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Just as his body came to a stop, a massive glassy palm imprint, carrying scorching heat, came roaring in from his side.
However, thanks to his powerful soul perception, Elder Ying Shan had already sensed Lin Feng's presence just before the latter activated his Dou Technique.
His palm suddenly shot upward as overwhelming dou qi surged from within him like a tidal wave.
In that instant, a thunderous shout erupted across the sky:
"Low-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique — Mysterious Shadow Palm!"
As black mist churned violently around him, a pitch-black palm imprint rapidly formed before his hand.
The moment the palm imprint took shape, Elder Ying Shan thrust his arm forward with explosive force.
A dense imprint of black dou qi shot straight toward the incoming attack.
Boom!
The two colors — pitch black and dazzling glassy light — collided in mid-air, and the resulting explosion was deafening.
Waves of flaming dou qi energy burst outward in all directions like a magnificent blooming flower.
But beneath the beauty lay terrifying destructive force.
The flames swept downward, and the moment they touched the verdant forest below, the vibrant green faded away almost instantly — replaced by scorched-black charcoal remains.
Even those charred remains could not find peace, shattered apart by the black dou qi that came along with the Heavenly Flame.
"No wonder you've carved out your own territory in the Black-Corner Region. I underestimated you."
With a casual wave, he summoned a shield of dou qi to block the incoming wave of heat. Elder Ying Shan then narrowed his eyes at Lin Feng, whose skeletal wings stretched wide behind him, and let out a cold snort.
That speed just now — so fast even his soul had difficulty detecting it — made him wary.
Originally, he had thought that this opponent was merely an alchemist with little combat experience — someone who could be wiped out with a wave of his hand.
But now it seemed that Lin Feng wasn't so easy to deal with.
"Old bastard, just in time. I've been quite curious about the secret behind the strength of your soul. Today, be a good corpse and let me find out."
Despite having his Dou Technique blocked, Lin Feng didn't show the slightest trace of disappointment. On the contrary, he looked at Elder Ying Shan with growing interest.
After all, soul power was the very foundation upon which an alchemist survived.
Only with a powerful soul could one precisely control fire, sense the internal conditions of a pill, and ultimately refine it to perfection.
As an alchemist himself, Lin Feng was naturally intrigued by the abnormally strong soul power that Elder Ying Shan possessed.
"Heh… you little brat actually dare to covet what's mine?"
Seeing the curiosity in Lin Feng's eyes, Elder Ying Shan's expression instantly turned sharp, his face darkened as he growled coldly.
In his heart, he had already made up his mind — there was no way he would let Lin Feng leave this place alive today.
Judging from the other party's expression, if Lin Feng got away unscathed this time, he would undoubtedly use his reputation as a sixth-tier alchemist to call upon powerful experts to hunt him down.
And once that happened, they would surely uncover the secret behind his powerful soul.
At that thought, Elder Ying Shan waved his palm, and the pitch-black mist behind him surged violently.
In an instant, black fog rose to the heavens, blanketing the sky in darkness.
The space where Lin Feng and Zi Yan stood was swallowed up in its entirety.
Wherever the dense dark fog spread, even the harsh noonday sun could not pierce through it.
As darkness cloaked the skies, Elder Ying Shan's figure seemed to completely merge into the endless shadow, vanishing from Lin Feng and Zi Yan's sight.
"Damn it! The dou qi in here is so chaotic, I can't even sense that old bastard's aura anymore!"
Zi Yan's little face turned grim, frustration written all over it as she clenched her fists.
"Don't panic. Just watch — I'll find him."
Lin Feng gave the little girl a comforting smile. Then, his vast soul power erupted outward, pouring from his body like an endless tidal wave that swept across the shrouded darkness.
That terrifying soul power brought with it an oppressive might that surged out in all directions like a thunderclap.
Wherever it passed, the very fabric of space trembled. Thin cracks of inky blackness — nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding void — silently spread across the area.
Although soul power was formless and invisible, the pressure it unleashed was all too real and capable of causing true harm.
"A seventh-tier alchemist?! Impossible!"
Just as Lin Feng's soul power swept through the darkness, a hoarse, disbelieving voice rang out somewhere within the black mist — filled with shock and dread.
Though Elder Ying Shan was not an alchemist himself, he had cultivated a soul technique, and his soul power had long surpassed what most alchemists could ever hope to achieve.
Because of this, he was far more sensitive to soul power than the average person.
The overwhelming sea of soul power now surging toward him made him feel like he was facing an ocean — boundless and crushing.
It was a feeling he'd only ever experienced once, years ago, when he encountered a mid-level seventh-tier alchemist.
But that man had already lived over a hundred years, while the Lin Feng before him was clearly just in his early twenties!
Still, Lin Feng paid no attention to Elder Ying Shan's shock.
Having locked onto the old man's position, Lin Feng clenched his hand — the vast soul power that had flooded the sky instantly compressed into a single point.
"Go!"
With a low shout, the ocean of soul power rapidly condensed into a massive soul hammer, nearly solid in form, and then violently smashed down toward the spot where Elder Ying Shan stood.
"Damn it! Why is this brat's soul power even more terrifying than mine, even after cultivating a soul technique?!"
Cursing inwardly, Elder Ying Shan hurriedly activated his cultivation technique, forcing his dou qi to circulate at full speed.
In the next moment, the surrounding black mist churned violently. Boundless dark dou qi erupted from it like a flood.
In the blink of an eye, it formed a massive energy longsword, two to three meters long.
"Go!"
As the sword took shape, a thunderous shout exploded from Elder Ying Shan's mouth.
Instantly, the pitch-black space around them rippled silently.
The energy sword tore through the air and shot straight toward the massive soul hammer.
Not long after it left his hand, it collided head-on with the invisible hammer — and immediately shattered.
Boom!
The two forces clashed violently, triggering a muffled explosion like rolling thunder.
A wave of formless soul shockwaves erupted outward at terrifying speed, rippling across the entire dark mist like water crashing across a calm lake.
"Urgh!"
The moment the shockwave touched Elder Ying Shan, a searing pain shot through his mind. He let out a muffled grunt as his face turned pale.
After all, soul power — especially when it struck at the source — was no joke.
At the same time, a trace of deep concern flashed across his mind.
Though he knew that dou qi-based attacks were inherently less effective against soul power…
He hadn't expected the difference to be this drastic.
Lin Feng, on the other hand, looked a bit disappointed that his soul attack had failed to seriously injure Elder Ying Shan.
Still, after that test, he now had a clearer understanding of the level of power his soul power attack could reach.
"Old bastard… die!"
Now that Elder Ying Shan's position had been exposed, Zi Yan's bright purple eyes lit up. With a sharp glint in her gaze, she shot forward, heading straight toward him like a streak of purple lightning.
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