Chapter 604

"Old Tenth, this is your first time in the Human Hall—submitting Soul Bodies here differs from other Soul Halls. Let someone guide you."

"Hm? How so?" Xiao Yan blinked—he'd never been here before and had no idea it was different.

The Sixth Heavenly Sovereign spoke slowly: "The Human Hall is, in essence, the central hall of all Soul Halls and Earth Sha Halls. The Soul Bodies from the Twenty-Four Earth Sha Halls and all other Soul Halls are sealed and transmitted via the Soul Path of the Sacrificial Altar to the Human Hall's Soul Pool."

"So the Human Hall has no Sacrificial Altar—you must go to the Soul Pool yourself to submit your Soul Body."

"Jie jie jie, just hope you don't get scared when you see it."

Xiao Yan frowned, but then it made sense—the Tian Dian was empty, meant only to monitor the Xiao Realm, symbolic more than practical; the Di Dian was the coordinating hub—but the Human Hall was where all the Heavenly Venerables and Guardians moved most densely.

Xiao Yan nodded and barked: "Star Plucking Old Ghost—lead the way."

At Xiao Yan's voice, the Star Plucking Old Ghost—who had been sitting cross-legged on the Hun Chain—immediately stood up, then emerged from Space, bowing low and rubbing his hands like a fly, groveling: "Yes, Tenth Heavenly Sovereign! This humble one is honored!"

Xiao Yan glanced at the Star Plucking Old Ghost—he was one of the few who knew Xiao Yan's true identity. He gave a slight nod: "Lead on."

"Yes yes yes, this way, Tenth Heavenly Sovereign!"

At this moment, the Star Plucking Old Ghost's heart longed only to be the Tenth Heavenly Sovereign's dog!

After all, he knew the Tenth Heavenly Sovereign was Xiao Yan—and how vast the Yan Alliance had become, and how powerful Xiao Yan had grown—he was the one who followed it most closely.

Though there was no clear proof Xiao Yan had reached Dou Sage, since he'd never witnessed a Sage-level battle, and neither the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan nor the Nine Underworld Ghost Python Clan were tribes he dared even touch.

But! That didn't stop him from imagining!

The Star Plucking Old Ghost wasn't stupid—the Yan Alliance now rivaled the entire Soul Sovereign and Dan Tower. Could the founder of the Yan Alliance Covenant possibly be weak?! And as this 'fanboy,' he now worshipped Xiao Yan like a god—he was a steadfast believer. Others doubted Xiao Yan could obtain the Bodhi Heart—he believed it absolutely.

Though Xiao Yan denied the Blood River, the Blood River had asked about a Half-Sage—if Xiao Yan were truly a Dou Sage, then of course he wasn't a Half-Sage!

"Dou Sage! No doubt—he's definitely reached Dou Sage!" At this thought, the Star Plucking Old Ghost clenched his fists, eyes bloodshot, breath quickening!

The Three Heavenly Venerable and Second Heavenly Sovereign were only Half-Sages; only the Great Heavenly Venerable had reached Dou Sage—so Xiao Yan was at least equal to the Great Heavenly Venerable, a supreme powerhouse!

Xiao Yan just told him to lead the way! Do you think anyone can lead a Dou Sage?!

He could!

This was recognition!

"Where are the Great Heavenly Venerable and the others?" Xiao Yan glanced at the Star Plucking Old Ghost, who was bowing low ahead, and asked slowly.

"Replying to the Tenth Heavenly Sovereign: the Three Heavenly Venerables—Ghost Darkness, the Second Heavenly Sovereign Bone You, and the Great Heavenly Venerable Life's End—have all reached Sage level, so they no longer cultivate on the Hun Chains—they directly enter the Soul Pool to absorb the purest Spiritual Soul essence." The Star Plucking Old Ghost answered with utmost reverence, daring not to hide a single detail.

Xiao Yan nodded and followed the Star Plucking Old Ghost deep into the Human Hall. Sure enough, there was no Sacrificial Altar—where it once stood was a staircase descending into the depths of the Human Hall.

"Tenth Heavenly Sovereign, the Soul Pool lies at the very bottom of the Human Hall," said the Star Plucking Old Ghost.

When Xiao Yan reached the depths of the Human Hall, he sensed a powerful Spiritual Soul fluctuation below—on some level, the entire Human Hall existed to suppress and seal—the Hun Chains were merely part of that seal.

As they descended, Xiao Yan suddenly felt the same sensation he'd had when entering the Tian Fen Lian Qi Ta at Jia Nan Academy—except here, it wasn't scorching hot; instead, a chilling coldness seeped upward, growing denser the deeper they went, thick with negative energy.

"It feels similar to the Spiritual Soul essence I once obtained." Xiao Yan had once received a ball of Spiritual Soul light—he'd broken through only because of it.

When Xiao Yan reached the very bottom of the Human Hall, his eyes narrowed involuntarily—no wonder the Sixth Heavenly Sovereign had warned him to be careful not to be frightened.

Before him was a full depiction of hell!

Countless Soul Bodies were bound by endless black chains—these black Hun Chains resembled sharp wooden spikes, piercing through the Soul Bodies and hanging them midair, draining their Spiritual Soul essence.

Not just humans—strange creatures and demons were also present, but the majority were human cultivators, for human Soul Force was far stronger than that of demons.

Dense, countless, numbing to behold—deeply chilling.

This was the true Soul Sovereign—treating all beings as grass and dogs. Whether ancient heroes turned Soul Bodies, Alchemists, fallen warriors, or demons—all were merely raw material for the Hun Chains to drain.

No distinction of rank or status.

Moans filled Xiao Yan's ears—not just from the chained Soul Bodies, but from the entire underground space, like the wails of vengeful ghosts.

Negative energy—how many years had this Human Hall existed? Who knew how many Soul Bodies the Soul Sovereign had collected? The despair, rage, and hatred of those souls at death had coalesced into invisible negative emotions, saturating the entire space.

"No wonder the stronger the Soul Sovereign's members, the stranger their temperaments. Cultivating by absorbing this Spiritual Soul essence—of course they're corrupted by negative emotions," Xiao Yan shook his head—it was just like the Bodhi Ancient Tree.

The Hun Chains only extract the purest Spiritual Soul essence—but even so, some negative emotion inevitably clings to it. The more one absorbs, the more their nature changes.

Xiao Yan slowly turned his gaze to the central pit. Deep within it floated a glowing orb, about half a zhang in size, translucent, surrounded by countless pitch-black chains.

This glowing orb was the Spiritual Soul essence—Xiao Yan's own had been only fist-sized; this one was incomparably larger, formed from the accumulated essence of countless Soul Bodies.

"Old Tenth? You're here to submit a Soul Body?" A gray-haired elder seated around a massive glowing orb slowly opened his eyes—he was the Great Heavenly Venerable Life's End.

On either side of Life's End sat the Second and Third Heavenly Venerables. But when they saw Xiao Yan, their eyes narrowed, eyelids twitching—they all knew Xiao Yan's true identity.

Especially the Second Heavenly Sovereign Bone You—two years ago, in the Bodhi Ancient Tree, Xiao Yan had killed the Soul Sovereign's Divine Grade Bloodline right before his eyes, without mercy. And after killing the Divine Grade Bloodline, the Soul Sovereign had said nothing!

To become one of the Ten Heavenly Venerables granted eligibility to join the Soul Sovereign; those reaching Half-Sage level became Elders of the Soul Sovereign.

So when Xiao Yan killed the Soul Jade, Elder Bone You had to report it to the Soul Sovereign Elder Council. He'd expected the Soul Sovereign to hunt Xiao Yan, at least punish him—or recover Soul Jade's Soul Body for resurrection.

But nothing happened.

The entire Soul Sovereign acted as if Soul Jade had never been killed—no punishment, no reaction, the matter vanished without a trace.

This was truly chilling to contemplate.

Soul Jade was a Divine Grade Bloodline, a strong contender for Young Clan Leader. The Soul Sovereign had only two such Bloodlines, and Soul Jade's backer included superiors far beyond even the Soul Sovereign's Clan Leader.

Yet still—nothing happened.

This could only mean one thing: Xiao Yan's status within the Soul Sovereign was extraordinarily high—so high that killing a Divine Grade Bloodline left him unscathed.

Moreover, Bone You was among the first to know Xiao Yan had obtained the Bodhi Heart. Others might doubt whether he was a Dou Sage—but Bone You knew. He himself was still a High Half-Sage, far from reaching Dou Sage.

If given the chance, Bone You would gladly serve Xiao Yan to obtain a single Bodhi Pill.

"It's not just to submit Soul Bodies—I need some Spiritual Soul essence to break through. I'll take some." Xiao Yan waved his hand, releasing countless Soul Bodies from his Soul Token.

"Aaah!! I'll fight you to the death!!"

"This is the Soul Sovereign!!"

"Don't kill me! I'll do anything—spare me!"

Instantly, countless immensely powerful Soul Bodies erupted from Xiao Yan's release. Though their Soul levels were low, they were Dou Sages—their Spiritual Soul essence contained traces of Dou Sage power, a great boon for Half-Sages.

"These are the strong ones from the Nine Underworld Ghost Python Clan and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!"

"You two are Kun Feng and Ying Feng!!" Gu You and Ghost Darkness leapt to their feet in shock—those were true Dou Saints, one at One-Star Dou Saint Late Stage, the other at One-Star Dou Saint Mid-Stage!

Not to mention killing them—even if the Great Heavenly Venerable himself struck, he might not defeat either of them. Yet now, both were dead, their Soul Bodies captured by Xiao Yan!

Though Kun Feng and Ying Feng had been blasted into blood mist by Xiao Yan's Huangquan Heavenly Rage, as Dou Saints their Soul Bodies could not be so easily shattered—and Xiao Yan would never waste such an opportunity. After the battle, he collected them with his Soul Token.

"The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's Young Clan Leader, Jiu Feng, and the Deputy Sect Master of Tianming Sect… how are their Soul Bodies in your hands?!" Unlike the Great Heavenly Venerable, who did not know Xiao Yan's true identity, his shock stemmed from why these Soul Bodies were here—with Xiao Yan!

As a Great Heavenly Venerable, he naturally knew many things: the annihilation of the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan and Tianming Sect by the Yan Alliance was no secret, nor was the disappearance of Jiu Feng and the Tianming Sect's Deputy Sect Master in the Manhuang Ancient Domain.

But for these Soul Bodies to all appear together within the Ten Heavenly Venerables' Soul Tokens—that was deeply suspicious.

"Heavenly Venerable of Yan, are you Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance?!"

The Great Heavenly Venerable's aged eyes widened. All three factions had intricate ties to the Yan Alliance—especially Tianming Sect and the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan. The former had been wiped out by the Yan Alliance; its Sect Master, Elders, and even the High-Level Half-Saint, Tianming the Old Demon, had all been slain. And now, the Huang Quan Shan Mai was under the control of the Snake Emperor Empire.

With just a little thought, the Great Heavenly Venerable could easily deduce: the Ten Heavenly Venerable was Xiao Yan!

"Xiao Yan!! I'll fight you to the death!!" At that moment, Jiu Feng's Soul Body surged wildly, as if about to self-detonate.

Facing Jiu Feng's self-detonation, Xiao Yan merely smiled faintly, waved his hand, and hundreds of Hun Chains shot forth from all directions—puff, puff, puff—the chains pierced Space, skewering Jiu Feng's Soul Body.

A peculiar black mist energy instantly sealed all of Jiu Feng's power, beginning to drain his Spiritual Soul essence.

Xiao Yan turned to Kun Feng and the others; before they could even attempt to flee, more Hun Chains flew out, piercing and sealing every Soul Body.

For enemies, Xiao Yan never showed mercy or hesitation. With a flick of his sleeve, the Soul Bodies of these legendary powerhouses who had shaken the Dou Qi Continent were hung up, their Spiritual Souls continuously drained.

"Xiao Yan! Even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"

"Xiao Yan, spare me! I'll serve you as your slave!"

A chorus of pleas and threats echoed—but Xiao Yan only smiled indifferently, ignoring them. If he had lost back then, he would not have fared any better than they did now.

Seeing Xiao Yan's merciless treatment of enemies, the Great Heavenly Venerable's eyes narrowed—he now felt Xiao Yan's threat.

"Good, good, Xiao Yan, good, the Ten Heavenly Venerable. Who could have imagined that Xiao Clan's Young Clan Leader, the Pill Gathering Champion of Dan Tower, Xiao Yan, was also the most mysterious Ten Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Sovereign?" The Great Heavenly Venerable slowly rose, his Two-Star Dou Saint Mid-Stage aura rising steadily from within.

The Second Heavenly Venerable and Third Heavenly Venerable exchanged glances and swiftly stepped back—this was a power struggle within the Soul Sovereign!

The Great Heavenly Venerable wielded immense authority—he didn't even need to capture Soul Bodies to benefit from them. At his level, beyond cultivation, he spent his time crafting Soul Jade Slips, to protect Soul Sovereign clan members during their trials when necessary.

The Great Heavenly Venerable was an elder of the Soul Sovereign, a veteran!

Seeing the Great Heavenly Venerable's slowly rising aura, Xiao Yan showed no expression. He swept his hand across his face, revealing his true appearance. Since everyone knew now, there was no need to pretend.

"Two-Star Dou Saint Mid-Stage… you're not enough. Not even as strong as that Phoenix." Xiao Yan lightly pointed a finger at the Great Heavenly Venerable—a condensed wave of Dou Qi descended with a thunderous crash.

Xiao Yan did not use a Dou Technique—only the simplest Dou Qi attack. Was a Dou Technique even needed to deal with this old Two-Star Dou Saint Mid-Stage?

"Two-Star Dou Saint Late Stage!" The Great Heavenly Venerable's eyes widened in terror. He had guessed Xiao Yan was a Dou Saint—but he'd only assumed he might be Two-Star Dou Saint Early Stage!

"Soul Heaven Shield!" The Great Heavenly Venerable roared, instantly activating a Heavenly Rank Defensive Dou Technique—a strange defensive barrier enveloped his entire body.

Boom! Xiao Yan's Dou Qi finger struck the defensive technique. The next instant, a crushing force slammed into him—pop! The technique shattered, and the residual power slammed into the Great Heavenly Venerable.

Without a Dou Technique, a single strike defeated the Soul Sovereign's Great Heavenly Venerable!

Readers with monthly tickets—only five hours left! Hold onto the top 100! I've posted two extra chapters for those barely qualifying for tickets—more coming soon.

(End of Chapter)