Chapter 420: Bone Chilling Flame!
âHaha! I never expected the once-famous Medicine Venerate, Yao Chen, to be hiding in a place like this!â
The shadow cackled wildly, his gaze full of greed as he stared at "Xiao Yan."
âA mere Dou Ancestor dares to spout such arrogance in front of me? If this were back in the day, I couldâve crushed you with a single finger. Now that youâve discovered my presence, donât think for a second youâll leave here alive!â
"Xiao Yan" wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spoke in a raspy voice. In his heart, a murderous intent toward the Soul Hall Protector had already formed. If this Protector were allowed to escape, he and Yao Lao would face endless pursuit by the Soul Hall.
As "Xiao Yan" finished his words, a phantom-like elderly figure appeared in front of him, radiating an overwhelming aura that was no weaker than the shadowâs.
The moment the elder appeared, the pale white in Xiao Yan's pupils vanished, and his eyes returned to normal.
âTeacher!â
âThis is the first time in all these years that youâve revealed your soul form to anyone besides me. It seems todayâs situation is no ordinary trouble...â Xiao Yan felt a twinge of anxiety as he watched Yao Lao materialize from his body.
âJie! Jie! Back in the day, you were indeed someone to look up to. Many Venerate met their end at your hands. But now, your strength has fallen to this level, and youâre merely a soul body. Our Soul Hall has plenty of methods to deal with soul forms like yours. Capturing you today would surely bring great joy to the Hall Master.â
The shadowâs eerie laughter echoed across the sky like the cawing of a crow.
Without further delay, the shadow extended his hand, summoning a pitch-black chain that slithered from his palm with a clinking sound. The chain, coiling like a venomous snake, hovered ominously at his side.
The chain trembled slightly before the shadow gave a sharp flick of his arm. Instantly, the chain tore through the sky like a black streak, shooting straight toward Yao Laoâs soul form.
Seeing the shadow attack, Yao Laoâs expression turned icy. The pale white flame in his palm flickered intensely as he darted forward to meet the assault.
âHiss!â
The black chain, like a venomous serpent, pierced through the air, transforming into a blurry streak as it shot toward Yao Lao.
The tip of the chain was unnervingly sharp, inscribed with intricate runes and spiral patterns. Under the shadowâs energy manipulation, the chain emanated a chilling and menacing aura. Clearly, this was no ordinary weapon.
Yao Lao dared not take the incoming chain lightly. The Soul Hallâs methods were known to cause devastating harm to soul bodies. However, with the Bone Chilling Flame protecting him, Yao Lao wasnât entirely defenseless.
The pale white flame surged in Yao Laoâs palm before it transformed into a flaming arrow and shot forward to clash with the chain.
âBoom!â
The collision of the two forces produced a low, muted sound, without the explosive energy typical of such confrontations. A rippling shockwave of black and pale white energies silently spread outward, distorting the surrounding space slightly as it expanded.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
When the black chain met the flaming arrow, the shadow quickly realized the attack didnât achieve the same results as before. Yao Lao stood his ground, not retreating even a step. Moreover, an unusual temperatureâan overlapping mix of icy cold and searing heatâtraveled along the chain, momentarily disrupting the shadowâs Dou Qi.
âThe Bone Chilling Flame truly is formidable. No wonder you managed to escape the Soul Hallâs pursuit back in the day!â
The chain recoiled and coiled back around the shadow, who now fixed his gaze intently on Yao Chen, a hint of apprehension in his eyes.
Ordinary soul bodies, no matter how powerful, would see their strength significantly reduced when facing the Soul Hallâs specialized hunters. Their weapons were custom-designed to counter soul forms. However, such countermeasures were much less effective against soul bodies protected by Heavenly Flames or other rare and extraordinary natural treasures.
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell into a tense and ominous silence. Both sides prepared for their next moves, knowing that the battle was far from over.
As Yao Lao had stated, his ability to escape the Soul Hallâs pursuit back in the day was indeed thanks to the power of the Bone Chilling Flame.
Earlier, his retreat while aiding Xiao Yan wasnât due to being outmatched by the shadowy Protector but because Xiao Yanâs body was far too fragile to endure such intense combat. Now, with Yao Lao manifesting his true soul form, there were no longer such constraints.
Fixing his gaze on the Soul Hall Protector, whose body was cloaked in swirling black mist, Yao Laoâs hand slowly clenched. The pale white flames rapidly condensed in his palm, and moments later, they coalesced into a white ruler slightly smaller than Xiao Yanâs Heavy Xuan Ruler. Though the rulerâs surface was wreathed in flames, it gave off a chillingly cold visual impression.
âYour Soul Hallâs methods for suppressing soul bodies donât work well on me. So, show me your true strength, or stay here for good,â Yao Lao said coldly, pointing the white ruler at the shadow.
Sensing that Yao Laoâs aura was not weaker than his own, the shadow hesitated and said, âYao Chen, now that Iâve found you, thereâs no need for me to fight to the death. The Soul Hall has people everywhere on this continentâyouâll soon find yourself with nowhere to run!â
With those words, the shadow ceased his attacks on Yao Lao and retreated to a safer distance.
However, just as the shadow moved back, Yao Lao advanced, swiftly striking toward the shadow with the white ruler in hand.
At that moment, an immense and overwhelming aura suddenly erupted from the far edge of the plain.
âWhat is that?!â
âWhat a terrifying presence!â
Both Yao Lao and the Soul Hall Protector froze mid-action, their expressions changing drastically as they turned their horrified gazes toward the same spot in the sky.
In the distance, a colossal black flood dragon slowly appeared on the horizon.
âThereâs such a powerful demon beast here?â
âThis aura feels strangely familiar...â Yao Lao murmured, his eyes narrowing.
As the black flood dragon drew closer, the oppressive aura it emanated blanketed the area. Those on the groundâwhether they were fleeing, observing, or already paralyzed with fear due to the Soul Hall Protectorâfelt as if they were being crushed under a massive mountain, struggling to breathe.
Even Xiao Yan, who had been watching from the sidelines, wasnât spared. Under the immense pressure of the flood dragonâs aura, his heart pounded so violently that it felt like it might leap out of his chest.
âRoar!â
The massive beast abruptly came to a halt, hovering steadily a thousand meters above the plain.
âThat ominous black mist hasnât left yet, and now such a monstrous beast has arrived. Weâre doomed!â someone from the caravan muttered in despair, their voice trembling.
(End of Chapter)
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