In the western region of Central Plains, within the depths of the dark city known as Ming City, a vast black hall sat silently in a mountain valley shrouded by an eerie black mist. The silence blanketing the surroundings was so unnerving that it made one's hair stand on end. Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, there was only one force capable of producing such a ghastly aura—this was a branch hall established by the Hall of Souls.
This particular hall, however, was not especially large. After all, this area of Central Plains was rather remote and unimportant, so the hall was only staffed with two Dou Zun-level experts. Even so, this lowest tier of defense was already enough to decimate most first-class powers across the region.
Inside the massive black hall, countless chains wreathed in black mist extended like serpents, and within those swirls of darkness were indistinct, ethereal human figures. Anyone with even a shred of experience would immediately recognize what these were—soul forms!
The Hall of Souls had long been infamous across the continent for harvesting soul bodies, but few knew that the so-called Protectors of the Hall, used to hunt these very souls, were often soul bodies themselves! Many of them were once captives who had chosen to serve the Hall of Souls in exchange for survival.
"So they're still using the same old space barriers… dull and predictable." Xiao Yan stood amid the black mist, glancing up at the distorted sky with a shake of his head. He flicked his fingers gently, and the invisible barrier that had shielded the entire valley vanished quietly, replaced by one of his own creation.
With his mastery over spatial force, even a half-saint would find it difficult to breach a barrier set by Xiao Yan. If not for his current strength being limited, back at his peak, only a few across the entire Dou Qi Continent could have hoped to dismantle his space seals.
"Nine Revolutions Spirit Refinement, Tower of Spirit Refining!" Once the area was locked down, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged, forming a complex hand seal. Vast spiritual energy surged from between his brows and condensed into a transparent tower hundreds of meters tall, descending from the sky to enshroud the entire black hall. This was the very same Tower of Spirit Refining that had once refined Hun Mo Li alive.
Only now, the tower Xiao Yan summoned was over ten times larger and more powerful than before. His base strength had already surpassed the past, and his soul power had reached terrifying heights. Even peak Dou Zun experts would find it nearly impossible to resist this tower's refining might—let alone the mere occupants of this branch hall who hadn't even reached the Heaven Rank in soul cultivation.
But Xiao Yan did not stop there. With another flick of his fingers, streaks of light floated out and wove into a vast, profound formation in the air. The diagram shimmered before descending silently and embedding itself into the ground.
This formation was no ordinary construct. In ancient times, it had been enough to inspire dread among those who witnessed it. It was one of the signature techniques of the infamous Demon Lotus Saint—known as the Heaven Refining Array.
Of course, with his current power, Xiao Yan could not fully deploy the authentic Heaven Refining Array. What he had constructed was a heavily downgraded version, scaled down through careful reductions. Still, even at a fraction of its full might, it was more than enough to obliterate this humble branch of the Hall of Souls.
In truth, Xiao Yan's current strength alone was already sufficient to destroy the place without needing such elaborate setups. The surrounding spatial barrier ensured no one could escape. However, actual combat would inevitably leave traces behind. If Hun Dai'er were to investigate later, she might piece together the clues and realize it was Xiao Yan's handiwork.
Therefore, to avoid all risk, Xiao Yan chose this more subtle, drawn-out method. It would take longer, yes, but the safety was absolute. Even if something unexpected occurred, he would remain completely anonymous—after all, he never truly acted directly.
Once the Tower of Spirit Refining and the Heaven Refining Array were in place, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. After taking a short break, he began to activate them slowly. This time, however, the energy rising within the tower wasn't just spiritual flame or the Fallen Heart Flame—it was laced with faint, violet glimmers.
These nearly imperceptible sparks were incredibly deadly. Scattered invisibly through the air, they were the toxins emitted by the Nether Poison Flame.
The Demon Lotus Saint's two ultimate techniques had once included both the Heaven Refining Array and the Nightmare Mist. Though Xiao Yan hadn't inherited the latter, the Nether Poison Flame could be considered a lower-tier substitute. As his strength had grown, the toxins he could generate with it had become increasingly lethal—so much so that even a Five-Star Dou Zun couldn't hope to resist them.
To put it bluntly, if Xiao Yan wished to attack a major empire now, he wouldn't even need to lift a hand. Merely spreading the toxins from the Nether Poison Flame would be enough to reduce the entire empire's population to skeletons within minutes.
Of course, those above Five-Star Dou Zun, or those possessing exceptional heavenly treasures or powerful Heavenly Flames, might resist the poison. But such things were far beyond the reach of a humble branch hall like this.
To be extra cautious, Xiao Yan refrained from launching a full assault from the start. Instead, he kept the flames and toxins at a minimal output, then gradually increased their strength. This method, commonly known as "boiling a frog in warm water," ensured that the targets would never realize what was happening until it was too late.
With this approach, the branch's top guardians—both mere mid-tier Dou Zun—would never even know what hit them. In fact, even a peak Dou Zun could be gradually worn down and killed by such tactics without ever identifying the perpetrator.
If fully prepared, Xiao Yan could even trap a half-saint within this setup. Although the time they could be held would be limited, that level of effectiveness was already astonishing, considering his current rank.
'This is how I should deal with the Hall of Souls… no need to expose myself until it's time to bury them all,' Xiao Yan thought calmly as the toxins continued to seep deeper into the black hall.
(End of Chapter)
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