The aura of the seemingly useless Yang Hao was overwhelming. With each leap, his battle qi surged like thunder, crackling and rippling, the space around him distorted beyond recognition by the terrifying energy emanating from him.
In contrast, Hun Changqing remained completely unmoved by Yang Hao's terrifying energy aura as he charged towards him. Hun Changqing had completely forgotten about Gu Xun'er, who was smiling faintly at the moment. His eyes flickered with a dark light, then he finally turned his gaze back to Yang Hao, who was closing in on him.
"Hmph!"
A chilling snort, as if plunging one into an ice cave, echoed from Hun Changqing's air. Then, Hun Changqing pointed his finger at the void in front of him, and instantly a deep black hole appeared before him, from which waves of soul energy emanated.
Yang Hao stared at the small, dark hole that had suddenly appeared before him, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from it that made his very soul tremble. Startled, he abruptly halted his charge, his body stopping abruptly. His gaze was grave as he
stared at the black hole, a growing sense of vigilance rising within him. Having sensed this terrifying soul aura, he no longer dared to underestimate Hun Changqing, despite his strength as a three-star Dou Zun.
"A soul attack?"
Yang Hao murmured silently, quickly devising a countermeasure. Having fought against the Soul Palace for many years, Yang Hao, as the third commander of the Black Annihilation Army, naturally possessed some experience in dealing with soul attacks. His gaze sharpened, his expression solemn, and he slowly raised his hands. Immediately, his immense energy condensed around him, forming countless Dou Qi halberds.
Halberds filled the sky, densely packed, their sharp edges radiating an overwhelming pressure that seemed capable of suppressing everything.
"Go!"
Yang Hao roared, raising his hand to strike Hun Changqing. With a sweep of his hand, countless halberds hurtled towards Hun Changqing, leaving no room to dodge. Yang Hao's gaze was icy, fixed on Hun Changqing's figure, a ferocious smile spreading across his lips. He seemed to already foresee Hun Changqing's gruesome death beneath his countless halberds.
However, not only was Hun Changqing unmoved by this scene, but even Gu Xun'er and Gu Ming behind Yang Hao showed no emotion whatsoever. Although Yang Hao's move was quite impressive for a five-star Dou Zun, Gu Xun'er and Gu Ming didn't believe that such an attack could harm Hun Changqing, whose combat power was so disproportionate to his cultivation level, making him both strange and terrifying.
"Hehehe, not bad."
Just as the countless halberds were about to strike Hun Changqing, Yang Hao suddenly heard a chilling voice echo in his ears. Then, he saw a thick black mist, almost blotting out the sky, gushing out from the black hole. From the black hole, countless skeletal, ethereal beings, enveloped in the black mist, emerged one after another.
The black skeletons instantly flew towards the sky full of halberds, followed by a series of "crackling" sounds that echoed throughout the sky, sending chills down everyone's spines. These black skeletons were actually devouring the halberds that Yang Hao had conjured!
"What...what are these things?!"
Yang Hao stared blankly at the scene before him, which was beyond his imagination, and couldn't help but let out an incredulous cry of horror.
But that wasn't all. Suddenly, a jet-black banner extended from the black hole. As the banner appeared in this world, the surrounding temperature dropped to an extreme. The icy yin energy raged wildly. Even Gu Xun'er, who was watching from afar and whose body was constantly tempered by several different kinds of strange fire, felt an uncontrollable chill rising within her.
The Yin Soul Banner was crafted from the most yin and coldest materials in the world, combined with the ultimate yin energy of Taiyin True Qi. Even with her unique fire, Gu Xun'er found it difficult to resist the corrosive yin energy raging in the world at that moment.
Looking at the banner before Hun Changqing, fluttering wildly in the cold wind, the smile on Gu Xun'er's face vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. The moment the banner appeared, Gu Xun'er felt a chill
run down her spine; even from a distance, she could sense the terror contained within it. Gu Xun'er didn't know where Hun Changqing had been for the past year, or where he had acquired this strange banner. However, she secretly compared the weapons of her ancient clan with Hun Changqing's banner and discovered that none of the weapons suitable for her current use could compare to this eerie banner.
At that moment, a strange thought arose in Gu Xun'er's mind. Aside from the cultivation resources and powerful backing, Hun Changqing seemed more like a young patriarch of an ancient clan than she did. He was clearly just an ordinary clansman who had left the Soul Clan severely injured and dejected, yet he possessed so many treasures far more precious than hers, the young patriarch of an ancient clan.
Not to mention the water Hun Changqing manipulated and the black wood, even the long banner was completely incomprehensible to Gu Xun'er. Thinking of the endless treasures Hun Changqing possessed and his unfathomable strength, Gu Xun'er couldn't help but sigh deeply.
"Drink!"
Yang Hao panicked upon sensing the suffocatingly cold aura emanating from the black banner. A strong sense of crisis surged through him, and he dared not hold back any longer. Yang Hao roared, and the energy around him surged wildly. In that instant, his aura seemed to break through a bottleneck, rising rapidly. A purplish-gold pattern appeared on his forehead, its light flowing within, looking incredibly mystical.
"Tsk, another clan mark."
Seeing the purplish-gold light surging, his aura rising wildly, and his internal energy growing ever larger and more turbulent, Hun Changqing's face showed a strange expression. He clicked his tongue lightly, his tone slightly playful. At the same time, he was somewhat speechless. This Northwest Continent was supposed to be a barren place where strong people rarely appeared, so why did he keep encountering people with the power of the eight clans' bloodlines? Did they all like to fry fish?
Despite his complaints, Hun Changqing remained calm as he watched Yang Hao's strength steadily increase. He was no longer surprised by the power of bloodlines, and he himself now possessed such a method to temporarily break through realms, albeit with minor side effects.
The Yang Hao before Hun Changqing was clearly not worthy of such a method. This Black Annihilation Army commander merely possessed a trace of ancient clan blood, not even a surname from an ancient clan, and his bloodline power was pitifully scarce. It was already quite good that it could help him break through one realm. For Hun Changqing, a five-star Dou Zun and a six-star Dou Zun were essentially the same; the final result wouldn't change.
Immediately, silver light emanated from Hun Changqing's palm, his five fingers forming a claw as he grasped the Yin Soul Banner floating before him. The moment his hand gripped the banner, the silver light in his hand began to extend towards the eerie black patterns on the banner.
As the silver light filled the patterns, a violent booming sound, accompanied by a powerful soul-shaking shock, swept out from the Yin Soul Banner that was now spreading with silver light. Yang Hao, who had just completed the activation of his bloodline clan patterns and felt an unprecedented state of well-being
, was struck dumb, his mind reeling, and his soul trembling violently. At this moment, Hun Changqing held the banner in one hand, while his other hand formed a strange hand seal. As the seal changed, the black energy around him surged and billowed violently, like a raging, all-encompassing demonic flame, making Hun Changqing seem like an unparalleled demon in the world.
As Hun Changqing's hand seal fell, his other hand, holding the banner, swiftly swung down towards Yang Hao. The black mist began to surge, completely enveloping Yang Hao and simultaneously concealing the surging purple-gold light emanating from his body. Yang Hao, shrouded in black mist, was being relentlessly eroded by countless Yin demons. Intense pain ravaged every nerve; the torment he was experiencing could only be described as a soul-devouring mass of demons. Then, an incredibly pitiful scream emanated from the black mist, its shrill sound sending chills down everyone's spine.
After a long while, the sound within the black mist gradually weakened, the life force within flickering weakly, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
"The Third Commander!"
"How could this be?"
The Black Annihilation Army soldiers protecting Gu Xun'er felt Yang Hao's impending demise, their eyes filled with disbelief. This commander, whom they considered invincible and unbeatable against any enemy, had been defeated by a member of the Soul Hall, and his life was hanging by a thread. This left them panicked and utterly helpless.
They wanted to rush forward to help Yang Hao, but realizing their own strength was insufficient, going forward would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. Furthermore, the young patriarch of the Gu clan, theoretically their superior in the Black Annihilation Army, hadn't given the order, so they dared not make a move. They could only glance at Gu Xun'er out of the corner of their eyes, wondering how she would handle the situation.
Gu Xun'er, standing expressionless with her hands behind her back in the void, naturally felt the gazes of the Black Annihilation Army. Looking towards the black mist where Yang Hao was, a glint of light flashed in her beautiful eyes. Although she didn't care about the Black Annihilation Army's gazes—they were merely servants to her—
if Yang Hao, the third commander of the Black Annihilation Army, died because he came to fetch her, and because of her, it would be quite troublesome for her to argue with the elders back in the Gu clan. She had no patience to argue with those old fogies about such useless things. Therefore, she planned to have Gu Ming rescue Yang Hao.
Just as Gu Xun'er was about to tell Gu Ming to make a move, the black mist enveloping Yang Hao suddenly dissipated, revealing his figure.
Yang Hao was kneeling in the void, his hands hanging limply at his sides, his head drooping. His once robust and powerful body was now incredibly thin, as if there wasn't a trace of flesh beneath his skin, just skin and bones. His face was skeletal, making it impossible to recognize his former handsome and masculine appearance. It seemed as if a gentle breeze could cause him to vanish. Then, Hun Changqing
extended his long, jade-white hand and gently beckoned to Yang Hao's withered body. The skeletal form flew towards Hun Changqing's palm, and Yang Hao, like a withered branch, was caught in Hun Changqing's grasp without any resistance.
Seeing this, Gu Xun'er, watching from afar, abandoned her idea of having Gu Ming rescue Yang Hao. She knew Hun Changqing's temperament; although he feared her and the Gu Clan behind her and wouldn't harm her,
Hun Changqing wouldn't be afraid of a mere minor commander of the Black Annihilation Army. Moreover, given Hun Changqing's vengeful nature, if Yang Hao dared to attack him, Gu Xun'er estimated he wouldn't survive. Yang Hao was currently in Hun Changqing's hands, easily killed with a flick of his wrist; Gu Ming had no chance of rescuing him.
The thought of having to explain herself to the elders again made Gu Xun'er's nerves ache. But she had no better options. It was all her own fault for wanting to test Hun Changqing with this five-star Dou Zun who possessed a bit of Gu Clan bloodline power; she had to bear the consequences herself. Gu Xun'er thought helplessly.
"What...what are you doing?"
Yang Hao felt a faint pressure on his neck and, barely managing to stay upright, cried out in terror. His loose, sagging skin contorted with fear, his eyes filled with the dread of impending death.
Gone was his previous arrogance; only fear of Hun Changqing and despair for what he had just experienced in the black mist remained.
Hun Changqing watched Yang Hao's limbs sway weakly in his grasp, seemingly struggling. A flicker of light appeared in his cold, deep eyes, like an abyss.
Feeling Hun Changqing's icy gaze, Yang Hao felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, already dead in an endless icy hell. His limbs stopped moving, hanging limply at his sides, his heart filled with fear and despair for Hun Changqing.
Hun Changqing glanced at Yang Hao, his fingers gripping Yang Hao's withered neck rubbing against Yang Hao's Adam's apple. The cold touch of Hun Changqing's fingers on Yang Hao's vital area sent a shiver through Yang Hao. Then, Hun
Changqing's gaze fell on Gu Xun'er not far away. After a moment's hesitation, he swung his arm sharply, throwing Yang Hao towards her.
Although Yang Hao had attacked him, in Hun Changqing's eyes, this man was nothing more than a clown, not particularly disgusting. He could kill him or not. Yang Hao was a member of the Gu clan, even if only a minor leader; killing him would still cause some trouble. Since Yang Hao was already in a state worse than death, Hun Changqing simply returned him to Gu Xun'er.
Gu Xun'er raised an eyebrow slightly as she watched Yang Hao, thrown by Hun Changqing, fly towards her. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes at Hun Changqing's actions; she truly hadn't expected someone with Hun Changqing's temperament to release Yang Hao.
"Catch him,"
Gu Xun'er commanded the Black Annihilation Army soldiers beside her. As soon as she spoke, a black figure darted out from the ranks and steadily caught Yang Hao.
"Truly useless,"
Gu Xun'er said coldly, her face expressionless, looking at Yang Hao, who was now as thin as a skeleton and radiating extreme weakness.
Yang Hao kept his head bowed, daring not to look Gu Xun'er in the eye or utter a single word of rebuttal. At that moment, all he felt was boundless fear of Hun Changqing.