Suppression! Erasing Spiritual Intelligence!

"Dou Huang aura!"

Shock and deep confusion filled Yao Chen's eyes.

He could not understand why Xiao Cang's realm had suddenly soared.

He had clearly only been at the peak of Dou Wang before!

Only a few days had passed, and he had broken through again?

And judging from this, Xiao Cang had advanced by more than just one star.

At once, a chill ran down Yao Chen's back.

For some reason, he had a foreboding feeling.

Xiao Cang had long said he would refine him into a puppet. Now that Xiao Cang's cultivation had risen so drastically, would he be coming for him any moment now?

Xiao Cang's aura rose at a breakneck pace, unstoppable as bamboo splitting before an axe.

It did not gradually halt until he had broken through to the peak of two-star Dou Huang.

Immediately afterward, a vast and overwhelming torrent of information surged into his mind.

All the incantations and moves of the Five-Wheel Departing Fire Method and the Netherworld Soul Control Art fused into Xiao Cang's mind, becoming muscle memory. In mere moments, he had fully mastered both Dou Techniques and cultivated them to great success!

"Five-Wheel Departing Fire Method!"

Xiao Cang let out a low roar. His powerful body shook as he pushed both hands outward through the air.

"Boom!"

Five formation wheels formed from flames shaped like wolves, leopards, lions, tigers, and flood dragons abruptly appeared, and the surrounding temperature instantly soared!

In particular, the phantom of the flood dragon spirit was formed from Nether Poison Fire, while the lion spirit was formed from Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. Even the wolf spirit phantom was formed from the rare Red Spirit Flame.

An aura of destruction swept forth from the five fire spirits. Had Xiao Cang not suppressed them, the room would have been instantly incinerated into nothingness by their power.

Outside the Xiao Family estate.

Ling Ying was concealed within an inconspicuous patch of shadow beneath a tree.

Suddenly, he jolted awake from his cross-legged meditation in the shadows and stared toward the interior of the Xiao Family estate in shock.

"What terrifying Dou Technique is that brat Xiao Cang cultivating again? What an astonishing aura!"

Ling Ying was utterly astonished. The dreadful fluctuations coming from Xiao Cang's room made even his heart pound with fear.

"So powerful!"

Xiao Cang looked at the fire spirits within the five fire wheels before him, excitement appearing in his eyes.

With the enhancement of two Heavenly Flames, the Five-Wheel Departing Fire Method's power was incomparably terrifying. It even faintly showed signs of rivaling the Heaven Overturning Emperor Exterminating Spear.

If it could be enhanced with five highly ranked Heavenly Flames, its power would surely approach that of a Heavenly Grade Dou Technique! Perhaps even surpass it!

Xiao Cang then dispersed the five fire wheels and instead activated the Netherworld Soul Control Art!

Unlike the fierce and explosive Five-Wheel Departing Fire Method, this Dou Technique carried an eerie chill.

After using it, Xiao Cang felt even his Dou Qi become cold and sinister. Raising a hand to manipulate it, he saw that his Dou Qi resembled ghostly netherworld flames, like the power of souls surging forth from hell.

Even Xiao Cang himself found this aura quite chilling.

"How sinister. I like it."

The corner of Xiao Cang's mouth curled upward. Then, he turned his gaze to the ancient Storage Ring on the finger of his right hand.

Ever since obtaining this ring from Xiao Yan that day, he had been waiting for the moment to plunder all the treasures within it, along with Old Yao's soul.

Now, that moment had come!

"Yao Chen, get out here!"

With a thought from Xiao Cang, a terrifying surge of Dou Qi swept into the Storage Ring.

"What?!"

Yao Chen's pupils contracted.

Though he had anticipated that things were going badly, he had not expected the change to come so soon.

Sensing the terrifying Dou Qi Xiao Cang had blasted into the Storage Ring, he instantly used Bone Spirit Cold Flame to envelop his soul. Then he leaped out of the Storage Ring, dodging Xiao Cang's ferocious attack.

"Xiao Cang, you little brat, do not go too far!"

After flying out of the Storage Ring, Yao Chen floated before Xiao Cang. His illusory, translucent elderly Soul Body let out a furious roar.

Xiao Cang looked at the impotently raging Yao Chen and sneered. "I am going too far. What can you do about it?"

As soon as he spoke, Xiao Cang's large hand, wrapped in cold and sinister Dou Qi, reached for Yao Chen.

Yao Chen instantly felt as if an iceberg were crashing down upon him. The piercing cold made his entire body tremble.

Run!!!

At this moment, an immense sense of crisis filled Yao Chen's mind.

He knew full well that if he did not dodge now, he would likely perish completely at Xiao Cang's hands.

Thus, he immediately burned the last of his Soul Power and fled desperately toward the outside of the room.

"Bang!"

Faced with the threat of life and death, Yao Chen erupted with terrifying speed, rushing out of the room in the blink of an eye.

"Trying to run? How laughable!"

"Sorrowful Wind Soul Refining Hand!"

Xiao Cang sneered and struck out with his palm.

Terrifyingly cold Battle Qi transformed into a sinister giant hand that swiftly reached for Yao Chen.

In merely two or three blinks, the giant hand turned into a prison of eerie, dense mist, trapping Yao Chen within.

"Arghhh..."

Yao Chen immediately let out a shrill scream.

Yet he did not give up struggling.

He recklessly burned his remaining Soul Power and even used a secret technique at any cost, causing his aura to surge madly.

The Bone Spirit Cold Flame also erupted with an exceedingly terrifying fluctuation!

Yao Chen's final desperate counterattack was exceptionally powerful, shattering the mist prison in the blink of an eye.

"Xiao Cang, you brat! Even if this old man dies, I'll drag you down with me!"

Yao Chen's Soul Body grew even more illusory, his eyes brimming with venomous resentment.

If looks could kill, he would have slain Xiao Cang a thousand, ten thousand times over.

Unfortunately...

A desperate final counterattack was still only a desperate final counterattack.

Breaking through Xiao Cang's Sorrowful Wind Soul Refining Hand had already been Yao Chen's limit.

But to Xiao Cang, the Sorrowful Wind Soul Refining Hand had merely been a casual strike.

"Drag me down with you? Are you worthy?"

Xiao Cang sneered. His figure flashed like lightning, arriving before Yao Chen in the blink of an eye. Afterimages trailed behind him, accompanied by the rumble of thunder.

"Burning Fire Setting Sun Collapse!"

Yao Chen roared and threw a punch at Xiao Cang.

Xiao Cang remained expressionless, not taking Yao Chen's remaining Soul Power seriously at all.

He merely pressed down with his palm through the air, easily breaking Yao Chen's punch before crushing his palm down upon Yao Chen's head.

"Netherworld Soul Control Art!"

Xiao Cang's indifferent voice rang out. There was no terrifying eruption of Battle Qi, no world-destroying aura.

There was only an ice-cold, bone-piercing chill surging from his hand, silently drowning Yao Chen.

"Arghhh..."

Yao Chen once again let out a shrill scream.

He could clearly feel a cold aura invading his spiritual consciousness, seeking to erase it and occupy his soul.

An uncontrollable terror swiftly spread throughout Yao Chen's entire body.

Only at this moment did Yao Chen truly experience the feeling of death!

"No! No!"

"Xiao Cang, spare me! I'm willing to give you all of my treasures!"

"I'm willing to refine pills for you for three years—no, ten years! As long as you spare me, any condition can be discussed!"

Before death, even Yao Chen, with his immense pride, repeatedly begged for mercy under the instinctive drive to survive.

Xiao Cang merely looked at Yao Chen indifferently and said coldly, "There's no need. Once I refine you, I can take whatever I want myself."

As his words fell, he completely erased Yao Chen's spiritual consciousness.

The shrill pleas stopped. The terror in Yao Chen's eyes swiftly faded, leaving them empty and lifeless.

At this moment, Venerable Yao, who had once dominated Middle Continent, had truly fallen in every sense of the word.

In his place was Yao Chen, a Soul Slave utterly obedient to Xiao Cang...