"These three fellows certainly have a lot of energy."
Medusa stood beside Yan Qingshan, the rainbow-colored energy seal completely locking the three Hall of Souls protectors. Their colorful language annoyed her, and with a frown and a clench of her slender hand, the seal rapidly contracted.
"Ahhh!!!"
A sizzling sound rang out as the three protectors let out piercing screams. As the rainbow energy eroded them, the black mist on their bodies grew thinner, finally dissipating completely after a moment.
With the black mist gone, the three protectors' true forms were revealed. Three slightly illusory souls floated slowly, their bodies so transparent they seemed almost ethereal, as if they were severely injured.
"What! Soul forms? Could they all be Dou Venerates?"
Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian were greatly shocked to see that the three Hall of Souls protectors were in soul form. Generally, a soul with Dou Ancestor strength means their original body must have been at least a Dou Venerate!
Yao Lao, being well-traveled, carefully inspected them and quickly made a judgment, "No, this should be a secret technique of the Hall of Souls, allowing them to possess the same strength as they did in life. In reality, their cultivation is just as they showed just now."
"Whether they are Dou Ancestors or not is irrelevant. What's important is that they've fallen into our hands, and the news hasn't spread. We have enough time to conquer the three empires. The Jia Ma Empire will then be considered at the peak of the second-rate powers in the Northwest."
Yan Qingshan's words excited Jia Xingtian, Medusa, and Yun Shan. They had planned for so long, and this was their moment of harvest.
If they could successfully take over the three empires, the Misty Cloud Sect, the Jia Ma Royal Family, and the Snake-People Tribe would all gain immense benefits.
"I'll go and arrange for people to handle this."
Queen Medusa lightly called out to Yan Qingshan. After he nodded in response, she swiftly flew toward Black Mountain Fortress. Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian also gave their greetings and hurried off. They all had things to arrange.
After Yun Shan, Jia Xingtian, and Medusa had left, the black-robed figure suddenly split into two. An illusory shadow separated from the person's body, and the black-robed person pulled back the hood, revealing a slightly young-looking face.
Yao Lao had been attached to Xiao Yan's body the entire time he made his move. The Hall of Souls' techniques are strange and often target souls directly. Even with his immense strength and the Bone Chilling Flame, he didn't dare to be careless. For safety, he attached himself to his disciple.
"Yao Lao, your methods are powerful. I'm sure you can get Protector Wu to talk, right? But be careful, I still have a use for their souls. Leave one intact; don't kill them."
Yan Qingshan rolled Protector Wu over to Yao Lao. The old man, who had been patient for so long, had a chilling look in his eyes. He squinted at the illusory soul, and the pale white Bone Chilling Flame directly spread toward Protector Wu.
"Sizzle... Ah..."
The black mist on Protector Wu's body instantly vanished. The flame burning his soul made him extremely painful. Yao Lao's approach—torturing him first before even asking a question—was quite terrifying. The two remaining souls were visibly trembling.
"You can ask now. What does the Hall of Souls want with the Xiao family in the Jia Ma Empire?"
When Protector Wu's soul was almost transparent and his hoarse, painful screams seemed to lack the strength to continue, Yan Qingshan spoke. Yao Lao slowly stopped, and Protector Wu, who had miraculously been spared, no longer dared to hold back. He immediately confessed everything.
"I'll talk, I'll tell you everything."
Protector Wu trembled as he spoke, "My main purpose for returning to the Jia Ma Empire this time, besides collecting souls, was that the higher-ups took an interest in the Xiao family. They seem to be looking for something and ordered me to find an opportunity to capture their patriarch."
"You bastards!!!"
Xiao Yan, who was standing by, immediately erupted in anger. His father, Xiao Zhan, was just a DouGrandmaster. How could he possibly be worthy of a Dou Ancestor personally making a move? He now believed Yan Qingshan's words: the Hall of Souls was indeed after the Xiao family.
Yan Qingshan impatiently interjected, "Explain it clearly. What do you know about the Hall of Souls, the origins of the three of you, and the branch halls in the Northwest and throughout the Dou Qi Continent? Tell us everything you know..."
"Okay, okay..."
Protector Wu no longer had the courage to resist. He repeatedly agreed and then divulged all the information he knew about the Hall of Souls. Yao Lao and Xiao Yan's expressions became grim, while Yan Qingshan remained at ease.
The Hall of Souls and Yan Qingshan actually had little interaction. This time, he only orchestrated the plan against the three empires. It wasn't him who made the move to capture the three protectors. Afterward, he would arrange everything to ensure he wouldn't be directly linked to this matter.
He wouldn't have any problems, but Xiao Yan and Yao Lao were genuine enemies of the Hall of Souls. One died because of the Hall of Souls, and the other's entire family was being targeted. In this situation, they were more anxious than Yan Qingshan.
"About this... Senior Yao Lao, if you don't have a good way to deal with them, I'll take these three. I'll make the proper arrangements afterward and try to provide you with a relatively peaceful period. However, there are no secrets that can be kept forever; the Hall of Souls will eventually come for you."
As Yan Qingshan spoke, he collected the three protectors into three jade bottles. A smile couldn't help but appear on his face. Today's battle had yielded the top experts of the three empires, as well as the treasures and three protectors of the Hall of Souls. According to their agreement, all of this was his. It was simply perfect.
Yao Lao was more astute and wouldn't fully trust Yan Qingshan's promise. "Kid, how do you plan to handle these guys?"
"I'm planning to make a trip to the Academy to meet the incomparably elegant Junior Sister Xun'er. I hear she's the academy's goddess now!"
Yan Qingshan said with a smile, "The Hun Clan, to which the Hall of Souls belongs, and Junior Sister Xun'er's clan, the Gu Clan, have serious conflicts of interest. The Gu Clan and the Hun Clan made an agreement regarding the Xiao family under the scrutiny of the other five clans. Now, the Hun Clan has violated it, and we have solid proof..."
"You're really not a good person. You're even going to scheme against a little girl."
Yao Lao said in annoyance. Xiao Yan's expression also looked strange. This matter had circled back to Xun'er, and because of him, Xun'er would likely do what Yan Qingshan wanted. This gave him a peculiar feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"You flatter me, you flatter me. I've always hated trouble, and I'm not strong enough to handle this burden. Isn't it a good thing to be able to pass the buck?"
Yan Qingshan showed no embarrassment, instead grinning proudly. Yao Lao and Xiao Yan were at a loss for words, unable to believe that such a brazenly shameless person existed.
"Senior Yao Lao, I've solved a huge problem for you. I wonder..."
Yan Qingshan's eyes darted around as he stared at Yao Lao, his fingers rubbing together as if he was about to ask for a favor.
"Haven't you gotten enough good stuff this time? The collections and bodies of two Dou Ancestors and three Dou Emperors, and even three Dou Ancestor-level souls! You've gotten so much, and you're still trying to get more from me?"
Yao Lao looked at Yan Qingshan in displeasure. He had put in a lot of effort this time, personally dealing with the three Hall of Souls protectors.
But according to the agreement he had with Yan Qingshan, if it was proven that the Hall of Souls protectors were indeed after the Xiao family, then the captured protectors would be at Yan Qingshan's disposal.
If the protectors weren't after the Xiao family, then Yan Qingshan would have to provide some compensation as the price for hiring Yao Lao.
This time, Yao Lao had lost the bet. The three Dou Ancestor souls and the countless souls in their soul pouches all went to Yan Qingshan. Now, this money-grubber had already found a way to "clean up" and was even asking him for a reward again. It was truly…
"Senior Yao Lao, you can never have too many good things! I'm from a humble background, with nothing but the clothes on my back. Naturally, I can't let go of any chance to get some benefits. In fact, I'm quite willing to develop a relationship with a little rich girl like Junior Sister Xun'er."
Yan Qingshan said with a laugh, then threw out the corpse of Yan Luotian. "Besides, I'm not taking your things for nothing. I know you'll need a Dou Ancestor's corpse to resurrect.
On this continent, the corpse of every Dou Ancestor has significant ties. It's rare to find a hassle-free one like Yan Luotian."
A Dou Ancestor could be considered a high-level expert on the continent. Each one is usually tied to a certain power. Furthermore, Dou Ancestor-level corpses are relatively valuable and have special uses, so it's very difficult to obtain a Dou Ancestor corpse that doesn't cause any problems.
Yao Lao now needed at least a Dou Ancestor-level corpse for his resurrection, in addition to the necessary Heavenly Flame and pills. As a Venerable, he needed a body of at least Dou Ancestor-level to resurrect.
"You're quite thoughtful, kid, but this guy is too weak. I don't need him. You can tell me what you want, and I'll consider it."
Yao Lao shook his head after looking at Yan Luotian's corpse. Although he needed at least a Dou Ancestor-level corpse, he had his standards. He really didn't have much use for a Dou Ancestor who had just broken through.
Yan Qingshan grinned, "I want some of your high-grade pill formulas, both Grade-7 and Grade-8. I also need the method for refining a body for resurrection and the related pills."
Yao Lao looked at Yan Qingshan suspiciously.
"I have the pill formulas, but why do you want the method for refining a body? Are you also trying to save someone?"
"Yao Lao, I'm just being prepared!"
Yan Qingshan spoke a blatant lie without missing a beat, "If even a powerhouse like you can be ambushed, imagine how dangerous this continent is. Although I have confidence in myself, I'll still have a backup plan. I can't wait until I'm actually dead to start collecting a resurrection method, can I?"
"You kid... alright!"
Yao Lao was silent for a moment before throwing a few scrolls to Yan Qingshan. He then said, "You're not getting these things for free. After the powers within the three empires are dealt with, there will definitely be many precious medicinal ingredients. I'll need you to get a portion of them for me."
"Don't worry, Senior Yao Lao. I'm sure Sect Master Yun and the others will give me this much face."
Yan Qingshan smiled confidently, having reached an agreement with Yao Lao. He put the numerous pill formulas and the body-refining method into his bag, a slight smile on his lips.