บท 16: VICE HALL MASTER
"Vice Hall Master not present at the branch? Then I suppose I'll have to destroy your branch first and then drag him out from wherever he's hiding," Xie Tianxiao declared coldly, his gaze never wavering from the Soul Hall Elder. "And don't bother trying to send a message to your Vice Hall Master—this entire space has been sealed off by me."
The Soul Hall Elder's face twisted with shock and fury. He had indeed intended to secretly contact the Vice Hall Master, but Xie Tianxiao had already anticipated this move and taken the necessary precautions.
"Curse you!" The Elder spat out, seething with frustration. His plans had been foiled, and he was now at the mercy of a foe whose strength was beyond anything he had expected. "I'll admit, you're powerful, but if you think you can destroy our branch without facing the wrath of the Nine tianzuns of the Soul Hall, you're gravely mistaken! Their power is beyond anything you can comprehend!"
The Elder was certain that while Xie Tianxiao might be a formidable near-peak Dou venerate, he was no match for the Soul Hall's Nine Heavenly Lords. Each of these figures possessed strength that far surpassed even high-level Dou venerate, with the top three being particularly terrifying.
"You're right—those tianzuns might indeed be troublesome for me right now. But as long as you, the branch master, remain here, they won't realize what's happened here for some time," Xie Tianxiao replied, his voice calm and collected. Then, without warning, he moved. In a flash, he appeared beside the Elder and delivered a powerful punch straight to his chest.
"Boom!"
The Elder's body exploded into a bloody mist from the force of the blow, leaving behind only a disembodied soul that immediately attempted to flee.
"Trying to escape?" Xie Tianxiao sneered as he flicked his finger, causing a barrier of black and white flames, formed by the Yin-Yang Twin Flames, to erupt into existence and encircle the fleeing soul.
"Damn it!" The Elder's soul let out a howl of pain as it collided with the fiery barrier, producing a harsh sizzling sound, followed by a bone-chilling scream. "Ahhhh!!"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you… just yet," Xie Tianxiao said with a smirk. With a flick of his hand, the Yin-Yang flames coiled around the Elder's soul, sealing him inside a spatial ring—one that Xie Tianxiao had recently acquired back in the magic beast Mountain Range.
"Finally, some peace" Xie Tianxiao remarked, satisfied as he looked at the spatial ring now containing the Elder's sealed soul. "The power of the Heavenly Flames is truly remarkable. Even though my Yin-Yang Twin Flames are ranked lower, they are extremely potent against spiritual entities."
The Heavenly Flames were, after all, divine creations of heaven and earth, each with unique attributes. Some could even scorch the fabric of space itself, making them excellent tools for restraining souls.
"Now that the situation here is resolved, it's time to finish off the rest of this Soul Hall branch," Xie Tianxiao muttered to himself as he prepared to confront the remaining members.
Earlier, when Xie Tianxiao had shattered the Elder's physical body, the system had notified him of the opportunity to devour the soul. However, he had deliberately held off on activating the system. By keeping the Elder's soul contained, he could prevent the main Soul Hall headquarters in Central Plains from learning about the branch's destruction, at least for a while.
With his decision made, Xie Tianxiao's figure blurred as he transformed into a streak of black light, speeding towards the depths of the forest where the Soul Hall branch was hidden.
---
Moments later, Xie Tianxiao arrived at his destination—a massive, steep slope that led to a vast, enclosed valley. At the heart of this valley stood a colossal black hall, towering like a mountain of darkness, emanating an oppressive aura that weighed heavily on the surroundings.
"So, this is where you've been hiding," Xie Tianxiao murmured, his lips curling into a sinister smile. "No wonder I couldn't find it before—there's a spatial barrier here."
The Soul Hall was known for its powerful spatial techniques, and this barrier was no exception. It would alert the branch of any intruders while simultaneously concealing the hall's location from prying eyes.
As Xie Tianxiao focused, he detected multiple powerful presences within the hall, including one that rivaled a Dou venerate. His smile widened, his excitement growing. "It seems there are still some strong individuals left inside. Good thing I sealed the space earlier—if that Elder had managed to send a warning, the Vice Hall Master might have escaped by now."
With a wave of his hand, Xie Tianxiao strengthened the spatial seal around the area. Then, conjuring the Yin-Yang Twin Flames, he formed a massive black and white battle axe, its energy radiating a terrifying aura.
"Allow me to knock on your door," he said with a hint of amusement before swinging the giant axe down with tremendous force.
"Boom!"
The hall trembled violently, its walls cracking under the immense pressure. The sound of stone shattering echoed through the valley as the ground itself began to quake.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The black and white axe transformed into a rotating Tai Chi diagram, and within its sphere of influence, everything—rocks, trees, even entire mountains—was incinerated to ashes. The sheer destructive power of this single strike was staggering.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Someone, quickly alert the Vice Hall Master!"
Amidst the chaos, sharp cries rang out from within the hall as Soul Hall members scrambled out, trying to assess the situation and mount a defence.
---
Meanwhile, deep within a hidden chamber of the Soul Hall, a figure sat in meditation, surrounded by a shroud of dark mist. The air around him was thick with a sinister aura.
"What's this…? Someone's attacking the Soul Hall?" The figure's eyes snapped open, his face instantly darkening. "Such a powerful presence—this has to be at least a five-star Dou venerate!"
The man, the Vice Hall Master, had been in seclusion for a month, attempting to break through to the three-star Dou venerate level. During this time, he had paid little attention to the goings-on within the branch. But now, an incredibly powerful enemy had appeared, far stronger than anything he had expected.
"This can't be good… I need to send a message to the higher-ups immediately," the Vice Hall Master decided, his expression grim as he quickly retrieved a communication jade.
But before he could activate it, the ground beneath him began to tremble violently.
"Save your energy—while you were in seclusion, I already sealed off this entire space. Your Protectors and Soul Envoys have all been dealt with," a voice echoed through the chamber as a figure appeared before the Vice Hall Master.
"When did you…?" The Vice Hall Master's heart raced as he sensed the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the black-robed man. A chill ran down his spine.
The figure was none other than Xie Tianxiao, who had followed the trail of Dou venerate energy to this very chamber after eliminating the forces outside.
"Heh… a peak two-star Dou venerate. You must be the Vice Hall Master of this branch," Xie Tianxiao said, his tone laced with disdain as he easily discerned the man's level.
"Are you the one who attacked my branch?" the Vice Hall Master demanded, his voice trembling slightly as he finally took in the full measure of Xie Tianxiao's power.
"that's Enough talk!" Xie Tianxiao snapped, his patience wearing thin. In an instant, he closed the distance between them, gripping the Vice Hall Master by the throat. A surge of terrifying energy erupted from Xie Tianxiao, locking the Vice Hall Master in place, rendering him completely immobile.
"This… this can't be!" The Vice Hall Master struggled in vain, but the gap in their power was insurmountable. He was utterly helpless against Xie Tianxiao's might.
Ignoring the futile resistance, Xie Tianxiao activated his system. "System, begin the devouring."
---
The room filled was with an eerie silence as Xie Tianxiao prepared to consume yet another powerful soul, eager to further augment his strength and ascend even higher on the path to absolute dominance.
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END
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