Chapter 188: The Soul Hall Duo
In a shadowy corner, two ghostly figures were engaged in a transaction. To the guardians of the Soul Hall, whether it was the soul of a seven-star alchemist or the soul of a seven-star Dou Zong, both were of immense value, equivalent to countless lower-level souls. Even if they didn't hand them over, consuming them themselves was still very beneficial.
"The mysterious seven-star alchemist seems to have more than one heavenly flame within him..." A tall ghostly figure slowly opened his blood-red eyes, hesitating slightly as he watched the battle between the two distant figures, his voice raspy as he spoke.
"Tsk, what a terrifying kid." The ghostly figure beside him chuckled, a strong hint of greed and desire in his tone. "That attack earlier was truly frightening, but in his current state, he likely won't be able to use it again."
"If he could use it again, we wouldn't be standing here talking." The tall figure scoffed.
It wasn't just Yao Yan.
If Earth Demon Old Ghost were at his peak, these two wouldn't dare to target him. A seven-star Dou Zong's combat power was not something their four-star Dou Zongs could contend with, especially since their own Dou Zong statuses had been attained through secret methods.
Their true combat strength was far weaker than those Dou Zongs who had earned their rank through personal effort.
Both were well aware of this, so they never chose to confront anyone head-on. If they had to act, they would wait for their target to be exhausted before taking action. They never engaged in direct combat, let alone challenge someone above their level. As members of the Soul Hall, they preferred to rely on numbers or sheer intimidation.
The strong should bully the weak!
If gaining strength didn't allow you to oppress others, then what was the point of getting stronger?
"Let's wait a bit longer. It's best to act after they decide the victor..."
"Okay."
With these ominous words, their figures disappeared into the darkness.
On the other side.
Yao Yan and Earth Demon Old Ghost's battle had reached a critical point. Even when Earth Demon Old Ghost used his trump card, he still couldn't severely injure Yao Yan. Worse, he had gradually realized that the injuries he inflicted were healing faster than he could cause them!
This cruel reality was beginning to get to Earth Demon Old Ghost. He even began to wonder if Yao Yan was some sort of seventh-tier magical beast in disguise. Otherwise, how could his body be so resilient, with such terrifying recovery? A wound that was just torn open a moment ago was already healed by the next moment. Even if it were a magical beast, this was still too exaggerated.
"Kid, what the hell are you?!" Earth Demon Old Ghost's eyes flickered with hesitation as he asked.
At this point, he realized he couldn't defeat Yao Yan. But giving up wasn't feasible either. After all, he had already gone all-in. Not to mention that the Magic Flame Valley had put a bounty on him—he could never back down now. The losses he had suffered today were impossible to swallow.
He was too far in to quit now.
The sunk cost was too great.
If he left now, he would have lost everything. Even his injuries would have been for nothing. Furthermore, Magic Flame Valley could no longer maintain any influence in the Black Corner Region. He, the elder of Magic Flame Valley, would have nowhere to go but into hiding.
Yao Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned. "I'm your father~"
A simple taunt, but he relished it to the fullest.
At that moment, Yao Yan felt a wave of satisfaction, even though his body ached all over, his dou qi was nearly depleted, and his soul was in pain. The power within him, however, continued to surge, and his injuries healed rapidly. Even his soul seemed to be rejuvenating… The sensation of tapping into untapped potential was intoxicating.
It seemed that Yao Yan had discovered an unconventional path.
In contrast to Yao Yan's exhilaration, Earth Demon Old Ghost was deeply frustrated. At his age, his potential had long since been exhausted. Every breakthrough now took him an eternity to complete. As for the pills that could help Dou Zong experts break through, even the lowest of those were eighth-tier pills, not something an ordinary Dou Zong could easily obtain.
Now, Earth Demon Old Ghost felt the physical fatigue setting in. While Yao Yan was getting stronger with each passing moment, his own body was deteriorating. His dou qi was barely recovering, and the aftereffects of using his secret methods began to surface. The destruction from the Four-Colored Fire Lotus had also left a lingering force inside him…
Everything pointed to one undeniable fact: he was losing!
He, a seven-star Dou Zong, had been defeated by a four-star Dou Huang kid!
He didn't mind losing to the elders of Canaan Academy. Even after being heavily wounded by the Four-Colored Fire Lotus, he convinced himself that Yao Yan had been relying on outside forces. But the ongoing battle had shattered his pride completely. How could he have been reduced to this state after just a hundred years of secluded cultivation? He couldn't even handle a four-star Dou Huang anymore.
"Old man, still distracted?" Yao Yan suddenly flashed in front of Earth Demon Old Ghost and grabbed his emaciated arm, grinning fiercely. Then, without any hesitation, he headbutted Earth Demon Old Ghost's skull—purely out of stubbornness.
Boom!
The collision of their heads produced a violent boom, and the shock caused Earth Demon Old Ghost's brain to momentarily shut down. Next, he felt his body being lifted high and slammed into the ground.
Bang!
The earth cracked, dust flying into the air.
Earth Demon Old Ghost sank deep into the ground. Then, a series of heavy blows rained down on him, each one aimed at vital areas. The sickening sound of bones breaking could be heard even from a kilometer away.
If someone had been nearby, they would have seen Earth Demon Old Ghost's chest caved in. His ribs were likely shattered, and his skull was barely recognizable.
Yet, despite all this, Earth Demon Old Ghost was still alive—barely. His breath was faint, and his energy was completely drained. He weakly raised a hand to stop Yao Yan's assault, like an old man on his last legs. Through telepathy, he whispered, "I surrender. Please spare my life."
Swish!
Yao Yan's fist, which had been coming down with tremendous force, stopped midair. He stared down at the old man, who was a pitiful sight, and for a moment, he didn't know what to do. He never expected Earth Demon Old Ghost to beg for mercy. Seeing the old man's trembling arm, Yao Yan found it hard to land the finishing blow.
Yao Lao and Heavenly Flame Master also fell silent. Neither spoke, letting Yao Yan make the decision.
However, Yao Yan's choice came swiftly. He hesitated for only a moment before bringing his fist down even harder, slamming it onto Earth Demon Old Ghost's head, his voice filled with anger: "Spare you? Get real! You're out here acting tough, but now you beg for mercy?!"
Boom!
The ground trembled violently as Earth Demon Old Ghost's head was driven deep into the soil.
Pfft!
Yao Yan spat disdainfully at Earth Demon Old Ghost, his eyes full of contempt. He really hadn't expected the old man to beg for mercy. After all, he was a seven-star Dou Zong! Why beg for mercy now? If he had died, his soul would still have existed!
This easy surrender made Yao Yan feel disgusted—what about the dignity of the Dou Qi continent's older generation?
Cai Lin floated over and froze when she saw Yao Yan's changed demeanor. If Yao Yan had been gentle before, now he seemed like a beast, exuding a fierce aura. Even the stray dogs would be kicked by him.
She frowned slightly, her cold eyes filled with hesitation, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. It's just been a while since I've fought. I couldn't hold back. Hiss~" Yao Yan shook his head with a laugh but winced and inhaled sharply. "That really hurt~"
Earth Demon Old Ghost's body had been nearly destroyed by Yao Yan, and Yao Yan himself wasn't in a much better state. His body was battered, with only his bones intact. The rest had been bruised and crushed, constantly healing and getting injured again. However, the pain was suppressed by his previous battle, but now that the fight was over, his injuries became more apparent.
Cai Lin rolled her eyes at Yao Yan, "As long as you're not dead, let's go."
Yao Yan, somewhat helpless, adjusted his expression. He thought to himself that if this had been Xiao Yi Xian, she would never ignore his performance like this. She would have been worried, but Cai Lin didn't care at all.
"Be careful. Those guys are coming!" Yao Lao's voice suddenly rang out through telepathy.
"I sensed them." Yao Yan replied calmly, his gaze locking onto a spot. He squinted and said, "How much longer are you two going to hide? The battle's over. If you have any thoughts, come out and talk."
"Heh, so it's a seven-star alchemist. We're far away, yet you can sense us~"
With a strange laugh, the surrounding space twisted suddenly. Moments later, large black mists began to swirl from all directions. The sounds of wailing ghosts echoed as countless spirits appeared. Two tall figures also reappeared, guarded by the spirits.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the vulture guardian of the Soul Hall. This is my colleague, Iron Guardian. We mean no offense. We're here to collect souls. It's our job at the Soul Hall. I hope you will cooperate."
The vulture guardian stepped forward, exuding the powerful aura of a four-star Dou Zong. His blood-red eyes locked onto Yao Yan as he spoke slowly.
At this point, Yao Yan's appearance had changed considerably since he had left the space wormhole. He was no longer the young boy from before. Having absorbed four heavenly flames, his aura and appearance had drastically shifted.
It was just like the saying from the past: money changes a person. Similarly, strength changes a person.
Thus, the vulture guardian didn't immediately recognize Yao Yan as the same person he had been instructed to find. He didn't link them together—after all, the person he was tasked to find had the strength of a Grand Master, not someone who could take down a seven-star Dou Zong.
"So it's you guys..." Yao Lao spoke gravely. He didn't like the Soul Hall, but he had to admit their power. In terms of strong members, the Soul Hall was undoubtedly the most powerful faction in the Central Region, with a presence across the Dou Qi continent.
"These are the people of the Soul Hall? They seem very adept in soul techniques," the Heavenly Flame Master said, his first time encountering Soul Hall members.
Swish!
Cai Lin stood beside Yao Yan, her dou qi circulating as she coldly stared at the two figures. She wasn't familiar with the Soul Hall, but it was obvious that these two didn't show up to be friendly. And since they weren't friends, they had to be enemies.
With Yao Yan's condition not ideal, she couldn't allow these two to do anything to him.
"The Soul Hall? I've heard of it. But he's my trophy. You think you can just take him away with a few words? You're dreaming." Yao Yan said coldly.
"Dreaming? Heh, this is the first time I've heard such words. The Soul Hall never dreams. Whatever we set out to do, we do. Don't think that you, a mere seven-star alchemist, can—"
The vulture guardian's words were cut off by the iron guardian.
"Why bother with them? Just attack. I'll take care of this kid, you deal with the girl."
The iron guardian, more action-oriented, didn't waste time on talk.
As soon as his words fell, the iron guardian lunged at Yao Yan, black mist swirling around him. He raised his hand and shot out several black chains. These chains were special, seemingly made of unique materials. They glowed with a cold, chilling light, and just looking at them was enough to make one feel their soul being pierced. Clearly, they were designed to target souls.
Clang!
Cai Lin moved swiftly, swinging her sword to slice through the chains.
"Your opponent is me," the vulture guardian sneered, forming a ghostly claw swirling with a sinister wind, and struck toward Cai Lin, blocking her attack while buying time for the iron guardian.
It was clear these two had worked together many times before and had great synergy.
As soon as the vulture guardian blocked Cai Lin's attack, the iron guardian used a unique spatial technique, enveloping himself and Yao Yan in black mist, severing the possibility of external interference.
"Kid, how do you like my Ten Thousand Ghosts Soul Devouring Domain? Do you feel like you can't absorb any energy from the world? Not bad, huh? I've wiped out two cities, and its power is no joke." The iron guardian's voice was cold.
"So those cities were your doing. The Soul Hall really never holds back." Yao Yan replied calmly.
"Oh? You were from the Central Region before?"
The iron guardian didn't immediately attack. Instead, he asked with interest.
(END CHAPTER)
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