Chapter 232: Meeting Xiao Xun'er Again!
"Elder, what has happened?" Third Commander Yang Hao asked gravely.
"I don't know," the black robed elder standing beside Elder Lin replied, his voice heavy. "But according to the clan elders, two Dou Saint experts from the Soul Hall forcefully tore through space, creating a spatial wormhole to send someone through."
"That's why we rushed over as well."
Hearing this, the Black Army soldiers exchanged bewildered looks, clearly confused. Why would the Soul Hall go to such lengths, having Dou Saint experts tear through space, just to send two Dou Venerates here? Wasn't that a bit excessive and pointless?
Beneath her light veil, Xiao Xun'er's bright eyes glimmered with thought. It was evident that when the Soul Hall sent people over, they had not considered the presence of the Black Army.
Secondly, the Soul Hall was likely constrained by certain factors, making it impossible for them to dispatch more powerful experts to the faraway Northwestern Continent. Another possibility was the arrogance in their hearts they looked down on this region.
After all, the strongest figures in the Northwestern Continent likely didn't even exceed five star Dou Venerates.
Lastly, for the Soul Hall to go to such lengths, it could only mean one thing this was about Hun Ya!
Xiao Xun'er furrowed her brows. Had something happened to Hun Ya in the Northwestern Continent?
Elder Lin and the other black robed elder stood silently. Though they were strong, they knew that in the clan, the true authority lay with those of the bloodline. Both Yang Hao, the Third Commander, and the young lady before them were far above their station.
Yang Hao, too, kept quiet. He shared the same suspicion it had to be related to Hun Ya. After all, he was their primary target and had been right under their noses.
"Continue forward. Track Hun Ya," Xiao Xun'er said calmly. "I'm curious what could have happened on this impoverished Northwestern Continent to make the Soul Hall's Dou Saints react so strongly."
Of course, Xiao Xun'er had an even deeper suspicion. If something had indeed happened to Hun Ya, it was unlikely to be the doing of the local Northwestern powers they weren't foolish enough to provoke the Soul Hall.
That meant someone else was involved!
Xiao Xun'er could only think of two possibilities: Lu Bu or her elder brother, Xiao Yan!
If it were the latter, she would go to his aid no matter what. After all, Yao Lao was currently only a soul body. No matter how strong, he couldn't compete with Dou Venerates.
If it were the former… even better. She could watch the show or even step in to deliver the finishing blow!
Hun Ya clashing with the Black Army, Lu Bu being killed in the chaos what a delightful scenario to hear about!
Thinking of this, the corners of Xiao Xun'er's lips curved beneath her veil. Hmm… no need to kill Lu Bu outright. Beat him half to death, leave him barely breathing, and let her elder brother Xiao Yan deal with him afterward.
"Let's move out!" Yang Hao barked after Xiao Xun'er spoke. The halted Black Army quickly resumed their journey northward.
The two Dou Venerate elders who had been dispatched merely nodded slightly. Their mission was to protect these young people; they would not interfere with the decisions of the young lady or the Third Commander.
…
In a dense forest, Lu Bu stood dressed in his white robe, every inch of his skin hidden. A black scroll rested in his hand as his soul power seeped into it, slowly digesting the information contained within.
This was a secret technique obtained from Hun Ya's storage ring.
The Thousand Illusions Divine Art!
By cultivating this technique, one could transform into various forms at will not just appearances, but also mannerisms and auras. It was an excellent tool for concealment, infiltration, and assassination.
According to the notes Hun Ya left in the ring, his preferred method was to ambush a lone Black Army soldier, create internal distrust within their ranks, and then hunt them down one by one.
This tactic had worked wonders for Hun Ya. He had nearly single handedly wiped out several small Black Army squads, earning him quite the impressive track record.
Lu Bu chuckled to himself. This Thousand Illusions Divine Art was truly a treasure!
In the future, he wouldn't even need disguises or masks when causing trouble. Just walking around wearing Xiao Yan's face would be enough how fun would that be?
Lu Bu's expertise lay in deception, misdirection, and seamlessly blending into any scenario. This technique was perfect for him.
But just as he was indulging in this thought, his expression suddenly shifted. His gaze shot into the distance, and without hesitation, he slammed his palm onto the ground and leaped into the air.
The moment he left the stone beneath him, two black chains tore through the dense canopy, piercing toward where he had just stood.
The chains moved like silent serpents, their speed and sharpness almost impossible to detect.
Clang!
The chains struck the boulder, shattering it into pieces, scattering debris into nearby trees and leaving deep gouges in the trunks.
Whoosh!
Two figures in black robes appeared in front of Lu Bu, their movements swift and fluid.
"Well… not bad reflexes," the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost remarked, scanning the white robed figure before him. He couldn't sense Lu Bu's cultivation, but the soul power emanating from him was exceptionally strong almost on par with his own.
"A perfected Mortal Realm soul. Your soul quality is quite impressive!" Elder Mu Gu sneered as he assessed Lu Bu. "But it's a pity you've offended the wrong people."
"To dare provoke the Soul Hall… you've got guts!"
"Oh? Which esteemed Heaven Elder of the Soul Hall do I have the honor of meeting?" Lu Bu's voice was cold and aged, but his heart grew heavier. One of the newcomers was a three star Dou Venerate, as strong as or even stronger than Qin Tian.
What troubled Lu Bu even more was the oppressive soul power emanating from one of them. This individual had clearly reached the Spirit Realm of the soul!
The other figure exuded an aura so overwhelming that even the likes of Bi Snake Sage and Shi Tian couldn't compare. This one was likely a five star Dou Venerate or higher a true Heaven Elder of the Soul Hall.
Though Lu Bu had anticipated trouble, the reality still weighed heavily on him.
"I am the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost!" the elder cackled sinisterly. "Keh keh keh… how interesting. You even know the titles of our Heaven Elders?"
"And I am Elder Mu Gu," the second figure introduced himself. He said no more, but his sharp gaze bore into the white robed figure in the distance.
With a perfected Mortal Realm soul, it shouldn't have been possible to wipe out the entire Soul Hall branch or kill Hun Ya. Could there be more to this story?
"So it's Mu Gu…" Lu Bu licked his lips, his mind racing. A plan was already forming.
Initially, he had only intended to engage briefly and then escape, luring these two away from the Northwestern Continent. Now… he was confident he could take one of them down!
"Take off your robe and let us see who you really are," the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost sneered, his white teeth gleaming ominously on his aged face.
"Try me, Old Ghost," Lu Bu retorted with a sneer of his own.
Before his words had even finished, the air around him rippled. A black chain shot out of nowhere, tearing through the space between them to strike at Lu Bu's head.
Lu Bu's expression hardened as arcs of lightning flickered at his feet. His body twisted, leaving behind an afterimage as he narrowly evaded the strike.
The chain stabbed into the ground, slicing through it like a hot knife through butter.
"Three Thousand Lightning Movement?" The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost froze briefly, surprised. This man knew the Three Thousand Lightning Movement?
"Now I'm even more curious about you," Mu Gu said coldly, his fingers trembling slightly. Black mist swirled around his hand, condensing into another deadly chain.
He wasn't interested in asking about the intangible flame or the source of the Three Thousand Lightning Movement those weren't important. Once they captured Lu Bu, they would extract everything they wanted to know.
With a flick of his fingers, Mu Gu's chain shot forward, splitting into two, then four, then eight mid flight.
Chains clinked and clattered, slicing through the air with sharp, piercing winds as they shot toward Lu Bu's vital points. Elder Mu Gu had no intention of capturing him alive killing him and extracting his soul would achieve the same result.
The chains tore through space, scattering countless shadowy afterimages. It was impossible to tell which one was the real attack or perhaps, they were all real.
Lu Bu's face darkened. With Mu Gu's strike, every possible path of retreat was sealed off. He could only confront this attack head on. The Three Thousand Lightning Movement wouldn't allow him to evade this, unless he revealed one of his trump cards. Otherwise, he had no choice but to forcefully endure it.
No wonder they said the Spirit Realm soul was troublesome it was indeed a nightmare to deal with!
Still… if Lu Bu had one thing in abundance, it was trump cards.
With a flick of his sleeve, golden light shot out from his storage ring, streaking toward the heavens. It collided head on with the barrage of chains, charging toward Elder Mu Gu.
Boom!
The Heaven Demon Puppet threw a massive punch, shattering the storm of chains into countless fragments. The seemingly unstoppable attack disintegrated instantly, leaving Elder Mu Gu's "guaranteed" strike in ruins.
"Careful!" The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost's expression shifted drastically. The golden figure carried an overwhelming aura, only slightly weaker than his own. Mu Gu couldn't withstand it!
Faced with the unstoppable charge of the Heaven Demon Puppet, Elder Mu Gu's face grew grim. However, he did not panic. From the moment this golden puppet appeared, he realized he couldn't fight it head on.
What he needed to do now was survive the first wave of attacks and buy enough time for the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost to assist.
With a low growl, he unleashed a torrent of yellow flames. The liquid like fire surged over his right arm, forming a crystalline yellow armor that gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.
Elder Mu Gu's expression twisted with savagery as he roared and struck out with his claw like hand.
The crystalline hand collided with the Heaven Demon Puppet's incoming fist, resulting in a deafening explosion. Violent ripples of energy blasted outward, leaving deep scars across the forest floor.
Yet, the crystalline hand barely lasted a moment before shattering completely.
The Heaven Demon Puppet charged forward like an unstoppable tank, barreling toward Elder Mu Gu.
"Hmph…" Elder Mu Gu sneered coldly and stepped into the void, dodging to the side while completely disregarding the Heaven Demon Puppet's advance.
At the same time, the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost appeared, his withered hand rising to meet the golden puppet's strike directly.
"Boy, your life ends here!" Elder Mu Gu sneered as his figure moved like a streak of lightning, appearing before Lu Bu in the blink of an eye. His clawed fingers, sharp as eagle talons, struck toward Lu Bu's throat.
"Mu Gu, do you want to know where Han Shanshan is?"
A calm and weightless voice suddenly rang out. The mention of that long forgotten name made Elder Mu Gu freeze. His face stiffened, and his claws paused mid air.
"What did you say?"
Crash!
In that instant, a pair of golden hands erupted from the ground, grabbing Elder Mu Gu's ankles and yanking him downward with incredible force.
Thud!
Elder Mu Gu was pulled into the earth up to his waist before he had a chance to react.
"You !" Elder Mu Gu's face turned pale as he struggled to break free, but it was already too late.
Lu Bu pushed off the ground with his toes, retreating swiftly as a golden light streaked from his storage ring.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed as another Heaven Demon Puppet, this one wearing a silver mask, emerged and charged toward the half buried Elder Mu Gu. Its iron fist rose high before slamming down toward Mu Gu's skull.
The terrifying fist carried an overwhelming pressure, wrapped in brilliant light and immense soul force.
A cold smile crept onto Lu Bu's face. This Heaven Demon Puppet, crafted from Qin Tian's body, had been refined the longest and subjected to the most tribulations during its creation. Its strength now rivaled that of a four star Dou Venerate.
Mu Gu was doomed!
Elder Mu Gu's face turned deathly pale. If this punch landed, not only would his body be destroyed, but his soul would also suffer irreparable damage!
Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of clinking chains rang out. A black chain shot through the air, slamming into the Heaven Demon Puppet's shoulder.
The puppet's body shuddered slightly, causing its fist to veer off course.
Boom!
The fist smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater. Elder Mu Gu screamed in agony as his left shoulder and half of his body were obliterated. The force of the blow buried him deeper into the earth.
"Damn it!" Lu Bu's expression darkened. Elder Mu Gu was only gravely injured. What Lu Bu wanted was his death.
The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost's intervention had been perfectly timed. Despite being entangled with the golden puppet, he had managed to launch a strike to save Mu Gu. Still, it had come at a cost he had taken a punch from the puppet.
But none of that mattered now. It was time to escape!
"Brat, I'll kill you!" The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost roared in fury. Black mist erupted around him, and a terrifying aura surged upward like a pillar.
Boom!
A muffled explosion erupted from underground, sending dirt flying and creating a massive pit. Amid the chaos, a golden figure and a battered black figure could be seen.
Elder Mu Gu, with half his body destroyed, was being ruthlessly pummeled by a third Heaven Demon Puppet. Each punch caused his body to convulse violently as he spat out blood.
This new puppet bore the face of none other than Xiu Tu, the elder from the Soul Hall's Misty Moors branch.
"Damn it!" The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost howled in rage and darted toward Mu Gu. As an eighth tier alchemist of the Soul Hall, Mu Gu's survival was crucial he couldn't allow him to die here.
Lu Bu smirked coldly. With a flick of his hand, he summoned the other two Heaven Demon Puppets back into his storage ring.
Then, with a loud bang, a pair of pristine, jade like bone wings unfurled from his back. His figure blurred as a powerful gust of wind erupted, and he vanished into the dense forest.
Boom!
The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost struck one of the Heaven Demon Puppets with a palm strike. A sickening crack echoed as the puppet's head was separated from its body. Even so, the sheer power of a five star Dou Venerate's enraged strike was not something the puppet could withstand.
The puppet faltered for a moment before collapsing to the ground.
"Damned brat… Was that the Heaven Phoenix Wings?!" The Heaven Grasping Old Ghost glared into the distance where Lu Bu had vanished, his face dark as a storm cloud. He cursed viciously under his breath.
…
Three Days Later
Lu Bu had been flying south at breakneck speed for three days and nights without stopping. Powered by the combined effects of the Three Thousand Lightning Movement and the Heaven Phoenix Wings, he streaked across the sky like a bolt of lightning, covering an unimaginable distance.
Whoosh!
Glancing at his surroundings, Lu Bu dived into a vast forest below. He landed on a flat patch of ground and finally allowed himself a moment to breathe.
After such a prolonged escape, even with restorative pills, the relentless consumption of Dou Qi left him feeling drained and exhausted.
"Let's rest for a bit," Lu Bu muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. The battle with the Heaven Grasping Old Ghost should have drawn enough attention from the Soul Hall.
But just as he sat down, the rustling of leaves reached his ears.
Lu Bu's pupils contracted sharply. The Soul Hall had already caught up?
He released his soul force to probe the surroundings but found no signs of the black robed, red eyed Soul Hall members. Instead, what he detected was… a graceful figure, moving like a lotus petal in the wind, flashing through the forest like a streak of light.
Lu Bu's expression turned strange. Xiao Xun'er?
What was she doing here?
Then his eyes lit up mischievously.
Oh… this is going to be interesting.
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