Chapter 772 Attack on the Soul Palace

As for why the Soul Clan suddenly mobilized so many troops, and even precisely targeted the Starfall Pavilion, Xiao Ling pondered for a moment before realizing the key.

The root of this matter can ultimately be traced back to the ancient clan's celestial tomb. At that time, he killed two young prodigies of the Soul Clan in the tomb. Although he did it secretly and did not leave any direct evidence, the Soul Clan has always been vengeful and had already secretly held a grudge against him.

His cultivation is progressing by leaps and bounds, and his power is becoming a major threat to the Soul Palace. This rapid rise has finally made the Soul Clan unable to contain themselves any longer.

With old grudges to settle and new threats to eliminate, the Soul Clan planned this ambush. Ostensibly, it was an attack on the Starfall Pavilion, but in reality, they wanted to force Venerable Heavenly Fire, Yun Yun, and others to reveal themselves and join the scheme.

After clarifying the general outline of the matter, Xiao Ling condensed a wisp of pale golden soul power at his fingertips and gently flicked it into the void. That wisp of soul power instantly merged into the restrictions of the Myriad Soul Banner, transmitting detection commands to the soul slaves lurking in various branch halls of the Soul Clan.

Through years of covert planning, his soul slaves have long since infiltrated the very fabric of the Soul Clan's various branch halls, like a fine spider web.

Among them are some who have already ascended to the positions of Venerable and Celestial Venerable, wielding core authority in their respective branch halls, and acting with secrecy and efficiency.

Having received clear instructions, these soul slaves immediately mobilized their own resources to begin investigating more detailed circumstances.

Because the objective was clear, within just a few hours, key pieces of information were transmitted back along the threads of the soul, piecing together a clearer outline of the event.

Just as Xiao Ling had predicted, this ambush against the Starfall Pavilion was a deadly trap tailor-made for him by the Soul Clan from beginning to end.

The information about Venerable Tianhuo was obtained by the Soul Palace through considerable effort. They deliberately chose this senior, who had been a close friend of Xiao Ling and had once given him guidance, as bait, hoping to lure Xiao Ling into their trap.

The Soul Clan's scheme had targeted Xiao Ling's weakness from the very beginning. Given his relationship with Venerable Heavenly Fire, Xiao Ling would never stand idly by.

Xiao Ling slowly rose from his seat, his fingertips lightly stroking his chin. A sharp, intimidating glint flashed in his deep eyes as he murmured to himself in a low, playful tone.

"Very well, I was planning to take action against the branch halls of the Soul Palace when the opportunity was right. I have been coveting the soul essence they have accumulated for a long time."

"Since they've come to us willingly, let's seize a few of their branch halls and take their soul essence as a 'gift' to the Soul Clan."

As he finished speaking, a chilling smile curled at the corner of Xiao Ling's lips. There was no warmth in that smile, only indifference towards his prey and a sharp edge of certainty. The Soul Clan wanted to lure him into their trap, but little did they know that they had already become lambs to the slaughter in his eyes...

The moment the plan was finalized, all the thoughtfulness on Xiao Ling's face vanished, replaced by a decisive and swift demeanor.

After all, Venerable Tianhuo was already old. Although his cultivation was profound, he could not withstand the torment of the Soul Palace's insidious methods. Therefore, Xiao Ling did not intend to let the old man suffer any more torment from the Soul Palace. It would be better for him to go and rescue him as soon as possible.

According to the intelligence sent back by the Soul Slaves, he had already figured out the general deployment of the Soul Clan's operation. Not only had they mobilized many elites from the various branch halls, but they also had several elder-level powerhouses in charge. Even one of Xiao Ling's Soul Slaves, the Earth Demon Old Ghost, had been used as a pawn by the Soul Clan and included in the ambush lineup against him.

The leader of this Soul Clan ambush was none other than Gu You, the Second Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace. This Soul Clan elder possessed advanced semi-saint cultivation, held a prestigious position within the Soul Palace, and was among the top in combat power.

In order to completely eliminate Xiao Ling, this major threat, the Soul Clan spared no expense this time. Not only did they send a high-level half-saint to oversee the operation, but they also mobilized several elders and a large number of elite guardians to set up this seemingly flawless killing trap.

They clearly wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate Xiao Ling in one fell swoop and prevent any future trouble.

But they never expected that their meticulously planned thunderous attack would ultimately be in vain. The bigger the Soul Clan's moves, the harder they would fall. Their calculations were destined to fail completely. Not only would they fail to kill him, but they would also pay an unbearable price under Xiao Ling's counterattack.

……

Xiao Ling pushed open the door and stepped out. The breeze from Lingyue Peak blew his dark robes, making them flutter.

He flashed and instantly appeared in the courtyard. Qinglin and Little Fairy Doctor were standing side by side, obviously having been waiting there for a long time. Sensing Xiao Ling's aura, the two women turned around to look.

"Qinglin, Xian'er." Xiao Ling raised his hand and flipped it, and three streams of light flew out from his sleeves, landing steadily in front of the two women. They were three powerful Heavenly Demon Puppets.

The three Heavenly Demon Puppets shimmered with a deep purple-gold luster, and every inch of their bodies was engraved with intricate runes. Clearly, they had already surpassed the quality limitations of ordinary Heavenly Demon Puppets, making them Xiao Ling's most prized possessions, possessing enough strength to deal with a half-saint level expert.

"You are probably already aware that Senior Tianhuo has been kidnapped by a powerful member of the Soul Hall. I plan to set off immediately to rescue him, but I have other arrangements for this mission to entrust to you."

Xiao Ling glanced at the two women, his tone calm and resolute, "In order to ambush me, the Soul Clan has transferred all the elites of its various branch halls to the Northern Region. At this moment, the other branch halls are short-handed."

With a flick of his finger, a simplified map of the Soul Clan's branch palaces appeared in mid-air, marked with several shimmering points of light.
"You two take these three Heavenly Demon Puppets with you, and then call Lie Kongzuo to help you travel. Your target is these branch halls. Take care of all the people left behind, break in as quickly as possible, and take all the accumulated soul essence within."

As he spoke, he handed over two more storage rings: "These contain formation-breaking talismans and concealment talismans, which can help you deal with the protective restrictions of the branch hall. Remember, fight quickly and decisively, and leave immediately after you succeed. We will then meet up back at the Starfall Pavilion."

Little Fairy Doctor frowned slightly, her eyes filled with unwavering worry. She asked hesitantly, "Xiao Ling, isn't it too risky for us to split up like this? You're going to rescue Senior Tianhuo alone. The Soul Palace has clearly set a trap for you. Are you sure you won't be in danger going alone?"

Her anxiety was undisguised, and her usually cool voice was tinged with seriousness as her gaze was fixed on Xiao Ling's face.

Xiao Ling felt a warmth in his heart. He raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, his fingertips tracing the smooth strands. His tone was gentle yet full of confidence.
"Don't worry, Xian'er. I have already obtained some inside information about this matter through special means. I know the Soul Palace's ambush and the forces left behind. I am 100% confident that nothing will go wrong."

His fingertips paused slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Moreover, I am now at the Dou Sheng realm, and with the support of spiritual power, even if the Soul Palace Master Hun Miesheng were to come in person, I might not be afraid of him."

Hearing this, the worry between Little Fairy Doctor's brows gradually dissipated. She nodded gently, her tone becoming much calmer. "Since you are so confident, I will not ask any more questions. I will work with Qinglin to take down those empty branch halls as soon as possible and seize all the soul essence within them, so that you will have no worries."

Qinglin nodded vigorously, her pretty face full of determination, and replied crisply, "Yes, young master! Sister Xian'er and I will definitely finish this quickly and complete the mission. We will not hold you back! You can go and rescue Senior Tianhuo with peace of mind!"

Seeing the two women's expressions, a warm feeling appeared in Xiao Ling's eyes, and he smiled and said, "I naturally trust your strength. Those branch halls were already short-handed, and with the Heavenly Demon Puppet's assistance, they pose no threat to your safety."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, and instructed, "However, if you really encounter a difficult situation, remember not to fight head-on. Crush this spatial jade talisman immediately."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and flipped it over, and two lustrous jade talismans floated in front of the two women. The surface of the jade talismans swirled with faint spatial energy.
"As soon as I sense the aura of the jade talisman shattering, I will immediately tear through space to rush to its aid. I must not be reckless."

Little Fairy Doctor and Qinglin nodded in unison, carefully took the jade talisman and put it away, saying in unison, "We understand."

After a brief discussion about the route and meeting details, the two women decided not to delay any longer.

The two of them flew down the mountain side by side, their figures quickly disappearing into the clouds and mist of Lingyue Peak.

Once the two women had completely disappeared, the smile on Xiao Ling's face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

He looked up to the north, which was the direction of the northern region of Zhongzhou. With a flick of his finger, a dark blue spatial rift tore open. He precisely controlled the violent spatial energy, preventing any leakage.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Ling leaped into the rift. His dark robes fluttered slightly in the spatial turbulence, and his figure was instantly swallowed by the eerie blue light. The rift then slowly closed, as if it had never existed.

A thunderous counterattack against the Soul Clan has begun.

……

In the northern region of Zhongzhou, there lies Fallen Soul Cliff, a forbidden land forgotten by the world. The valley is perpetually shrouded in an impenetrable gray mist, which carries a faint stench of decay and the aura of soul power. Inhaling even a single breath sends shivers down one's spine.

The ground was covered with cracked black stones, barren of any vegetation, and even the chirping of insects had vanished. Only the howling wind whistled through the jagged rocks, emitting ghostly howls that sent chills down one's spine.

Such a desolate and lifeless scene would deter ordinary cultivators from even a distance, who would rather detour than have the slightest courage to set foot there.

As you venture deeper into the valley, the gray fog grows thicker, faintly tinged with blood, and the surrounding temperature drops sharply, as if the air itself has frozen into ice.

Deep within the valley, a dark palace abruptly stands amidst the pile of rocks, like a lurking ancient beast, exuding a suffocatingly cold and oppressive aura.

The main hall was built entirely of an unknown dark-colored rock, its surface covered with grotesque patterns. These patterns shimmered with a dark red glow in the gray mist, as if countless wronged souls were struggling and howling within them.

The roof of the temple is designed with sharp fangs, and the four corners are carved with twisted demon heads. Saliva-like black liquid drips from the corners of the demon heads' mouths, corroding the ground and leaving black spots.

The main entrance to the hall consists of two massive, thick iron gates, each adorned with a huge Soul Clan totem. Two blood-red crystals are embedded in the totem's eye sockets, radiating a chilling malice as if they are staring intently at everyone who approaches.

If you look closely, you will see black figures flitting about like ghosts around the hall shrouded in gray mist.

They wore the Soul Hall's standard black robes, with hoods covering most of their faces, revealing only pairs of emotionless gray-white eyes. They were surrounded by dense, chilling soul power, their aura so concealed that they almost blended into the mist.

This airtight patrol layout, coupled with the faint aura of Dou Zong level or above emanating from them, is enough to show that the Earthly Fiend Palace is guarded to the extreme.

On the edge of a mountain stream, two figures in black robes stood side by side, their robes fluttering in the cold wind.

"Brother Earth Demon, do you really think Xiao Ling of the Starfall Pavilion would be foolish enough to walk right into our trap?" The man on the left spoke first, his voice hoarse like sandpaper, tinged with impatience.
"The higher-ups have transferred us to this Earthly Fiend Hall this time, saying they want to ambush Xiao Ling. It's caused quite a stir. But I haven't met my soul quota for this quarter yet. If I stay here too long, I'll be in for a lot of trouble later."

Upon hearing this, the old demon on the other side's eyes flickered slightly, a barely perceptible calculation flashing in his eyes, before he responded in the same sinister tone.
"Brother Blood Fiend, you're overthinking it. The higher-ups have already found out that among the Starfall Pavilion members captured this time, Venerable Heavenly Flame has a close relationship with Xiao Ling. More importantly, Venerable Heavenly Flame still has a wisp of Xiao Ling's strange flame within him."

“Since that strange fire originated from Xiao Ling’s body, it is a natural locator.”

“Xiao Ling is a loyal and righteous young man. Knowing that Tianhuo has been captured and being able to sense its location through the strange fire, how could he not come? He will definitely arrive here within three days.”

"So there was such a hidden story. It seems the arrangements made above were truly meticulous."

The Blood Fiend Venerable slowly shook his head, his brows furrowing beneath his hood, his tone carrying a hint of gravity.

"But Xiao Ling is no pushover either. Not only is he incredibly strong, but he's also the continent's undisputed number one alchemist, with a wide circle of friends. He'll likely bring many helpers with him to the rescue, so a fierce battle is inevitable..."

Before Blood Demon Old Ghost could finish speaking, a tearing pain suddenly shot through his chest. He snapped back to reality, his gray eyes filled with horror as he stared intently at the Earth Demon Old Ghost before him, uttering broken words through his throat.
"You old demon, you...you dare..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old demon's withered hand was pulled from his chest, its fingertips wrapped around his pale black soul, which was now struggling in pain and emitting silent howls.

The old demon's lips curled into a cold smile beneath his hood; his eyes held no trace of their previous agreement, only chilling indifference and mockery.
"Heh heh, you fools, from beginning to end you were nothing but playthings in my master's scheme. The mere Soul Hall is nothing but withered bones in a tomb..." (End of Chapter)