Having endured torment worse than death, the Iron Protector now eagerly extolled the benefits of the Soul Palace, believing he was about to be freed.
"Once you join our Soul Palace, the higher your rank, the better the treatment! Earth-rank techniques, Dou Skills, rare pills that ordinary people could never dream of—we have it all!"
Listening to the Iron Protector's enthusiastic spiel, Xiao Yan paused for a moment before opening the jade vial. A scorching flame flickered in his palm as he calmly said, "Be a better person in your next life."
Realizing he had been deceived, the Iron Protector let out a shrill scream as the flames surged around him.
Curses filled with venomous hatred echoed through the cave.
Had Xiao Yan not sealed the entrance with Dou Qi, the commotion would have undoubtedly drawn Yun Yun's attention.
Xiao Yan paid no heed to the Iron Protector's spiteful ravings.
For one, his recent cultivation of Bodhi Three Realizations had strengthened his mental fortitude. Secondly, the Soul Palace had set its sights on the Xiao Clan.
Eliminating even a single protector now would chip away at the Soul Palace's strength—though a minor figure like this was nothing to such a colossal force.
As for the ancient grudge between the Soul Clan (founders of the Soul Palace) and the Xiao Clan from a thousand years ago, Xiao Yan didn't consider this act as vengeance for his family.
After all, he wasn't originally from this world. Even if the current Xiao Clan descended from the ancient Xiao bloodline, he had no deep emotional ties to ancestors he had never met.
Protecting the Xiao Clan he grew up in was motivation enough for his relentless cultivation.
Under the intense flames, the Iron Protector's consciousness was soon completely refined.
With a swift motion, Xiao Yan hurled the mass of black mist into the hole in Scorpion Mountain's forehead.
The corpse shuddered violently as its bones took on a strange metallic sheen.
Having crafted many puppets requiring soul infusion, Xiao Yan wasn't surprised. He retrieved various rare ores and metals from his storage ring.
The Netherworld Poison Flame transformed into a powerful fusion of four Heavenly Flames. Under the terrifying heat of the lotus-shaped blaze, the rare ores soon showed signs of melting.
Xiao Yan multitasked—using the flames to temper the corpse while simultaneously refining the ores and metals at extreme temperatures.
Since this was a high-level Dou Zong puppet, both processes required considerable time.
Especially with this unique corpse, which had been a one-star Dou Zong in life and was now laced with potent toxins. Merging it seamlessly with the Iron Protector's powerful soul was no simple feat.
Knowing such a puppet wouldn't be easy to craft, Xiao Yan had given the Amethyst Winged Lion King and Yun Yun three days to consider his terms.
After about two and a half days of continuous refinement, layer after layer of exotic metals fused onto Scorpion Mountain's desiccated skeleton, transforming it into a mighty warrior clad in dark green armor.
Xiao Yan, who had been as still as a meditating monk, suddenly opened his eyes. Seizing the perfect moment in the refinement process, his hands swiftly formed seals. A drop of blood infused with a trace of his soul mark drifted onto the puppet's forehead.
Upon contact, the blood instantly became an indelible imprint.
The puppet's hollow eyes flickered with a semblance of life before it slowly rose from the ground.
Xiao Yan stood and willed the puppet to attack him.
Obedient to its master's command—even if it meant striking him—the puppet's eyes glowed dark green as it lunged forward with a simple punch.
Boom!
The space in front of the fist distorted violently, compressing the air into a visible shockwave.
The condensed air cannon, carrying immense force and a piercing screech, blasted toward Xiao Yan.
Facing his own Dou Zong-level creation, Xiao Yan didn't dare underestimate it. He raised his hands, channeling "Four Ounces Diverts Yin and Yang—Return What You Borrow"—the Cycle Tribulation.
At its peak, the Cycle Tribulation manifested a swirling Yin-Yang diagram in his palms.
The moment the force collided with him, Xiao Yan grunted, realizing the attack far exceeded what he could redirect.
Instantly, he shifted from Cycle Tribulation to Void Annihilation, dispersing more of the impact.
As the relentless force pressed on, Xiao Yan exhaled sharply, unleashing a flood of Dou Qi. His arm shimmered with starlight.
"Eight Meridians Converge—Focus the Mind, Strength Like a Mountain!"
Transitioning from Void Annihilation to Star Transformation, Xiao Yan gathered all his power into a single point—a hand-chop—and detonated it against the remaining force.
The collision of these two terrifying attacks shook the cave with an earth-shattering blast, sending violent tremors through the cliffside.
"What happened?!"
Seeing the waterfall momentarily cut off by the tremors, Yun Yun—who had been resting with her eyes closed—snapped awake. Her sword appeared in her hand as she sprang into the air, cyan Dou Qi wings flaring behind her.
As the residual energy faded, Xiao Yan stared at the cracks spiderwebbing through the cave walls and inhaled sharply.
"A single punch... was actually this terrifying?!"
The strongest opponent Xiao Yan had faced in normal circumstances was Yao Lao—but that was only because Yao Lao knew him too well, allowing him to counter Void Annihilation and Cycle Tribulation.
The fact that this puppet had forced him to cycle through all three ultimate techniques in one strike proved its strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Dou Zong.
Xiao Yan roughly estimated that Scorpion Mountain's one-star Dou Zong skeleton—enhanced by the Iron Protector's soul and rare materials—could now unleash the power of a four-star Dou Zong with mere physical strikes.
If it used Dou Skills, its strength would rival Scorpion Bi Yan's normal state. And if it poisoned its opponent? Its effectiveness would far surpass even Scorpion Bi Yan at his peak.
Pleased with the results, Xiao Yan stored the puppet in his Bone Flame Ring.
Now that he knew the location of a Soul Palace branch, he wouldn't let such valuable intel go to waste.
Most Soul Palace members were soul entities—making them perfect nourishment for his soul cultivation, especially with his Plow Soul Technique.
(End of Chapter)
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