"Even a one-star Dou Sheng like Hun Qing couldn't withstand your poison. Truly worthy of the legendary Calamity Poison Body! But do you think you can last a few more days?"
The aged figure slowly raised his head. His withered face looked somewhat terrifying under the light. The ghostly fire in his eyes flickered slightly, and a hoarse, chilling voice rang out: "I'd like to see how long you can last. That Yun Yun, her sword is indeed powerful, able to unleash the strength of a Dou Sheng with the power of a Dou Zun, but after being struck by my bone blade, how long can she live!"
"Hehehe... This bone blade of mine was forged from the bones of ten thousand people. Countless souls were sacrificed to it. Anyone whose body is touched by the blade's wind will suffer the torment of being devoured by ten thousand souls. How much more so if one is struck by this blade!" A huge bone blade appeared in the hand of the Great Celestial Venerable, exuding a strange aura. However, it could be clearly seen that the tip of the bone blade was broken, as if it had been cut by some kind of sharp weapon.
The Great Celestial Venerable said in a sinister tone, "Today, I will completely eradicate you!"
"Great Celestial Venerable, why waste words with this junior? Kill her, extract her soul... Hehe, those wondrous techniques and supernatural abilities will belong to our Soul Palace!" A powerful energy surge suddenly emanated from another direction, and then the space in front distorted, and a figure slowly emerged.
The figure that appeared was completely shrouded in black mist, and two eerily sinister gazes shot out from within, sending chills down one's spine.
“Vice Hall Master, you didn’t participate in that battle, so you don’t know how powerful they are. You can’t underestimate this woman. She blocked the Hall Master’s Void Devouring Flame and even used a strange power to severely injure the Hall Master. We attacked continuously for three months and suffered heavy losses. It’s best to be careful.”
"There's no time left. If we can't take it down now, all our plans will be for naught!" The black mist rippled slowly, revealing an unusually pale face. The face didn't look old; instead, it looked like that of a young man. However, the tone of his voice was extremely sinister, making it clear that his true age was definitely not what it appeared to be.
"But are the Xiao Clan and the Gu Clan about to make a move?"
"And the Pill Tower! Gu He has already persuaded the Pill Tower elders, and even the clan leader can hardly suppress them!" As he spoke, the Soul Palace Vice Hall Master's eyes turned cold. He flicked his finger, and a stream of black energy shot out towards the green-clad figure. It eventually transformed into a black dragon, which swallowed the green-clad figure's dazzling clouds in one gulp. Then, its large hand suddenly grabbed at the green-clad figure, and a vast expanse of black mist burst forth from between its five fingers, transforming into five enormous chains that rattled and swept towards the green-clad figure.
"Don't think that just because you've mastered some strange powers, you're enough to be arrogant. In my eyes, you're nothing!"
A ferocious look appeared on the face of the Soul Hall's deputy hall master. His strength had reached the late stage of a three-star Dou Sheng. At this level, he was more than capable of crushing the weak and exhausted Green Robe!
Although Green Robe possessed extraordinary talent and the Calamity Poison Body, allowing for rapid progress in cultivation, after three years she had only reached the early stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, barely stepping into the realm of Earth Immortals. Her array formations were sufficient to deal with these Soul-Body Dou Sheng powerhouses, but without the Heavenly Blazing Fire Array, she could only defend herself against Dou Sheng.
At this moment, a bewitching woman emerged from the mountaintop, wielding the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler, nine golden flowers flashing in her hand, as she faced the chains that were transforming soul power. However, Queen Medusa also looked exhausted, and her body bore more than a dozen wounds of varying sizes.
"Sister, leave this to me, what are you doing out here!" said the woman in green.
"I've regained some strength. Let's see if I can still kill another Dou Sheng!"
Seeing Queen Medusa stride towards him, the Vice Hall Master of the Soul Palace's eyes turned completely gloomy. He smiled sinisterly, and the black chains quickly circled around the nine golden flowers before suddenly tightening!
One is a supreme Yang treasure, the other an extremely Yin soul chain; naturally, they are mutually antagonistic. But Queen Medusa, wielding the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler, was ultimately too exhausted…
Under the attack of the sinister soul chain, the nine golden flowers dimmed and were in imminent danger. Even the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler in Queen Medusa's hand had cracks that were constantly growing larger.
"boom!"
Just as the black chains were about to shatter the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler, the surrounding space suddenly trembled violently. An extremely violent force shook the void, and the terrifying force directly shattered all the chains.
"Who is it?!"
The sudden appearance of help startled the deputy hall master of the Soul Hall, who hurriedly scanned the area but found nothing.
"The one who will kill you!"
Under the horrified gazes of the Soul Hall's Vice Hall Master and the Great Venerable, a clear, cold voice rang in his ears. Immediately, the Soul Hall's Vice Hall Master turned his head sharply and saw a tall figure appear in the void three feet behind him. From this figure, he sensed a rather intense killing intent.
"Who are you with? This is a matter for my Soul Hall. Others should not interfere, lest they get burned!" The Soul Hall's deputy hall master looked at Jiang Liu with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice.
Jiang Liu sneered, his palm, as large as a prayer mat, already slapping towards the head of the Soul Hall's deputy hall master.
Chapter 397 I'm Back
The Soul Hall's deputy hall master was, after all, a peak three-star Dou Sheng expert. Faced with Jiang Liu's casual palm strike, he retreated violently. At the same time, a silver jade slip appeared in his hand, which he crushed, and a dense spatial fluctuation quickly spread out.
"Who is it? How can they possess such power? Run...run away quickly..."
However, to his utter despair, no spatial passage appeared after the spatial scroll was crushed. The spatial energy that had spread out dissipated slowly after drifting for a while.
"My life is over!"
Since Jiang Liu had already made his move and allowed him to escape so easily, let alone a three-star Dou Sheng, even a nine-star Dou Sheng would find it difficult to escape the suppression of a Celestial Immortal using a postnatal spiritual treasure. Moreover, Jiang Liu also had the Immortal Binding Rope, which easily dealt with the group of Dou Sheng from the Soul Palace.
In an instant, the head of the deputy hall master of the Soul Hall exploded in Jiang Liu's palm, and black soul power surged in all directions like a tide.
The Great Celestial Venerable's aged face twitched, his black soul power vibrated continuously, and the two ghostly flames in his eyes flickered violently. His entire body stiffened.
A three-star Dou Sheng was killed with a single palm strike; how could a two-star Dou Sheng possibly withstand it?
"Run...run quickly...only the clan leader can withstand it!!! But...why can't I even move my feet!" In an instant, the Great Celestial Venerable's face became ferocious.
As for the exhausted Queen Medusa and Green Robe, after a brief moment of surprise, they saw Jiang Liu's face clearly, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Cheers were on the tip of their tongues, but they couldn't let them out because of their excitement.
Those from the Soul Palace surrounding this mountain were all terrified and wanted to escape, but found that they couldn't even lift their little finger.
Jiang Liu used a small bronze cauldron to suppress this space, preventing anyone from leaving.
Who exactly is that person?
"The deputy hall master was killed without even being able to put up a fight..."
Are we all going to die here today?
Everyone felt a sense of death.
Just after the Soul Hall's deputy hall master was blown off his head with a single palm strike, countless soul orbs burst out from his body, but they were suppressed by the bronze cauldron and could not escape this area.
Looking at the thousands upon thousands of souls, Jiang Liu's eyes twitched involuntarily. These powerful members of the Soul Clan, like ghost cultivators, were completely using souls as nourishment!
Jiang Liu waved his hand lightly, like a spring breeze. Within those orbs of light was pure soul power, extremely pure, without the slightest impurity, all of which were souls that had been devoured and obliterated by this deputy hall master of the Soul Palace.
That is, the pure origin of the soul!
The soul is the foundation of all living beings. All things in heaven and earth possess a soul, and deep within the soul lies a trace of its original essence. This is the fundamental basis for the soul's birth, and can be considered the purest and most wondrous energy in the world. This essence of the soul should greatly aid Zhong Kui's cultivation.
After collecting these soul essences, Jiang Liu stared intently at the Great Celestial Venerable.
"So you are the Abbot? You have finally appeared! My clan leader is already a nine-star Dou Sheng, with one foot in the Dou Di realm, and you...you..." The Great Heavenly Venerable looked at the giant palm that had materialized before him, his heart filled with despair.
Jiang Liu killed the Great Celestial Venerable with a wave of his hand and took his soul essence.
With a flick of his finger, Jiang Liu killed two Dou Sheng and suppressed a group of Soul Hall experts. His appearance alarmed everyone. The Doupo forces that were closely monitoring the battle between the Soul Hall and Qianlong Temple—the Pill Tower, the Eight Ancient Clans, and the Three Demonic Beast Clans—sent the information back after seeing Jiang Liu casually resolve the annihilation crisis.
Jiang Liu didn't care about these people. When he returned to the "Battle Through the Heavens" world, his real opponents weren't them. Even the patriarch of the Soul Clan, the Soul Emperor who aspired to become a Dou Di, was beneath his notice. His true destination was the Great Thousand World after his ascension, the world of the Great Ruler.
“Master…” Countless people were in tears. They had originally been prepared to die, but now that they had returned to Jiangliu, it was all worth it.
"I'm back!"
Jiang Liu looked at the group of wounded people before him, filled with emotion. The Snake-People—Yue Mei, Mobas, Cang Wang… the Gold-Eating Rat Clan—Jin Shi, Jingu… and several unfamiliar faces—were all sacrificing their lives for the Hidden Dragon Temple. Those who needed treatment received it, those who needed medicine received it; Jiang Liu was generous, taking out numerous healing and recovery pills.
Yun Yun, suffering from the torment of being devoured by countless souls, looked deathly pale as she staggered over, supported by Nalan Yanran.
Jiang Liu glanced at Nalan Yanran, Xiao Yan's former fiancée. A long sword hung at her waist, her face was resolute, and her light blue dress perfectly covered her exquisite body. Her full figure was extremely attractive, and her long black hair was casually tied with a strand of blue silk, finally hanging down to her delicate buttocks.
Several years have passed, and Nalan Yanran has lost the naivety of her youth. Every move she makes exudes a sword-like aura.
"Master, we are useless and have failed in our mission. Qianlong Temple has been destroyed, and our great foundation has been reduced to ashes..."
Yun Yun choked up a little, and as for Green Robe and Queen Medusa, they also had long faces and told Jiang Liu about the major events that had happened in recent years in a few words.
Having had the poison removed from her body by Jiang Liu, Yun Yun trembled as she picked up the Green Ox Sword from her waist. The longsword was unsheathed, no longer broken, and she said, "Master, the Green Ox Sword is destroyed, Yun Yun..."
Jiang Liu comforted him, "It's just a sword, get some rest! Leave the rest to me. I don't even consider that Soul Emperor of the Soul Clan a threat."
The woman in green seemed to remember something and hurried away. She returned shortly afterward, carrying several brocade boxes in her hand. The aura emanating from these boxes was filled with intense flame fluctuations.
"Is that a strange fire inside?" Jiang Liu knew what was inside without even looking.
"Yes, although the Soul Palace destroyed the Hidden Dragon Temple, the precious Strange Flames were not taken away. After three years of hard work, Sister Yun and the Queen finally obtained two kinds of Strange Flames!" the woman in green said excitedly.
When Jiang Liu descended upon the "Battle Through the Heavens" world last time, he did indeed need a large amount of strange fire for cultivation. But now, with the Immortal Fire Tree from the "Covering the Sky" world, unless it's the number one ranked Emperor Flame, even the Void Devouring Flame is somewhat beneath Jiang Liu's notice.
Not wanting to discourage the girls' good intentions, Jiang Liu offered a few words of encouragement, then opened a brocade box containing jade sealed with a magic array.
In the blink of an eye, the problem was solved, and a brown flame, as large as the earth, suddenly surged out from Jiang Liu's hand. Then, with a deafening roar, it condensed into the shape of a giant tortoise. However, this giant tortoise was covered with sharp fire spikes all over its body, and its ferocious mouth was full of fangs like blades.
"The Tortoise Spirit Earth Fire, ranked thirteenth on the Strange Fire Ranking, was snatched from the Medicine Clan by Sister Yun!"
Looking at the enormous fiery tortoise that suddenly appeared before him, Jiang Liu's face showed a hint of surprise, because "the one that escaped" actually expressed the idea of devouring the flames.
"Huh! This is the source of fire condensed from the Battle Through the Heavens world. It truly lives up to its name as a different kind of fire!"
The Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, the Sea Core Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, and the Nine Dragons Thunderfire have been completely absorbed by Jiang Liu, their origins integrated into the body of the Dan Ding Liu cauldron, which is why the Dharma form of "Great Sun Tathagata" can be condensed.
Now, Jiang Liu is of little use against the Tortoise Spirit Earth Fire, and the Immortal Fire Tree, being an Immortal Fire itself, has no interest in it. As for "Escaped One" wanting to devour this strange fire, it is because the strange fire is also one of the Heavenly Dao rules of this world, and can be integrated into the small world within Jiang Liu.
As the fire spirit took shape, the enormous fire spirit tortoise strode forward on its four hooves, and its huge tail, covered with sharp fire spikes, lashed out mercilessly at Jiang Liu's head, the sound of wind breaking echoing loudly.
"You beast, how dare you!"
The women attacked simultaneously, attempting to seal the Tortoise Spirit Earth Fire once more. However, Jiang Liu was faster; with a single gesture, he suppressed the giant fiery tortoise in his palm, and it was then absorbed at a visible speed.
A few seconds later, Jiang Liu was still somewhat unsatisfied. The Turtle Spirit Earth Fire was ranked thirteenth on the Strange Fire Ranking, which was too low.
Jiang Liu looked at the remaining brocade boxes and smiled, "The aura inside is a kind of life force. Could it be the Flame of Life, also known as the Flame of Longevity?"
“Indeed, if the Abbot still needs it, we have obtained a lot of information about different flames, but we don’t have the strength to retrieve them. We even obtained a map of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. And… Xiao Yan is currently at the Starfall Pavilion…” Yun Yun said.
"Oh! How strong is he now?" Jiang Liu asked curiously.
As the protagonist of "Battle Through the Heavens," Jiang Liu instructed Yun Yun before leaving that she could either kill him or help him achieve his goals. Now it seems that Yun Yun chose the latter.
"He was at the peak of the Dou Zun realm, and he contributed significantly to this battle; otherwise, we wouldn't have escaped unscathed. He's seriously injured now and was rescued by the Xiao clan; he's currently recuperating at the Starfall Pavilion. He said he really wants to see you!"
"Yes, I'd like to meet him too..."
As he spoke, the brocade box in Jiang Liu's hand suddenly ignited without fire. A wisp of green flame, as if it were liquid, slowly rose up, and finally swelled with the wind. Amidst the green liquid sea of fire, layers of mist rose up. As the mist rose, the surrounding plants slowly grew, exuding a moving aura of life.
"Is this the Life Flame, ranked fifth on the Strange Flame Ranking?"
Gazing at the vibrant life spreading outwards, a strange look flashed across Jiang Liu's eyes.
The Flame of Life, ranked fifth on the list of strange flames, is an extremely peculiar flame. While most strange flames, though different in form, are permeated with destructive power, the Flame of Life does not exhibit strong destructive force.
What makes it famous is the life force it exudes. It is said that this strange fire, once it spreads out, will cause any medicinal seeds that are put into it to germinate and grow rapidly. In other words, with this strange fire, there is basically no need to worry about searching for medicinal herbs. As long as you have enough seeds, you can obtain the medicinal herbs you want in a continuous stream, which is truly miraculous.
Moreover, this Flame of Life is also known as the Flame of Longevity. Those who obtain it will have a lifespan comparable to that of magical beasts famous for their longevity. However, its only drawback is that this flame is not good at combat and its ability to boost combat power is not very strong.
If the Flame of Life takes shape, it possesses a remarkably high level of intelligence. Normally, it does not appear in the form of fire, but rather transforms into various medicinal herbs, quietly taking root in the soil. Sometimes, even if you walk right past it, you cannot recognize it. Only those with great fortune are fortunate enough to find it from the ground.
This Flame of Life is truly extraordinary; its captivating life force gives one a sense of exhilaration just by smelling it.
Such a treasure was not coveted by the women or the core members of the Hidden Dragon Sect branch of the "Battle Through the Heavens" world. Otherwise, the two strange flames would not have been preserved for three years.
In this world, everything has an end to its lifespan. If one could obtain the Flame of Life, one could greatly extend one's lifespan. This temptation is something even a Battle Saint would find hard to resist.
But now, Queen Medusa, Yun Yun, Green Robe, and Qing Lin, who possesses the "Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil," are all extremely loyal to Jiang Liu. Even the few powerful figures he has subdued who are not yet known to him, Jiang Liu has not seen any greed in their eyes.
The fifth-ranked strange fire was naturally destined to be devoured.
After absorbing the energy, Jiang Liu looked around but didn't see Gu He. Queen Medusa immediately said, "The Soul Palace Master, Hun Miesheng, broke the Heavenly Blazing Fire Formation. We couldn't withstand it, so Gu He went to the Pill Tower to ask the elders for help. He hasn't returned yet; he should still be at the Pill Tower!"