Chapter 100: A Protector from the Soul Hall Arrives

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a man in a black robe appear before them. He was shrouded in an eerie aura, making it clear he was not a good person. The man looked at Xiao Yan with a gaze full of greed. "To reach the Dou Zong Realm at such a young age, his Soul Power must be exceptionally strong." The person who emerged was none other than a Protector from the Soul Hall. "Young man, are you interested in joining the Soul Hall?" Unexpectedly, after sizing up Xiao Yan, the Protector of the Soul Hall did not attack him, but instead invited Xiao Yan to join the Soul Hall. To reach the Dou Zong Realm at such a place and at such an age... Such talent was considered Genius even within the Soul Hall. It was true that their Soul Hall hunted Geniuses everywhere and plundered people's Souls. However, a Dou Zong Realm Xiao Yan would likely be a bit troublesome to deal with. Thus, he had the idea of recruiting Xiao Yan. While the Soul Hall hunted Geniuses from various clans, the number of Geniuses they recruited was not small either. Shi Jian, who was lying on the ground playing dead, was a bit stunned when he heard the words of the Soul Hall Protector. The Soul Hall recruiting Xiao Yan? Are you sure you haven't read 'Soul Hall Xiao Yan'? "With your talent, reaching the Dou Zong Realm at this age is quite outstanding. If you are willing to join the Soul Hall, achieving the Dou Zun or even the Dou Sheng Realm in the future will be no problem!" The Soul Hall Protector continued. "With your strength and talent, you should have come into contact with the Soul Hall and know what kind of force the Soul Hall is... How about it, join the Soul Hall?" "Not interested!" Xiao Yan said calmly, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "The Soul Hall, a bunch of sneaky rats, dare to ask me to join them?" Upon hearing this, the Soul Hall Protector's face immediately darkened. He looked up at Xiao Yan, his tone filled with killing intent: "Dare to insult my Soul Hall? You are courting death!" The Soul Hall Protector did not expect Xiao Yan to be so unappreciative. He had personally offered to recruit him into the Soul Hall; it would have been fine if he had just refused... But he dared to insult the Soul Hall! A mere Dou Zong? How dare he? Even the forces in the Central Plains wouldn't dare to say such words. The Soul Hall Protector sneered, flicked his sleeve, and an incomparably terrifying black mist instantly transformed into a giant palm, fiercely striking towards Xiao Yan. He felt that Xiao Yan's talent was good and his strength was a bit tricky, which was why he tried to recruit Xiao Yan. But his recruitment of Xiao Yan did not mean he was afraid of Xiao Yan. What if Xiao Yan killed Yun Shan? He could easily slap a waste like Yun Shan to death as well. How could an ordinary Dou Zong compare to a Dou Zong from the Soul Hall? The Dou Skills mastered by both sides were not on the same level. If Xiao Yan was unappreciative, then he would harvest his Soul. The ghostly hand swept across the Void Realm, and terrifying strong winds burst forth. The Soul Hall Protector used an Earth Rank Dou Skill as soon as he made his move! The power of this ghostly hand was terrifying. A newly promoted Dou Zong like Yun Shan would have no chance of retaliating under such a ghostly hand. Xiao Yan had also just been promoted to Dou Zong. But how could his strength be compared to Yun Shan's? He only looked up at the ghostly hand, then extended a hand, on which a cluster of purple flames condensed. The next moment, the flames floated from his hand, instantly colliding with the ghostly hand in mid-air. In that instant, the ghostly hand, filled with an eerie aura, seemed to be ignited and turned into nothingness. The flame's power remained undiminished, flying straight towards the Soul Hall Protector. "How is this possible?" The Soul Hall Protector could discern Xiao Yan's cultivation. A one-star Dou Zong, just like Yun Shan. He should have just broken through recently... But why was his Dou Qi so profound? A casual strike had such terrifying power? The Soul Hall Protector quickly employed his methods, and countless black mists permeated the surroundings. These black mists gathered into black orbs and then collided with the flames! After smashing dozens of black orbs consecutively, the Soul Hall Protector barely managed to extinguish the flames Xiao Yan had thrown out. However, before the flames dissipated, the explosion emitted a strong light. The terrifying high temperature melted the Soul Hall Protector's black cloak. After the black cloak dissipated, the Soul Hall Protector revealed a face like a skeleton, looking extremely horrifying. He was withered and thin all over, as if only a skeleton remained of him. "Neither human nor ghost!" Xiao Yan looked at the Soul Hall Protector's appearance and spoke faintly. Through that last move, Xiao Yan also roughly understood his current strength. Slaughtering ordinary low-star Dou Zongs was like slaughtering dogs. A normal attack instantly killed them. However, high-star Dou Zongs, or Dou Zongs from major forces like the Soul Hall, couldn't be instantly killed with a normal attack. It would take two or three hits. If he went all out, he should be able to defeat a low-star Dou Zun. Jia Xing Tian and the others gasped at the appearance of the Soul Hall Protector. A Dou Zong expert with such an appearance... No wonder Xiao Yan was unwilling to join them. Neither human nor ghost. Upon hearing Xiao Yan's words, the Soul Hall Protector's expression grew even colder. "An ignorant young man... Offending my Soul Hall, even a Dou Sheng expert would have nowhere to ascend and nowhere to descend... Today, I will use your head to defend the dignity of my Soul Hall!" A strange red light flashed in the Soul Hall Protector's eyes, then he quickly formed hand seals. As he unleashed multiple hand seals, a large amount of black Qi suddenly rose from the plaza. These black Qi writhed like living creatures. Within the black Qi, illusory human heads began to emerge. The appearance of these heads was precisely that of the Yun Lan Sect Disciples who had just been killed by Xiao Yan's palm. Among them, an old face was particularly striking. This face was covered in pain, as if suffering some kind of torment... Everyone present recognized this face. It was none other than Yun Shan, who had just died not long ago. He had just died, and his Soul had not yet dissipated. The Soul Hall Protector had summoned his Soul using special means. This was also a characteristic of the Soul Hall's lineage. Playing with Souls. Low, eerie wailing sounds rose, and gusts of cold wind continuously blew, making everyone feel a chill down their spines! The Soul Hall Protector looked at Yun Shan's Soul, and a hint of heartache flashed in his eyes. Dou Zong level Souls were not easy to find. Handing them in could also be exchanged for contribution points... But now, he had no choice but to use it. Xiao Yan's strength exceeded his expectations. A casual strike was enough to give him trouble. If he didn't give his all today, he might not only fail to get the Soul but also bury himself here! The Soul Hall Protector extended his hand, which resembled a ghostly claw, then slowly grasped the illusory human head. He let out a sinister laugh, and an incomparably dense black light surged from his palm and poured into the human head. As this terrifying black light was poured in, the illusory human head rapidly expanded, instantly growing several meters larger. The small head instantly became a large head. The pain on the human head's face only became much clearer. The mournful screams of the strange Soul permeated the air, making countless people feel a chill in their hearts. "All-Encompassing Senluo: Soul's Funeral." When the illusory human head had expanded to about three or four meters, a sinister and cruel laugh resounded through the sky. "Jie! Jie! Jie!" The Soul Hall Protector's ferocious laughter echoed through the sky. The illusory human head, expanded to its limit, concentrated its pain on its face, and black light surged out from its seven orifices! Then, the entire head suddenly exploded. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound was like thunder shaking heaven and earth. A terrifying black tide, like a flood, erupted. In just an instant, this light seemed to envelop the entire world. Everyone's vision darkened. Enveloped in darkness, they could no longer see any light. An incomparably terrifying power was brewing in the darkness. On the Soul Hall Protector's withered palm, a large black light cluster floated. Within the light cluster, a terrifying Soul Power was condensed. This was the Soul Hall Protector detonating Yun Shan's Soul and using some method to control the power of the explosion in his hand. The Soul Hall Protector did not hesitate and immediately hurled the massive Soul energy cluster towards Xiao Yan. The terrifying fluctuations caused space itself to tremble. "Is this your method? Nothing more than this!" A voice appeared in everyone's ears. Lapis lazuli colored flames appeared within this black curtain. Light emerged, and the surrounding darkness gradually dissipated! Everyone looked in the direction of the light, only to see Xiao Yan standing quietly in the Void Realm. In his eyes, green flames were burning. The light was emanating from his eyes. Xiao Yan extended a hand, but his hand seemed to be holding something in a loose grip... Looking closely, there was a black light orb in his palm. Not far from him was the Soul Hall Protector. The Soul Hall Protector was filled with disbelief: "How is this possible? This is the power of a Dou Zong Soul self-destructing! Even a high-star Dou Zong would be blown to death if they came into close contact... How could you be unharmed! And you even forcibly suppressed the power of the self-detonation?" Hearing his words, Jia Xing Tian and the others also understood what was in Xiao Yan's hand. The Soul energy cluster after Yun Shan's self-detonation. A Soul energy cluster capable of blowing up a high-star Dou Zong level existence was thus forcibly suppressed in Xiao Yan's palm. Only a Dou Zun expert could achieve such a feat. Thinking of Xiao Yan repeatedly revealing his cultivation before... An incredibly unbelievable thought arose in the minds of Jia Xing Tian and the others. Could it be? Is he still a Dou Zun? As soon as this thought arose, Jia Xing Tian and the others immediately suppressed it. A 17-year-old Dou Zun? Even after a cannon misfired, they wouldn't dare to dream such a dream. Xiao Yan was not yet a Dou Zun, but he possessed Dou Zun level combat power. Rounding up... That was equivalent to a Dou Zun. "There are many more things in this world you cannot imagine..." Xiao Yan spoke faintly. He looked at the Soul Hall Protector, then pointed a finger out! An incomparably terrifying Dou Qi instantly poured out towards the Soul Hall Protector. The reason he did not kill the Soul Hall Protector immediately was that he wanted to use the Soul Hall Protector to see what level his strength had reached. To let the Soul Hall Protector be a sparring partner for a bit. Now, he had a clear understanding of his strength... Naturally, he no longer needed to keep the Soul Hall Protector alive. With a terrifying finger pointed out, the Soul Hall Protector immediately felt boundless pressure. His figure flickered, turning into a black mist, and like lightning, he shot towards the horizon... He wanted to escape. However, it was clearly too late. After he had fled an unknown distance, his figure suddenly fell to the ground. At his skull-like neck, a bloodied hole appeared. Xiao Yan's finger had pierced through his head. Another Dou Zong level existence, dead! Jia Xing Tian's people fell silent at this scene. The turn of events was something they had never expected. Originally, they were just invited to watch a competition. A competition between two juniors. As a result, the battle escalated again and again. From the original Three-Year Agreement between Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran, to the Yun Lan Sect making trouble for Xiao Yan... Finally escalating into a sect-destroying battle. From a battle between Dou Masters, it escalated all the way to Dou King, Dou Emperor, and Dou Zong level battles! And in this process... The most terrifying performance was naturally Xiao Yan's. Whenever everyone thought he had revealed his full cultivation, he would always give unexpected surprises! Dou Master, Dou Spirit, Dou King, Dou Emperor, and then Dou Zong. Whenever you thought you could control him, he would always be unexpected. It seemed that what he displayed was always just the tip of the iceberg of his true strength. Now, even if a Dou Zun came and was killed by Xiao Yan... Everyone would no longer be surprised. They took a deep breath, staring straight at the figure in the Void Realm. After today, the name of Xiao Yan... will resound throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire! Jia Xing Tian's people looked around a few times, making sure no Dou Zun level experts jumped out, before daring to step forward and converse with Xiao Yan. "Mr. Xiao Yan, after our farewell in the Imperial Capital, I never expected our reunion to be in such a situation!" Jia Xing Tian and the others adopted a very humble attitude. Last time at the Alchemy Conference in the Imperial Capital, Xiao Yan, under the alias Yan Xiao, won the championship. At that time, they presented him with the award as Seniors and encouraged him. It had only been a few months... Xiao Yan had suddenly transformed into a peerless expert of the Dou Zong Realm. He had even slain two Dou Zong experts. His strength was terrifyingly immense. Jia Xing Tian and the others felt endless pressure when facing him. "It's President Fa, and Senior Jia Xing Tian..." Xiao Yan greeted them. "How can we be worthy of being your Seniors..." Jia Xing Tian and the others were delighted when they heard Xiao Yan call them Seniors! Even after Xiao Yan displayed his Dou Zong level cultivation, he still called them Seniors as before, which showed Xiao Yan's firm character. They had thought that after his great increase in strength and joining a terrifying force like the Dragon King Hall, he would become arrogant and look down on them. However, his attitude towards everyone remained as always. "The help you all provided Xiao Yan during the Alchemy Conference is something Xiao Yan will never forget. It's not too much to call you Seniors!" Xiao Yan said with a smile. Jia Xing Tian and the others could barely be considered his friends. Xiao Yan was impeccable towards his friends. "Alas, I never expected Mr. Xiao Yan's Alchemy skills to be so superb, and his cultivation to be so terrifying! A Dou Zong at 17, unheard of!" Feeling Xiao Yan's attitude, Jia Xing Tian relaxed and then sighed with emotion. He continued to praise Xiao Yan, and this was also his heartfelt emotion. A 17-year-old Dou Zong. Too terrifying. "Just luck..." Xiao Yan was as humble as ever. "Luck? If luck alone could allow one to Break through to the Dou Zong Realm, then we would have already broken through long ago!" Jia Xing Tian said with a bitter smile. Like Yun Shan, he had been stuck at the Peak of Dou Emperor for countless years. Always unable to Break through. As a result, Yun Shan took that step before him. However, Jia Xing Tian estimated that Yun Shan taking that step might be related to that mysterious black-robed man. The very thing they painstakingly pursued and could not obtain, became a mere matter of luck for Xiao Yan. The few of them looked at Xiao Yan with envy. At 17, he had achieved something they could never achieve in a lifetime. The gap between people was truly greater than the gap between humans and dogs. The atmosphere suddenly grew cold. There was a generation gap between Geniuses and Mortals. Just then, Hai Bodong suddenly interjected: "Xiao Yan, what about your friends from the Dragon King Hall?" As he spoke, he looked at Shi Jian and the others lying on the ground. A hint of regret flashed in his eyes. These few people, at such a young age, already possessed at least Dou King level cultivation. Achieving Dou Zong in the future would be an easy matter. It was truly a pity that so many Prodigies had died at once. "Don't worry about them..." Upon mentioning Shi Jian and the others, a few black lines flashed across Xiao Yan's face, then he spoke speechlessly. "Don't worry?" Hai Bodong was bewildered. Even Jia Xing Tian and the others were bewildered. These Prodigies from the Dragon King Hall had all died because of Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan actually said not to worry about them? This was not like Xiao Yan at all. Even if he wasn't sad for them, he should at least collect their bodies, right? These people accompanied Xiao Yan to fulfill the Three-Year Agreement and even stood up for him; their relationship should be very good, right? Everyone was collectively bewildered. Just as they couldn't figure it out, a voice suddenly rang out. "You, Xiao Yan, the Dragon King! My brothers and I died for you, and not only are you not sad for us, but you also want us to be exposed in the wilderness! I won't let you off even in death!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, only to see the fallen figures all rise, their eyes eerily looking at them. A cold wind blew past. A chill rose in everyone's hearts. Heavens, they're reanimated corpses!!!