Protector Wu glanced at Yao Chen, whose figure had already become nearly transparent, and a trace of greed flashed through his eyes.
His own condition was poor, but Yao Chen's condition was even worse.
However, when his gaze shifted to Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa, his expression grew much heavier, and deep wariness appeared in his eyes. With those two standing in the way, obtaining Yao Chen's soul was clearly no longer possible.
Thus, although the chances were slim, Protector Wu made one final attempt.
"Are the two of you truly determined to become enemies of the Hall of Souls? There is still time to turn back. I guarantee that if you hand over Yao Chen, the two of you will become friends of the Hall of Souls. Today's matter will be forgotten, and you may even receive benefits beyond your imagination."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan looked at Protector Wu with amusement and chuckled.
"My Queen, Senior Yao, did you hear that? After getting beaten up, Protector Wu has finally learned how to speak like a civilized person."
"You brat! Are you really determined to oppose the Hall of Souls to the very end?" Protector Wu shouted furiously.
However, Lin Yuan had no intention of wasting more words on him.
The battle had already reached its conclusion. If he wanted to listen to Protector Wu's nonsense, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
With a casual wave of his hand, he said calmly.
"Kill him."
Upon hearing those words, Queen Medusa recalled the message she had just received through the Heavenly Dome Network. A sharp gleam flashed through her eyes.
In an instant, she transformed from absolute stillness into explosive motion. Her figure flashed forward, appearing directly before Protector Wu as the seven-colored longsword in her hand thrust forward, aiming straight for his throat.
Faced with Medusa's attack, the weakened Protector Wu responded cautiously.
His claw-like hand shot out, moving in a series of strange trajectories as it rapidly collided with the seven-colored sword, producing a continuous series of metallic clangs.
Clang! Clang!
As the battle continued, Protector Wu steadily fell into a disadvantage against Queen Medusa. At this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before he died by her hand.
At one particular moment, silver lightning flashed around Lin Yuan's body.
His figure appeared behind Protector Wu as though he had teleported, and he threw out a punch.
Wrapped in azure flames and soul power, his fist landed solidly on Protector Wu's back, unleashing both force and spiritual energy into his body.
A muffled groan escaped Protector Wu's mouth.
His eyes sharpened immediately as a surge of black mist burst from within him, forcibly driving back both Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa.
After casting a gloomy glance at the group, a crafty gleam flashed through his eyes.
Then he suddenly shouted.
"You damned bastards! Since you want to kill this Protector, don't think you'll leave here unscathed! Let's all perish together!"
As his words fell, violent soul fluctuations erupted from his body.
It looked exactly as though he were preparing to self-destruct.
Queen Medusa's expression changed instantly.
Her figure flashed before Lin Yuan as vast seven-colored energy surged forth, forming a sturdy protective barrier.
At the same time, a black shadow detached itself from the shadow of a distant tree.
It was Ling Ying, who had been lying in wait for a sneak attack.
The moment he heard Protector Wu's words, he immediately transformed into countless shadows that merged into a solid protective shield around Yao Lao.
"Heh heh, so there really was another one. You've fallen for it."
Protector Wu let out a sinister laugh.
"All of you just wait for this Protector. The next time we meet, I'll show you the true power of the Hall of Souls. Treasure what little time you have left."
As he spoke, he cast a regretful glance toward Yao Lao in the distance.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he transformed into a streak of black mist and shot toward the horizon like lightning, disappearing from sight in moments.
Seeing this, Yao Lao hurriedly shouted.
"Brat Tian Shu, hurry and chase him! Don't let him escape! In my current state, I'll only slow you down."
Lin Yuan nodded.
"Alright. We'll meet tomorrow at the agreed location and exchange information."
Then, the instant the protective barrier was removed, Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa consumed Wind Travel Pills and immediately pursued Protector Wu's escape route.
At the same time, Lin Yuan used the soul mark he had secretly left on Protector Wu during the battle to track his location.
Through the Heavenly Dome Network, he issued a command.
"Qing Lin, move with Zi Yan to Sector Fourteen adjacent to your current position. The target is heading in that direction and should arrive in approximately nine minutes. Medusa and I will arrive in about twelve minutes. Prepare to intercept him."
"For the duration of the operation, keep the Heavenly Dome Network running at full capacity. We'll continuously synchronize information and adjust details in real time."
Within a dense forest, Qing Lin received Lin Yuan's instructions and her expression immediately became serious.
"Understood, Young Master. Zi Yan and I will move there immediately."
As she spoke, she grabbed Zi Yan's hand and flew toward the designated location while explaining Lin Yuan's orders.
Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's eyes lit up and a broad grin spread across her face.
"Hehe, it's finally time for this young lady to show her true might! This time, I'll make Lin Yuan look at me in a whole new light!"
Under the clear sky, Protector Wu flew at full speed while wrapped in black mist, not daring to relax in the slightest.
He could clearly sense that someone was pursuing him from behind.
At the same time, his mood was heavy as he thought about the failed operation and considered how he would report the matter to his superiors.
After all, not only had he failed to capture Yao Chen, but Protector Sun had also died, and a huge number of souls intended for submission to the Hall had been lost.
"When I report this, I'll blame everything on Protector Sun. He's already dead anyway."
At this point, Protector Wu could only hope that the Hall would show leniency because he had completed the Xiao Clan mission and had successfully discovered and reported Yao Chen's whereabouts.
However, as he passed over a stretch of dense forest, a clear and youthful voice suddenly rang out ahead.
"Just as expected, he really came! It's this fellow covered in black mist, right? Take this—Overlord Fist!"
As the voice fell, a fierce gust of fist force mixed with a torrent of purple energy surged toward Protector Wu.
At the same time, an ancient and savage aura locked onto him.
Within the black mist, Protector Wu's eyes darkened.
The black mist surrounding him transformed into a strange vortex and swept toward the incoming purple torrent.
As the vortex rotated, it neutralized all of the purple energy and fist force.
However, the attack succeeded in halting his escape.
"Who is this ignorant fool?" Protector Wu shouted angrily.
"How dare you attack this Protector and oppose the Hall of Souls? Are you tired of living?"
"Hehe, it's your Aunt Zi Yan!"
The mischievous laughter of a young girl echoed through the air.
"What? Not convinced?"
"Zi Yan, you forgot again. Didn't Young Master tell you not to casually reveal your name while traveling outside?"
A gentle sigh from a young girl followed.
"Ah, I forgot by accident..."
As the voices faded, Protector Wu focused his gaze ahead.
A girl dressed in green and a girl dressed in purple flew into view.
They were none other than Qing Lin and Zi Yan.
After sensing their auras, Protector Wu instantly identified them.
Zi Yan was the one who had just intercepted him.
Qing Lin was the one whose terrifying aura had locked onto him and forced him to defend.
After revealing themselves, the two girls positioned themselves directly in his path, making their intentions perfectly clear.
Watching Zi Yan and Qing Lin dare to stand in his way, Protector Wu immediately roared:
"You little brats! How dare you block this Protector? You're courting death!"
With a wave of his hand, a vast surge of black mist erupted forward toward the two girls.
Zi Yan's gemstone-like eyes fixed on the incoming black mist.
With a thought, purple light wrapped around her arms.
A strange layer of violet crystal condensed over her fists.
A terrifying force capable of shattering mountains and splitting boulders gathered upon them.
Meanwhile, a crimson gleam flashed through Qing Lin's eyes.
An exquisite blood-colored bow instantly materialized in her hands.
Countless streams of crimson energy seemed to gather from the void itself, converging upon the bow as a terrifying power rapidly accumulated.
The next moment, Zi Yan's eyes sharpened.
Her crystal-covered fist smashed forward.
Brilliant purple light erupted as a torrent of violet energy accompanied by a fierce fist wind surged ahead.
"Zi Yan Overlord Fist!"
At the same time, Qing Lin released the bowstring.
A blood-red arrow carrying immense power shot forth, its momentum not inferior to Zi Yan's full-strength strike in the slightest.
"Beast Origin Spirit Gathering Array: Blood Origin Divine Strike!"
The violet torrent and blood-red arrow combined into a single devastating assault, crashing head-on toward Protector Wu's black mist attack.
Buzz—
A deep sound rang out.
Moments later, the black mist which contained several layers of Protector Wu's power was actually pierced through and scattered apart. The violet and crimson energies continued unabated, hurtling straight toward Protector Wu behind it.
Looking at the two incoming streams of violet and crimson energy, shock appeared uncontrollably on Protector Wu's face. Although he was currently in a weakened state, being suppressed by two little girls who looked no older than ten was still difficult for him to accept.
Enduring his weakness, Protector Wu waved his sleeve. Even denser black mist surged forth from within, enveloping the two attacks in an attempt to corrode them completely.
At the same time, a powerful blood-red energy was released from the internal space of Qinglin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Her hands rapidly formed a series of mysterious seals, and a dark-red boundary spread outward with her as its center.
Protector Wu's eyes narrowed.
"A formation barrier?"
After probing it briefly, his heart sank even further.
"This barrier is troublesome."
He discovered that under the barrier's influence, not only was his escape route blocked, but even his perception seemed to be obstructed by the crimson boundary, preventing him from sensing the outside world.
Sweeping his gaze across the seemingly empty surroundings, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.
"A formation this powerful, yet I can't see the ones maintaining it. It seems."
"To break the formation, I must deal with her first."
His gaze locked onto Qinglin, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes.
The space rippled slightly.
Protector Wu's figure vanished from the spot in an eerie manner.
Seeing this, Qinglin condensed vast blood-red energy into her hands while simultaneously activating her Heavenly Eye, carefully observing the fluctuations in the surrounding space and energy.
As the Heavenly Eye operated, her emerald eyes grew even brighter. Every minute detail in her surroundings was captured by her gaze.
Suddenly, she spun around.
Her jade-like palm, carrying blood-red energy infused with a primordial aura, slammed fiercely toward the space behind her.
At the point of impact, Protector Wu's figure abruptly appeared, having attempted a sneak attack.
Protector Wu hurriedly raised his fist to meet the strike.
As fist and palm collided, waves of force rippled outward in all directions, and thunderous booms echoed through the sky.
The energies within their bodies surged violently against one another.
Moments later, both were forced backward.
After stabilizing himself once more, Protector Wu looked at Qinglin with a grave expression.
"This little girl is truly strange."
Seeing him staring directly at her, a faint sneer appeared in Qinglin's eyes.
His soul had already suffered severe damage, yet he still dared to look directly into her eyes.
That could be exploited.
A strange emerald light suddenly flashed within her green pupils.
"Illusory Pupil."
As Protector Wu gazed at Qinglin, he saw the green light flash in her eyes.
Instantly, a powerful wave of dizziness struck his mind.
He hurriedly concentrated his spirit and tried to shake off the effect, but he was still delayed for a brief moment.
Naturally, Qinglin and Zi Yan would not let such an opportunity slip away.
Two streaks of light flashed.
A fierce violet fist blast and a blood-red palm print slammed into Protector Wu's chest once more, sending him crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
"You damned little girls! You've truly enraged this Protector!"
A vicious and sinister voice emerged from the dust cloud.
Immediately afterward, a vast surge of soul power erupted. Protector Wu revealed himself once more, though his aura had weakened even further.
Hearing this, Qinglin's lips curled into a smile.
"So what if we've angered you? Because next, your opponents are."
"Us."
As the words fell, Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa appeared on the battlefield.
"Damn it. You arranged this interception."
Protector Wu's face darkened as he finally understood everything.
"So that's how it is. During the final round of battle, your positioning was intentionally restricting my escape routes, forcing me to flee in this direction."
"And during the pursuit, the aura you deliberately released and the route you chose served the same purpose to make sure I passed through this place."
Holding the Mountain River Seal in his hand, Lin Yuan looked at Protector Wu indifferently.
"Congratulations. You guessed correctly."
"So, you get a reward."
The moment the word "reward" left his mouth, a divine light flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes.
Using his soul to guide his Dou Qi, the sound-wave Dou Technique he had secretly been charging finally accumulated enough power.
Then, after notifying everyone through the Sky Network to prepare their defenses, Lin Yuan opened his mouth and unleashed the attack he had long prepared.
"Heavenly Dragon Eight Notes: Shock!"
A heaven-shaking dragon roar erupted from his mouth.
The nearly tangible sound waves spread outward at lightning speed with Lin Yuan at their center.
The terrifying sonic attack, accompanied by overwhelming dragon might and the fluctuations of a late Seventh-Grade soul, struck directly at Protector Wu.
Caught completely off guard, Protector Wu felt as though his soul had been struck by a giant hammer.
His already injured soul suffered another devastating blow, causing him to fall into a brief daze.
Queen Medusa instantly seized the opportunity.
Raising her sword, she unleashed a slash.
A razor-sharp sword aura more than ten zhang wide cleaved straight toward Protector Wu.
After breaking free from his stupor, Protector Wu hastily summoned his chains to defend himself.
However, such a rushed defense could not withstand the enormous seven-colored sword aura.
The chains were severed, and Protector Wu himself was sent flying backward.
At that moment, Lin Yuan appeared directly along his flight path.
The azure-red seal in his hand struck squarely onto Protector Wu's body.
"It's over. Mountain River Seal."
Feeling the terrifying energy behind him, fear spread uncontrollably from the depths of Protector Wu's soul.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
Violent energy swept across the surroundings as azure energy expanded outward.
The space resembled a tranquil lake struck by a massive boulder, generating towering waves while visible ripples spread through the air.
A moment later, as the azure energy gradually dissipated, Protector Wu shot out from within it.
At this point, only a thin layer of black mist remained around his body.
The waiting Queen Medusa moved instantly.
Appearing directly behind him, she drove a palm heavily into the center of his back.
After suffering this final blow, the black mist surrounding Protector Wu nearly collapsed completely.
His aura weakened further, and he finally fell entirely from the Dou Ancestor realm.
With a cold smile, Queen Medusa extended her slender hand.
Vast seven-colored energy surged forth, forming a cage-like energy barrier that completely enveloped Protector Wu.
The seven-colored energy became a set of shackles, sealing him within.
No matter how he struggled, he could no longer break through the energy membrane.
All he could do was roar furiously from inside like a trapped beast making its final struggle.
A silver flash appeared.
Lin Yuan arrived beside Queen Medusa.
Looking at Protector Wu trapped within the energy membrane, satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
"After all that effort, we've finally gotten our hands on you, Protector Wu."
He sighed softly.
"Your Majesty, make him a little weaker."
Queen Medusa nodded.
With a gentle clench of her hand, the energy membrane rapidly contracted before adhering directly to Protector Wu's body.
Immediately, a series of sizzling sounds rang out.
At the same time, miserable screams escaped from Protector Wu's mouth.
As the seven-colored energy continued to erode him, the black mist covering his body finally dissipated completely.
His true soul body was finally revealed.
A translucent soul, so thin it seemed almost transparent, appeared before the two of them.
"My soul imprint remains within the Hall! If you kill me, the Hall of Souls will never let you go!"
Protector Wu glared viciously at Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa as he spoke in a sinister voice.
Lin Yuan merely chuckled.
"Don't worry, Protector Wu. There are many things I want to learn from you. After going through so much trouble to capture you, how could I possibly kill you?"
A meaningful smile appeared on his face.
"We'll be spending quite a bit of time together from now on. I hope we can get along well."
"Happy cooperation."
"Jie jie jie..."
----
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