Chapter 164
"The biggest ace up Lu Bu's sleeve… time to let loose!"
"ROAR!"
The two fiendish spirits let out thunderous roars, splitting up to flank Lu Bu from both sides, their menacing auras surging and their killing intent sky high.
"Kehehe… brat, let's see if you can survive this!" Protector Xuan sneered viciously, his previously dense black mist now thinning, revealing his silhouette within.
Both the Black Alliance and Jia Nan Academy fighters looked horrified as they scrambled to get as far away as possible from the battle between Lu Bu and Protector Xuan.
The terrifying aura emanating from the two fiendish spirits was enough to make even the strongest among them tremble. For ordinary Dou Kings and Dou Emperors, there was no chance of standing up against such monstrosities. Even Dou Zongs might not emerge victorious against them.
Most frightening of all was the extreme malice radiating from the two fiendish spirits. Even from a distance, it instilled a bloodthirsty urge to destroy everything in sight. Anyone exposed to it for too long would risk having their very souls permanently tainted.
"Lu Bu, get away from those things! Don't engage them head on!" Su Qian yelled urgently.
"Hehehe… Su Qian, you should worry about yourself instead!" the Gold and Silver Elders jeered as they launched a fierce barrage of attacks, momentarily forcing Su Qian into a tight spot.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Zi Yan swung her tiny fists with fury, shattering the bones of several Black Alliance Dou Kings in just a few blows. The air whistled as her strikes landed, and she instinctively glanced upward, her lips tightening.
"Lu Bu will be fine…" Zi Yan murmured to herself. He had his puppet and Medusa helping him those mindless fiendish spirits couldn't possibly take him down!
With that thought, Zi Yan's resolve strengthened. She spun on her heels, glaring at the remaining Black Alliance Dou Kings. "You scum! Time to die!"
Purple light erupted from her body as she charged forward, fists clenched, mercilessly pounding anyone who got in her way. For some reason, she was absolutely livid and needed to vent her anger.
High above, as the two fiendish spirits closed in with chilling ferocity, Lu Bu remained unfazed. Slowly, he brought his hands together, forming a seal. As his hand seals took shape, a heavy black mist began to spread from his body, mirroring the technique used earlier by Protector Xuan.
"What?!"
Seeing the same black mist as his own, Protector Xuan's expression changed drastically. "That's… my Soul Hall technique! How does this brat know it?!"
"What the… what is that?"
"Lu Bu is using Protector Xuan's techniques?!"
"You… you actually killed someone from the Soul Hall?" Han Feng stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief. "The Soul Hall lost someone in the Jia Ma Empire? Why wasn't there any word of this?"
"Heh… go ask the dead," Xiao Yan sneered, as his Bone Chilling Flame transformed into fiery serpents that coiled toward Han Feng.
Taking advantage of Han Feng's forced retreat, Xiao Yan pressed his hands together. Crimson and white flames began merging, crackling with fierce arcs of fire, unleashing an intense, terrifying energy fluctuation his signature Flame Fusion technique.
Meanwhile, above the battlefield, as the crowd below reeled from shock at Lu Bu's black mist, a small white storage ring silently fell from the sky.
The ring was so inconspicuous that none of the fighters preoccupied with the chaos noticed its descent.
With a soft clink, it landed on the stone paved ground of Yaohuang City, completely unnoticed.
At the same time, the two fiendish spirits plunged into the black mist conjured by Lu Bu.
"No matter how you learned my Soul Hall secret techniques… once I capture you, I'll interrogate you myself!" Protector Xuan sneered coldly. He refused to believe that two Dou Zong level fiendish spirits couldn't handle a mere boy.
Within the black mist, Lu Bu smirked coldly. A faint glow emanated from his palm as the Devouring Ancestral Symbol began to rotate. At times, it transformed into complex runes, and at others, it morphed into a black hole.
The moment the fiendish spirits entered the mist, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol trembled, releasing countless tendrils of black energy that shot outward, instantly entangling the two monstrous entities.
Lu Bu had intentionally deployed the Heavenly Flame Ancestor earlier, not just as a backup plan but also to keep the Devouring Ancestral Symbol hidden.
The symbol was Lu Bu's most valuable asset on the Dou Qi Continent, the foundation of his strength, and his ultimate trump card. He couldn't afford to expose it recklessly.
With the Devouring Ancestral Symbol in hand, Lu Bu was confident that he could escape unscathed, even if top tier powerhouses like Gu Yuan or Hun Tiandi were to appear.
The Ancestral Symbol carried traces of the will of its ancient masters, honed over countless years. If Lu Bu concentrated, he could even summon the Devouring Master back into existence.
The Devouring Master was a legend, someone who had fought the Demon Emperor head on and battled the Six Fingered Holy Dragon Emperor to a standstill. He was Lu Bu's ultimate ace.
However, summoning the Devouring Master required time too much time. In the original tale, Lin Dong had spent three to four days to accomplish it. Back when Lu Bu first obtained the Devouring Ancestral Symbol during the Hundred Empire War, he hadn't had enough years to refine it, let alone summon the Devouring Master.
Determined not to repeat such shortcomings, Lu Bu had devoted himself to refining the Ancestral Symbol, aiming to reduce the summoning time drastically. The simplest solution? To master the symbol to the point where it responded like an extension of his body.
That had been Lu Bu's focus ever since.
Now, as a glowing array expanded beneath his feet, energy chains formed from the world's spiritual power shot out, binding the fiendish spirits. With a simple motion of his hand, Lu Bu pulled the two entities directly into his storage ring.
Outside the black mist, Protector Xuan's face darkened the moment Lu Bu sealed the fiendish spirits. "Damn you, what did you do to my fiendish spirits?!"
Furious, Protector Xuan unleashed a barrage of palm strikes, scattering the black mist in an instant. As the fog cleared, he caught sight of Lu Bu calmly storing the fiendish spirits into his storage ring.
"You bastard! Give me back my fiendish spirits!" Protector Xuan roared in rage, his eyes bloodshot as he charged forward recklessly, the chains on his hands clinking noisily with every movement.
Lu Bu sneered coldly, raising his hand and unleashing a powerful strike. An invisible yet tangible Spiritual Flame roared forth, transforming into a flaming serpent like dragon.
The fiery serpent writhed through the air with a deafening hiss, its tail whipping toward the charging Protector Xuan.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the sky as the flaming serpent clashed with Protector Xuan. The black mist that had enveloped him shattered into fragments, revealing a sinister looking middle aged man with a cold and vicious expression.
"Argh this damn flame!" Protector Xuan howled in agony. The Spiritual Flame burned directly into his soul, causing him unimaginable pain as he let out soul wrenching screams.
The onlookers were utterly stunned. On one hand, they were shocked by the terrifying power of Lu Bu's flames, and on the other hand, they were horrified to discover something even more unsettling: this Soul Hall expert, who had been clamoring about seizing people's souls, was himself merely a soul entity!
"You damned brat, I'll remember you! Just you wait for the endless pursuit of my Soul Hall!" Protector Xuan shrieked angrily, turning to flee.
He had no choice but to escape now. His eyes burned with hatred as he shot toward the ground like an arrow.
This boy possesses Soul Hall secret techniques… The Revered Elder will personally come to deal with him. I am not defeated; I will not be punished!
But just as Protector Xuan was about to dive into the ground, a white light flashed before him. Waiting patiently, Tianhuo Zun zhe (Heavenly Flame Elder) finally appeared, flames surging forth and instantly binding Protector Xuan tightly.
"Argh… you can't kill me! I'm from the Soul Hall!" Protector Xuan screamed and struggled desperately, but Tianhuo Zun zhe remained unmoved. With a swift change of hand seals, he subdued Protector Xuan completely.
"Hahaha… This guy is hilarious, thinking he could still escape in this state!" Tianhuo Zun zhe laughed heartily.
"Yao Lao, there's still one more soul to catch," Lu Bu said with a faint smile, pointing toward the battlefield where Xiao Yan was fighting Han Feng.
A massive explosion erupted in the sky. Red and white flames surged and danced, creating a sea of fire that blotted out the sun.
Understanding the hint, Tianhuo Zun zhe's figure flickered as he entered Lu Bu's storage ring and shot toward the battleground. There, Xiao Yan's furious roars echoed as he relentlessly punched Han Feng in the chest, smashing his torso into a mangled mess of flesh.
Having killed Han Feng, Xiao Yan fell to the ground, completely exhausted and unable to continue fighting. He collapsed, much like Han Feng's lifeless body.
But both Lu Bu and Tianhuo Zun zhe knew that an alchemist of Han Feng's caliber wouldn't die so easily. To prevent his soul from escaping, they had to act first.
Zzzzt…
The faint crackle of electricity sounded from Xiao Yan's bat like wings as Yao Lao barely managed to keep him from crashing to his death. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan lunged toward Han Feng's corpse, clutching it tightly.
However, as soon as he made contact, Yao Lao's voice sounded grimly in his mind: "Damn it, his soul has already escaped!"
"What?!" Xiao Yan's pale face turned even paler. His primary goal in defeating Han Feng, beyond settling personal grudges, was to obtain Han Feng's Ocean Heart Flame.
With Lu Bu already a high level Dou Wang, Xiao Yan feared falling further behind if he didn't acquire another Heavenly Flame.
At that moment, Lu Bu's fire wings flapped gently as he descended, followed closely by Tianhuo Zun zhe, who held a writhing soul tightly in his grip.
"Damn you! Let me go!" Han Feng's soul screamed and thrashed about violently.
Xiao Yan's face lit up with joy upon seeing Han Feng's soul. But when he focused his gaze and heard Yao Lao confirm in his mind that the soul accompanying Lu Bu belonged to a Dou Zun level expert, Xiao Yan was utterly shocked. Lu Bu really is hiding some terrifying secrets!
"Xiao Yan, let's make a trade one hand for the goods, the other for the payment," Lu Bu said with a sly smile.
"…Fine!" Xiao Yan twitched in frustration. He had wanted to inspect Han Feng's belongings first, but Lu Bu clearly wasn't going to give him the chance.
With a flick of his finger, Xiao Yan sent a deep blue storage ring flying from Han Feng's body toward Lu Bu.
Although Xiao Yan could have handed over Han Feng's corpse, he refrained. Knowing Lu Bu's skill in crafting puppets, Xiao Yan couldn't bring himself to allow Han Feng's body to potentially become a puppet. It wouldn't sit well with Yao Lao, either.
Catching the Ocean Abyss Ring, Lu Bu smiled and signaled to Tianhuo Zun zhe, who gleefully squeezed Han Feng's soul into a ball before tossing it to Lu Bu. He then retreated back into his white storage ring, which quietly returned to Lu Bu's possession.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the sky, the consecutive defeats of Han Feng and Protector Xuan left the Gold and Silver Elders horrified. Instinctively, they attempted to flee from Su Qian, but escape was no easy feat.
While the two brothers could temporarily hold Su Qian at bay, prolonged combat tipped the scales in Su Qian's favor. With Han Feng no longer supporting them, their fates were sealed.
Su Qian laughed coldly, his attacks growing more ferocious. The Gold and Silver Elders struggled to hold their ground before eventually succumbing, their necks snapped by Su Qian himself.
"Take their bodies back and hang them on the Dead Spirit Tree!" Su Qian commanded, tossing their corpses to the Dou Wang instructors, who had stopped fighting.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the Black Alliance was in complete disarray. Many of its members had either been killed or had fled. From that day forward, the Black Alliance ceased to exist in the Black Corner Region.
As the Dou Wang instructors and outer academy forces began cleaning up the battlefield and collecting spoils of war, Su Qian waited for reinforcements to take over before leading the others back to the Inner Academy.
But by the time everything was settled, Lu Bu had already disappeared so thoroughly, in fact, that even Zi Yan couldn't find him.
Inside a secluded cave, an array engulfed in invisible flames sealed the entire area. Tianhuo Zun zhe stood to the side, his expression stern and his posture tense, ready for any situation.
With a flick of his finger, Lu Bu released the seal binding Protector Xuan.
"You damn… you… what do you want to do?" Protector Xuan was about to curse, but before he could utter another word, the formless Spiritual Flame flared up, radiating a terrifying heat. The oppressive aura immediately made him shut his mouth.
"I just want to ask you a few questions," Lu Bu said indifferently. "Answer them properly, and I promise not to kill you."
Tianhuo Zun zhe frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Lu Bu to offer such leniency. Was there any need to bargain with this prisoner? Direct action would be more effective!
"What… what do you want to ask?" Protector Xuan's expression shifted. A strong expert like Lu Bu probably wouldn't break his word so easily. And with another person present, if Lu Bu did go back on his word, his credibility would be ruined. Protector Xuan cast a glance at Tianhuo Zun zhe. While he didn't know the relationship between the two, he could tell that some sort of deal existed between them. If Lu Bu broke his promise, he'd be doomed.
"What level of Protector are you?" Lu Bu asked nonchalantly.
"…Earth level," Protector Xuan replied through gritted teeth.
Revealing information about the Soul Hall was a grave crime. If the Soul Hall discovered his betrayal, he wouldn't even have a place to be buried!
"Where is the branch hall where you deliver souls?" Lu Bu continued.
"…I can't tell you. If they find out, I'll die a horrible death ahhh!"
Before Protector Xuan could finish, Lu Bu waved his sleeve, and the Spiritual Flame surged forward. Agonizing screams echoed throughout the cave.
"Stop… stop! I'll talk… ahhh!"
As soon as Protector Xuan gave in, the flames receded. Lu Bu's face remained impassive as he stared silently at the broken man.
"In the northern region of the Northwest Continent, within the borders of Yuanyi Empire… inside the Misty Thorn Swamp…" Protector Xuan panted heavily as he spoke. The earlier bout of soul searing pain had nearly killed him.
"And?" Lu Bu pressed.
"That's all… that's all I know ah! What are you doing?"
The Spiritual Flame surged forward again, and Protector Xuan's pained wails resumed.
Tianhuo Zun zhe watched with a mixture of shock and apprehension. He had initially thought Lu Bu's promise not to kill Protector Xuan was a sign of hesitation or inexperience in interrogation. But now, he realized he had underestimated Lu Bu.
That promise had been a calculated part of the interrogation strategy a way to break Protector Xuan's mental defenses or amplify his fear.
"Stop! Stop… ahhh… what do you want from me?"
"The Soul Hall ranks its Protectors into three levels," Lu Bu said coldly. "Heaven, Earth, and Human. Human level Protectors know one branch location. Earth level Protectors know two. And Heaven level Protectors…" He chuckled darkly.
"Did you think I know nothing about the Soul Hall?"
"Protector Xuan, you're quite bold to try and deceive me." Lu Bu sneered. "It seems the conditions I gave you were far too lenient, making you think you could lie to me."
"No, no, no… I was wrong! I was wrong!" Protector Xuan finally broke, sobbing and wailing in fear.
"There's another… another branch hall… in the Tianxin Empire, at the Heavenly Burial Gorge. That's where the Northwest Continent meets the Central Plains… ahhh… don't burn me! I'll tell you everything!" Protector Xuan blurted out at lightning speed, unable to withstand the relentless torment.
"How many Dou Zuns are stationed at these branch halls? What's their strength?" Lu Bu asked calmly as he retracted the flames.
"There's one Elder… ten to twenty Heaven level Protectors… even more Earth level Protectors ah, damn it, what are you doing now?"
Lu Bu's expression remained cold as the flames surged once more. Protector Xuan, already half dead, began screaming again.
"Each branch hall has at least two Elders! You're still trying to lie to me!" Lu Bu sneered.
"No, no, no… that's not true… ahh! I swear it's true…!" Protector Xuan sobbed hysterically. "Two Elders only exist in the Central Plains! In other regions, there's only ever one Elder… I swear it's true… please, stop burning me!"
"Oh?" Lu Bu's eyes gleamed as he pondered the claim. "But the Protector I killed before, Mu Protector, told me something different. He was also Earth level, just like you."
"That's impossible… you liar… ahhh! That's absolutely impossible. Branch halls always have one Elder. I swear it's true… please, stop… have mercy…"
With a wave of his sleeve, Lu Bu sealed Protector Xuan inside a jade bottle, locking him away. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes flashing with insight.
The last piece of information seemed credible. If it was true that there was only one Dou Zun at each branch hall… then this was excellent news.
Killing two Soul Hall Protectors already carried the risk of being hunted down. Facing a Dou Zun level Elder was currently beyond Lu Bu's ability to handle.
But if there was only one Dou Zun per branch hall, Lu Bu had far less to worry about. No matter how urgent the situation, the Soul Hall wouldn't neglect their branch halls' safety. Even if the news got out, the worst Lu Bu might face would be Heaven level Protectors.
Relaxing slightly, Lu Bu smiled faintly. It seemed he could afford to take some risks… maybe even hunt down a few more Soul Hall Protectors for fun.
"Lu Bu, what's next?" Tianhuo Zun zhe asked.
"Next, we deal with the fiendish spirits," Lu Bu replied with a chuckle. Flicking his fingers, he summoned two black, shadowy fiendish spirits from his storage ring. "Yao Lao, take a look. Which one do you think is fatter? Pick the better one."
Tianhuo Zun zhe couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "What is this, a marketplace? Picking the plumpest pig?"
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