Soul Erosion Wind
On this day, following the map, they arrived at the entrance to a huge canyon.
The canyon is flanked by towering, black cliffs, as if cleaved by a giant axe. Thick gray fog permeates the valley, severely obstructing visibility, and a chilling sense of oppression emanates from its depths. The map marks this place as "Soul Severing Canyon," one of the only routes to the Saint Demise Valley, and it is extremely dangerous.
"The map indicates that this Soul Severing Canyon not only contains Poisonous Miasma and Fierce Beasts, but the most terrifying thing is the 'Soul Erosion Wind' that can corrode the soul," Lin Ming said solemnly.
"Soul Erosion Wind?" Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly. Although she had never heard of anything called Soul Erosion Wind, she could guess from the name that it was probably specifically designed to target the soul.
As soon as Lin Ming finished speaking, as if to confirm his words, a heart-wrenching wailing sound suddenly came from the depths of the canyon. The sound was not like the ordinary sound of wind, but rather like the howling and wailing of countless wronged souls, making people's scalps tingle.
Immediately afterwards, a dark gray current swept out from the depths of the canyon like a tide, stirring and tearing apart even the dense gray Poisonous Miasma, revealing the jagged rocks and stark white bones below.
"They're here! Watch out!"
Lin Ming let out a low shout, and the powerful Dou Qi within his body erupted like a volcano, spewing out the Jade Profound Heart Flame, which immediately formed an emerald-colored flame shield around the three of them.
Heavenly Flames inherently possess the ability to suppress Sinister Energy. Furthermore, the Jade Profound Heart Flame is formed by the fusion of three Heavenly Flames, and it also contains the Fallen Heart Flame, which specifically targets the soul. Therefore, when Lin Ming circulated the Jade Profound Heart Flame to Human Form, the threat posed by the Soul Erosion Wind was immediately minimized.
However, as the group continued to venture deeper, the wind that was blowing became increasingly intense. So much so that Xiao Yi Xian raised her jade hand, and a dense gray-purple Dou Qi surged out like a tide, setting up a solid energy barrier in front of her, Lin Ming, and Zi Yan.
Although her Calamity Poison Power was also of the Yin and Cold nature, it was of an extremely high level and possessed both corrosive and destructive properties. She was not afraid of the Soul Erosion Wind, but a hint of solemnity appeared in her clear eyes.
The Soul Erosion Wind howled past, violently crashing against the three's defenses. Lin Ming felt a chilling, bone-piercing energy, like a leech clinging to his bones, trying to penetrate the protection of his Dou Qi Armor and Heavenly Flames, directly invading his Consciousness Sea, as if countless icy needles were simultaneously piercing his soul.
With a muffled groan, Lin Ming's Soul Power surged, and his Soul Power, which had already entered the Spirit Realm, secured his Spirit Platform. A cluster of emerald flames immediately emerged in his Consciousness Sea, burning and dispelling the corrosive power.
The barrier in front of Xiao Yi Xian rippled violently. The gray-purple poison and the Yin energy contained in the Soul Erosion Wind corroded each other, emitting a piercing "hissing" sound, and finally dissipated the strange soul Wind Blade into nothingness.
Zi Yan snorted, and a layer of shimmering purple light emanated from her petite body. A domineering pressure originating from the Ancient Void Dragon Bloodline spread out, keeping the invisible soul-corroding power at bay.
As a top-tier Magical Beasts, her Soul Power may not be as refined and controlled as that of a human Alchemist of the same level, but the strength of her bloodline endows her Soul Origin with unique defense and domineering nature.
The purple light around Zi Yan rippled slightly, and the Dragon Might force forcefully repelled the power, making her appear quite relaxed. She even curiously reached out to grab a wisp of wind, but Lin Ming stopped her in time with a look.
"This Soul Erosion Wind truly lives up to its name!" Xiao Yi Xian said slowly, feeling the continuous and all-pervasive soul-eroding power within the wind.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming nodded solemnly and said, "If Soul Power had not reached the Spirit Realm, or if one had Heavenly Flames or a special bloodline to protect them, I'm afraid that an ordinary Dou Emperor Expert would not be able to hold out for long before their soul was damaged, or even corrupted into a walking corpse."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded, having no doubt about Lin Ming's words. From the moment she ventured deeper in, she had sensed many fragments of broken souls and resentment in the wind. This canyon had likely swallowed many powerful beings.
After traveling a short distance and sensing that the wind had lessened somewhat, Lin Ming immediately said, "We can't stay here any longer; we need to get through as quickly as possible. I observe that the wind seems to have cycles of strength and weakness; let's take advantage of the lulls in the wind to move forward quickly."
All three were experienced and determined individuals. Without further hesitation, they seized an opening Soul Erosion Wind weakened, their figures transformed into three streaks of light, maximizing their speed as they shot into the depths of the Soul Severing Canyon.
Inside the canyon, the light grew increasingly dim, as if even the light itself had been swallowed up by the gray mist and Soul Erosion Wind.
The cliffs on both sides were as if cleaved by a knife and axe, towering high and riddled with strange holes of varying sizes. The Soul Erosion Wind whistled through them, producing an even sharper sound that seemed to pierce the eardrums. Underfoot was a rugged, uneven path of loose stones, where one could occasionally see the stark white skeletons of unknown beasts and even humans. Some of the skeletons bore deep claw marks or traces of energy corrosion, clearly indicating that they had been killed by Poisonous Miasma, the Soul Erosion Wind, or the Fierce Beasts that inhabited this place.
They traveled for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, during which they were attacked by the Soul Erosion Wind several times, each time with increasing intensity. On two occasions, some blurry and distorted phantoms even condensed in the wind, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced, emitting silent roars. These were Remnant Soul that had been assimilated by the Soul Erosion Wind, lost their consciousness, and were left only with the instinctive desire to attack.
This kind of existence had little effect from physical attacks and was even more troublesome. However, under the impact of Lin Ming's Soul Power containing the Jade Profound Heart Flame, the strange poison power of Xiao Yi Xian that could corrode the soul, and the intimidation of Zi Yan's domineering Dragon Might, these Remnant Soul obstacles were cleared and Purified one by one.
As the group continued their journey, the valley seemed to be nearing its end, and the view ahead opened up.
"Roar!"
However, just as Lin Ming and his companions were crossing a relatively open rocky beach covered with huge Beast Bone, a roar filled with violence and greed came from the dense fog ahead.
Immediately afterwards, the ground shook violently, and a huge black shadow, as large as a small mountain, suddenly pounced out, accompanied by a stench-filled gust of wind.
As the shadowy figure ran, its form gradually came into view.
It was a giant lizard covered in dark red scales, over ten zhang long, with limbs as thick as palace pillars and a tail like a giant steel whip, which sent pebbles flying wherever it swept.
Most peculiarly, a spiral-shaped, jet-black horn grows from the center of its head. The horn shimmers with a dark light and emits a strong, disturbing fluctuation that resonates faintly with the surrounding Soul Erosion Wind.
"It's the Soul Erosion Lizard King! Judging from its size and the color of its horn, it's probably close to breaking through to the Seventh Order! This guy's horn can amplify the effect of the Soul Erosion Wind, launching even more powerful soul attacks!" Zi Yan recognized the Magical Beasts at a glance. Instead of fear, her tone carried a hint of excitement at finding a suitable opponent.
She was a warmonger by nature, and the winds blowing through the canyon these past few days had been unbearable for her, yet she was powerless against them and could only set up defensive barriers. So how could Zi Yan not be excited to see such a tough-skinned and powerful Magical Beasts?
The Soul Erosion Lizard King's scarlet eyes were fixed on the three of them. In particular, it sensed the pure and powerful aura of the Ancient Void Dragon Bloodline on Zi Yan's body, which made it feel both fear from the depths of its soul and a crazy greed to devour her in order to evolve itself.
It let out a low roar, and the single horn on its head shone brightly. A Soul impact, far more concentrated and sharper than the natural Soul Erosion Wind, shot towards Lin Ming, whose Soul Fluctuation were relatively "obvious," like an invisible arrow.
"You beast, you're asking for death!"
Lin Ming snorted coldly. Facing this soul attack that was enough to make even a low-level Dou Zong flustered, he neither dodged nor avoided it. Emerald flames suddenly rose in his eyes.
He did not use any complex Soul Skill; with a thought, his Spirit Realm Soul power enveloped a wisp of the original fire energy of the Jade Profound Heart Flame, transforming it into an Invisible Flames.
"Laugh!"
The invisible arrow of soul struck the barrier of flames, producing a slight burning sound. The cold Soul Power it contained was like ice and snow meeting the spring sun, instantly evaporated by the high temperature and Purified properties of the Heavenly Flames, without even causing a ripple.
Upon seeing this, the Soul Erosion Lizard King's crimson eyes flashed with a hint of anthropomorphic astonishment, clearly not expecting that its signature move would be completely ineffective.
"Hehe, big guy, watch this!" Zi Yan giggled, her figure blurring instantly, and the next moment she appeared like a ghost beside the Soul Erosion Lizard King's huge head.
Her seemingly small fist clenched tightly, purple light swirling wildly within it, a terrifying sense of power gathering within it, and she delivered a simple, unadorned punch to the Lizard King's eye.
A dull thud, like a heavy hammer striking a cowhide drum, rang out.
"Hiss~"
At this moment, the Soul Erosion Lizard King let out a painful howl. Its massive head was Space-Rending, swept fiercely towards Zi Yan in the air like a Giant Python.
Xiao Yi Xian did not attack directly, but quietly stood guard to prevent any other dangers from lurking. She believed that Lin Ming and Zi Yan were capable of dealing with this lizard king, which had not yet fully entered the Seventh Order. Her gaze was more focused on vigilantly scanning the surrounding environment, especially the cliff holes that might hide even more dangerous creatures.
Facing the sweeping giant tail, Zi Yan's eyes shone brightly with purple light. She neither dodged nor avoided it. Her petite body sank slightly in the air, and she crossed her arms to protect herself. The dense purple light instantly condensed into a solid purple scale shield.
"Boom!"
The giant tail slammed heavily onto the scale shield, unleashing a deafening roar.
Zi Yan's body was slammed backward several meters by the force, her feet creating ripples in the air, but she was unharmed. Instead, the fighting spirit in her eyes intensified.