Chapter 468: Towards the Abyss

Mo Yu glanced at the traces of battle on the ground, then looked at the severely wounded Zhai Xing Heavenly Venerable; if Qinghai Venerable was considered Xiao Yan's subordinate, then Zhai Xing Heavenly Venerable answered to Mo Yu of the Nine Heavens.

Although the Nine Heavenly Venerables jointly governed the Human Hall, the Human Hall oversaw the Twenty Four Earth Sha Hall, and the Earth Sha Hall under Zhai Xing Heavenly Venerable was linked to Mo Yu.

Zhai Xing Heavenly Venerable used Soul Resonance to say something unknown; Mo Yu then turned toward Xiao Yan with a faint, elusive smile, his eyes carrying a hint of greed.

Even though Mo Yu was not looking at him, Qinghai Venerable beside him could not help but feel a chill run through his body, as if he were a rabbit singled out by a venomous snake!

"Heavenly Venerable of Yan, be careful—within the Soul Hall, plundering and killing are both permitted," Qinghai Venerable could not help but warn Xiao Yan, fearing he did not understand the Soul Hall's rules.

The Soul Hall is far more unusual than any faction or family on the Dou Qi Continent; within the Soul Hall, only the strong are truly respected! It's not just that Xiao Yan's sudden attacks are tolerated—even killing and plundering are tacitly accepted, and no one will speak a word against you.

Backed by the Soul Sovereign, the Soul Hall possesses extraordinarily vast and abundant resources, so it needs no rules. The Soul Hall has no rules—everything is done as one pleases.

The Soul Hall will only tell you one thing: if you can capture a Soul Body, you can obtain anything you desire—even Heavenly Rank Dou Techniques and Cultivation Methods!

You may refuse any mission issued by the Soul Hall, but once accepted, failure is not permitted.

Yet every mission comes with a price you cannot refuse; some prices are even beyond Xiao Yan's ability to decline, otherwise he would not be here in the Tian Dian participating in the ceremony.

Even "wolf culture" cannot fully describe the Soul Hall—they are packs of demonic wolves, ancient Fierce Beasts, gathering ruthless individuals who stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

Although Mo Yu said nothing, his gaze had already told Xiao Yan: he was deeply interested in the black Heaven Phoenix Wings, and he wanted them.

Zhai Xing Heavenly Venerable must have realized—Xiao Yan was no beast, and the Heaven Phoenix Wings were a Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique.

Flying Dou Techniques differ from ordinary Dou Techniques; they can be grafted, meaning they can be stolen.

Mo Yu, a Seven-Star Peak Dou Zun, likely possesses a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique himself, but no Dou Zun ever has too many—especially not such a rare Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique.

Not long after Mo Yu emerged, the black mist churned again, and a white-robed figure stepped out from within it, releasing a chilling, overwhelming aura.

The white-robed figure slowly scanned everyone present; his face was ancient, his hair and beard pure white, even his irises a chilling pale white, radiating an extreme coldness, appearing like a block of ice.

Eighth Heavenly Venerable, Qiu Di! Eight-Star Peak Dou Zun!

This Eighth Heavenly Venerable had some history with Xiao Yan, for the Herbal Venerable had defeated him in life.

Then, one after another, figures emerged from the black mist, each stronger than the last.

Seventh Heavenly Venerable Yin Rong, Sixth Heavenly Venerable Lei Mo, Fifth Heavenly Venerable Ya Zi, Fourth Heavenly Venerable Xue He—all were Nine-Star Dou Zun, and Xue He surpassed even Nine-Star Peak Dou Zun; how many transformations he had achieved, Xiao Yan did not know.

But none of these shocked Xiao Yan—when Third Heavenly Venerable Ghost Darkness emerged, the aura he released made Xiao Yan's heart sink; some newly entered Dou Zun had already knelt on one knee, heads bowed, unable to meet his gaze.

Dou Saint! That was the aura of a Saint!

Whether he was a Half-Saint, One-Star, Two-Star, or something else, Xiao Yan did not know. He could not perceive the depth of the Dou Saint—only that he was a chasm.

Xiao Yan was one hundred percent certain: even if he unleashed every technique he possessed, he could not defeat him, and might not even escape.

As for the Second Heavenly Venerable Gu You and the Great Heavenly Venerable Ming Jin, to Xiao Yan they were the same—depth beyond measure, unfathomable!

Of the Nine Heavenly Venerables, three had reached Dou Saint! Or rather, they could no longer be called Heavenly Venerables—they should be called Saints!

They retained the title because when they first became Nine Heavenly Venerables, they were still Dou Zun.

Of course, there was another more important reason: even as Dou Saints, the Vice Hall Master and Hall Master far surpassed them, towering above them!

Thus they could not replace them, for the Nine Heavenly Venerables were already the highest rank below the Vice Hall Master and Hall Master.

Click-click-click—in an instant, every Soul Hall Venerable in the Tian Dian knelt on one knee, heads bowed, and chanted in low voices: "Hail the Nine Heavenly Venerables!"

In the Soul Hall, there are no rules—there is no hierarchy of superior and subordinate, let alone such a ritual of obeisance.

But precisely because there are no rules, strength becomes the rule!

These people can kill you with a single palm strike, and even the Hall Master will not speak out, nor feel regret—in the Soul Hall, strength is power.

Of course, except for Xiao Yan.

Qinghai Venerable, kneeling beside him, was drenched in sweat—these were the Nine Heavenly Venerables! Don't you dare act up!

Dou Saints don't care whether you're the Pill Gathering Champion!

"Gee-hee, I haven't seen such a passionate man in a long time," Seventh Heavenly Venerable Yin Rong laughed lightly; though she wore a purple robe with a hood obscuring her face, it was clearly a woman.

"Youth… truly enviable," Fourth Heavenly Venerable Xue He licked his lips, his eyes flashing a crimson hue. Though his Soul Force was weak and could not pierce the Soul Robe's concealment, he could sense Xiao Yan's vigorous blood and qi—his blood was deeply desired.

To be safe, Xiao Yan had wrapped himself in his own Soul Force, layered with the Soul Token's unique Soul Resonance—three layers of concealment meant even the Great Heavenly Venerable could only perceive a blurred image.

At this moment, Xiao Yan stood out like a crane among chickens, standing upright, gazing directly at the Nine Heavenly Venerables like an ignorant child.

Xiao Yan smiled—he knew none of them knew his identity; the Imperial Pill Plan was top secret. Even the Nine Heavenly Venerables did not know, and the Vice Hall Master probably did not either—only the Soul Hall Master, Hun Mie Sheng, knew.

Xiao Yan pulled out his Soul Token and fastened it to his Soul Robe. The moment the Great Heavenly Venerable saw it, his aged face changed; his sunken eyes flared with two flickering ghostly flames that shrank sharply, for he sensed the aura of that Great One from the Soul Token!

The Great Heavenly Venerable's current strength was One-Star Peak Dou Saint, still far from Two-Star; under normal cultivation, it would take him at least decades, perhaps even a century.

But he would not need to wait long—he could break through to Two-Star, for he had enough Soul Points and had already requested Elixirs from Hun Xu Zi.

Ji Pin Dan Yao!

One Ji Pin Dan Yao could save him decades, even a century of cultivation; moreover, the Great Heavenly Venerable was old, his body shriveled like dry bone, his lifespan dwindling—he might never break through on his own.

But one Elixir could not only grant him breakthrough—it could extend his life!

Countless Dou Saints would die for such an Elixir, for across the entire Dou Qi Continent, only three factions could refine Ji Pin Dan Yao: Xiao Dan Ta, the Yao Clan, and the Soul Sovereign.

Among the Nine Heavenly Venerables, only the Great Heavenly Venerable had the right to request Elixirs from Hun Xu Zi—he had once met him.

Even the Great Heavenly Venerable had trembled uncontrollably upon meeting Hun Xu Zi, unable to raise his head and meet his gaze; his power was even more terrifying than the Hall Master's—profoundly unfathomable!

None of the other Heavenly Venerables had ever seen Hun Xu Zi; even the Third and Second Heavenly Venerables, both Dou Saints, were only Half-Saints and lacked the status to meet him—Ji Pin Dan Yao was beyond their reach.

But they were not fools; seeing the Great Heavenly Venerable's reaction, and realizing the aura on Xiao Yan's Soul Token was not the Hall Master's, they easily deduced that Xiao Yan was backed by a major figure of the Soul Sovereign.

As the atmosphere grew awkward and heavy, suddenly the entire space of the Tian Dian churned violently—the white clouds outside surged, and an immensely vast Soul Resonance erupted from the space itself!

In an instant, Xiao Yan's eyes widened, his pupils contracting—somehow, a figure had appeared deep within the Tian Dian!

He had appeared so suddenly! Even though Xiao Yan's Soul Force had reached Ling Realm Late Stage, he had not sensed a thing!

Even Xuan Kongzi or the mysterious Dan Tower Guardian might not possess stronger Soul Force than this man!

"Is that… the Soul Hall Master?!"

As Xiao Yan murmured, the Nine Heavenly Venerables suddenly realized—the Hall Master had arrived! It was not that Xiao Yan's perception surpassed the Great Heavenly Venerable's; rather, no one—not Xiao Yan, not the Nine Heavenly Venerables—had sensed his arrival.

Xiao Yan had simply been standing, facing forward; the Nine Heavenly Venerables had been facing away—he had seen him with his eyes.

For cultivators at the Dou Zun level, naked-eye perception is far inferior to Soul Force Perception; they rarely rely on their eyes to see things.

But this time, only the naked eye could see it!

What kind of power is this!

This is the Lord of the Soul Hall—the man who makes every Alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent tremble in fear!

The Lord of the Soul Hall wore a black robe; his face showed no remarkable features, appearing ordinary like any common man, and his hands, slipping from his sleeves, were slightly rough. Yet, this utterly ordinary figure caused Xiao Yan and the Nine Heavenly Venerables to hold their breath, their gazes heavy, wary, even deeply fearful.

Immense—even though Xiao Yan could not perceive the gap between Dou Sheng levels, he understood that the Lord of the Soul Hall's strength far surpassed that of Tong Xuan, the Three Elders of the Gu Clan, and the Ancient Dragon Three Elders.

The only two people Xiao Yan could think of who might be stronger than him were Hun Xu Zi of the Soul Sovereign and Hun Lao Gui, the guardian of the Soul Hall's Treasure Hall.

"The Soul Hall is this powerful?"

From this glimpse, if the Soul Hall is this strong, what of the Soul Sovereign? What of the Gu Clan, which can stand against the Soul Sovereign!

And what kind of golden age must the Xiao Clan have been, once it stood against the Soul Sovereign?

The Nine Heavenly Venerables turned simultaneously and bowed low, roaring: "Welcome, Lord!"

"Welcome, Lord!"

The Lord of the Soul Hall cast a deep glance at Xiao Yan, who still had not bowed or shouted. He merely smiled faintly, unconcerned—technically, Xiao Yan was not his subordinate; indeed, at Xiao Yan's current status, even Hun Xu Zi was not his superior.

The Imperial Pill Plan required the two of them to jointly refine an Elixir; according to the plan's requirements, Xiao Yan must reach Hun Xu Zi's level.

If he could reach that level, then Hun Mie Sheng would bow to him. Of course, assuming he could get there.

Even the Yao Clan's Clan Leader, Yao Dan, might not surpass Hun Xu Zi in Pill Alchemy; with the assistance of the true form of Void Swallowing Flame, Hun Xu Zi's Pill Alchemy far exceeded Yao Dan's.

Lord Hun Mie Sheng waved his hand, and the entire Tian Dian trembled; immediately, the stone slabs in the center of the hall shifted, revealing a vast space.

Nine enormous black stone chairs appeared behind the Nine Heavenly Venerables—no more, no less, exactly nine—each representing their status.

Hun Mie Sheng sat behind the Nine Heavenly Venerables; his stone chair was majestic and commanding, like an Imperial Throne, and Hun Mie Sheng sat upon it as if he were the sovereign of the Nine Heavens.

As for the Deputy Lord, he naturally would not appear. Xiao Yan knew that the Heavenly Venerable of Heavenly Flame guarded the Yan Alliance's main base; the Soul Hall was not foolish—they would not send everyone to the ceremony; someone had to remain behind.

The Soul Hall's grand ceremony, held once every ten years, was not only a reward assembly but also a ranking ceremony. Why were the Nine Heavenly Venerables ranked One through Nine? Obviously, because of strength.

If multiple Nine Heavenly Venerables were assigned to the same mission, the higher-ranked one commanded. This command authority was crucial—resources were typically allocated to the commander, and the mission rewards went mostly to him.

The simplest way for a Heavenly Venerable in the Soul Hall to ascend was to crush the one above you.

The simplest way to become one of the Nine Heavenly Venerables was to defeat one of them during the ceremony and take their place.

Strictly speaking, the Nine Heavenly Venerables were still Heavenly Venerables—they were merely the nine strongest among them, hence the name. During the ceremony, all Nine Heavenly Venerables attended, precisely to be challenged.

That was why Xiao Yan had suddenly attacked Star Seven at the beginning—he wanted to test how much his strength differed from a Five Star Dou Zun, to gauge his gap from the Nine Heavenly Venerables.

Correct! Xiao Yan's purpose in attending this time was to challenge Nine Heavenly Venerable Mo Yu!

All Dou Emperor Families have an Adult Ceremony; this ceremony does not refer to biological adulthood, but to Dou Di Bloodline.

Ordinary descendants who cultivate their Dou Di Bloodline to Four Grade or higher may be granted the Clan Mark during the Adult Ceremony and officially become family members.

Dou Emperor Families do not judge by surnames, but by Clan Mark—if you bear the Clan Mark, you are kin. Like Ling Quan—he does not bear the Gu surname, yet as a descendant of the Gu Clan with Dou Di Bloodline above Four Grade, he remains a member, even a Commander.

But even if the Heavenly Venerable of Yao bore the Yao surname, the Yao Clan would not recognize him as kin.

But! The Soul Hall—or rather, the Soul Sovereign—was an exception.

Anyone who becomes one of the Nine Heavenly Venerables may, by special dispensation, participate in the Soul Sovereign's Adult Ceremony, receive a surname, become a member of the Soul Sovereign, and reside within the Soul Realm.

This was Xiao Yan's true goal: Mao Wu had used the power of the Swallowing Soul Clan to grant Xiao Yan Dou Di Bloodline; now he needed to use that bloodline at the Soul Sovereign's Adult Ceremony to acquire the Soul Sovereign's Dou Di Bloodline, then cultivate the Emperor Soul Scripture!

Only then could Xiao Yan's Soul Force possibly break through the Spirit Realm and enter the Heavenly Realm—only then could he become a Nine Grade Alchemist, earn the recognition of the Gu Clan's high echelons, and win Xun Er's hand in marriage!

To achieve this goal, Xiao Yan was willing to step into the Shen Yuan.

Pah—Xiao Yan took a light step forward. Though the step was quiet, it felt as if he had stepped on everyone's heart; many Soul Hall Venerables turned to him with shocked expressions.

The Qinghai Venerable beside him was too terrified to speak—since Mo Yu, no one in the Nine Heavenly Venerables had changed in decades; these nine had remained unchanged!

Only now did Qinghai Venerable and the other Soul Hall Venerables realize: Xiao Yan had used Star Seven as a warm-up, a trial!

"Kuang!"

"My god, the Heavenly Venerable of Yan is serious!"

"He's only a Three Star Dou Zun! Mo Yu has long been a Seven Star Dou Zun—and now he's reached Seven Star Peak!"

"How can you fight a four-star gap? Ten Star Sevens couldn't touch a single hair of Mo Yu!"

A single star difference among Dou Zun is immense; the gap widens further the higher you go. More importantly, Mo Yu has been a Nine Heavenly Venerable for years—he absolutely possesses a Heavenly Rank Dou Technique!

His depth of cultivation is nothing Star Seven could match!

Seeing Xiao Yan walk steadily toward the center, Mo Yu smirked. He did not know whether the Heavenly Venerable of Yan realized that if a challenger fails, the challenged may seize all Soul Points and possessions from the challenger—even turn him into a puppet.

In the Soul Hall, failure is never forgiven.

"Old Nine, you don't need to move." Qiu Di glanced coldly at Mo Yu, then gestured toward the side.

Seeing this, Mo Yu—who had just risen—quietly sank back into his chair. "These two still won't give up."

Mo Yu's gaze grew serious as he looked toward the two figures—one black, one white—approaching from left and right.

Black and White Heavenly Venerables! Both walked toward the center simultaneously!

"Kuang! Black and White Heavenly Venerables—are they challenging Mo Yu? Can two fight one?"

"Jie jie jie, you don't know—Black and White Heavenly Venerables have always wanted to join the Soul Sovereign. In the last ceremony, they teamed up to challenge Mo Yu; their combined strength was nearly equal to Mo Yu's."

"What happened?"

"Look now—you see. Mo Yu remains a Nine Heavenly Venerable. But rumor says Mo Yu was severely wounded then, unable to fight further; otherwise, Black and White Heavenly Venerables would be dead by now."

Xiao Yan also saw the Black and White Heavenly Venerables approaching and sighed helplessly. Why did someone always interfere whenever he planned to act? Couldn't things just go smoothly!

"Jie jie jie, Heavenly Venerable of Yan, I wonder who you intend to challenge? If it's not the same person, we can avoid conflict." The White Heavenly Venerable narrowed his eyes slightly; though smiling, his smile carried icy malice.

The two had once been descendants of the Ling Clan. After fleeing the Ling Clan, they joined the stronger Soul Sovereign. After ten years of cultivation, both reached Six Star Peak Dou Zun, waiting for this day to defeat Mo Yu and officially join the Soul Sovereign!

They would not spare any obstacle in their path.

"Sigh." Under his hood, Xiao Yan shook his head. Challenging Qiu Di wasn't impossible—but Qiu Di was an Eight Star Peak Dou Zun, while he was only Three Star. He might really get crushed.

"I challenge the Nine Heavens, Mo Yu."

As Xiao Yan finished speaking, all three grimaced; Black White was naturally displeased, but Mo Yu's expression turned even more foul.

You think I'm a soft target, do you!