"Is this the aura of someone from the Hall of Souls?" The white-haired man beside Feng Qing'er narrowed his eyes. "Among the forces that entered this time, they are indeed the only ones capable of such a feat."
"Mm." The black-robed Elder hummed softly.
"Damn it, those guys got a head start."
"They really got off easy. No wonder they hadn't shown up; they snuck in."
"The medicinal ingredients left behind by a Dou Sheng! How could they be rubbish? I hate it!"
Immediately, the people of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan all showed indignant expressions. They all sensed that the air still carried a scent of medicinal ingredients, clearly not ordinary ones.
"Alright, there's no value here anymore. Let's go." The black-robed Elder crushed the cold Qi in his hand and walked toward the main entrance.
Just after they left, other cultivators also arrived.
They all stared dumbfounded at the deep pit before them.
"The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan is going too far, aren't they? They took everything, even the dirt? Not even a drop of soup left?"
"Damn it, even people who pluck every feather from a passing goose would have to bow down and call them ancestors!"
For a time, everyone who arrived there cursed loudly.
Thus, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, who had openly arrived there first, silently had a black pot placed on their backs, just like the Hall of Souls.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan also followed the main group to the front of the Pill Hall.
"Slurp. It seems this is where medicinal pills are stored and refined. Ancient medicinal pills… how exciting." Xiao Yan looked at the plaque with excitement. "Let's go, we should hurry in."
Xiao Yan led the two through the crowd and into the Pill Hall. Then, about ten minutes later, sounds of wailing and cursing erupted.
"Damn it, why is there nothing? Do you have anything?"
"This is the Pill Hall? Is this all there is to a Dou Sheng's relic? Giving us an empty hall and treating us like monkeys?"
"…"
For a time, the entire third floor of the Pill Hall was filled with various curses, even sounds of kicking down doors and smashing things.
Xiao Yan was also very puzzled. As an alchemist, he was very sensitive to the scent of medicinal pills. Although there was toxic Qi in the air, the scent of medicinal pills was still distinctly strong, indicating that medicinal pills must have been present here.
Xiao Yan constantly surveyed every part of the third floor. Then, in an inconspicuous corner, he sensed a familiar aura.
"Hall of Souls? Could it be that people from the Hall of Souls got a head start? Damn it!"
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, carefully sensing the lingering trace of cold Qi, but he always felt something was a little off.
"Teacher, I always feel like it's not that simple. What do you think?"
"Yan'er, you guessed correctly. The things here shouldn't have been taken by people from the Hall of Souls. As for who it was, you can guess yourself." Yao Lao's smiling voice entered Xiao Yan's mind.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, a mischievous smile on his face. "In that case, I can lend another hand."
"Damn it. Why is there nothing? But there seem to have been footprints in all these rooms; someone must have gotten a head start."
Xiao Yan suddenly slammed his fist against the wall, his face full of indignation.
Venerable Skyfire and Nalan Yanran looked at Xiao Yan in confusion. After Xiao Yan quietly gave them a wink, he said, "Hmm? This seems to be the lingering aura of the person who took the medicinal pills."
Everyone around looked at the spot Xiao Yan was pointing at, sensing it, and then their expressions all turned ugly.
Before, they had only thought there was nothing here, but now, this wisp of aura gradually dissipating in the corner instantly extinguished their self-comfort.
"Here too!"
"Damn it, it's so thoroughly cleaned. Don't let me find them, or I'll kill that thief."
"This seems to be the Hall of Souls' aura." An old man with the cultivation of a one-star Dou Zun, his aged eyes filled with dread.
Hearing the name of the Hall of Souls, many of those who had been indignant before instantly fell silent.
Xiao Yan didn't pay attention to their reactions. As long as they knew it was done by the Hall of Souls, the seed was planted and would eventually take root and sprout.
"Let's go, it seems there's nothing left. It has to be the Hall of Souls; they cleaned everything up so thoroughly, not even a single hair left."
Xiao Yan took Nalan Yanran's hand and walked outside.
"Indeed, what if they left some traps to harvest souls?" Venerable Skyfire also chuckled, following closely behind Xiao Yan.
Hearing their back-and-forth, everyone around felt the temperature drop slightly, and goosebumps instantly appeared.
Some timid ones quickly rushed toward the main entrance…
…
In the very center of the relic, there was a grand hall, entirely bronze-yellow, with an ancient aura emanating from every stone slab, making people feel the vicissitudes of countless years of silence.
The entire hall was extremely vast; people standing inside were like ants.
In the center of the hall, there were ten huge light clusters suspended in mid-air. Within the dazzling light, it seemed vaguely possible to see scroll-like objects.
In the center of the ten light clusters, there was a stone seat, and on that stone seat, a jade-white skeleton sat cross-legged with its hands forming seals…
Although it was just a skeleton, it carried a powerful pressure, as if it were alive.
At this moment, Xiao Yan, Burning Flame Valley, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, and the Hall of Souls, among other forces, stood in different positions, confronting each other.
The Hall of Souls, in particular, was being guarded against by all other forces.
The people from the Hall of Souls had originally intended to hide and wait for the main hall to open, hoping to become the fishermen, but now they were directly exposed and could only confront them head-on.
"You, the Hall of Souls, have plundered so many good things, even taking the dirt, and so many medicinal pills. Are you still not satisfied? You want everything; aren't you afraid of bursting?" An Elder from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan looked at the people from the Hall of Souls and said coldly.
Among the Hall of Souls' team, the two black-robed and white-robed Elders leading them, who originally had gloomy faces, looked extremely displeased.
They had been inexplicably slandered twice, and it was impossible to explain.
If it weren't for the deterrence of the two of them, and their apprehension of the dozen Dou Zun-level puppets guarding the Dou Sheng's bones around the stone seat, they might have been surrounded and attacked.
Now, being watched by all forces, they might not be able to complete the tasks assigned by the Hall.
The Hall of Souls had already failed many tasks, and many Heavenly Venerables had even gone missing. If they couldn't complete the task, they might become scapegoats.
One of the black-robed Elders leading the Hall of Souls snorted coldly and said in a deep voice:
"Hmph, you are not worthy to point fingers at this Venerable here. This Venerable said it wasn't us, and it wasn't us. This Venerable disdains lying."
Crack!