The Counterattack of the Shadow Council
Upon learning that their stronghold had been destroyed, the Shadow Council was consumed by rage. They immediately dispatched a team of elite assassins to exact revenge on Lin Li and the Starry Alliance.
The assassins crept near the Starry Alliance base under the cover of night, preparing to launch a surprise attack. However, Lin Li had already prepared for such an eventuality; he immediately utilized the system's early warning feature, which alerted him to the assassins' movements.
Standing on the roof of the base, Lin Li watched the figures approaching like ghosts and gave a disdainful laugh. "Hmph, you think you can ambush me? You clearly overestimate yourselves."
He unleashed the Astral Phantom Formula and instantly appeared in the midst of the assassins. "Come on out, stop skulking around!" Lin Li shouted.
Seeing their position compromised, the assassins lunged forward like hungry tigers. Lin Li, however, remained as steady as a mountain. With the agility of a phantom, he deftly dodged their attacks while launching a counteroffensive as swift and fierce as a storm. "You members of the Shadow Council are nothing but a bunch of clowns. Sending a pack of useless incompetents like you here is simply asking for death!" Lin Li taunted.
As the battle intensified, Yexiao descended like a divine warrior, arriving with a group of reinforcements. Under the overwhelming force of their combined assault, the assassins began to falter like candles flickering in the wind. Seeing that the situation had turned dire, the leader of the assassins tried to flee like a stray dog. Lin Li, never intending to let him escape so easily, lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow. He grabbed the assassin by the collar with a grip like iron pincers. "Trying to run? Not a chance! Tell me, what other shameful conspiracies is your Shadow Council plotting?"
The assassin looked defiant. "Pah! Don't think you'll pry a single word out of me!" Lin Li let out a cold snort and applied slight pressure to his hand. The assassin's face turned deathly pale as if his very spine had been ripped away. "Not talking? I have plenty of ways to make you speak."
Lin Li stared at the stubborn assassin, a look of viper-like ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. He pulled a custom potion from his System Space; the liquid was like a demon's venom, capable of keeping a person fully conscious while inflicting extreme agony. Lin Li dripped the potion onto the assassin as if dropping water into a hot frying pan, causing the man to let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Are you going to talk? What exactly is the Shadow Council plotting?" Lin Li asked coldly.
The assassin trembled uncontrollably from the pain but gritted his teeth. "I... I won't tell you..."
Lin Li sneered and added a few more drops. "It seems you're not in enough pain yet." The assassin finally buckled, sobbing, "I'll talk, I'll talk! Our leader is planning the 'Dark Rise' project. They intend to incite chaos in Jiangcheng and seize control of the entire city while things are in disarray. That is all I know, I swear! Spare me!"
Lin Li frowned. The "Dark Rise" project? It certainly didn't sound like anything good. He turned to Yexiao and asked, "Have you heard of this plan?" Yexiao shook his head. "This is the first time I've heard of it. It seems the Shadow Council is planning something major."
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Li said, "Whatever their plan is, we cannot let them succeed. From now on, increase surveillance on the Shadow Council. We must uncover the specific details of this project." Yexiao nodded. "Understood, I will arrange it immediately." Lin Li looked at the dying assassin and said with disdain, "Hmph, this is what happens when you dare to oppose me." With that, he tossed the assassin aside.