The sky was clear, the white clouds still drifted lazily, and a gentle breeze stirred the peaceful Magical Beast Mountain Range. Suddenly, three powerful lights—two red, one yellow—shot into the sky. A terrifying aura spread like a tidal wave, shocking countless Magical Beasts so profoundly that their fur stood on end. With no time to think, they fled toward the periphery, their survival instincts screaming that to linger meant death. Even relatively high-level Magical Beasts were affected, while many lower-level ones were completely suppressed by the oppressive aura, frozen in place, trembling with fear.
Above the sky, three figures suddenly soared. Without a moment's hesitation, they all unleashed their Dou Skills.
"Snake Spirit Sword Explodes!"
"Fire Seal!"
"Xuanwu's Wrath!"
Having learned from Chen Guan that their target was a severely injured Dou Zong with a formidable background, the three experts—Queen Medusa, Jia Xing Tian, and Fa Ma—held nothing back, attacking with all their might. Though these were not their signature Dou Skills, they were all powerful moves. The combined assault of the three high-level Dou Huang experts was shockingly potent. Even hundreds of meters away, with his puppets deployed for defense, Chen Guan was still buffeted by the overflowing energy, his face turning slightly pale. Even a true Dou Zong would not dare to underestimate such an attack.
As far as Chen Guan's eyes could see, the hilltop where the Hall of Souls guardian was hiding suddenly erupted in a deafening roar that shook the earth. When the smoke and dust cleared, the once-tall mountain had been completely flattened, leaving only a deep pit with a radius of dozens of meters, as if struck by a celestial hammer. Ignoring the devastated land, the four of them quickly scanned the area, their focus solely on the life or death of their target.
"Ahem." A weak voice emerged from the scattered rubble. The next moment, the rubble pile exploded, and a black-robed figure rose from it, swaying from side to side like a weightless paper man. He looked utterly disheveled. His black robe, which had concealed his form, was now tattered, torn, and covered in mud, revealing the hollow, illusory figure within. Seeing this, Chen Guan remained calm, but Queen Medusa, Jia Xing Tian, and Fa Ma all narrowed their eyes. This person is actually a soul!
"Ahem, the powerful Snake-People Race, Queen Medusa?"
"Fire-attribute, Earth-attribute Dou Huang experts… Alchemist Guild's Fa Ma, Jia Ma Royal Family's Jia Xing Tian?"
Although phrased as questions, his tone was affirmative. Clearly, this Hall of Souls guardian was well aware of the powerhouses within the Jia Ma Empire. His aura fluctuated wildly, like a flickering flame, at one moment almost falling to the Dou Huang level. It was hard to imagine that this tattered figure was actually a Dou Zong.
"To think a mighty Dou Zong would be reduced to this, hunted by mere Dou Huangs. Medusa, Fa Ma, Jia Xing Tian, I am a guardian of the Hall of Souls! How dare you!"
Already gravely injured and now attacked once more, the Hall of Souls guardian immediately grasped his desperate situation. It would be impossible to break out relying solely on his own strength. He quickly reported his origins, hoping to make the three wary and buy himself a moment of hesitation, a chance to escape. At this moment, he no longer cared how these people found him or why they attacked him.
However, there was no chance for him to breathe. Before the Hall of Souls guardian could finish his defiant words, the three figures in the sky had already prepared new Dou Skills.
"So much nonsense!"
"Three-Stage Soul Lock!"
Seeing that the three were determined to kill, with no possibility of negotiation, the Hall of Souls guardian dared not delay. He roared, and his black robe exploded as three sections of soul chains instantly shot toward his three assailants. Clearly, he was no fool; while provoking them with words, he had been secretly preparing his counterattack.
Unfortunately, given his current condition, it would be difficult for him to face any one of the three in a one-on-one battle, let alone fight all three simultaneously. Forcibly activating his secret technique made his already illusory soul even more transparent. To make matters worse, what was even more unexpected for the Hall of Souls guardian was that as he attacked the three in the sky, an unfamiliar and powerful mental force suddenly appeared from behind, striking him hard, almost tearing his soul apart.
Soul Skill!
The Hall of Souls guardian was horrified, his eyes bloodshot. As a soul body, the damage caused by this soul skill was no less than that inflicted by the previous three attacks, and perhaps even worse. At that moment, a deep despair welled up in his heart. If there had only been the three in the sky, he might have stood a chance of escaping. But with a hidden master possessing such powerful mental strength lurking in the dark, he lost all hope.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Having been severely damaged during the counterattack, the Three-Stage Soul Lock could no longer exert its original power. In a split second, it was overwhelmed by the three experts. Their Dou Skills continued to charge toward him with unstoppable force. With no path to escape and enemies pressing from all sides, he found himself in a situation with no chance of survival. The Hall of Souls guardian was filled with despair, unwilling to accept this fact. How could he possibly die in this remote little place!
With a powerful sense of unwillingness, the Hall of Souls guardian's consciousness shattered, and he went completely mad.
"Destroy Everything, Soul Explosion!"
After using this move, even if the three Dou Huangs in the air ceased their attacks, the Hall of Souls guardian faced only two possibilities. At best, he would become a mindless, idiotic soul, at the mercy of others. At worst, he would be reduced to dust on the spot. However, the power of this move was terrifying. Even in his critically wounded state, he unleashed a blow comparable to that of a Dou Zong master, instantly defeating the three major Dou Skills that were assaulting him. The terrifying energy storm advanced toward the three experts like expanding ripples.
Faced with the Hall of Souls guardian's dying counterattack, Queen Medusa, Jia Xing Tian, and Fa Ma dared not be careless. The three, who had never fought side by side, displayed an amazing tacit understanding at that moment. No one chose to resist head-on; all withdrew at the first opportunity to avoid the attack. With their discerning eyes, they could naturally perceive the Hall of Souls guardian's current state. This final attack was little more than a self-destructive act. Their opponent was already doomed; there was no need for them to be reckless and engage in a pointless, direct confrontation. Thus, the three of them retreated for thousands of meters before the terrifying energy ripples completely dissipated.
The supposed mutual destruction was nothing more than a brilliant, self-immolating display of fireworks before death—all outward splendor, but rotten within. No one was truly harmed, save for a few nervous beads of sweat.
Chen Guan, who had been hiding at the back, moved at that moment. The Soul Fire Net, prepared long ago, fell like a net over the guardian's soul, which was now extremely weak and utterly powerless. It was ready to be packed up and taken away.
The hunting plan was a complete success, and even Chen Guan revealed a refreshed smile. You wanted to trick me? That's all you got?
Queen Medusa and the others in the distance flew over. When they saw the soul form captured by the Soul Fire Net, their expressions shifted. Queen Medusa finally understood why Chen Guan had been so confident before. Soul Skills are a tricky move, hard to defend against. Even I would suffer a loss if careless. My mental strength is not my forte.
Jia Xing Tian and Fa Ma, standing nearby, were more curious about the gradually shrinking soul. They squatted down and gathered around it like Chen Guan, even daring to prod it a few times with their hands.
"It's unbelievable that a soul can be so powerful," Jia Xing Tian mused. "When we met him in his prime, we would have fled for our lives."
"Indeed," Fa Ma agreed. "But why is he so motionless? He self-destructed, didn't he?"
"This little thing looks quite unique now."
"It's moving! It's moving!" Qing Lin exclaimed.
Queen Medusa watched the scene, a speechless expression on her face.
(End of Chapter)
***
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