Upon hearing the cold voice that echoed across the sky, the Wind Venerated and others’ expressions subtly changed. They then fixed their gazes on the place where the flames dissipated. There, two—or rather, three—figures appeared in their sight. Among the three that appeared were two unfamiliar elders, one dressed in black robes and the other in white. Their striking attire made them easily identifiable. The expressions of these two elders were filled with a vicious and unruly air; the annihilation of the branch hall was a matter that would likely bring responsibility to all those from the Soul Hall present.
After scanning these two figures, everyone’s gaze then fell on the figure between them. Their faces showed a mixture of shock and awe. This figure was in no better condition than Xiao Yan, covered in blood, with exposed skin revealing large patches of flesh. A sleeve had been completely torn off, with blood continuously trickling down, and astonishingly, one arm had vanished…
Seeing the ghastly appearance of Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star, both the Wind Venerated and Old Man Mo Bone were speechless. They then gasped in shock, and their horrified gazes shifted to the figure of Xiao Yan in Zi Yan’s arms. This guy had managed to bring a peak Five-Star Dou Zun to such a miserable state with his Nine-Star Battle Sect strength…
Old Man Mo Bone, sweating profusely, swallowed hard, his gaze toward Xiao Yan now filled with a deep sense of fear and relief. He was relieved that Xiao Yan hadn’t used that terrifying fire lotus on him, for his strength was far inferior to Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star’s. If he had been hit by it, he would have surely perished on the spot.
“Ugh…” Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star coughed violently, spewing out mouthfuls of blood. The sharp-eyed observers could see internal organ fragments in the blood. It was clear that this time, not only had he lost an arm, but his internal injuries were also unprecedentedly severe. If things didn’t go well, his death was almost certain.
Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances, silently mourning the old man. Such severe injuries, if he survived, would certainly leave lasting aftereffects, potentially even hindering any further progress in his strength.
“K-kill that brat… I will tear him apart!” Blood kept bubbling from the corner of Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star’s mouth, but his gaze remained venomous as he stared at Xiao Yan. His hatred for Xiao Yan was near its peak. As a Five-Star peak Dou Zun, how could he bear the fury of losing so terribly to a mere Nine-Star Battle Sect?
The two black-robed elders on the side, though still icy in demeanor, couldn’t help but show a trace of shock in their eyes. They knew all too well the strength of this old ghost, though not quite matching theirs, was very close. They never expected he would end up like this today.
“You old fool, you brought this upon yourself. If you had summoned us with the spatial jade tablet the moment you discovered them, you wouldn’t be in this predicament!” The black-robed elder, with a bit of anger in his voice, said: “Now that the branch hall is destroyed, there will be retribution from the Hall Master, and you’ll face it!”
“Enough, talking to him now is useless. Don’t you know what kind of person he is? Capturing Xiao Yan was a great achievement. Believing he had it in the bag, he wouldn’t invite us to share the glory. Ha, I bet he still wouldn’t have used the spatial jade tablet if he hadn’t been forced to.”
The white-robed elder sneered.
To their mild mockery, a bit of anger flashed in Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star’s eyes. Yet, with the excruciating pain coursing through him, he felt helpless. The injuries he sustained were on a life-threatening level, and if not handled carefully, he might not even survive.
“Greetings, Black Sky Venerated and White Sky Venerated.” The likes of Old Man Mo Bone swiftly flew over, bowing respectfully to the two elders.
“The destruction of the branch hall implicates you as well…” White Sky Venerated glanced at a few of them, saying indifferently.
Hearing this, Old Man Mo Bone and the others’ expressions changed, but they dared not argue. They could only respond with bitter smiles.
“The only way to make up for it now is to capture Xiao Yan. You should understand this…” Black Sky Venerated said coldly.
Old Man Mo Bone and the others quickly nodded. Looking at Xiao Yan’s condition, it was clear he had fought Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star to a mutual defeat, and it was unlikely another devastating attack from the fire lotus would come.
White Sky Venerated gently placed Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star on the cliff, where some survivors of the Soul Hall were. They could take care of the old man for now.
“No delays, move out. Together…” Black Sky Venerated said solemnly. They held an overwhelming advantage, and he wasn’t going to give it up. The top priority was to capture Xiao Yan; otherwise, no one would fare well when the Hall Master loses his temper.
“Black Sky Venerated and White Sky Venerated, I didn’t expect these two old freaks to arrive…” The Wind Venerated, eyeing the two black and white-robed elders, his expression darkened as he spoke.
“Getting away… it won’t be easy. These two monsters are stronger than Celestial Ancestor Pluck Star, plus the other Dou Zuns—this formation is far superior to ours…” Iron Sword Venerated said, his expression indifferent. Though the situation was perilous, his composure remained unshaken as if he were removed from the ordeal.
“Looks like we must fight, Zi Yan, take Xiao Yan and leave…” Little Healer Immortal whispered, knowing full escape was impossible and that someone had to cover their retreat.
Before she finished speaking, her arm was suddenly grabbed. Turning around, she found Xiao Yan, covered in blood, holding her. Seeing his disheveled state, she felt a pang of pain. This was the first time she had seen him so beaten, even though his opponent was a Five-Star peak Dou Zun.
“Don’t speak of last words, we can still escape…” Zi Yan gritted her teeth, as if making a decisive decision. “Follow me closely, without delay, or I can’t promise anything…”
Saying this, Zi Yan didn’t give them time to ask questions. She bit her tongue, and a drop of dark golden blood floated out, settling on her fingertip. As the drop of dark gold blood appeared, her face turned ashen, and her body began to wobble.
Steadying herself, Zi Yan changed her hand seal. The finger tainted with dark golden blood streaked through the air, and a crack in space slowly appeared.
With the emergence of the spatial crack, Zi Yan again changed her hand seal, and the crack opened like a door, gradually. As the spatial gate took form, beads of cold sweat appeared on Zi Yan’s forehead.
“Trying to leave?” The commotion immediately caught the attention of Black Sky and White Sky Venerables. With a darkening expression, a chilly shout emerged, and their sleeves swept, sending two massive streams of black mist tearing through space, rushing violently toward Xiao Yan and his group.
Seeing the black mist coming, the Wind Venerated and the others’ faces slightly changed, ready to strike, but Zi Yan sternly said, “No time, anyone who strikes cannot leave…”
Upon hearing this, everyone paused, their expressions mixed. After a short moment, Little Healer Immortal, seeing the swift black mist, clenched her silver teeth, about to step out, but was pushed back. Then, Iron Sword Venerated stepped forward, his voice calm, “You go.”
“Ya Chen, you saved me once, and now I repay that debt,” he said with a faint smile. Before the Wind Venerated could speak, his figure moved, surging forth to intercept the two black mist streams. However, his two-star Battle Sect strength was no match for the Black Sky and White Sky Venerated, and the impact sent him spewing blood.
“Haha, my revenge is finally sated. All I want now is death. To die by the hands of the Soul Hall Venerate is enough,” he wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed, his inner Dou Qi suddenly surging uncontrollably.
“Be careful, this guy is about to self-destruct!” Seeing this, the Black Sky and White Sky Venerate’s faces changed, cursing the maniac under their breath—he was clearly intent on dying!
As the Iron Sword Venerate intercepted the Venerate, the spatial gate finally opened. A burst of dense silver light surged out, enveloping Xiao Yan and his companions.
Just as the light wrapped around them, the spatial gate began to shake violently. Zi Yan’s expression changed; at her current strength, forcing open a spatial gate was a strain, especially with a whole group.
As the shaking of the spatial gate intensified and Ziyan almost succumbed to despair, the trembling suddenly stopped, a burst of intense light flaring anew and the spatial fluctuations stabilizing remarkably.
“This…” Stunned, Ziyan seemed to realize something, a trace of gratitude flashing in her eyes. Her hand seals changed sharply, and the light burst forth from the spatial gate, followed by a terrifying suction, pulling Xiao Yan and his party inside the gate.
As everyone entered, the spatial gate shimmered and vanished into the void.
A sigh of weariness resonated in the void, and a pitch-black spatial rift appeared behind the self-destructing Iron Sword Venerable, swallowing him whole…
The sudden change left the Black and White Sky Venerable stunned. Realizing the area where Xiao Yan and his group once stood was now empty, their faces turned grim.
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