In the still valley, a subtle rustling sound began to echo. A flood of black surged down the hillside with astounding speed. In less than half a minute, it had already neared the massive palace standing in the valley. Around the black palace, one could faintly see several figures sitting cross-legged on stone pillars. These figures were all enveloped in black mist, and with each breath they took, a sinister aura permeated the air. “Hmm?” As the flood approached, a figure entirely wrapped in black mist atop one of the stone pillars suddenly let out a surprised exclamation. The black mist fluctuated, revealing a somewhat pale face. He frowned, gazing at the black, water-like substance spreading not far away, initially stunned, then a flash of shock filled his eyes. He swiftly stood up, shouting sharply, “Be cautious! It’s the Stone-Eating Ants! How did they get in here?”
The sudden shout broke the silence in the valley. The dozen or so shadowy figures seated on the stone pillars also leaped to their feet, staring in shock at the encroaching tide of black ants.
“Alert!” One of the shadows declared sternly. Then, a sharp sound wave erupted from his mouth, piercing into the massive, ancient beast-like structure that was the palace.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
The moment the warning sounded, black figures began to stream out of the great palace. Seeing the overwhelming tide of ants, their faces changed.
“All of you, act together and exterminate these things. Do not disturb the elders’ rest,” a black-clad figure, who appeared to hold a high position, commanded as he hovered in the air. Frowning, he gazed down at the ant swarm below.
“Yes, Elder Liu!”
Upon hearing this, the almost hundred shadowy figures responded in unison. Strange black mist surged out of their bodies, expanding rapidly toward the ant swarm.
*Fizz, fizz!*
As the two forces met, many Stone-Eating Ants burst into white smoke, quickly corroded by the black mist. But the number of ants was overwhelmingly large; even the thick black mist struggled to stop them.
In the sky, Elder Liu, his brows knitted more tightly, watched the sight. This valley had a spatial barrier set by the elders—how could these things have gotten in?
“What’s going on? Why such a ruckus?”
As Elder Liu frowned, several more shadowy figures rushed out of the palace. Before they could finish their question, they saw the overwhelming ant swarm, and their faces grew wary.
“Stone-Eating Ants? How did they get in?”
A man with a sullen expression furrowed his brows, quickly scanning the area. A sense of unease washed over him, and he shouted, “Something is amiss. Be on your guard…!”
*Bam!*
Before he could finish, the space around him twisted violently, plunging inward and forming an invisible palm, crushing him into a mess of flesh and blood.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”
In an instant, the figure transformed into a bloody mess. The few Soul Temple guards, shocked back to reality, their faces filled with horror, screamed in the valley!
*Chch!*
As the terrified screams faded, a sharp sword energy sliced down from the sky, piercing through the bodies of two Soul Temple guardians, leaving a trail of anguished cries. The sword energy then cleaved the stone pillars outside the grand hall in two.
*Bam!*
The sharp sword energy landed, the air around them twisted slightly, and the figure slowly materialized before the awestruck gazes of the Soul Temple guards. Then, a vast aura burst forth, unrestrained.
*Boom!*
Four peak Battle Sects simultaneously unleashed their power, causing the very stones in the valley to quiver and the ground to tremble. The formidable pressure cascaded down, turning the faces of the Soul Temple guards pale with shock.
“Haha, today the bastard Soul Temple will pay for its wrongs!” A hearty laugh echoed from the skies, followed by a rush of immense force from above. In a single swoop, the force slammed several dozen Soul Temple fighters into the dirt, shattering them utterly.
“Haha, kill them!” Several figures rushed down from the skies, like tigers entering a sheep fold. Even the once proud guards, now faced with a fearsome pack, could only recoil in shock, retreating. They had never thought that someone would dare to attack their temple so boldly.
“To come and cause chaos in our Soul Temple, do you seek death?!” The continuous screams finally caught the attention of the elder within the temple. An angry roar resounded, and five figures, brimming with killing intent, charged out of the temple, their eyes landing on Nalan Yanran.
“Nalan Yanran, you’re still alive?” Recognizing the voice, Xaio Yan raised his head, looking at the five figures in the sky. Purple-brown flames erupted from his hand, incinerating the captured Soul Temple guard. “Old Devil Mugu, I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“You came for Old Chen, right? I must say, you have a lot of nerve to challenge us. Daring to enter our Soul Temple to abduct, this is the first time since I became an elder.”
A black-clothed figure pulled back his hood, sneering. It was Old Man Mugu himself.
“Heh, familiar faces, Wind Emperor, you truly are persistent…” Another black-robed figure beside Old Man Mugu laughed coldly.
Hearing this, Wind Emperor smiled faintly, glancing at the ant swarm that had already flooded into the great hall. Turning to Xiao Yan, he said, “Go find Old Chen. We’ll hold them off.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Yan nodded and moved to enter the palace.
“Do you think you can just barge into our Soul Temple and get away with it?” Seeing this, the five Soul Temple elders in the sky shouted coldly. One of them flung a massive pillar of black mist, like a dark snake, rushing towards Xiao Yan.
“Move!”
Wind Emperor appeared beside Xiao Yan, summoning a violent wind that shattered the incoming black mist, roaring, “Today, we will show you if you have what it takes to withstand us!”
The furious roars of the elders echoed, and in a flash, one of them engaged Wind Emperor in a fierce battle.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan darted down, transforming into a line of black, rushing towards the great hall. Just as he was about to enter, the space before him rippled, and a figure in a light purple robe appeared emotionlessly.
“Are you Xiao Yan? Do you remember me?” The purple-clad elder looked at Xiao Yan without a trace of emotion.
Xiao Yan squinted, sensing a familiarity from the old man.
“Are you the old fart who destroyed my soul twice?” Finally recognizing the old man, Xiao Yan remembered how he had been discovered and nearly annihilated during his two previous attempts to break through the soul powers in the Soul Temple.
“You underestimated me. In just a few years, you’ve reached Nine Star Battle Sect. But today, your attempt to take someone from the Soul Temple will end in your utter annihilation.”
The purple-clad elder’s face turned grim, and without a pause, he thrust out a hand, a black fog swirling around it, aiming for Xiao Yan’s chest.
The sudden attack made Xiao Yan’s face darken. He quickly retreated, his palms erupting with purple-brown flames, his Dou Qi surging out.
*Bam!*
This time, Xiao Yan didn’t retreat. His fierce palm, carrying the purple-brown Three Thousand Lotus Heart Flames, collided violently with the purple-clad elder’s blow.
The impact sent a shockwave, reducing the surrounding guards to nothing and cracking the stone pillars.
Despite pushing his Dou Qi to the limit and adding the Lotus Heart Flame, Xiao Yan still staggered back ten steps, his face tightening. Battle Sect strength was indeed formidable.
The purple-clad elder’s face was ashen, a hint of shock in his eyes. When Xiao Yan’s soul had first intruded, he had easily destroyed it, but the second time required him to appear and strike. This time, Xiao Yan, using Battle Sect strength, could fend off his attack without injury—a dramatic leap in power that chilled him.
“No matter how monstrous you are, today, this place will be your grave…”
Taking a deep breath, the purple-clad elder’s eyes glowed with killing intent. Xiao Yan may have defended against one blow, but he wouldn’t believe he could escape a second time.
With this thought, the purple-clad elder lunged, turning into a streak of lightning heading towards Xiao Yan. But as he moved, a dark golden figure descended from the sky, blocking his path.
“Your opponent is not me. It’s him.”
Xiao Yan grinned at the purple-clad elder, his feet glowing silver, and he darted into the great hall. The purple-clad elder tried to block him, but the demonic puppet before him forced him to focus, allowing Xiao Yan to slip past.
“Protect the Soul Temple! Stop that boy, no matter the cost!”
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