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**
On the massive square, a massive emerald green beam from the giant heavy ruler cleaved downward from the sky.
Boom—!
The enormous emerald ruler-light smashed into the plaza, gouging out a deep and terrifying chasm.
Just as everyone's eyes locked on with tension, a ragged figure suddenly burst out from within the explosion's swirling energy shockwaves, stepping into the air and stabilizing himself.
The crowd focused their eyes—it was Yun Shan.
At this moment, Yun Shan's appearance didn't seem much different than before, apart from his slightly pale face and violently heaving chest.
However, the blood stains at the corners of his mouth, and his clearly disordered breath, still confirmed one thing: he had taken a serious hit.
"Yao Chen!!" Yun Shan gritted his teeth and growled, his face twisted in fury as he glared hatefully at the figure floating beside Xiao Yan.
Countless gazes shifted in unison, finally landing on the vague, illusory silhouette in the air next to Xiao Yan.
"Who's that?!"
When everyone saw the phantom-like figure hovering beside Xiao Yan, they were all stunned and confused. Clearly, this mysterious expert who had just appeared and gravely injured Yun Shan was a complete unknown to them.
However, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, and the others, upon seeing the figure, couldn't hide their joy.
Xiao Yan's mysterious Dou Zong master… had finally revealed himself.
With this powerful figure lending a hand, defeating Yun Shan wouldn't be a problem anymore.
At that thought, many of them exchanged glances during the short lull in battle and could see a hint of hope and excitement gleaming in each other's eyes.
It looked like victory was finally within reach.
As long as Xiao Yan and this mysterious powerhouse joined forces to kill Yun Shan, the Yun Lan Sect would collapse on its own. From then on, they'd never be a threat again.
But compared to the joy of Jia Xingtian and the others, the many Yun Lan Sect elders and disciples felt their hearts sinking into despair.
Especially upon seeing Yun Shan wounded—a deep unease crept into their hearts.
Yun Shan was the pillar of Yun Lan Sect. If he fell today, the blow to their sect would be unimaginable.
Today, Yun Lan Mountain was truly a chaotic battleground.
Dou Zong experts—so rare in the past—were now appearing one after another like it was some grand gathering.
Amid all this tension, Yun Shan had no time to bother with the varying emotions around him.
At this moment, his gaze was locked firmly on the elderly, illusory figure floating beside Xiao Yan.
After a moment, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke coldly: "So you're Yao Chen... The one who's been hiding in the shadows, helping that brat from behind the scenes."
Yao Lao (Yao Chen) glanced at him indifferently, then gave a faint smile: "My disciple is not someone you can bully at will. You're just a little Dou Zong. Back in the day, with just one word from me, your entire Yun Lan Sect could've been wiped off the Dou Qi Continent."
His calm words stunned everyone present.
"This Venerable…"
That title—
Even Yun Shan's pupils contracted slightly. That form of self-address… was only used by Dou Zun powerhouses.
In other words… this ghostly old man in front of him had once been a Dou Zun.
The shock in his heart quickly faded, however.
So what if he had once been strong? Now, he was just a soul form—his power was a shadow of what it once was. Not even half of his peak remained. And every bit of strength he used would be one bit less left. There was nothing to fear.
Besides, Yun Shan didn't even need to fight him. Someone else would take care of that.
"Heh… Just a mere soul body, and you still dare to act so arrogant? You think it's still your glory days?" Yun Shan sneered coldly.
"I may not be what I once was," Yao Lao replied calmly, "But you… still don't have the qualifications to bark at me."
As he spoke, a snow-white flame danced in his palm, as if it had a life of its own.
At that moment—
"Jie jie jie… He's not worthy? Then I wonder—am I?"
A sinister, cackling voice echoed from above.
Yun Shan's lips curled into a grin.
Yao Lao and Xiao Yan both turned their gazes toward the voice.
A swirl of black mist suddenly swept down from above, appearing near them in a blur before stopping in midair.
"Protector Tie." Yun Shan cupped his hands slightly, his tone carrying a faint hint of respect.
However—
The man in black mist only gave him a cold, dismissive glance. "Trash." he said flatly. "I don't know what that idiot Protector Wu was thinking, recruiting someone as useless as you."
Hearing this, Yun Shan's expression froze. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he lowered his head without making a sound.
To be called "trash" in front of everyone—Yun Shan's humiliation and rage were almost unbearable.
If even Yun Shan was being treated like this, the expressions of the Yun Lan Sect elders and disciples said it all.
Their morale plummeted instantly.
On the battlefield below, the Yun Lan Sect forces were quickly pushed back under the mounting pressure. Some disciples, already shaken by the chaos, lost all will to fight. Slipping away from the fray, they turned and fled down the mountain in panic.
But Protector Tie didn't care about Yun Shan or the emotions of the Yun Lan Sect.
As the black mist churned and twisted, a chilling laugh echoed out from within—sharp and harsh like a crow's cry, echoing ominously above the plaza.
"Jie jie jie… Yao Chen, I never thought you'd actually walk into the trap yourself. Back then, you escaped by sheer luck… We in Hall of Souls spent no small effort searching for you. If I bring you back today, the Hall Master will be very pleased."
In the eyes of Protector Tie, Xiao Yan—the last remnant of the Xiao Clan—wasn't important.
The Xiao Clan had over a thousand people. One more Xiao Yan didn't matter. One less didn't either.
The only thing mildly noteworthy about him was that he was Xiao Zhan's third son, and possibly—just possibly—connected to the item Hall of Souls sought.
But Yao Chen was different.
There was only one Yao Chen.
"So, you really have known about me all along." Yao Lao narrowed his illusory eyes.
"Jie jie, the Bone Chilling Flame. Was that really hard to guess?" Protector Tie sneered. "There's only one person in the world who possesses the Bone Chilling Flame, and that's you, Yao Chen."
"Others might not know what it is, but we do. That ghostly-white flame, radiating a freezing cold aura—how could we not recognize it?"
As he spoke, Protector Tie glanced at Xiao Yan.
"The moment you let your disciple use the Bone Chilling Flame in public, your whereabouts were destined to fall into our grasp."
"Filthy rats." Yao Lao's voice turned cold as ice. His eyes locked on the shadow hidden in the mist. "You helped Han Feng ambush me back then. That debt… We'll settle it today."
Clang, clang—
A sound like chains dragging on stone echoed ominously.
"If you still had your physical body, maybe I'd be cautious," Protector Tie said with a sinister laugh. "But for a soul body like you? Jie jie… Hall of Souls has all kinds of methods to deal with your kind."
"Protector Wu's already gone…" At this, Protector Tie paused slightly, and his mist churned subtly as he cast a wary glance upwards—at someone in the sky.
Only then did he smirk again. "But if I can drag you back alive… the credit will be mine, at least half of it."
As the black mist pulsed, it finally began to condense under everyone's watchful eyes, forming into a figure completely cloaked in thick, shadowy smoke.
From within, two faintly glowing crimson-red eyes gleamed coldly.
"Yun Shan—" Protector Tie ordered, his voice cold and sharp, "You take care of Xiao Yan. As for Yao Chen… I'll handle him."
"If you can't even do that much, well… you know what happens. To useless trash… Hall of Souls never shows mercy."
Yun Shan's entire body trembled. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He quickly forced a smile onto his face and said, "Don't worry, Protector Tie. I'll deal with that boy for you!"
Under the eyes of the crowd, Yun Shan's submissive behavior was pitiful—there was no longer even a shred of dignity befitting a sect master. He looked more like a groveling stray dog.
And that was a devastating blow to the already shattered morale of the Yun Lan Sect.
"...How did it come to this? How…?"
"Sect Master…"
Some Yun Lan Sect disciples felt their faith collapsing in that very moment.
Their once unshakable belief in the sect and their leader shattered before their eyes. Their hands trembled, and their swords fell from their grip, clattering uselessly to the ground. Some didn't even try to resist anymore—they just stood there, letting the enemy's blades strike them down.
And it wasn't just the disciples who felt it.
"Teacher… why…?" Yun Yun stood frozen, her heart like a pool of ice. She whispered the words as if in a daze.
That proud, awe-inspiring figure—half mentor, half father—in her heart…was crumbling to dust.
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