Chapter 138: Insult!
"If he is harmed... then the Soul Hall... will also cease to be."
A gentle, somewhat ethereal voice echoed across this stretch of heaven and earth.
The soft, gentle voice hovered across the sky. Yet those who heard it felt every hair on their bodies stand on end. A sudden, chilling aura of slaughter pervaded the air.
Simultaneously, in the space before Xiao Yan, where Qin Tian's giant black hand was descending, the space abruptly twisted and distorted. An aged figure eerily materialized. With a wave of a sleeve, space collapsed, forcibly crushing that giant black hand into oblivion.
Seeing the aged figure who had so easily shattered Qin Tian's attack, everyone couldn't help but feel their hearts tremble. Which great power was this now, to so effortlessly block a Dou Zun's attack? Was this yet another Dou Zun?
Snapping back to their senses, the crowd looked at that aged, stooped figure with awe and reverence. Hope, once again, rose in their hearts.
And hearing this voice, Xiao Yan's body stiffened slightly. His throat bobbed faintly. In a murmur of disbelief, he whispered, "Xun Er..."
"Phew." Hearing Xiao Yan's murmur, Yao Chen finally let out a long sigh of relief. Since this one had arrived, Xiao Yan would surely be safe now.
"Finally arrived, have you? The Gu clan!" Suspended in the sky, Yun Yi's eyes flickered with an inexplicable gleam. Fixing his gaze upon the distant dark silhouette, he murmured inwardly.
He beckoned with a hand. The Devouring Heavenly Corpse, which had still been getting beaten up by Zi Yan, instantly transformed into a streak of light and stood silently behind Yun Yi.
At this moment, its entire body was covered in all manner of wounds. Yet under the strange, eerie black flames, they began slowly writhing and creeping. In the blink of an eye, some of the lighter wounds had already healed completely, good as new.
Seeing this from afar, Zi Yan was immediately disgusted to no end!
When she had first started, seeing this sandbag, she had been quite exhilarated. But as time had passed, the thing's attributes had thoroughly nauseated her.
If this kept up, she suspected she'd tire herself to death before it did!
Sensing the large number of auras in the distance, Zi Yan's expression grew grave. She returned to Jiang Yun's side, on high alert, ready to tear open space and flee with the group at any moment.
"The Gu clan's Black Annihilation Army, is it?" Jiang Yun likewise looked toward that patch of black clouds. There, a large number of formidable auras were howling toward them.
From the distant horizon, the sounds of massed rushing wind rang out. Dozens of tiny black dots entered the crowd's field of vision. Their powerful auras even blotted out the blazing sun in the sky. A dark, oppressive storm of energy swept toward them.
"Those are... magical beasts?"
Within a few breaths, the people of the Jia Ma Empire, having just survived calamity, also looked toward those several dozen black dots and exclaimed in shock.
Those black dots—they were actually unicorns! Each was pitch-black all over and bore a silver horn over a foot long upon its head.
On each of those horns were strange, peculiar patterns. The sounds of wind and thunder faintly emanated from within. The unicorns had four wings on their backs. As those wings beat, fierce gales howled down from the sky.
Atop each of those four-winged unicorns stood a young man whose entire body radiated a powerful aura. They uniformly wore purple-black robes, their faces expressionless. As their gazes flickered and shifted, they were like sharp blade glints, sending chills through one's entire body.
Every single one of their auras was like a deep pool of water. Nearly every single figure was someone on par with Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian.
At the center of the Black Annihilation Army, an even more massive four-winged unicorn was being guarded and escorted. On that unicorn's back stood three young figures—two men and one woman.
Who could that woman be but Gu Xun Er?!
At this moment, Gu Xun Er's gaze was fixed directly upon Xiao Yan, nothing else in sight. An unconscious, captivating smile surfaced on her face.
But seeing the bloodstains on Xiao Yan's body, a pained, heart-aching look flashed through her eyes. Her gaze swept over Yun Yi and the Soul Hall crowd, a terrifying killing intent streaking through her eyes.
Of the two men behind Gu Xun Er, one had an utterly ordinary appearance, yet gave off a strange, convincing, trustworthy air.
At this moment, watching Gu Xun Er ahead, a complicated smile also surfaced on his face. Ever since Gu Xun Er had returned to the clan, he had never seen her show such an expression toward anyone.
The clan already harbored considerable discontent regarding Gu Xun Er and Xiao Yan. If word of this were to spread back to the clan now, who knew what kind of uproar it would cause.
Involuntarily, he cast his gaze toward the blue-robed man beside him!
This man wore a thin, simple blue robe. His face was handsome and refined, giving off a scholarly, cultured air. He seemed to exude absolutely no aura whatsoever. Yet judging by the crowd's manner, his status was second only to Gu Xun Er's.
At this moment, his gaze was tightly locked onto the figures of Yun Yi, Jiang Yun, and Zi Yan. A thick, surging battle intent flashed through his eyes.
"That is... Gu Qingyang, is it?" Sensing the other's aura, Jiang Yun's gaze pierced through the ranks of the Black Annihilation Army, landing upon those few central figures. Finally, he looked at that blue-robed man, a flicker of speculation passing through his eyes.
"To annihilate my Soul Hall—I'm afraid you, Gu Xun Er, don't yet have the qualifications!" Right at that moment, noticing the killing intent in Gu Xun Er's eyes, Yun Yi sneered coldly, his voice dripping with mockery.
Yun Yi's words made the two men standing behind Gu Xun Er furrow their brows slightly. A trace of displeasure flashed through their eyes.
Gu Xun Er likewise frowned slightly, staring coldly at Yun Yi!
She naturally recognized Yun Yi. It was he who had suddenly descended upon the Xiao Clan back then, forcing her to violate her agreement with her father ahead of time and return to the clan prematurely.
He was also the disciple of the nine-star Dou Sheng, Nihility Devouring Flame. The clan naturally took him very seriously. Intelligence on him had subsequently appeared before the eyes of the Gu clan's upper echelons.
Regarding Yun Yi—this figure who had appeared out of nowhere, whose past could not be traced—the Gu clan was naturally deeply puzzled. First, it could be confirmed that he was not a member of the Hun clan.
Without the bloodline of an ancient clan, yet able to advance in strength so explosively—this naturally made the Gu clan's upper echelons doubly vigilant.
"Insolence!"
The moment Yun Yi spoke these words, before Gu Xun Er and the other two could even react, an enormous uproar erupted among the Black Annihilation Army!
One had to know, although Gu Xun Er had only returned to the clan a little over three years ago, she had already become the goddess in the hearts of countless Gu clan youths.
The daughter of the Clan Leader! A divine-grade bloodline! Coupled with a countenance that could topple entire kingdoms—three layers of buffs, all stacked. Ask yourself: who among the Gu clan could resist? Who wouldn't wish to win her favor?
Thus, now, when Yun Yi spoke so offensively, a handsome young man of about twenty-one or twenty-two, dressed in purple-black robes, immediately stepped forward and barked a loud reprimand.
With a boom, an exceptionally terrifying aura erupted from within him. Although he was only at the level of a nine-star Dou Huang, he possessed a fifth-grade bloodline. Coupled with a body of formidable Dou Techniques and cultivation art configurations, he was fully capable of contending against ordinary one or two-star Dou Zongs.
"Since when does a guard casually interrupt when the masters are speaking?"
Yun Yi stared coldly at this man. Without further words, he suddenly threw a fierce punch.
On his arm, black demonic flames flickered. Between his five fingers, it was as if a black sea of flame churned and roiled. That power was enough to incinerate the heavens and split the earth!
A flaming fist imprint blasted out fiercely toward the Black Annihilation Army!
"Not good!"
Sensing the power behind Yun Yi's punch, the man's face paled slightly. Yet he did not retreat. A fierce, ruthless glint flashed through his eyes. His palm clenched abruptly. Lightning flickered in his palm. With a great roar: "Startling Thunder Dance!"
Silver electric arcs materialized, directly transforming into a thunder long spear. The spear condensed, carrying an irresistible, matchless destructive force. It thrust straight toward the fist imprint Yun Yi had launched.
Seeing this, Yun Yi sneered coldly. With a light wave of the flame in his hand, the might of the flaming fist imprint immediately surged. Carrying a deadly, mortal crisis, it shot rapidly toward the Black Annihilation Army crowd.
He actually intended to take them all out in one sweep?!
"Damn it!"
"Gu Zhen! Protect the young miss!" The blue-robed man's face abruptly changed dramatically at this moment. With a light tap of his foot, before his voice had even finished falling, his figure had already appeared before the crowd.
"Brother Qingyang..." Watching Gu Qingyang's actions, Gu Zhen spoke with some worry. Yet his figure did not budge an inch, remaining steadfastly guarding in front of Gu Xun Er.
As Gu Qingyang flew forward, his hands flew through seals at lightning speed. By the time he appeared before the crowd, his fingers had abruptly frozen into a strange, peculiar hand seal!
In the seal, the thumbs pointed inward. The index fingers of both hands were half-intertwined like twin serpents, their tips touching. At a single glance, it gave one a sense of extreme profundity and mystery.
The seal took form. The Dou Qi within him was drained entirely. A dazzling, brilliant light erupted from his palm. A palm-sized hand seal adhered to the surface of his hand.
The moment that hand seal appeared, the surrounding space abruptly began to ripple violently!
His blazing gaze fixed upon the attack Jiang Yun had launched, Gu Qingyang let out a low shout.
"Imperial Seal Art: Earth-Overturning Seal!"
With a curl of his thumb, the hand seal fiercely shot forward. The layer of energy hand seal immediately flew from his hand, finally transforming into a palm-sized crystalline gleam, darting lightning-fast toward the fist imprint.
"The Imperial Seal Art, is it?" Jiang Yun's gaze flickered as he stared intently at the flying hand seal. He murmured in his heart: "Worthy of Gu Qingyang. With cultivation just entering Dou Zong, yet already able to execute the third seal of the Imperial Seal Art. In truth, compared to Gu Xun Er, he is the more suitable candidate for clan leader!"
"What a pity—the gap in cultivation is still far too vast."
Shaking his head slightly, Jiang Yun's gaze pierced through space, looking toward a certain spot. The space there was faintly distorted. Even the Dou Zun who had saved Xiao Yan and the others was completely calm and unruffled. Clearly, Gu Xun Er hadn't come out with only this small force.
Boom—
The terrifying collision was like meteors crashing together. In an instant, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar erupted. Energy ripples brimming with destructive flavor rapidly spread outward from the point of impact.
"Was I defeated?" Gu Qingyang's gaze pierced through the energy ripples, looking inside. There, the fist imprint had easily shattered the palm seal and was shooting rapidly toward him.
"As expected—the difference in cultivation is simply too great." Shaking his head in disappointment, feeling the hollow emptiness of Dou Qi within him, Gu Qingyang even began to harbor a suspicion: Yun Yi was the one who should truly be a descendant of an ancient clan.
Clearly about the same age—why was it that this other, a person without the Dou Di bloodline, was nearly a full major realm ahead of him in level?
Who exactly was the descendant of the ancient emperor here?
"Hmph—"
Just as the fist imprint was about to land before Gu Qingyang's eyes, a cold snort suddenly rang out across this stretch of heaven and earth. A somewhat stooped, aged figure also slowly materialized before Gu Qingyang. Raising a withered, desiccated palm, he grabbed directly toward the fist imprint.
"Dong—"
The two forces met. In that instant, it was like a mountain torrent erupting. Visible ripples of force spread outward.
The old man's expression shifted slightly. Sensing the terrifying power exploding within his palm, he had nearly lost control of it.
What a fine little whelp of the Hun clan!
Increasing the Dou Qi within him, he perilously but safely ground the fist imprint into oblivion. With a somewhat dark expression, the old man stared at Yun Yi and spoke in a deep voice.
"Elder Gu Xu..."
The moment this old man appeared, the Black Annihilation Army in the sky immediately hurriedly bowed and saluted, voices deferential.
Gu Xu nodded, then looked toward Yun Yi, rubbing his somewhat numb, withered palm. He said, "Apologize to my clan's young miss. Otherwise, today, the Soul Hall might just have to lose a few Honored Elders!"
Boom!
As he spoke, the pressure of an eight-star Dou Zun erupted violently, so oppressive that Qin Tian and the others' faces changed dramatically.
"Heh, what big words. Right under this honored one's nose—the people of my Soul Hall are to be killed just because your Gu clan feels like it?"
The space beside Yun Yi suddenly began to writhe eerily. A hoarse, rasping voice echoed under this sky.
A figure slowly emerged from within. This person wore a blood-red long robe. Even his long hair was a scarlet-crimson color. Red eyes, red brows. At a single glance, the stench of blood that made one's heart run cold came wafting over.
"The Soul Hall's Fourth Heavenly Venerable—Blood River Honored Venerable?!"
Watching the Blood River Honored Venerable, Gu Xu's expression immediately grew incomparably grave. The other was also a veteran expert renowned throughout the Central Plains. With his Blood Transformation Art, who knew how many mighty figures had perished at his hands?
And his aura was stronger than his own!
"Young Hall Master!" After emerging, the Blood River Honored Venerable looked at Yun Yi and let out a hoarse, rasping laugh.
"Mm." Yun Yi nodded indifferently. Looking at Gu Xun Er, he said, "I told you. My Soul Hall is not something you, Gu Xun Er, can annihilate just by saying so."
Hearing these words from Yun Yi and seeing the several Dou Zuns and numerous black-robed Protectors beside him, Gu Xun Er's expression immediately grew rather unsightly.
Gu Zhen and Gu Qingyang, who had accompanied her, wore equally grim expressions. Although Gu Xun Er's earlier words had indeed been somewhat rash... why did this Yun Yi fellow insist on gnawing at it and refusing to let go?!
And giving absolutely no face to the Gu clan's young miss—wasn't he afraid of provoking a war between the two clans?!
Right now, it was still just Dou Zuns taking the field, some minor skirmishing. But if Dou Shengs were to be drawn in, then it would be difficult to pull back!
"Apologize to me?" Immediately after, Yun Yi shifted his gaze toward Gu Xu with a cold sneer. "Today, if Gu Xun Er does not apologize to me—then for the rest of you, aside from Gu Xun Er, I cannot guarantee you'll return in one piece!"
"Jie jie jie—"
Sure enough, hearing Yun Yi's words, the Soul Hall crowd's eyes gleamed with red light, as if looking at prey, staring at the Gu clan members.
Most of them had no idea what the concept of the Gu clan even was. All they knew was that right now, the enemy was weak and they were strong. The advantage was theirs!
If not now, when to be arrogant?!
"You—!" Gu Xun Er stared at Yun Yi with a deeply unsightly expression. He wanted her to bow her head and admit fault?!
Where would the Gu clan's face be then? In the future, within the clan, there would surely be considerable murmuring against her, Gu Xun Er.
She might even be placed under house arrest!
"Yun Yi, you've gone too far!" Gu Qingyang stepped forward at this moment, his expression equally grim.
At this moment, it wasn't just him—the entire Black Annihilation Army stared at Yun Yi with hostile, malevolent expressions.
"Gone too far?" Hearing this, Yun Yi looked at the crowd, his face full of mockery. "I am merely treating others as they would treat me!"