Chapter 773 The Blood River of the Fourth Heavenly Venerable

Before the old demon's sarcastic words had completely dissipated in the gloomy wind, a piercing tearing sound suddenly came from the void beside him. With a series of cracking sounds, a dark blue spatial rift suddenly burst open, and violent spatial energy surged like a tide, but it was firmly imprisoned at the edge of the rift by an invisible force, without leaking out even a bit.

The next instant, a tall and slender figure slowly stepped out from the crack. His azure robe fluttered in the cold wind, and a faint fighting spirit shimmered between the hem, as steady and powerful as the deep sea waves.

The man had a sharply defined face with sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples. His deep eyes were like a cold pool, containing a composure beyond his years, yet also a sharp edge that seemed to look down on the world, causing the surrounding gray mist to instinctively give way.

The moment he stood on the edge of the mountain stream, his gaze swept lightly over the struggling soul in the hands of the old demon, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. The person who came was Xiao Ling, who had crossed space and arrived from the Starfall Pavilion.

The old demon seemed to have anticipated this, and the mocking and indifferent look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme respect.

He swayed and knelt on one knee, his emaciated body leaning slightly forward, his head bowed to his chest, not daring to look directly at anyone. Even his voice trembled with barely suppressed awe.
"This humble earth demon welcomes its master!"

As he finished speaking, he carefully held the Blood Fiend Venerable's soul form in front of him, completely withdrawing the chilling soul power swirling in his palm, as if afraid of disturbing the person before him. His tone became even more humble.
"I have successfully completed my mission and cleared out the hidden sentries as instructed by my master. I await your arrival to proceed with the next step."

"Well done."

Xiao Ling's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable authority. His gaze swept over the soul entity in the old demon's hand, and he casually gave the order.
"You stay here and keep watch. If any escapees get away, just kill them all. As for those scattered souls, you can deal with them as you see fit."

Upon hearing this, the old demon bowed even lower, his head almost touching the ground, his voice filled with gratitude and awe as he respectfully responded.

"Your subordinate obeys! I will certainly fulfill my duty and ensure that no one escapes from here. I will not fail my master's trust and entrustment!"

After saying that, he slowly stood up, and his figure blurred into the surrounding gray mist. His aura was concealed as if he had never appeared, leaving only a faint fluctuation of soul power, vigilantly monitoring all the movements around the Earthly Fiend Palace.

After the figure of the Earth Demon Old Ghost completely merged into the gray mist, Xiao Ling withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming increasingly solemn. This time, in order to break through the Earthly Fiend Palace, he would ultimately have to personally take action to break the deadlock, but before he could do so, he needed to set up a solid barrier.

With a slight thought, a faint silver light suddenly shone on Xiao Ling's forehead, and the natal talisman in his Niwan Palace flew out with a sharp whooshing sound, hovering about ten feet in front of him.

The various runes on the surface of the seal intertwined and flowed like a surging galaxy. Finally, under his precise control, all the other colors faded away, turning into a pure pale silver color. Strands of spatial power lingered on it as if they were tangible, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

Immediately afterwards, the spiritual energy in Xiao Ling's Niwan Palace surged into his natal talisman like a flood bursting its banks.

In an instant, the silver light of the talisman surged, and the dazzling light almost pierced through the gray mist of Fallen Soul Cliff. A spatial fluctuation, invisible to the naked eye, spread outwards from the talisman like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, silently merging into the void.

The invisible spatial barrier slowly expanded under his control, spreading along the rugged rocks and thick gray fog, like an invisible giant net, eventually completely enveloping the entire Fallen Soul Cliff area without anyone noticing.

Above the barrier, pale silver runes appeared and disappeared, completely severing the spatial connection between this place and the outside world. Even a Dou Sheng-level expert would not be able to easily penetrate this spatial barrier.

With the spatial barrier properly set up, the invisible barrier enveloped the entire Fallen Soul Cliff like a canopy, severing all spatial connections between the inside and outside.

Xiao Ling slowly withdrew his attention from the talisman, turning his gaze back to the dark palace deep in the valley that lurked like a ferocious beast, a cold glint flashing in his deep eyes.

He frowned slightly, and a powerful wisp of soul force, like an invisible tentacle, quietly spread out, piercing through the thick gray fog and precisely probing into the Earthly Fiend Hall.

The next moment, a familiar yet faint aura clearly entered my senses, and it was none other than Venerable Heavenly Fire!
The aura he exuded was somewhat weak, clearly indicating that he had already suffered the torment of the Soul Palace's methods, which made the coldness in Xiao Ling's eyes even stronger.

In addition, dozens of sinister and powerful auras lingered within the main hall, each one as unsettling as a leech. The weakest of them had already reached the level of a high-ranking Dou Zun, clearly a Heavenly Venerable-level expert carefully dispatched by the Soul Palace to ambush him.

At the center of these auras, an even more powerful and terrifying pressure spread out like Mount Tai pressing down. It was a formidable force that had reached the high-level semi-saint realm. Its owner's identity was self-evident; it was none other than the leader of this ambush, the Second Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace, Bone Nether Saint.

Although the aura of a Dou Sheng was already poised to be unleashed, enough to raze the entire Di Sha Palace to the ground with a wave of his hand, and Xiao Ling did indeed possess such overwhelming power, the restlessness in his eyes was ultimately suppressed by his composure.

The purpose of this trip is far more than simply destroying the Earthly Fiend Palace and seizing the soul's origin. Venerable Heavenly Fire and the members of the Starfall Pavilion are still trapped in the palace. If we rashly launch a strong attack, those ruthless people from the Soul Palace might resort to desperate measures and use our lives as leverage.

It's not too late to rescue Venerable Tianhuo and his group first, and then turn around and wipe out the Earthly Fiend Hall along with all the Soul Hall's henchmen.

Moreover, this place has already been completely covered by the spatial barrier he personally set up. The spatial power flowing on that barrier is indestructible, cutting off the possibility of external assistance and sealing off all escape routes. Even a high-level half-saint like the Ancient Nether Saint could not tear through space to escape.

With such a backup plan, Xiao Ling had no worries. He only needed to focus on sneaking into the palace to rescue people, and what followed would be a cleanup without any suspense.

With this in mind, Xiao Ling completely abandoned the idea of ​​a direct attack. With a thought, he deliberately suppressed his aura and even his soul power to the extreme. His aura instantly became as ethereal as the gray mist of Fallen Soul Cliff, perfectly blending with the surrounding environment.

The next moment, a faint blue light emanated from Xiao Ling's body, and his figure was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating a circle of fine spatial ripples in the void.

The moment the ripples dissipated, his figure completely merged into the void, leaving not even a trace of battle aura fluctuation, as if he had never appeared on the Fallen Soul Cliff. Only the invisible spatial barrier continued to silently shroud the entire area.

……

Beneath the Earthly Fiend Hall, in a spacious, almost empty secret chamber, dozens of pitch-black stone pillars, each requiring three people to encircle, rise from the ground and reach the dome.

The stone pillars were covered with black runes, exuding a chilling aura, and the grating sound of chains grinding against each other echoed in the silence. At this moment, in front of each stone pillar stood a disheveled figure, none other than the Heavenly Fire Venerable and the members of the Starfall Pavilion who had been captured by the Soul Palace.

Their hands and feet were tightly bound to the stone pillars by thick, black chains, each as thick as a child's arm. The chains were swirling with a dense, bone-corroding soul power that was slowly eroding their fighting spirit, leaving them pale and weak.

Apart from still being able to speak, their meridians were almost completely sealed by the power of the chains, making it difficult for them to even move their fingertips.

Venerable Tianhuo's white hair was disheveled, and there was still blood on the corner of his mouth. Even though he was imprisoned, his turbid eyes still burned with an indomitable rage as he stared intently at the blurry black figure in the center of the secret chamber.

The other members of the Starfall Pavilion also had different expressions, some angry, some anxious. Their bodies, bound by chains, struggled incessantly, causing the chains to make dull clanging sounds, which were particularly clear in the deathly silent chamber.

The clanging of chains in the secret chamber grew more and more frequent, finally provoking the black-robed figure sitting in the center to lose his patience.

He slowly raised his head, revealing only a pale chin beneath his hood. His hoarse voice, like the grinding of withered wood, carried a chilling edge and echoed through the empty, secret room: "You lot, behave yourselves!"

"Continuing to struggle in vain is nothing but a waste of energy." Blood River Celestial Venerable lightly tapped the stone table in front of him with his fingertips, his sinister voice full of sarcasm.
"Stop harboring any illusions. The only purpose of your lives is to lure that brat Xiao Ling into our trap. Once he falls into the inescapable net laid by my Soul Palace, you ants can die in peace."

This man in black robes was none other than Blood River, one of the Four Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Palace. His cultivation had reached the peak of the First Rank Dou Zun, and within the Earthly Fiend Palace, besides the Ancient Nether Saint who led the team, he was the strongest. The reason he was personally overseeing the underground secret chamber was to prevent anyone from secretly infiltrating and ruining the Soul Palace's grand plan to ambush Xiao Ling.

Upon hearing Blood River Celestial Venerable's vicious words, the eyes of the Starfall Pavilion members in the secret chamber instantly turned blood red. Pairs of eyes filled with anger and hatred stared intently at the black-robed figure in the center of the secret chamber, their gazes so sharp that they seemed to pierce through the hood and tear his flesh to shreds.

If eyes could turn into sharp blades, Blood River would have already been torn to pieces, leaving no trace of his body.

Faced with such a chilling gaze, Blood River Celestial Venerable remained unconcerned. Instead, he slowly curled a mocking smile, his eyes filled with a cat-and-mouse-like playfulness, his interest growing ever stronger.

He spoke in a sinister tone, his sarcasm undisguised: "Heh heh heh, even at this point, you're still clinging to illusions? Do you really think that brat Xiao Ling can break in and save you?"

"Heh heh, telling you won't hurt." He traced the soul power patterns on the stone table with his fingertips, his voice growing increasingly sinister.
"To deal with Xiao Ling, the Earthly Fiend Palace not only has more than a dozen elders and Heavenly Venerables in charge, but also the Second Heavenly Venerable Ancient Nether Saint, who is at the level of a high-level Half-Saint, overseeing the entire situation! Let alone Xiao Ling coming alone, even if he brings the entire elite of the Starfall Pavilion, he would be nothing more than a moth flying into a flame, a fool trying to stop a chariot with his bare hands!"

"That brat is really courting death. He should have just been the young master of the Starfall Pavilion, but instead he had to provoke the Soul Palace and challenge the Soul Clan!"

Blood River Celestial Venerable's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of violent pleasure.
"Once he is captured and killed by the Second Heavenly Venerable, all of you, and the entire Starfall Pavilion, will be reduced to ashes under the iron hooves of my Soul Palace, hahaha!"

"Really?"

Suddenly, a voice that sounded like a half-smile rang out in the secret chamber, shattering the violent and sinister tone of Blood River Celestial Venerable's words. Like ice thrown into boiling water, it instantly disrupted the surrounding deathly silence.

"It seems that in the eyes of your Soul Palace, I have become an irreconcilable enemy."

"Whether the Soul Palace can destroy me and the Starfall Pavilion remains to be seen."

His voice carried a hint of languor, yet concealed a chilling sharpness, echoing back and forth in the empty, secret room: "But I can be certain that today is your death day."

Before Blood River Celestial Venerable's words had even finished, this abrupt voice had already entered his ears, causing him to stiffen and his heart to surge with shock.

He suddenly looked up, his cloudy eyes filled with disbelief and horror, and looked abruptly in the direction of the sound.

On the left side of the secret chamber, at the top of a pitch-black stone pillar, a circle of dark blue ripples suddenly appeared in the void. A tall and slender figure emerged from the ripples as if walking on the moon and stood firmly.

The azure robe fluttered slightly in the cold wind of the secret room, and a faint glow of battle qi flowed between the hem. That angular and exceptionally handsome face was the target that the Soul Palace had laid a trap for, Xiao Ling!
His aura was perfectly concealed, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure that looked down upon the world. His deep eyes swept lightly across the secret chamber before finally landing on Blood River Celestial Venerable. A cold smile curved his lips, devoid of any warmth, only filled with indifferent killing intent.

When they saw the familiar figure at the top of the stone pillar, the Starfall Pavilion members, who had been looking dejected, instantly brightened up. Their listlessness vanished, and their faces burst with uncontrollable excitement.

They gazed in Xiao Ling's direction, their eyes filled with fervent hope, even their struggling movements subconsciously slowing down, as if they had grasped at the last straw.

In stark contrast to the crowd's excitement, Blood River Celestial Venerable's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at Xiao Ling's figure. The mockery on his face was replaced by extreme terror, and he cried out in a hoarse voice,
"Xiao Ling? How is this possible! How did you end up here?!"

"Damn it! Are all those patrol teams outside useless?!"

At this moment, a storm raged in his heart. Xiao Ling's ability to sneak into the secret room undetected by him, a peak Dou Zun expert, was no fluke. He must have some special backing, and this unknown confidence made him feel a chill down his spine.

Recalling the intelligence from above, that Xiao Ling already possessed the strength to defeat an ordinary nine-star Dou Zun, Blood River Heavenly Venerable's heart immediately sounded alarm bells, and he dared not hesitate for a moment.

His blood-red battle aura surged suddenly, and his powerful soul force condensed in his palm. A blood-red palm print that blotted out the sky instantly took shape, carrying a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, and slammed down fiercely towards Xiao Ling!

This strike was not only ruthless and deadly, intended to take advantage of Xiao Ling's unstable footing to repel him, but also to use the booming sound of the palm to alert the Ancient Nether Saint outside the hall, so that this high-level half-saint would come to his aid.

Blood River Venerable didn't believe that he, a mere first-stage Dou Zun at the peak, could defeat Xiao Ling single-handedly. (End of Chapter)