Heading to Maple City

Following Xiao Yi Xian's lead, Xiao Yan also began his practice of the soul technique.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing, allowing his state of mind to calm down rapidly.

Guided by his intent, the Dou Qi within his body began to flow slowly, steady and orderly like a clear mountain stream.

When he began to mobilize his soul power according to the mnemonic, everything felt natural and smooth.

His soul power seemed to respond to a gentle summons, moving quickly without the slightest resistance or obstruction.

The surrounding heaven and earth energy seemed to be drawn in, gathering toward Xiao Yan to form visible vortices of spiritual energy.

Xiao Yan's body was enveloped in a faint spiritual glow, his expression relaxed and comfortable, as if he were enjoying a feast for the soul rather than undergoing arduous training.

His aura merged perfectly with the surrounding environment, as if he had become a part of the mountain forest.

During the process, Xiao Yan's soul perception extended outward, allowing him to clearly sense the veins of every leaf and the caress of every breeze.

This intimate contact with nature provided his soul with immense nourishment and enhancement.

As time passed, Xiao Yan's soul power grew increasingly powerful and stable.

The spiritual light around his body gradually thickened, forming a shield-like radiance.

When Xiao Yan completed the final step of the practice, he slowly opened his eyes, a bright light flashing within them.

He stood up and stretched his body, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease and refreshment.

Since Xiao Yan's soul power was already formidable, he found practicing this soul technique easier than Xiao Yi Xian did.

Seeing Xiao Yan progress so smoothly, Yao Chen felt quite gratified.

Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully teaching the disciple the Huang-tier high-grade Spirit Rhinoceros Soul Gathering Canon. Reward triggered!

Generating random return multiplier.

Ding! The return multiplier is 5,800 times. Reward: Di-tier low-grade soul technique, Ghost Shadow Soul Devouring Method.

Since both disciples were successfully taught the same soul technique, the system reward is issued only once.

Yao Chen had intended to exploit a bug, but he had not expected the system to be this intelligent.

Forget it, I'll start by practicing this Di-tier low-grade Ghost Shadow Soul Devouring Method provided by the system.

Yao Chen took a deep breath, slowly raised his hands, and began to mobilize the vast soul power within his body.

As he moved, the surrounding air seemed to tremble slightly.

A faint glow gradually emanated from his body, flickering and mysterious, deep and profound.

At first, Yao Chen's expression was relatively relaxed, but as his soul power surged, his brows gradually furrowed.

The difficulty of practicing the Ghost Shadow Soul Devouring Method far exceeded his expectations; the manipulation of soul power required extreme precision and accuracy.

Fine beads of sweat began to form on Yao Chen's forehead, and his breathing became somewhat rapid.

Yet he did not give up; instead, he focused even harder, pouring all his concentration into guiding his soul power.

His hands danced, tracing strange trajectories, and as he moved, the light gradually coalesced into mysterious runes that floated around his body.

These runes flickered with an eerie light, as if possessing the power to devour everything.

At this moment, Yao Chen's body trembled slightly; he was enduring immense pressure.

However, he gritted his teeth and continuously adjusted the output of his soul power, attempting to force these runes to arrange themselves in a specific sequence.

As time passed, Yao Chen's aura became increasingly chaotic, yet his gaze grew ever more determined.

Suddenly, a powerful soul fluctuation erupted from him, and the runes instantly connected to form a massive black vortex.

A powerful suction force emanated from the vortex, pulling in the surrounding grass, trees, and sand, instantly grinding them into powder.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian were also caught in this suction, and they had to use their Dou Qi to protect themselves and steady their footing.

Once stable, they both looked toward Yao Chen, but not daring to disturb their teacher's practice, they could only wait anxiously on the sidelines.

Yao Chen's face turned pale, but he continued to control the vortex with all his might, preventing it from spiraling out of control.

A moment later, Yao Chen let out a loud shout and slammed his hands together; the black vortex vanished instantly, and the light on his body gradually receded. Though exhausted, Yao Chen's eyes were filled with joy and a sense of accomplishment.

"Teacher, have you succeeded in your practice?"

Seeing that Yao Chen had returned to his normal state, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian spoke to their teacher immediately.

Hearing the concerned cries of his disciples, Yao Chen looked at them with gratification and replied gently.

"Little girl, Little Yan, this teacher is fine."

By now, three days and nights had passed since Yao Chen and his disciples arrived here.

After a brief rest, Yao Chen pondered for a while and decided it was time to head to Maple City to seek revenge on Han Feng.

Yao Chen had also found a map to Maple City within the storage rings of Mo Tianxing and his companions.

"Little girl, Little Yan, the rest is over. It is time for us to set off for Maple City."

"Understood, Teacher!"

With that said, they set off together toward Maple City, where Han Feng resided.

Yao Chen led the way, with Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan following closely behind.

Yao Chen gripped an ancient map tightly in his hand, his gaze fixed firmly ahead as he navigated toward Maple City according to the map's guidance.

Xiao Yan wore a grave expression, his heart filled with the tension and anticipation of the formidable enemy he was about to face.

Xiao Yi Xian remained calm, her eyes revealing a hint of composure and resolve.

Gale-force winds whistled past their ears, causing the clothes of the three to snap and flutter.

Yao Chen's white robes danced in the wind, and he turned back from time to time to ensure Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian were keeping up.

As they flew, the clouds continuously receded behind them.

As the distance closed, Yao Chen increased his speed, and Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian exerted themselves to follow closely.

The silhouette of Maple City loomed in the distance, and they drew ever closer to their target.

After a day of travel, Yao Chen and his party finally arrived at the gates of Maple City.

The gate of Maple City was tall and imposing, constructed from massive bluestone bricks that were covered in mottled marks from the passage of time.

The gate was dozens of meters wide, spacious enough for several carriages to pass through side by side.

The city walls towered high, appearing to touch the sky, with flags planted along the ramparts snapping in the wind.

On both sides of the gate crouched two massive stone lions; they looked fierce and lifelike, as if guarding the city.

The eyes of the stone lions were piercing and stern, exuding a majesty that inspired awe.

Beneath the gate, the crowd was bustling; there were merchants driving carriages, adventurers carrying packs, and ordinary folk coming and going.

Before entering Maple City, the three of them—Yao Chen, Xiao Yi Xian, and Xiao Yan—all donned black robes and covered their faces with masks.