Above the skies of Misty Cloud Mountain—
A dense surge of black mist burst forth from the figure's body, sprawling across the heavens. The mist swiftly condensed in the air, coalescing into a vast, fathomless black cloud, spanning over several meters, blotting out the sky and sun.
"Not good—it's a Dou Ancestor! Xiao Yan, be careful!"
From a distance, a Dou Emperor-ranked woman cried out in alarm, her figure shooting toward Xiao Yan like a streak of light. At this moment, Xiao Yan felt the surrounding space freeze entirely, rendering him immobile.
Watching an old man shrouded in black mist casually wave his hand to easily fend off the Dou Emperor woman, a twisted grin on his face as he slowly approached, Xiao Yan's heart turned cold.
Damn it! Isn't he the protagonist? Isn't this supposed to be the beginner's village? Why isn't anything going according to the script?!
The black mist seethed from Protector Wu of the Soul Hall's body, locking onto Xiao Yan's aura. Dou Ancestor-level Dou Qi surged forth, utterly suppressing Xiao Yan, leaving him unable to move.
An evil, triumphant smile curved Protector Wu's lips as he stared at Xiao Yan's stunned expression, savoring the moment.
Heh heh, you didn't expect this, did you? That I would lie in wait for you here!
"Haha! Xiao Yan, today will be your grave!"
From the battlefield not far away, Yun Leng, who was fighting Hai Bodong, burst into loud laughter. With Protector Wu personally making a move, Xiao Yan and the others' fates were already sealed.
"Why is there another Dou Ancestor?!"
In the distance, Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma stared at Protector Wu in shock. His overwhelming Dou Qi was barely weaker than Yun Shan's!
How did the Misty Cloud Sect gather so many powerful experts? What exactly are they plotting?
Exchanging glances, Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma could see the grave apprehension in each other's eyes. A deep sense of dread toward the Misty Cloud Sect settled in their hearts.
Damn it. What do we do now? What can we do?
Desperately, Xiao Yan racked his brain for a way to escape. But in the face of a Dou Ancestor-level powerhouse, he was utterly powerless. The vast gap in strength was so immense that killing him would be no harder than squashing an ant.
"Heh heh, don't worry... I won't let you die so easily."
Protector Wu chuckled lightly, his right hand slowly stretching out. Black mist condensed into a massive, clawed hand, reaching toward Xiao Yan.
As the black mist loomed closer, Dou Qi inside Xiao Yan's body stagnated completely. No matter how he struggled to mobilize it, nothing worked. A trace of despair flickered in his eyes.
Sigh… Seems like I have no choice but to intervene.
Just as the giant hand of black mist was about to seize Xiao Yan, a familiar sigh echoed within Xiao Yan's mind. In the next instant, a mighty soul force erupted from within his body, shattering the oppressive pressure that had frozen him in place.
Boom!
A bone-chilling white flame ignited and surged skyward. Xiao Yan's body regained its freedom; with a light tap of his foot, he shot backward, retreating at top speed.
"Teacher! You've recovered!"
Feeling the familiar power well up inside him, Xiao Yan's face lit up with joy, and he couldn't help but exclaim aloud.
Uncontrollably, he lashed out at the incoming black mist, a white flame condensed into a giant palm colliding fiercely with it.
Under the burning flame, the black mist slowly disintegrated, momentarily halting Protector Wu's attack.
"Phew, finally recovered, have you?"
Hai Bodong, who had been fighting two opponents alone, flickered across the battlefield, casting a crystalline ice mirror behind him to momentarily stall Yun Leng and the others before flying over to Xiao Yan's side. Feeling the powerful soul force now emanating from Xiao Yan, he sighed in relief.
Swish!
The Dou Emperor-ranked woman also blinked back to Xiao Yan's side. Sensing the massive surge of soul force from him, she froze briefly, clearly surprised that he had such a hidden trump card.
"Heh heh, such a familiar soul force... An unexpected harvest indeed!"
Protector Wu closed his eyes slightly, savoring the sensation, before grinning hideously.
"Yao Chen, old friend, now that we've met again, won't you come out and greet me personally?"
At those words, the Dou Emperor woman stiffened slightly, turning to glance uncertainly at Xiao Yan.
"Hmph. Running dog of the Soul Hall—you're not worth meeting."
A voice ancient and cold echoed from Xiao Yan's mouth. The icy white flames flickered in his eyes.
The chilling Bone Spirit Cold Flame surged from Xiao Yan's body, his aura climbing sharply. Even Xiao Yan himself was momentarily stunned at the explosive growth.
Prepare to leave immediately. I won't be able to hold on for long.
Yao Lao's voice sounded once more in Xiao Yan's ear. Xiao Yan's expression shifted slightly, but he discreetly sent a reminder glance to Hai Bodong and the Dou Emperor woman.
"Don't worry. No one will be able to harm you today."
The Dou Emperor woman shook her head lightly at his warning, glanced at the sky, and calculated the time silently.
Her inexplicable confidence left both Hai Bodong and Xiao Yan stunned. They exchanged confused glances—against a Dou Ancestor, they were unquestionably at a disadvantage!
"Heh heh, none of you are escaping today!"
Protector Wu took a step forward, black mist gushing out madly. In the blink of an eye, dozens of black chains formed and whipped toward Xiao Yan and the others.
"Go!"
Hai Bodong barked coldly, surging his icy Dou Qi. Xiao Yan also erupted with soul force, white flames roaring to life, the two readying themselves to block the attack.
"It's here."
However, the Dou Emperor woman's figure paused. She exhaled softly in relief, lifting her gaze to the void above the Misty Cloud Sect.
"What's here?"
Hai Bodong blinked in confusion, but the next moment, he felt an overwhelming energy wave descend from above. Raising his head, he saw a black fissure tearing open in the sky above Misty Cloud Mountain.
The heavens themselves seemed to split apart like a giant eye opening. Within the tear, a spatial wormhole rapidly formed and stabilized in the blink of an eye.
Finally found it.
A deep, resonant voice rumbled from within the newly formed spatial wormhole. A terrifying aura surged through the rift, instantly engulfing the entire Misty Cloud Sect.
In that instant, everyone felt their shoulders weigh down heavily. Even Protector Wu, Yun Shan, and the handsome young man felt their bodies dip slightly.
"What kind of powerhouse is descending?!"
In the distance, Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma were suppressed by the expanding aura, barely managing to withstand it by circulating their vast Dou Qi reserves.
This was just the aura seeping through a spatial wormhole... and it already held such crushing power! Could it be... a Dou Saint powerhouse has arrived?!
Both Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong stared up at the spatial wormhole in terror. They struggled to resist the pressure bearing down on them with soul force and Dou Qi.
Their gazes both instinctively fell upon the Dou Emperor woman—was this spatial wormhole... her hidden ace?
Yet at this moment, the woman's Dou Qi surged quietly, her eyes fixed intently on the stabilizing wormhole, as if... waiting for something.
"Buzz..."
At that very moment, deep within the Misty Cloud Mountain, another terrifying surge of Dou Qi fluctuations swept through, instantly neutralizing the oppressive aura. In the next instant, a dread-inspiring presence, powerful enough to make the mountains tremble, erupted and soared into the heavens.
A voice, as if echoing from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, resounded across the sky, overwhelming all other sounds.
"Who dares to provoke my Soul Hall!"
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