"Ah--!"
The piercing screams, like the mournful howls of night owls, echoed throughout the square.
Blood gushed from the Old Ghost Xing's left shoulder like a fountain. The pain of losing his arm penetrated to the bone marrow, instantly twisting his old face into a hideous monster.
At this moment, he staggered back dozens of feet with great difficulty, enduring the excruciating pain. He quickly pointed with his right hand, using his Dou Qi to seal the wound on his shoulder and temporarily stop the gushing blood. However, his face was as pale as paper, and his breath was like a candle flickering in the wind, fluctuating violently, indicating that he was extremely weak.
As Venerable Elder of the Soul Hall, he was high and mighty even within the Soul Hall. He stared intently at Lin Ming, who had a cold expression, and the silent yet deadly Heavenly Demon Puppet not far away. He was filled with shock and anger, and an indescribable fear spread through his heart.
He understood that, given his current state, let alone snatching the Dou Saint remains from Lin Ming, even his survival in the combined pursuit of Lin Ming and that Bizarre Puppet was uncertain.
The thought, "I can't win..." coiled around his mind like a cold, venomous snake.
However, an even deeper fear immediately gripped him—the order from the Soul Hall Master! That great man had personally ordered that the Dou Saint remains must be brought back!
The thought of the cruel punishment he would suffer from the Soul Hall, especially the Hall Master, after failing the mission made Old Ghost Xing tremble in his soul. It was a thousand times more terrifying than the pain of losing an arm!
'No! We absolutely cannot give up! We must try again!'
His survival instinct and extreme fear of the Soul Hall's punishment forced him to suppress the urge to escape.
The Old Ghost Xing took a deep breath, attempting a final intimidation with the Soul Hall's Prestige. His voice was hoarse from pain and weakness, yet he still forced a fierce shout:
"Lin Ming! How dare you destroy my body and seize what my Soul Hall must have! You are declaring war on my Soul Hall! If you know what's good for you, hand over the Dou Saint remains immediately, and I might, out of consideration for your hard-won cultivation, plead with the palace to spare the lives of your Five Elements Sect!"
"Otherwise, from this day forward, there will be no place for your Five Elements Sect on the Dou Qi Continent! You and everyone around you will be subjected to the endless pursuit of my Soul Hall!"
Such a threat, if posed to an ordinary force or a powerful individual, might indeed have a deterrent effect.
The Soul Hall's infamous reputation is built upon the corpses of countless powerful individuals.
However, upon hearing this, Lin Ming scoffed, his eyes flashing with undisguised sarcasm, like sharp swords.
"Old dog, you dare to talk big even when you're about to die? The Soul Hall? So what? Since I, Lin Ming, dared to make a move, I've never been afraid of cowards like you who hide and stealthily Soul Extraction Schemes! Want bones? Fine, you can trade your life for them!"
After speaking, Dark Purple Flame rose around Lin Ming once more, and the New Purple Extreme Annihilation Flame leaped, emitting a heart-palpitating destructive aura. Together with the Puppet One beside him, which was filled with Sectarian Qi, they formed a triangular formation, firmly locking onto the Old Ghost Xing.
The attitude was crystal clear—threats? Useless!
Seeing that the Soul Hall's Reputation had no effect on Lin Ming and had instead fueled his Killing Intent, the last shred of hope in Old Ghost Xing's heart was shattered.
He knew that words were useless and he had to find another way.
So, Old Ghost Xing's gaze swept across the entire square like a venomous snake, hoping to find a breakthrough that he could leverage or create chaos from.
His gaze first fell in the direction of the Nether Python Clan. If he could persuade them to join forces, perhaps he could turn the tide of the battle. However, the scene before him made his heart sink to the bottom.
The leader of the Nether Python Clan, Ming Yu, Four-Star Dou Venerate Peak Ming Yu, was in extremely bad shape.
The emerald light in his eyes intertwined wildly with his own ferocious aura. His body trembled violently, and he clutched his head with both hands, letting out a low growl like a trapped beast.
Opposite him, Qing Lin stood in mid-air, her pair of emerald green Three-Flower Pupils had completely transformed into three strange petal shapes, deep like vortexes, and her powerful pupil power was like invisible chains, tightly binding Ming Yu's soul, forcibly dragging him towards the abyss of control!
Earlier, when Lin Ming tried to snatch the skeleton and Old Ghost Xing was blocked by Puppet One, Ming Yu also tried to stop Lin Ming. At the critical moment, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils was activated instantly, catching Ming Yu off guard and dragging him into a Mental Control confrontation.
The other powerful members of the Nether Python Clan were naturally shocked upon seeing this and wanted to rush forward to rescue their elder. But how could Zi Yan, Xiong Zhan, and the people from the Five Elements Sect let them have their way? The two sides instantly clashed.
Although Zi Yan appeared as Little Girl, the terrifying power of the Ancient Void Dragon was fully revealed, with every punch and kick containing the power to shatter mountains and split rocks; Xiong Zhan was like Humanoid Tank, roaring as he clashed head-on with a Dou Venerate of the Nether Python; the Battle Formation formed by the Five Elements Sect members was also well-organized in offense and defense, firmly blocking the opponent.
Without any help, Ming Yu was already at a significant disadvantage when facing the extraordinary Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils alone.
As a result, after being continuously attacked by Qing Lin's Pupil Power Impact for a period of time, his resistance became weaker and weaker, and the ferocity in his eyes was gradually replaced by confusion and struggle. The emerald green Three Flower Mark was slowly condensing deep in his pupils.
'It's over!' Old Ghost Xing felt a chill run through him.
He knew very well that once Ming Yu was completely controlled, Lin Ming's side would have another powerful force at the Four-Star Dou Venerate Peak! At that time, with Lin Ming, Zi Yan, Xiong Zhan, Heavenly Demon Puppet, and the entire Five Elements Sect lineup, their strength would expand to a despairing level, and he would have no chance at all!
'I must break that girl's control!' he roared inwardly.
However, feeling the intense pain and immense exhaustion within his body, and looking at the menacing Lin Ming and Puppet One, he sadly realized that he had no ability to interrupt Qing Lin.
If they force their way through, they'll likely be killed by Lin Ming and the Puppet before they even get close.
In despair, his gaze, as if grasping at the last straw, suddenly turned to another lone powerhouse in the arena— Venerable Void!
Among those present, the strongest in terms of Dou Qi were Tang Zhen, Five-Star Dou Venerate Zun, and his Old Ghost Xing. Next were Ming Yu, Four-Star Dou Venerate Peak, as well as Lin Ming, Venerable Feng, and this Venerable Void, all at the Four-Star Dou Venerate level.
Tang Zhen and Lin Ming are clearly allies; it would be good enough if Tang Zhen didn't kick him when he's down, let alone help him. Venerable Feng and Yao Chen are close friends, but Yao Chen and the Soul Hall are mortal enemies. Venerable Feng in not attacking Yao Chen is already an act of restraint, let alone helping him.
After careful consideration, the only one who has the potential and the ability to intervene and change the course of the battle is Venerable Void, who has maintained neutrality and whose strength has reached the level of Four-Star Dou Venerate!
"Venerable Void!" Old Ghost Xing took a deep breath, his voice carrying a hint of urgency and temptation.
"Help me retrieve the Dou Saint remains! My Soul Hall will reward you handsomely! Cultivation Method, Dou Technique, elixirs, even the Venerable Position within the palace are all negotiable! As long as you stop Lin Ming for a moment, giving me a chance to break that girl's control, my Soul Hall will be indebted to you!"
His words resounded clearly throughout the square, and countless gazes instantly focused on Xu Xu Sanren. This powerful figure, who had always kept a low profile like a shadow, had now become the key to potentially influencing the situation.
Venerable Void frowned almost imperceptibly. The conditions offered by the Soul Hall were indeed quite tempting, especially the "Venerable Position" and the favor of the Soul Hall, which were very attractive to Rogue Cultivator like him. His eyes flickered, clearly he was quickly weighing the pros and cons.
However, his gaze swept over Lin Ming, whose aura was disordered but whose eyes were still sharp as knives, over the Heavenly Demon Puppet exuded Sectarian Qi aura, and then he thought of the two Ancient Human Puppet that Lin Ming had subdued in front of everyone, whose strength was also not yet revealed... Venerable Void's mind quickly tipped.
Even if I intervene, Lin Ming only needs to send out those two Puppet to stop me, and I won't be able to make any progress. I won't be able to change the outcome of Ming Yu being controlled. On the contrary, I will completely offend Lin Ming because of this...
To offend such a terrifying potential enemy for the sake of a severely wounded Old Ghost Xing and a promise made by a short seller would be utterly unwise.
Having thought this through, Venerable Void had already made up his mind.
He shook his head slightly at Old Ghost Xing, and instead of stepping forward, he took a few steps back, cupped his fists and said, "Venerable Xing, this matter is a grudge between you and Sect Master Lin Ming, and it is inconvenient for me to interfere. I appreciate the Soul Hall's good intentions."
These words completely extinguished the last hope of the Old Ghost Xing!
But in that brief moment of delay, a sudden change occurred on the field!
"Buzz--"
A soft buzzing sound emanated from Qing Lin's eyes, and the emerald green Three-Flower Pupils shone brightly before finally stabilizing completely.
On the other side, Ming Yu's body suddenly stiffened, and all the struggle and ferocity in his eyes vanished, replaced by absolute obedience and emptiness.
Deep within its pupils, three tiny emerald petals slowly rotated, echoing the pupils of the Qing Lin.
He slowly turned around to face Qing Lin, and under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, he knelt on one knee in the void, head bowed, and said in a completely calm voice, "Master."
Ming Yu, Four-Star Dou Venerate Peak of the Nether Python Clan, was completely controlled by the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!
"You bastard!!!"
Seeing this, Old Ghost Xing knew that the situation was hopeless and there was no chance of turning the tide. He let out a venomous roar, filled with resentment and despair.
"Lin Ming! And you all! Just you wait! My Soul Hall will never let you get away with this! The humiliation of today, the hatred of losing an arm, will be repaid a hundredfold in the future!"
Having uttered this typical loser's harsh words, Old Ghost Xing dared not linger for a moment longer. He bit his tongue hard, spitting out a mouthful of Essence Blood. The blood mist exploded, transforming into a dense black light that enveloped his figure.
"Blood Soul Escape!"
A black light flashed, and its speed instantly increased. Like a burning meteor, it fled desperately towards the outside of the Ancient Ruins at a speed that was almost like traversing space. It looked extremely disheveled, and there was not a trace of the prestige of the Soul Hall Venerable Elder from before.
Lin Ming stared coldly in the direction he fled, without giving chase.
Don't pursue a cornered enemy, especially not Venerable Elder of a power like the Soul Hall. If pushed too far, who knows what trump Trump Card he might have left to save himself? Today, being able to sever one of his arms and seize the Dou Saint remains is already a huge victory.
Slowly withdrawing his gaze, Lin Ming swept his eyes across the chaotic square, finally settling on Ming Yu, who was suspended above the deep pit and already under Qing Lin's control. A satisfied smile finally appeared on his lips.
The biggest winner of this trip to the Ancient Ruins has been identified!