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**
"Jie jie jie~"
A strange laugh echoed eerily through the silence that had lingered in the hall. From the shadowy corners of the great hall, a swirling cloud of black mist suddenly and mysteriously emerged.
The mist drifted eerily through the air, its twisted laughter reverberating within the walls. "Jie jie... What did I tell you, Yun Shan? Not long ago, I mentioned that Xiao Yan was making waves in the Black-Corner Region, and you didn't believe me. Well, now he's returned—with considerable strength in tow. Your Yun Lan Sect might be in real trouble."
"You left so suddenly the other day… Were you secretly investigating their movements?" Yun Shan asked.
"Jie jie, correct. I had a persistent feeling of unease lately, so I went out to investigate. Unfortunately, the information I gathered isn't exactly promising," the black mist replied.
"They've brought reinforcements from the Black-Corner Region—the Wild Lion Gang, the Dark Sky Sect…"
As the list of names came out, Yun Shan's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably. A trace of savagery flickered across his eyes, and his voice turned ice-cold. "That Xiao Yan—just a leftover brat from the Xiao Clan—I'm not afraid of him. Even if he has the strength of a Dou Huang now, it's still easy for me to kill him. But that Wei Yang... he's another story."
Whether Xiao Yan was a Dou Wang or Dou Huang, and no matter how much power he had gathered, Yun Shan didn't view him as a true threat.
The one he truly feared—was Wei Yang.
"…Wei Yang…" The black mist fell silent for a long moment.
Based on the limited information the Hall of Souls had gathered, Wei Yang was known to possess a mysterious black Heavenly Flame—and that was what made him a nightmare.
A Dou Zong with a Heavenly Flame?
That was a disaster for soul-type cultivators.
Heavenly Flames were among the natural enemies of soul bodies. That meant any soul-based techniques were heavily suppressed when faced with them.
The Hall of Souls' Protectors were known for their terrifying and strange soul-based methods but in front of a Heavenly Flame, much of that advantage was rendered useless.
When facing humans or soul cultivators, they were overwhelming. But against a Heavenly Flame user? They'd have no choice but to retreat.
It was a natural counter.
So it wasn't just this Hall of Souls envoy in the black mist who was wary—even Yun Shan was extremely cautious.
Both of them were Dou Zong, but Yun Shan knew very well—if Wei Yang possessed a Heavenly Flame, things would get very tricky.
The two exchanged a long, silent stare—black mist and man, eyes locked.
After a while, the black mist finally broke the silence.
"Jie jie… how about this—when the time comes, I'll hold off Wei Yang. You take care of Xiao Yan quickly, then come help me. Even if we can't kill him, driving him away shouldn't be difficult."
"Drive him away?" Yun Shan's face twisted. He snapped, "Absolutely not! If he escapes, my Yun Lan Sect will never know peace again!"
"He's a Dou Zong, and has a Heavenly Flame. You want to kill him? That's no easy task," the black mist replied helplessly.
"Not just a Dou Zong—he's also a Tier 6 alchemist. Doesn't his soul interest your Hall of Souls?" Yun Shan tried to tempt him.
"There are plenty of Tier 6 alchemists in the continent. You think we move every time we see one?" The black mist wriggled a little and sounded rather annoyed. "If that were the case, our Protectors would be run ragged—and we'd spark outrage across the land."
Not to mention… what Tier 6 alchemist was easy to deal with?
"Forget the rest—but Wei Yang must die!" Yun Shan said firmly.
"Oh? Are you ordering this envoy around now?" the black mist said coldly, its voice dripping with menace. "Don't forget your place, Yun Shan."
To this Hall of Souls envoy, eliminating the Xiao Clan was merely a task assigned from above he had no intention of getting tangled up in unrelated trouble.
A Tier 6 alchemist. A Dou Zong. And wielding a Heavenly Flame?
Was that an easy opponent?
He was just here to do his job—why would he throw his life away?
And besides, this wasn't even part of the mission.
If he died, no one from the Hall would even bother avenging him.
"Hmph. Don't forget either—this is a partnership between us. I'm not your subordinate," Yun Shan retorted coldly. "And if Wei Yang destroys Yun Lan Sect… what benefit is there for you?"
"..." The black mist fell silent again, clearly caught in hesitation.
The black mist shifted slightly.
He had expended considerable resources to help Yun Shan break through to Dou Zong, all in the hopes of using Yun Shan and the Yun Lan Sect as tools to accomplish his objectives. Naturally, he had no desire to see the Yun Lan Sect destroyed.
Seeing this, Yun Shan didn't rush him. He simply waited patiently.
At this point, in Yun Shan's heart, Xiao Yan had already become insignificant. The real threat—his biggest worry—was Wei Yang.
And only the Hall of Souls possessed the power to deal with someone like him.
Time ticked by slowly in silence.
Yun Shan's breathing gradually grew heavier. His hands clenched tightly, palms slightly damp with sweat.
Finally—
The black mist writhed, and a voice echoed from within. "This Protector can help you deal with Wei Yang—but you'll have to pay a price."
Yun Shan's heart immediately loosened with relief, though his brow arched slightly. "A price?"
"I need to invite someone to assist," the black mist replied. "What? You thought that came free?"
"You mean… you're bringing in another Hall of Souls Protector?" Yun Shan asked quickly.
"No sh*t," the mist grumbled.
Yun Shan's brows furrowed. He subtly wiped his damp palms against the inside of his robe sleeve without drawing attention.
He knew how stingy and demanding the Hall of Souls Protectors could be. Getting another one to cross regions and help in a fight? That would cost a lot.
"Yun Shan, don't get smart with me," the black mist said coldly. "I'll cover part of the cost, but the majority has to come from you. I'll contribute no more than one-third."
Yun Shan's face twitched slightly. After a deep breath, he clenched his teeth and gave a heavy nod. "Fine."
"Jie jie, that's the attitude I like." The black mist chuckled strangely. "You know what they say—no pain, no gain. Besides, if we do manage to kill Wei Yang, just think about the spoils… A Tier 6 alchemist's estate and belongings could easily cover the cost—and maybe even net us a profit."
Hearing this, Yun Shan's mood improved. His eyes lit up with greed. "True enough. Oh, right what about that mysterious black Heavenly Flame of his? How do we split that?"
"Jie jie jie… Yun Shan, you're getting greedy," the mist replied with a sneer. "That flame? Not your call. What do you think I used as bait to get the other Protector to agree to help us?"
At those words, a trace of disappointment flashed in Yun Shan's eyes. But in the end, he could only nod in reluctant agreement.
The black mist continued coldly: "Let me make something clear—this whole thing isn't even certain yet. The outcome is still up in the air. It's far too early to be divvying up loot, especially when that Heavenly Flame is more of a carrot than a guarantee. That's for after the job's done.
But the price? That's up front—nonrefundable. Whether we succeed or not, we still have to pay that Protector in full. No exceptions."
Yun Shan gave a cold snort. "I'm well aware."
Damn Hall of Souls. Greedy as ever.
Hell, they were basically robbing him blind—demanding payment before they even acted, no guarantees, no results, and still had to pay.
What a racket.
"Jie jie, don't feel bad. The one I'm calling in is even stronger than me. With him, you, and me all working together…" The black mist's voice turned sly. "What's there to be afraid of? Just a kid in his early twenties?"
"Mm." Yun Shan nodded. When he thought about it like that, it really didn't sound unreasonable.
Three Dou Zong powerhouses working together against a single target? That should be enough.
"Then prepare the goods as soon as possible," the black mist urged. "Once I have them, I'll set off to bring him in."
"Wait here," Yun Shan said. He stood up and turned to head deeper into the rear chambers.
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