What was supposed to be a surefire strike took an unexpected turn. The hall master of the Soul Hall’s face darkened, his gaze fixed straight behind Xiao Yan, where a figure in ordinary attire stood quietly. Although this person seemed quite ordinary, his aura was unpredictable, making it difficult to discern his true strength.
“Who are you?!” The hall master of the Soul Hall growled, his eyes glowering. Despite his high status within the Spirit race, he was far removed from the era when Xiao Xuan existed; thus, it was impossible for him to recognize the figure as Xiao Chen, who had been quite famous among the Xiao Clan in the past.
“Ancestor Xiao Chen,” Xiao Yan quickly recovered, seeing Xiao Chen finally intervene. He secretly sighed in relief. From the moment they escaped the illusion until now, this ancestor of the Xiao Clan had never made a move, remaining hidden even during intense battles. However, when Xiao Yan was truly in a critical situation, he could only step in.
Xiao Chen waved his hand. His personality was naturally reclusive and reserved, and he was not one for many words. He stepped forward, standing in front of Xiao Yan, his gaze fixated on the hall master of the Soul Hall. With a raspy voice, he asked, “He is from the Spirit race, right?”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
“Then kill him…” Listening to Xiao Chen’s low, hoarse voice, Xiao Yan felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced curiously at Xiao Chen’s back, realizing only now that he had never fully comprehended his ancestor’s true strength. In the illusion, although Xiao Chen had defeated Zi Yan and Elder Ancient South Sea, it seemed somewhat strained. Based on Xiao Yan’s estimations, Xiao Chen should have been at the late stage of a four-star Dou Sheng. At the very most, he might have been an early five-star Dou Sheng. Yet, when Xiao Chen made his statement, Xiao Yan realized that his estimation was probably too low…
“Thousands of years of imprisonment in the illusion, such a long time. Even if he couldn’t normally cultivate, the gradual accumulation of power, like water dripping through stone, must have made him overwhelmingly strong. It seems Ancestor Xiao Chen is indeed confident in his abilities.”
“Are you from the Xiao Clan?” The hall master of the Soul Hall narrowed his eyes, staring at Xiao Chen. After a moment, he suddenly recalled Xiao Chen’s previous words, his pupils contracting in disbelief. “How is this possible? The Xiao Clan has long fallen into ruin. How could there still be Dou Sheng experts?!”
Looking at Xiao Chen, it was clear that he was not like Xiao Yan, who had achieved his strength in mere decades. If so, Xiao Chen must have existed for a considerable amount of time. Yet, why did the Spirit race have no information about him?
Xiao Chen’s face remained impassive, and he continued to step through the air, each step increasing his already formidable aura.
Middle stage of four-star Dou Sheng…
Late stage of four-star Dou Sheng…
Middle stage of five-star Dou Sheng…
Xiao Yan and the others watched in amazement as Xiao Chen’s aura surged, breaking through the four-star tier and reaching the middle stage of a five-star Dou Sheng in just a few breaths! Such power surpassed the hall master of the Soul Hall by a level!
“Who are you?!” The hall master of the Soul Hall’s face changed upon feeling the terrifying aura, his voice sharp. Behind him, Hun Feng and the deputy hall master also rushed over, their eyes filled with shock and suspicion, clearly flustered by the sudden development.
“No wonder Ancestor Xiao Chen managed to endure so long in the illusion created by the Heavenly Flame Lotus. His strength has reached such a level,” Xiao Yan muttered, his eyes gleaming with joy.
“Enough chatter!” Facing the hall master’s stern rebuke, Xiao Chen furrowed his brow. He clenched his hand, and a massive blood shadow coalesced in his palm, transforming into a massive blood ax. With a swift motion, the blood ax tore through space, causing sonic booms, and swiftly chopped down toward the hall master and his companions.
“Retreat quickly!” Seeing Xiao Chen attack, the hall master’s face paled. He waved his sleeve, sending Hun Feng and the others flying back. Then, he forcefully puffed out his cheeks, spitting out a black, half-meter-sized orb. Inside the orb, there were faint, agonizing screams, as if countless souls were devouring each other.
In the sky, a blood shadow flashed, and everyone saw a massive blood-colored ax slash appear on the black orb. A faint cracking sound echoed, and a blood line spread across the orb before it split into two halves.
*Puff!* The black orb exploded under the force of the blood ax, and the hall master spat out a mouthful of blood. His complexion turned pale, and he hurriedly retreated, shocked by Xiao Chen’s ferocious attack. The blood ax seemed capable of splitting the heavens, its domineering might causing their hearts to tremble.
“Heaven-Cleaving Three Ax Strikes!” With one easy swing, Xiao Chen cut through the hall master’s defense without hesitation. Taking two steps, he unleashed three consecutive strikes with the massive blood ax.
The three attacks merged into one fluid motion. Ordinary people could only see a red blur in the sky, but the hall master, a powerful expert, clearly saw three crimson blood lines tearing through space, reaching him in an instant. Though the blood lines appeared thin, the hall master felt a profound sense of danger.
“Soul Burying Technique!” Under such peril, the hall master’s body trembled, and his soul floated out from his forehead. Surprisingly, the soul’s arms exploded, releasing a thick, black fog that covered the sky, filling the entire horizon with black mist. Faint, mournful souls’ cries emerged, burrowing into people’s minds.
*Bam, Bam, Bam!* The three blood lines tore through the black clouds, but as they sped through, ripples of explosions rippled along the lines. In just a few breaths, the first blood line dissipated, and the second became barely visible.
“Split!” As the black fog spread, a deep, hoarse voice resounded. The heavy black clouds burst open, and a blood line shot out, piercing the darkness at an incredible speed.
*Puff!* The moment the blood line struck, a spurt of blood sounded, and the black clouds dissipated rapidly. As the fog cleared, everyone saw the hall master, covered in blood, trembling with a hideous wound running from his shoulder to his abdomen, revealing his viscera. Clearly, the earlier strike had left him severely wounded.
Xiao Chen looked at the hall master with a cold expression, surprised that he had survived. In his time, countless experts had perished under this technique.
The hall master, his eyes filled with savage malice, watched Xiao Chen. He hurriedly took several jade bottles from his storage ring and poured medicinal liquid onto his wound, allowing white vapor to rise. Then, he formed a seal, creating a black light barrier that trapped both him and Xiao Chen inside.
“Old Demon Ghost, after watching for so long, isn’t it time for you to make a move?” The hall master roared, directing his words outside the barrier.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others’ expressions changed. The Spirit race had more hidden experts here?
“Alas, Soul Annihilation, you have disappointed me greatly…” As Xiao Yan and the others scanned the area, an old, weary sigh echoed in the void.
Xiao Yan turned abruptly, his gaze fixing on a nearby crowd. There, a gray-robed elder with a high-level semi-sage strength shook his head, walking out slowly, his face changing as his long, black eyebrows hung down, looking extremely eerie.
Xiao Yan had glimpsed the elder during the chaos, but at the time, he was being chased by a fire slave and didn’t pay much attention. But he never imagined that this seemingly unremarkable old man was so deeply concealed.
“You are the Soul Demon Old Man? Does your Spirit race really intend to break the agreement?” The black-browed elder, known as the Soul Demon Old Man, smiled slightly. He glanced at Xiao Yan and the others, but instead of attacking, he sighed, turning to the void and saying, “Old monster of the Small Pill Tower, since I’ve already shown myself, why are you still hiding?”
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