Chapter 111: Dragon vs Python Showdown!
Hearing Yun Yi's emotionless voice, the crowd snapped back to their senses. They glanced fearfully at the blood-drenched, terrifying black-red figure and hastily spoke up.
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare..."
"Xue Si offended the Young Hall Master—he brought it upon himself!"
"Yes, yes! I've heard that the disciples of the Purple Sun Sect, relying on their sect's power, were outrageously arrogant. Such a sect was a tumor on our Northwest Continent. We must thank the Young Hall Master for removing a great scourge from our Northwest Continent!"
Under the pressure of the Devouring Heavenly Corpse and several Dou Zuns, everyone hurriedly agreed. The earlier attitude of seeking justice for Tian She Mansion had completely vanished.
Yun Yi nodded and turned his gaze toward the strongest among them, the master of the Lion Sect—Shi Tian!
With the strength of a three-star Dou Zun and his fierce blade techniques, among those present, in a one-on-one fight, no one could defeat him except the Devouring Heavenly Corpse, which could stall him.
So his attitude mattered. And yet, it also didn't. It was just a matter of a little more or less effort.
"Hahaha, what is the Young Hall Master saying? Tian She Mansion and the Purple Sun Sect brought about their own destruction. To die under the Young Hall Master's planning is even their honor!"
Shi Tian let out a great laugh that resounded across the heavens and earth, flying to Yun Yi's side and speaking with a smile.
"In that case, let's discuss the chaos on the Northwest Continent."
Yun Yi nodded, then turned his head to look at the others and spoke slowly.
Hearing Yun Yi's words, the group furrowed their brows slightly, confusion on their faces, while inwardly cursing. Chaos on the Northwest Continent?
Could it be more chaotic than the Central Plains? The Central Plains had, on the surface, One Hall, One Tower, Three Valleys, and the Four Pavilions. In the shadows, there were also factions of decent strength like the Earth Traveling Sect, Treasure Mountain Gate, and Demon Rain Sect.
There were also informants secretly fostered by the seven great ancient clans. It was circles within circles, a complete mess.
And the Northwest Continent, no matter how chaotic, was still much better than the Central Plains. After all, the important resources were all controlled by the major sects, and the good territories were already mostly divided up. Large-scale wars didn't break out easily, so on the surface, it was quite harmonious.
Yun Yi's words clearly had an ulterior motive!
"Since none of you will speak, then I shall." Sweeping his gaze over the silent crowd, Yun Yi's next words struck like a thunderclap. "The Northwest Continent is too small—it cannot accommodate too many voices!"
"What—"
The group stared at Yun Yi in horror. The intent behind those words was utterly blatant!
They couldn't represent all the sects of the Northwest Continent. Tian She Mansion was located in the center; they were merely the few relatively close to it. Further out, there were still many other sects.
From Yun Yi's meaning, it seemed he intended to move against these people!
This was simply terrifying!
"My Soul Hall's intent, you all now understand!" Yun Yi gave them no chance to react, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "Submit, or die!"
As his voice fell, Qing Hai, the other two, and the Devouring Heavenly Corpse instantly surrounded the group. The surrounding sky immediately darkened. Thick black mist surged in once more, and numerous powerful figures flickered in and out of sight within the mist.
Cold sweat dripped down their faces. In their hearts, they were cursing furiously. Why, oh why, had they come to Tian She Mansion?!
Now look! If they weren't careful, they might even lose their lives!
"May I ask, what benefits are there in joining Soul Hall?" Shi Tian pondered for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice.
Yun Yi looked deeply at Shi Tian, his abyss-like gaze seemingly containing dancing black demonic flames. Shi Tian immediately felt his soul tremble. His intuition screamed at him not to look into the other's eyes, but for some reason, he simply couldn't stop himself.
"Hmph—"
A cold snort exploded like muffled thunder in Shi Tian's mind. Excruciating pain surged from the depths of his soul. Instantly, Shi Tian's expression twisted, and he let out a miserable cry of agony.
"Ah—"
"Soul Skill?!"
The people present were no novices. Even if they hadn't seen it before, from the interaction between the two, they immediately guessed a bit of what had happened. They looked at Yun Yi with terror. They hadn't expected him to possess even the lost art of Soul Skills.
Truly worthy of being Soul Hall's Young Hall Master!
Seeing even someone as domineering as Shi Tian in such agony, everyone felt chills run down their spines. Their awe and fear of Yun Yi deepened further in their hearts.
"Granting you the right to live is the greatest benefit my Soul Hall bestows upon you!"
Glancing at the suffering Shi Tian, Yun Yi's deep gaze swept across the crowd. At this moment, no one dared meet Yun Yi's eyes; all deeply bowed their heads.
"Yes!"
Facing the domineering Yun Yi, the group had no courage to resist. Even Shi Tian was no exception.
"Qing Hai, Qin Tian, Honored Elder Qiu Long, contact all Soul Hall branch halls on the Northwest Continent. Deploy all of them. Centered on Tian She Mansion, strike outward. They will assist you!"
After intimidating the group, Yun Yi instructed Qing Hai and Qin Tian beside him.
"Understood!" The two had no objections whatsoever!
Having given his orders, Yun Yi did not linger. Refusing their requests to send escorts, he took the Devouring Heavenly Corpse, boarded his war chariot, and headed into the distance.
He, too, needed a great deal of combat to raise his own strength!
After Yun Yi left, just as Qing Hai's trio was about to act, a black-robed figure slowly materialized. Around him, soul bodies swirled, emitting chilling, mournful screams that made one's heart run cold.
"Nine-star Dou Zun!"
Sensing the aura of the newcomer, everyone present paled. A nine-star Dou Zun was enough to suppress and kill them all.
"This honored one is Hun Yu!"
Hun Yu swept an indifferent gaze over the group. Immediately, a tremendous pressure bore down on them. Hearing Hun Yu's name and seeing the black token at his waist, Qin Tian's trio froze. A moment later, they spoke with utmost respect.
"We greet the Honored Elder!"
"Since these are the Young Master's orders, carry them out well. Do not disgrace my Soul Hall!"
Nodding, Hun Yu spoke in a detached tone. He was a member of the Hun clan. Ordinarily, these people wouldn't even catch his eye. But who told him he had such a troublesome Young Master to look after?
Having spoken, Hun Yu swept his gaze over the crowd, letting it linger deliberately on Shi Tian for a moment, causing the man to tense completely. Fortunately, Hun Yu merely glanced at him before shifting his gaze away.
The next second, Hun Yu tore open a spatial rift and vanished once more, just as silently as he had appeared.
After Hun Yu left, Qin Tian's trio began making arrangements. This time, everyone cooperated fully. Even Shi Tian, the strongest among them, was no exception. He had felt the intent behind that one glance from the nine-star Dou Zun.
It was a deterrent, and a warning!
So now, he was truly convinced. Soul Hall's strength was unfathomable. Previously, Soul Hall's power on the Northwest Continent hadn't seemed significant because no one had unified it.
A few low-star Dou Zuns had been sufficient. But with Yun Yi's arrival, the gathered Soul Hall had revealed its terrifying might.
Most importantly, Yun Yi had experts from the Central Plains by his side. A nine-star Dou Zun as a bodyguard! This mere tip of Soul Hall's iceberg left everyone feeling suffocated.
At this moment, all his petty thoughts had vanished. Resistance meant death. Since he couldn't resist, he might as well perform well. Who knew, if the Young Hall Master was pleased, he might even bestow a few eighth-tier pills upon him!
Thinking of this, his heart immediately burned with fervor. From this moment on, he was Soul Hall's spear—pointing wherever directed!
Ancient Battlefield.
The energy between heaven and earth suddenly began to surge violently, rushing toward the two graceful figures sitting cross-legged.
The sudden commotion instantly awakened Jiang Yun, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed. His dark eyes watched the scene, a flicker passing through their depths. Jiang Yun murmured quietly, "Finally succeeded. I wonder what realm they'll reach after converting to spiritual energy?"
Even Jiang Yun felt a trace of curiosity now. He wondered what level Zi Yan and Medusa's cultivations would reach after converting their energy to spiritual energy.
Zi Yan had already reached the late sixth rank, equivalent to the strength of a seven or eight-star human Dou Huang, corresponding to the Heaven Transformation Realm of the Great Thousand World.
And Medusa, having evolved into a Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python, had become a seventh-rank magical beast. But due to soul-related issues, her strength had always been unstable. Yet even so, she possessed the strength of a two or three-star Dou Zong, comparable to the Heaven-Connecting Realm of the Great Thousand World.
As if responding to Jiang Yun's curiosity, Zi Yan and Medusa simultaneously stirred. The aura within their bodies began to shift, easily stepping into the first stage of cultivation—the Sensing Realm.
Then, the Spirit Movement Realm and Spirit Wheel Realm failed to stop either of them. But just as both were about to step into the Divine Soul Realm, a change occurred. Vast spiritual energy erupted from within their bodies.
Boundless spiritual energy light condensed behind them. Faintly, the colossal phantoms of two magical beasts slowly appeared.
"What is this?" Jiang Yun watched the scene with slight surprise. When he had advanced to the Divine Soul Realm, nothing like this had happened. But on second thought, considering Zi Yan and Medusa's identities and their current realm, a guess formed in his mind.
"Roar—"
Accompanied by two terrifying roars, a purple Taixu Ancient Dragon and a Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python phantom gradually solidified, imposingly majestic with astonishing presence.
The two supreme magical beasts seemed to sense each other's existence, faintly poised for a confrontation.
The moment their auras clashed, as if gauging the other's strength or out of some reservation, they did not collide. Instead, they transformed into spiritual energy light points, merging into the two women's bodies.
As the spiritual energy light points poured in, their previously stalled cultivations skyrocketed once more—Heaven-Fusing Realm, Heaven Transformation Realm...
Milky-white currents swirled around the two women, surging into their bodies with each breath they took.
"So this is the result," Jiang Yun thought, sensing their auras. Zi Yan had only barely reached the Heaven-Fusing Realm, while Medusa had actually reached the mid-stage of the Heaven Transformation Realm. He himself was only at the mid-stage of the Heaven Transformation Realm.
He had the aid of the Saint Demon Flame and the Nine Divine Veins. That was why his cultivation hadn't lagged too far behind during the conversion. Zi Yan was a full major realm and more behind him. And what gave Medusa the right?
Could it be that flame?
He could only guess. If Medusa had anything special now, it was that beast flame which possessed a trace of the Saint Demon Flame's properties!
Though, that being the case, wouldn't Zi Yan feel rather frustrated when she woke up?
"Mhm~" Right then, two soft murmurs sounded as Zi Yan and Medusa simultaneously opened their eyes. Both women sensed the spiritual energy within them and frowned slightly in discomfort.
"How does it feel?"
Jiang Yun's gentle voice came, drawing the two women's attention.
"Xiao Yun!" Seeing Jiang Yun, Zi Yan excitedly threw herself into his arms. Beside them, Medusa, witnessing this, frowned almost imperceptibly. An inexplicable irritation rose in her heart, as if her territory were being violated.
A nameless fury toward Zi Yan surged within her!
With a soft, fragrant body in his arms, Jiang Yun chuckled wryly and rubbed Zi Yan's head. Zi Yan nestled comfortably into Jiang Yun's embrace, mumbling sullenly, "This feeling... it's not comfortable at all. I clearly feel like I have more power, but I can't use it."
"Spiritual energy is denser than Dou Qi and more powerful. Once you adapt and your strength recovers, you'll be able to unleash even greater combat power!"
Jiang Yun naturally understood the situation. Their realms were still there, but the spiritual energy within them hadn't reached the corresponding height. This floating, hollow sensation would cause some discomfort.
But once their spiritual energy recovered, the strength they could unleash would absolutely be even more terrifying.
"Where is this? And what's with the energy inside me? This isn't Dou Qi?"
At this moment, Medusa beside them felt completely like an outsider. The frustration in her heart grew by another three parts. She questioned Jiang Yun somewhat stiffly.
"Hm?" Only then did Zi Yan realize there was someone else present. And the voice and aura seemed familiar. Turning her head, she saw Medusa. Her face, previously full of laughter, instantly turned cold.
"Why have you come out again? Where's Xiao Jiu?"
The Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python and Zi Yan got along very well. Both being ancient exotic beasts, they shared a certain attraction. She called the python Xiao Jiu. But toward Medusa, who shared the same body as Xiao Jiu, Zi Yan had far less goodwill.
After all, she had lost last time. Even if Medusa had held the advantage in cultivation back then—a loss was a loss!
"Heh—" To Zi Yan's questioning, Medusa merely sneered and paid her no attention, instead looking at Jiang Yun.
This naturally made Zi Yan bristle. Had Jiang Yun not held her back, the two would likely have put on another full martial display by now.
"Zi Yan, this continent holds unknown dangers. Having an acquaintance means an extra measure of safety!"
After calming Zi Yan, Jiang Yun smiled and explained the current situation to Medusa.
"You're saying this is no longer the Dou Qi Continent?" Medusa looked at Jiang Yun in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief. After all, the feeling of having one's entire worldview collapse was still hard to accept.
Fortunately, as the queen of the snake-people, she quickly calmed down. Sensing the spiritual energy within her body, along with the different cultivation system Jiang Yun had just transmitted, everything—absolutely everything—indicated that a vastly larger world was opening its doors to her.
"Then what do we do now?" Having regained her composure, Medusa immediately made a decision, looking at Jiang Yun and asking.
A strange world, everything unfamiliar, coupled with that stirring emotion in her heart—Jiang Yun had clearly become her pillar of support!