Xiao Yan, More Orthodox Than a Soul Hall Protector

When Xiao Yan and his companions arrived inside the Puppet Nest, the Soul Hall Protectors were engaged in a fierce battle with ten Devouring Puppet.

Unfortunately, those Devouring Puppet ultimately had limited energy and were already showing signs of failure.

"Medusa, Zi Yan, keep an eye out for me. If anyone comes from outside, intercept them. If these inhuman creatures try to escape, stop them too!"

Looking at the fiercely contested battle, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.

"Don't worry, no one can escape, and no one can bother you."

Queen Medusa nodded upon hearing this, a cold glint appearing on her alluring face. At this moment, she transformed once again into the fearsome and aloof Medusa.

"No problem, nothing in this space can escape my eyes!"

Zi Yan patted her small, thin chest with a confident expression, the sound echoing clearly.

At this moment, Xiao Yan and his two companions were still wearing black robes with large hoods, formed by Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, concealing their figures and making it impossible to discern their original appearances and physiques. Xiao Yan acted steadily, even taking out a black mask made of Xuan Iron from his Storage Ring and putting it on his face.

No one knows which unlucky guy who died at Xiao Yan's hands gave him this mask for free, and Xiao Yan kept it to use when he wanted to do something bad.

This is clearly the time to do something bad.

After everything was prepared, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, and he silently shouted in his heart, "Senior Tian Huo, lend me your power!"

The power of the Old Yao should be reserved for opening Space Channel; it should be used sparingly if possible. Besides, the Old Yao's power was indeed used quite a bit in the past few days, so it's time to let Old Yao rest.

Moreover, the strongest of these Soul Hall Protector is only at the Peak Dou Zong. With the power of Venerable Skyfire, plus these Devouring Puppet, Xiao Yan could easily kill them all!

Almost the instant Xiao Yan's voice fell into his mind, a massive surge of soul power erupted from the snow-white Storage Ring and frantically entered Xiao Yan's body.

Feeling the immense power within his body and the slight throbbing pain in his meridians, Xiao Yan clenched his fist and gently exhaled.

Venerable Skyfire's control over his own soul power is clearly inferior to that of Old Yao.

With Old Yao's abilities, even with that immense soul power comparable to Dou Zun expert, such meridian swelling and pain would not occur when injected into Xiao Yan's body.

However, it wasn't a big problem; a slight throbbing pain was nothing to Xiao Yan.

Sensing the immense soul power within Xiao Yan, the Master of Devouring chuckled. Good heavens, this kid actually possesses another Primordial Spirit?

He does indeed have a bit of the air of a chosen one.

After adjusting for a moment, Xiao Yan's gaze swept over one of the Three-Star Dou Zong protectors.

This guy looks to be about as strong as Wu Protector. Let's see if he can withstand one of my punches.

A dangerous smile appeared on Xiao Yan's lips. Silver-gray lightning flashed beneath his feet, and his figure instantly transformed into a silver-gray ray of light, darting out like lightning. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the Three-Star Dou Zong's protector.

The Eight Extremities Collapse!

Xiao Yan continued to use Dou Qi Flame Fist to condense Dou Qi, the power of the Heavenly Flames, and even the vast soul power of the Venerable Skyfire. He then condensed a portion of it into eight hidden forces and unleashed a punch, the violent energy pouring directly into the back of the protector.

Bang!

Click!

A dull thud accompanied by the sound of bones shattering rang out, and the Soul Hall Protector, coughing up blood, was sent flying forward.

In front of him, the Devouring Puppet had already drawn its arm back like a bow, and then punched straight through the chest of the Soul Hall Protector.

The Devouring Power activated, completely absorbing all the essence of blood and qi from the Soul Hall Protector's body. A lifeless, dried-up corpse fell to the ground. Xiao Yan casually grabbed it, directly capturing the Soul Hall Protector's soul. With a change of hand seal, he stored it in the Soul Hall Protector's own Soul Bag.

Judging from their skillful methods, anyone who didn't know better would think that the Soul Hall was having internal strife and plotting a betrayal!

After absorbing the Dou Qi and essence of the Dou Zong, the Devouring Puppet's condition improved considerably. With a flash of black light in its eyes, it followed Xiao Yan's instructions and directly attacked the nearest Soul Hall Dou Zong.

This sudden turn of events brought the already intense and chaotic battle to a standstill.

The remaining nine Soul Hall Protector, including the one with the strongest aura who was at the Peak Dou Zong, all turned their heads sharply to look at the mysterious person who had appeared at some unknown time and whose entire body was shrouded in a black robe and mask.

"Who goes there?!"

"Dare to kill someone from my Soul Hall?"

"Court death!"

A brief moment of astonishment was followed by a furious shout.

Several pitch-black chains, imbued with chilling spiritual energy, tore through the air like venomous snakes, lashing out at Xiao Yan from different angles with piercing shrieks.

Faced with this overwhelming attack, Xiao Yan, hidden beneath his black robe, curled a cold smile at the corner of his lips.

The next moment, with the help of the Venerable Skyfire's immense soul power, Xiao Yan simply flipped his hand, Fallen Heart Flame appeared in his palm.

This is the Heavenly Flames that Venerable Skyfire is most familiar with. No one in the Dou Qi Continent can probably surpass him in the use of this fire. As a result, Xiao Yan learned a lot from Venerable Skyfire, which is also one of the characteristics of the fake identity he planned to use to infiltrate the Soul Hall.

After all, he spent time at the Jia Nan Academy with Hun Li Li, so it's quite reasonable for him to have a Fallen Heart Flame.

With the appearance of the Fallen Heart Flame, an invisible wave instantly spread out, and the invisible Heart Fire was strangely ignited in the hearts of the nine Soul Hall Protector present!

"This is... the Fallen Heart Flame?"

The leading Soul Hall Grand Protector hurriedly suppressed the flames rising in his heart, and couldn't help but scream in horror.

When Xiao Yan made his move just now, his aura was completely exposed without any concealment— Peak Dou Zong!

A powerhouse of equal strength, and the opponent also possesses the strange and unusual Heavenly Flames of Fallen Heart Flame. If it weren't for these troublesome puppets, the Great Protector of the Soul Hall might have gathered all the protectors to step forward, capture Xiao Yan, and take him back to the Soul Hall.

But unfortunately, there's no such "what if."

But before his thoughts could settle, Xiao Yan's figure had already transformed into a silver-gray light and vanished.

The Great Protector of the Soul Hall felt a sudden alarm bell ring in his mind. While dodging the attacks of the puppets in front of him, he shouted loudly:

"Watch out, everyone!"

Upon hearing the Great Protector's reminder, the other protectors had to divert some of their attention to be vigilant about their surroundings, while also suppressing their Heart Fire and evading the Devouring Puppet's pursuit. With their minds divided among three tasks, some oversights were inevitable.

Xiao Yan, who disregarded martial ethics, directly activated the Cloud Mist Shadow Transformation.

The instant his figure disappeared, his body swayed slightly, and two clones, condensed from Dou Qi and mixed with the vast soul power of the Venerable Skyfire, were formed. Each clone actually possessed the strength of Five-Star Dou Zong!

The three Xiao Yan charged in three directions, and with three miserable cries, three more guardians perished on the spot, their souls, Storage Ring, and Soul Bag taken by Xiao Yan.

The situation instantly became thirteen against six.

With Xiao Yan actively controlling them, these Devouring Puppet were quite powerful, charging forward fearlessly and directly imbuing the Soul Hall Protector with body parts, joint locks, and locking techniques.

Relying on its Devouring Power, it was completely unafraid of the Soul Hall Protector's desperate counterattack, seemingly determined to perish together with the Soul Hall Protector.

As for those who didn't go up for a one-for-one exchange, they started going up to collect kills under the leadership of Xiao Yan and his two Dou Qi clones.

After five screams, only the Great Protector remained in the Soul Hall.

"You can actually control these puppets?"

The Great Protector watched helplessly as his companions were brutally murdered, their corpses becoming nourishment for the Devouring Puppet, their souls being skillfully collected into Xiao Yan's Soul Bag. His mind was buzzing.

Where did this darn thing come from?

Not only are they incredibly strong, but they also love to use underhanded tactics. Peak Dou Zong ambushed Three-Star Dou Zong, and they can even control these strange puppets?

"I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you; you're not worthy to listen."

Xiao Yan had no intention of answering the Soul Hall's Grand Protector's question. A body and soul at the Peak Dou Zong would make excellent puppet material; he'd go back to the Jia Nan Academy to learn the crafting method for the Heavenly Demon Puppet...

Wait, it seems we don't need to anymore.

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.

The Master of Devouring had already taught him the method for refining the Devouring Heavenly Corpse. Although the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was currently in a fragile infancy and couldn't be used to refine puppets, once you understand one thing, you can apply it to many others. If the Devouring Ancestral Symbol's Devouring Power couldn't be used, what if Heavenly Flames was used to refine the corpse puppet?

A puppet possessing the power of Heavenly Flames?

Brilliant!

Xiao Yan was overjoyed, and his gaze toward the Great Protector of the Soul Hall became even more ardent.

"Kill him!"

Xiao Yan pointed at the Great Protector, and ten Devouring Puppet immediately rushed forward, surrounding him and beginning a group attack.

As for Xiao Yan, he withdrew his two clones and then changed the hand seals in his hands.

"Let me show you what Soul Clan Dou Technique are like."

Muttering to himself, Xiao Yan 'Xiao Yan aura turned gloomy, and then a blood-red skull condensed above his head.

Then, the blood-red skull let out a low, piercing shriek.

"Ughhhh!"

The Great Protector never expected that Xiao Yan would possess a Soul Clan Dou Technique even more authentic than some of the Soul Hall Protector's Soul Clan Dou Technique. The terrifying shriek that directly affected the soul caused him to freeze in place.

Great opportunity!

Xiao Yan immediately unleashed the Three Thousand Lightning Movement, appearing before the Great Protector. He reached out with one hand and snapped the Great Protector's neck, while grabbing at the top of his head with the other, forcibly pulling out the tormented soul. With a tremor in his palm, the Fallen Heart Flame enveloped the Great Protector's soul.

"Hmph hmph hmph... Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

The Great Protector let out a painful wail, but Xiao Yan remained unmoved, calmly stuffing him into a jade bottle made of Heavenly Flames, and then sealing it with another layer of Heavenly Flame Seal.

Her technique remained as smooth and skillful as ever.

In order to be a good undercover agent in the future, Xiao Yan also practiced his combo moves diligently.

The battle ended, and the interior of the Puppet Nest returned to deathly silence.

A strong stench of blood filled the air, and scattered on the ground were some shriveled remains and fragments of broken black robes.

Ten Devouring Puppet stood silently behind Xiao Yan, their empty eye sockets flashing with black light, and the light of Devouring Power on the pieced-together fragments on their bodies seemed to be slightly brighter than before.

Xiao Yan stood in the center of the devastated battlefield, his black robes fluttering even without wind.

What a pity.

Apart from the Great Protector, the other corpses were ruined and could not be used to create corpse puppets.

"Phew... Thanks, Senior Tian Huo."

Xiao Yan gently exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the vast soul power within his body gradually receding like a tide. He even had the illusion that his body was being hollowed out, but this was ultimately not his own power.

"Hehe, no need to be so polite. You are my heir, why stand on ceremony?"

The Venerable Skyfire's hearty laughter echoed in Xiao Yan's mind.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly, and then his gaze fell upon Queen Medusa and Zi Yan.

"It's resolved, let's go."

While greeting Queen Medusa and Zi Yan, Xiao Yan subtly moved his mind, and the light on the ten Devouring Puppet receded, directly being stored in his Storage Ring.

"Um."

Both women responded and followed Xiao Yan, heading towards the core area deepest within the ruins.

Guided by the remnant soul of the Master of Devouring, Xiao Yan and his companions made their way through the area without any obstacles and soon arrived at a magnificent temple.

The entire temple was constructed from an unknown black crystal, and the walls were covered with mysterious runes that seemed to devour light.

At the center of the temple was a huge circular platform, around which stood eight enormous stone pillars covered with runes. Energy chains extended from the tops of the pillars, connecting to a suspended, slowly rotating, pitch-black vortex in the center of the platform, emanating a faint Devouring Power.

"Hmm? Where am I...?"

As soon as Xiao Yan entered the main hall, he sensed a very peculiar fluctuation. It was neither a rare and precious material nor a wondrous object of heaven and earth, but rather somewhat similar to the fluctuations of treasures Heavenly Cauldron Ranking, such as the Myriad Beast Cauldron and the Black Demon Cauldron.

"This is a top-grade Pure Yuan Treasure I refined years ago, the Devouring Divine Temple. Although it's damaged and can't unleash its former power, it can still easily conceal some disturbances. You can rest assured to receive the inheritance here without worrying about anyone coming to your door."

The Master of Devouring smiled faintly upon hearing this.

"Pure Yuan Treasure? That sounds like a really good thing!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he felt even more excited.

This is a top-grade Pure Yuan Treasure. Even in the Tianxuan Continent, it would be a treasure that countless powerful individuals would fight tooth and nail for!

"Hehe, if you can successfully inherit the Ancestor Symbol's legacy, this Devouring Divine Temple will be yours. However, you'll have to find a way to cultivate it yourself; I can't help you with that."

The Master of Devouring saw through Xiao Yan's thoughts at a glance and chuckled.

"I have always been very confident in myself."

Xiao Yan entered through the passage.

"Receiving the Ancestor Symbol in the temple is twice as effective, but it is also the most dangerous. A slight mistake could result in the complete annihilation of body and soul, leaving no chance for reincarnation. Are you ready?"

The Master of Devouring's expression became more serious, but there was anticipation in his eyes.

"Medusa, Zi Yan, you two stay inside the hall and protect me. No matter what happens, do not approach the platform until I come out."

Xiao Yan said in a deep voice, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

He knew that the test that lay ahead was something no one else could or should interfere with.

Queen Medusa gave him a deep look, her red lips slightly pursed, and finally just nodded. She then pulled the still somewhat confused Zi Yan back to the entrance of the temple, where they could see the platform and were at a safe distance.

Seven-colored Dou Qi and silver Spatial Strength quietly spread, sealing off the entrance.

The Master of Devouring and the Devouring Ancestral Symbol flew out from between Xiao Yan's eyebrows. Inside the Devouring Divine Temple, the Master of Devouring seemed to be in much better condition, and his spirits were noticeably higher. With a gentle tap, the light cluster Devouring Ancestral Symbol quietly shattered, transforming into pure energy that entered Xiao Yan's body.

"No matter what happens, you only need to remember to use your heart as your eyes, hold fast to your true self, and all illusions are vanities."

After giving Xiao Yan a final piece of advice, the Master of Devouring flicked his finger, and the Devouring Ancestral Symbol transformed into a black hole, spinning rapidly.

Xiao Yan's soul then flew out and entered the black hole formed by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

The test of inheriting the Ancestor Symbol has officially begun!

Looking at Xiao Yan's body, which had become somewhat stiff after losing his soul, the Master of Devouring's dark eyes flickered slightly.

"May good luck be with you, Xiao Yan."