Chapter 449 Cao Ying's Decision

In a hidden basin outside the Wanyao Mountains, a dark barrier was like the open mouth of a giant beast, tightly covering the entire area. The atmosphere here was heavy and gloomy, as if even the air had solidified.

No matter how the people trapped inside cast spells and tried their best to attack the barrier, it was like a drop in the ocean, with no effect.

They are unable to break free of this invisible bondage and can only wander anxiously in this dark cage, helplessly waiting for the verdict of fate.

Among this group of alchemists, dozens of black-robed figures emitting a cold aura followed closely behind. They were like messengers of death from the underworld, wielding black sickles and gloomy chains in their hands, ruthlessly reaping the precious lives of these alchemists.

In a blink of an eye, more than a dozen lives, like withered flowers, disappeared forever from this world.

Corpses lay on the ground, their body temperature not yet completely dissipated, they lay powerlessly in pools of cooling blood.

The men in black robes ruthlessly extracted their souls. In their hands were souls that were still wailing miserably. They twisted and struggled in the air, as if telling of their fear and unwillingness in their previous lives.

Faced with this almost certain death, some examinees began to desperately take out the space stones they obtained when they entered the Dan Realm. They crushed them with force, hoping to give up the competition and escape from this dangerous place, the Dan Realm.

However, whenever the space stone was shattered, the four black-robed men who had been suspended in the sky and had never appeared suddenly attacked. Their movements were as fast as lightning, and with a slight hook of their fingers, they distorted the surrounding space and ruthlessly crushed the examinee who tried to escape into powder.

This scene was like the Grim Reaper swinging his scythe, cold and decisive.

This discovery caused the examinees present to fall into a deeper panic. They could all clearly feel that this method of distorting space could only be performed by a Dou Zun-level strongman. And at this moment, there were actually four such terrifying beings at once.

Facing such an opponent, the hope in the hearts of these examinees was like a candle flame destroyed by a violent storm, swaying and almost extinguished. In their eyes, there was a flicker of fear, as if they had seen the shadow of death slowly approaching them.

In the center of the battlefield, the alchemists who had lost their last means of resistance finally fell into deep despair. They began to fight back desperately, trying to make a final struggle.

However, facing those dozen black figures like the god of death, their efforts seemed so pale and powerless.

Except for a few people who could barely deal with these dark shadows for a while, most of the others died miserably in the brutal battle.

The killing, like a merciless storm, lasted for nearly ten minutes.

There were originally nearly a hundred alchemists, but now there are less than thirty left. These survivors seem particularly lonely and helpless in this bloody slaughterhouse. They can only team up with other survivors and try their best to resist...

"Damn it! You Soul Palace people, you must not attack me. I am the youngest elder in Danta, and the chief elder of Danta is my master. This is Danta's territory. If you kill me in this Dan Realm, none of you will be able to escape from Shengdan City."

In a corner of the barrier, Song Qing's face was as pale as paper, his eyes filled with fear. He stared at the Soul Palace guardians in black robes who were approaching step by step, roaring in a hoarse and desperate voice.

If it weren't for his quick reaction earlier, and the fact that he carried some secret treasures for self-defense, and had not joined forces with a few others to resist, he would not have been able to hold out for so long. Otherwise, with his current level of cultivation, it would be impossible for him to escape for so long while being pursued by these Soul Palace guardians.

Next to Song Qing were a dozen contestants from Danta. Among them, the petite Dan Chen and the graceful Cao Ying were also among them.

Dan Chen, who was introverted and timid by nature, was already filled with fear when faced with such a thrilling scene. Her petite body trembled involuntarily, and her appearance was so charming that people could not help but feel pity for her.

However, in this critical moment of life and death, everyone was busy taking care of themselves. Even if there was some sympathy in their hearts, no one had the energy to pay attention to her safety. She had to bear the helplessness and fear alone.

Not far to his side, Cao Ying, who always appeared confident, easy-going and amiable in front of outsiders, could not help but look slightly pale in the face of the crisis at the moment. Her eyes, which usually sparkled brightly, now flickered slightly with an unconcealable fear.

"Hehehe, you are the youngest elder of Danta, the disciple of the great elder? What a bullshit! Now you are nothing but a stray dog. You only dare to show off in front of ordinary people by relying on your background. In the eyes of this guardian, you are nothing but a coward."

A Soul Palace guardian forced a cold smile on his face, waved the chains in his hand, stared in the direction of Song Qing, and sneered sarcastically.

When Song Qing heard this, he felt as if a pain point was stabbed in the heart, and a fire of karma instantly ignited in his heart. How dare a mere Soul Palace guardian act so presumptuously in front of him.

In normal times, when other Dou Zongs met Song Qing, which one of them would not be servile and respectful? Such arrogant people were really outrageous and unforgivable.

However, under such a gloomy atmosphere, although his heart was filled with endless anger and unwillingness, he dared not show it at all.

He could only swallow his pride and plead with a trembling voice: "Several guardians, please let me go. I have all kinds of high-level elixirs and rare medicinal materials in my hands, and I also have the profound alchemy skills passed down by the Dan Tower. If you are willing to show some mercy, these treasures will all belong to you. I believe that if you can get these resources and return to the Soul Palace, it will be a great achievement."

When the people around heard Song Qing's plea for mercy, they all looked sideways, their eyes all focused on him.

The examiners from Danta had eyes full of anger and disdain, and their faces were filled with condemnation of Song Qing's betrayal.

The Soul Palace guardians looked at each other and smiled with a hint of contempt on their lips, as if they felt extremely ironic about Song Qing's desperate plea for mercy.

"Okay, don't waste time here. The rest of you go over and take care of the other alchemists first. I will deal with these people from Danta myself." A voice suddenly echoed in the air, slightly hoarse but full of majesty.

As soon as he finished speaking, the void began to fluctuate gently, as if ripples were appearing on the water, and a figure in a black robe appeared not far in front of Song Qing and the others.

"Yes, Your Excellency Venerable Mu Gu." Those Soul Palace guardians who seemed arrogant and unruly in front of Song Qing and others instantly restrained their arrogance and became extremely humble in front of Venerable Mu Gu.

They bowed respectfully in the direction of Venerable Mu Gu in unison.

After the ceremony, these people flashed together and flew out like arrows, carrying a murderous aura, and rushed straight towards the other panicked examinees in the barrier.

"Hehehe, recalling the past, I was once a disciple of your Danta sect, enjoying great fame and glory. However, your Danta sect is conservative and stubborn, and even brought false charges against me and expelled me from the sect, causing me to become a homeless dog..."

Venerable Mu Gu's gaze was like sharp arrows, fixed on Song Qing and others. His mind seemed to be tracing back to the past years, and a trace of anger flashed involuntarily in his eyes.

But the anger was fleeting, and was soon replaced by a bloodthirsty desire. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, forming a cold and cruel arc.

Cao Ying and the others were all shocked and surprised when they heard this. The respectful address given to the black-robed man by the Soul Palace guardians made them instantly understand the prominent identity of the man in front of them. He was the famous eighth-grade alchemy master in Zhongzhou, Venerable Mu Gu.

Although they were still young and knew limited about the past grievances and entanglements, they had only heard a little about the story of Venerable Mu Gu and knew that he was a respected elder in the Soul Palace.

However, it was the first time they heard about the complicated past between Venerable Mu Gu and Danta, and they were shocked beyond words. Venerable Mu Gu was kicked out of Danta, which was not a glorious thing. With the death of his former mentor Han Shanshan and the mysterious disappearance of his nominal junior brother Yao Chen decades ago, this past was even less known.

At that time, when Venerable Mu Gu was expelled from the sect, he had not yet made a name for himself in the alchemy world, and very few people knew about this incident.

Danta naturally would not take the initiative to publicize this ignominious history. Therefore, only a very small number of older generation figures within Danta knew something about the dispute between Venerable Mu Gu and Danta.

As time goes by, this dusty past is naturally gradually forgotten by the world.

"Today, in this Dan world, I will kill all of you Danta's future hopes one by one to repay the debt that Danta paid to me in the past." Venerable Mu Gu's voice was as cold as ice, revealing endless resentment.

"Once I have cleared your obstacles, the championship position in the next Alchemy Competition will naturally be in my pocket and will be within my grasp."

"Since you were once a member of Danta, are you really so heartless that you have to kill all of us juniors?"

"If it is true as you said before, that all this is just a misunderstanding, with your current status and prestige, if you communicate honestly with my master and the others, perhaps you can resolve this hatred between you..."

At such a life-and-death moment, Cao Ying's face turned pale. She had been different from others since she was a child and had many guardians around her. She was not familiar with such cruel killing scenes.

However, at this critical moment, in order to save her own life, even though she already hated this Venerable Mu Gu to the core, she had no choice but to adopt this strategy of establishing ties of relationship, trying to find a glimmer of hope for survival.

When Venerable Mu Gu heard Cao Ying's words, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He was asked to explain to Xuan Kongzi face to face? Wouldn't that be like walking into a trap and waiting for others to deal with him?

Over the years, he has often attacked members of Danta. Given his current relationship with Danta, plus the grudge he had with Yao Chen, how could he explain it clearly...

They were able to enter Shengdan City safely and had not yet been attacked by Xuankongzi and his men. That was all because they took advantage of the loopholes in Danta's rules, which allowed them to carry out this plan.

"There is nothing left to talk about between me and Xuan Kongzi. You, little girl, don't waste your words trying to persuade me."

Venerable Mu Gu came back to his senses, a ferocious smile reflected on his face. He licked his cracked lips, and his eyes were full of greed and desire, as if he was looking at the prey that was about to be caught.

"Haha, I am quite interested in your soul. I think its quality should be very high. If you continue to grow, you may become a giant in Danta in the future. It's a pity that you probably don't have that chance..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Venerable Mu Gu's eyes turned cold again, stabbing at Dan Chen, whose body was still trembling slightly, like a sharp blade. A fierce light flashed in his eyes, and there was a cruel playfulness in his voice.
"As for you, little girl, I heard that you have a special physique that can absorb soul power. Hehehe, I will take you back to the Soul Palace and study you carefully. I'm sure the Palace Master will be very interested in you."

Dan Chen was stared at by the fierce gaze of Venerable Mu Gu, and her body couldn't help but tremble more violently. Her delicate face, as white as jade, was now as pale as paper, and fear spread in her eyes.

Under the threatening words of Venerable Mu Gu, she instinctively took a few steps back and finally hid behind Dan Xuan beside her, seeking a little shelter.

She clutched the corner of Danxuan's clothes tightly, with her head lowered. She didn't even have the courage to raise her eyes to look at Venerable Mu Gu. She only dared to glance at him secretly out of the corner of her eyes, as if she was afraid of being noticed by him.

Cao Ying's face was frozen. She knew that the other party was determined to kill them today. However, even in the face of such a strong opponent, she would not give in easily. If she wanted to die here without paying the corresponding price, it would be a foolish dream.

As the most respected person in Danta, how could she not have some hidden cards?

However, to Cao Ying's regret, the opponent's strength was too strong. The gap between the two sides was like a chasm. There were four Dou Zun strongmen in the opponent's camp. Even if she used all the cards in her hand, she did not have enough confidence to retreat safely.

At best, she could only try her best and hope to cause some damage to one of them.

Thinking of this, Cao Ying couldn't help but feel bitter. She and her beloved had just taken an important step on the road of love, but unexpectedly, they would face a life-and-death test in the blink of an eye. Perhaps, from now on, she will never have the chance to meet Xiao Ling again.

Moreover, if she guessed correctly, Xiao Ling should also be deep in the Wanyao Mountain Range. If these Soul Palace people got rid of them all, then in order to give Venerable Mu Gu a greater chance of winning the championship of this alchemy competition, these Soul Palace people will definitely go to trouble Xiao Ling and get rid of him in advance.

"If I had known earlier that there would be a catastrophe today, I would not have had a conflict with you before entering the Dan Realm. But fortunately, I was able to have you accept me during my lifetime. Unfortunately, I have not been able to entrust my entire self to you. Today, I may perish here and will never be able to talk about love with you again..."

Cao Ying sighed softly, muttering to herself. Her emotions fluctuated, and with a long sigh, the panic caused by the desperate situation in front of her gradually faded away.

When she opened her beautiful eyes like autumn water again, the determination in her eyes had replaced the previous panic, and she seemed extremely resolute.

"Since my fate is sealed, let me fight to the death. I hope I can make a loud enough noise. If you can detect any movement in advance, be sure to be alert to the danger here and do not rashly challenge those enemies you cannot defeat..."

However, Cao Ying did not know that even if everyone else here died, her life would not be in danger.

Just because of the mark left by Xiao Ling earlier, even if the four venerables of the Soul Palace attacked her at the same time, they could not kill her directly.

Moreover, that mark could also carry Cao Ying's body, tear it apart from the Dan Realm and leave directly, thus saving Cao Ying's life.

If Xiao Ling had not made prior preparations, knowing that there would be people from the Soul Palace plotting in the Alchemy Realm, he would never have let Cao Ying wander around the Alchemy Realm alone.

After all, Cao Ying is his woman now. How could Xiao Ling ignore her safety and let her face potential danger alone?

Venerable Mu Gu ignored the change in Cao Ying's expression. He just glanced contemptuously at the few people who were still resisting stubbornly. Then, he took a calm step forward and slowly floated into the air not far in front of them.

"I am too lazy to bother with you juniors any more," his voice was cold and majestic, like a chill wind from the Netherworld.
"It's time to send you off. Hehehe, I'll deal with you one by one, and next, it will be Xiao Ling's turn..."

A cold laugh echoed in the air. As soon as the words fell, the old man Mu Gu grasped the void, and a huge claw made of dark energy crystals condensed and took shape in front of him.

He waved his sleeve lightly, and the giant claw disappeared mysteriously in an instant, as if it had never appeared, leaving only a hint of chill in the air and heart-pounding energy fluctuations.

When Cao Ying and his companions noticed this, they naturally became nervous. They would never be naive enough to think that the disappearance of the claw mark was due to some mistake made by Venerable Mu Gu.

Everyone worked together, showing their abilities. For a moment, the air was filled with glittering lights and colorful colors. One after another, defensive barriers formed by their fighting skills slowly took shape in front of everyone, firmly protecting them...

(End of this chapter)