Chapter 495: Rescuing Yao Lao, The Star-Reaching Old Ghost
"You dare barge into my Hall of Souls? Seeking death!"
As the five Hall of Souls Elders in the sky saw this, one of them let out a cold shout. One Elder immediately unleashed a dense black mist, like a snake, which howled through the sky, rushing toward Mo Yu and the others.
"Master, let me handle this!"
As the black mist snake roared toward them, Mad Blade stepped forward from behind Mo Yu. His massive executioner's blade swung fiercely like a storm, and in an instant, a blade light, shining as bright as the sun, slashed the overwhelming black mist into pieces!
"That blade technique—is it the Mad Blade Venerable from the Western Region?" one of the Elders on the far left of the Hall of Souls spoke in a deep voice.
"Oh? I didn't expect someone from the Hall of Souls to know my name," Mad Blade said, surprised.
"I've heard rumors. But since you know the power of our Hall of Souls, why follow these rebels and provoke us?" the Elder asked coldly.
"I am now under the command of Lord Mo of Yuan Gate. As for attacking the Hall of Souls, I'm simply following orders," Mad Blade replied, his expression unchanged.
"Hmph, just a mere one-star Dou Zun. Since you've dared to trespass and slaughter at our Hall of Souls, there will be no more Mad Blade Venerable in the Western Region, and your Yuan Gate will be wiped out as well!" another Elder growled angrily.
"Such arrogance! Let's see whether your Hall of Souls can destroy Yuan Gate, or if Yuan Gate wipes out this branch hall!" Mo Yu sneered coldly.
"Such bold words! Today, we'll see if your Yuan Gate is as powerful as you claim!"
The five Elders laughed angrily, then one of them charged at Mad Blade with deadly killing intent, and the two clashed, instantly exploding into a fierce battle.
Seeing this, Mo Yu waved his hand, and the Wind Venerable and the others sprang into action, rushing to intercept the remaining Elders.
"Xiao Yan, leave this to the Wind Venerable and the others. You and I will go find Yao Lao," Mo Yu said, turning to Xiao Yan.
"Understood," Xiao Yan nodded.
The two of them moved swiftly, transforming into streaks of black as they charged toward the great hall.
Just as they were about to enter, the space in front of them rippled, and a cold-faced old man dressed in light purple robes appeared in their path.
Mo Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. Without a word, he summoned five-colored lightning around his fist and punched directly toward the elder's chest, tearing through space.
Surprised by Mo Yu's sudden attack, the purple-robed elder frowned. Mo Yu's seemingly simple punch carried a powerful threat.
The elder quickly retreated a few steps. His palm surged with sinister black mist, and his Dou Qi exploded without reservation.
Boom!
As the elder tried to block the punch, Mo Yu's lips curled into a smile. The force of his punch, wrapped in five-colored lightning, collided directly with the elder's palm.
The terrifying impact sent shockwaves that shattered nearby stone pillars and disintegrated several Hall of Souls guards into nothingness.
Boom!
After the clash, Mo Yu stood firmly in place, while the purple-robed elder was forced to retreat more than ten steps before regaining his balance.
Seeing how easily Mo Yu had handled the attack, the elder's face darkened, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. This young man, who looked to be around Xiao Yan's age, was actually a Dou Zun! And not just any Dou Zun—his strength was so overwhelming that even the Hall of Souls Elder couldn't compare.
"Curse you, boy! Even if you're a Dou Zun, the Hall of Souls is not a place you can simply invade!"
The elder, clearly enraged, darted toward Mo Yu once more, moving as swiftly as lightning.
But before he could attack, a white figure descended like a glacier, landing in front of Mo Yu and blocking the elder's strike.
"Though I'd love to finish you off myself, I'll let Qing Zhi keep you busy for now," Mo Yu said with a smile as he glanced at Xiao Yan. The two then quickly slipped into the great hall.
The purple-robed elder wanted to pursue them, but the presence of Qing Zhi made him hesitate, unwilling to take any chances. Frustrated, he shouted, "Hall of Souls Protectors! Stop those two at all costs!"
While the fierce battle raged outside the Hall of Souls, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan moved like a whirlwind through the hall's interior. Any Hall of Souls expert who tried to stop them was swiftly dealt with, sent flying with a single strike from their overpowering Dou Qi. For a moment, no one dared stand in their way.
Especially with Mo Yu's terrifying Dou Zun aura, the Hall of Souls Protectors were nothing but ants before him.
"Curse it! You'll only pass over our dead bodies!"
Though terrified of Mo Yu's power, some Hall of Souls Protectors, fearing the consequences of failure, still stood in their way. Four figures darted out from the shadows, standing like towers to block Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's path.
The black mist surrounding them radiated powerful energy. From their auras, it was clear these four were all at least six-star or seven-star Dou Zong!
"Get lost!"
Mo Yu, facing these strong Protectors, didn't even pause. A light flick of his fingers sent five-colored lightning shooting out, transforming into a massive thunder dragon. With a swipe of its tail, it smashed into the four Protectors.
Boom!
Amid their screams, the four Protectors were flung away like ragdolls, crashing into the walls. The impact turned their bodies into nothing but a mess of blood and flesh.
Watching Mo Yu casually eliminate four seven-star Dou Zong Protectors with a single strike, Xiao Yan couldn't help but gasp.
"Brother Mo Yu is as fierce as ever…"
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan scanned the chaotic scene and extended his hand, capturing the soul of one of the fallen Protectors.
"Tell me where the souls are being held, or I'll destroy your soul!" Xiao Yan threatened, his voice cold.
Terrified, the Hall of Souls Protector quickly stammered, "In the Soul-Locking Hall!"
"Show me the way, or die!"
"Take the next left," the Protector blurted out, trembling.
Exchanging glances, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan wasted no time. They darted forward again, transforming into black streaks as they headed deeper into the hall.
With the Protector's directions, their progress became smoother. Even though other Hall of Souls experts tried to block their path, none could stand against Mo Yu's devastating attacks, leaving Xiao Yan in awe.
As they fought their way through, the hall was left littered with bodies, reduced to utter chaos.
Ten minutes later, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan reached the end of a long corridor. A massive black iron door loomed before them, tightly sealed. Mo Yu could feel an eerie, oppressive energy seeping from it.
"Yao Lao must be inside, but this place feels strange. Be careful," Mo Yu warned.
"Understood."
Suppressing his excitement, Xiao Yan nodded.
They quickly moved forward, and Xiao Yan's sleeve swept out, releasing a purple-brown flame that smashed against the iron door.
Bang!
Under the force of the flame, the sturdy iron door shattered, revealing the scene beyond to Mo Yu and Xiao Yan.
It was a vast plaza, with towering stone pillars reaching toward the sky. Black chains, like a spider's web, stretched across the area, anchoring numerous glowing orbs. Within each orb floated the hazy forms of trapped souls.
Though Mo Yu already knew of the Hall of Souls' cruel practices, he couldn't help but feel a chill at the sight before him.
As they cautiously entered the eerie, death-laden plaza, Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the area until it locked onto a raised stone platform at the far end.
There, a particularly bright orb glowed, radiating an aura that made Xiao Yan's whole body tremble.
Without a word, Xiao Yan shot forward like an arrow, racing toward the platform.
Mo Yu followed closely behind. In a matter of seconds, they reached the stone platform.
Inside the bright orb, an elderly figure sat cross-legged, his limbs bound by four massive chains. The elder looked frail and weak.
Seeing him, Mo Yu immediately recognized him—it was Yao Lao, their rescue target.
At the sight of Yao Lao, Xiao Yan's eyes reddened, and he fell to his knees on the stone platform. His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke.
"Teacher, your disciple has come."
At Xiao Yan's words, Yao Lao's eyelids trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. His hazy gaze fell on Xiao Yan and the silver-eyed young man standing behind him.
After a moment of silence, a faint, weak smile spread across Yao Lao's face. His voice was hoarse as he spoke.
"You've finally grown up, little one."
He then turned his gaze to Mo Yu, recognizing him as well.
"And young Mo Yu... I didn't expect you to come too…"
Back when they parted, both Mo Yu and Xiao Yan had been sharp, ambitious youths. Yet in just a few short years, those boys had grown into powerful men.
"Yao Lao once helped me greatly, so when Xiao Yan asked, I agreed without hesitation," Mo Yu said, helping Xiao Yan to his feet.
"Master and disciple can reunite later. Right now, we need to get Yao Lao out of this place," Mo Yu reminded them.
"Of course," Xiao Yan quickly wiped his tears and steadied his emotions, knowing this wasn't the time for a long conversation.
Mo Yu stepped forward, grabbing one of the chains binding Yao Lao. Five-colored lightning surged from his hand, crackling along the black chain.
Snap!
Under the force of Mo Yu's lightning, the symbols on the chain gradually faded, and with a tight squeeze, Mo Yu shattered the chain.
He quickly repeated this for the other three chains, breaking them one by one.
Once the chains were removed from Yao Lao, the elder's frail appearance improved slightly. Although still weak and translucent, he looked much better than before.
As Yao Lao flexed his wrists, he glanced at the now-broken chains. For a moment, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him as he looked at Mo Yu.
"I didn't expect such strength from you at such a young age, Mo Yu. You've already broken through to Dou Zun, and your potential is boundless…" Yao Lao said with admiration.
"Haha, Yao Lao, you flatter me. But Xiao Yan here is just as impressive," Mo Yu replied with a chuckle.
Mentioning Xiao Yan brought a smile to Yao Lao's face.
"Let's leave this wretched place first," Yao Lao said, looking around at the eerie, deathly atmosphere of the Soul-Locking Hall.
"Yes. But before we go, let's destroy this hall and release the trapped souls. That'll cause enough chaos for the Hall of Souls," Xiao Yan said with a fierce glint in his eyes.
He summoned a purple-brown flame, shaping it into a whip. With a flick of his wrist, the fire whip lashed out at the black chains suspended in midair.
But just as the whip was about to hit the chains, the space around them suddenly solidified, as though an invisible wall had blocked the attack, causing the whip to bounce back.
"Oh? There's still someone else here?" Mo Yu said, his voice deepening.
"Heh, Yao Lao, you've trained an impressive disciple. I didn't expect you to have the guts to storm the Hall of Souls and attempt a rescue. Even I must admire your bravery. And the young one from the Lei Clan, even with your backing, breaking into the Hall of Souls is a death sentence. You've either got guts or you're utterly foolish."
A cold voice suddenly echoed through the hall. The space in front of Mo Yu and the others twisted, forming an invisible barrier.
Shhh!
Behind the barrier, suspended among the black chains, stood an old man dressed in grey and white. He balanced on one of the chains, looking down at them with a cold smile.
"Another Dou Zun?" Xiao Yan muttered, his voice low. He hadn't expected another powerful Hall of Souls expert to be here beyond the five Elders.
"The Star-Reaching Old Ghost? You're here too?"
Yao Lao's expression shifted as he recognized the elder, his voice filled with tension.
(End of Chapter)
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