Chapter 109: Three-Star Dou Zong!
The slaughter lasted an entire day and night. When the dawn broke the next morning, the black fog dispersed. The entire Sky Serpent Holy City was a scene of deathly silence, its former prosperity gone forever.
Only figure after black-robed figure remained, wantonly capturing the souls of the fallen experts.
"Old bastard, nearly fell for your trick!"
Amid the ruins, Qing Hai and the other two, their entire bodies disheveled, emerged carrying a thoroughly battered corpse. The tattered clothes embroidered with green python patterns made it easy to recognize—it was precisely the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder.
The Ten Thousand Serpent Grand Array, formed by She Qi leading the elders and disciples of the Tian She Mansion, had ultimately failed to hold out to the very end under the fierce assault of Qin Tian and Qiu Long.
The moment the grand array shattered, the Dou Zongs, Dou Huangs, and Dou Wangs of the Tian She Mansion faced the frenzied slaughter of the two Dou Zuns.
Qin Tian and Qiu Long kept Yun Yi's instructions firmly in mind, swiftly eliminating the Dou Zong-level effective forces of the Tian She Mansion, then joined forces with Qing Hai to besiege the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder.
As for the remaining Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs, they were left for the various Protectors of the Soul Hall to hunt down!
In the battle of the four Dou Zuns, although the Emerald Serpent's strength was the greatest, facing the combined assault of three Dou Zuns, his outcome had long been predetermined...
Sure enough, after holding out for half a day, the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder ultimately could not escape the clutches of the three. Now, this Emerald Serpent Honored Elder, whose name shook the northwest, was utterly lifeless. Had Yun Yi not specifically requested his corpse, probably this body could not have been preserved either.
"Young Hall Master!"
The three arrived before the war chariot, looking at the refined young man seated cross-legged, strange flames flickering all over his body. Their eyes carried deep awe.
"After returning, each of you go collect a Sovereign Origin Pill. Tell them it was my order," Yun Yi, feeling the endless energy within him, opened his eyes, looked at the three, and spoke.
As expected, the moment Yun Yi spoke, wild delight instantly erupted in the three's eyes.
As expected, following the Young Hall Master brings meat to eat!
The Sovereign Origin Pill was a pill similar to the Emperor Pill and Dou Ling Pill, except it was suited for the Dou Zun stage. Its most powerful effect was allowing a Dou Zun expert to increase their strength by one star level without any side effects!
This was a pill countless Dou Zuns dreamed of. Without bloodline augmentation, after breaking through to Dou Zun, unless one's talent was not yet exhausted, a normal Dou Zun would still need several years to over a decade just to advance by one star level.
For those whose talent was entirely spent, they might never advance a single star level their whole lives. Yet the Sovereign Origin Pill allowed them to easily break through yet another star level.
Of course, this type of pill also possessed the same drug resistance—a person could only take one in their lifetime.
But even so, it was enticing enough. Why did the Soul Hall, so notoriously infamous, have so many peripheral members joining?
The Soul Hall was not entirely composed of the Hun clan. Within the Soul Hall, only the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master were members of the Hun clan. The rest were ferociously evil criminals absorbed from the outside world.
Otherwise, this organization spanning the entire Dou Qi Continent—even if the Hun clan's descendants procreated madly, they still couldn't fill its ranks!
And why was the Soul Hall able to attract so many powerful individuals? Did it not rely entirely on the immense resources of the Hun clan behind it? In the Soul Hall, only results were recognized, not the person!
As long as you captured enough souls, pills like this were more than sufficient!
It allowed these 'ordinary people' to see a path to rising in strength!
"Many thanks to the Young Hall Master!" The three suppressed the joy in their hearts and bowed fervently to Yun Yi in thanks.
Yun Yi nodded. As for whether their contributions were enough to warrant three Sovereign Origin Pills, Yun Yi didn't think about it. With his status, no one in the Soul Hall would dare object to such a trifle.
"Young Hall Master, this is the Emerald Serpent's corpse!" At this moment, Qing Hai set down a body with one hand and spoke respectfully. Even though he had a grudge against the Emerald Serpent and wished to grind his bones to ash, since Yun Yi had spoken, he still knew his priorities.
"Go. Complete the cleanup work as quickly as possible. Use all efforts to seal the news here. We'll act again after I emerge from seclusion!"
Yun Yi nodded and closed his eyes once more, beginning to refine the impure, chaotic Dou Qi within him. The three, seeing this, slowly and respectfully retreated. On the way, they whispered among themselves.
"It seems the Young Hall Master has further plans!"
"Naturally. A mere Tian She Mansion—how could it withstand the Young Hall Master's divine might!"
"This northwest continent has no idea of my Soul Hall's terror. It's time to let the northwest continent bathe in the radiance of my Soul Hall!"
"Let's go. Hurry and settle the cleanup matters. We must leave a good impression on the Young Hall Master this time. I've heard that the Central Plains has some objections to our actions!"
"Heh— jealously sour, I'd say!"
"That's true. The Central Plains powers are entangled and complex, with the Pill Tower watching from above. No large-scale operations can take place. Eyeing the northwest continent is only reasonable!"
"Then let them be envious! This time, it's our northwest Soul Hall's turn to have a feast!"
After speaking, the three's gazes fell upon a square within the city. There, rows of pitch-black figures stood silently, their expressions numb. A rough estimate numbered no fewer than a thousand, all uniformly at the Dou Ling level of strength.
Now, a pitch-black flame mark was branded on each of their foreheads. Clearly, these people had all been refined into flame slaves by Yun Yi.
The Soul Hall was excellent in every way—except that its basic forces were too weak. Yun Yi's large-scale deployment of flame this time had two effects: those strong enough to resist the refining were handled by the Soul Hall's Protectors, which could also be considered their 'reward'!
Most importantly, in Yun Yi's wide-scale refining, Dou Lings were the strongest group that couldn't withstand his refining!
Weaker Da Dou Shis, Dou Shis, and Dou Zhes were all burned to ash by Yun Yi in a single blaze. The Dou Ling level was neither too weak nor too strong—perfectly suited to serve as the basic army for conquering the northwest continent (in short, cannon fodder)!
Sweeping a glance over the Emerald Serpent's corpse on the ground, Yun Yi shifted his gaze away. The time wasn't right yet. He merely wanted to use the other for an experiment.
He had long since obtained the Heavenly Demon Puppet technique. But upgrading it required large amounts of pill lightning, and this 'identity' of his couldn't even refine pills. Besides, if he did create one, the Heavenly Demon Puppet wouldn't necessarily keep up with his own rate of improvement.
As the disciple of the Nihility Devouring Flame, the Hun clan had countless subordinates at his disposal; he fundamentally had no need for a mere puppet. Yet now, in the northwest continent, to accelerate the pace, he intended to bring this item out and use it to boost the northwest branch hall's strength a bit.
Moreover, he had a particular, special idea and wondered if it could be realized. So, this also counted as an experiment for him.
However, the most important thing now was to increase his own strength. As a body of a fire spirit, although his combat power was formidable, his cultivation speed was comparatively slower.
This event was both a gluttonous feast for the Soul Hall and, simultaneously, his own.
Feeling the surging, pure energy within him, Yun Yi no longer hesitated. He circulated his cultivation method. The energy within him gradually spread throughout his entire body, entering the large and small meridians everywhere.
A profoundly mysterious sensation transmitted from deep within every cell of his body, extending all the way into his soul, drawing Yun Yi's mind and spirit into an abstruse state.
Stepping into Dou Wang could be said to set one on the path of a continent's expert. But once one stepped into Dou Zong, one truly entered the ranks of the continent's powerhouses.
Simultaneously, it unlocked a further level of all-around enhancement, greatly extending one's lifespan, enhancing mastery over natural energy, and even granting control over spatial power.
The energy passed through the meridians, spreading to every part of Yun Yi's body. A sensation of hunger came from everywhere within him, madly absorbing the energy, which fused into his body in a unique manner, causing Yun Yi's body to undergo earth-shattering changes.
And after entering the breakthrough state, Yun Yi's body became like an infinite black hole, devouring this boundless, inexhaustible pure energy.
This period of silent stillness slowly passed for an entire month.
Now, the Sky Serpent Holy City had become an empty city. Its past prosperity, trampled under the iron hooves of the Soul Hall, had turned into the dust of history.
At this moment, Yun Yi sat cross-legged in silence. The two Amethyst Winged Lion Kings lay prone on the ground, vigilantly monitoring every rustle of wind and stir of grass around them.
"It's been a month now. Judging by the Young Hall Master's aura, he's about to break through!"
In midair, Qin Tian quietly watched that cross-legged figure and spoke to Qiu Long at his side.
"The Young Hall Master is indeed a heaven-sent prodigy. When I was his age, I was probably still stumbling around as a Dou Shi!" Qiu Long looked at Yun Yi and shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Oh, right. The Lion Sect, the Purple Sun Sect, and several others—they seem to have discovered something amiss!" Suddenly, Qiu Long gazed into the distance and spoke with an uncertain expression.
"Hmph— Qing Hai has already gone to disrupt their attention. Once the Young Hall Master emerges from seclusion, that will be the moment their fates are decided!"
The Lion Sect and the Purple Sun Sect were top-tier sects of the northwest continent, roughly comparable in strength to the Tian She Mansion. This time, they had launched a surprise attack and annihilated the Tian She Mansion with lightning speed.
Although the subsequent secrecy work had been done very thoroughly, a month had already passed. It had ultimately reached its limit.
With the attitudes of the several parties unclear, Qin Tian and the others dared not rashly initiate a war. With the Soul Hall's strength in the northwest continent, they couldn't sweep through the entire land unopposed.
"Hm?!"
Just as the two were conversing, the Amethyst Winged Lion King squatting not far from Yun Yi suddenly raised its head. Its figure moved, retreating simultaneously with the other Magical Beast, its eyes gazing in delighted surprise at that figure that had shown no movement for a month.
The surrounding world suddenly, out of nowhere, erupted with a roaring rumble of energy. Then, the energy of this stretch of heaven and earth began to ripple violently.
Accompanied by a roar, the natural energy around surged madly toward Yun Yi's body, as if drawn by a powerful pull.
And the pitch-black flame on the surface of Yun Yi's body automatically detached, transforming into a sky-filling sea of flame, sweeping toward that seemingly infinite natural force.
"Success!"
The sudden turn of events startled the two, and then looks of joy appeared on their faces as they watched the black-robed figure.
Yet another indeterminate stretch of time passed. Yun Yi's aura suddenly surged wildly. A vast, majestic aura emanated from within him and spread into the surrounding space, causing that stretch of heaven and earth to tremble.
The cross-legged figure's pair of eyes abruptly opened, bursting with a flash of brilliant light. They revealed a pair of pitch-black, ink-like eyes—as deep as an abyss, unfathomable.
"Break—"
Accompanied by a low roar in Yun Yi's heart, the vast energy within him charged fiercely against the bottleneck.
In the next moment, the aura within him erupted like a volcano, soaring into the sky. Carrying a vast, heavenly-might-like majestic pressure, it swept in all directions.
Now, Yun Yi's gaze was like lightning. His long hair danced wildly. His aura seemed to merge with heaven and earth. The terrifying pressure seemed as if it would crush the sky. The void shuddered intensely at this moment. Space distorted into disordered scars, densely packed like pitch-black spiderwebs.
The figure where he sat instantly blurred into an afterimage. In the next instant, amidst the dense spatial fissures, Yun Yi's figure reappeared. His large hand gently swept past.
As if affected by some magical power, the fractured space slowly began to heal. In just a few breaths, it was as good as new, utterly impossible to tell it had just been shattered.
"Three-star Dou Zong... Not bad!"
Yun Yi clenched his fist tightly, feeling the powerful strength surging ceaselessly from within him—strength that seemed it could shatter the void with a single punch. He murmured calmly.
"To actually be a three-star Dou Zong right after breaking through! The Young Hall Master is truly a cultivation prodigy!"
Sensing Yun Yi's strength, Qin Tian and Qiu Long were shocked for a moment before quickly regaining their composure. Staying beside such a genius required a strong heart; otherwise, one might be crushed into doubting one's very existence.
The two flew over together, naturally offering congratulations and praise. Then, the two reported the current situation to Yun Yi.
After a moment of contemplation, Yun Yi spoke: "You two Honored Elders go first and assist Honored Elder Qing Hai. I'll test a little trinket first and follow shortly!"
"Yes!"
The two exchanged puzzled glances, unsure what scheme Yun Yi was cooking up. But they knew what to ask and what not to. They respectfully clasped their hands toward Yun Yi in acknowledgment.
Yun Yi now looked at the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder's corpse on the ground and sank into contemplation. On the Tian Xuan continent, one of the eight ancient Masters—the Devouring Master—not only possessed formidable strength, but had also used the Devouring Ancestral Talisman to refine a type of puppet.
This puppet's strength was terrifying. At its peak, it could actually match experts who had passed through three cycles of Reincarnation Tribulation, practically the number one meat shield of Tian Xuan.
Yun Yi also possessed a flame containing devouring power. He wondered whether, using the Heavenly Demon Puppet technique, he could replicate the strength of that puppet here on the Dou Qi Continent.
This was the reason Yun Yi wanted the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder's corpse. Whether it could work or not—he'd have to try to find out.
Reaching out, he summoned a wisp of pitch-black flame, which gradually climbed onto the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder's corpse. The blazing, roaring flame was controlled by Yun Yi at a precise temperature as he began its initial refinement.
The scorching temperature directly made the corpse burn fiery red. Strand after strand of black gas emerged—the corpse's foul aura, containing faint remnants of its original owner's will. If this black gas wasn't completely expelled, an external soul would find it very difficult to truly fuse with the physical body.
Under the continuous refinement, the corpse began to shrink, becoming much more lean and compact.
Yun Yi split his mind in two. He retrieved a soul pouch and, ignoring the wails of the countless souls within, set it ablaze as well. Under the application of devouring power, the tens of thousands of souls within began to fuse into a single soul. A terrifying soul fluctuation also surged out, hitting him in the face.
When both the corpse and the soul were nearly ready, Yun Yi flicked his finger. Immediately, a fist-sized hole burst open in the corpse's chest and forehead.