Meanwhile, in an unnamed mountain range in the Central Plains, a massive, pitch-black hall stood towering over the land.
Chill winds gusted through the hall, carrying the faint sounds of countless agonized wails and lending its already dim interior an even eerier air.
In a secluded chamber within the hall, a figure stared expressionlessly at the shattered jade token before him, wisps of black mist lingering in his eyes.
"What happened?"
The figure spoke softly, his tone level yet filled with an indescribable chill and oppressive weight.
"Reporting to the Hall Master, the Fifth and Sixth Heavenly Venerables led this expedition to seize the Nine-Aperture Dao Rhyme Lotus. But their jade tokens shattered one after another a quarter of an hour ago. They must have encountered a formidable enemy."
A figure kneeling on the floor spoke respectfully.
The man before him was the supreme ruler of the Soul Hall, an astonishing expert whose strength reached the heavens.
In the eyes of the Soul Hall's members, their master was as lofty and unapproachable as a god.
"A formidable enemy? What enemy could kill a high-rank half-saint and an initial half-saint outright? Could it have been a Dou Sheng?"
The Soul Hall Master's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he was puzzled.
A high-rank half-saint and an initial half-saint working together should have had enough strength to escape even two high-rank half-saints.
Unless their party had encountered a powerful Dou Sheng expert-but how was that possible?
"Investigate!"
The Soul Hall Master issued the single word flatly.
"Yes!"
The kneeling figure answered respectfully, then vanished amid a ripple in space.
Inside the secret realm, Xiao Yan put the Nine-Aperture Dao Rhyme Lotus into his Storage Ring, then headed toward the buildings at the far end of the square with Zi Yan and Han Yue.