Appearing within the sight of Wugufa, Xiao Yan had a face full of sinister grimness, even his mouth corners faintly showing some bloodstains. His entire attire was tattered, making him look rather disheveled. It was obvious that he had been injured by the previous flame storm, though this injury was insignificant compared to the trio of Heavenly Snake. Wugufa’s body stiffened at the sound of the stern voice, his face turning extremely pale. He could clearly feel the fierce strength brewing in the palm pressed against the back of his neck. If Xiao Yan arose any murderous intent, he would surely fall under his hands then and there. Xiao Yan wiped the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth with his left hand, his eyes devoid of any emotion as they stared at the hawk-like protector in front of him. This very man, who displayed his vicious prowess on Yunlan Mountain in the Jia Ma Empire years ago, seizing Teacher Yao Lao right before his eyes, finally fell into his hands after a few years, in the most pitiable manner. “Back then, did you ever think that you would end up like this?” Xiao Yan grinned, but his smile was cold and sinister, enough to make Wugufa shudder. “If you kill me, the Hall of Souls will make you unable to survive in the Central Plains. You must understand, the Hall of Souls is not the Ice River Valley!” Wugufa gritted through the chill in his heart, hardening his mouth to threaten sternly. A light glance from Xiao Yan, followed by a faint sneer, made an uneasy feeling wash over Wugufa. Before he could break free, an invisible, scorching flame burst out from Xiao Yan’s palm, engulfing him swiftly! “Ah!” The moment the invisible flame touched Wugufa, he let out a shrill, pained scream. The soul-scalding power of the Falling Heart Flame was the cruelest punishment for Wugufa now, without the strange black mist for protection. His painful screams echoed across the sky and spread throughout Ye City, causing many to swallow their saliva in fear. Ignoring Wugufa’s screams, Xiao Yan watched with cold eyes as Wugufa’s spirit faltered in the flames. When his spirit was about to dissipate, Xiao Yan finally snapped his fingers, sucking the flame into his body. At this moment, Wugufa, with his head hanging down and breath extremely weak, couldn’t help but twitch softly from the burning pain deep in his soul. “Is it painful?” Xiao Yan looked at the exhausted Wugufa, his grip on his neck tightening, his young face once again showing some ferocity, “The suffering Teacher Yao Lao endured in the Hall of Souls is far more than this. So, even if I let your soul scatter, it’s only right!” Wugufa’s body quivered, already lacking the energy to speak after being burned by the Falling Heart Flame. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. If one were to describe his current emotions, it was regret. Not for capturing Yao Chen, but for not killing Xiao Yan with one slap back then! Back then, in Wugufa’s eyes, Xiao Yan was an ant-like existence whose life could be easily taken with a single slap. Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret. The seed sown back then bore this fruit now…
* * *
Sharp clapping suddenly sounded in the sky. Xiao Yan, following the sound, saw Tianhuo Venerable smiling, and opposite him, Tian Shuangzi, with a gloomy expression. “I never thought that even this old man would be wrong this time.” Tian Shuangzi, with a gloomy stare, spoke slowly toward Xiao Yan. Glancing at Tian Shuangzi, Xiao Yan was about to speak when he felt waves of weakness inside. He knew the limitation of the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Changes had arrived. He swiftly took out several pills from his storage ring and swallowed them, and his pale face began to regain some color.
“Your ability to defeat the three of Heavenly Snake Clan with two-star Battle Sect strength indeed surprised me, but unfortunately, Ice River Valley will not allow any mistakes this time,” Tian Shuangzi stated calmly. Hearing this, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, his mind stirring. The Earth Puppet nearby rushed over in a flash, guarding beside him. His state was gradually weakening, and should another strong enemy appear, it would be truly unpredictable.
“Don’t try to scare the young ones; you can’t make a move today,” Tianhuo Venerable raised his eyes, then turned to Xiao Yan, “Go and take a rest. Leave this person to me.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his guard still fixed on Tian Shuangzi. His current condition was no longer suitable for combat. If this old man attacked him, he might not be able to withstand it.
“Rest? Do you really think my people can be easily captured?” As Xiao Yan stepped back, a cold voice thundered across the sky, startling countless people. With the words, the icy barrier surrounding Ye City began to fluctuate violently. Black fog poured in, enveloping the sky amid the shocked gazes of many.
The black fog eventually faded, revealing ten figures. These ten were no weaklings, especially the blue-haired elder in a black robe standing at the forefront. He didn’t emit any energy, yet the space around him trembled upon his appearance.
“A Hall of Souls Dou Zun?” A series of exclamations broke out in Ye City as the rare sightings of such powerful figures unfolded one after another.
When these people appeared, Xiao Yan’s body stiffened, his face darkening. He hadn’t expected the Hall of Souls to arrive at this critical moment. Tianhuo Venerable’s face also changed slightly, his eyes fixed on the blue-haired elder. While others might not sense his aura, he could.
“This person’s strength is even higher than Tian Shuangzi, likely reaching the level of a two-star Dou Zun. Today… things are getting worse,” he muttered.
Compared to the grim expressions of Xiao Yan and Tianhuo Venerative, Tian Shuangzi showed a smile. Seeing Tianhuo Venerable’s reaction, he felt satisfied, and bowed to the blue-haired elder, “It’s unexpected that you, Honorable Qinghai, have come here.”
“Long time no see, Tian Shuangzi,” the blue-haired Honorable Qinghai replied, bowing back. “We just received urgent news, and I happened to be nearby, so I came over.”
As Qinghai and the others appeared, the wounded Wugufa, held by Xiao Yan, struggled to shout, “Elder Qinghai, please take down Xiao Yan. The Hall Master has named him as the key target!”
Xiao Yan’s eyes turned frigid, an invisible flame surging out, enveloping Wugufa. He then took out a jade bottle, pushed it into the bottle amidst Wugufa’s screaming, and sealed it with a thin layer of flame. Throwing the bottle into his storage ring, Xiao Yan looked ice-cold at Qinghai and the others in the distance.
Seeing Xiao Yan seal Wugufa before his eyes, Qinghai’s dim eyes narrowed, his gaze somewhat surprised, “You’re Xiao Yan?”
Ignoring the question, Xiao Yan shifted to stand behind the Earth Puppet. “Interesting, despite being pursued by the Hall of Souls, you dare to be so brazen. Your courage is commendable,” Qinghai chuckled, shaking his head lazily. “Release him and come with me to the Hall of Souls.”
Tianhuo Venerable’s face darkened, and as he moved to act, Tian Shuangzi matched him, preventing him. “Step aside!” Tianhuo Venerable growled.
“If you have the ability, I wouldn’t mind,” Tian Shuangzi smiled faintly, then turned to Qinghai, “Honorable Qinghai, leave this man to me. Just capture the boy.”
Qinghai’s murky eyes examined Tianhuo Venerable, surprised, then nodded, “Alright, I’ll leave it to you. Once we capture Xiao Yan, I’ll assist you.”
Tian Shuangzi nodded, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent as he saw Tianhuo Venerative’s increasingly grim face. Qinghai turned back to Xiao Yan, smiling and stepping lightly on the void, his form twisting in space…
Seeing Qinghai’s actions, Xiao Yan’s expression changed, retreating abruptly, his eyes flashing with madness.
As Xiao Yan moved back, the space before him twisted, revealing Qinghai’s figure. With a bony hand, he froze Xiao Yan’s surroundings, immobilizing him mid-air. In his weakened state, Xiao Yan couldn’t escape the frozen space.
“Little one, no one the Hall of Souls wants goes uncaptured,” Qinghai said, approaching Xiao Yan with a smile, stopping in front of him and extending a hand toward his head!
As the hand neared, Xiao Yan’s madness grew, his multiple kinds of strange flames beginning to merge rapidly.
Just as Qinghai’s hand was about to touch Xiao Yan’s head, the space shattered, a vast spatial force spreading out, causing Qinghai to pause. From the shattered space, an elegant white-robed figure emerged, her chilling voice ringing through the air. “Harm him, and you die!”
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