Xiao Yan's eyes were fixed intently on the empty space half a meter before him. He actually discovered extremely faint wrinkles hidden within the space that were extremely difficult to detect. Following the trail of those barely discernible wrinkles with his gaze, he was startled to find that these spatial folds almost formed a wall-like barrier, concealing the Hall of Souls behind it.
He had once read about a barrier in his storage ring that was called 'Space Lock'. It was an exceptionally powerful barrier that only a Dou Venerate expert could establish.
'Could that Protector Wu be a Dou Venerate? If he truly is, then that would be problematic. This Soul Command Token might not be enough to bluff an elite Dou Venerate.' Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, but after pondering for a moment, he dismissed this conjecture.
'It's probably not the case. If he truly were a Dou Venerate, Yun Shan wouldn't have been shouting like that. It's more likely that Yun Shan is also a Protector, just of a lower rank than Protector Wu.'
While a Dou Venerate could indeed set up a Space Lock, arranging one didn't necessarily require a Dou Venerate. It could also be achieved using certain items and secret techniques.
'That Protector Wu knows I possess a Soul Command Token. Despite the commotion I caused in the Misty Cloud Sect, he didn't appear even when Yun Shan crushed his soul jade piece. This proves that the Soul Command Token bestowed by Hun Huzi still holds significant status, likely higher than Yun Shan's.'
Xiao Yan naturally had his reasons for causing such a scene. Not only did he want to enter the Gate of Life and Death in a manner that wouldn't arouse Ling Ying's suspicions, but more importantly, he wanted to gauge the attitude of the Hall of Souls hidden within the Misty Cloud Sect toward him.
This wasn't like attending school. If the Hall of Souls was divided into factions and he inadvertently ended up in an opposing camp, then he would truly meet a wrongful death. However, he dared to come to the Hall of Souls because he had a certain level of confidence and basis. He recalled that three years ago, not long after Nalan Yanran came to annul their engagement, Hun Huzi had mentioned that he came upon hearing about a genius young man surnamed Xiao emerging in this remote Jia Ma Empire. In the end, Hun Huzi even let him take his Soul Command Token to the Hall of Souls in the imperial capital.
From this, it could be deduced that the reason Hun Huzi knew about him was because the people of this Hall of Souls had reported it to him, thus prompting his arrival.
Therefore, it was plausible that this Hall of Souls was under Hun Huzi's jurisdiction.
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened as he proceeded without hesitation. He had carefully considered everything before coming to the Misty Cloud Sect.
Clad in his Soul Robe, he walked straight through the Space Lock and entered. This Space Lock could only be accessed by those wearing Soul Robes.
Upon closer inspection, within this slightly distorted space lay a stretch of polluted black land. The surface occasionally exposed some pale white objects. Startlingly, they were the skeletal remains of various creatures. The surroundings exuded an eerie and chilling atmosphere.
It was a stark contrast to the environment outside.
In the heart of this mountain forest stood a silent black hall. At the sight of that pitch-black structure, the words 'Hall of Souls' surged into Xiao Yan's mind. Without any introduction, he knew that this was the Hall of Souls within the Misty Cloud Sect!
Gazing at the jet-black hall, a sinister and terrifying aura slowly permeated the area, rippling through this sealed space.
Upon closer examination, several exceptionally thick black chains extended from the hall and plunged deep into the ground. Swirling clusters of black fog enveloped these chains, vaguely forming human-like shapes. The chains occasionally flickered with a faint luster.
Wearing the Soul Robe, Xiao Yan immediately blended into the land seamlessly. He slowly circulated the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique and discovered that the soul light scattered here was even more concentrated than in ordinary locations.
'Could it be that this black hall possesses the ability to summon souls and gather spiritual essence?'
Indeed, the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop he had entered previously was not a true Hall of Souls in the proper sense. It was more likely a secret shop of the Hun Clan!
After all, since it bore the name 'Hall of Souls,' there should at least be a grand hall, should there not? Moreover, there were scarcely any human figures to be seen inside the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop.
Xiao Yan slowly made his way toward the pitch-black hall. After walking for a while, he finally came across a few people also wearing Soul Robes.
"Let's go. This time, I must collect enough soul points," said a figure who appeared to be the leader among them.
"Compared to joining a team to hunt magical beasts in the Magic Beast Mountain Range to earn soul points, eliminating the Snake-People in the Snake-People Tribe is an easier way to gather soul points. The souls of the Snake-People are somewhat stronger than those of ordinary magical beasts," another person added.
The last person took out an irregularly shaped black stone from the pocket of his Soul Robe and said, "I'm telling you, killing people is the fastest way. Although low-level cultivators and alchemists can't produce soul bodies, alchemists naturally possess strong Spiritual Strength. The soul stone can be quickly filled."
The leader said disdainfully, "No kidding. Who doesn't know that a mother is a woman? But our strength is only at the Dou Grandmaster realm. Even a 1st-tier alchemist holds a certain status in a Dou Spirit Clan. It's exceedingly rare to encounter a lone alchemist."
Xiao Yan frowned upon hearing the conversation of the three approaching Soul Envoys. These Soul Envoys were akin to bees collecting honey, gathering the souls of the weak.
His powerful Spiritual Strength swept over them.
Although the Soul Robes of these three also possessed shielding abilities, Xiao Yan estimated that they were merely the weakest Huang Class Soul Envoy robes, capable of blocking the perception of at most a 2nd-tier alchemist. Naturally, they couldn't obstruct his spiritual
'All Dou Grandmasters, and if I'm not mistaken, these three were among the law enforcement team members from this morning.' Xiao Yan wasn't surprised that they were disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Since even the Sect Leader and the First Elder were members of the Hall of Souls, it was only natural that some elite disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect and the confidants of several elders would also join the Hall of Souls.
"Sigh, it's all because of that person named Xiao Yan. The First Elder and the others were actually expelled from the Misty Cloud Sect. Who knows what will happen in the future?"
"Isn't this even better? Now the First Elder and the others can always act in the capacity of the Hall of Souls. I'm even considering leaving the Misty Cloud Sect myself. Sometimes the resources provided for sect missions are too meager."
Xiao Yan brushed past the three as they crossed paths with a whoosh. He neither made a move
to kill them nor uttered a word, simply ignoring them.
He wasn't someone with a saintly heart. The Hall of Souls had branches spread extensively
across the Dou Qi Continent; how much could he possibly control?
As for the First Elder and the others, they were probably already waiting below.
'So ordinary Soul Envoys without Soul Command Tokens rely on those so-called soul stones to collect souls and exchange them for soul points? It seems that soul points are still used as currency for transactions here,' Xiao Yan pondered as he made his way toward the hall.
Xiao Yan didn't encounter many people along the way. This Hall of Souls gave him a
somewhat desolate feeling.
'Why are there so few people?'
The space concealed by the Space Lock wasn't very vast. He arrived at the foot of the pitch- black hall after walking for a short while.
He raised his head and gazed upward. In the center of the black hall, the words 'Hall of Souls' were engraved using Spiritual Strength. These characters seemed to emit faint wailing sounds. A few black-robed figures were actually sitting on those thick black chains that bound
Xiao Yan's perception clearly sensed that these individuals were all at the peak Dou Spirit or even Dou King realm, and none of them were from the Misty Cloud Sect.
'Those chains are releasing very strong Spiritual Strength. Could those things accelerate the cultivation of Soul Training Methods?'
This was merely a small branch hall in a remote area, yet it already possessed such a foundation. Those Dou Kings were likely rogue cultivators from the Jia Ma Empire who had passed trials to become Soul Envoys of the Hall of Souls.
Xiao Yan surmised that the Hall of Souls had its own system of trials and recruitment
The door of the Hall of Souls suddenly opened with a creaking sound. Xiao Yan smiled faintly and, without the slightest hesitation, stepped directly into the hall.
The door slammed shut with a resounding thud the moment he entered the Hall of Souls. One candle after another lit up, instantly illuminating the entire hall. A figure wearing a Soul Robe and a mass of black fog stood in the center, as if they had been waiting for him all along. Xiao Yan revealed a smile as he slowly removed his hood. His gaze fell on the person to the right and chuckled, "Jie Jie Jie, Old Sect Leader Yun Shan, we meet again."