Chapter 320: Oh No, Xiao Yan Became the Scapegoat!
"What exactly is the purpose of soul essence?" Feng Zunzhe asked, his voice tinged with shock upon learning that the Hall of Souls collected souls to extract soul essence.
How did Lu Bu know about the Hall of Souls' intentions? He seemed so straightforward and kind he wouldn't be lying about this, would he?
"Soul essence is the foundation of one's soul," Yao Lao's weak voice replied, sounding as if he was short of breath. "If it's lost, the damage to the soul is irreversible. Conversely, the stronger the soul essence, the more powerful every aspect of the soul becomes…"
Hearing this, Xiao Yan, Feng Zunzhe, and Iron Sword Zunzhe all showed grim expressions. They understood the critical importance of soul essence and immediately realized the danger Yao Lao faced from the damage to his own.
"Yao Lao, you… Are you alright?" Feng Zunzhe's eyes reddened slightly. Could it be that Yao Lao, after finally being rescued, would leave them so soon?
"Relax, I won't die anytime soon," Yao Lao chuckled, scolding him playfully.
"Teacher, what about refining your physical body…?" Xiao Yan frowned. Although Yao Lao seemed only weak on the surface, it was clear that his condition was far more serious. He worried whether his teacher could ever recover to his peak state.
"I'll need to restore my soul essence first," Yao Lao explained. "Without that, even if I regain a body, my strength will plummet, and I'll never progress any further for the rest of my life."
"Teacher, I'll go find Lu Bu and get him to share some of his soul essence!" Xiao Yan's eyes grew resolute as his tone became serious.
"The soul essence Lu Bu has can't help me recover," Yao Lao shook his head. "Refining soul essence can enhance it, but it can't replace what's already lost.
"It's like a cup of water if half is drained, adding more soul essence will only make the remaining water and the cup itself expand. But no matter how much you add, the cup will never return to being full."
This analogy sounded counterintuitive and defied physical laws, but it was the reality.
"Then… what can we do?" Xiao Yan's expression darkened as he anxiously asked.
"That…" Yao Lao furrowed his brows, hesitated for a moment, and shook his head. "I don't know. Soul essence is the core of the soul, and external forces can rarely alter it. Let me consult some ancient texts I've never encountered this situation before either.
"Surely, there must be some kind of heavenly treasure that can repair soul essence…"
Though Yao Lao was a renowned Alchemy Venerable, he wasn't omniscient. Having spent years trapped in the Bone Spirit Ring without a physical body, he was no longer familiar with the modern alchemy world.
Who knew? Perhaps some kind of pill capable of restoring soul essence had already been developed.
"Alright…" Xiao Yan sighed heavily. Once again, they had encountered another unpredictable obstacle.
"Feng Lao, drop me off at the next city," Xiao Yan said. "I need to return to the Pill Tower."
"Xiao Yan, the current situation is volatile. It's better for Yao Ran to stay in the Pill Region," Feng Zunzhe said, worried Xiao Yan might encounter the Hall of Souls while traveling alone.
"I need to check the Pill Tower's archives or consult the three elders. Plus, I should bring Yao Ran back," Xiao Yan explained with a smile. It wasn't appropriate for Yao Ran to continue staying with Lu Bu and his large family.
"Fine… if you insist." Feng Zunzhe relented with a nod. The three giants of the Pill Tower were highly knowledgeable and possessed extraordinary strength perhaps they could provide a solution for Yao Lao.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Xiao Yan lightly tapped his toes, soaring down toward a city beneath the clouds and vanishing from sight.
Deep in a dense forest, amidst piles of rotting leaves, sat a pitch black humanoid figure with silver runes wriggling across its metallic surface. Its lifeless body emitted a faint metallic sheen, motionless as a statue.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Suddenly, brilliant silver light flashed across its chest, forming a complex rune array. As the light descended, two figures materialized within it.
No three figures. Lu Bu was carrying a pale faced Zi Yan.
"Was that 'Human Scorpion' earlier?" Medusa's icy gaze flickered with killing intent. She had heard Lu Bu's descriptions of the Scorpion Demon Three Brothers and knew exactly what kind of people they were.
"Of course… I'll destroy them all sooner or later!" Lu Bu's eyes glinted coldly, silently vowing to eliminate the Scorpion Demon Three Brothers.
Rip!
At that moment, a spatial rift abruptly appeared nearby. Before Lu Bu could react, a familiar aura surged forth.
"Elder Xuan Kong?!" Lu Bu's heart jolted in surprise. Could it be that the person who had intervened earlier was none other than Xuan Kong Zi?
Before Lu Bu could finish speaking, a black robed Xuan Kong Zi emerged, his expression somewhat somber. "Alas, I failed to shield you properly. My negligence caused you to face danger."
He hadn't expected the Human Scorpion to act so recklessly, nor had he anticipated the overwhelming power of the combined efforts of Sky Scorpion and Earth Scorpion. Without Lu Bu and Zi Yan's skills, the situation might have turned dire.
Xuan Kong Zi's eyes briefly lingered on Zi Yan, still nestled in Lu Bu's arms. Her delicate, doll like face concealed an extraordinary talent for manipulating spatial power. If his guess was correct, this young girl might belong to the ancient Taixu Dragon clan. Her mastery of spatial manipulation was far beyond her years, rivaling the highest bloodlines.
"Thank you for your timely assistance, Elder," Lu Bu said, clasping his hands respectfully. He was grateful for the elder's intervention. Without him, escaping with Medusa and Zi Yan would have been far more difficult.
"No need to thank me; rather, it's I who should thank you," Xuan Kong Zi replied with a smile. "Had you not defeated Mu Gu in the Pill Realm, Ying'er, Dan Chen, and many other participants would have fallen prey to the Hall of Souls."
Out of all the participants in the Pill Gathering, only Song Qing had been seriously harmed by the Hall of Souls, his physical body destroyed. However, his soul remained intact, meaning he could still recover.
The rest of the hidden Hall of Souls spies had already been captured by the Pill Tower's countermeasures.
This time, the Hall of Souls not only failed to achieve its goals but suffered a crushing defeat. Several seventh tier alchemists were lost, along with Mu Gu, an eighth tier alchemy master.
For a force like the Hall of Souls, which lacked strong alchemy expertise, this was akin to cutting off their own arm.
"Let's return to Holy Pill City. It's not safe here," Xuan Kong Zi said with a chuckle. With a wave of his sleeve, a spatial rift appeared before them, forming a stable passageway.
As a peak nine turn Dou Zun, just one step away from Half Saint, such feats came effortlessly to him.
Of course, if Lu Bu could escape, so could Sky Scorpion. That's why they needed to leave quickly if the Scorpion Demon Three Brothers pursued them, it would become a big problem.
With a swish, the figures of Lu Bu, Medusa, Zi Yan, and Xuan Kong Zi disappeared into the dense forest. The area fell silent once more, leaving only the sounds of insects and birds.
An hour later, the space twisted, and three elderly figures appeared in the forest.
"Damn it, they still managed to escape!" Human Scorpion cursed, his face full of frustration.
"They fled long ago at least half an hour before we arrived," Earth Scorpion said, raising his hand to catch a flicker of silver light in his palm. After examining it for a moment, he added, "This was the trace they left behind."
"Who was that person earlier? How dare they interfere with my business!" Human Scorpion growled angrily. If not for the delay caused by that soul imbued palm attack, he would have already captured the woman. As for the man? Killing him would've been best.
"That person is no ordinary opponent," Sky Scorpion said darkly. "At least a peak nine turn Dou Zun. His strength is on par with mine, perhaps even stronger. And judging by his aura, he's also a powerful alchemist. I doubt even Yao Chen could surpass him."
"Big brother, do you think… that person might be Yao Chen himself?" Earth Scorpion's expression turned grim as he spoke. The Scorpion Demon Three Brothers had no small grudge against Yao Chen.
"I can't be certain…" Sky Scorpion shook his head. According to their earlier assumptions, Feng Zunzhe's attack on the Hall of Souls was likely aimed at rescuing Yao Chen. However, the sudden appearance of this mysterious and powerful alchemist had thrown their speculation into doubt.
"Damn it… You idiot! You've gone and provoked another enemy for us!" Sky Scorpion roared in anger, delivering a furious kick to Human Scorpion.
Boom!
With a pained cry, Human Scorpion was sent flying, blood and teeth spraying from his mouth.
Earth Scorpion snorted coldly and rolled up his sleeve, slapping Human Scorpion hard across the face.
In a distant part of Central Plains, within a grand hall shrouded in black mist, the mournful wails of trapped souls echoed faintly. The eerie atmosphere felt like a ghostly abyss, sending chills down one's spine.
Deep inside the hall, in a dark chamber illuminated by clusters of ghostly green flames, the flickering light cast an unsettling glow. It felt as though the chamber led straight to the depths of hell.
Suddenly, one of the green flames began to tremble violently, dimming as though it were a candle about to be extinguished.
"What… what's happening?" A protector cloaked in black mist gasped in shock, his pupils contracting.
Before he could finish speaking, the flame extinguished with a soft poof. At the same time, a crisp "crack" echoed through the chamber as if something had shattered.
"Something… something terrible has happened…" The protector's soul trembled with fear. Even though he was merely a soul, an icy chill seeped into his very core. The soul flame of one of their Heaven Venerates had not only gone out it had completely shattered their soul jade token as well.
"Quick… someone go inform the Nine Heavens Venerate immediately!" His panicked cries reverberated through the chamber, causing a wave of commotion to spread like wildfire.
In the grand hall's upper levels, three figures sat at its center. Upon hearing the report from their subordinates, their expressions darkened instantly.
"Zhai Xing is gone… which means the Hall of Souls' branch in the Rainfall Mountains has also fallen!" the Nine Heavens Venerate, Mo Yu, said coldly. That branch had been the location where Yao Chen's soul was being held. In other words, Yao Chen had been rescued!
Blue veins bulged on Mo Yu's forehead as anger surged through him with nowhere to vent.
"Black Xi, White Gang, go " Mo Yu began to issue orders to the two Heaven Venerates standing before him. But before he could finish, a faint crimson streak of light shot into the hall, landing before the trio.
"A blood soul transmission?" Black Heaven Venerate's stiff face showed a hint of surprise. This was a desperate and fatal method of sending a message.
"At least Zhai Xing didn't disgrace the Hall of Souls' reputation as a Heaven Venerate," Mo Yu muttered coldly. His expression eased slightly, feeling some consolation in knowing that Zhai Xing had fought until the end.
This might help reduce the blame he would face before the Hall's leader. After all, the branch had been lost, but Zhai Xing's death would show he wasn't entirely negligent.
"Let's see what that old ghost had to say," White Heaven Venerate remarked, his gaze fixed on the faint blood red light. It was clear that the message had been intercepted and tampered with how much of it remained intact was anyone's guess.
With a flick of his finger, Mo Yu sent out a beam of dark blue light that struck the crimson glow.
"Xiao Yan… golden puppet and Three Thousand Lightning Movement… he's the one who destroyed the branch…"
Zhai Xing's panicked and broken voice echoed intermittently. Mo Yu's expression shifted at once. A golden puppet and Three Thousand Lightning Movement?
Back when their branch in the Northwest Continent had been destroyed, Zhai Xing and Mu Gu had both been sent to investigate. However, their mission ended in disaster after their initial encounter with that individual. Mu Gu had lost his body, and Zhai Xing was forced to self destruct when ambushed by the Black Abyss Army.
"The one who destroyed our branch and killed the Soul Clan's envoy was Xiao Yan?" Black Heaven Venerate's eyes narrowed, his voice tinged with disbelief.
How could this be?
The Xiao Clan had long since fallen into decline, their bloodline power completely dried up. Xiao Yan was no different from an ordinary person. How could he have accomplished such a thing?
"Whether it's true or not, we'll find out by attacking the Falling Star Pavilion," White Heaven Venerate said coldly. Regardless of whether Xiao Yan was responsible for the Northwest Continent's incident, it was certain he had destroyed the Rainfall Mountain branch and caused Zhai Xing's death.
"No," Mo Yu interrupted, his eyes flashing as he rejected the idea. "Our current strength is insufficient we can't act recklessly!"
The Pill Tower wasn't an easy opponent. If they discovered that the Hall of Souls' highest ranking fighter in the area was only him, an eight star Dou Zun, they would undoubtedly launch a full scale assault to wipe them out.
With the Pill Tower's power, they could achieve this without question.
Even if the Hall of Souls responded with its full strength, it would come at a steep cost. And why would the Hall's leader risk a confrontation with the Pill Tower just to avenge Mo Yu, an eight star Dou Zun?
"Moreover, the attack on Mu Gu some time ago is likely also Xiao Yan's doing. That boy's current strength is unknown, so we cannot act rashly," Mo Yu said grimly. "I'll report this to the leader immediately. Xiao Yan must be the one behind the destruction of our three branches!"
Even if he wasn't, Xiao Yan had to be labeled as such.
As one of the original investigators, Mo Yu knew that the Hall's leader had a keen interest in this person. This information could offset some of the blame he would face.
"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Black and White Heaven Venerates frowned in unison. Although they understood Mo Yu's reasoning and agreed with his decision, the humiliation stung deeply.
The Hall of Souls was always the one oppressing others when had they ever been on the receiving end?
"Go to the Rainfall Mountains," Mo Yu ordered. "Feng Zunzhe wasn't alone in his rescue mission. If we can't touch the Falling Star Pavilion, we'll kill everyone else who helped him. Let's send a message that no one crosses the Hall of Souls!"
"Yes!" Black and White Heaven Venerates responded resolutely. Spatial ripples appeared, and the two vanished instantly.
(End of Chapter)
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