Chapter 368: The Power of Devouring… Are You from the Soul Clan?!
Hearing Lu Bu's words, Xiao Yan felt a slight sense of relief. With Lu Bu's help… no, wait, this was Lu Bu's mess in the first place it was only fair for him to handle it!
"Hmph… why didn't you just kill him earlier and be done with it?" Xiao Yan said irritably. "And now, look at this mess. You let him live, and so many problems came from it."
"This isn't my fault…" Lu Bu said coldly, crossing his arms and letting out a sarcastic laugh.
Nearby, Xiao Xun'er's heart tightened, and her brow twitched slightly. She could already guess what Lu Bu was about to say next.
"If you want to blame someone, blame your dear Xun'er!" Lu Bu raised a finger, pointing at Xiao Xun'er with an annoyed expression. "I captured Hun Yu back then, but it was the Ancient Clan that decided to imprison him instead of killing him outright. And then they went ahead and released him in the end!"
"If you want to point fingers, blame the Ancient Clan. What does this have to do with me?"
Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. He looked at Lu Bu, then at Xiao Xun'er, unsure of what to say for a moment.
"Alright, enough with the chatter. Where did Hun Yu run off to?" Lu Bu asked as he casually flicked his sleeve.
Hun Yu had just fought Xiao Yan and even used his clan's imprint. By now, he must be severely weakened. To not take advantage of this golden opportunity this heaven sent chance would be to waste all of Xiao Yan's efforts!
"In that direction…" Xiao Yan said, raising a hand and pointing toward a particular area.
"Well then, I'll go after Hun Yu," Lu Bu said with a chuckle.
Xiao Yan's lips twitched into a bitter smile. Getting Lu Bu to actually do something was never easy…
"Oh, by the way, do you know how many energy cores Hun Yu has on him?" Lu Bu suddenly asked, shifting the topic as he glanced at Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er.
"…"
Xiao Yan's expression froze, his previously hopeful grin stiffening instantly. His excitement evaporated in a second, leaving him looking as though he was about to burst into tears. Was I just working for Lu Bu for free?
Heh heh heh… Lu Bu let out a sinister laugh before grabbing Qing Lin's hand and gracefully retreating into the distance.
…
"Girl, track down Hun Yu's whereabouts!" Lu Bu said with a smile, gently holding Qing Lin's soft and delicate hand.
As a member of the Soul Clan, Hun Yu had plenty of secret techniques for evading soul detection. He knew that Xiao Yan wasn't just a five star Dou Zun but also an eighth grade alchemist with considerable soul power. To avoid being hunted down by Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er, possibly with reinforcements from the Ancient Clan's Black Abyss Army, Hun Yu had erased all traces of his presence early on. Not even the most soul sensitive clans like the Medicine Clan or the Spirit Clan could track him.
Unfortunately for Hun Yu, he didn't know that Lu Bu had Qing Lin by his side. With her Three Flower Green Snake Eyes, there was no need to rely on outdated methods like soul detection.
Who even used such primitive techniques nowadays? If someone wanted to use them, they were welcome to. Lu Bu certainly didn't need to.
"Got it!" Qing Lin nodded lightly. Her beautiful eyes shimmered, and three crystalline flowers rotated slowly in her pupils, emitting a faint, peculiar ripple.
"Young Master, I've found him!" Qing Lin said, her gaze sharpening as she spoke in a low voice. "Follow me!"
With that, Qing Lin lightly tapped her feet, her graceful figure flitting into the air like a butterfly in a flower field. Suddenly, she changed direction sharply, darting northward far from the direction Xiao Yan had pointed out.
"Is Hun Yu just that cunning, or is Xiao Yan just that useless?" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
As he pondered, Qing Lin had already led him into the thick gray mist, heading into the distance.
…
"Hun Hu, all traces have been erased. Let's rest here," Hun Yu said, his face pale as he slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
"Damn it… who would've thought that a piece of trash from the Xiao Clan's discarded bloodline would be so troublesome!" said the young man called Hun Hu, clutching his chest with a gloomy and resentful expression. Despite all his efforts, he hadn't been able to shake off Xiao Yan. Otherwise, the two of them together would've easily defeated that woman, and Hun Yu wouldn't have lost.
"Let's focus on healing first…" Hun Yu muttered, popping a few radiant pills into his mouth. He chuckled softly, showing little concern outwardly.
Having experienced the rollercoaster of being captured in the Southwest Region and then being released back to the clan, Hun Yu had grown more composed. He understood that anger and frustration were pointless in certain situations.
In this world, everything had to be faced as it was. If you lost, you lost there was no need to make excuses.
Take his current situation, for example. Even though he was a nine star Dou Zun with a ninth grade bloodline, the clan hadn't given him a single eighth grade pill capable of transforming into a pill beast. All he had were some seventh grade pills.
That was just reality. Having been defeated and captured, this was the price he had to pay. To change his fate, he would need to wash away his shame with the blood of his enemies.
"So, what's the plan now?" Hun Hu asked darkly. He was still fuming with resentment, unwilling to let this grudge go.
"We'll go after Lu Bu!" Hun Yu said with a cold smile. "I may not be able to handle the Ancient Clan's Seven Colored Imprint, but I can definitely deal with the commander of the Black Abyss Army."
"Whether it was Lu Bu or Xiao Yan who fought me in the Southwest Region, neither of them can take me on one on one. And unlike Xiao Yan, Lu Bu doesn't have an Ancient Clan warrior with a Seven Colored Imprint to protect him!"
"Fair enough… I've heard he prides himself on being at the pinnacle of alchemy. Let's see if his collection lives up to the reputation!" Hun Hu sneered. With a few eighth grade pills, their injuries and energy depletion wouldn't be a problem at all.
Heh heh heh…
Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed from the gray mist. Xiao Yan, his face shadowed with cold killing intent, slowly stepped forward. "You two seemed to be having fun earlier. Now, it's my turn."
"Xiao Yan?!"
Hun Yu and Hun Hu's pupils shrank sharply. How was this possible? How had he found them?
Even the Medicine Clan and Spirit Clan, both experts in soul detection, couldn't have tracked them so quickly!
Before they could process their shock, Lu Bu straightened up, puffed out his chest, and grinned. "That's right, Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan! Had your fun? Good. Now it's your turn!"
With that, Lu Bu stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. His fists clenched, he hurled a punch straight at the two.
"Bastard!"
"You're courting death!"
The two Soul Clan members roared in fury, retaliating with punches of their own.
They had feared Xiao Yan bringing reinforcements from the Ancient Clan. But a mere discarded bloodline member of the Xiao Clan dared to attack them head on?
Bang! Bang!
The sound of fists colliding echoed as the two Soul Clan members screamed. Blood and teeth flew through the air as their bodies were sent tumbling to the ground like broken sacks, crashing into the earth and leaving deep craters.
"You… you're not Xiao Yan?!" Hun Hu exclaimed in terror, pointing at Lu Bu. The Xiao Yan they'd fought before had struggled just to hold his own, even with the Three Mystical Transformations of Heavenly Flame. How could he suddenly become so strong?
Hun Yu's face darkened. Whether or not this was Xiao Yan no longer mattered what mattered was that their opponent wanted to kill them. Their only option now was to fight to the death!
"Damn it… if only I hadn't used my clan imprint earlier!" Hun Yu cursed inwardly, the weakness in his body driving him to the brink of madness. Had he been at full strength, he wouldn't have been in such a dire situation.
"Shut up! I am Xiao Yan!" Lu Bu shouted angrily, clapping his hands together with a sharp smack. Dou Qi surged, and two powerful crystalline seals shot forward at blinding speed.
"Mountain Splitting Seal! Sea Flipping Seal!"
"Attack with full force!" Hun Hu's face changed drastically as he shouted in alarm. Vast soul energy, accompanied by terrifying black mist that blotted out the sky, roared outward.
On the other side, Hun Yu clenched his teeth and let out a low growl. From the center of his forehead, soul energy surged like a tidal wave, accompanied by wailing spirits that emerged from his soul force, rushing toward Lu Bu like an overwhelming storm, ready to destroy everything in their path.
Heh heh heh… Lu Bu let out a sinister laugh. "Trying to use soul power against me? You two are not even in my league!"
A black light suddenly exploded in front of Lu Bu, expanding rapidly in the blink of an eye and spreading outward like an iron curtain that blocked out the sky and sun.
Hiss!
With a strange muffled sound, the two fierce attacks, which even nine star Dou Zuns would have been forced to evade, vanished into the black curtain as if swallowed by the sea unable to stir even the smallest ripple.
"The Great Heaven Creation Palm? The Ancient Demon's Great Heaven Creation Palm?" Hun Hu was shocked, his face filled with disbelief. What was going on? Had the Ancient Demon entered the Heavenly Tomb?
And disguised himself as Xiao Yan?
"No, it's not the Great Heaven Creation Palm… it's devouring power!" Hun Yu said solemnly. The black curtain before them didn't contain the destructive power of the Great Heaven Creation Palm. Instead, it was pure devouring power something he was very familiar with, having seen it many times in the Soul Clan's elders.
"You… you're from the Soul Clan?! How is that possible?" Hun Yu's heart filled with dread as his thoughts spiraled into chaos. Could this be part of the Soul Clan's millennia long plan…?
Devouring power means someone is from the Soul Clan… oh, Void Swallowing Flame… Lu Bu's thoughts raced briefly before he roared angrily, "Nonsense! This is the Great Heaven Creation Palm!"
"Now, die!"
Lu Bu clenched his fingers into a fist, and the void twisted violently. Two terrifying blades of scorching flame slashed out with immense heat.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed through the air as both of Hun Yu's and Hun Hu's arms were severed at the elbows.
"Ahhh… Run!" The two Soul Clan members gritted their teeth and shouted, their bodies flashing as they fled desperately into the distance.
Lu Bu raised his hand, drawing in two black storage rings. With the devouring power, he easily broke through their defenses and casually tossed the rings to the dense black mist behind him.
"Girl, check what's inside," Lu Bu said.
"Hehe… Young Master, there are five nine star energy cores and seven or eight eight star energy cores!" Qing Lin's voice came from the black mist.
"Tsk tsk… looting a whole city doesn't compare to looting a single person!" Lu Bu chuckled.
"Huh?"
"Ah, nothing… Hmm?" Before Lu Bu could finish, he sensed energy fluctuations in the distance. The sound of something cutting through the air grew louder and closer.
"Young Master, more people are coming…" Qing Lin said softly from within the mist, her eyes gleaming. "It's two large men with grayish white skin, and stone like markings on their foreheads… They should be from the Stone Clan."
"Huh?" Lu Bu paused, then grinned. "Qing Lin, hide yourself. Let Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan handle these two."
"Hehe… Young Master, you're stirring up trouble again," Qing Lin giggled as her figure melted into the gray mist.
Moments later, two burly figures arrived.
"Huh? Are you that Xiao Yan…?"
Heh heh heh… Lu Bu let out a sinister laugh. "Hand over your energy cores, and I'll spare your lives!" As he spoke, two crystalline seals appeared in his palms, radiating terrifying energy fluctuations.
…
Boom boom boom!
On the desolate, deathly silent land, deafening explosions echoed endlessly. An energy storm swept across the sky, tearing through the space of the Heavenly Tomb as it moved. Even the sturdy spatial fabric of the tomb was ripped apart wherever the storm passed.
In the void above, pitch black spatial cracks flickered ominously around the edges of the energy storm, exuding an aura of terror.
"What… what is that?" Xiao Yan muttered, stunned by the terrifying sight before him.
"It's an energy storm of the Heavenly Tomb," Xiao Xun'er explained. "It's a natural disaster within the Heavenly Tomb, and its destructive power is overwhelming. Even a peak Dou Zun wouldn't survive if they got caught in it."
"Judging by its range, it'll likely engulf the entire second layer…" Xiao Xun'er said, her expression filled with worry.
"In that case, let's head to the third layer!" Xiao Yan said with a smile. After all, his ancestor Xiao Xuan's tomb was located in the third layer.
"The entrance to the third layer isn't far from here…" Xiao Xun'er pointed to a massive light screen in the distance. Like the entrance to the second layer, it was an enormous energy barrier that stretched endlessly in all directions except downward to the ground.
The two figures flickered and dashed forward at their maximum speed, moving like shooting stars toward the light screen at the edge of their vision.
…
Whoosh!
As soon as Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er landed before the light screen, several piercing gazes locked onto them. These gazes were filled with anger and hatred, as if they wanted to tear Xiao Yan apart.
"The Soul Clan, Medicine Clan, and Stone Clan… Damn it. I understand the Soul Clan, but why are the Medicine Clan and Stone Clan involved?" Xiao Yan muttered, baffled.
"Hmm? What's up with the Soul Clan and Medicine Clan? Why are their arms missing?" Xiao Xun'er asked, frowning as she looked at the two groups. Among them, three individuals were missing their right arms.
"That's definitely Lu Bu's doing!" Xiao Yan blurted without hesitation.
"Don't slander me!" Lu Bu's voice rang out as he strode forward, his tone annoyed. "Sure, I chopped off Yao Xingji's arm, but I didn't touch the others. What's the problem? You don't like it?"
The last sentence was directed at Yao Xingji, spoken with a cold, murderous tone.
Yao Xingji's eye twitched as he took a deep breath and lowered his head slowly.
Just wait… once we're in the third layer, I'll make you kneel like a dog… The two Medicine Clan members lowered their gazes, their eyes brimming with malice and resentment.
No one dared to treat the Medicine Clan like this not the Soul Clan, not even the Ancient Clan. If Lu Bu didn't die, the Medicine Clan would lose all face!
"Hehe… You've looted all three groups here. How could they not hate you?" At that moment, a man in a green robe from the Ancient Clan walked over with a faint smile.
Beside him, a man in a silver robe walked shoulder to shoulder with him. These were the two commanders of the Black Abyss Army: Great Commander Gu Qingyang and Second Commander Gu Hua.
"Exactly. Especially the Medicine Clan…" Gu Hua said with a strange expression. "First, the Great Commander beat them up, and then you robbed them blind."
"What?" Xiao Yan's jaw dropped in disbelief. "I robbed all three clans? When did that happen?"
"Lu Bu! This is your doing again!" Xiao Yan growled through gritted teeth, his anger flaring. He didn't need to think hard to figure out who was behind it all.
"What nonsense? What does this have to do with me?" Lu Bu rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, speaking in an annoyed tone. "I'm an eighth grade peak alchemist who can refine eight colored eighth grade pills. Why would I bother with a few measly energy cores?"
"The pinnacle of alchemy belongs to Lu Bu. See Lu Bu, and all other paths turn to dust don't you understand?"
Xiao Yan: "…"
That's my line!
And when have you ever refined an eight colored eighth grade pill?! You liar!
Nearby, Gu Qingyang and Gu Hua exchanged glances, their faces filled with an indescribable expression. They finally understood why Gu Yao had such a strange look on his face whenever he mentioned Lu Bu, the commander of the Black Abyss Army.
(End of chapter.)
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