Chapter 204: Life and Death Gate, Evil Soul
The Life and Death Gate was a trial ground within the Yun Lan Sect. Every new Sect Leader must pass through the Life and Death Gate before they can take over the position. It is also where past Sect Leaders are laid to rest. To enter the Life and Death Gate safely, one needs to be at least at the Dou Ling level and resonate with it, only then can they pass through.
At this moment, Yun Yun brought Yao Yan to a canyon.
The canyon was shrouded in mist, with an ethereal and dreamlike atmosphere. If one looked closely, they could see a portal in the mist, where the space seemed to warp slightly, as if leading to another world.
Yun Yun looked at the distant portal, her cold eyes meeting Yao Yan's gaze, and softly said, "Young Master, that is the portal leading to the Life and Death Gate. But to enter, one must resonate with it."
"Space power... It seems the ancestors of Yun Lan Sect were quite powerful," Yao Yan said as his Hun power swept out, sensing the immense force of space. He couldn't help but comment.
To wield space power to this extent, their strength could not have been below Seven-Star Dou Zong.
Yao Yan had fought against Seven-Star Dou Zong before, and he could roughly gauge the strength of the space power. The space power contained in the Life and Death Gate far exceeded what Seven-Star Dou Zong could control. Moreover, the Life and Death Gate connected to a trial secret realm.
This was a method no ordinary Dou Zong could achieve.
"I've heard my teacher mention it before. The founder of Yun Lan Sect was a Dou Zun-level, peerless expert," Yun Yun said, her eyes showing a trace of sentiment. She spoke slowly, as the level of Dou Zun seemed too far away for her to fathom.
Dou Zun… Yao Yan froze for a moment after hearing this. He then looked toward the distant Life and Death Gate, contemplating for a moment before asking Yun Yun, "Have you been inside before?"
Given Yun Yun's status, she should have entered when she was younger.
"Yes, every Sect Leader and candidate has entered... It's also one of the ways to select the successor of Yun Lan Sect," Yun Yun nodded slightly, then motioned for Yao Yan to follow her toward the Life and Death Gate. She continued, "If you wish to enter, you can try to see if you can resonate with it."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the Life and Death Gate.
It was an Gu portal, and the space in the center was slightly distorted, drawing in the surrounding energies of heaven and earth. The mist was a result of these energies, and beside the portal, there was a tall stone wall with the three Gu characters "Life and Death Gate" carved into it, exuding a majestic aura.
Clearly, the person who wrote these characters was no ordinary person.
"How do we try?" Yao Yan asked, his eyes filled with interest as he looked at the grand portal before him.
"Just place your hand on it," Yun Yun pointed to the stone wall beside the portal that was inscribed with the words "Life and Death Gate."
Yao Yan, unafraid of any potential mishaps, confidently walked over, placing his hand on the stone wall. The moment of contact, a strange wave surged through him, as if his talents were being measured.
The next moment, the entire Life and Death Gate trembled, and the distorted space began to expand. A powerful suction force instantly covered Yao Yan.
Yao Yan furrowed his brow, his body's power exploding outward to resist the pull. At the same time, he quickly flashed forward and grabbed Yun Yun, who was about to be sucked in. His crimson and azure bone wings emerged, fluttering slightly, and the suction force was repelled.
Yun Yun, stunned, had never encountered such a situation before.
"It seems this is not the resonance of the Life and Death Gate~" Yao Yan said with a light laugh, glancing at Yun Yun's expression.
Yun Yun's brows furrowed slightly. Her eyes, like autumn water, took on a serious tone. She spoke in a low voice, "Such an event has never happened before. Young Master, it's better not to take any risks. The Life and Death Gate contains many mysterious places, and there could be unknown dangers."
"This is the trial ground of Yun Lan Sect. If there were no dangers, how could it be effective for training? I want to go in and take a look. Are you coming?" Yao Yan, with a casual yet determined attitude, looked at the cold, breathtaking woman in his arms and asked.
Seeing Yao Yan's casual and determined demeanor, Yun Yun hesitated but eventually didn't speak her concerns. After a moment, she nodded firmly.
"Swish~"
With her affirmation, Yao Yan no longer hesitated. His bone wings fluttered, and he flew toward the Life and Death Gate, holding Yun Yun in his arms.
In the next instant, they vanished from the spot.
With their disappearance, the abnormal phenomena surrounding the Life and Death Gate stopped, and everything returned to normal.
...
...
The space around them twisted continuously, and the next moment, Yao Yan and Yun Yun appeared atop a desolate mountain. The surrounding light was dim, with only a few flickers of bioluminescence. Upon closer inspection, one could see that these lights came from small insects, similar to fireflies.
"Young Master, you can let go of me now."
At that moment, Yun Yun's somewhat awkward voice sounded in Yao Yan's ear. It was clear that, having grown up, this was the first time she had been this close to a man.
Upon hearing her, Yao Yan released his hold on her. He didn't make any teasing remarks but instead focused on their surroundings. His Hun power surged from his brow and immediately covered the area, quickly forming a three-dimensional map in his mind.
It was a vast network of tunnels, with a coffin placed in the center, surrounded by many withered skeletons sitting cross-legged.
"Have you been here before?" Yao Yan asked.
Yun Yun tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and surveyed the surroundings. After a moment of thought, she looked at him with a hint of suspicion. "This seems to be the resting place of the past Sect Leaders, but I've only heard of it, never been here myself."
"Let's go then, pay respects to the ancestors of Yun Lan Sect," Yao Yan said, his eyes glinting with a strange light, his lips curling into a faint smile. He spoke softly.
Yun Yun nodded without refusing, then followed Yao Yan down the winding mountain path to the deepest part... The surroundings were dark, and even the air seemed thick with a chilling energy. It made Yun Yun instinctively lean toward Yao Yan, as the cold energy around him seemed to retreat like a mouse avoiding a cat.
"A lot of people died here. If we wait a few hundred more years, perhaps a Bone Spirit Cold Fire will emerge," Yao Yan said, glancing at Yun Yun, his eyes flicking to her own before stopping at a particular spot. He then continued with an air of seriousness.
"Bone Spirit Cold Fire? Heavenly flame?"
Yun Yun didn't know much about heavenly flames. Aside from alchemists who chased them, other cultivators clearly weren't interested.
"Mm." Yao Yan nodded. He was just bringing it up as a conversation starter. This place had no conditions for the birth of heavenly flames. On the contrary, it seemed to be home to many evil souls. If a protector of the Hun Clan were here, they would surely be thrilled.
Now, Yao Yan understood why the Hun Clan's Eagle Protector targeted Yun Lan Sect. Such a treasure trove was an ideal cultivation ground for someone between life and death.
It was widely known that both souls and ghosts were the cultivation material for the Hun Clan.
"Seems like you came at the wrong time," Yun Yun's eyes blinked slightly, then, as though realizing something, she looked at Yao Yan with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "If a Bone Spirit Cold Fire really did emerge, you, as an alchemist, would surely be able to harvest something. But now, it seems you may have come in vain. The Life and Death Gate is special, but the things inside are of little use to someone at the half-step Dou Zong level like you."
Otherwise, her teacher wouldn't have chosen to enter a death-like seclusion outside.
"That may not be the case," Yao Yan said softly, his gaze turning to the distant coffin surrounded by countless white bones. He spoke in a low voice, "You invited me in, so how long will you hide?"
At this point, the two were not far from the coffin. The cave's maze had led them to a vast open space.
The entire layout of the Life and Death Gate was fascinating. The vast cave network and the coffin in the center formed a natural extreme Yin formation, which could be used to nurture corpses or cultivate evil spirits.
"Heh, I didn't expect someone like you to appear in Yun Lan Sect. I'm quite pleased..."
A low, hoarse laugh echoed, and a nearly solid Hun floated out of the coffin. The figure was ancient, with white hair and a kindly expression, as it looked at Yun Yun and Yao Yan.
Yun Yun's lips parted, shocked by what she saw. She hadn't expected the ancestor of Yun Lan Sect to still be alive. The Hun in front of her matched the portraits of the sect's ancestors.
"Come a little closer and tell me how Yun Lan Sect is doing," the elderly figure waved his hand with a warm smile.
Yun Yun was about to step forward, but Yao Yan grabbed her hand, and she heard his mocking laughter in her ear: "Playing tricks, huh? When did evil souls start doing this? I'm curious, are you the Hun of the old Yun Lan Sect leader, or a conglomerate of the residual souls of the past sect leaders?"
"Junior, you're being a bit too reckless!" The elderly figure's expression froze instantly, and a fierce look appeared in his eyes. He shouted angrily.
"Can't suppress your murderous nature? With such a mixed soul, it seems you've devoured many souls over the years. No wonder there are so many skeletons around. It seems the ancestor who founded Yun Lan Sect wasn't a good person either," Yao Yan commented, scanning the surroundings.
As he spoke, he clearly felt Yun Yun's body stiffen. His words had clearly provoked the Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect.
"I intended to let you die without pain, but it seems you don't know how to appreciate it!"
The kindly expression of the elderly figure vanished instantly, and his eyes turned as black as ink. His Hun became engulfed in black, surrounded by a murderous aura, and his face twisted into a cruel, vicious expression. A wave of fierce murderous intent swept through the area, and the terrifying pressure caused Yun Yun's face to turn pale.
Clearly, this evil Hun was much stronger than Yun Yun.
"Swish~"
Yun Yun reacted quickly and immediately adjusted her mood. She flicked her finger, and a long sword appeared in her hand. Her Dou Qi flowed around her as she stared coldly at the evil soul, speaking in a deep voice: "You've devoured the souls of the past Sect Leaders?!"
The evil soul, however, didn't care about Yun Yun. Its gaze remained fixed on Yao Yan because both his Hun and body emitted an indescribable allure. It had an instinctive feeling that if it devoured him, it could escape its current situation, breaking free from the formation and gaining true freedom!
This desire within it kept rising, almost to the point of being uncontrollable.
It was an evil soul, after all. What rationality could one expect from it?
"I'll handle this. You're not his match."
Yao Yan gently pulled Yun Yun behind him, his palm flipping over. Sky-blue flames surged, and in the next moment, those flames split into three different-colored flames. From his brow, a pale white flame floated out.
In the next instant, under Yun Yun's watch, the four flames that had emerged from his palm formed four fire spirits. They grew in size with the wind, and within moments, they became massive creatures. The intense heat quickly swept across the entire cave, and the chilling aura from the evil Hun was instantly burned away by the four heavenly flames.
At the same time, the once arrogant and domineering evil Hun immediately shrank back like a quail, its eyes filled with fear.
Yao Yan didn't even need to summon the fifth fire spirit. With his current power, suppressing an evil Hun that had just entered the Dou Zong level was too easy. He could simply crush it head-on.
Heavenly flames inherently restrained the soul, and with four of them combined, it was clear this evil Hun had made the mistake of provoking the wrong person. If it had faced the Eagle Protector, a few kind words might have made it a subordinate.
But Yao Yan didn't need this so-called evil Hun as a subordinate.
"Boom!"
The four fire spirits immediately suppressed the evil Hun to the ground, the intense heat causing it to sizzle. The evil soul's cries for mercy soon faded under the rising flames, as the four heavenly flames fused together, their temperature unbearably high and violent. The surrounding bones were completely incinerated, and the coffin exploded, releasing a surge of cold, dark energy. When it collided with the power of the heavenly flames, a loud rumble echoed.
Yao Yan raised his hand with a slight motion, and the waves of destruction were immediately blocked. Though he had not yet reached Dou Zong, using a bit of spatial power was not difficult for him. After all, when he had accidentally fallen into the Tagor Desert, his body had been severely damaged by spatial power.
But that hardship was not without benefit. It had made him exceptionally sensitive to the forces of space.
"Do you want to spare it?" Yao Yan asked, glancing at Yun Yun, whose expression was complex. He asked with a hint of consideration.
Yun Yun witnessed everything, sighed softly, and after a moment, she slowly said, "Since it's a harm, there's no need to keep it alive."
"As you wish."
(END CHAPTER)
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