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"You... your technique, you're from the Hall of Souls!"
Staring at the black-robed Dou Zun and his practiced movements, along with that familiar Dou Technique he'd seen countless times before, Xiao Yan was instantly shocked.
That technique there was no mistaking it—belonged exclusively to the Hall of Souls. Having fought the Hall of Souls for so many years, he could recognize it at a single glance.
"Hehe, Xiao Yan, the next one to die... will be you!"
After finishing off his opponent, Old Mu Gu turned his gaze toward the distant Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with cold killing intent.
"With that black-robed man's killing intent toward me, it seems he came for revenge from before. Looks like escaping safely today... won't be that easy."
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, his expression serious as he stared at the enemy before him, a trace of helplessness flashing in his heart.
He thought this Dou Zun was targeting him because of the destruction he'd caused to the Hall of Souls's branch halls earlier. But since the other party clearly had no intention of letting him go, Xiao Yan also wouldn't just sit and wait to die!
The next instant, a yellow flame, formed from the fusion of four different Heavenly Flames—Fallen Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Fire Mountain Rock Flame, and Mysterious Yellow Flame—slowly surged out from within his body.
"Pointless struggle. Don't think that just because you used a secret technique to reach the level of One-Star Dou Zun, you can fight against me. Hand over your Heavenly Flame and the Flame Mantra!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's actions, Old Mu Gu's face instantly darkened as he spoke coldly, killing intent overflowing.
At the mention of "Flame Mantra," Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically, his heart filled with shock. It was precisely because of that mysterious technique that he'd been able to grow to where he stood today.
Now that his deepest secret had been spoken aloud by someone else—how could he not feel terror rising within him?
"A Hall of Souls Dou Zun... who knows about the Flame Mantra?"
Then, as if recalling something, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed coldly. His face hardened with killing intent as he looked straight at the black-robed man in the distance, his voice filled with rage, "You're Old Mu Gu!"
Finally, he understood who this person was. All the previous confusion instantly vanished like smoke!
Hearing his name called out, Old Mu Gu paused briefly before his twisted grin widened even more, "So you figured it out this quickly, huh?"
Seeing the black-robed Dou Zun not even bother denying it, Xiao Yan's heart sank. He hadn't expected Old Mu Gu to still possess such methods—deceiving even the Three Leaders of the Pill Tower and sneaking successfully into the Pill Realm.
Then, Mu Gu's sinister voice echoed again. "So what if you've recognized me? At least you can die knowing who killed you. Today, no matter what, we'll settle this once and for all!"
As his words fell, a strange, scorching energy suddenly burst out from Mu Gu's body.
That energy condensed around his arm, forming a pitch-black crystalline layer. From afar, his arm looked like it was made of deep blue-black crystal. As he moved, Xiao Yan—whose soul power had already reached the Spirit Realm—felt an intense sense of danger flood his heart.
"High-Grade Earth Class Dou Technique: Nine Fold Sky-Crushing Ruler!"
In the next moment, the Heavy Xuan Ruler in Xiao Yan's hand was engulfed by raging yellow flames. With a loud shout, the sleeves on both his arms were instantly shredded into powder by the surging Dou Qi. Then, he swung the massive ruler fiercely down!
Perhaps because of the might of this Dou Technique, at that instant, Xiao Yan's entire aura radiated an unstoppable force of determination. Meanwhile, the space before him suddenly began to twist violently.
A pitch-black crystalline energy arm pierced through the void and smashed heavily against Xiao Yan's ruler.
"Boom!"
A deafening, rumbling explosion tore through the sky.
The yellow flames coating the massive ruler were instantly shattered by that crystalline arm, surging out in waves of violent energy that swept in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the scattered Heavenly Flames formed a vast sea of fire in the sky.
"Chi chi~"
As wave after wave of Heavenly Flame struck the Soul Barrier around Mu Gu, thick smoke rose with sharp sizzling sounds.
"Not good, I've fallen into his trap!"
Seeing the barrier rapidly thinning as the flames burned away most of it, Old Mu Gu's face twisted in shock.
He quickly withdrew his attack and darted aside. Only then did he realize—the Heavenly Flame was the natural nemesis of souls. Since the Soul Barrier was formed from pure soul energy, it naturally feared being burned by such flames.
By striking Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame head-on, he had actually helped the boy deliver the flames right onto his own barrier!
"Hehe, it's too late for you to realize that now!"
Seeing the greatly weakened barrier, Xiao Yan withdrew his ruler with a laugh. His body had already endured the strain of Dou Zun-level power for far too long, every muscle screaming in protest.
Naturally, he wasn't foolish enough to keep clashing head-on with Mu Gu. If he couldn't kill the old man quickly, then the one who would die here... would undoubtedly be him!
So after thinking it through, the only strategy left to him was to use his Heavenly Flames to burn down the Soul Barrier. However, if he tried to burn the Soul Barrier directly, Mu Gu would definitely stop him before it took effect.
So instead, Xiao Yan used Mu Gu's own strength to send the Heavenly Flame onto that Soul Barrier.
After all, the flame he now wielded—formed from the fusion of Fallen Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Fire Mountain Rock Flame, and Mysterious Yellow Flame—had, according to the Pill Tower's Three Leaders, already surpassed the top ten Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
Even though Old Mu Gu's soul power had reached the Spiritual Realm, the Soul Barrier he set up would never withstand the burn of such a flame!
"You little brat, playing mind games with me? Go die!"
Mu Gu's eyes turned sinister as he locked onto Xiao Yan's smiling face.
His features twisted with killing intent so thick it was almost tangible. Although Xiao Yan's persistence and cunning had exceeded his expectations, there was no way he would give up now.
From Xiao Yan's current potential alone, once Mu Gu seized both the Flame Mantra and his Heavenly Flame, his own path to becoming a Dou Sheng and a ninth-rank alchemist would be within reach.
Such fortune—how could he possibly let it slip away?!
Thinking so, Mu Gu's withered hand slid from his sleeve, moving like lightning as he formed a complex seal.
"Netherworld Demon Flame Arm!"
With a chilling shout filled with murderous intent, an eerie black flame erupted violently from his body like a volcano, pouring entirely into his crystalline giant arm.
As more and more of that black flame surged into the crystal arm, the surface quickly became enveloped in fire. In an instant, the crystalline claw turned into a pitch-black arm wreathed in demonic flame.
Yet despite the raging blaze, it didn't radiate heat—it emanated an unbearable, deathly cold, as if it were the arm of the Reaper himself. Watching that enormous arm shrouded in black fire, Xiao Yan's face grew grim.
His hands flashed rapidly through seals, leaving behind faint afterimages as the torrential Dou Qi within his body roared like a flood through his meridians.
"Open Mountain Seal!"
"Sea Flipping Seal!"
"Overturning Land Seal!"
As each shout rang out, three powerful seals merged into one, and Xiao Yan's face flushed red from the immense strain. At the same time, a brilliant light seal surged to life in his palm.
The terrifying energy gathered into one point, distorting the air and splitting space apart into black cracks around his arm.
"Crystal Hand Seal… that's the Gu Clan's God Seal Technique!?"
Seeing the form of Xiao Yan's hand seal, Mu Gu's expression froze, his pupils contracting into pinpoints as he gasped aloud.
Having roamed the Central Plains for many years, of course he'd heard tales of the Gu Clan's God Seal Technique. But witnessing it in person—and from an outsider like Xiao Yan—shocked him to his core.
Hearing Mu Gu's exclamation, Xiao Yan's entire body trembled, his eyes flaring with killing intent. He hadn't expected this old ghost to not only know about the Flame Mantra, but to recognize the God Seal Technique as well!
Still, he had already begun—there was no turning back now. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan poured all his remaining strength into condensing the Dou Technique.
"Not enough… his strength should be about two stars higher than mine. And as an eighth-tier alchemist, the Dou Techniques he wields won't be weak. Just merging the three seals won't be enough to seriously injure—let alone kill—him."
Thinking so, Xiao Yan's hand seals shifted again as he shouted, "Sky Burying Seal!"
As his words fell, the crystal seal in his hand blazed with a blinding light.
"Pfft!"
A second later, Xiao Yan suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The crystal seal in his hand flickered violently, its structure trembling, threatening to collapse at any moment.
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