The Hall of Souls Appears, Netherworld Marsh

Maple City used to be bustling with people, and Alchemist were often seen there. Now, Maple City is not as prosperous as it used to be.

The reason for this is simply that Han Feng, the master of this city, was killed on the spot by the Jia Nan Academy four months ago for provoking them.

The body is still hanging on the Undead Tree.

With Han Feng's death, the city that had prospered because of him naturally began to decline.

After four months, the residents of Maple City seemed to have gotten used to their current life, although some people would still occasionally mention Han Feng's name.

Xiao Ming's name will also be mentioned along with it.

In the heart of Maple City, the bamboo forest that Han Feng used to love to stay in has become a ruin. The pavilion there has long since collapsed, and on the fallen bamboo, you can still see specks of dried blood.

It's clear that a fierce battle once took place here.

Suddenly, a strange black mist appeared in the sky above the bamboo forest. This black mist swirled in the sky as if it possessed a spirit, like a ghost.

After the black mist appeared, it seemed to be stunned for a moment upon seeing the scene before it. After hovering above the bamboo forest for a while, it suddenly drifted away in the distance, leaving a faint black trail in its wake.

A moment later, the shadowy figure returned to the bamboo grove.

Within the black mist, a burly man in black robes, whose cultivation level was Da Dou Shi, was thrown down, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.

The burly man in black robes seemed to be extremely lucid. As soon as he landed, ignoring the pain in his body, he immediately got up, knelt down, and kowtowed repeatedly to the black mist.

"My lord, spare me! Spare me! I'm just a nobody, please let me go! If you have any questions, just ask, and I'll tell you everything I know!"

"Hehehe, you're quite clever, kid, knowing why I've come to find you." A very eerie laugh came from within the black mist. It seemed extremely loud, but it didn't travel very far before completely dissipating.

Upon hearing the laughter, the burly man in black robes trembled and immediately tried to utter some flattering words to please the other party.

Before he could even begin, he was interrupted by the black mist in the sky.

"I, the Protector, will only ask you one question: Isn't Maple City Han Feng's Barracks? Why is it in such a dilapidated state now? Where has Han Feng gone? You'd better honestly tell me everything you know, or I will make you suffer the Soul Devouring Pain!"

Upon hearing the question posed by the black mist before him, the burly man in black robes' eyes lit up. "Damn, I know the answer to this one! Everyone in the Black Corner Region knows how Han Feng died!"

"The Medicine Emperor Han Feng died four months ago, at the hands of Elder Xiao Ming of the Jia Nan Academy."

"What!" Upon hearing this, Black Mist was shocked. He had considered many possibilities, but he never expected that Han Feng would actually be dead.

"Explain the details to this Dharma Protector."

At the black mist's request, the burly man in black robes recounted everything he knew. The content was actually quite commonplace: Han Feng invited powerful figures from various forces in the Black Corner Region to invade Jia Nan Academy, only to be annihilated by the Jia Nan Academy. In this battle, Xiao Ming of the Jia Nan Academy displayed exceptional talent, single-handedly killing the Gold and Silver Elders, who were comparable to Dou Zong, as well as Han Feng.

He couldn't explain the specifics, such as why Han Feng invaded Jia Nan Academy, or the details of the battle. This was normal; Han Feng had planned everything meticulously for the Heavenly Flames. To prevent the news of the Heavenly Flames from leaking out, the invited experts only learned that Han Feng was after the Heavenly Flames shortly before arriving at the Jia Nan Academy.

However, all those powerful individuals were left at the Jia Nan Academy, and only Gong Heng, a Dou Zong, escaped.

As a Dou Zong powerhouse, Gong Heng naturally wouldn't go around saying why Han Feng came to snatch Jia Nan Academy.

Jia Nan Academy, as the victor, is even less likely to succeed.

Therefore, the people of Black Corner Region only knew the general outcome of the battle and were not very familiar with the details.

This naturally could not satisfy the people in the black fog.

So he merely hummed softly, without making any visible movement, and the burly man in black robes kneeling on the ground died, bleeding from all seven orifices.

"What a useless piece of trash, he can't even speak properly," the person in the black mist said impatiently.

"That Han Feng is a good-for-nothing, he was actually killed by a mere brat." After the burly man's explanation, the black mist had gained some basic understanding of Xiao Ming, knowing that Xiao Ming was still very young.

"If you're going to die, at least wait until I get here. That way, I might be able to get the soul of an Alchemist. The soul of a Grade Six Alchemist is a valuable item. Besides, Venerable Elder Zun seems to value Han Feng highly. If Han Feng's soul hadn't been destroyed, it might still be in Xiao Ming's hands. Two Grade Six Alchemist souls... perhaps we can make some plans."

"However, Jia Nan Academy is a bit risky for me to mess with alone. I heard that Vulture Protector is in the Jia Ma Empire; perhaps I could talk to him about it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the mist above the bamboo forest vanished without a trace.

Only one body remained, lying silently in the ruins.

Time flies, and two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

The sky was dark, covered by layers of thick clouds and fog, so that even the midday sun could not penetrate it.

A faint Poison Miasma seemed to rise in the air, filled with an unsettling odor that, if inhaled, would cause a slight feeling of dizziness.

This is an extremely vast forest, stretching as far as the eye can see. The trees are dense, yet there is no sense of vibrant life; instead, it Death Qi, like a ghostly realm.

Suddenly, the sound of gusts of wind came from the distant horizon. Then, a small black dot appeared on the edge of the sky. A moment later, the black dot came with the wind and finally transformed into a Purple Crystal Magical Beast exuding a ferocious Aura.

On the back of the Magical Beast, one man and two women can be clearly seen resting with their eyes closed.

Suddenly, the only man among the three had a slight twitch in his eyes, then slowly opened them, glanced at the damp swamp below, and turned to the two beside him, saying, "It seems we've arrived."

Upon hearing Xiao Ming's words, Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian immediately opened their eyes and looked down.

"It seems we've arrived, but the environment here is rather harsh." Looking at the black mist drifting around her, Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly; she could sense that toxins permeated the air.

Fortunately, she possessed the Woeful Poison Body, otherwise encountering this fog would have certainly caused her considerable trouble.

This is still the outer perimeter; the toxic fog in the inner perimeter would obviously be much denser.