Wutan City, the top floor of the Xiao Family's newly completed Spirit Gathering Pavilion.
Here, the dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth was like a tangible, gentle mist. Guided skillfully by the pavilion's exquisite formation, it flowed slowly like a babbling brook. The Spirit Gathering Pavilion had been built by Xiao Zhan in just a few short days, using the intricate blueprints rewarded by the system and the vast resources Ya Fei had tirelessly gathered. It was the Xiao Family's core cultivation sanctuary. The pavilion had been carefully divided into several areas, each with a progressively higher concentration of spiritual energy. The energy gathered in the central area was even dense enough to support a Dou Wang expert in peaceful cultivation!
At that moment, Xiao Zhan sat cross-legged in the tranquil central chamber of the pavilion. His aura was as deep and still as an immeasurable abyss, seemingly undisturbed yet containing boundless power. He was not immersed in cultivation. Instead, he had sunk his mind into the system space, focusing intently on the Nine Turns Profound Yin Mantra he had just obtained. This high-grade Earth-tier Cultivation Method was profound and unfathomable, as if concealing endless secrets. It had been specially created for those with yin-attributed constitutions, making it an almost perfect match for Ya Fei's unique Allure Body—as if heaven itself had tailored it for her.
"Once Ya Fei has gotten familiar with integrating the auction house, she can start cultivating this method," Xiao Zhan mused. "With the Yin Yang Profound Soul Pill to assist her, her strength will surely soar like a rocket, advancing a thousand miles in a day."
Just then!
Bzzzt—!!!
A sharp, urgent buzzing suddenly rang out. The Green Fire Snake Token bestowed upon him by Queen Medusa, worn on his left wrist, began to tremble violently without warning! A scorching, frantic pulse brimming with warning pierced into the depths of Xiao Zhan's soul like countless invisible needles, bringing an indescribable sting. At the same time, the bloodline contract seal deep within his soul turned blisteringly hot, as though wrapped in flames. A crystal-clear thought flooded his mind, cold with killing intent and edged with a trace of barely concealed desperation:
"Xiao Zhan! Come to the Holy Temple at once! Those Soul Hall bastards... have returned!"
Queen Medusa's cool, urgent voice rang directly in his soul! Though she had spoken only a short sentence, the terrifying pressure and urgency within it exploded like thunder deep in Xiao Zhan's soul, jolting him from his quiet cultivation. His eyes filled with wariness and gravity.
"Soul Hall!" A flash of cold light shot from Xiao Zhan's eyes, sharp as two blades slicing through the heavy air. Protector Wu had only just fled in disgrace, and Soul Hall had already doubled back so quickly? Judging by the tense situation, whoever had come bore immense malice. Even Queen Medusa, a being of such formidable power, found them difficult to deal with. The danger this time was clearly severe.
The contract had been sealed. With the Holy Temple in peril, as one party to that contract, he was duty-bound to help!
Xiao Zhan sprang to his feet and blurred away like a ghost, appearing outside the pavilion in an instant. His gaze swept sharply over the orderly Xiao Family below, where life flourished everywhere. Each familiar face and every hopeful stretch of land strengthened his resolve to protect them. At last, his eyes fell on Ya Fei, who was hurrying toward him.
Ya Fei had evidently sensed the terrifying burst of energy as well. Her alluring face was filled with worry, like a flower veiled by storm clouds. "Husband, what happened?" she asked urgently, her voice trembling.
"Something's happened in the desert. I have to go there at once," Xiao Zhan replied, concise and firm, his tone leaving no room for doubt. With a turn of his hand, he took out the jade slip containing the Nine Turns Profound Yin Mantra and a Yin Yang Profound Soul Pill radiating a mysterious aura, then gently pressed them into Ya Fei's hands. "Cultivate this method and take this pill as soon as you can. Improve your strength. I'm leaving Wutan City in your hands."
Ya Fei took the jade slip and pill, feeling the powerful, pure energy within them. She couldn't help but be stunned. But more than anything, she feared for Xiao Zhan's safety. She stepped forward and clasped his hand tightly, her beautiful eyes full of concern and reluctance. "The people from Soul Hall are extremely dangerous. Husband, please be careful!"
"Don't worry." Xiao Zhan clasped her hand in return and gave her a reassuring, warm look. "Take care of yourself. I'll be back." His voice was low and gentle, like a spring breeze easing some of the worry in Ya Fei's heart.
There was no time for lingering farewells. At a thought from Xiao Zhan, the space around him rippled and warped like a lake struck by a stone! To Dou Zong experts who commanded the power of space, short-distance teleportation was effortless, as elusive as a goat's horns and a gazelle's antlers.
"The power of space? Husband, be careful!" Ya Fei cried out, her voice touched with fear and concern.
In the next instant, Xiao Zhan's figure blurred where he stood, fading away bit by bit like ink dissolving in water. Only faint ripples of space spread slowly outward, the last trace of his departure.
Ya Fei gazed for a long while at the spot where Xiao Zhan had vanished. Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened around the jade slip and pill until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes, usually so alluring and tender, now shone with unwavering resolve. She murmured softly but firmly, "Husband... I'll protect our home. I'll wait for your triumphant return!"
The Magical Beast Mountain Range, deep inside an extremely secluded ravine.
The oppressive atmosphere was as still as the silence before a storm, making it hard to breathe. Xiao Yan leaned against a massive boulder, his face as pale as paper and a smear of blood still at the corner of his mouth. His breathing was ragged, and he looked as if a gust of wind might knock him over. Xiao Yi Xian stood beside him, her delicate face full of anxiety and worry. Her normally lively eyes were clouded with concern, while the grayish-white poisonous mist curling around her fingertips had grown denser, almost solid as a blade and filled with a chilling killing intent, ready to strike at any moment. Yao Lao's illusory figure hovered nearby. His old face was as inscrutable as a bottomless lake, giving away nothing of his thoughts.
A short distance in front of them, more than a dozen Misty Cloud Sect disciples in pale moon-white robes had spread out in a fan formation, surrounding them completely. Each disciple had a sharp, swordlike aura, and even the weakest was a Dou Shi! The two at their head were far more formidable, their auras enough to make one's heart falter.
One was gaunt, like a dead tree drained of life by the years, with eyes as sinister as an eagle's and an icy aura coiling around him like a venomous snake. This man was Yun Sheng, an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect and a Three-Star Dou Wang! The other was Ge Ye, the same man who had been defeated outside the Xiao Family residence in Wutan City. His face twisted with equal parts spite and glee as he stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, as if he meant to devour him alive.
Worse still, three enormous flying magical beasts circled overhead: Tier 2 Griffin Beasts! They were as huge as small mountains, their outspread wings blotting out the sky. Several Misty Cloud Sect disciples stood on the back of each one, armed with powerful crossbows and carrying formidable auras. They were ready for anything, sealing off every escape route through the air and leaving Xiao Yan and the others nowhere to run!
"Little bastard! Let's see where you can run this time!" Ge Ye's voice dripped with venom, like a curse from the depths of hell. "In Wutan City, that slut Ya Fei protected you. Out here in the wilderness, let's see who can save you! Hand over the secrets you're hiding, and that little Woe Poison Body wench! Maybe we'll leave you with your whole corpse!"
"The Misty Cloud Sect certainly knows how to throw its weight around!" Xiao Yan raised a hand and fiercely wiped the blood from his mouth. His gaze was as cold as the sharpest blade in winter, stabbing straight at the Misty Cloud Sect members. "You've sent a Dou Wang elder after a so-called 'good-for-nothing' like me? If word of this got out, wouldn't the whole world laugh at you?"
"Hmph! A sharp tongue!" Elder Yun Sheng rasped, as if sandpaper were scraping over a rough surface. "Boy, the power in you that clearly doesn't belong to you, and that terrifying pressure that appeared out of nowhere above Wutan City—everything about you reeks of the uncanny. The sect master has ordered us to take you back to the sect and uncover the truth behind it! As for this Woe Poison Body..."
His cold gaze swept over Xiao Yi Xian like a venomous snake eyeing a rare poison. His voice was grim. "She's an even greater menace! We must take her back to the sect and seal her away! Attack! Seize them! Dead or alive!"
At Yun Sheng's command, more than a dozen Misty Cloud Sect disciples erupted with Dou Qi in unison, their momentum like a volcano erupting. Swords and blades flashed from their sheaths with sharp, ringing cries. The light of all kinds of Dou Techniques flared in a dazzling array, crashing toward Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian like a raging storm! The Griffin Beasts overhead shrieked and dove. Their crossbows locked onto the ground below like nets cast by the reaper, ready to loose their deadly bolts at any moment!
A desperate situation! This was a true dead end! A Three-Star Dou Wang, a Dou Ling, more than a dozen elite disciples, and a tight blockade overhead! The gulf between the two sides was as wide as a chasm!
"Boy! There's no time to hesitate!" Yao Lao's voice roared in the depths of Xiao Yan's soul, filled with a resolve and tragic determination he had never shown before. "I'll lend you the rest of my soul power! You'll have only one strike! Use the Buddha Fury Fire Lotus! Aim straight for that old dog Yun Sheng! Remember, after you use it, take the little girl and run! Don't look back. Run as far as you can!"
"Teacher!" Xiao Yan's heart clenched. How could he not understand? Yao Lao was putting his life on the line!
"Now!" Yao Lao barked.
Xiao Yan's eyes instantly blazed with a frenzied fighting spirit, as if a flame were roaring inside him! He pulled Xiao Yi Xian behind him, shielding her as if she were his most precious treasure, and roared, "Xiao Yi Xian, help me with everything you've got! Fuse your poison power with my Dou Qi!"
Xiao Yi Xian didn't hesitate for even an instant. She nodded firmly, her eyes filled with determination. She circulated the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture with all her might. The grayish-white poisonous mist that had been held back at her fingertips now surged out like a broken dam. Carrying the terrifying force of an apocalypse, it poured into Xiao Yan like a pack of beasts unleashed from their chains!
"Argh—!" The instant the poison power entered his body, Xiao Yan let out a howl of agony, as if the cry had been wrenched from the depths of his soul. The destructive poison power clashed violently with his own formidable Dou Qi—and even with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame he had painstakingly refined through the Flame Mantra. The conflict raged through him like a storm, threatening to tear his body apart from within! His meridians could barely withstand the strain and seemed to cry out in pain.
"Flame Mantra! Refine it for me!" Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodshot, burning like flames. The Flame Mantra raced through his body like a tireless craftsman, forcibly guiding the raging poison power to fuse with his Dou Qi and the essence of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. Each fusion brought excruciating pain, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
"Not enough! Compress it! Compress it further!" Yao Lao's illusory figure turned transparent in an instant, like a phantom on the verge of vanishing. He became a vast torrent of pale soul energy, and with resolute force poured himself into Xiao Yan without holding anything back, as if giving Xiao Yan every last bit of his power.
Boom—!!!
Xiao Yan's aura soared like a rocket, breaking through the boundaries of Dou Zhe, Dou Shi, and Da Dou Shi in an instant, like a beast breaking free of its shackles. It surged straight toward Peak Dou Ling! Pale flames blazed around him—the Bone Spirit Cold Flame unleashed in full. Yet threads of grayish-white poison gas coiled strangely through the fire. The two powers intertwined, radiating a terrifying aura that seemed to freeze the soul, like a summons from hell.
"What... what kind of demonic technique is this?!" Elder Yun Sheng, who had been preparing to attack, went deathly pale, as if he had just seen the most horrifying thing in the world. From the dreadful aura of the fire and poison entwined together, he sensed a mortal threat. It felt as though he would be swallowed without a trace if he went anywhere near it.
"Flame Splitting Devouring Wave Ruler's secret art—"
Xiao Yan's voice—or rather, Yao Lao's, with his power now in control—was like an icy wind from the deepest hell, chilling and sharp as it rang through the ravine. He gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler with both hands. A sphere of tightly compressed energy formed on the ruler at astonishing speed. Inside it, pale white, gray-black, and faint yellow swirled together in a frenzy, like a miniature cosmic storm, brimming with power capable of destroying the world. The destructive fluctuations twisted and warped the surrounding space, as if an invisible hand were kneading it at will.
"Buddha! Fury! Poison! Lotus!"
(This was a mutated Fire Lotus fused with poison power—a storm of destruction was taking shape!)
The Heavy Xuan Ruler, wreathed in pale poisonous flames, was like the Grim Reaper's scythe reaching up from the depths of hell. Bearing the ominous three-colored energy sphere, it streaked like lightning through the darkness, tearing through the oppressive air. It ignored the Dou Techniques raining down upon it, carrying a devastating determination to either win or perish alongside its target, and came crashing down on Elder Yun Sheng, whose expression had changed in an instant! It looked as if it would cleave the whole world in two.
"Not good! Fall back!" Elder Yun Sheng was terrified out of his wits, his eyes filled with panic as he stared at his impending death. He frantically channeled his Dou Qi, its powerful tide surging as he layered dense, impenetrable shields of dark green Dou Qi before himself, trying to withstand the fatal strike. Ge Ye and the other Misty Cloud Sect disciples were even more terrified. Their faces turned as white as paper as they desperately channeled their Dou Qi and fled backward for their lives, as if the most dreadful demons in the world were on their heels.
But it was already too late!
Rumble—!!!!
An explosion beyond the power of words burst across the ravine, blooming like a flower of death in hell. First came a blinding three-colored sphere that devoured all light. Like a ravenous beast, it swallowed Elder Yun Sheng and the shields he had hastily raised, crushing them utterly. Then came the destructive shock wave! A storm of energy mixed with three terrifying properties—extreme cold, poison, and fire—swept out like a cataclysmic tide, destroying everything in its path.
"Argh—!"
"No—!"
Their shrieks, no longer human, were drowned out instantly by the roar of the explosion, as if life itself were making a final, desperate struggle. The nearest Misty Cloud Sect disciples were consumed the instant the storm touched them. Their bodies melted away as if eaten by strong acid, leaving not even a trace of ash, as though they had never existed. Those farther away were frozen in an instant by the frigid aura, turned into crystal-clear ice statues with terror still etched on their faces. Then the raging energy tore them to pieces, scattering the shards across the ground. Those touched by the poison gas turned gray and rigid at once, their skin covered in strange patterns as they became lifeless "stone statues," as if time had stopped forever.
The spot where Elder Yun Sheng stood became a death zone ravaged by three-colored energy! His Dou Qi shield, backed by the strength of a Three-Star Dou Wang, was as fragile as paper and shattered instantly under the violent impact. The raging energy swallowed him whole. He managed only one brief, despairing scream, like a wail from hell, before disappearing into the terrible explosion.
Ge Ye was a veteran at escaping and ran with astonishing speed, as if countless ghosts were chasing him. Even so, he couldn't escape the disaster unscathed. A wave of residual energy struck his back. His protective Dou Qi shattered like thin glass, and he flew through the air like a broken kite—or a discarded sack—spitting blood. He slammed into the hard mountainside and slumped to the ground, his life or death unknown, like a fallen star.
The three Griffin Beasts, which had been soaring freely through the sky, were now thrown aside mercilessly by the terrifying shock wave. They shrieked in anguish, as if crying out in defiance of fate. The Misty Cloud Sect disciples on their backs screamed as they fell like birds with broken wings. Only a few who reacted quickly enough managed to cling desperately to the reins, grasping at their last lifeline and narrowly surviving the disaster.
The entire ravine looked as if it had been smashed by a massive meteor! This terrifying force had scraped away a thick layer of the once-solid ground, turning the rocks to powder that scattered on the wind like black snow. The plants withered and vanished in an instant, as if the Reaper had drained away all their life, leaving only death and desolation. All that remained was an enormous crater, its rim covered in frost, as though the battered earth had been draped in a pale funeral shroud. Poisonous marks stained the ground like wicked traces left by the Reaper, while charred patches looked like nightmares burned by fire, bearing witness to the horror of the disaster.
Thud!
Before the aftershocks of the explosion had even died away, the terrifying aura around Xiao Yan receded like the tide. He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with gray-black poison gas, his blood seeming to carry all the weariness and agony in the world. His body fell backward like a puppet stripped of every last scrap of strength, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler slipped from his hand, tracing a helpless arc through the air. Forcing the poison power to fuse in order to unleash the Buddha Fury Fire Lotus had been like walking along a cliff's edge. Combined with Yao Lao's withdrawal of his soul power, it plunged Xiao Yan into deep unconsciousness and severe backlash in an instant, as though darkness had swallowed him whole.
"Xiao Yan!" Xiao Yi Xian cried out, her voice full of worry and urgency, as if her heart had been wrenched from her chest. The aftershocks were still raging like furious beasts, and the poisonous mist drifted about like a deadly specter. But Xiao Yi Xian ignored it all and rushed forward without hesitation, catching Xiao Yan's falling body securely in her arms.
She immediately pressed the Detoxification Spirit Bead, which glowed with a gentle light, against Xiao Yan's chest. In an instant, a warm, life-giving energy flowed into his body like a babbling brook, a ray of light in the darkness. It barely managed to suppress the poison power running wild inside him and the injuries ravaging his body, quieting the raging forces for the moment.
"Go... quickly..." Yao Lao's voice, weak as a guttering candle, sounded in Xiao Yan's mind, nearly fading away. "Take him... leave... go... to the desert..." Then he fell completely silent, like a star that had gone dark, sinking into a deep slumber.
Xiao Yi Xian looked down at Xiao Yan, unconscious in her arms, his breathing faint. His once ruddy cheeks were now as pale as paper, and his brow was tightly furrowed as if he were enduring endless pain. She looked again at the ravine, now resembling a living hell. The ground was littered with rubble, and the enormous crater was horrifying to behold. Poisonous mist mingled with the sharp stench of blood, making her stomach turn. The Misty Cloud Sect disciples who had survived were struggling to their feet, their eyes full of fear and hatred like vengeful ghosts crawling out of hell.
A flash of icy resolve crossed Xiao Yi Xian's clear eyes, sharp as a blade in winter and utterly unshakable. Without hesitation, she hoisted Xiao Yan onto her back and carefully tucked the Detoxification Spirit Bead into his arms, as if it were their last hope. At last, she gave the surviving enemies a cold glance. Her gaze was like a sword, making the Misty Cloud Sect disciples shudder.
Xiao Yi Xian moved, becoming a blurred shadow as she carried Xiao Yan away like a bird fighting its way through a storm. She fled toward the deeper, more desolate reaches of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, in the direction opposite Heiyan City—toward the Tagor Desert. Her figure appeared and disappeared amid the poisonous mist and aftershocks, as if racing against fate.
Only the echo of the explosion remained in the ravine, ringing through the air like one sorrowful sigh after another. Poisonous mist still ravaged the area, as if recounting the disaster's horror, and the stench of death clung to the once-vibrant land. The Misty Cloud Sect disciples who had survived stared at the vast crater and the place where Elder Yun Sheng had vanished. Their faces were filled with terror and despair, as if they had just endured the most horrifying nightmare and still couldn't wake from it.
Buddha Fury Poison Lotus! Xiao Yan!
That name, along with the terrifying strike that had been like a blow from a demon god, would spread throughout the Jia Ma Empire with all possible speed, like a gale—and shake the lofty Misty Cloud Mountain, filling everyone with dread!
The area outside the Snake-People Holy Temple, in the Tagor Desert.
The space rippled as if moved by an invisible hand. Xiao Zhan stepped out of the undulating waves, and the aura of a Dou Zong expert around him immediately drew in like a receding tide, as if a dormant beast had hidden away all its fangs. His gaze was heavy as a mountain as he fixed his eyes on the Holy Temple, deep worry and vigilance in his eyes.
The pale purple barrier that had once covered the Holy Temple like a dream had now been battered with countless holes, like a splendid brocade robe slashed by countless blades. Its light had dimmed, as if it might vanish at any moment. The roar of fierce battle and the explosive clash of energy rolled out from deep within the Holy Temple like peals of thunder, making one's eardrums ache. The air was thick with the stench of blood, a testament to the countless lives lost. The raging aura of Heavenly Flames surged unchecked, as if ready to burn everything to ashes. And beneath it all lay an intensely repulsive, chilling fluctuation of soul energy, like a freezing wind from hell—that was the aura of Soul Hall!
The bodies of Snake-People warriors littered the area outside the Holy Temple, severed limbs scattered across the ground like fragments of a nightmare. The ghastly scene looked like a painting drenched in blood, almost too painful to look at. Yue Mei was leading several badly wounded, barely breathing Snake-People experts in a desperate stand against two Soul Hall Dou Emperors, their sinister auras wreathed in rolling black mist like ghosts. Every clash brought them to the brink of life and death. One careless move, and they would be doomed.
When she saw Xiao Zhan appear, a powerful joy flared in Yue Mei's green, slit-pupiled eyes, like a ray of light in the darkness. She cried out urgently, "Elder Xiao! You're finally here! Hurry! Her Majesty is trapped at the Core Altar by Protector Wu and another, even stronger Soul Hall Venerable Elder! The situation is critical!"
Xiao Zhan's eyes turned cold as a drawn sword, gleaming with icy light. He stopped concealing his Three-Star Dou Zong aura, and it erupted like a volcano.
"Soul Hall scum! Get—out of my way!"
He stepped forward and appeared like a ghost behind a Soul Hall Dou Emperor who was about to strike Yue Mei down. His fist, infused with the terrifying Dragon-Phoenix Power, shrieked through the air as if tearing space apart and slammed into the man's back like a falling meteor. This strike seemed to contain all his fury and power, intent on killing the Soul Hall scum with a single blow.
The battle erupted in earnest at that very moment! It was as if the entire space had been set ablaze by the fierce fighting, steeped in tension and murderous intent.
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