Chapter 497: The Black Thunder Talisman Trick and Retreat
Hearing the Star Reaching Old Ghost's piercing scream, Mo Yu was startled for a moment, then his heart suddenly tensed.
The Nine Heavenly Sovereigns were the strongest combatants in the Hall of Souls, second only to the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master. Even if ranked ninth, their strength was not to be underestimated!
"I didn't expect to encounter such a powerful figure!"
This thought flashed through his mind, and Mo Yu's eyes gleamed with killing intent. Regardless of anything else, his priority was to eliminate the Star Reaching Old Ghost!
"Hiss!"
With killing intent surging in his heart, the speed of the expanding sea of thunder suddenly accelerated. The terrifying destructive power now close at hand terrified the Star Reaching Old Ghost even more, and his panicked screams became increasingly desperate.
"You worthless fool! Being pushed to this state by a mere youngster—how can you still call yourself one of the Heavenly Sovereigns of the Hall of Souls?"
Just as the sea of thunder was about to engulf the Star Reaching Old Ghost, a cold and emotionless voice suddenly echoed across the sky.
A crack tore open in the space behind the Star Reaching Old Ghost, and a blue figure stepped out slowly. As this figure emerged, the air around them grew moist, and small droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, producing a soft pattering sound.
This unusual shift in the environment immediately caught Mo Yu's attention, causing his heart to sink. This individual could manipulate the natural elements through their immense Dou Qi, showcasing a frightening level of power.
From what Mo Yu knew, the Nine Heavenly Sovereigns were at the peak of eight-star Dou Zun!
Although the cold voice made the Star Reaching Old Ghost's face flush with shame, his life was clearly more important than his pride. He immediately shouted, "My lord, save me!"
The blue figure glanced indifferently at Mo Yu, then frowned slightly as he watched the rapidly expanding sea of thunder.
"What terrifying lightning... Even the elders of the Thunder Clan would struggle to produce something of this magnitude," he muttered softly.
With a wave of his sleeve, the rain droplets scattered in the air quickly gathered, forming a rapidly rotating curtain of rain in front of the Star Reaching Old Ghost. At the same time, the blue figure grabbed the Star Reaching Old Ghost by the shoulder and swiftly retreated.
Seeing that this man intended to rescue the Star Reaching Old Ghost, Mo Yu's eyes flickered coldly. He channeled even more Heavenly Thunder into the expanding sea of thunder, accelerating its spread. In an instant, the thunder collided with the rain curtain.
"Crash!"
The moment they met, the rain curtain shattered, and the torrential downpour was completely absorbed by the sea of thunder.
With nothing to stop it, the sea of thunder surged forward even faster, catching up to the Star Reaching Old Ghost in no time. The black-gold Thunder Pearl struck the old ghost's chest directly.
"Hiss!"
A faint sound rang out as the Star Reaching Old Ghost's wide-open eyes suddenly froze. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, his face shriveled like a withered tree, and the life drained from him in an instant.
The Thunder Pearl consumed the Star Reaching Old Ghost's body from the chest down, and as the sea of thunder reached its limit, it finally dissipated.
The blue figure halted as soon as the Star Reaching Old Ghost lost all signs of life. His eyes, now filled with anger for the first time, locked onto Mo Yu.
Killing someone right in front of one of the Nine Heavenly Sovereigns—this was a direct insult!
"You're truly worthy of being part of the Thunder Clan. I'm curious, how could you reach the Dou Zun level at such a young age? Could it be that even though you're from the Mo family, your father is a direct descendant of the Thunder Clan?" the blue figure speculated as he looked at Mo Yu.
Mo Yu said nothing, his eyes full of caution as he watched the elder in front of him.
The elder was clad in blue robes, with hair and eyebrows of the same light blue hue. His eyes seemed to ripple with endless, boundless water energy, capable of entrancing anyone who looked into them.
"Well, regardless of the details, since you've come seeking death, don't blame me for not giving face to your clan. Even though someone powerful stands behind you, taking you back to the Hall of Souls will still count as a significant accomplishment," the elder murmured to himself.
"Oh, someone powerful behind me?" Mo Yu raised an eyebrow, immediately thinking of Lei Ying.
"No need to worry. Once you're in the Hall of Souls, someone will explain it all to you," the elder continued, casting a glance at the lifeless upper half of the Star Reaching Old Ghost before tossing it aside.
"Exchanging a five-star Dou Zun Sovereign for a Thunder Clan member with a possible divine bloodline... Not a bad trade," the elder remarked, his blue eyes now fixed on Mo Yu.
Mo Yu sneered as his Dou Qi surged through his body, and the Heavenly Thunder inside him began to condense, preparing for an all-out fight against this terrifying Nine Heavenly Sovereign.
"I don't know how you've come to possess lightning power comparable to Heavenly Flames, but even if you use your Thunder Pearls again, it won't be enough. I'm not the Star Reaching Old Ghost. In front of me, you have no chance of winning. So, surrender quietly. My mission is to bring you back alive, but as long as you're breathing, that will suffice."
The elder flicked his sleeve casually as he spoke, showing no expression.
"I don't believe you!" Mo Yu's eyes narrowed. Although he could feel the overwhelming danger emanating from the elder, there was no way he would give up without a fight.
With a shudder of his shoulders, the blue-red wings of the Demon Phoenix unfurled behind him. He flapped his wings, and his figure shot backward at high speed, leaving afterimages in the sky.
Seeing Mo Yu retreat, the Nine Heavenly Sovereign shook his head slowly. The space around him distorted, and his figure disappeared.
The moment the elder vanished, Mo Yu's heart tightened. He blinked, and in that brief instant, the blue figure reappeared less than two feet in front of him.
"I told you—this won't work."
The elder's face remained expressionless as his right hand drifted forward, gathering water energy from the surroundings. A chilling coldness surged forward with lightning speed, aiming directly for Mo Yu.
As the elder's palm neared, Mo Yu's face grew grim. He rapidly condensed the five-colored Heavenly Thunder in his right hand, transforming it into a coiled Thunder Dragon that met the elder's palm head-on.
"Hiss!"
The clash of their attacks didn't cause an earth-shattering explosion, but the violent energy and icy chill intertwined, producing thick white steam that filled the air.
"Boom!"
The exchange didn't last long before a heavy sound echoed from the steam. A figure was thrown backward, crashing hard into a nearby mountain wall.
The immense force left the solid stone wall covered in deep cracks.
"Ugh!"
Mo Yu gasped for breath, his face dark as he glared at the blue figure in the sky.
As expected, this was the power of an eight-star Dou Zun!
"Come with me," the elder said coldly, casting a glance at Mo Yu.
In response, Mo Yu smiled faintly and said, "I remember when a half-saint from the Hall of Souls came after me. He died, but I'm still alive. Don't you wonder how I, just a Dou Zong back then, managed to kill a half-saint with no help?"
"What? The Ghost Staff Elder died at your hands?" The Nine Heavenly Sovereign's expression, usually as still as a calm lake, suddenly changed.
The Ghost Staff Elder was a half-saint! Even the proud Nine Heavenly Sovereigns paled in comparison to such a figure.
From what the elder had heard, the Ghost Staff Elder was most likely ambushed by a Thunder Clan expert. But to think that this young man had been the one to kill him!
"Are you trying to deceive me, Thunder Clan boy!?" the Nine Heavenly Sovereign demanded, his face shifting between disbelief and suspicion.
"Heh. Your Hall of Souls being backed by the Soul Clan is hardly a secret among the continent's top factions. If I didn't kill him, why haven't you found the culprit by now? The reason you haven't found the killer is simple—it was me," Mo Yu said with a cold smile.
The Nine Heavenly Sovereign's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Indeed, after the Ghost Staff Elder's death, the Soul Clan and Hall of Souls had dispatched numerous people to find the murderer. However, all they discovered was that the elder had been killed by a powerful lightning strike, with no other clues.
Now, as the Nine Heavenly Sovereign pondered it, it seemed entirely possible that the Ghost Staff Elder had been killed by Mo Yu.
"How did you do it? Even now, you're as insignificant as an ant compared to a half-saint. How could you have killed him?" the elder questioned.
"Well, the move I used to kill a half-saint isn't something I can just use at will. But that doesn't mean I don't have it," Mo Yu said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the Nine Heavenly Sovereign instinctively took a few steps back, his eyes filled with caution.
Whether Mo Yu's words were true or not, the idea of a move powerful enough to kill a half-saint was not something he could afford to take lightly. If it were true, even as an eight-star Dou Zun, he could end up dead here.
"You think you can fool me that easily? No matter what, you're not leaving here alive!" the Nine Heavenly Sovereign growled.
"Is that so? Let's see if you can survive my Black Thunder Talisman!"
With those words, Mo Yu swiftly reached into his robe, as if preparing to pull out a deadly weapon.
"Not good!"
Seeing Mo Yu's actions, the Nine Heavenly Sovereign's face darkened, and he quickly summoned a powerful rain shield to defend himself.
In an instant, a rotating curtain of rain formed before him, and he reinforced it with several additional layers of protection.
Not only that, but he also prepared a contingency plan—if these barriers were broken, he would leave behind a wisp of his soul and escape.
He had to be cautious. After all, this was a move capable of killing a half-saint, possibly left to Mo Yu by none other than the Thunder Clan's patriarch!
Drip, drip...
But as the Nine Heavenly Sovereign stood fully on guard, the only sound that followed was the gentle patter of raindrops.
"Wait a minute..."
Sensing that something was off, the Nine Heavenly Sovereign quickly dispelled his rain shields. As the water cleared, he realized there was no one in sight.
"Curse it! I've been tricked!"
The elder, though immensely experienced, took a moment to process the situation. But when he did, it hit him hard. There had been no half-saint-killing move. It had all been a ploy to deceive him!
He quickly turned toward the exit of the Soul Hall, where he saw a figure dashing out like a nimble monkey.
It was none other than Mo Yu.
Staring at the vanishing figure, the Nine Heavenly Sovereign's face darkened with rage. He had been outwitted by a youngster!
"Mo Yu! Let's see where you can run this time!"
His furious roar echoed through the hall.
Hearing the enraged shout in the distance, Mo Yu didn't slow down. His Phoenix Bone Wings surged with power, propelling him forward like a charging lightning beast.
The remaining Soul Hall guards, recognizing the deadly figure approaching, quickly scattered. They had no intention of getting in his way after seeing what had happened to their fellow protectors.
With no obstacles, Mo Yu's speed soared to its peak. He could feel the Nine Heavenly Sovereign closing in rapidly. It was clear the elder was furious after being tricked by the so-called "Black Thunder Talisman."
Bursting out of the Soul Hall, Mo Yu saw several powerful energy waves crashing down from the sky.
He quickly dodged and soared upward, finally getting a clear look at the scene outside.
The valley was in shambles, with massive cracks running through the ground, and debris scattered everywhere.
In the sky above, figures clashed fiercely, and the air was thick with Dou Qi. Ten or so terrifyingly powerful presences filled the atmosphere, making the very space around them unstable. The intense battle had torn open rifts in the fabric of reality itself.
Surveying the scene, Mo Yu sighed in relief. His allies had not been overwhelmed.
The Hall of Souls had five Dou Zuns, each around the three-star level. However, Mo Yu's side had the advantage in numbers, keeping the fight evenly matched.
"The rescue is done. Retreat!"
Without wasting time, Mo Yu assessed the situation and shouted his command.
(End of Chapter)
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