Word Count: 2,648 Words
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Xiao Yan and his companions, high in the sky, couldn't help but gasp upon witnessing the scene below! They were utterly horrified; just how many beings had perished to create this dense mass of corpses and bones?!
Xiao Yan observed carefully and noticed that these countless corpses were definitely not from recent times. Judging by the remnants of clothing and adornments on the bones, they belonged to eras long past!
His Spiritual Strength swept over the area and found that the souls and flesh of these corpses had already vanished, seemingly sucked away. The bodies included all sorts of creatures, such as magical beasts of various bizarre shapes and enormous sizes. Xiao Yan even spotted the skeletal remains of the Snake-People Race.
However, the vast majority were humans; human corpses accounted for at least eighty percent!
"I'm afraid there are tens of millions here. This is like an entire small country wiped out!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King stared wide-eyed and muttered in shock.
The population of a vast nation like the Jia Ma Empire undoubtedly exceeded tens of millions. But for a small nation formed by eight tribes, like Medusa's Snake-People Tribe, the population might only number in the tens of millions.
Yet, such a staggering number filled this sunken basin. This was a horrifying sea of corpses; the sight made anyone shudder involuntarily!
No one knew why such a sinister mass grave existed within the treasure-filled realm inside Venerable You Du's Space Lock! This was too eerie!
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed as he gazed toward a place below where smoke and dust swirled. A figure entirely shrouded in black light slowly emerged as the dust gradually dissipated.
Xiao Yan's tri-colored Fire Lotus hadn't killed the impostor pretending to be Venerable You Du. A defensive Dou Technique had helped him withstand most of the attack, but it had forced him to reveal his true appearance.
'A member of the Ling Clan?' When the light barrier shattered, Xiao Yan saw the emblem on the person's clothing and immediately understood. The man was a member of the Ling Clan, one of the seven Dou God Clans!
Xiao Yan had learned about such matters after joining the Hall of Souls and obtaining the Soul Command Token, especially after his battle with Ling Quan when he investigated the affairs of the Dou God Clans.
Hun Lao Gui had provided him with intelligence not only about the Yao Clan but also about other Dou God Clans who had dispatched teams to this region.
"Xiao Yan, what's going on here? How did so many creatures die?" Even Zi Yan couldn't help but feel her scalp tingle and goosebumps rise all over. The sheer number was enough to unsettle anyone.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, looking at the valley below filled with corpses. He said in a deep voice, "If my guess is correct, the poison barrier outside Profound Nether Valley was actually set up by Venerable You Du to prevent anyone from entering this place. The seal on the Space Lock was also established to prevent people from accidentally stumbling into this realm."
"This is not Venerable You Du's inheritance ground at all. It's likely a feeding trap set by some devil, which Venerable You Du discovered and sealed off!"
When Xiao Yan saw the densely packed corpses and considered that the poison barrier in Profound Nether Valley had existed all along, he realized the truth.
These corpses were ancient, existing long before Venerable You Du arrived. It was Venerable You Du who had halted the ongoing disaster by sealing the entrance.
"Heh heh, your guess isn't bad, but calling him a 'devil' is rather disrespectful. This is the dining hall of the great Elder Tun Yuan of the Tunling Clan. Once he is resurrected, he'll bestow upon me the power of his bloodline. My Dou God Bloodline can then be elevated. At that time, forget advancing to Grade 7; even Grade 8, 9, or Divine Grade will be within reach!" The Ling Clan member, Ling Tian, seemed entranced, speaking with obsessive reverence.
"Why is it that the Gu Clan and the Hun Clan can possess such strong Dou God Bloodlines while my Ling Clan's is so weak, nearing exhaustion? It's not fair! I'll seize their Dou God Bloodlines for my own!"
Xiao Yan's brows tightened. He didn't know what this Tunling Clan was, but it was apparent from this Ling Clan Dou Ancestor's words that they could somehow absorb others' Dou God Bloodlines.
He had heard of the Ling Clan. Among the remaining seven Dou God Clans, their Dou God Bloodline was the weakest, on the verge of exhaustion, much like the Xiao Clan had been a thousand years ago.
That was why the Ling Clan members had remained hidden within their own Ling Realm, preventing their dwindling Dou God Bloodline from being coveted and carved up by other Dou God Clans, just as the Xiao Clan had faced.
"Xiao Yan, look over there." Little Fairy Doctor gently tugged his sleeve and pointed to a cliff face within the basin.
A pure and pristine orchid was rooted in the rock face there. Without a doubt, it was the Clear Soul Nether Orchid that Little Fairy Doctor had been searching for. Besides that, other unknown heavenly treasures grew there!
"What a cunning hunting trap, projecting images of heavenly treasures to lure in treasure-seeking cultivators." Xiao Yan's heart sank. He hadn't expected that he would one day become the fish drawn in by bait.
"Clear Soul Nether Orchid? Heh heh, rest assured, you'll all soon become nourishment for it." Ling Tian gave them a cruel grin, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.
Suddenly, white mist surged from the depths of the sunken valley, blanketing the space in mere moments.
Disturbing sounds rang out within the swirling haze. From beneath the endless mountain of corpses, pale figures began crawling upward as though they were white demons emerging from the ground. Each silhouette radiated a chilling aura that made one's blood run cold.
In the blink of an eye, thousands upon thousands of white spectral figures emerged. Each of these malevolent spirits emitted formidable auras. Undoubtedly, these countless specters were extremely powerful.
This sight reminded Xiao Yan of the ghosts he had encountered in the Beast Tomb.
At the forefront of these countless white resentful spirits stood people Xiao Yan recognized!
"That's Dugu Tian Gao, Sect Leader of the Poison Sect?!"
"And Xie Shan, the Chief of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate!"
"The other three are renowned experts of the Chu Yun Empire! What's happened to them?!"
Some strong cultivators from the Chu Yun Empire, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, were instantly stunned and frightened. Xie Shan and the others had vacant eyes, their gazes lifeless as if their souls had been lost.
Seeing this, many experts from the Chu Yun Empire gasped sharply. They seemed to sense that something was amiss and murmured with chills running down their spines, "Are they being controlled?"
"Let's withdraw," Little Fairy Doctor said with a solemn expression. Including that Ling Tian from the Ling Clan, there were already two Dou Ancestors present. Moreover, the countless ghostly beings they led were not weak. This force could sweep across the entire Jia Ma Empire!
"We might not be able to leave even if we want to. I just tried to connect with the soul imprint outside by piercing through the void, but I failed. There's a power interfering," Xiao Yan said. He had attempted to use the power of the Nihility Devouring Flame to create a temporary spatial tunnel but was blocked by a special force.
Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's body emitted a surge of purple light, but she also failed in the end.
"There's a strange power preventing us. Opening a path through the void will require some time," Zi Yan said, her brows tightly knit.
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yan opened his left palm, and a cluster of black flames appeared. With a gentle toss, the black flame transformed into a black cat that perched on Zi Yan's shoulder.
"Zi Yan, you work with it to open a spatial passage. I'll hold off these ghostly creatures with the others and grab the Clear Soul Nether Orchid. As soon as you've opened the void, we'll leave!" A fierce light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. The Clear Soul Nether Orchid could suppress the Woeful Poison within Little Fairy Doctor. Even if it couldn't completely eliminate the Woeful Poison Body, it could at least buy more time for him to find the Monster Core of a Rank 7 Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast and the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva.
Hiss!! Countless white specters flew out from the basin, but their targets were not Xiao Yan and his companions; instead, they attacked the cultivators in this realm!
Undoubtedly, the Tunling Clan's feeding ritual had begun.
"Ahhh! What are these ghostly things?!"
"Get away!"
The white specters were like evil spirits, pouncing on anyone they saw. After killing their victims, they transported the corpses back to the valley, allowing the blood and flesh to seep into the ground.
Miserable screams echoed throughout the realm.
This basin piled high with countless corpses had been accumulated in such a manner!
One could only imagine how many times such horrific events had occurred in this place!
Whoosh!!
A pair of massive, bone-white fire wings appeared behind Xiao Yan, freezing any white specters that dared to pounce on him. Instantly, the temperature of the entire space dropped!
Although they were clearly flames, they emitted an extreme chill, which was truly bizarre. The Bone Chilling Flame was the highest-ranked among the Heavenly Flames Xiao Yan possessed.
"Lion King, you and Little Fairy Doctor go seize the Clear Soul Nether Orchid. Be careful of those five individuals. I'll hold back that crazy fellow. As soon as Zi Yan opens the spatial passage, we leave!" Xiao Yan said with a serious expression.
If it were only these ghostly creatures, Xiao Yan might stand a chance using Venerable Tian Huo's power. But if his guess was correct, there was an even more formidable being underground!
That thing was definitely beyond his ability to defeat. Right now, he could only try to buy time and divert attention!
Ling Tian laughed coldly when he saw Xiao Yan flying toward him, "Heh heh heh, a mere Dou King from the lower realms, don't think that possessing a Heavenly Flame makes you invincible. On the Dou Qi Continent, only those with Dou God Bloodlines stand at the pinnacle!"
He advanced with a dark chuckle. "You rejected the path to heaven and barged through the gates of hell instead! Today shall be your day of death!"
"Is that so?" Xiao Yan merely gave a faint smile. Instantly, a powerful surge of Spiritual Strength burst forth from the pale-white storage ring, and in the blink of an eye, his cultivation soared to the 7-star Dou Emperor stage.
Xiao Yan held nothing back. He took out pills one after another from his storage ring and tossed them into his mouth: pills for recovering from injuries, enhancing strength, increasing defense, accelerating Dou Qi recovery. He used various pills to grant himself all kinds of buffs in one go!
'Skyfire Three Mysterious Change!' Xiao Yan roared inwardly. A terrifying Heavenly Flame power surged throughout his body, and his cultivation began to climb rapidly.
However, the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was ultimately only at the first change, and Xiao Yan's current cultivation was much higher than before. Even with the merged Heavenly Flame, the technique could only elevate him to the half-step Dou Ancestor stage.
But that was enough!
"That's the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change! How do you know that clan's Secret Technique?!" Ling Tian's expression changed dramatically. All the Dou God Clans were aware of the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change because after the Xiao Clan's downfall, the other clans had deliberated on how to divide the Xiao Realm, their assets, and Dou Techniques.
The Secret Technique created by the legendary last Clan Head, Xiao Xuan, had naturally been copied by everyone.
"Octane Blast!" Xiao Yan's demeanor turned cold and stern under the Soul Robe. With a loud roar, his fist, imbued with terrifying force and Heavenly Flame, struck out with the might of a half-step Dou Ancestor.
This punch capable of shattering mountains and rivers shook the land. The terrifying fist wind swept forth, enough to crumble great peaks.
Ling Tian snorted coldly. His palm manipulated space as he struck out to meet the punch.
Boom!!
The two powerful forces collided. The eight layers of hidden force, imbued with Heavenly Flame, exploded, pushing Ling Tian back several steps. His palm even showed scorch marks.
Xiao Yan didn't gain any advantage either. Ling Tian was much stronger than Ling Quan and likely possessed a higher-grade Dou God Bloodline. Moreover, his cultivation had reached the 3-star Dou Ancestor stage. The impact made Xiao Yan's right hand feel numb.
If not for the Flame Mantra evolving to Low Tian Class, providing immense Dou Qi, he might have suffered a significant loss from that strike.
'This guy is much stronger than First Elder Su Qian,' Xiao Yan thought.
"Hmph!" Being repelled by someone from the lower realms who relied on a Secret Technique was a humiliation for Ling Tian, who prided himself immensely on being a member of a Dou God Clan. He let out a furious roar that seemed to shatter the ground beneath him.
Ling Tian's entire body erupted with a burst of spiritual light, like a blazing sun, as he instantly charged forward with fierce and unstoppable momentum.
Xiao Yan saw Ling Tian charging at him. The dragon aura within his body erupted, and his Dou Qi circulated along special meridian pathways.
"Ancient Dragon Roar!"
ROOOAR!!
An incomparably terrifying dragon's roar resounded. The horrifying sonic wave blasted toward the oncoming Ling Tian like a colossal dragon.
Crack! Crack!!
The dragon's roar echoed, causing the surrounding withered bones and corpses to shatter.
"A sonic-type Dou Technique? Hmph! Spiritual Light Protection!" With a buzzing sound, the light around Ling Tian flashed, and he directly charged into Xiao Yan's sonic wave.
The sonic Dou Technique that had even caused Ling Quan and Han Feng's souls to tremble was ineffective! The dragon aura couldn't invade at all!
'So the Ling Clan has such traits?'
Just like the Hun Clan and the Yao Clan, as descendants of Dou God Clans, they were influenced by their Dou God Bloodlines, resulting in certain 'specializations'.
Xiao Yan's expression changed, and he hurriedly retrieved the Heavy Xuan Ruler from his storage ring. With a clang, Ling Tian's palm struck the Heavy Xuan Ruler, transmitting an extremely terrifying force through it.
Hiss!!
Xiao Yan slid back dozens of meters, his internal Qi and blood surging. This time, he had suffered a slight loss!
Buzz!
A beam of light slashed down like a whip. Lightning surged beneath Xiao Yan's feet. With a boom, the light sword created a fissure in the ground, slicing Xiao Yan's lightning clone directly in half.
"Light-attribute Dou Qi?" Xiao Yan's eyes focused on the light sword formed by Ling Tian's Dou Qi. This was the first time he had seen light-attribute Dou Qi!
"My Ling Clan's Dou God ancestor possessed light-attribute Dou Qi." Ling Tian couldn't help but reveal a proud expression when speaking of his light-attribute Dou Qi. Throughout the Dou Qi Continent, cultivators possessing light-attribute Dou Qi were extremely rare, even rarer than alchemists.
Beneath the Soul Robe, a smile crept onto Xiao Yan's lips. Since that was the case, he wouldn't hold back either.
Instantly, a surge of powerful Spiritual Strength erupted from within his own body; this was his own 'spirit'!
A monstrous killing intent emerged from his Spiritual Strength!
"Asura Soul Reaping Technique—Soul Chase, Slash!"