Blood Soul's Stirring Triggers a Shocking Transformation, Ancient Hall's Secret Realm Reveals Clues

Within the secret stone chamber at the heart of the oasis, an invisible barrier seemed to isolate the space from the clamor and scorching heat of the outside world. Rich heaven and earth energy, like agile spirits, were skillfully guided by an exquisite gathering array, gradually coalescing into visible, pale-white mist. This mist was light and ethereal, flowing like a murmuring stream as it drifted through the chamber, imbuing the space with a sense of mystery and transcendence.

However, Xiao Zhan, who sat cross-legged upon the stone platform, was currently shrouded in an inescapable gloom that felt heavy enough to stifle one's breath. His eyes were tightly shut like sealed gates, barring all external interference; his brows were slightly furrowed, as if a thousand thoughts were tangled within. His entire consciousness had submerged into his body, transforming into a sharp scalpel. With immense focus and caution, he repeatedly "cut" at the imperceptible dark red mark on the edge of his Dragon-Phoenix Origin Imprint—the dreaded Blood Soul Guide.

The mark was infinitesimal, no larger than a speck of dust, nearly impossible to detect without meticulous searching. Yet, it clung like a stubborn, bone-gnawing maggot to the deepest edge of the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Imprint, as if it had taken root there, immovable. It emitted no energy fluctuations and not a shred of aura, remaining as silent as a demon slumbering in the abyss. Nevertheless, it acted like a cold, malevolent eye, silently observing everything and continuously projecting the coordinates of Xiao Zhan's existence toward a terrifying place deep within the endless void. Every time Xiao Zhan's soul power swept over it, he felt as if he had been pierced by a filthy, icy needle, triggering a chill of soul-deep revulsion that made him shudder.

Soul Hall secret technique... truly devious and troublesome! Xiao Zhan muttered inwardly, his voice containing a fury capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, brimming with infinite power. Without hesitation, he pushed the origin power of his Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi and Green Lotus Core Flame to the limit. The two forces merged, transforming into a refined, crimson-gold and cyan-green flame. The flames, like agile ribbons, carefully scorched and coiled around the dark red mark, attempting to peel it from the edge of his soul origin imprint, much like a physician attempting to excise a lethal tumor from a patient, allowing for not the slightest error.

"Sss..." A faint, almost imperceptible sound of dissolution echoed in the deep layers of his soul, like a soft yet chilling whisper in the night wind. Under the dual refinement of the crimson-gold and cyan-green flames—the origin powers of the Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi and the Green Lotus Core Flame—the edges of the dark red mark seemed to show faint signs of fading, as if thick ink were slowly diffusing in clear water, yet it was instantly restrained by an invisible force, struggling to dissipate further.

However, the deepest point of red light at the core of the mark was as stubborn as a poison thorn embedded in marrow. No matter how the dual-colored flames raged and scorched, it remained unmoved, as if it were an immutable law of this soul world. Every lick and burn of the flames felt like a cruel incision deep within Xiao Zhan's soul, bringing a tearing pain that surged like a tide, causing fine beads of cold sweat to seep from his temples, shimmering like dew on grass in the morning light.

<strong>[Blood Soul Guide erosion rate: 0.01%... Erosion core immovable... Forced removal will result in severe damage to the soul origin!]</strong> The system's warning was cold and cruel, like a biting winter wind piercing Xiao Zhan's heart. The voice carried no emotional fluctuation, yet it held an unquestionable authority, forcing Xiao Zhan to face this brutal reality.

Xiao Zhan slowly ceased his cultivation, like a battle-hardened warrior taking a brief respite amidst the fray. He exhaled a breath of turbid, scorching air, as if venting the anger and helplessness within him. His deep eyes slowly opened, cold light flashing like lightning, as if capable of piercing through the illusions and darkness of this world. He understood that forcibly removing this Blood Soul Guide in a short time was impossible. This mark, like a bone-gnawing maggot, was the Soul Hall's declaration of an endless vendetta, a struggle destined to be difficult and long. He had to prepare for the worst, like building a sturdy dam before a storm.

On his wrist, the Seven-Colored Little Snake seemed to sense his inner agitation and killing intent, its slender body coiling around him like an agile ribbon. Its cool, smooth scales gently brushed against his skin, bringing a trace of coolness and comfort. Its pale purple snake eyes held a hint of naive solace, as if it were an innocent child trying to comfort a wounded adult with its meager strength. Its small head rubbed against his finger, the movement gentle and warm, like a soft spring breeze brushing across Xiao Zhan's heart.

"Do not worry. If they dare to come, I shall have them buried in these vast yellow sands." Xiao Zhan's fingertips gently brushed the snake's cool scales, his movements soft yet firm, his voice low and filled with unquestionable resolve, like a roar from the abyss or a heavy hammer striking the drum of fate. Having said this, he flipped his hand and took out the pitch-black storage ring left behind by Protector Wu. The ring was like a mysterious black star, emitting a chilling aura. Xiao Zhan channeled his soul power like a razor-sharp blade, forcibly breaking the remaining soul-force restriction; the barrier shattered with a boom under the impact of his soul power.

The space within the storage ring was not vast, yet it felt like a gloomy ghost realm, filled with a thick, inseparable aura of cold soul force, which surged through the space like tangible black mist. Xiao Zhan's gaze, like a sharp flash of lightning, swept rapidly over the mountains of poisonous materials—items of various shapes emitting a nauseating, putrid stench—as well as tattered soul banners where countless vengeful spirits struggled and shrieked, and several scrolls of Soul Hall secret techniques that lay in the corner like slumbering demons, ready to awaken at any moment. Finally, his gaze rested upon a pitch-black, ancient-looking token. Its surface was carved with countless wailing ghost faces, twisted and hideous, as if recounting endless pain and resentment—this was the Soul Hall Protector Token!

As he took the token, a sensation of icy weight traveled through his fingertips, as if countless vengeful spirits were silently shrieking and struggling, the sound like a lament from the Nine Hells, chilling one to the bone. On its back, a shocking name was inscribed in twisted ancient characters—Gu You Saint. The name seemed to carry an invisible magic; an aura a hundred times more terrifying than that of Protector Wu surged through the token like a cold current from the Nine Hells. The mere invisible pressure brought by that name caused the temperature in the stone chamber to plummet, as if instantly falling from a warm spring day into a frigid ice cellar. Even the spiritual energy gathered by the array seemed to stagnate under this pressure, slowly freezing in the air, plunging the entire chamber into a deathly silence.

"Gu You... Saint?!" Xiao Zhan's eyes widened, his pupils contracting sharply like two suddenly tightened stars. A Saint! That was a true core high-level existence of the Soul Hall! Like a towering peak standing in the clouds, surpassing the Venerables, having already stepped into the Dou Sheng realm—a realm that countless experts looked up to, terrifying to the extreme!

Recalling the vicious curse of Protector Wu before his death, he suddenly realized with a start that its source was so horrifying! This Blood Soul Guide was like an invisible, evil thread directly connecting to the perception of a Saint, as if a cold and terrifying eye in the darkness were staring fixedly at him through this thread.

An unprecedented, heavy pressure, like an invisible mountain, crashed down upon Xiao Zhan's heart with the force of a collapsing tide. The gap between a Dou Zong and a Dou Sheng was like an impassable chasm in the vast universe, a bottomless abyss that inspired awe and fear. If he truly drew the gaze of that Gu You Saint, what a catastrophic disaster that would be...

However, Xiao Zhan slowly tightened his grip on the token, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force, as if he were concentrating all his strength into this one grasp. Yet, in his eyes, a more intense, more frenzied flame ignited, like a volcano about to erupt, carrying an unyielding will and endless fighting spirit.

"So what if you are a Dou Sheng... If you want my life, you will have to break all your teeth doing it!" he whispered to himself. Though his voice was low, it was like the roar of a wounded lone wolf in a desperate situation, filled with resolve and fearlessness. Having said this, he solemnly put the token away. To him, this token was both a death warrant and a source of critical intelligence, like a glimmer of light in the darkness.

Meanwhile, on the northwestern edge of the oasis, there lay a ruin of an ancient Medusa altar, riddled with holes by the ruthless erosion of wind and sand. The broken walls stood silently in the sand, as if recounting past glories and present vicissitudes, like an old man who had seen it all, keeping watch alone in the long river of time.

Xiao Yan stood alone beside the broken altar base. The surroundings were a scene of deathly silence and desolation, with only the time-eroded base silently speaking of past mysteries. On the index finger of his left hand, the black, ancient ring was emitting a faint but continuous warmth, which pulsed like a rhythmic heartbeat, transmitting a mysterious and unknown power.

In his palm lay two Bronze Fragments. The fractured edges of these two pieces faintly resonated, as if they were long-lost brothers sharing some unspeakable connection in the dark. One piece he had obtained by chance in a mysterious cave; the other he had painstakingly dug out from these ruins.

"Teacher... can you feel it? The power contained in these fragments..." Xiao Yan whispered in his heart, his gaze burning like a torch, as if he wanted to see through the secrets within the fragments. Nourished by the pure energy emitted by the fragments, the light of Yao Lao's dormant soul cluster, though still weak like a star about to be extinguished in the night sky, was much more stable than before, as if a flickering candle in the wind had been covered by a lantern, gaining a sliver of stability and hope.

With reverence and anticipation, he carefully attempted to piece the two fragments together. The moment the fractured edges drew near!

Hum—!!!

A sudden, strange change occurred!

The two fragments seemed to be awakened by some mysterious force, simultaneously erupting with dark golden light ten times more intense than before! The light did not dissipate as usual; instead, like living fluid, it moved with agility, instantly intersecting and merging in mid-air. Countless dark golden runes, as fine as gnats and complex to the extreme, rose from the surface of the fragments, like a group of awakened spirits dancing lightly in the light, constantly rearranging and weaving one mysterious and ancient pattern after another.

In an instant, a larger, clearer, and nearly realistic fragmented image, carrying a massive yet chaotic and vast amount of complex information, rushed into Xiao Yan's mind like a violent, unstoppable flood!

"Ugh!" Xiao Yan could not help but groan, feeling as if his head were splitting, as if countless steel needles were frantically churning within his brain. His body staggered backward uncontrollably, his hands clutching his head tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if trying to protect his brain from this surging impact.

This time, what appeared in his mind was no longer a corner of a broken gate or palace, but a more magnificent, ancient, and mysterious scene:

In the boundless chaotic void, a giant hall, too vast to be described in words, floated silently. The hall was cast entirely from dark bronze, emitting an ancient and desolate aura. Its style was ancient and vast, clearly not a creation of the mortal world, as if it came from the distant primordial era, carrying the weight and vicissitudes of time.

The body of the hall was covered in terrifying scars left by blades, axes, and scorching flames; huge cracks were like scars on the earth, shocking to the eye. The shape of one of these cracks faintly matched the joined edges of the two fragments in his hand, as if these fragments were originally part of this giant hall, broken and separated by some massive catastrophe.

Around the giant hall, stars were shattered and laws were distorted, as if it had experienced a world-shaking battle, leaving behind unimaginable traces of combat. Those lingering marks were like scars carved by time, recounting a past of tragedy and heroism. A fragment of a majestic will that spanned eternity and suppressed the heavens, like an invisible giant hammer, struck his soul with world-destroying power, making it almost impossible for him to bear.

"Pfft!" Xiao Yan could no longer withstand this immense pressure and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the scorching sand. The blood was instantly evaporated by the high temperature, leaving a dark red mark. His face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, his soul feeling as if it were about to be burst by this terrifying scene and information, his entire person swaying.

The two fragments in his hand flew out of his grasp due to his loss of mental control, tracing an arc in the air before the dark golden light instantly dimmed, as if they had lost all power, and landed heavily on the sand.

However, at the very moment the light was about to be completely extinguished, flickering like a candle in the wind!

Hum...!

A giant, extremely dim, yet so realistic it felt within reach, phantom of the bronze giant hall flashed and vanished on the horizon deep within the vast desert, directly in front of Xiao Yan! The area covered by this phantom was vast, like an invisible dark cloud obscuring half the sky. Its core pointed directly to a mysterious location deep in the desert that Xiao Yan had never heard of, hidden in the mist!

The phantom existed for only a brief instant, yet it left an indelible mark deep within Xiao Yan's dizzy and chaotic consciousness, as if carved by the sharpest chisel.

"Ancient Hall... projection... over there..." Xiao Yan endured the soul-tearing pain and the spinning dizziness, using all his strength to firmly memorize the direction indicated by the core of the phantom. That direction seemed to be a path full of unknowns and challenges pointed out by fate. He struggled to crawl up from the ground, trembling as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with a mix of shock, pain, and an indescribable excitement and longing, like a pilgrim facing a sacred temple. He quickly leaned down and picked up the two fragments that had returned to calm. In his hands, the fragments felt like the most precious treasure in the world, emitting a mysterious and [missing word] aura. He staggered toward the oasis, every step feeling as if it exhausted all his strength, with only one firm thought in his heart: he must tell his father immediately! The place indicated by these fragments likely held secrets capable of shaking the heavens and the earth!

Meanwhile, deep within the Poison Barrier Valley, gray-green poisonous miasma flowed like a heavy curtain, as if evil vipers were weaving through the air. Xiao Yi Xian sat cross-legged on that cold black rock, her face even paler than the stone, devoid of any color. Her hands were forming the "Poison Condensation Seal" recorded in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, her fingertips trembling slightly as if bearing immense pressure. Cold sweat rolled down her temples like broken beads, soaking her clothes.

A dark purple Poison Source Crystal Core, which had been sealed with multiple layers of exquisite techniques by Xiao Zhan, floated silently about a foot in front of Xiao Yi Xian's chest like a mysterious and dangerous star. It emitted a pure yet chillingly terrifying poison power fluctuation, which surged like the deep sea, containing endless danger and the unknown.

Xiao Yi Xian was fully focused, using an extremely cautious posture to carefully guide a sliver of the tamed poison power. This poison power was like a viper lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment; she had to be entirely focused, allowing for not the slightest mistake. Under her guidance, the poison power slowly entered her meridians, like a small stream merging into a river.

The Detoxification Spirit Bead clung tightly to her chest like a protective pearl, emitting a warm, emerald-green halo. The halo struggled to expand, like a soft yet resilient thin light shield, steadily protecting her vital points and forming a subtle and fragile balance with the sliver of dark purple poison power being introduced, as if a silent battle were taking place.

At first, everything went smoothly. Under the suppression of the spirit bead and the clever guidance of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, the sliver of poison power was like a docile lamb, obediently merging into her meridians, bringing her a sense of fullness and comfort, like the warm sun in spring, cozy and pleasant.

However, when she attempted to guide a second, slightly stronger sliver of poison power—

Hum!

A sudden, strange change occurred!

The core of the Poison Source Crystal Core, which had originally been suppressed and obedient, suddenly jumped, as if a slumbering heart had suddenly awakened. Immediately following, an aura far purer and more violent than before was released, as if a ten-thousand-year-old poison resentment had been instantly unleashed, or like a slumbering poison dragon disturbed and roaring in anger, instantly erupting! The aura carried a world-destroying power, as if it wanted to devour everything in its vicinity.

"Crack... crack!"

A crisp yet infinitely ominous shattering sound erupted, like the footsteps of the Grim Reaper drawing near. On the surface of the crystal core, the several Dragon-Phoenix Rune seals that Xiao Zhan had meticulously laid down—which had been guarding it like a wall of copper and iron—were now flickering unsteadily under the impact of this sudden, terrifying toxic force. As the runes flickered, they seemed to emit the mournful cries of a dying man, and immediately after, a tiny yet fatal crack shattered open. The toxic force, like water bursting through a dam, found its opportunity.

"Ah!" Xiao Yi Xian was struck as if by lightning; her delicate body shuddered violently, as if gripped by a massive, invisible hand. A cold, bone-chilling, and destructive toxic force, brimming with endless malice, surged like a broken flood. With an overwhelming momentum, it poured madly into the energy channel connecting her to the crystal core. Everywhere the poison passed, her meridians felt as if they were being pierced by thousands of steel needles simultaneously, the pain unbearable.

"Pfft—!"

Another mouthful of blood, flecked with seven-colored light, sprayed out, blooming in the air like a gorgeous yet tragic flower. The seven-colored patterns on her skin instantly turned as hot as a branding iron, their light blinding and searing, as if they intended to burn everything nearby to ash. Her grayish-white pupils were instantly swallowed by a violent, chaotic, and destructive dark-purple toxic glow. That glow, like a demon from the abyss, radiated a chilling aura.

The emerald light shield emitted by the Detoxification Spirit Bead flickered violently, letting out a "hissing" whine, like a shield on the verge of shattering, struggling to hold on. In an instant, the light shield was compressed until it clung to her skin, its radiance dimmed to the extreme, like a candle in the wind, swaying and precarious, as if it would shatter and vanish into nothingness at any moment.

"No... don't..." Xiao Yi Xian's remaining consciousness let out a desperate whimper, the sound faint and miserable, like a helpless cry in the darkness. She could clearly feel the ancient, venomous, and resentful will originating from the core of the crystal, surging like a tidal wave, madly battering her spirit platform in an attempt to completely annihilate her consciousness and drag her into an endless abyss of destruction. Her body was completely out of control, like a marionette on strings, left to the mercy of the destructive toxic force as it gathered madly within her limbs and bones; every inch of her skin and every bone seemed to be gnawed away by the poison.

A phantom of an energy-formed poisonous python, more solid and terrifying than before, slowly took shape behind Xiao Yi Xian. Its entire body was covered in dark-purple crystal scales, shimmering with an eerie and dangerous light under the gloom, as if draped in armor from hell. Within its eyes, grayish-white poisonous flames burned fiercely, like two dancing fires of death, radiating a bone-chilling aura. The giant python opened its maw—capable of swallowing mountains—without a sound, yet with immense intimidation, revealing fangs as sharp as blades. Its cold, violent snake eyes locked onto Xiao Yi Xian, who was below, her aura in chaos and unable to save herself, like two sharp daggers. The toxic backlash was like a surging tide, striking directly at the source, as if determined to consume her entirely.

Meanwhile, in the stone chamber at the heart of the oasis.

Xiao Zhan had just carefully stowed away Protector Wu's storage ring and the Soul Order, preparing to circulate his spiritual energy once more to attempt to suppress the Blood Soul Guide that clung to him like a maggot on a bone. Suddenly, a strong sense of palpitation seized him without warning, as if an invisible hand had tightly gripped his heart, causing his very breath to hitch.

"Hum—!"

The Seven-Colored Little Snake on his wrist suddenly stiffened, like a fully drawn bowstring, filled with tension and vigilance. Its light-purple snake pupils contracted sharply, like two suddenly ignited purple stars, and it let out a sharp, urgent hiss toward the direction of the Poison Barrier Valley—a sound that felt like an alarm from hell. At the same time, the Green Lotus Core Flame mark that Xiao Zhan had left within Xiao Yi Xian's body to monitor the balance of her toxic force sent out a warning fluctuation of extreme intensity—out of control! A destruction-level backlash! The fluctuation hit his senses like a surging tsunami.

"Not good!" Xiao Zhan's expression changed drastically, turning as dark as the sky before a storm. With a thought, his figure instantly blurred, as if swept away by a gale, and vanished from the stone chamber.

At almost the same moment!

"BOOM—!!!"

A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar erupted from the direction of the Poison Barrier Valley, as if the heavens were collapsing and the stars were falling. The sound carried an endless destructive force, shaking the entire oasis.

Directly above the oasis, the originally clear and boundless desert sky was torn apart by a massive, invisible, and devastating claw, as if it were a delicate yet fragile mirror of glass! In an instant, a terrifying spatial rift a hundred feet long appeared in the sky, its edges burning with miserable green soul flames. Those flames, like evil ghosts from the Nine Netherworlds, radiated a hair-raising aura, hanging hideously across the horizon as if to swallow the entire world.

At the same time, a terrifying pressure, a hundred times stronger than that of Protector Wu, descended like a surging tide. The pressure was cold and profound, like ten-thousand-year-old ice emerging from a frozen abyss, carrying bone-chilling coldness and endless oppression. It descended with a boom, like the literal collapse of the heavens! The space of the entire oasis seemed to be frozen instantly by an invisible hand; the originally brilliant light of the Spirit Gathering Pavilion dimmed in an instant, like a star obscured by dark clouds. All the Snake-People Tribe warriors felt as if they were being crushed by an invisible mountain, and they collapsed to their knees in rows, their eyes filled with boundless terror, as if they were witnessing the arrival of the end of the world.

From within that spatial rift, a blurred, hunched figure slowly stepped out. His entire body was shrouded in thick, impenetrable black soul mist, which acted like a heavy black curtain, obscuring his face completely and making it impossible to glimpse his true appearance. Only a pair of eyes burning with miserable green soul fire, like two cold lanterns from hell, pierced through the layers of soul mist, looking down coldly and ruthlessly at the oasis below, where the inhabitants were as small as ants, as if he were inspecting a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Then, a hoarse, dry voice rang out, sounding like two pieces of withered bone rubbing against each other, carrying a kind of indifference that froze the soul, echoing between heaven and earth:

"The Blood Soul Guide is here... hand over the Green Lotus Core Flame, hand over the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python... otherwise, all living things in this place... shall have their souls refined for a hundred years!"

The Soul Hall Venerable Elder had descended! This declaration, like the verdict of the Grim Reaper, plunged the entire oasis into endless despair.