Chapter 692: Xiao Yan Battles Mu Gu

"This technique, you are a member of Soul Hall!"

Gazing at the black-clothed Battle Venerable's skilled movements and the fighting technique he had seen many times before, Xiao Yan suddenly exclaimed in shock.

After all, that kind of fighting technique basically belongs exclusively to Soul Hall.

And having fought Soul Hall for so long, he could naturally recognize it at a glance.

"Hehe, Xiao Yan, the next one to die is you!"

After settling things, Mu Gu Lao Ren immediately turned his head, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yan in the distance.

"Given that black-clothed man's killing intent toward me, could he be preparing to avenge our previous grudge? It seems that wanting to escape unscathed today won't be easy."

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, his expression solemn as he gazed at his opponent, his heart filled with helplessness.

At this moment, he thought that this Battle Venerable insisted on not letting him go because earlier he had been destroying branch halls everywhere.

However, since the other side is unwilling to let him go just like that, he likewise cannot sit and wait for death!

Next, the yellow Exotic Fire formed by the fusion of the four flames—Falling Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Volcanic Stone Flame, and Profound Yellow Flame—slowly surged forth from within his body.

"Putting up a last-ditch resistance, don't think that just by using a secret method to reach the one-star Battle Venerable level you can oppose me; obediently hand over the Exotic Fire and the Burning Secret!"

Seeing his actions, Mu Gu Lao Ren's face instantly darkened, and he spoke with killing intent filling the air.

Upon hearing the two words "Burning Secret," Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically in an instant, becoming extremely shocked.

It was precisely because he had obtained that volume of cultivation method that he was able to grow to his present level.

Now his innermost secret has been openly spoken by others—how could he not panic!

"Soul Hall Battle Venerable knows the Burning Secret!"

Afterward, Xiao Yan seemed to recall something.

Immediately, he stared at the distant black-clothed man with a face full of killing intent, his voice filled with killing intent: "You are Mu Gu Lao Ren!"

At this moment, he finally figured out the other's identity.

All previous doubts likewise vanished like smoke!

Hearing that, Mu Gu Lao Ren was slightly startled, then the sinister smile on his face grew wider as he said: "You actually recognized me this quickly?"

Hearing that black-clothed Battle Venerable's words not denying his own identity, Xiao Yan's heart sank involuntarily.

Evidently, he also never expected that Mu Gu Lao Ren still had such means, capable of deceiving the Pill Pagoda Three Giants and successfully entering the Pill Realm.

At this moment, Mu Gu Lao Ren's cold voice once again reached his ears: "It's good that you've recognized me; let you die as an informed ghost, so you won't remain unaware of who killed you. No matter what today, between us, we must decide a winner!"

As his words fell, a strange surge of scorching energy suddenly burst forth from within Mu Gu Lao Ren's body.

Then this energy, at his arms, condensed into a peculiar black-colored crystal layer.

From afar, it looked like a blue-black crystal arm.

And as his movements proceeded, Xiao Yan, whose soul power had reached the Soul Realm, felt a sense of crisis surge in his heart in an instant.

"Earth Tier Advanced Fighting Technique: Nine United Regret Heaven Ruler!"

The next moment, the Profound Heavy Ruler in his hand was covered by the violent yellow flames; he shouted loudly, and the sleeves on both arms were instantly shattered into countless fine particles by the mighty Battle Qi.

Immediately, Xiao Yan swung the Giant Ruler and chopped down fiercely.

Perhaps due to this fighting technique, at this moment his whole body exuded an unstoppable momentum.

Meanwhile, the space before him suddenly began to twist.

Immediately, a black crystal-layer energy arm pierced out from within the void space, then heavily struck the Giant Ruler in Xiao Yan's hand.

"Boom—"

The next instant, an abnormally piercing, dull sound rang out across the sky.

The yellow flames on the Giant Ruler were instantly scattered by the crystal-layer arm, wave after wave surging wildly in all directions!

In the blink of an eye, those scattered Exotic Fires formed a vast sea of fire in the sky.

"Hiss—"

When wave after wave of Exotic Fire encountered that Soul Barrier, it produced large amounts of thick smoke and hissing sounds.

"Oh no, I've fallen into a trap!"

Upon seeing that, in the blink of an eye the Soul Barrier had been burned thin by more than half by the Exotic Fire, Mu Gu Lao Ren cried out in alarm in his heart.

Immediately, he hastily withdrew his attack and his figure darted to the side.

At this moment, he finally realized that Exotic Fire is the bane of the soul.

And the Soul Barrier formed from soul power naturally fears being burned by Exotic Fire.

His foolishly powerful strikes against Xiao Yan's Exotic Fire— isn't he actually helping the opponent by sending the Exotic Fire onto the Soul Barrier?

"Hehe, you already know it's too late!"

Seeing the greatly thinned Soul Barrier, Xiao Yan withdrew his attack and laughed loudly.

His body at this moment, having endured the Battle Venerable-level power for so long, had long been constantly protesting.

Therefore, he naturally could not be foolish enough to clash head-on with Mu Gu.

After all, if he does that and cannot quickly kill the opponent, then the one who will die must be him!

After thinking it over, he could only think of using the Exotic Fire to burn the Soul Barrier.

However, if he directly did that, he would surely be blocked by the opponent.

So he thought of using Mu Gu Lao Ren's power to send the Exotic Fire onto the Soul Barrier.

And his Exotic Fire, after fusing the four Exotic Flames—Falling Heart Flame, Sea Heart Flame, Volcanic Stone Flame, and Profound Yellow Flame—according to the Three Giants, is already stronger than the top ten Exotic Fires on the ranking.

Therefore, even Mu Gu Lao Ren's soul power has stepped into the Soul Realm.

But the Soul Barrier he set up, under the burning of such Exotic Fire, will surely be unable to withstand it!

"Good kid, you actually play mind games with me—die!"

Mu Gu Lao Ren's gaze turned gloomy, he fixed his stare on Xiao Yan's smiling face, and a trace of killing intent so thick it seemed almost substantive flashed across his countenance.

Although Xiao Yan's tenacity exceeded his expectations, this would not make him give up easily.

After all, judging from Xiao Yan's current achievements, as long as he obtains the Flame Scripture and the Strange Fire, he might possibly become a Dou Saint powerhouse and a Nine-Star Alchemist in the future.

Such a fortuitous encounter—how could Mu Gu give up!

Thinking of this, his withered palm immediately slipped out of his sleeve, and then he formed seals with lightning speed.

"Netherworld Demonic Fire Arm!"

Accompanied by a cold shout filled with killing intent, it burst out from his mouth.

Its black flames surged out from within his body like a volcanic eruption, then completely poured into the arm that had transformed into a crystal-layer giant claw.

And as more and more black flames flowed in, they poured into that crystal-layer giant claw.

Only see the surface of the giant claw quickly being covered by flames.

In the blink of an eye, that crystal-layer giant claw turned into a pitch-black flame arm.

As the flames rose, this arm did not give a feeling of scorching heat; instead, it gave an extreme icy chill, like the arm of a death god!

Gazing at the massive arm entwined with black flames, a hint of solemnity also crossed Xiao Yan's face.

Soon after, his hands formed seals with lightning speed, leaving trails of afterimages flying about.

And the surging Dou Qi within his body also surged like a flood, rushing along the arm's meridians.

"Open Mountain Seal!"

"Overturn Sea Seal!"

"Cover Earth Seal!"

As the shouts fell, the three seals combined, and Xiao Yan's complexion also flushed red at this moment.

At the same time, a brilliant light seal rapidly surged into his palm.

Terrifying energy converged in one place, causing the space around Xiao Yan's arm to continually burst forth with black cracks.

"Crystal Hand Seal, the Ancient Clan's Imperial Seal Technique?!"

Seeing the way the former's hand seal was formed, Old Man Mu Gu's expression stiffened, his pupils suddenly shrinking to the size of a needle, and he cried out in shock.

He, who had wandered the Central Province for many years, had also heard of this Ancient Clan Imperial Seal Technique.

Now seeing the actual manifestation, especially since it was displayed by this outsider Xiao Yan, he naturally felt extremely shocked.

Xiao Yan, in the distance, upon hearing Old Man Mu Gu's startled cry, his body trembled all over, and the killing intent in his eyes suddenly surged.

He never expected that this Old Man Mu Gu not only knew the Flame Scripture, but could also recognize the Imperial Seal Technique.

However, having already unleashed it, he had no retreat, and could only continue to grit his teeth and condense his Dou Technique.

"It's not enough; the opponent's strength is probably about two stars higher than mine now, and as an Eight-Star Alchemist, the power of his Dou Technique is certainly not weak. Just the three seals combined, there's little hope of heavily injuring, let alone killing, the opponent."

Thinking of this, Xiao Yan's hand seal changed again, and he shouted sternly: "Obliterate Heaven Seal!"

As his words rang out, the light of the crystal-layer hand seal in his hand flared up again.

"Pfft"

Immediately afterward, the crystal-layer hand seal in his hand began to become unstable, risking disintegration at any moment. (End of chapter)

Immediately afterwards, the crystal-layer hand seal in the former's hand also began to become unstable, at risk of disintegrating at any moment. (End of chapter)