Ao Bai was lost in thought.
Jiang Lin's actions...
Were somewhat similar to her former teacher.
He liked to speak in riddles, used in moments when it was inconvenient or impossible to speak directly.
—What did those four circles represent?
...
What did they represent?
It took Qicai Dan and Ao Bai a long time to figure it out.
When the year-long period ended, the two dragons had to return to the Dragon Palace.
When they drew those four circles for their mysterious former teacher, Elder Gui, he immediately understood their meaning.
He chuckled and said, "If people from all four directions are attacking you, and you cannot win, which way would you run?"
Qicai Dan: "Of course, towards the side with the weakest attack!"
This was a very obvious and simple trap.
However, those involved were too close to see it.
Many ghost officers were caught in the situation, genuinely feeling the danger of the pollution sources and suffering from it, so they naturally overlooked this point. In the face of danger, whether human or ghost.
They would instinctively want to stay away and protect themselves.
After all, if the pollution sources spread, it was always they, the ghosts on the front lines, who faced death.
But if one detached from the instinct of self-preservation and looked at the situation from a broader perspective...
They would realize that this was a glaringly obvious trap.
A trap specifically set for the sources of pollution.
Jiang Lin also thought of this after returning to the Eastern Hall and being slightly less busy.
...
While the Eastern, Western, and Northern Halls were all exerting their full strength to eliminate the sources of pollution.
Only the Southern Hall opened its gates.
Their usual encirclements were also pathetically weak; they couldn't even produce a ghost artifact.
The difference in strength was clear!
The sources of pollution, already intimidated, immediately made a decision: everyone, run south!
Go there to recuperate, regain strength, and then make a comeback!
At that time, they would first occupy the south, and then conquer the other three halls one by one!
Yes, that's how it was decided!
The sources of pollution, now capable of further thought, happily ran south.
At the same time, in the Southern Hall—
Nan Ming, seated in the King of Hell's Hall, opened his eyes and said calmly:
"They're here."
Eastern Hall.
Yan Luo stood on the roof of the King of Hell's Hall, a vast starry sky map unfurling behind her.
After a while, she opened her eyes, and her pupils were filled with a vast expanse of stars.
"The Eastern Hall has been completely cleared."
Above the Western Underworld,
Xi He unfurled a disc above his head, with two yin-yang fish swimming beside him.
He clasped his hands behind his back, looked towards the direction of the Southern Hall, and said slowly:
"The Western Hall has been completely cleared."
In the Northern Hall's conference room.
The Four Judges gathered together, their ghostly energy spreading around them.
They swept through the entire Northern Underworld one by one, and then transmitted a message to the Southern Hall:
"The Northern Hall has been completely cleared."
In the beginning, due to the 'hidden nature' of the sources of pollution.
Even though the Four Halls could conduct large-scale inspections, it was difficult to be thorough enough to cover every place and every creature.
But during the period of counterattacking the sources of pollution,
The Four Halls, combined with the information provided by Jiang Lin and the research on the sources of pollution conducted by the Western Hall,
They had found a way to distinguish the sources of pollution.
However, it was time-consuming.
To avoid alerting the sources of pollution, causing them to flee prematurely, or evolving other characteristics under critical pressure,
They had waited until now.
At this moment, hearing the voices of the other three halls finishing their clean-up.
Nan Ming stood up from his seat.
Beside him, a long sword appeared out of thin air.
It hummed softly, anticipating the battle to come.
Nan Ming gripped the sword hilt with one hand, a slight smile on his lips.
"Very good."
He looked into the distance, and with the enhancement of his ghostly energy, he uttered two words:
"Commence battle!"
As he spoke, a barrier instantly unfolded, with the edge of the Southern Underworld as the boundary.
Enclosing the entire Southern Underworld.
The scene unfolded too quickly and too spectacularly.
But not a single ghost officer in the Southern Hall stopped to admire it.
"Commence battle!"
"Commence battle!"
Seeing the signal to commence battle given by their King of Hell,
All the ghost officers of the Southern Hall, whether on patrol or feigning defeat, became instantly alert.
They all rubbed their fists and wiped their palms, their eyes shining brightly.
This day had finally come!
Feigning weakness was also very tiring!
"The hunting competition has begun!"
The ghost officers grinned.
Their ghostly energy surged, and various ghost skills manifested.
There were wings like fiery birds, black arrows, blood-red battle robes, white broadswords...
In every profession, there are masters.
The Southern Hall might lack some things, but when it came to the application of ghostly energy, they were definitely ranked first!
"Lord Zhong Kui, are the rewards for first place ready?" a ghost officer asked confidently.
Zhong Kui, whose ghostly energy was soaring, glanced at the other party and then shot away.
"Talk about it after you win first place."
"Don't look down on ghosts!"
The ghost officer who spoke first quickly chased after him, "Brothers, let's get to work!"
"Let's get to work!"
"Let's get him!"
A group of ghost officers charged out with imposing momentum.
The Southern Hall was never a pushover...
...
...
Something felt wrong?
The sources of pollution, who had just entered the Southern Underworld not long ago, sensed something keenly.
They shifted their bodies and looked up.
They saw a huge, boundless barrier.
!!!
Huo! Something was indeed wrong!
...