At that moment, the Protectors inside this branch hall still had not noticed the disturbance outside. When they were not carrying out missions, they hid within this enormous hall to replenish their strength. After all, they themselves were soul bodies. If they went too long without replenishment, they would soon weaken, and might even fall into slumber or disappear.
Their source of power was the other soul bodies they had captured. These soul bodies were like penned livestock: whenever the Protectors ran a little short of soul force, they could draw power from them. Apart from a few particularly prized captives, almost every soul body received this treatment.
If a few Protectors performed exceptionally well, they could even select one of these captured soul bodies to devour outright. Most of the Soul Hall's Heavenly Protectors had risen through the ranks this way. As for the so-called Venerable Elders and even Heavenly Venerables, they were no longer soul bodies. Their strength far surpassed that of these Protectors, so naturally they had no need to absorb soul force.
But today, when these Protectors went to replenish their soul force, they discovered that quite a few of the chained soul bodies seemed to be missing. Just as they grew uneasy and prepared to report it, they watched in astonishment as a soul body bound in black chains vanished into thin air right beneath their noses!
"Wh... what's going on?"
"Quick, notify the Venerable Elders!"
The two Protectors who witnessed this immediately tried to carry word back. But they had only just turned around when one of them suddenly vanished like the soul body before them, without even getting the chance to scream. Unease rose in the other Protector's heart at the sight. Before they could sense anything, their own body was engulfed by