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**
Seeing the stunned look on the girl's face, Lin Feng couldn't help but shake his head with a helpless smile and said, "Zi Yan, how about you follow Xiao Yan? Keep an eye on everything that happens while he rescues Yao Chen. That way, we'll be able to analyze the situation on his side afterward."
He wasn't just comforting her. He genuinely wanted to know every detail of Xiao Yan's rescue operation. However, both he and Xiao Yixian possessed Heavenly Flames, which made them unsuitable for stealth near Xiao Yan, who also had one.
As for Feng Qing'er—although she didn't possess a Heavenly Flame—she was absolutely terrible at masking her presence. So after weighing the options, the one most suited for shadowing Xiao Yan… was Zi Yan.
"Since you're begging so sincerely, this lady will reluctantly agree."
Zi Yan's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing the assignment. She spoke as if she were being forced, but her excitement was impossible to hide.
However, right after she finished speaking, she tapped her toes and shot forward—crashing directly into Lin Feng's chest and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Cough!—"
Even with a body tempered through physical Dou Techniques, Lin Feng still felt a jolt of pain from the impact. Zi Yan, on the other hand, didn't notice a thing. Instead, she widened her innocent bright-purple eyes and looked up at him.
"Give me some soul bags too. If I run into any souls along the way, I'll catch a few for you."
"You little troublemaker…"
Staring at her exaggeratedly adorable expression, Lin Feng twitched the corner of his lips helplessly. Then, with a flick of his hand over his spatial ring, he retrieved a stack of pitch-black cloth pouches and handed them to her.
At the same time, he warned, "I can't make more of these right now. Use them carefully. Try not to destroy them."
"Relax, everything I do is perfect."
With a proud pat on her chest, Zi Yan took the soul bags, stored them in her spatial ring, and then—without another word—jumped out of his arms and vanished into the void, disappearing from sight.
Lin Feng exhaled lightly.
"All right. We prepare today. Tomorrow, everyone leaves for their assigned targets."
Hearing this, Xiao Yixian and Feng Qing'er nodded in unison before turning to leave. Since the others didn't have the strength of a Dou Zun yet, Lin Feng wasn't planning to involve them in the operation.
At dawn the next day, when the first ray of sunlight pierced the darkness—several cloaked figures quietly slipped out from within Pill Tower. Without making a sound, they flashed across the sky and disappeared beyond the horizon.
Meanwhile, outside of Holy Pill City, the wind stirred.
Three figures suddenly appeared from the void and transformed into streaks of black light, shooting toward different directions at incredible speed.
The Death Soul Mountain Range—located in the northwestern region of Central Plains—was known as one of the most dangerous places in the entire region.
Long ago, two massive factions clashed here in a brutal war filled with hatred and vengeance. Both sides suffered catastrophic losses. Underneath the soil of these mountains rested countless remains of fallen cultivators from that ancient battle.
Worse still, the mountain range naturally hosted extreme cold energy.
A thick, icy fog blanketed the mountains year-round. Any living creature—human or magical beast—who entered the fog would immediately find their soul perception affected.
The deeper one went, the stronger the cold energy became…eventually powerful enough to induce hallucinations. Those who reached that depth would lose reason—turning on allies, attacking without hesitation.
Killing each other. The mountain range remained silent. Cold. Dangerous. Like a graveyard waiting to claim the next wave of victims.
For that reason, this ominous region rarely saw visitors. However, despite its terrifying reputation, the Death Soul Mountain Range wasn't actually very far from Holy Pill City.
With Xiao Yan's current speed, it took roughly five days of flight to arrive. Perhaps because of his eagerness to save his master, Xiao Yan didn't stop to rest even once after departing. Day or night, he flew nonstop toward the mountain range.
When he finally reached the outskirts of the Death Soul Mountain Range at full speed, the surrounding temperature instantly plummeted.
The air became bone-chillingly cold, and the distant outline of the mountains was shrouded beneath layers of icy fog.
"So we finally made it…"
Staring at the ominous mountain range half-hidden beneath frigid mist, Xiao Yan finally loosened the tension in his expression, letting out a slow breath.
The closer he drew to this place, the heavier his emotions became. After all, in just a short while… he would finally meet his master again. Even if Xiao Yan wanted to remain calm, it was impossible.
"Death Soul Mountain Range is ahead, but everyone rest first. The Hall of Souls isn't something to underestimate."
Landing atop a mountain peak, Xiao Yan turned toward Feng Zun Zhe and the others and spoke calmly.
Many sects and nearby factions around this mountain range had already been secretly infiltrated or controlled by the Hall of Souls.
So when entering this region, none of them dared reveal their presence. They came quietly and carefully.
"Hmph, finally willing to rest. I thought they were going to rush straight in—boring."
Hidden in the void, Zi Yan crossed her arms and snorted. Because Xiao Yan had flown day and night, she was forced to follow without sleep, sticking close to him from beginning to end.
This kind of endurance travel… was something she absolutely hated. Now that she could finally breathe, she wasn't going to waste the chance. After roughly half an hour, Xiao Yan's group finished recovering.
With a glance exchanged between them, the solemnity in their eyes was unmistakable. They knew that very soon, they would be meeting members of the Hall of Souls head-on.
There was no room for carelessness.
"This operation cannot fail. If we do, we may never get another opportunity like this. No matter the cost, we must rescue my master."
Xiao Yan suddenly stepped forward, his tone stern and firm. Hearing this, everyone nodded silently. They too had risked everything to come here.
None of them intended to walk away empty-handed—nor did they wish to repeat such a mission ever again.
"Good. If there are no objections, then once we enter, don't separate and stay alert. Move!"
The last word had barely left Xiao Yan's lips before his figure shot forward—like a soaring roc descending from a cliff—gliding downward and disappearing into the fog-covered forest below.
Behind him, the group of Dou Zun experts transformed into streaks of shadowy light and followed closely, plunging into the cold fog after him.
The hunt had begun.
**
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