Hearing the familiar "Jie jie jie" laughter, Protector Wu subconsciously looked toward Lin Yuan.
"Boy, you what are you doing ah—!"
Before Protector Wu could finish speaking, Lin Yuan extended his hand into the energy barrier. A Fallen Heart Flame Seed Flame surged forth, sweeping toward Protector Wu's soul before completely enveloping it.
The instant the invisible flame touched Protector Wu's soul, thick white smoke rose from its surface amid a series of sizzling sounds.
Immediately afterward, a miserable scream filled with bone-deep agony erupted from his mouth.
"AHHHH—!"
At the same time, Lin Yuan's amused voice entered Protector Wu's ears.
"Protector Wu, you're too dangerous."
"So, for my peace of mind, for mutual trust between us, and for your own survival, I need to remove all of your ability to resist and temporarily seal you away."
What followed was an even more miserable scream that echoed throughout the surrounding area.
Having lost the protection of his black mist, Protector Wu had virtually no means of resisting the burning of the Heart Flame Seed Flame. Before long, his soul had been scorched until it was nearly transparent, as though it could dissipate into nothingness at any moment.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, recalling the Heart Flame Seed Flame.
He then retrieved a black soul-storage box from his Storage Ring. With a beckoning gesture, a powerful suction force erupted from the box, pulling Protector Wu's soul inside and completely sealing it away.
"Phew... finally got him. Once I meet with Senior Yao tomorrow, I'll find an opportunity to properly interrogate him and extract everything he knows about the Hall of Souls, their intelligence and secret techniques."
After storing the black box inside his Storage Ring, Lin Yuan finally let out a long breath.
As long as this fellow had been captured, every objective in his cooperation with Yao Lao had been perfectly accomplished.
The executor of the Hall of Souls' Ancient Jade plan, Protector Wu, had been dealt with.
He had earned favors from Yao Lao, Xiao Yan, and Gu Xun'er while obtaining information regarding the Woeful Tomb.
He had also captured Protector Wu, granting him access to higher-level Hall of Souls knowledge as well as their detailed deployment throughout the northwestern region, greatly facilitating future operations.
"Still, Yao Lao truly deserves his reputation as an old veteran who has survived for so many years on the Dou Qi Continent. His methods are indeed seasoned."
Thinking of the trace of concealed soul power he had just destroyed with the Heart Flame Seed Flame, a playful smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face.
"Even during such an intense battle, he still remembered to leave a tracking soul imprint on Protector Wu."
At that thought, Lin Yuan couldn't help becoming more vigilant.
This was indeed no minor issue.
As cultivation deepened, Dou Ancestor and stronger experts whether alchemists or not would inevitably come into contact with soul power. The ways soul power could be used became increasingly varied and unpredictable. A moment of carelessness could easily result in disaster.
"It seems I'll need to be much more cautious in this area from now on. Perhaps the Soul-Cleansing Pill is even more valuable than I originally thought."
Meanwhile, after traveling for some time, Yao Lao and Ling Ying met up with Xiao Yan in a secluded valley.
"Teacher, are you alright?"
Seeing Yao Lao's soul body, now so faint it was nearly transparent, Xiao Yan hurriedly asked.
This was the first time he had ever seen Yao Lao in such a weakened state, as though he might dissipate at any moment.
Previously, even when Yao Lao had helped him refine the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame and exhausted a tremendous amount of soul power, he had never reached such a condition.
Yao Lao waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry. I've merely expended a bit more energy than usual."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief.
Yao Lao looked deeply at Xiao Yan and spoke solemnly.
"Xiao Yan, I know you have many questions. Now that the Three-Year Agreement has ended, it's time for those questions to be answered. Today, I will tell you everything."
"My own affairs, the affairs of Ling Ying and the people behind him, the enemies we encountered today."
"And the affairs of the Xiao Clan as well."
"The Xiao Clan?"
Xiao Yan was instantly startled.
"What happened to the Xiao Clan?"
Suddenly, he remembered the words spoken by the shadowy figure who had ambushed him. A blood-red killing intent immediately surfaced in his eyes.
"Teacher has something really happened to my father?"
Yao Lao sighed and patted Xiao Yan on the head.
"Most likely, yes. But his life should not be in danger."
"Little Yan, remember this well. Anger alone solves nothing. First, take a look at these materials."
As he spoke, Yao Lao took out the investigation report Lin Yuan had given him the previous day and handed it over.
Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Lao and Ling Ying before quickly flipping through the information.
Yao Lao simply watched him quietly.
Suddenly, Yao Lao's expression changed slightly as he looked into the distance with a serious gaze.
"What is it, Mister Yao?"
Noticing the change in Yao Lao's expression, Ling Ying immediately asked.
Suppressing the confusion in his eyes, Yao Lao shook his head.
"It's nothing major. The soul power I attached to Protector Wu has been erased."
"I don't know whether Protector Wu discovered and removed it himself, or whether Tian Shu and the others have already dealt with him."
"Either way, the matter has reached its conclusion. We'll know the answer when we meet Tian Shu tomorrow."
After speaking, Yao Lao looked toward Xiao Yan and sighed inwardly.
Sigh Little Yan has only just completed the Three-Year Agreement that weighed on him for so long. Yet now he must immediately shoulder an even heavier burden and face far more troublesome enemies.
Not long afterward, after finishing the report, Xiao Yan's expression became extremely gloomy. The bulging veins on his forehead revealed the fury he was desperately suppressing.
Taking a deep breath, he forcefully buried his volcano-like rage deep within himself.
A chilling voice emerged from his mouth.
"Teacher, tell me everything."
"Who exactly are those black-clothed enemies? Why are they targeting us like this?"
"Very well."
"Today, I will tell you everything."
"They are members of the Hall of Souls..."
Thus, Yao Lao began explaining everything in detail, the Hall of Souls, his own past, the affairs of the Xiao Clan, and much more.
Having successfully captured Protector Wu, Lin Yuan finally relaxed.
He deactivated the Dual-Origin Secret Technique, and his aura immediately fell back to the level of a peak nine-star Dou Emperor.
"The Breaking Origin Qi-Boosting Pill may be expensive, but its effects are truly excellent."
Sensing the abundant Dou Qi still flowing within his body, Lin Yuan thought to himself,
"It seems I'll need to continue gathering medicinal ingredients and refine a few more. Qing Lin and Zi Yan should each have some prepared as well."
Feeling the lingering medicinal potency inside his body, Lin Yuan flicked his fingers, instantly forming several profound hand seals.
A green fire lotus appeared at his fingertips.
"Heavenly Flame Tribulation, Green Lotus Origin-Sealing Mark!"
The green fire lotus entered his body and transformed into a lotus-shaped seal, tightly enveloping and sealing away the remaining thirty percent of the Breaking Origin Qi-Boosting Pill's medicinal power.
At the same time, his cultivation rapidly declined once more, returning to the level of a five-star Dou Emperor.
After sensing the vast medicinal power now firmly sealed within him, a smile appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes.
"I can already seal away thirty percent of the medicinal power. Excellent."
"That means the Green Lotus Origin-Sealing Mark, designed to seal energy within the body, is nearly perfected."
However, just as Lin Yuan was feeling pleased, a wave of weakness suddenly surged through him.
His body trembled slightly, and his complexion rapidly turned pale.
The side effects of simultaneously using the Dual-Origin Secret Technique had finally begun to manifest.
Seeing this, Medusa flashed to his side and supported him, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
"Are you alright?"
Zi Yan and Qing Lin also hurriedly flapped their wings and flew over.
Breathing in the faint fragrance emanating from Medusa, Lin Yuan relaxed his body and leaned lightly against her, smiling.
"Hehe, it's nothing serious. I've simply exhausted too much Dou Qi, and the secret technique's backlash is kicking in. A bit of rest and recovery will be enough."
With Lin Yuan's powerful physique, this level of backlash could be completely recovered from in a single day.
His gaze then swept across the blood-red boundary surrounding the area before settling on Qing Lin.
"Qing'er, you can remove the barrier now. You can also stop operating the Beast Spirit Gathering Formation."
Qing Lin nodded and quickly formed several hand seals.
The crimson boundary immediately began retracting toward her. The blood-red hue filling the surrounding space gradually faded away, and warm sunlight once again poured down from the heavens.
A moment later, her hand seals changed once more.
Within the pupil-space of her Jade-Green Snake Triple-Pupil Flower Eyes, the massive cloud of blood-colored energy connected to countless serpent-type Magical Beasts gradually dispersed as well.
At the same time, the aura on her body, which had been comparable to that of a Dou Ancestor—slowly receded, returning to the level of a seven-star Dou King.
Medusa looked at Qing Lin, unable to conceal the astonishment in her eyes.
"The Jade-Green Snake Triple-Pupil Flower Eyes combined with the Beast Spirit Gathering Formation can actually unleash such power? Little Qing Lin, you're only fifteen years old this year, aren't you? A fifteen-year-old with Dou Ancestor-level combat strength..."
Hearing this, Qing Lin dispersed the remaining blood-origin energy around her and smiled brightly.
"Hehe! It's all thanks to Young Master. Young Master's been planning my cultivation path from the very beginning."
Medusa glanced at Lin Yuan, who looked completely relaxed as he leaned much of his weight against her, and said teasingly,
"No wonder you immediately targeted the Mu Lan Valley the moment you learned they possessed an inherited formation."
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
"Qing'er is a born formation master. I can't very well let her talent in this area go to waste."
Then he turned toward Qing Lin, the corners of his lips rising slightly as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Qing'er, you performed very well this time. It seems you've already mastered the Beast Spirit Gathering Formation. As expected of a natural formation master."
Lin Yuan himself had some understanding of formations. As the possessor of the Jade-Green Snake Triple-Pupil Flower Eyes, Qing Lin truly deserved the title of a natural formation master.
In Lin Yuan's understanding, the formations of the Dou Qi Continent could be divided into three categories:
Borrowing-Type Formations, Collective-Power Formations, and Hybrid Formations.
And Qing Lin was unquestionably a top-tier genius when it came to Collective-Power Formations.
On the Dou Qi Continent, the strength of such formations depended on three factors:
First, the sophistication of the formation itself.
Second, the strength and loyalty of each formation node.
Third, the coordination between those nodes.
The first point aside.
Under normal circumstances, achieving the second point required establishing a faction and cultivating suitable members, much like the Misty Cloud Sect. Such a method demanded enormous amounts of time and resources, and the quality of the formation users was directly tied to the foundation of the faction itself.
Qing Lin, however, only needed to use her Jade-Green Snake Triple-Pupil Flower Eyes to forcibly subdue powerful serpent-type Magical Beasts. In this way, she could easily obtain large numbers of loyal and powerful formation nodes.
At present, Qing Lin already commanded:
Five Tier 6 Magical Beasts
Seventeen Tier 5 Magical Beasts
Sixty-three Tier 4 Magical Beasts
Hundreds of Tier 3 and lower Magical Beasts
All of them could serve as formation nodes.
With such a lineup, her Beast Spirit Gathering Formation naturally far surpassed the Misty Cloud Sect's Cloud Mist Covering Sun Formation.
The Cloud Mist Covering Sun Formation could allow a Dou King to wield the power of a high-level Dou Emperor.
Qing Lin's current Beast Spirit Gathering Formation, however, could elevate her combat power directly into the Dou Ancestor realm.
As for the third factor, formation-node coordination.
Ordinarily, this could only be achieved through years of training and cooperation, another extremely time-consuming process.
But Qing Lin possessed an advantage unique to the Jade-Green Snake Triple-Pupil Flower Eyes.
The Magical Beasts she subdued obeyed her absolutely and could continuously train within the pupil-space.
To support this, Lin Yuan and Qing Lin had jointly designed a specialized set of soul imprints containing all the necessary formation knowledge.
Whenever Qing Lin branded a Magical Beast with one of these soul imprints using her Spiritual Strength, the creature would instantly gain the relevant knowledge.
Thanks to this soul-imprint technique, Qing Lin didn't even need to personally teach the Magical Beasts formation methods.
Once branded, those carefully selected Magical Beast followers only needed extensive practice within the pupil-space to become excellent formation nodes.
Beyond that, Qing Lin enjoyed several additional advantages.
For one, she could use the pupil-space to carry a large number of formation participants with her at all times.
Thus, although it appeared as though she was traveling alone, in reality she was moving together with an entire powerful force.
Secondly, she could conceal the formation nodes within the pupil-space itself.
This meant enemies could not break her formations by targeting weaker nodes, a common weakness of most large formations.
In the future, as Qing Lin's cultivation increased, the upper limit of the Magical Beasts she could subdue would rise as well.
Lin Yuan estimated that once Qing Lin advanced to the Dou Emperor class and gathered enough followers, her actual combat power would soar even further through formations, enough to contend head-on with high-level Dou Ancestors.
As long as everything was managed properly, Qing Lin's strength would continue snowballing at an astonishing rate all the way until she reached the Dou Saint realm.
"Looks like I'll be relying on Qing'er's thighs before long."
"I need to find more advanced formations. The formations themselves can't become a bottleneck to her growth."
"I also need to locate stronger serpent-type Magical Beasts as quickly as possible."
"And her Spiritual Strength needs further improvement. More complex formations will demand it."
Various thoughts flashed through Lin Yuan's mind as he planned for the future.
Meanwhile, as Medusa looked at the smile on Lin Yuan's face, she suddenly recalled something he had told her more than a year ago:
"Don't underestimate her. She might surpass Your Majesty very soon."
A trace of emotion surfaced in her heart.
If she had not undergone that near-death evolution, she truly might no longer be Qing Lin's opponent.
Thinking of this, an inexplicable sense of urgency arose within Medusa.
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Zi Yan squeezed her way to Lin Yuan's side and immediately began claiming credit.
"Lin Yuan, what about me? What about me? I punched that black guy several times and stopped him from escaping! This time, you owe me at least three—no, five—feasts! I want to eat—"
Lin Yuan chuckled.
"I'm in a good mood today. How could three or five meals be enough? I'll raise it to ten."
"Ten meals? Really? Yay!"
Zi Yan's eyes immediately lit up.
"Big Brother Lin Yuan, you can't take it back!"
"Oh? So I've suddenly been promoted from 'Lin Yuan' to 'Big Brother Lin Yuan' again?"
Looking at the delightfully comical expression on her face, Lin Yuan laughed.
He reached out and pinched her soft little cheeks until she looked ready to bite him before finally letting go.
Sure enough, wherever Zi Yan was, there was never a shortage of laughter.
"Haha! Let's go. We're heading back to the Holy City of Jia Ma. This long-planned operation is finally over, time for a celebration banquet!"
----
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