Protector Wu's soul, already grievously weakened from the series of battles, repeated injuries, and the loss of its physical vessel, stood no chance.
Faced with Yao Lao's power, it could offer no resistance. Within moments, it was suppressed and sealed inside a soul cage no larger than the palm of a hand.
With that done, Yao Lao flashed out of the crater and returned to the surface.
As he emerged, he happened to see Zhou Changqing in the distant sky, his figure swaying as if drunk.
Then, the already dim Dou Qi Wings on his back flickered and vanished, sending him plummeting toward the ground.
Seeing this, Yao Lao was about to move to catch him.
But before he could act, a massive, seven-colored silhouette intercepted Zhou Changqing first.
It was the Heaven-Swallowing Python.
After catching Zhou Changqing, the python's body shimmered with vibrant light, and it transformed back into Medusa.
Her slender arms, which looked delicate but held immense strength, held Zhou Changqing in a rather embarrassing princess carry.
However, Zhou Changqing was in no state to care. His face was ashen, his body was limp, and he was utterly devoid of energy, looking for all the world like a man on his sickbed.
To execute the Radiant Thunder Finger, he had completely drained his Dou Qi reserves. To further amplify its power, he had even consumed a vast amount of his own vital energy and blood.
Fortunately, the results were gratifying.
That level of expenditure, combined with a mid-tier Earth-rank technique like the Radiant Thunder Finger, had produced a blast strong enough to injure a Dou Zong—and not just any Dou Zong, but a mid-level one like Protector Wu.
Even though Protector Wu had already been heavily wounded at the time, a Dou Zong was still a Dou Zong. The gap between that realm and a Dou King was insurmountable.
This proved that while the Radiant Thunder Finger was incredibly draining, it was a perfect fit for Zhou Changqing, possessing terrifying power.
If his cultivation level had been equal to Protector Wu's, that single attack might not have just injured him, but severely wounded or even killed him outright.
"Little fellow, are you all right?"
Yao Lao flew over to them swiftly, arriving beside the pair. He looked at Zhou Changqing in Medusa's arms and asked with a smile.
Mustering a sliver of strength, Zhou Changqing's gaze swept over Xiao Yan's familiar face. He nodded weakly. "Thank you for your concern, senior. I've only exhausted myself. It's nothing serious."
Yao Lao nodded in understanding, his gaze then shifting to Medusa. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.
Medusa's aura was now stable, and there were no visible wounds on her body. She looked nothing like someone who had just emerged from a fierce battle.
This Queen Medusa is no simple character...
He remembered that although she hadn't been critically injured before, she had been far from unscathed.
However, Yao Lao didn't press the matter. He simply gave Medusa a slight nod and a faint smile. "We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's help this time."
Medusa sized up the Xiao Yan that Yao Lao was possessing before looking away. She gave a slight dip of her head in acknowledgment.
Yao Lao didn't mind her attitude. After all, they were strangers, and her personality was known to be aloof.
"Senior, is that ghostly thing dead?" Zhou Changqing asked.
He couldn't rest easy until he knew Protector Wu was gone for good.
Yao Lao shook his head, presenting the soul cage in his palm for them to see. "This person has a significant background," he explained. "The faction behind him employs strange and cunning methods. They possess a secret art involving soul lamps, which can be bound to a person's soul. If the person dies, the lamp is extinguished."
"Therefore, to avoid alerting his superiors, I did not destroy his soul. Doing so would likely draw their attention. If that faction sent someone to investigate, the next person they dispatch would be far more powerful than this one."
"At that time, we would all face a mortal crisis."
"The best course of action for now is to imprison him. This way, we may be able to deceive them and buy ourselves more time."
After hearing the explanation, Zhou Changqing nodded. It was indeed the best method.
Although the original story never mentioned anything about soul lamps, it was better to be cautious.
After all, the Tou She Ancient God's Jade had a similar function.
Even though several Hall of Souls Protectors, including Protector Wu, had died at Xiao Yan's hands in the original plot without triggering any immediate pursuit from stronger experts, what if things were different this time?
Reality wasn't a novel. There was nothing wrong with being prudent.
"Let's leave this place. The commotion from this battle was significant. It might attract unwanted attention."
Seeing that the two men were about to continue their conversation, Medusa interrupted. She then flew off into the distance, carrying Zhou Changqing with her.
Is she afraid of someone showing up? Or perhaps she's worried about the little fellow's injuries.
Yao Lao shook his head with a wry smile and followed after them.
The trio flew for some distance before finding Xiao Zhan and the rest of the Xiao Clan members at a location not far from the city's eastern gate.
Upon learning that the powerful enemy had been dealt with, Xiao Zhan and the others had stopped their evacuation. Instead, they had gathered everyone at one of the Xiao Clan's commercial properties to rest.
The Xiao Clan manor was destroyed. The clan's future now needed careful consideration.
In a guest room within an inn owned by the Xiao Clan.
Zhou Changqing sat in meditation, restoring his Dou Qi and recovering from his injuries.
After a long while, he exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly opened his eyes.
He sensed his current condition and decided not to continue cultivating for the moment.
Thanks to his powerful high-rank Dou King physique and a healing pill, his injuries and vital energy had fully recovered. His Dou Qi had also been replenished by more than half under the circulation of his Heavenly Dipper Golden Tempering Art.
Sitting on the bed, he gazed at the faint light of dawn beginning to streak across the horizon, his thoughts turning inward.
Today had been truly perilous, but thankfully, the outcome was as he had hoped. Protector Wu was no longer a threat.
This brought him considerable relief.
It wasn't that he was needlessly worrying.
While the incident might have seemed unrelated to him—Protector Wu was after the Xiao Clan, and he was just meddling—the truth was far from it.
First, while he had no deep ties to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Zhan had saved him once.
Back when the Jia Lie Clan and other factions had sent experts to ambush him, there had been a Da Dou Shi among them.
If not for the timely arrival of Gu Ni and Xiao Zhan, escaping would not have been so simple.
Therefore, he owed them a debt of gratitude. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing when he knew Xiao Zhan was in mortal danger.
Second, even if he had stayed out of it, there was no guarantee Protector Wu wouldn't have come for him eventually.
Why would a mighty Dou Zong like Protector Wu come to a small place like the Jia Ma Empire? It was to secretly collect powerful souls for the Hall of Souls!
Thus, anyone with a strong soul was a potential target.
From Protector Wu's words when he first appeared, it was clear he had already marked Zhou Changqing as a target. It was only a matter of time before he made his move.
Furthermore, if he had allowed Protector Wu to take Xiao Zhan, the Hall of Souls would have learned that the Xiao Clan were descendants of the Xiao Clan of old.
Given his relationship with Xiao Yan, he would inevitably have been implicated.
As he always told himself, it was better to be safe than sorry.
He couldn't blindly apply the plot of the original novel to reality. His very existence as a transmigrator guaranteed that the world of Battle Through the Heavens would no longer follow its original script.
Therefore, the current outcome was the best possible one.
With Protector Wu captured, any chance of him sending a message to the Hall of Souls was severed, buying them a significant amount of time before that monstrous organization turned its gaze upon them.
Now that this matter was concluded, it was time for him to consider the next steps in his own cultivation.