Hun Miesheng: A Loyal Subject! A Truly Loyal Subject!

The Hall of Souls is the most Major Forces in the Central Plains, widely recognized by most other factions.

Even considering the power they outwardly display, the Hall of Souls is already a behemoth on par with the Pill Tower.

What about those that haven't been revealed?

The Hall of Souls has always been secretive and secretive in its operations, even when Hall of Souls is very powerful – just like now.

If Sun Buxiao hadn't revealed this to Gu Ling might never have known that this seemingly cheerful young man was actually an Elder of the Hall of Souls.

But now another problem has arisen.

The reputation of the Hall of Souls is inversely proportional to its strength; the stronger its power, the worse its reputation.

When people mention the Pill Tower, they think of its immense power, its status as a sacred place for alchemy, its opportunities to become stronger, and its awe-inspiring nature. But what about the Hall of Souls?

If one had to choose a quantifier to describe it, "a puddle," "a lump," or "a bubble" would probably be more appropriate.

He always wears a black robe to hide his face, appearing in various corners of Central Plains and the continent, stirring up conflicts between various forces, large and small, and collecting souls. His purpose and motives are unknown. Apart from loyal henchmen like Heavenly Banquet Sect, basically no one would want to get close to the Hall of Souls.

Then... what about Sun Buxiao, the [Hall of Souls Elder] standing before me?

Although given what had happened before, Gu Ling wouldn't directly turn against Sun Buxiao, she had subconsciously become a little wary.

Well, that's called word-of-mouth.

So... are you planning to go?

After a two-second silence, Gu Ling lowered her guard and asked with a slight frown.

He wasn't brainless. Since Sun Buxiao had now revealed his identity as Hall of Souls Elder, it meant that he had no ill intentions towards him.

Gu Ling wouldn't presume to judge her benefactor based on a mere identity; her earlier wariness was merely a "reaction" to the Hall of Souls.

He breathed on it and said so.

So what exactly happened that led Sun Buxiao to join the Hall of Souls, come to Central Plains, stand before him, and then reveal his identity?

Gu Ling had already started to fill in the blanks in her mind.

"The death of Yao Lao is related to the Hall of Souls... to be more precise, it's related to Yao Lao's former senior brother in the Pill Tower, namely Mu Gu."

"Han Feng was instigated by him, which led to his falling out with Yao Lao and ultimately killing Yao Lao."

"... Do Mu Gu?"

Gu Ling repeated the name, a chilling killing intent suddenly flashing in her eyes.

He had met this old man a few times.

"But calm down first. What I'm about to say is related to the situation on the entire continent. Mu Gu is just a pawn that the Hall of Souls can discard at will. If I get the chance, I'll lure him to a place where I can kill him without hesitation."

"What I really want to say is that the Hall of Souls is just a facade, a shield used to hide the much larger power behind it."

"Those people have something to do, and what they're doing will affect the entire Central Plains, and even the entire Dou Qi Continent. That's why I chose to personally infiltrate the Hall of Souls. In other words... I'm an undercover agent."

Gu Ling frowned, pondering what Sun Buxiao had said.

The fact that the Hall of Souls had ulterior motives was actually known to almost all the Major Forces in the Central Plains. However, they were all unclear about the Hall of Souls's true purpose, and they were also preoccupied with their own troubles, so they could only choose to leave it alone.

It could affect the entire continent...

Moreover, is the Hall of Souls merely a superficial force?

The Hall of Souls, as the visible power on the surface, is already considered the largest Major Forces on the continent. What lies behind the Hall of Souls?

Gu Ling suddenly thought of his best friend Yao Chen. If he remembered correctly, was there someone behind Yao Chen...?

Could it be that a similar force is hidden behind the Hall of Souls?

How can I trust you? And how did you know all this?

Rubbing her Temples, Gu Ling was a little confused about what Sun Buxiao, and could only express her most basic doubts.

"I naturally have my own intelligence network, which I cannot disclose. You just need to know that what I said is true."

"What I've said is known to both Yao Lao and Xiao Yan. In fact, Xiao Yan came to Central Plains for this very reason."

Sun Buxiao tapped his fingers on the table.

It's really not fair to blame him for being a riddle teller; he had to talk about it, since his plan required the cooperation of the Starfall Pavilion. But explaining everything was impossible, because the Starfall Pavilion wasn't the center of his plan.

His expression shifted several times; his dangerous instincts told Gu Ling not to provoke a terrifying force like the Hall of Souls, but...

Putting everything else aside, Yao Chen's revenge is definitely deserved.

Gu Ling wished she could tear that bastard named Mu Gu to pieces.

"I... Young Friend Sun, it's not that I don't want to trust you, but if we get involved in this matter rashly, it will have far-reaching consequences for our Starfall Pavilion. I... I need to wait until Yao Chen returns so I can ask him about it, is that alright?"

Gu Ling looked somewhat troubled, and after thinking for a long time, this was all she could say.

"It's alright, my plan isn't in a rush. I'm telling you this now to avoid any misunderstandings."

"After all... I have to go to the Hall of Souls to 'report' now."

Sun Buxiao stood up, let out a strange, mocking laugh, and took out a large black robe from his Storage Ring, wrapping it around himself.

Superior.

In an instant, Sun Buxiao's face was completely covered, Gu Ling could no longer perceive what kind of person Sun Buxiao looked like from the outside.

Such an aura... indeed, it belongs to the Hall of Souls!

Okay, I understand, but you'd better not dress like that inside my Starfall Pavilion.

"Although I know your true identity, my men don't, to avoid causing any... you understand."

Gu Ling shrank back.

The aura emanating from Sun Buxiao after he put on the black robe made him feel quite uncomfortable. What was wrong with the people from the Hall of Souls? Sun Buxiao was a perfectly normal person, but after putting on the black robe, his aura became eerie, and he felt the temperature in the entire room even drop.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure no one around is wearing it."

With a chuckle, Sun Buxiao stripped off his black robe, picked up a few Storage Rings, put them on his hands, and turned around.

"Then I'll take my leave now. While I'm gone, please take care of that purple-haired girl, and also keep an eye on the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast that lives in the cave outside."

Thanks.

After saying that, Sun Buxiao disappeared through the doorway.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, Venerable Feng sighed deeply.

Although he hadn't fully figured out how to handle Sun Buxiao's ambiguous words... well, Sun Buxiao really is a fascinating person.

Sun Buxiao left Starfall Pavilion with Xiao Yi Xian, and their destination was unknown. Meanwhile, some commotion arose inside the Starfall Pavilion.

It's not for any other reason than that Sun Lang is about to break through and become Dou Zun.

"Dou Zun, Eighth Rank... I should be close to that too?"

Zi Yan muttered to herself as she glanced at her Storage Ring.

I've eaten half of what I brought from the Northwest. The rest should be enough for me to advance to the Eighth Rank?

At least that Pills from a while back was quite interesting; she was referring to the Azure Nether Longevity Pill.

The extra ten years of lifespan that thing added was useless to her; however, the taste and effects were quite good.

"Sister Zi Yan, so what kind of Magic Beast are you?"

During her time at the Starfall Pavilion, Zi Yan gained a little follower, Mu Qingluan, the eldest disciple of Venerable Feng Gu Ling. Mu Qingluan was not human, but Magic Beast like Zi Yan, a minor expert at the Dou Emperor Level.

Her true form is Heavenly Luan Clan, a race with extraordinary bloodlines. They start at the Fifth Rank upon adulthood and can reach a maximum strength of the Eighth Rank... This is probably the biggest disadvantage of the Magic Beast race compared to humans.

Human breakthroughs at least only require breaking through the limits of Dou Qi and the threshold of the soul, but for Magic Beasts... the restrictions on bloodlines are too great.

If your ancestors weren't exceptionally talented, you wouldn't be able to refine your bloodline even if you wanted to, unless you were truly gifted.

But Eighth Rank is not bad, hmm, not bad.

"Don't ask me anything. I haven't even figured out my own situation yet, so I can't say anything carelessly."

Zi Yan puffed out her cheeks and stuffed another red chip into her mouth. While chewing, she tapped Mu Qingluan on the head. Mu Qingluan looked aggrieved but dared not say anything.

She might puff out her cheeks or something when interacting with humans, but communication between Magic Beast...

Everyone's territorial instincts are quite strong; it's a good thing they're not fighting.

This is something deeply rooted in the Magic Beast ideology... it can't be eradicated.

"Hmm? Those guys seem to be..."

Suddenly, Zi Yan, who was eating snacks, seemed to have noticed something. She squinted and watched as two people flew over from the horizon and landed directly in the Starfall Pavilion.

Hmm, if that's the kind of outfit they're wearing, then according to what Bu Xiao said, they're from that... Pill Tower faction, right?

Let's go take a look.

She stuffed a Red Crystals into her mouth, and also gave one to her little follower. Zi Yan spread her wings and flew towards the main building of the Starfall Pavilion, with Mu Qingluan following behind.

Of course, Zi Yan did not forget Sun Buxiao's instructions. She used her obviously enormous Soul Power to completely conceal the aura of her bloodline belonging to the Ancient Void Dragon, without revealing it at all.

The people of Pill Tower are a key group to watch... Zi Yan knew this even without Sun Buxiao reminding her.

What's that word called again?

Testing the market? Or what?

Hehehe...

... Elder Sun is currently enjoying great fame in Central Plains. I have long admired him.

9

"Hehehe... Venerable Wu has been famous for a long time, and I have admired him for a long time as well..."

Deep in the mountains and forests of the Southern Region of Central Plains, Sun Buxiao didn't know the exact name of this godforsaken place, but in short, it was quite remote.

These branch halls of the Hall of Souls seem to prefer hiding in these secluded corners, as if afraid others won't know they're up to no good.

This branch hall is one of the twenty-four Earth Fiend Halls of the Hall of Souls, so naturally, there is an Elder at the Dou Zun level presiding over this place, namely the Venerable Wu in front of us.

This Hall of Souls Elder's cultivation is slightly weaker than that of Old Man Mu Gu, at the Two-Star Peak Dou Zun, but he is still a Dou Zun, someone that Sun Buxiao needs to treat with caution.

Xiao Yi Xian hid her face under her black robe, her expression blank.

Damn it, she'll probably never learn those lousy habits of the Hall of Souls's gods.

"Elder Sun, the Hall Master has been waiting for you for quite some time."

"Nature..

7

After the greeting from the deity, Sun Buxiao entered the main hall of the Earthly Sha. The furnishings here were not significantly different from those of ordinary small branch halls or the Earth Halls that Sun Buxiao had visited, except for the size.

As for the claim that the Hall Master had been waiting for a long time...

"Old Master Sun, you've certainly caused quite a stir since you arrived in Zhongzhou!"

Hun Miesheng's voice came from a Jade Slip floating in the air, his voice filled with obvious excitement.

"You flatter me, Hall Master... Actually, at the beginning, I didn't want to make things so absolute, but Bing He just wouldn't let me go, so..."

5

"If I'm going to take action, I have to be ruthless."

Yes, that's a very Hall of Souls- style statement.

"Great, great! I really hope that all the Elders Heavenly Venerable in our Hall of Souls can follow your example... So what happened in between, and how did you Venerable Feng, Gu Ling, meet?"

Hun Miesheng's main point of curiosity was not Sun Buxiao's strength - such cross-level battles, though rare, were not unheard of.

What truly puzzled him was the sudden appearance of the Venerable Feng to save the day.

How could Sun Buxiao, a man from a Small Kingdom like Chu Yun in the Northwest, possibly know the Venerable Feng of Central Plains?

The Hall of Souls has investigated a large amount of information about powerful individuals over the years, so they have a good understanding of Venerable Feng Gu Ling's information. Venerable Feng has never been to the Northwest; he comes from a small family in the Central Plains.

"This was just a desperate measure to survive... It's related to the Soul Solution. After the eruption, Bing He's strength was immense. In order to survive, I had no choice but to release some of the Soul Solution in exchange for a chance for a powerful opponent to make a move."

This was a line that Sun Buxiao had already planned out, so it was a two-birds-with-one-stone approach.

This would not only solve the problem of the origin of the Soul Solutions circulating in the market, but also create contradictions for future plans, making it easier to drag the Pill Tower into the mix.

"Hmm, is that so..."

Hun Miesheng, whose true form was within the Heaven Hall, frowned.

In truth, he desperately didn't want such a precious substance as the Soul Solution to flow into the market of Central Plains. He was confident that he understood this better than anyone else.

The value of Sun Buxiao's local specialties was one of the reasons why he initially granted Sun Buxiao preferential treatment, elevating him to the level of respect for Elders, but...

If it's for Sun Buxiao's own survival, then there really seems to be no other way.

Sun Buxiao himself is far more valuable than a few bottles of Soul Solution.

"So, what did you gain?"

Hun Miesheng cast aside those trivial worries, and a smile crept into his voice.

In any case, the most important thing is that Sun Buxiao survived this major event.

If you survive, you will gain something.

"There will definitely be some gains!"

"Hall Master, although you are far away in the Heaven Hall, please... sense the essence within these two vials of solution!"

With a frenzied tone, Sun Buxiao, who was completely absorbed in his dramatic performance, picked up the two vials of mixed solution he had prepared beforehand and handed them to the Jade Slip.

Xiao Yi Xian was barely able to hold back her laughter from behind.

This person is really wicked, not laughing, for playing tricks on the Soul Hall Master.

Unfortunately, this Soul Hall Master... might not be able to tell the difference!

Hun Miesheng's massive hand traversed space, grabbing directly at the two vials of solution, eagerly sensing their aura. Then...

Unsurprisingly, he couldn't suppress his laughter.

"Haha, good! Good! Good!"

He even said "good" three times in a row.

"This pure aura... I never knew Dou Zun- level soul could be used like this... Your abilities are a perfect match for our Hall of Souls!"

"I've taken one of these two vials of solution, Elder Wu. Now, take out what I asked you to prepare!"

Hun Miesheng's voice was filled with exhilaration—he could clearly sense the powerful aura and pure Soul Power that originally belonged to Dou Zun from the two tubes of solution.

This method of separating Soul Power is far more efficient than the Hall of Souls's traditional methods!

Therefore, the Hall of Souls would naturally bestow generous rewards upon Sun Buxiao, who had made significant contributions.

With a serious expression, Elder Wu Zun handed over a jade box to Sun Buxiao, his face showing a hint of flattery.

"Elder Sun gets promoted in the future, don't forget to give this old man a boost!"

"Of course, of course."

Sun Buxiao accepted the jade box while laughing.

"This is an Eighth-Tier Pill."

Hun Miesheng's voice carried an air of arrogance.

"You have served our Hall of Souls with utmost dedication, and the Hall of Souls will naturally not treat you unfairly. I will take these solutions and resources from you, and this Eighth-Tier Living Soul Dou Zun-Breaking Pill will be your reward!"

"I know that your Dou Qi has reached the level of Nine-Star Dou Zong, only one step away from becoming Dou Zun. This Pills will help you stabilize your cultivation and greatly increase your chances of breaking through to Dou Zun... You understand what I mean."

"Break through to the Dou Zun as soon as possible, so you can come to the Heaven Hall and personally report to this Saint!"

"Understood! I will serve the Hall of Souls to the death!"

Sun Buxiao bowed deeply, his tone incredibly fervent.

Xiao Yi Xian quickly followed suit, but couldn't help but laugh after lowering her head.

This is so interesting!

"Hehehe... I, the Holy One, eagerly await to see just how far you can ultimately go."

After a strange laugh, Hun Miesheng's aura completely disappeared, presumably returning to the Heaven Hall.

"Respectfully seeing off the Hall Master!"

Sun Buxiao, Xiao Yi Xian, and Elder Wu beside her all spoke loudly together.

After waiting a few seconds, Sun Buxiao slowly straightened up, his lips, hidden beneath his black robe, pursed slightly.

Eighth-Tier Living Soul Dou Zun-Breaking Pill... not bad, barely passable.

Although he probably wouldn't need it much, perhaps he should take it back to feed Zi Yan? He remembered that Zi Yan ate the things he brought from the Northwest very quickly...