Appearance

"Heh heh."

The black mist contracted and rippled, slowly condensing into a human figure wreathed in black smoke.

The figure was shrouded in dense black smoke from head to toe. On its vicious, terrifying skull-like face, a pair of eerie green pupils stared down at everyone below.

Within those pitch-black pupils seemed to lurk endless bloodlust, cruelty, and madness!

A suffocatingly dangerous aura instantly filled the entire space!

At that moment, an extreme sense of unease rose in everyone's hearts!

The people of the Rippling Mountain Empire, along with disciples from the various independent cultivator factions, all stared at the figure in the air in horror.

"What is that thing!?"

"Is he even human?"

"How terrifying!"

"His laugh sounds awful."

The Grand Elder and several Dou Kings from Lan Cangshan revealed wary, apprehensive expressions at the sight.

Looking at the figure above, the black-robed elder's pupils constricted slightly as he said, "What kind of monster is that?"

"I don't know. Judging from his aura, he is at least a peak Dou Emperor!"

The Barbarian Emperor spoke with a grave expression as well.

"Could he be... No, impossible. How could a living Dou Ancestor appear in a place like this!"

The black-robed elder shook his head, dismissing this unrealistic guess. He then addressed the figure within the black smoke.

"May I ask who you are, sir? Have you also come for the inheritance of this Dou Ancestor's cave dwelling? I am from the Black Blood Sect, a first-rate faction on the Northwestern Continent, and I am also a fifth-tier alchemist."

"And the Barbarian Emperor beside me is an elder of our sect."

The black-robed elder stated his sect and identity to the figure in the black smoke.

His meaning was obvious: he wanted to tell the other party that he was powerful, so it would be best not to act recklessly.

"Heh heh heh."

The figure in the black smoke let out a chilling, sinister laugh. "Very good. A fifth-tier alchemist. I am known as the Hunting Guardian!"

"As for this Guardian's purpose, there is no need for you to know, because today... you will all die!"

The Hunting Guardian in the black smoke swept his gaze around before a cruel curve formed on his lips.

"One Dou Emperor who is a fifth-tier alchemist, along with two Dou Emperors and nine Dou Kings. This Guardian did not wait all this time for nothing."

Then, an overwhelming pressure dozens of times stronger than that of the black-robed elder erupted from him.

The pressure spread outward.

The black-robed elder's expression changed drastically when he felt the terrifying pressure that made his heart pound. "This is the pressure of a Dou Ancestor!"

A Dou Ancestor!

A true Dou Ancestor-level expert!

He came from a first-rate faction and had witnessed Dou Ancestors in action.

Only a Dou Ancestor-level expert could unleash such terrifying pressure!

"This is troublesome."

The Barbarian Emperor's expression was grim as well. He had previously guessed that the other party might be a powerful peak Dou Emperor or a half-step Dou Ancestor, but he had not expected him to be a true Dou Ancestor expert.

"Run!"

The Grand Elder shouted and immediately formed Dou Qi wings, flying toward the distance.

But the moment he flew out, the immense pressure slammed him back to the ground. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Grand Elder!"

Seeing this, the several Dou Kings of Lan Cangshan changed expressions. Just as they tried to form Dou Qi wings, they were forced directly to their knees.

"Ah!"

"What is going on!?"

"..."

As for everyone below the Dou King realm, they were pressed flat onto the ground, coughing blood and unable to move.

"Damn it, how can there be such terrifying power!"

Yan Ming and several other distant Dou Kings were also pressed until their breathing became labored and sweat covered their foreheads.

As the black-smoke figure unleashed his pressure, streams of black energy spread from within its body, transforming into black chains.

Like venomous snakes, the black chains shot toward more than half of the family and independent cultivator disciples below.

"What are these things!?"

"Ahhh!!!"

Screams instantly rang out.

Within just a few breaths, the cries of the independent cultivators and family disciples below pierced the heavens!

Hundreds of people were pierced through the chest by the venomous snake-like chains and died on the spot. Their blood dyed vast stretches of earth red, creating a horrifying scene!

"Is this the strength of a Dou Ancestor? Truly terrifying..."

The Barbarian Emperor stared at the scene before him, muttering with an ugly expression.

The black-robed elder nodded as well, his face grim. "We are no match for him, and we cannot escape either."

He possessed the cultivation of a six-star Dou Emperor, while the Barbarian Emperor beside him was a seven-star Dou Emperor. With his powerful physique, he could even contend with a nine-star Dou Emperor.

But before a Dou Ancestor expert, the two of them were merely slightly larger ants.

The surviving independent cultivators were terrified out of their wits, while the Dou Kings of Lan Cangshan and the others were all pale-faced.

What level of power was this? In only a few breaths, hundreds had been killed, including quite a few Great Dou Masters and Dou Spirits!

Those Great Dou Masters and Dou Spirits were all elites of first-rate factions or empires. Yet such a group of elites had been instantly slaughtered without even the strength to resist!

"Damn it!"

Seeing so many dead members of the empire, Lan Cangshan and the other Dou Kings were furious. Yet under the intimidation of that overwhelming pressure, they did not dare make any rash move.

"A Dou Ancestor expert..."

The Grand Elder beside Lan Cangshan muttered blankly.

"What!?"

"A legendary Dou Ancestor expert!"

"Grand Elder, are you certain?"

Lan Cangshan asked in shock.

"With such terrifying power and pressure, a Dou Emperor cannot accomplish this."

The Grand Elder let out a breath and spoke slowly.

"How could this be..."

"It's over. Completely over."

The other Dou Kings were terrified as well. This time, they had encountered a legendary expert!

And this expert had come to kill everyone present! Their lives were likely doomed.

"Heh heh, the ants have been mostly cleared away. It is time to deal with your side!"

The black-smoke figure's eyes locked onto the Dou Emperors and Dou Kings below, radiating icy killing intent.

Then, the black chains shot out once more!

"Run!"

On the other side, Mo Kun roared at the incoming chains. The three Dou Kings hurriedly formed Dou Qi wings, but before they could fly away, their bodies were pierced through.

"Watch out!"

Seeing the three Dou Kings pierced through, the Grand Elder immediately cried out in warning.

Before Lan Cangshan and the others could react, the incoming chains tightly coiled around their necks, leaving them unable to move.

The Grand Elder at the side hurriedly circulated earth-attributed Dou Qi and condensed a massive shield, blocking the incoming chains.

Bang!

The huge shield exploded, blasting him away. He spat several mouthfuls of blood in midair before crashing to the ground, his life and death unknown.

The Barbarian Emperor and the black-robed elder also attacked simultaneously when they saw the chains flying toward them. Their powerful Dou Qi struck the black chains, shattering every one of them.

Unfortunately, although the two broke the black chains, they could not stop them from continuing to grow and winding around their bodies!

The black chains tightened more and more.

"Damn it!"

"How did this happen!?"

The Barbarian Emperor and the black-robed elder looked utterly miserable.

"Heh heh heh."

The Hunting Guardian laughed coldly. "Although you two are much stronger than them, to this Guardian, you are merely larger ants. A fifth-tier alchemist... that is truly an unexpected gain."

The Hunting Guardian had not expected that such a small place would contain the inheritance ground of a Dou Ancestor, and that it would attract several Dou Emperors and even a fifth-tier alchemist.

With the souls of so many experts, his mission in the Hall could be considered more than satisfactorily completed.

Perhaps he might even receive guidance from the Hall Master and be promoted from a Human-rank Guardian to an Earth-rank Guardian. In that case, his status in the Hall would rise considerably!

Thinking of this, excitement appeared on the Hunting Guardian's face.

"This Saint has also found an unexpected gain!"

Suddenly, a voice resounded through the heavens, interrupting the Hunting Guardian's beautiful dream!

"I never expected that the tiny Rippling Mountain Empire would require the Soul Hall to dispatch a Guardian. What a surprise."

"But that is fine. This Saint has not waited in the void for so long in vain."

Several incomparably indifferent voices sounded one after another from all directions.

Wherever the voices passed, the chains binding everyone shattered and turned to dust, vanishing without a trace!

"Your Majesty, we're saved!"

Seeing the chain around his neck shatter, the Dou Kings of the Rippling Mountain Empire trembled with excitement.

"Yes, though we do not know whether he is friend or foe."

Relief appeared on Lan Cangshan's face as well.

The black-robed elder and the Barbarian Emperor also fell to the ground nearby, covered in blood and gasping heavily!

Terrifying!

Utterly terrifying!

With only a single voice, the chains that had left every one of them helpless had vanished completely. It was absurd beyond all reason!

Rumble!

Dark clouds suddenly churned across the sky, and a terrifying might spread down from above.

Then, space slowly twisted. Under the astonished gazes of the Hunting Guardian and the others, a black-clad figure appeared in the sky.

The figure stood upon the void with his hands behind his back. Looking at the Hunting Guardian, he said indifferently, "Hunting Guardian, was it? Have you prepared enough treasures to buy your life?"

After revising it over and over, I forgot this chapter was nearly three thousand words long.