The Hall of Souls was destroyed!
When the news broke, the entire Central Plains trembled.
The Heaven, Earth, and Human Halls were all annihilated. Countless experts were slain. Hun Miesheng was left completely alone. Those Dou Zun, Half Saints, and even lower-tier Dou Saints—whom Liu Xi killed as casually as swatting flies—had once been the foundation of the Hall of Souls' dominance. Without them, its deterrence had been crippled by more than half, and public sentiment quickly turned against it.
But this was only the surface loss. Each branch hall had continuously collected Soul Essence, sending it to headquarters, and from there to the Hun Clan for that mysterious supreme being. Now, the accumulated reserves from this period had been stolen—a loss far greater than even the Human Hall of Souls' destruction years ago. This was the Hall of Souls' total accumulation across centuries.
Worse yet, the thief hadn't just stolen the food but had kicked over the pot as well—robbing and ruining in one stroke.
Yet the culprit had covered their tracks perfectly. No trace of Dou Qi remained. Even the ambient energy of heaven and earth was twisted into chaos, erasing every hint of what had transpired. Ironically, the absence of clues itself became the biggest clue. Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, there were only a handful of people capable of such precision, and that narrowed the list of suspects drastically.
The Ancient Void Dragon Tribe could be ruled out first—the thief was clearly after Soul Essence, and everyone knew Magical Beasts did not cultivate their souls. Hun Miesheng's mind raced, reviewing one potential suspect after another, eliminating each in turn. When he finally connected this case to the previous theft at the Human Hall, his expression contorted with rage.
"The Gu Clan…" he hissed through gritted teeth.
The Hall of Souls fully withdrew its forces. The damage was simply too great; if they didn't consolidate, they would be destroyed piece by piece. Hun Miesheng returned alone to the Hun Clan to plead for forgiveness—and for aid.
With the Hall of Souls gone, the turmoil across the Central Plains subsided. For the first time in ages, a fragile peace took hold.
Only the Gu Clan felt that something was off. While they had indeed suppressed the Hall of Souls since the events in the Ancient Wasteland Region, wiping it out entirely would have required at least a 5-Star Dou Saint leading an elite army. Yet the Gu Clan's upper echelon—those few above 5-Star—rarely left their sanctuaries. That meant the Gu Clan could not have been responsible.
Too proud to explain themselves, they simply dismissed the suspicion. The Gu Clan believed the Hun Clan wouldn't act rashly, and even if they did—so what? They, too, had grievances over the Ancient Wasteland affair.
The only real benefit was to Gu Xun'er, the Gu Clan's young mistress and bearer of divine bloodline. She had finally set aside her sentimental attachments, straightened her heart, and begun to act with the composure of a true heir.
Meanwhile, the true culprit—Liu Xi—was racing back toward the Beast Region. Such a vast reservoir of Soul Essence needed a secure place for absorption. And there was no place safer than the Ancient Dragon Island. With Zi Yan, Qing Lin, and Xiao Yixian standing guard, Liu Xi was certain this was the best sanctuary he could find.
Upon returning to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, Liu Xi informed the three women of his seclusion and immediately entered closed-door cultivation. The craving stirring from the depths of his soul was growing stronger by the moment.
Within his Spiritual World, a radiant orb of Soul Essence—ten meters wide like a small mountain—floated before him, rivaling the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree in scale, though not in nature.
Standing beneath the great tree, Liu Xi's eyes glowed faintly red. He fought against his rising desire and extended his hand. Sheets of azure flame poured forth, wrapping around the massive orb.
With something this large, the Hall of Souls had surely hidden safeguards within. Liu Xi was cautious—he would allow no lingering danger that might let the Hall of Souls harm him later. The searing might of the Green Lotus Core Flame was enough to incinerate heaven and boil oceans; under its blaze, ninety-nine percent of the Hall of Souls' tricks would be erased.
The sheer amount of Soul Essence was staggering. Who knew how many souls the Hall of Souls had drained to create such a thing?
Whoosh—!
The azure flame spread across the luminous sphere, inch by inch, purifying it. Faint traces of gray mist emerged, driven out by the burning fire, curling upward before fading into nothing.
"Heh…" Liu Xi let out a low, cold chuckle. That gray haze carried a dense aura of malice. Absorbing it would have warped his temperament—or driven him insane.
Patience was crucial. The orb was vast, and he needed time to cleanse it fully. Any impurity left behind would only invite disaster later.
As time passed, the flame's purification made the light of the orb softer, purer. When Liu Xi finally felt the turbulence settle, he knew it was ready.
Turning to the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, he said quietly, "I'm beginning my seclusion. I'll absorb this Soul Essence now. Please… watch over my body while I'm within."
The ancient branches swayed gently. Leaves whispered, echoing like a soft promise. Liu Xi brushed his hand against the trunk, then stepped without hesitation into the radiant orb.
Instantly, warmth engulfed him. Boundless Soul Essence flowed like water, seeping deep into his Divine Spirit. Since reaching the Late Heaven Realm Soul, his progress had slowed, but now—like dry earth meeting spring rain—his soul greedily drank in the pure energy.
It was as if vitality itself surged through him. His Spiritual Power expanded rapidly, filling every void, refining toward perfection.
Outside his body, faint light shimmered around him—pure, serene, life-giving. From the cracks of the stone platform beneath him, tiny green sprouts began to emerge. Seeds that could never have taken root in such stone now burst with life, pushing through in defiance of nature.
Across the entire mountain, wherever that soft glow reached, vegetation thrived anew. Budding, blooming, seeding, dying—and birthing again. Death and renewal, intertwined in endless cycles.
Within his Spiritual World, the towering Bodhisattva Ancient Tree stood watch beside the shrinking orb of essence. As Liu Xi absorbed it, the sphere steadily contracted, though at an agonizingly slow pace. Normally, such absorption would take an eternity.
But the Ancient Tree's light rained down upon it, blessing the essence with life energy. The already-pure Soul Essence grew even more refined, merging with Liu Xi's Divine Spirit in harmony.
With the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's aid, the essence became one with him—gentle yet vast, vibrant with new life. Liu Xi's soul grew brighter, stronger, and brimming with boundless vitality.
(End of Chapter)
---
A Huge Shoutout and Welcome to WildHunter for Joining us on Patreon and Becoming a Member of Diamond.
---
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.