The sound of chains clashing echoed through the air. As the old pharmacist, Pharmacist Elder, shouted coldly, innumerable pitch-black chains, made of some unknown material, burst out from the black mist and entangled one another before slamming onto the massive form of the Heavenly Fire Venerable. The chains quivered, fiercely binding the Heavenly Fire Venerable.
“Roar!” Enraged, the Heavenly Fire Venerable let out a furious roar, its colossal body struggling wildly. A constant stream of purplish-black flames flowed from within, burning the black chains. As soon as the purplish-black flames wrapped around the chains, a series of agonizing screams could be heard, and streams of black fog continuously poured out, desperately resisting the flames’ searing burn.
*Crack.* Under the intense struggle of the Heavenly Fire Venerable, some chains were actually snapped. Where the chains broke, black fog surged, revealing tiny, ferocious faces, making the scene extremely eerie. “Hmph!” Feeling the sudden increase in pressure, Pharmacist Elder’s expression changed. He had indeed underestimated the strength of the Heavenly Fire Venerable, but for today’s action, they were well-prepared. Giving a cold snort, he barked, “Soul Devour!”
Upon hearing his command, the other three black-robed figures nodded slightly. Their hand seals changed, and a dense, viscous black fog suddenly erupted from their sleeves, transforming into countless twisted soul forms, screaming miserably as they crashed onto the massive Heavenly Fire Venerable like waves.
*Boom boom boom!*
These sinister souls, shrouded in black fog, instantly turned into nothingness as they touched the body of the Heavenly Fire Venerable, engulfed by the purplish-black flames. Despite this, the sheer number of these souls controlled by the Black Zero was terrifying, rushing towards the Heavenly Fire Venerable with suicidal fervor.
Seeing the endless mass of souls, their mournful wails filling the air, Xiao Yan and his companions’ expressions turned grim. These people from the Soul Temple were truly ruthless, employing such a heinous method—using souls as cannon fodder.
“Damn bastards,” Hill grunted, gritting his teeth. Xiao Yan remained silent, although the methods of the Soul Temple were brutal, they were undeniably effective. Under the relentless onslaught of these souls, the Heavenly Fire Venerable, which had already exhausted a significant amount of energy breaking free from the seal set by the three great leaders, saw its purplish-black flames gradually weakening.
“Roar!” Sensing the decrease in its flames, the Heavenly Fire Venerable roared, its eyes turning scarlet. Its huge body spun like a top, and instantly, a flame storm over a hundred feet tall formed within the encircling black fog.
*Creak creak!*
The purplish-black flame storm stood firm in the void, and all the chains ensnaring the Heavenly Fire Venerable collapsed. A terrifying heat surge emanated from the storm, sucking in the surrounding black fog. Amidst the purplish-black flames, the black fog was vaporized.
The Heavenly Fire Venerable’s intense counterattack shocked the four men, including the Pharmacist Elder. The blazing heat from the chains hit their palms, forcing them to retreat several steps before steadying themselves. They raised their hands, now covered in charred marks.
“Indeed, I’ve underestimated this beast.” Seeing that even the four of them couldn’t subdue the Heavenly Fire Venerable, the Pharmacist Elder’s face grew serious. Taking a deep breath, a flicker of malevolence passed through his eyes. “Unleash the Soul Chains!”
At his shout, the other three black-robed figures hesitated, exchanging glances. Looking at the increasingly powerful suction of the flame storm, they clenched their fists and swiftly changed their hand seals. A loud cry resounded. “Soul Chains, appear!”
*Swoosh!*
As the shout faded, an unusually sharp metallic screech reverberated in the empty space. To everyone’s astonishment, four enormous plumes of black fog sprayed out from the heads of the Pharmacist Elder and his companions. Within the black fog, four ten-foot-long, pitch-black chains, resembling monstrous serpents, appeared.
The sight of the chains, engraved with strange symbols, was awe-inspiring. Faint, twisted faces embedded on the chains screamed in agony, causing Xiao Yan and his companions to frown. “They actually used the Soul Chains; it seems these fellows are also in a tough spot against the Heavenly Fire Venerable.”
Seeing this, a gleam of glee crossed Hill’s face. “What is this thing?” asked Xiao Yan, curious.
“The Soul Temple’s methods are bizarre and unpredictable. I’m not entirely sure about the so-called Soul Chains, but I know they connect to their souls. If these chains are damaged, it will cause severe harm to them. Thus, they only use them as a last resort. Although powerful, the risk is too high,” Hill said, glancing at the battlefield.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, realizing the Soul Temple was indeed unfathomable. “Form the Soul Chain Array!” The moment the Soul Chains appeared, Pharmacist Elder’s eyes flashed with ferocity, and he commanded.
*Shriek!*
With the command, the four enormous black chains emitted a shrill, mournful howl, piercing through space. In a flash, they appeared outside the flame storm, then thrust through it with a whoosh. *Shriek shriek shriek!*
The chains plunged into one side of the flame storm and emerged from the other, repeating this multiple times. In just a few moves, the four colossal chains firmly entangled the flaming vortex.
*Screech!*
The rapidly spinning vortex of fire slowed under the relentless constriction of the four chains, eventually stopping completely. “Roar!” As the vortex halted, the battered Heavenly Fire Venerable appeared in Xiao Yan and the others’ view. Its immense body was pierced by the giant chains, winding around its entire body, binding it tightly.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but gasp. Four Dou Zun fighting together were indeed terrifying. “Haha!” Pharmacist Elder, seeing the Heavenly Fire Venerable finally restrained, couldn’t help but smirk. His face, pale, bore a trace of satisfaction. It was fortunate that the Heavenly Fire Venerable had suffered significant damage during the fight with the three great leaders. Otherwise, subduing it today would have been nearly impossible.
“Hold it, while I take the Origin Flame!” Seeing the Heavenly Fire Venerable struggle less, Pharmacist Elder’s face lit up with excitement. “Hurry, holding it with the Soul Chains is challenging. We can’t sustain it for long.”
One of the black-robed figures spoke, his voice showing a hint of exhaustion. The difficulty posed by the Heavenly Fire Venerable exceeded their expectations.
Pharmacist Elder nodded, and a deep blue flame surged from his body. In a blink, he appeared at the head of the Heavenly Fire Venerable. Staring at its struggling form, he sneered, “Refusing to submit brings such a fate, monster. Do you regret it?”
As he spoke, Pharmacist Elder didn’t hesitate. He moved toward the broken dragon scale on the forehead of the Heavenly Fire Venerable, where a half-yard-wide dark hole housed the origin flame. Greed filled his eyes as he looked at the hole. But as he was about to dive in, the Heavenly Fire Venerable mysteriously stopped struggling. Its large dragon eyes glinted with malice. *Swish!*
A feeling of unease welled up in Pharmacist Elder’s heart the moment the Heavenly Fire Venerable stopped. Before he could react, a small, purplish-black dragon shot out from the dark hole. As it rushed, the purplish-black flame compressed into its body, transforming into a chilling black, emitting a sense of destruction. “This beast is mad, daring to release its origin flame willingly…”
Witnessing this, Pharmacist Elder’s face paled. Before he could recover, the small, black flame dragon slammed into him. *Puff!*
Though the impact seemed mild, Pharmacist Elder went pale, spewing a mouthful of bright red blood. He was thrown back, as if struck by a mighty blow. “Catch it!” He roared, as he was flung back.
“Good chance!” Just as Pharmacist Elder’s shout faded, Xiao Yan’s eyes darted to the small, black flame dragon, his face lighting up with joy. The long-desired Heavenly Fire Venerable was finally within his reach!
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