Chapter 624: Expanding the Thunder Slaves, Seizing the Source of the Demon Lotus Flame
"Celestial Demon-Sealing Formation, Seal!"
With this terrifying formation finally fully formed, the Demon Lotus Flame, which had been raging and causing chaos, was finally subdued thanks to the combined efforts of the seven four-star Dou Saints from the Soul Palace, including its master.
Seeing this, the Soul Palace Master rejoiced, rapidly changing his hand seals before shouting loudly. As his voice fell, the towering black pillar of light began to shrink rapidly, transforming in an instant into a black cylinder about ten feet long. Inside this cylinder, a cluster of milky white flames slowly rose, radiating an extremely terrifying heat.
"It worked!"
Everyone's hearts filled with joy as they saw this. After the fierce battle fought by the seven four-star Dou Saints, they had finally managed to suppress and seal the Demon Lotus Flame.
"Haha, this cooperation has been truly delightful. The Demon Lotus Flame is sealed, sparing the people of Central Plains from further suffering. Thank you all!"
However, just as the crowd was celebrating, a strange smile appeared on the face of the Soul Palace Master. His hand shot out suddenly toward the black cylinder, pulling it toward him like lightning. "Haha, thank you all very much. My Soul Clan will remember this favor!"
"Bastard!"
"As expected, they're no good!"
This scene shocked everyone. They quickly realized what was happening, and furious shouts filled the air.
"Hmph! Taking the Demon Flame won't be that easy!"
Just as the black cylinder was only ten feet away from the Soul Palace Master, a cold voice rang out. The space around the cylinder suddenly distorted, causing it to veer off course, flying past the Soul Palace Master's left side.
"You!"
Seeing the Demon Flame's source slip from his grasp, the Soul Palace Master's face turned livid. He looked toward Zi Yan, who had used her mastery of spatial power to deflect the cylinder's path, even in her weakened state.
Though furious, the Soul Palace Master didn't immediately attack Zi Yan. Instead, he turned to Soul Wind and the Vice Palace Master of the Soul Palace, shouting, "Why aren't you going after the Demon Flame?!"
In an instant, the previously calm atmosphere was replaced with chaos as countless experts scrambled to claim the Demon Flame. The temporary cooperation among them was thrown aside, and they became mortal enemies, fighting for the treasure.
Mo Yu, however, was not surprised by this turn of events. After all, the previous cooperation was merely to survive. Now that the Demon Lotus Flame had been sealed, it was time to seek personal gain.
But while everyone else was fixated on the Demon Flame, Mo Yu's attention shifted to the Dou Saint Fire Slaves, who had lost their connection to the flame's core after it was sealed. Although these Fire Slaves were not at their peak strength due to being controlled by the flame, they were still Dou Saints.
As the highest combat force on the continent, every Dou Saint was a rare and valuable asset for any faction. And now, within this space, there were a total of ten Dou Saint-level Fire Slaves.
If Mo Yu could successfully turn them into his Thunder Slaves, it would greatly benefit his faction, Yuan Mansion. With their addition, the number of Dou Saints in Yuan Mansion could rival that of the lower-ranked Dou Emperor clans like the Ling Clan and the Shi Clan. As for regular factions, they would be no match at all.
With this in mind, Mo Yu wasted no time. While everyone else was fighting over the Demon Flame, he quickly approached the remaining nine Fire Slaves. Using his Black Lotus Soul Lightning, he aimed to replace the flame's core within them and transform them into his Thunder Slaves.
After the Demon Lotus Flame had been sealed, the flame cores within the Fire Slaves became dormant, giving Mo Yu the perfect opportunity to enact his plan. The process went unusually smoothly, and within half an hour, Mo Yu had turned the remaining nine Dou Saint Fire Slaves into his Thunder Slaves.
Looking at the ten Dou Saint Thunder Slaves now standing before him, Mo Yu nodded in satisfaction. Though they lacked independent thought like Qing Zhi, their strength was still comparable to ordinary Dou Saints. In particular, the two three-star Dou Saint Thunder Slaves were almost as powerful as the Western Dragon King and Southern Dragon King.
With these ten Thunder Slaves, Mo Yu's harvest on this trip was already more than substantial.
Not wanting to flaunt his newfound power, Mo Yu quickly stored the ten Dou Saint Thunder Slaves inside his beast ring, satisfied with his success.
"There's the source of the Demon Flame—grab it!"
As Mo Yu finished converting the Fire Slaves, the battle over the Demon Flame intensified. Excited shouts echoed throughout the battlefield, and numerous fiery eyes were fixed on the black cylinder still flying through the air. Inside it was the sealed source of the Demon Flame, and whoever could obtain it would see their strength skyrocket.
"Whoosh!"
Countless eyes locked onto the black cylinder, and in the blink of an eye, the sound of rushing wind filled the sky as every surviving expert raced toward it.
"Haha, I've got the source of the Demon Flame!"
Among the chaos, Yao Wangu from the Medicine Clan laughed in triumph, having grabbed hold of one end of the black cylinder.
However, before he could fully enjoy his victory, a sharp punch struck him like a bolt of lightning, hitting him squarely in the chest. His face flushed red, and a muffled groan escaped his lips as blood trickled from his mouth.
When Yao Wangu turned to see who had attacked him, his face twisted in rage as he shouted, "Soul Miesheng! How dare you stab me in the back?!"
The Soul Palace Master, Soul Miesheng, showed no change in expression. He sneered and said, "Did our earlier alliance make you think we were allies? Yao Wangu, you're not just stubborn—you're foolish."
Yao Wangu's face contorted with anger, and he growled, "Soul Miesheng, today you and I are enemies!"
Soul Miesheng's smile grew even more sinister. "Did our little alliance make you think you understood my strength? If so, perhaps it's time to show everyone a surprise."
Soul Miesheng glanced coldly at Yao Wangu and the others before his gaze landed on Mo Yu and Xiao Yan. With a strange grin, he raised his hand and quickly formed a seal.
As soon as the seal was completed, his aura surged dramatically, and within a matter of seconds, he broke through the barrier of the four-star level, reaching the early stage of five-star Dou Saint!
"Five-star Dou Saint?!"
The crowd's expressions changed as they sensed Soul Miesheng's sudden increase in power. Clearly, he had been hiding his true strength.
"You've reached five-star Dou Saint and still dare to act—are you disregarding the ancient clans' agreements?" Gu Nan Hai said coldly. If Soul Miesheng had been at the four-star level, Gu Nan Hai, Zi Yan, and Lei Jizhou could have worked together to resist him. But now that he had reached the five-star level, their chances of victory were slim.
"Haha, I've only barely touched the threshold of five-star Dou Saint. I'm not a true five-star, so the agreement remains intact."
Soul Miesheng chuckled and turned to address everyone. "The source of the Demon Flame belongs to me. Any objections?"
The gathered experts exchanged glances, their faces grim. With his five-star Dou Saint strength, Soul Miesheng was nearly as powerful as the Demon Lotus Flame had been. He now had the power to dominate the field.
However, instead of immediately seizing the Demon Flame's source, Soul Miesheng turned to face Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, his cold smile deepening.
"I'll deal with you two first. Today, you won't escape!"
With a sneer, Soul Miesheng stepped forward, his body flickering like a ghost as he appeared in front of Mo Yu and Xiao Yan. His hand shot out, aiming directly for their heads.
"You whelps, die!"
Soul Miesheng's attack was lightning-fast, and most could only see a blur as his hand closed in on Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, coming within inches of striking them down.
"How dare you presume to kill my descendants and benefactors!"
Just as Soul Miesheng's attack was about to land, a withered hand suddenly appeared above Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's heads. With a casual flick, the hand deflected Soul Miesheng's strike, sending it flying away. A hoarse voice followed, echoing in the air.
Soul Miesheng's face darkened as he turned his gaze to where Mo Yu and Xiao Yan stood. Behind them, a figure clad in simple clothes stood quietly. Though this person appeared ordinary, their aura was unfathomable, making it impossible to gauge their true strength.
"Who are you?" Soul Miesheng asked coldly.
"Thank you, Senior Xiao Chen, our ancestor," Mo Yu and Xiao Yan said in unison, expressing their gratitude.
Xiao Chen waved his hand dismissively, clearly a man of few words. He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Soul Miesheng as he asked in a raspy voice, "He's from the Soul Clan, isn't he?"
Mo Yu and Xiao Yan both nodded.
"Then kill him," Xiao Chen said simply.
Xiao Yan was shocked by Xiao Chen's coldness, while Mo Yu's face showed a thoughtful expression. It seemed that after being imprisoned in a time-warping illusion for thousands of years, Xiao Chen had undergone significant growth.
"You're from the Xiao Clan?" Soul Miesheng's eyes narrowed as he recalled Xiao Chen's earlier words. His pupils contracted, and disbelief filled his voice. "Impossible! The Xiao Clan is long fallen. How could there still be a Dou Saint among them?!"
Ignoring Soul Miesheng's shock, Xiao Chen remained expressionless. He stepped forward, and with each step, his aura surged higher and higher, like waves crashing against the shore.
Mid-four-star… Late-four-star… Mid-five-star…
Xiao Yan stared in astonishment as Xiao Chen's strength rapidly climbed. In just a few breaths, Xiao Chen had reached the mid-five-star Dou Saint level, surpassing Soul Miesheng by an entire tier!
"Who are you?!" Soul Miesheng shouted, his voice laced with fear as he felt Xiao Chen's overwhelming power.
"Enough talking," Xiao Chen muttered with annoyance. He clenched his fist, and a massive shadow of blood formed in his hand. In the blink of an eye, it solidified into a massive blood-red axe. With a swift motion, he slashed the axe through the air, sending a devastating strike toward Soul Miesheng.
Soul Miesheng's heart tightened at the sight of the blood axe. Even at full strength, he couldn't avoid the strike, and a deep gash appeared across his chest.
Realizing the danger, Soul Miesheng's face twisted into a snarl. He quickly formed a seal with his hands, summoning a black barrier that surrounded both him and Xiao Chen.
"Old demon, you've watched long enough. Time to help!" Soul Miesheng growled through gritted teeth, his voice echoing from within the black prison.
"Sigh… Soul Miesheng, you've truly disappointed me," came a deep, weary voice from the distance.
Mo Yu and the others quickly turned to look, their gazes locking onto a gray-robed elder in the crowd. Though the elder appeared to be merely a high-level half-saint, he shook his head with a look of disappointment as he stepped forward. His long, drooping black eyebrows gave him a strange and eerie appearance.
Mo Yu vaguely recalled seeing this elder during the earlier battle, but at the time, the man had seemed to be fleeing from the Fire Slaves. Although Mo Yu had sensed something odd, he hadn't paid much attention to it. He never expected this seemingly ordinary elder to be hiding such power.
"Could it be… Soul Demon Elder, is that you?!" Gu Nan Hai, Lei Jizhou, and the other ancient clan elders grew visibly tense upon recognizing the black-browed elder. A flicker of fear even appeared in their eyes.
"Agreements... They mean little when faced with the source of the Demon Flame," the elder, known as Soul Demon Elder, chuckled softly. He then looked up into the sky, his gaze piercing through the void.
"Old monster of the Little Pill Tower, no need to hide any longer. You might as well come out now." (End of chapter)
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