Chapter 494: Infiltrating the Great Hall, The Battle Begins
Hearing Mo Yu's words, both the Wind Venerable and Heavenly Flame Venerable were stunned.
Seeing the once-ferocious Rock-Devouring Ant Queen now looking so docile, the Wind Venerable felt a deep sense of confusion. He gave Mo Yu a curious glance and then spoke apologetically.
"It seems I misjudged you, Lord Mo. For someone of your age to have built such a vast foundation from scratch, your methods must be extraordinary. I'll no longer interfere with your actions. I just hope we can safely rescue my old friend."
Xiao Yan smiled. While the Wind Venerable and the Heavenly Flame Venerable were surprised, Xiao Yan wasn't as shocked. He knew his cousin Mo Yu well enough to trust that he wouldn't use this method unless he was confident in its success.
Still, even Xiao Yan was curious about how his cousin managed to tame the Ant Queen so quickly.
Mo Yu smiled calmly and waved his hand. "No harm done. The Wind Venerable was just anxious. I completely understand."
Although the Beast Spirit Pill had drawn out the ant swarm, everything was still under Mo Yu's control. The reason he could subdue the Ant Queen so quickly was partly because of the residual Half-Saint Blood in his body.
The power of that blood was immense, and even though Mo Yu had broken through to Dou Zun, some remnants of the Half-Saint blood still lingered within him. The Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Serpent, an ancient magical beast, was on par with the Taixu Ancient Dragons. The natural pressure of its bloodline exerted an overwhelming force on lower-level magical beasts.
Thus, Mo Yu used the lingering pressure of the serpent's bloodline to intimidate the Ant Queen, and then he swiftly placed a Soul Seal on it, taking full control.
As the Ant Queen ruled over the entire swarm, controlling it meant controlling the entire Rock-Devouring Ant army.
With the immediate danger behind them, the tense atmosphere relaxed a bit.
Xiao Yan moved closer to Mo Yu, his gaze full of curiosity as he studied the Ant Queen. Its body was dark gold, with eight delicate, thin wings on its back. Its sharp, jagged mandibles gave off a chilling aura. Anyone bitten by this creature would undoubtedly suffer greatly.
As Xiao Yan observed the Ant Queen, it seemed to sense his presence, and its wings twitched as it revealed its fearsome mandibles, filled with razor-sharp teeth.
Mo Yu quickly activated the Soul Seal, and the Ant Queen immediately became obedient again.
"Does this thing know the location of the Hall of Souls?" the Wind Venerable asked as he floated closer, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Yes," Mo Yu nodded. Then, turning to the group, he said, "There's no time to waste. Let's move out!"
Xiao Yan and the Wind Venerable hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.
"Follow me," Mo Yu said, and with a swift motion, he led the way deeper into the mist-covered mountains. Xiao Yan and the others quickly followed.
With the Ant Queen leading the way, their pace increased significantly. Without needing to worry about finding the right path, they reached the inner section of the mountain range in less than half an hour.
"Stop!"
In the misty forest, Mo Yu suddenly came to a halt, signaling the others to remain quiet.
As the group fell silent, the Ant Queen on Mo Yu's shoulder emitted a strange, subtle sound wave that spread outward in ripples.
"Plop, plop…"
Seconds later, dark figures fell from the mist, landing silently on the dry, yellow grass. Clinging to their throats were fist-sized black ants, biting down hard and completely silencing their victims.
The group looked over and saw, to their surprise, that these dark figures were all small black birds, no bigger than a hand. The birds were so tiny and well-hidden in the mist that even Xiao Yan hadn't noticed them.
"These birds are spies for the Hall of Souls. Any disturbance, and they would have sent a signal. If we didn't eliminate them, our presence would have been exposed to the Hall," Mo Yu explained.
Had they not controlled the Ant Queen in advance, their movements might have been detected, and the Hall of Souls could have set up a trap.
Xiao Yan and the others couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. The Hall of Souls was truly insidious, using such tiny creatures as spies. Who would have expected that?
"The spy birds in the area have been quietly eliminated by the Rock-Devouring Ants, so there's no need to worry. We're also close to the Hall now, so stay alert," Mo Yu said softly.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others tensed, their Dou Qi surging quietly within them, ready for any sudden danger.
After dealing with the Hall's hidden spies, Mo Yu resumed leading the way. About ten minutes later, they finally came to a stop.
The fog here was thinner than before, and they stood on a steep slope. At the end of the slope lay a massive valley surrounded by towering mountains. In the valley, a huge black hall, spanning hundreds of meters, loomed like a monstrous beast from ancient times. A chilling and oppressive aura emanated from it, filling the area with a sense of dread.
"So, this is the Hall of Souls…" Xiao Yan murmured as he stared at the enormous structure.
The Wind Venerable and the others approached, gazing at the black hall with mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension.
"Wait. There's a spatial barrier here," Xiao Yan suddenly said.
"Leave that to me. I can cut through it without alerting anyone inside," Mo Yu said with a smile.
Stepping forward, Mo Yu raised his hand, and a Void Thunder appeared, swirling at his fingertips. He gently traced the distorted space, opening a door about ten feet wide.
With a light push, the spatial barrier quietly dissolved, revealing an invisible doorway in front of Xiao Yan and the others.
Since breaking through to Dou Zun, Mo Yu had become even more proficient in using Void Thunder to manipulate space.
Seeing Mo Yu's effortless actions, the Wind Venerable and the Heavenly Flame Venerable were both surprised. Handling spatial barriers with such precision was not something a newly ascended Dou Zun could usually do.
"Let's send the Rock-Devouring Ants in first to draw their attention," Mo Yu said with a cold smile after opening the doorway.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan and the others shivered. They were well aware of the terrifying power of the ant swarm.
"Go," Mo Yu commanded.
The Ant Queen on his shoulder emitted another strange sound, and soon, the group heard the rustling sound of the ants swarming in. Moments later, a massive wave of black ants surged out of the forest and poured through the spatial gate.
Under the cover of the thin mist, the black tide of ants swiftly swept down the slope and surged toward the black hall in the valley.
"Attack!"
Seeing the ant swarm rush into the valley, Mo Yu let out a sharp command and leaped forward. His powerful aura began to spread as he was the first to enter the spatial barrier.
In the quiet valley, a soft rustling sound echoed.
The black tide of ants rapidly flowed down the slope, reaching the area around the giant black hall in less than a minute.
Perched atop several stone pillars surrounding the hall were figures cloaked in black mist, their eerie presence blending with the surrounding darkness.
"Hmm?"
One of the figures, entirely wrapped in black mist, suddenly let out a confused sound. He frowned as he spotted the strange black tide creeping closer. After a moment of surprise, his eyes widened in shock, and he jumped to his feet, shouting.
"Careful, it's the Rock-Devouring Ants! How did they get in?!"
The sudden outburst shattered the silence of the valley. The other figures on the stone pillars quickly stood up, their faces filled with shock as they watched the rapidly approaching swarm.
"Sound the alarm!"
One of the figures shouted in a deep voice. A sharp signal rang out from his mouth, quickly reaching the enormous black hall, which resembled an ancient beast.
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
As the alarm echoed, dark figures began emerging from the hall, their expressions changing as they saw the endless wave of ants heading toward them.
"Everyone, join forces and eliminate these creatures! Don't disturb the Elders!"
A black-clad figure, who appeared to be a high-ranking member, hovered in the air and gave the order in a stern voice.
"Yes, Protector Liu!"
In unison, nearly a hundred black-cloaked figures responded. Black mist erupted from their bodies as they spread it toward the advancing ant swarm.
Sizzle!
As the black mist collided with the ants, white smoke rose, and the ants began to corrode. However, the sheer number of ants was overwhelming. Despite the thick mist, the swarm continued to push forward.
"What's going on? Why such a disturbance?"
Several more black figures rushed out of the hall. But before they could fully understand the situation, they were met with the sight of the overwhelming ant swarm. Their expressions changed immediately.
"Rock-Devouring Ants? How did they get in? No, wait, there's an intruder—!"
Before the figure could finish his sentence, the space around him twisted violently, and an invisible force crushed him into a ball of blood and flesh.
"Intruders! Intruders!"
The remaining Protectors shouted in panic as the massive hall was filled with alarm.
Swoosh!
Before they could react, sharp sword energy descended from the sky like lightning, piercing through the bodies of two Hall of Souls Protectors.
Boom!
As the sword energy struck, the space trembled slightly, and several figures slowly appeared amidst the astonished gazes of the Hall of Souls' warriors. Then, without reservation, a tremendous aura erupted from their bodies.
Rumble!
With seven Dou Zuns and one peak Dou Zong unleashing their power simultaneously, the entire valley was engulfed in flying dust and rocks. The oppressive aura radiating from the sky caused the faces of the Hall of Souls Protectors to change drastically.
"Hahaha! You Hall of Souls scum, today's the day you pay your debts!"
A voice boomed from the sky, and in an instant, powerful gusts of wind tore down from the heavens, slamming dozens of Hall of Souls experts into the ground, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.
"Hahaha, charge!"
Figures flashed down from the sky, descending like tigers into a herd of sheep. Even the usually arrogant Protectors were forced into a panicked retreat by this fierce group.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that someone would dare to launch an attack on the Hall of Souls.
"You dare cause trouble in the Hall of Souls?! Are you seeking death?!"
The valley echoed with screams and chaos, finally drawing the attention of the Elders inside. Enraged roars filled the air as five figures burst out from the black hall, radiating murderous intent. Their eyes scanned the area before locking onto Mo Yu and Xiao Yan.
"Kid from the Lei Clan, it's you!"
"Xiao Yan? You're still alive?!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Mo Yu raised his head slightly. His gaze landed on the middle figure of the five, and he chuckled coldly.
"Mugu Elder, I didn't expect to see you here. It's been years since we last met in the Black-Corner Region."
Mugu Elder's face darkened at Mo Yu's words. Back in the Black-Corner Region, the capture attempt had been a disaster for him. Not only had he failed, but he had been seriously injured by a Lei Clan captain.
Moreover, he had learned that the Soul Clan had sent an extremely powerful expert to capture Mo Yu, but that attempt had ended in failure as well, with the expert even losing his life. This had enraged a mysterious figure backing Mo Yu, forcing the Soul Clan to suppress their activities to avoid further trouble.
Now, seeing Mo Yu standing before him, Mugu Elder was stunned for a moment. Then, glancing at Xiao Yan, he sneered, as if understanding the situation.
"You've come for Yao Lao, haven't you? I have to admit, you two are incredibly bold to come to the Hall of Souls to rescue him. This is the first time since I became an Elder that anyone's dared to do this!"
"Hehe, well, if it isn't the Wind Venerable. Still clinging to hope, I see?" another Elder beside Mugu sneered coldly.
"But if you think you can storm the Hall of Souls, you must have a death wish!"
(End of Chapter)
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