Chapter 469: Challenge Against the Black and White Heavenly Venerables

When Heavenly Venerable of Yan spoke these words, the other Heavenly Venerables all wore expressions of anticipation, turning their heads to look at Mo Yu.

Although Mo Yu's face was dark, everyone understood: you always pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.

Who among those who became Venerables or Heavenly Venerables wasn't a super-genius among millions? In their own eras, they were famed powerhouses, and crossing tiers to challenge was nothing unusual.

But upon reaching Dou Zun, lifespan increases dramatically, meaning your opponent was once also a mighty powerhouse; at the Dou Zun level, age no longer defines boundaries, and age holds little reference value.

Thus, a one-star gap is enormous: Mo Yu and Qiu Di differ by only one star, yet he has failed to surpass it for decades—the gap is glaring, and being challenged is only natural.

"By the way, what happens when two are chosen at once?"

"No one knows. In past Grand Ceremonies, only the Black and White Heavenly Venerables dared challenge the Nine Heavens Venerable. Have you ever heard of any Heavenly Venerable daring to provoke the Nine Heavenly Venerables?"

Instantly, the Soul Hall Venerables present began whispering among themselves—after all, Soul Hall Venerables are still people, and when gathered, they gossip.

Clearly, although the Black and White Heavenly Venerables are two, both at Peak Six-Star Dou Zun, they could only choose Mo Yu; challenging Qiu Di would be pointless without even lifting a finger.

The Great Heavenly Venerable pressed both hands against the armrests and rose, his hunched posture making him seem ready to die at any moment.

"Since both the Black and White Heavenly Venerables and Heavenly Venerable of Yan seek the Nine Heavens seat, you two shall fight—the winner earns the right to challenge Nine Heavens Venerable Mo Yu. After victory, restore your Dou Qi, then proceed with the Heavenly Venerable ranking."

In any other major faction on the Dou Qi Continent, such a rule would spark outrage—when two are chosen simultaneously, the Nine Heavens Venerable should be the one to counter-select.

But remember: this is the Soul Hall.

The Soul Hall is the true realm of the strong; it needs no fairness, and it will never let the Nine Heavens Venerable pick a weak opponent to secure his position.

The Soul Hall demands absolute strength!

There can be no hesitation or ambiguity: the Nine Heavenly Venerables are the nine strongest among all Soul Hall Venerables.

Upon hearing the Great Heavenly Venerable's words, no one objected—not even Mo Yu.

As the lowest of the Nine Heavenly Venerables, the Ninth, Mo Yu is destined to face challenges from every Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable at all times—after all, joining the Soul Sovereign means eligibility for certain Soul Sovereign Secret Realms, even the possibility of consuming Spiritual Soul Origins and cultivating Soul Sovereign Dou Techniques and Soul Techniques.

"Although Heavenly Venerable of Yan is strong and defeated Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable, Star-Picking was only a Five-Star Dou Zun—these two are a pair."

"Yes, they themselves cultivate powerful Dou Techniques, and rumors say they obtained a Heavenly Rank combined Dou Technique from an Ancient Ruin—when they unite, even Heavenly Venerable of Yan's Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique struggles to resist."

Xiao Yan shrugged—he didn't care. Now that he possessed a Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique, his confidence was absolute.

The Great Heavenly Venerable waved his hand; instantly, the entire Tian Dian space twisted and expanded infinitely. In an instant, the surroundings transformed into a vast, boundless white space, where everyone seemed shrunk, distances stretched wide.

"Is this the power of a Sage Emperor? This far surpasses a Space Lock—almost like creating a Little World." Xiao Yan surveyed the surroundings—this was vastly superior to a Space Lock.

Legends say Sage Emperors can create a Little World—such as Xiao Dan Ta, the Dan Realm, and the Burning Flame Valley—all created by Sage Emperors, while Dou Emperors can create an entire Realm!

Although the Great Heavenly Venerable's creation was not as vast or sturdy as the Dan Realm, the fact he summoned this effortlessly revealed the terrifying power of a Sage Emperor.

Xiao Yan stood firm, gazing ahead—just before him stood the Black and White Heavenly Venerables, clad in black and white Soul Robes.

The two stood motionless: Black Heavenly Venerable remained calm, a faint, elusive smile on his face; White Heavenly Venerable stood like a spear—straight, unwavering.

The other Soul Hall Venerables had retreated far away; even though they were all Soul Hall Venerables, some even Heavenly Venerables, today no one dared raise their voice, no one dared utter a single careless word—they could only remain silent, passive observers.

For today, a new Nine Heavenly Venerable might emerge!

Many regarded Xiao Yan with awe—some would say, since Xiao Yan defeated Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable unharmed, those who saw him now didn't dare speak, not even breathe loudly.

Imagine: a Three-Star Dou Zun from nowhere, wielding a Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique, physical strength rivaling an Eight-Rank Demon Beast, effortlessly defeating a Five-Star Heavenly Venerable—this monster had reached a height that made even Heavenly Venerables fear him.

Now, let's see who is stronger: Heavenly Venerable of Yan, the Black and White Heavenly Venerables, or Nine Heavens Venerable Mo Yu!

The Black and White Heavenly Venerables are the gatekeepers of the Nine Heavenly Venerables!

Xiao Yan looked at the Black and White Heavenly Venerables and smiled: "Aren't you ashamed, two against one?"

"Jiejiejie, my brother and I have always been like this—never separated," Black Heavenly Venerable sneered.

The Soul Hall has no rules—so even if a crowd rushes you to challenge, it's allowed, provided you truly aren't afraid of death.

The heavens gradually fell silent; all Soul Hall Venerables held their breath. Xiao Yan said nothing more. Of course, aside from Mo Yu, the other Nine Heavenly Venerables grew idle—some yawned and dozed, some played with their hair, some even began cultivation.

They wouldn't challenge upward anymore—even the three Heavenly Venerables at Nine-Star Dou Zun—Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth—knew the gap between them was too hard to close; without extraordinary fortune, this gap would last a lifetime.

Sitting at the highest seat, the Lord of the Hall, Hun Mie Sheng, observed Xiao Yan with mild interest, murmuring softly: "The Xiao Clan… I wonder if you can match the brilliance of that ancient Xiao Clan powerhouse."

A surge of energy—Xiao Yan's body suddenly erupted with an immensely terrifying Soul Power. A loud hum rang out, and his shadow beneath his feet writhed, a black shadow enveloping his entire body.

The Asura Descends!

His Ling Realm Late Stage Soul Force surged like an ocean, crushing down upon everyone's heads.

"Ling Realm Late Stage?!"

"How can a Three-Star Dou Zun possess Ling Realm Late Stage Soul Power?!"

The overwhelming, terrifying power of the Asura Soul-Cutting Technique spread across heaven and earth, making Xiao Yan instantly resemble a demonic Asura!

As his Soul Force merged, Xiao Yan's Cultivation Realm surged upward—from Three-Star Dou Zun to Five-Star Dou Zun, where it stabilized.

"Only two stars?" Xiao Yan shook his head, clearly dissatisfied. He had expected his enhanced Soul Force to grant him three stars' worth of boost when activating the Asura Soul-Cutting Technique.

Yet it barely granted two stars—likely, even using the weakest of the Three Infernal Flames with Heavenly Flame Three Mysteries Transformation, he could only gain one and a half stars. After reaching Dou Zun, advancement became far too difficult.

"Five-Star Dou Zun?!" One Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable, sensing Xiao Yan's sudden surge to Five-Star Dou Zun, gasped sharply.

"My god, Ling Realm Late Stage Soul Force plus extraordinary physical strength—how the hell did he cultivate?!" Another Heavenly Venerable, who also specialized in Soul Power, was utterly shattered: "No wonder Heavenly Venerable of Yan, a Three-Star Dou Zun, beat that old Star-Picking guy—not just because of his Heavenly Rank Technique."

Star-Picking Heavenly Venerable beside him turned pale—though Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables weren't all focused on Soul cultivation, it wasn't that they didn't want to; it was simply that enhancing Soul Force was too hard!

Had Xiao Yan not been an Alchemist, able to brew Elixirs and Medicinal Essences to enhance his Soul Force, his progress would have been equally impossible.

"The Asura Soul-Cutting Technique—created by the old ghost," Hun Mie Sheng narrowed his eyes, a strange smile forming: "This is merely a side branch—the true Asura is the nightmare."

Xiao Yan gestured with his finger toward the Black and White Heavenly Venerables: "Will you attack together, or one at a time?"

Seeing Xiao Yan use a Soul Technique to boost his Cultivation, the Black and White Heavenly Venerables remained calm—even boosted to Five-Star Dou Zun, he was still far below their Peak Six-Star Dou Zun.

The two exchanged glances; finally, Black Heavenly Venerable's eyes hardened, and he nodded. Instantly, he stepped into the air, speaking slowly: "Jiejiejie, let's see what this new Heavenly Venerable is truly made of."

"Rest assured, you'll see clearly," Xiao Yan said, smiling at Black Heavenly Venerable.

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Black Heavenly Venerable instantly Transmigrated through space—his speed was too fast; in the instant he moved, countless afterimages streaked across the Sky, stretching long behind him.

Black Heavenly Venerable excels in speed!

With a thunderous crash, Black Heavenly Venerable, at Peak Six-Star Dou Zun, struck Xiao Yan's chest in an instant—his withered hand condensed a strand of black energy and slammed hard against Xiao Yan's chest.

Instantly, Xiao Yan smiled, and his entire body exploded. The Black Heavenly Venerable's eyes darkened: "A clone?"

Zizizizi!!! The exploding clone instantly transformed into countless silver lightning arcs; upon closer inspection, these arcs resembled tiny silver dragons.

In an instant, thunder exploded—the clone acted like a storm, shattering to trigger a terrifying thunderstorm.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A terrifying thunderstorm blazed like a sun exploding, blindingly bright; a dark shadow barely escaped from the Lei Hai—just as the Black Heavenly Venerable broke free from the Lei Hai.

Xiao Yan appeared behind him and slammed a heavy foot onto the Black Heavenly Venerable's back—with a loud bang, his foot struck like a mountain, crushing the Black Heavenly Venerable down from the high sky.

Boom! The Black Heavenly Venerable's body plummeted like a meteor, crashing violently onto the earth, shattering the ground of this temporary space and carving out a massive crater that revealed the outer Space beyond.

Seeing this, many could not help but draw a sharp breath—Xiao Yan's clone was too real! In the instant of creating the clone, he had hidden himself within Space; such a subtle maneuver proved his understanding of Space energy reached an extreme level!

Moreover, both speed and power were flawless!

Whoosh! At that moment, the Space behind Xiao Yan shattered, and a black chain wrapped around him.

Xiao Yan's eyes hardened; he strained his body violently—but it took half a second to break free. In that critical instant, the Black Heavenly Venerable, emerging from Space, struck Xiao Yan's chest with a palm, sending him flying a thousand meters upward.

"Luo Tian Yao Ling Dao."

At this moment, the White Heavenly Venerable's grotesque grin widened further; boundless Dou Qi surged from his palm, forming a blade as blinding as the sun.

This was not a Soul Sovereign Dou Technique—it was a Ling Clan technique!

In the White Heavenly Venerable's hand, the sun-like great blade trembled, leaving countless afterimages, then slashed downward through the air.

Boom!! A sun exploded, followed by a colossal blade slash that cleaved a massive gash through the temporary Little World created by the Great Heavenly Venerable—imagine how terrifying its power was!

"Jiejiejie, this is the Dou Technique created by the Ling Emperor before he became Emperor—it was obtained by my two of us after killing our own clan brothers." The White Heavenly Venerable sneered, showing no intention of testing or fair combat—he struck with ambush.

The two had long since developed a tacit understanding; a single glance conveyed their intent—the Black Heavenly Venerable led the assault, while the White Heavenly Venerable, standing aside, pretended to watch but prepared his Dou Technique for a sneak attack at any moment.

"The Ling Emperor? Then it seems the Ling Emperor is inferior to the Ancient Emperor—or perhaps you've only learned the surface. The Gu Clan's Emperor Seal Technique is even stronger." From the shattered Space, a dark shadow leapt upward.

This slash struck Xiao Yan's back squarely; the deep wound, bone-visible, was clear—not only the cut, but the wound itself appeared melted by extreme heat, terrifyingly so.

Yet stranger still, the slash on Xiao Yan's back was slowly healing; a thread of energy with milky-white starlike specks rapidly repaired the wound.

But because the wound was too deep, and a certain energy blocked recovery—even the fusion of Three Thousand Yan Flame and Yin-Yang Flames could not heal it instantly.

Everyone turned to look at Xiao Yan—his appearance did not resemble that of someone severely wounded!

Xiao Yan had not even activated any Defensive Dou Technique—he endured both strikes from the Black and White Heavenly Venerables with his bare body, yet already, under those two blows, he was nearly fully recovered!!

Looking up at the black-and-white figures above, Xiao Yan's expression grew serious—truly worthy of being the strongest beneath the Nine Heavens; the Peak Dou Zun of Sixth Star power remained no small threat.

He coldly smirked—but to think he could not win would be to underestimate him utterly.

Whoosh! A pair of black Heaven Phoenix Wings appeared behind him.

As soon as the Heaven Phoenix Wings emerged, even the Nine Heavenly Venerables changed expression—no one denied they all desired a Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique.

To refine a Flying Dou Technique to Heavenly Rank required resources enough to exchange for two Heavenly Rank Dou Techniques!

Even the Blood River Heavenly Venerable, who possessed a complete set of Heavenly Tier Low Rank Cultivation Method, Dou Techniques, and Secret Techniques, showed a hint of greed—he alone lacked a Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique.

Yet for Dou Sage-level experts, it held little use—though not entirely useless—for them, Heavenly Tier Low Rank Dou Techniques were no longer their goal; they sought higher tiers.

"This must have reached the level of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix," someone knowledgeable murmured: "Jiejiejie, I'll find a chance to go to Shou Yu—I'll capture a Heavenly Phoenix and refine one myself."

"One probably won't be enough—you'll need to capture several with high bloodline purity."

"Jiejiejie, indeed, quite interesting."

"Again!" Xiao Yan grinned, baring his teeth; instantly, his Soul Force condensed into a massive, heavy Soul Great Ruler resembling a great sword, appearing in his hand.

He let out a long roar—a True Dragon's roar that shattered Space, surging straight toward the Black and White Heavenly Venerables above. In that instant, Xiao Yan's Ancient Phoenix Wings moved. As the wings stirred, dark souls followed; the heavy ruler slashed down, reversing Space.

Xiao Yan's attack had no flashy moves—it was simply a straightforward downward slash with the Soul Great Ruler, sweeping his Soul Power forward.

This was a Soul Attack—striking directly at the Spiritual Soul!

Faster than shadow, the speed of the Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique startled even the Eighth Heavenly Venerable, Qiu Di—he feared this speed surpassed even his own by a hair.

The Black and White Heavenly Venerables' eyes widened—Xiao Yan's most direct sweep carried absolute, overwhelming Soul Power—powerful, destructive!

No talk of logic—he struck to obliterate the opponent's Spiritual Soul, Soul against Soul!

Clang! A blade as blinding as the sun blocked the strike; Soul Ruler met Blade, Soul Power splashed, causing the entire Space to ripple, the Soul Shockwave reverberating across heaven and earth.

Others feared Soul Techniques—but the Soul Sovereign Heavenly Venerables were not afraid; they had mastered control over their own Soul Power.

The White Heavenly Venerable blocked Xiao Yan's attack; instantly, the Black Heavenly Venerable appeared behind him to ambush—this was their habitual tactic.

But this time, they had met their match.

Xiao Yan coldly smiled, mentally shouting: "Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body!"

Zizi! Suddenly, a lightning figure emerged from Xiao Yan's back, punching the stunned Black Heavenly Venerable; terrifying lightning surged forth like a thunder dragon, lunging at the ambushing Black Heavenly Venerable.

The Black and White Heavenly Venerables were stunned—both were Peak Dou Zun of Sixth Star, yet you, a Third Star boosted by a Secret Technique—how dare you stand against both of us?!

They were two against one!

"Jiejiejie, dividing your spirit is a grave mistake!" Xiao Yan smiled—suddenly, his Ancient Phoenix Wings ignited with Black Flame, transforming into a blazing black blade that slashed directly toward the White Heavenly Venerable before him!

The White Heavenly Venerable gritted his teeth, his Dou Qi surging wildly; black mist erupted from his body, bracing to meet Xiao Yan's strike head-on.

Puch! Even though the White Heavenly Venerable's black mist was forged from countless Soul Bodies and could withstand powerful attacks, it still could not endure before Xiao Yan's Heavenly Rank Flying Dou Technique!

The Black Flame of the Ancient Phoenix Wings instantly sliced through the black mist, striking the White Heavenly Venerable with full force.

The White Heavenly Venerable was flung away, hot blood scattering!

Below, the Qinghai Heavenly Venerable had long been stunned, mouth agape—he knew Xiao Yan's greatest strength was his fire!

He hadn't even used his full power—he was still holding back!

(End of Chapter)