Peerless Expert

"Who are you? Since you know of the Soul Hall, please do not obstruct this Guardian's affairs."

Seeing Xie Tianxiao standing in the void ahead, Hunting Guardian's expression changed. He then furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice.

He could not be confronted head-on!

He possessed the strength of a two-star Dou Zong, yet this man had emerged from the void.

And with a single voice, he had shattered his chains. That meant this man was at least a high-level Dou Zong!

As for the man calling himself "this Saint," Hunting Guardian did not think much of it. He merely assumed it was some strange title the other party had given himself.

"My affairs?"

"You are mistaken. I have no interest in your damned business. You simply happened to jump out on your own."

Xie Tianxiao swept a cold gaze over Hunting Guardian before saying icily, "As for my title, you are not worthy of knowing it!"

"You...!"

Hunting Guardian was secretly enraged by those words, but he did not dare act rashly due to the other party's strength. He could only force down his anger and say with a gloomy expression:

"No matter what your purpose is, please do not interfere in the Soul Hall's affairs. Otherwise, even with your strength as a high-level Dou Zong, you will gain no advantage!"

Unable to defeat Xie Tianxiao, Hunting Guardian could only invoke the Soul Hall's name in hopes that the other party would reconsider and stay out of his business.

Although Hunting Guardian was merely an Earth-ranked Guardian responsible for several small nations such as the Rippling Mountain Empire,

the Soul Hall had no shortage of Dou Zong-level Guardians. The branch hall he belonged to alone had several Heaven-ranked Guardians, and above the Guardians were even Venerable Elders who commanded an entire hall.

"A high-level Dou Zong?"

"Hehehe."

How utterly ridiculous!

Xie Tianxiao cast Hunting Guardian a mocking glance and sneered, "It is only natural that trash with such limited knowledge would think I remain at the Dou Zong realm."

"..."

"This Guardian admits that I am no match for you. But since you are being so arrogant, once this matter is over, you will face the Soul Hall's endless pursuit!"

Hearing Xie Tianxiao mock him so openly, Hunting Guardian's face turned extremely ugly. At the same time, he sighed inwardly at his terrible luck.

In such a barren place, it was already absurd for him to appear over the cave estate of a Dou Zong. Who would have thought someone even more absurd would show up?

Was this even reasonable?

"A pursuit? A mere two-star Dou Zong dares use the Soul Hall to threaten this Saint!"

Courting death!

As he spoke, a chilling glint flashed in Xie Tianxiao's eyes, and he pointed a single finger forward.

"Whoosh!"

Xie Tianxiao's finger seemed to pierce through the air as it shot straight toward Hunting Guardian's chest, moving so quickly that he could not react at all.

"Aah!"

Hunting Guardian cried out. It felt as though a massive hammer had smashed violently into his heart, and the pain was unbearable.

Then Xie Tianxiao swept his finger downward, and Hunting Guardian felt as if his body had been struck by a meteorite.

He was blasted hundreds of meters downward before crashing violently onto the ground, smashing out an enormous crater.

One finger had defeated the enemy!

Within the crater, Hunting Guardian was kneeling and sprawled on the ground, black blood streaming from all over his body. He looked utterly wretched!

Seeing a Dou Zong expert—one who had left them completely unable to resist—defeated with a single finger, everyone present stood dumbfounded, their eyes wide and faces filled with shock. It was as though time had stopped!

"Hey, did you see that?"

"That had to be fake, right?"

"That monster even Dou Huang experts could not defeat was beaten!"

The remaining disciples and independent cultivators in the area heatedly discussed what had just happened before their eyes.

"Gulp."

"Good heavens! Is that... is that really a Dou Zong expert?"

The Dou Kings who had regained their senses swallowed hard as they spoke.

"What level is that? Even the legendary Dou Zong was suppressed with one finger!"

The Supreme Elder, who had regained consciousness after being struck down by the chains earlier, wore a completely bewildered expression.

"I never expected such a powerful person to come to this Dou Zong cave estate. Could some secret be hidden within it?"

Lan Cangshan sighed from the side.

Lan Cangshan had thought that this Dou Zong cave estate was located in such a remote area that even if experts came, they would at most be Dou Kings.

Even if a blind cat stumbled upon a dead mouse and one or two ordinary Dou Huang experts showed up, they should have been able to claim a share with so many Dou Kings and a Dou Huang Supreme Elder on their side.

Yet things had turned out like this. Powerful experts emerged one after another, and every single one was beyond their ability to fight. Their luck could not have been worse.

Elsewhere, the black-robed old man, badly injured on the ground, also found this sudden development unbelievable.

"What kind of strength is this? Even a Dou Zong could not withstand a single finger."

The Barbarian Emperor pressed a hand to his bleeding chest and said with lingering fear, "I do not know. He must at least be a peerless expert among Dou Zongs."

Everyone's hearts churned like raging waves. The way they looked at Xie Tianxiao changed again and again.

"Not bad, not bad. I rather prefer you like this. After all, it suits that neither-human-nor-ghost appearance of yours."

Looking at Hunting Guardian, whom he had knocked to the ground, Xie Tianxiao nodded in satisfaction.

"Cough, cough."

"How is this possible? My strength as a two-star Dou Zong could not even withstand one finger from you!"

"Y-you... who exactly are you?!"

Hunting Guardian coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. His face was filled with terror and unwillingness.

"Who am I?"

Xie Tianxiao stroked his chin, then stepped through the void and arrived before Hunting Guardian. He said disdainfully:

"I told you, you are not worthy of knowing. But I can tell you this: forget a mere Dou Zong—even if a Soul Hall Heavenly Venerate came, he would not dare threaten this Saint so brazenly!"

"A Heavenly Venerate?!"

When Xie Tianxiao mentioned the Soul Hall's Heavenly Venerates, Hunting Guardian froze before fear appeared on his face.

As a Soul Hall Guardian, how could he not know of the Soul Hall's Heavenly Venerates?

Even remote branch halls had Venerable Elders, and every Venerable Elder was a Dou Venerate expert!

Only the foremost Dou Venerate experts could become Heavenly Venerates of the Soul Hall!

This man before him not only knew of the Soul Hall's Heavenly Venerates, but also dared speak so recklessly. His strength was likely that of a top expert at the Dou Venerate realm!

Whether what he said was true or false, such an expert was not someone a mere Soul Hall Guardian could afford to offend.

Hunting Guardian was no fool. Recalling the methods Xie Tianxiao had used earlier and his disdain at being called a high-level Dou Zong, Hunting Guardian became even more certain of his conclusion.

At that thought, Hunting Guardian could not help shuddering. His face filled with fear as he begged:

"Lord Dou Venerate, spare my life! I am willing to serve you. I only ask that you spare me this once!"

Of course, this was merely Hunting Guardian's expedient measure. If he survived this time, he would certainly report the matter to the Hall Master and have him capture Xie Tianxiao!

"It seems you have understood something."

Xie Tianxiao narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke indifferently.

"Th-this... I failed to recognize Lord Dou Venerate. Please spare me this once."

Hunting Guardian immediately pleaded.

Hunting Guardian regretted it beyond measure. Had he known he would encounter such a terrifying existence, he never would have come to this Dou Zong cave estate.

Furthermore, Hunting Guardian believed that Xie Tianxiao had come here in search of some rare treasure.

After all, the inheritance cave estate of a dead Dou Zong was not worth a special trip from an expert like him.

It is not that I do not want to write the protagonist acting high-profile with his Saint-level identity. I find the playing-weak act frustrating too.

It is just that how could a two-star Dou Zong possibly recognize a Dou Saint? Such figures only exist in legends, and people from these backwater places do not understand. It would also draw the Soul Hall's attention, which would hinder the protagonist's development. But you can treat it as a flaw if you want.

Our protagonist simply does not regard ordinary Soul Hall Heavenly Venerates as worthy of notice. The Great Heavenly Venerate, Second Heavenly Venerate, and Third Heavenly Venerate still need to be taken seriously.

But that only applies during the Half-Saint stage. Once the protagonist becomes a Dou Saint and can create spatial realms, he can truly cut loose.

[This was heavily revised at the end. He originally referred to himself as "this Venerable," so readers from earlier chapters and readers who came later may see some differences, but it does not affect the plot.]