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Two pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade—one originally belonged to the Gu Clan, and the other was obtained through a fair exchange with the Xiao Clan for a low-tier Xuan-level cultivation method.
"Demon, you court death!" Gu Yuan's fury reached its peak as he caught sight of Qian Renhan's disdainful expression. As a peak Nine-Star Dou Sheng, one of the strongest beings in existence, even Xiao Xuan and Hun Tiandi had never looked at him with such contempt.
"Die!"
The Ancient Emperor Mirror struck down once again, splitting the Gu Realm with several pitch-black fissures. In the sky where Qian Renhan had stood, only the two pieces of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade remained.
"Did he escape?"
Having used two blasts from the Ancient Emperor Mirror, powerful enough to severely injure a late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, Gu Yuan's face turned pale. He reached out and retrieved the two jades. The clan's lost techniques and battle arts could be recovered, but if those two jades were lost, they would be nearly impossible to reclaim.
As for pursuing Qian Renhan, the Gu Clan had only one Nine-Star Dou Sheng. If Gu Yuan left the realm and Qian Renhan circled back for a surprise attack—especially with Hun Tiandi potentially joining—everything would be over.
At the border between Central Plains' southwest region lies a mountain range shrouded in thick Yin energy, interwoven with a heavy aura of death. No family would choose to live here. The mountain is dotted only with tombstones—except for one faction: the Soul Hall. Nestled atop these desolate peaks is one of the three divisions of the Heavenly Gang Hall: the Human Hall.
Once teeming with talent and eerie "Jie Jie Jie" laughter, the Human Hall was now soaked in blood. Qian Renhan, having departed from the Gu Clan, suddenly appeared here. With a single oppressive force, he annihilated every Soul Hall expert in the Human Hall. In his hands were two soul forms at the late Heavenly Realm stage—belonging to the Second and First Heavenly Venerates who once guarded the Hall.
Above them was only the Soul Hall's chief and deputy hall masters.
"Void Swallowing Flame, you'd better not disappoint me."
Qian Renhan stored away the two soul forms. Gu Yuan had only reclaimed the two Ancient Emperor Jades because Qian Renhan had allowed it—not because the Ancient Emperor Mirror was too powerful.
With the Void Swallowing Flame controlling the Gu Clan's puppets, all Gu Clan activities would eventually reach the Soul Clan's ears. The immense Dou Qi expended in using the Ancient Emperor Mirror twice had already depleted the Gu Clan's strength by fifty percent. At such a critical moment, how could the Void Swallowing Flame not inform Hun Tiandi? Would Hun Tiandi not deploy his forces?
Any competent conspirator doesn't need constant communication to execute a plan. A single move from one side and the other knows exactly how to respond. If they had to negotiate every step, what's the point of having a brain?
After wiping out the entire Human Hall, Qian Renhan casually split open the grand hall, revealing countless black chains coiled inside. At the ends of these chains hung innumerable soul light clusters.
At the deepest point where all the chains converged was a massive pit. Suspended within the pit was a transparent orb about half a zhang in diameter, surrounded by more chains. These chains continuously extracted soul origin from the countless surrounding souls.
"My physical body has reached the late-stage peak of Nine-Star Dou Sheng, my cultivation is at the early Nine-Star level, and my soul is still at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm. It's time to advance to the Imperial Soul Realm. From the Human Hall to the Earth Hall—it's next."
From the center of his brows, Qian Renhan's soul power erupted, transforming into a humanoid form identical to himself. It sat cross-legged before the orb of soul light, mouth slightly open, emitting a suction force.
As this suction appeared, the orb trembled slightly, releasing an exceptionally pure soul origin that wrapped around Qian Renhan's soul form and was continuously absorbed through his mouth, nose, and even pores.
Simultaneously, his entire body was enveloped in dark Dou Qi, obliterating the bound soul forms. One by one, the lights in their eyes dimmed and faded.
Meanwhile, in the Soul Clan...
"Emperor! Emperor! Hun Tiandi!"
"Void Swallowing Flame, what's the matter?" Hun Tiandi emerged from seclusion. His face, like Gu Yuan's, was still pale, his injuries yet to heal.
"Emperor, according to the puppets I control in the Gu Clan, Qian Renhan has recovered and gained immense strength. He's already launched an attack on the Gu Clan."
Hun Tiandi frowned slightly. "That brat still lives? What's the status of the Gu Clan? Did he manage to steal the Ancient Emperor Jades?"
"No, the Gu Clan used the Ancient Emperor Mirror to repel him and retrieved the jades. Based on current reports, Qian Renhan is now attacking the Soul Hall to seize soul forms. He likely intends to break through to the Imperial Soul Realm." Void Swallowing Flame relayed the information, internally cursing Qian Renhan. Those soul forms were supposed to be his resources for advancement.
Hun Tiandi's eyes lit up at the news. This was a rare opportunity. "Oh? Notify Hun Miesheng. Soul Clan reinforcements will arrive shortly. Void Swallowing Flame, assemble the Soul Clan army. Mobilize the Four Demon Saints—head to the Gu Clan!"
"Emperor, aren't we going to rescue the Soul Hall?" Void Swallowing Flame's performance was Oscar-worthy. The so-called rescue was just to appeal to Hun Tiandi's ambition to absorb soul origin and achieve the Imperial Soul Realm.
Hun Tiandi replied indifferently, "Leave those meager soul origins and Soul Hall forces to that shortsighted brat. Right now, the priority is the Ancient Emperor Jade. As long as we seize the prototype Imperial Pill, even if that brat teams up with the Taixu Ancient Dragon again, I can suppress them both with one hand."
"Who are you calling shortsighted?" Void Swallowing Flame cursed silently. The fact that Hun Tiandi responded at all meant he saw through his hidden motives. Otherwise, he'd have just given him a cold stare. The insult, while seemingly aimed at Qian Renhan, was really just to spite him.
Back at the Soul Hall's Earth Hall, Qian Renhan didn't waste a word. He struck down his former opponent Hun Moqian with a single slap, took his soul form, and split open the grand hall once again to absorb soul origin.
The soul origin and spirit bodies stored in the Human Hall were only enough to elevate a mid-Heavenly Realm soul to the Great Perfection level. But to break through to the Imperial Soul Realm, that was far from enough. The Earth Hall had more personnel, more powerful guardians, and a greater stockpile of soul essence.
At the Heaven Hall, the main headquarters of the Soul Hall, Hun Miesheng stood with his hands behind his back, one hand gripping the other wrist. His face was tense and filled with disbelief.
"Another day has passed. The Human Hall and Earth Hall have both fallen. The Soul Clan's reinforcements should have arrived long ago. Clan Leader... Lord Void Swallowing Flame... Have you truly abandoned me? Abandoned the entire Soul Hall?"
As his words fell, a large black hand suddenly grabbed his head. In the next instant, Hun Miesheng's soul—at the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm—was extracted. The attacker, of course, was Qian Renhan.
Hun Miesheng's death marked the end of the Soul Hall, the most powerful force in the Central Plains for a millennium.
"As expected of Hun Tiandi... He didn't rescue the Soul Hall, but went to the Gu Clan instead. Perfect. You get the two Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jades, I ascend to the Imperial Soul Realm—mutual benefit."
(End of Chapter)