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**
Though the two elders sat quietly in a corner of the grand hall, appearing extremely low-key, their strength was anything but ordinary—they were both Dou Huang!
"Hehe, Elders Yun Du and Yun Sha have both broken through to the level of Dou Huang in the past three years with the help of the Sect Master. With the two of them taking action, that Hai Bodong surely won't be able to stir up much trouble," one man said with a flattering smile.
Hearing his ingratiating words, Yun Du and Yun Sha merely chuckled, then exchanged a glance. However, a strange flicker of black light flashed subtly through their eyes.
"Your task is to eliminate the Mittel Clan and hunt down the remnants of the Xiao Clan. As for the other forces in the imperial capital, none of them should dare to interfere."
"Of course, if there truly is a force blind enough to step in, I'll take action and wipe them out as well," Yun Shan swept his gaze slowly across the hall, his voice calm yet filled with an overbearing tone.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Yun Shan's strength, even in the entirety of the Jia Ma Empire, was absolute and overwhelming.
After issuing his orders, Yun Shan leaned back in his chair, gently resting against the soft backrest. Waving his hand, he said, "You may all leave now. Fulfill your duties. For now, focus on eradicating the Mittel Clan before dealing with anything else."
With this dismissal, everyone in the hall quickly nodded, then rose to their feet. After bowing respectfully to Yun Shan, they slowly filed out of the hall.
As the last person exited, silence once again fell over the hall.
But after this silence lingered for a while, a patch of shadow in one of the dark corners of the hall began to stir. Soon after, a mass of black mist eerily materialized.
"Remember, this time, we cannot let any members of the Xiao Clan escape. Your last operation to wipe out the Xiao Clan was far from satisfactory."
The swirling black mist floated to the center of the hall. A sinister, chilling voice slowly emerged from within.
"What exactly is it that you're trying to find in the Xiao Clan? They're just a small family. What could they possibly have that interests you?" Yun Shan frowned, his voice laced with long-held curiosity and suspicion. He finally couldn't resist asking.
"There are questions you're better off not asking. Some things are of no benefit to you once you know them."
That cold, eerie voice echoed within the hall, sending a chill down one's spine. "We of Hall of Souls don't need to explain ourselves to you. Remember this—just as we were able to help you break through to Dou Zong, we can just as easily reduce you back to your original state."
Yun Shan's face twitched slightly. Just moments ago, he had appeared commanding and ambitious, but now he could only respond with visible discomfort and a reluctant nod.
"I understand. But what if I do kill off every remaining member of the Xiao Clan, and still can't find the thing you want?"
"The item we seek is definitely with the Xiao Clan," the cold voice asserted. "The only question is: who exactly holds it? If we can't find it here, then we'll have no choice but to go after Xiao Yan, who has already left the Jia Ma Empire."
"Xiao Yan?" Yun Shan narrowed his eyes. He harbored no goodwill toward that name. He snorted, "That brat left the Jia Ma Empire more than three years ago, and there's been no word of him since. For all we know, he might be dead already."
"Jie jie... I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
A strange, eerie chuckle echoed from within the black mist. "Not long ago, I received word from the Hall—in the distant Black-Corner Region, traces of Xiao Yan have been spotted. Moreover, that brat's strength seems to have risen at an abnormal pace. It's said that his current power is not inferior to a Dou Huang!"
"Not inferior to a Dou Huang?! Impossible!"
Yun Shan's expression changed dramatically. He shot up from his seat in shock and cried out in disbelief.
Just over three years ago, Xiao Yan hadn't even reached the mid-level Da Dou Shi. And now, he was allegedly on par with a Dou Huang?
What kind of joke was that?
The gap between those two levels was astronomical!
"Do you think I have any reason to lie to you?" The voice from the black mist was chillingly calm. "I was surprised when I first heard it as well. But in this world, nothing is truly impossible."
"Some miraculous pills or heaven-defying heavenly and earthly treasures could very well achieve that."
"Hmph, so don't underestimate that boy. Who knows—one day, even we might fall into his hands."
This protector hidden in the black mist was well aware of the Xiao Clan's origins and background. That was once one of the Eight Ancient Clans. As the saying goes, 'Even a broken ship still has three pounds of nails.' Who could say whether the Xiao Clan's ancestors had left behind some kind of inheritance?
And as for cultivating a Da Dou Shi into a Dou Huang in a short period, for a power like Hall of Souls, that wasn't entirely impossible.
It was only someone like Yun Shan, from a backwater place, who would find it so shocking.
Yun Shan's face twitched slightly. After taking a deep breath, a cold glint surged in his eyes.
He said with a chilling tone, "So what if he's a Dou Huang? In this old man's eyes, he's nothing more than a slightly stronger ant. I can crush him with a single palm!"
"Jie jie jie... as long as you have that confidence. But that's a matter for the future."
"For now, you'd best make sure not a single remnant of the Xiao Clan escapes. Otherwise, our Hall Master will truly be enraged." The black mist wavered as it let out a cold laugh, and then, after a brief writhing motion, it mysteriously dispersed into the shadows.
But the moment those two words—Hall Master—were mentioned, even someone as arrogant and confident as Yun Shan couldn't help but turn a little pale.
He stared at the spot where the black mist had vanished, his fists slowly clenching, and a cold, dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes.
A dozen enormous flying magical beasts streaked across the sky.
They had set out from Zhen Gui Pass, and after three days of flight, they were now not far from the imperial capital.
Atop the lead Tiger Eagle Beast, Wei Yang opened his eyes and stood up, gazing off into the distance.
"Brother Wei, what's wrong?" Xiao Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, noticed the movement and also opened his eyes, turning to ask.
"I'm sensing faint ripples of dou qi coming from the direction of the capital," Wei Yang said softly.
"Battle ripples?" Xiao Yan immediately stood up and focused his senses—but he felt nothing.
Still, he didn't doubt Wei Yang's words. Instead, he asked anxiously, "What level do you think the battle is at?"
"Hmm..." Wei Yang closed his eyes again and focused for a few moments before answering, "Judging by the strength and distance of the residual energy fluctuations, I believe it's Dou Huang level."
"Dou Huang level?" Xiao Yan's pupils shrank sharply, and he shouted, "This is bad—the Yun Lan Sect must have made their move!"
"Xiao Yan, what happened?" The others seated toward the back of the Tiger Eagle Beast were roused by Xiao Yan's cry and quickly stood up, asking in concern.
"The Yun Lan Sect has likely already taken action!" Xiao Yan gave a hurried explanation, then turned toward Wei Yang and said urgently, "Brother Wei, let's go on ahead!"
"Alright." Wei Yang nodded and instantly grabbed Xiao Yan by the shoulder. With a single step forward—
Swish!
Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes. In the next instant, Wei Yang and Xiao Yan had vanished.
Far off in the distance ahead, flickering afterimages sped rapidly toward the direction of the capital.
Their speed was so fast it was nearly impossible to see clearly. In just a few blinks, the two had disappeared beyond the edge of the sky.
"Second Brother! Big Brother and the rest of the clan may be in danger. I'll go on ahead with Brother Wei. You bring the others and follow behind!" Xiao Yan's voice echoed from far off on the distant horizon.
"Understood!" Xiao Li shouted back. Then, turning to those behind him, he barked, "Speed up!"
Screech—!
The previously calm-flying Tiger Eagle Beasts let out deep roars. After receiving Xiao Li's command, they flapped their wings with force, and their speed skyrocketed.
"Faster, faster, faster! Let's hope we're not too late..." Xiao Li looked toward the direction where Wei Yang and Xiao Yan had disappeared, slowly clenched his fists, and began praying silently in his heart.
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