. On the vast Black Horn Plains of the Black Horn Region,
the once clear sky was suddenly shrouded by a strange black fog.
A caravan leader, observing the shift in the sky, his expression instantly changed. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Everyone, pay attention! The black storm is approaching! Stop immediately! Everyone, don't disperse or you'll get lost!"
Everyone traveling the Black Horn Plains knew the power of the black storm. Upon hearing the roar, everyone immediately mobilized, methodically preparing to withstand this natural disaster.
However, high above the black storm, unreachable to ordinary people, stood an old man in azure, his feet the very black storm that everyone feared!
Gazing straight ahead, as if across an endless void, he beheld the figure cloaked in the black mist...
"Haha, you think hiding in this storm will save you from my grasp?"
the old man chuckled. Without further ado, he simply raised his right hand and gently clenched it towards the black mist...
A powerful suction erupted from his palm, and under this pull, the figure within let out a terrified scream and flew uncontrollably towards the old man.
Just as the figure was about to reach the old man, an invisible force suddenly acted upon him again, kneading the figure into a ball like dough, gently landing on his palm...
A layer of cyan energy surged out, enveloping the figure like an energy shield.
The old man gazed at the soul, sealed within his grasp by the shackles of Dou Qi, with a calm, unwavering expression.
"Now, I ask, you answer. If you dare tell a lie, I will annihilate your soul!"
The old man's emotionless, indifferent tone made the figure's soul tremble. Then, looking at him, he stammered, "I... I am a member of the Soul Palace. If you kill me, the Soul Palace will never let you go!"
The black figure was none other than the Soul Palace guardian who hunted souls in the Black Horn Territory. A five-star Dou Zong-level powerhouse, even more powerful than the Wu guardian who had previously perished alongside Yao Lao, yet in the hands of this green-clothed old man, he offered no resistance at all.
This nearly frightened him to death!
Faced with this powerless threat, the green-clothed old man simply smiled calmly and said, "Soul Palace? Even if that venerable Qin Tian from your Northwest Territory branch were here, he couldn't save you. So, if you don't want to suffer, cooperate..."
The figure shuddered slightly. The other party even knew of his Soul Palace elder? What was his true identity?
"A month and a half ago, a great battle took place over fifty miles outside Black Seal City. Someone from your Soul Palace was present at the time. Who was that person?"
Hearing this question, the figure's heart trembled...
He suddenly had a glimpse of the other party's possible identity...
But after figuring it out, he became even more terrified!
"Yes, it's Guardian Wu Yingwu!" the figure answered honestly.
"Where is he now?" the old man inquired again.
"Dead! He was invited by Han Feng to search for the soul of Medicine Master Yao Chen, but ultimately failed, perishing alongside Yao Chen. His soul tablet at the Northwest Branch Hall has also been shattered, confirming his death!"
Having guessed the old man's identity, the figure answered every question, hoping that after asking, the other party would spare him for the sake of the Soul Palace...
The green-clothed old man narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was exactly what he knew...
However, his efforts to capture those Soul Palace members hiding like rats in the Black Horn Region weren't just for such a trivial matter.
"So, the body of the Xiao family youth Han Feng killed back then... fell into the hands of your Soul Palace?"
Xiao Yan wasn't just Xiao Xun'er's beloved, he was also the son of Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan's patriarch!
After Xiao Zhan's disappearance, the identities of his three sons became very special. The most likely person to find the item was Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan's third son...
Given the Xiao Clan's current state, many concerns were lessened.
The clan's decision to send this Dou Zun elder wasn't just to bring back Xiao Xun'er, or should we call her Gu Xun'er, the patriarch's daughter...
His purpose was more to investigate the whereabouts of the key belonging to the Xiao Clan!
Yes, this green-clothed elder was none other than Gu Qian, the Gu Clan elder who had come from afar!
The figure's heart trembled again at Gu Qian's words.
But now that his life and death were in Du Fang's hands, he dared not hide anything and said directly, "No, no! We at Soul Palace have investigated that battlefield before, but everything there was completely destroyed by the explosion of the two strange fires. Not even a corpse was left..."
"The young Xiao clan member who was killed was originally killed by Han Feng. The eagle entangled Yao Chen, and in despair, Yao Chen blew up the strange fire himself, choosing to perish along with everyone present. As for what happened after that, I truly have no idea!"
This matter involved too many things, and even Soul Palace would not neglect it.
Putting aside other things, even the two strange fires were coveted by countless powerful beings. So if they truly could not find any useful information, they would never let this matter go so hastily.
Gu Qian frowned, feeling that this trip might have been in vain...
"So, is Xiao Zhan, the Xiao family patriarch, in the hands of your Soul Palace?"
News of Xiao Zhan's disappearance reached the Ancient Clan, sparking some controversy.
While most of the clan's senior elders wanted no part in such a situation, some were unwilling to see the Xiao family key fall into the hands of others. Many suggested seizing Xiao Zhan's life.
However, upon hearing that Xiao Zhan might have fallen into the hands of the Soul Palace, this suggestion was immediately suppressed. The
reason for this was simply the sheer strength of the Soul Palace!
While not as powerful as the Soul Clan, it was a force openly supported by the Soul Clan.
Soul Palace Master Hun Miesheng was a five-star Dou Sheng-level powerhouse. To seize him, the Ancient Clan would have to deploy at least a comparable force, right?
Not to mention the Soul Palace possessed other Dou Sheng-level powerhouses. A true conflict would likely lead to an all-out war between the two clans!
Such an outcome was not what the Ancient Clan, who had always chosen to keep a low profile, desired.
And what about fighting for a mere Xiao Zhan, for a key they also possessed? Was it worth it?
From the various expressions in the original novel, it can be seen that although the Ancient Clan also wants to obtain the key of the Xiao family, their desire is not as strong as that of the Soul Palace, which is unscrupulous.
(End of this chapter)