Xiao Yan never expected that in just a short moment, the powerful experts he had invited—all of them at least Dou Zun level—would already be nearly wiped out. Those valuable connections he relied upon had been exhausted in this rescue, and even if they managed to return alive, the pressure afterward would be enormous.
How many high-tier pills would this cost to repay?
The experts he had invited were not helping for free; even with his network, he had paid a heavy price. Each one demanded three 8th Tier Pills afterward—and double if they died. Only by claiming that a Dou Saint-level figure would assist had he barely convinced them to come.
But now wasn't the time to think of that. If they didn't escape soon, everyone here would die, and Yao Chen's rescue would have been for nothing.
Xiao Yan's shout reignited hope in Venerable Feng and Xuan Kongzi. The losses were tremendous, but at least Yao Chen had been rescued. As for Qin Feng, his heart was already half dead—ever since Xuan Yi's heart had been torn out, most of his soul had gone with her.
Love — it moves hearts most deeply and destroys them in the cruelest ways.
Venerable Feng no longer lingered against the Hall of Souls' Dou Zuns. Using his unmatched speed, he tore away from pursuit, trying to rendezvous with Xiao Yan. But the Hall of Souls' Dou Zuns would never allow it. Their soul chains lashed through the air, sealing both Xiao Yan's advance and retreat.
Xuan Kongzi wanted to avenge Xuan Yi, but reason held him back. Now wasn't the time to act out of emotion. Even with four of them, they couldn't kill Gu You or even seriously wound him—how could just two possibly succeed?
They needed to flee. Only by surviving could they one day return to settle the score.
"Go! Don't get entangled!"
Xuan Kongzi's hoarse voice roared, his strikes ferocious though lacking the bloodthirsty edge from before.
Qin Feng seemed not to hear him. Beneath his black robe, his face was numb, his eyes gleaming with madness. The sorrow of a dead heart—now Qin Feng had lost all will to live. Lightning swirled around his body as he hurled himself at Gu You again and again, ignoring the limits of his own flesh.
Gu You's expression darkened. The moment he realized Xiao Yan had entered the Human Hall and come out alive, he knew Yao Chen must have been rescued.
To the Hun Clan behind the Hall, Yao Chen had been valuable. That was why they hadn't yet drained his Soul Essence completely. They had planned to let him waste away—to taste despair at the brink of death before submitting as their dog.
But now that Xiao Yan had stormed the Hall and taken him, this was an unbearable humiliation.
"You will all die!"
Gu You's cold roar echoed through the battlefield, his tone venomous. If he didn't slaughter every one of them today, the Hall of Souls' reputation would crumble into a joke.
"Netherworld Ghost Claw!"
Black mist erupted, forming a colossal ghostly claw, dark as ink, radiating a bone-chilling aura that seemed able to swallow souls themselves.
"Endless Thunder Palm!"
Qin Feng's eyes burned with killing intent. Ignoring his shattered body, he unleashed an even more powerful Dou Technique. To challenge a Half Saint meant paying the ultimate price.
A giant thunderous hand formed within the lightning storm, surging with pure, righteous energy—the natural bane of demonic forces like the Hall of Souls.
Boom!
A deafening explosion ripped through the sky. Lightning tore apart the ghost claw; dark mist corroded the thunder. The two powers collided like water and fire, the shockwaves fracturing space itself into a web of cracks.
Caught in the backlash, Qin Feng was struck head-on, his robe torn and bloodied. His body trembled under the weight of fatal wounds—his Dou Qi nearly spent, his life flickering like a dying flame.
Tears welled in Xuan Kongzi's eyes. The losses were too heavy. With his skill as a peak 8th Tier Alchemist, Qin Feng might have recovered given time—but Gu You would never allow it.
As expected, the Half Saint turned, locking his cold gaze on Xuan Kongzi. Xiao Yan was still being restrained outside. If even he couldn't be stopped, the Hall of Souls would need to purge its failures afterward.
"So even Xuan Yi came… that means you must be Xuan Kongzi. Even hidden under that robe, I can recognize you. Only a handful in the Pill Tower would dare to act for Yao Chen's sake. Tell me, do you mean to start a war between the Pill Tower and my Hall of Souls?"
Gu You sneered, his eyes filled with malice. Killing was mercy—he preferred to crush hope and drown enemies in regret.
Strike the heart, not the body.
Xuan Kongzi was silent for a moment before raising his head. His voice was steady and resolute. "A man bears the weight of his own deeds. If I've erred, then I'll die to atone. But in this life, true friends are rare. With your Hall of Souls' cold and heartless nature, you'll never understand that."
Gu You smirked, skeletal hand rising as black mist corroded the air. "Then let me fulfill your wish. I'll take your head to the Pill Tower myself—let all of the Central Plains see what becomes of those who defy the Hall of Souls!"
Xuan Kongzi's resolve was clear. He could die, but he would not let the Pill Tower be humiliated. As long as his death left no trace, the Hall of Souls would not dare provoke open war. 'The ancestor still lives,' he reminded himself.
"You go, take Yao Chen and leave. He doesn't want Xuan Yi. I do. From now on, she'll stay with me—forever."
The faint, almost peaceful voice came from the side, drawing both their attention.
It was Qin Feng. Barely clinging to life, he had crawled to Xuan Yi's body, holding her close. Perhaps all his madness had been for this very moment.
Before either of them could stop him, his Dou Qi and Soul ignited.
Boom!
A 9-Turn Dou Zun's self-destruction lit the heavens with a magnificent blaze, an explosion that carved a void into the sky and reduced everything to dust.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Their bodies returned to the earth, beyond the Hall of Souls' reach.
Gu You evaded the explosion, unharmed yet humiliated. Though a group of Dou Zuns posed no threat to him, the fact that he hadn't killed them before they blew themselves up left his pride in tatters.
His gaze fixed coldly on Xuan Kongzi—the last survivor. He couldn't allow another self-destruction. He wanted the man's corpse as proof, to parade before the Pill Tower and all the Central Plains, to show who truly ruled this land.
Xuan Kongzi stared blankly at the sky, grief and exhaustion overtaking him.
'They're all gone… I'm tired. Maybe this way is better. Peace, at least.'
That thought whispered through his heart as he began to channel his own self-destruction.
But suddenly, the entire space trembled.
The black giant hall shuddered violently. Furious, maddened roars erupted from within, and in the next instant, countless souls surged out like a flood, pouring into the heavens.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.