Chapter 778 The Soul Palace Shakes Greatly

Inside the spacious and empty hall, Xiao Ling's voice echoed slowly in the deathly silence, like metal striking the ground.

The thousands of soul orbs that had been floating, trembling, and flickering all stopped abruptly upon hearing this, instantly falling into a deathly silence, without making a sound.

Clearly, these tormented souls had already understood the deeper meaning behind Xiao Ling's words. They could either enter the Myriad Soul Banner and be controlled by it, in exchange for a glimmer of hope to take revenge on the Soul Palace, or they could dissipate into the world and end this endless suffering.

However, their souls could still clearly sense that the sinister aura emanating from the black banner in front of Xiao Ling was definitely not benevolent, and the howling of the vengeful spirits churning within it instilled a deep-seated fear in them.

This stagnant silence lasted for a moment, and Xiao Ling's expression remained indifferent. He had no intention of making things difficult for these soul entities. Although there were many of them, their soul essence had already been completely extracted by the Soul Palace using insidious methods. The remaining soul power was of low quality and was not worth mentioning to him, so he naturally did not value it much.

Just as he was about to retrieve the Myriad Souls Banner, a ball of soul light suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, within which came an extremely intense emotional fluctuation—the resentment and unwillingness accumulated over countless years, almost breaking through the shackles of the soul!

The next second, the ball of light took the initiative, breaking free from the remaining black chains and transforming into a streak of light, flying straight towards Xiao Ling.

Without the slightest hesitation and ignoring the fierce aura emanating from the Myriad Souls Banner, it "whooshed" into the pitch-black banner under the silent gaze of the clusters of souls.

Inside the spacious and empty hall, as the first ray of soul light resolutely entered the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, the deathly silence was suddenly stirred up like a lake surface tossed with a boulder!
The thousands of soul orbs that had been silent and stagnant seemed to have their fuses, which had been accumulating for countless years, ignited and burst forth with dazzling light. Streams of light intertwined and shimmered in the hall, even overshadowing the dark blue light of the soul orb on the dome.

Within that radiant light, there was an intense emotional fluctuation—not fear, not hesitation, but a boundless hatred powerful enough to incinerate the soul!
Xiao Ling's soul perception spread out like a net, clearly capturing the cries from the depths of every soul. These were the grief and indignation of a destroyed home and the tragic death of loved ones, the pain of being forcibly stripped of their origin by the Soul Palace and tormented day and night by the Soul Devouring Runes, the despair of being unable to live or die, and the deep-seated, relentless hatred towards the Soul Palace!

These emotions intertwined, transforming into an invisible torrent that surged and churned within the hall, even the air itself becoming chillingly cold from the sheer intensity of this pure hatred.

For these souls, being controlled by Xiao Ling was certainly a loss of freedom, but compared to the annihilation inflicted by the Soul Palace, this price was insignificant!
They had already tasted the cruelest torment in the world. Their souls had been extracted, leaving only broken souls struggling in the darkness. Even if they broke free of their chains now, they would only be barely clinging to life, and would ultimately be unable to escape the fate of their souls being scattered.

Rather than fading away in despair, they should throw themselves into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and, through Xiao Ling's hand, take revenge on those Soul Hall scum who pushed them into hell!
Even if one is driven by it for the rest of one's life, even if one is ultimately consumed by the flames of revenge, it is better than being annihilated in the world with endless regret and resentment!

This hatred has long surpassed the fear of the unknown and the obsession with freedom, becoming the only obsession that sustains their broken souls!

"Heh, quite a group of spirited souls." Sensing the surging hatred, Xiao Ling's lips curled into a playful and approving smile.

He hadn't expected these broken souls to be of much use, but he hadn't anticipated that their hatred for the Soul Palace would be so deep. This resolute choice brought him a pleasant surprise.

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Ling flipped his hand, lifting the Myriad Soul Banner in front of him. With a thought, his battle qi surged into the banner, and the originally short, black banner suddenly swelled up dozens of times, transforming into a giant banner that blotted out the sky and hung above the hall!

The banners fluttered in the wind, and the countless soul-devouring runes engraved on them suddenly lit up, emitting a sinister light. The already churning phantoms of vengeful spirits roared even more violently, and a powerful suction force burst out from the banners, like a bottomless black hole, pulling in the thousands of soul orbs below.

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

One after another, the sound of air being torn apart rang out. Countless clusters of soul light, like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, broke free from the remaining black chains and transformed into streams of light that rushed towards the direction of the Myriad Soul Banner.

Without the slightest hesitation or doubt, even as the ferocious aura emanating from the Myriad Souls Banner made their souls tremble, they still charged forward without looking back.

Countless rays of light intertwined, outlining magnificent yet tragic scenes in the hall—the flames of revenge burning, and the cries of unwilling souls!
The azure soul bead hanging from the dome flickered in and out of the light, illuminated by the flowing light. Inside the dilapidated hall, light and shadow intertwined, and the sounds of wind, fluttering banners, and the silent cries of souls mingled together, creating a breathtaking and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

The once crisscrossing black chains shattered and broke under the impact of the countless orbs of light. The malevolent energy at the broken ends was completely washed away by the pure hatred of the orbs of light, turning into wisps of black smoke and disappearing without a trace.

Xiao Ling stood in the center of the hall, his figure as upright as a pine tree, with faint spatial ripples surrounding him, isolating the surging airflow from the outside.

He looked up at the countless clusters of soul light flying across the sky, his expression still indifferent, yet he could not hide the ripples deep in his eyes.

Even if the quality of each individual soul is not particularly high, the sheer number of souls involved and the combined power they possess should not be underestimated.

If he refines it in the future, not only will the power of the Myriad Soul Banner be enhanced, but these souls that hate the Soul Palace to the bone will also become a sharp weapon for him to destroy the Soul Palace in the future!
"Very good." Xiao Ling murmured, pressing his palm down gently.

The suction force on the Ten Thousand Souls Banner suddenly surged, and the incoming soul orbs, as if drawn by an invisible force, accelerated and entered the banner one after another.

With each surge of soul light, the black light on the Myriad Souls Banner intensified, and the vengeful ghost phantoms on the banner became increasingly ferocious, their roars deafening. Yet, under Xiao Ling's control, they were unable to break free from the banner's restraints.

Time passed second by second, and the number of soul orbs in the hall dwindled, the once boundless stream of light gradually thinned out.

Half an hour later, when the last faint wisp of soul light transformed into a thin thread and entered the Myriad Soul Banner, the hall finally returned to silence. Only the giant banner floating in the air remained, still fluttering in the wind, its black light swirling and radiating a chilling pressure.

Xiao Ling raised his hand, and the Myriad Souls Banner rapidly shrank, transforming into a streak of black light that flew into his palm. He ran his fingertips along the cool runes on the banner's surface, clearly sensing the throbbing of countless souls within—the yearning for revenge, the power waiting to erupt.

"Rest assured, I will make the Soul Palace repay the blood debt a hundredfold," Xiao Ling thought to himself, his eyes deep and serious. After dealing with these soul orbs, only broken walls and shattered black chains remained in the main hall. The pervasive Yin energy and desperate wails had been completely swallowed up by the Myriad Soul Banner, replaced by a desolate emptiness.

After looking around to make sure nothing was missed, Xiao Ling moved and transformed into a streak of light, heading straight out of the main hall.

The core of the Earthly Fiend Palace has been cleared, and the origin of the soul has been obtained. This place is no longer of any use to him.

Next, he should head to the next Soul Hall stronghold to continue plundering soul essence, and at the same time, make the Soul Hall pay the price for their actions...

……

Over the next day, Xiao Ling used his spatial power to travel at full speed, his figure traversing the Central Continent. Wherever his footsteps reached, the Soul Palace's branches and strongholds scattered throughout the land were destroyed.

With overwhelming force, he trampled down branch halls one after another. The palaces forged from black iron collapsed under the pressure of the Dou Sheng. The rare resources and cultivation treasures stored in the branch halls were all swept away, and the soul essence imprisoned in the core was ruthlessly plundered by him.

After looting several branches of the Soul Palace, Xiao Ling had already obtained a considerable amount of soul essence. The Myriad Soul Banner contained tens of thousands of souls that had been innocently captured and tortured by the Soul Palace.

Feeling the endless resentment and pain intertwined within the banner, even Xiao Ling couldn't help but feel quite emotional. The Soul Palace had truly committed countless evil deeds and committed heinous acts. This time, they would be given a lesson that would never be forgotten.

Once the objective was achieved, to avoid being exposed and attracting the pursuit of the Soul Palace's Dou Sheng experts, Xiao Ling contacted Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin through special communication methods. After the three met, they immediately set off back to Starfall Pavilion.

Although the operation was brief, the division of labor between the two sides was clear and their efficiency was maximized. Under the premise of ensuring absolute safety, the benefits were pushed to the extreme. Both the plunder of resources and the collection of soul essence far exceeded previous expectations.

……

Above the deathly silent, pitch-black valley, ripples suddenly appeared in space, and a twisted spatial passage abruptly tore through the sky.

A figure dressed in a black robe slowly stepped out, the hem of the robe fluttering in the wind, and a faint spatial fluctuation swirling around him. Although he looked ordinary, he possessed a majestic aura that resonated with heaven and earth, clearly a genuine Dou Sheng powerhouse!
His gaze swept downwards like that of a hawk, and when he saw the scorched ruins of the branch hall, his eyes instantly turned cold, and suppressed anger surged within them.

"As expected, the very essence of the soul here has also been stolen!" The deep voice was filled with gritted teeth and hatred.
"This matter has escalated to this point; I'm afraid we'll have no chance of escaping punishment from the Soul Clan!"

The Grand Venerable of the Soul Palace suppressed his anger and, as usual, began a thorough search of the area around the ruins of the branch palace.

His soul power spread out like a tide, leaving no stone unturned, but in the end he still found nothing. Clearly, the person who made the move had already erased all traces of his aura when he left, and even the spatial fluctuations were completely covered by his natal talisman, leaving no clues for him to follow.

"Hmph!" The Great Celestial Venerable snorted coldly, his face full of resentment and fear, yet he was helpless.

He dared not linger there any longer, so he immediately tore open a spatial passage and sped toward the main hall of the Soul Palace. He had to report this matter to the Hall Master as soon as possible and truthfully report this upheaval to the Soul Clan.

The main hall of the Soul Palace was a majestic, prison-like structure, permeated with a chilling aura of malevolence. When news reached Soul Extinction that over a dozen branch halls had been destroyed in a single day, this hall master, who commanded countless powerful figures within the Soul Palace, was immediately enraged!
An invisible pressure swept through the main hall like a tsunami, causing the several celestial beings inside to tremble in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Soul Extinction's body surged with black energy, his eyes burning with a chilling killing intent, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"How dare you! You destroyed more than a dozen of my Soul Palace's branch halls in a single day within the territory of Zhongzhou! Do you think my Soul Palace is invincible?!"

Enraged, Hun Miesheng immediately ordered a thorough investigation. After tracing the clues and summarizing the information, all the clues ultimately pointed to the same person: Xiao Ling!
This conclusion, however, put the Soul Palace in a dilemma. Sweeping through over a dozen branch halls in a single day, each guarded by a Dou Zun-level expert and heavily fortified with defensive formations—such swift and terrifying efficiency could only be achieved by a genuine Dou Sheng expert!
According to the intelligence gathered by the Soul Palace, Xiao Ling, though powerful, was far from reaching the Dou Sheng realm. This was completely inconsistent with the strength of the person who made the move. For a moment, everyone was at a loss and dared not make a judgment.

Not to mention, the two Heavenly Venerables had previously been ordered by the Soul Clan to lead elite forces to ambush Xiao Ling.

But now, the Earthly Fiend Palace where the ambush was set up has become a ruin, and the fate of the Second Heavenly Venerable who led this operation is unknown, with not even a wisp of his soul returning to the Soul Palace.

Even though Hun Miesheng personally investigated the scene, he still couldn't find any definite clues and couldn't determine whether the disappearance of the Second Heavenly Venerable was related to Xiao Ling.

However, the Soul Hall's operating principle has never been about "conclusive evidence." The word "suspicion" alone is enough to determine a person's life or death! Moreover, Xiao Ling is an enemy that the Soul Hall must eliminate, and the two sides have long been locked in a life-or-death struggle.

Whether the destruction of this branch hall is directly related to Xiao Ling is still unknown.

Soul Extinction's body surged with black energy, and his chilling voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable authority.
"But one thing is certain: the powerful figure who swept through more than a dozen branch halls in a single day and the one who eliminated Gu You must be the same person!"

"This matter is of utmost importance. I will personally report it to the Soul Clan. Further action will be decided once we receive notification from the Soul Clan!"

The tone shifted abruptly, Hun Miesheng's voice suddenly sharpened, revealing his murderous intent.
"Before that, you must immediately intensify your investigation into Xiao Ling's whereabouts and make sure you know his every move! If there is any opportunity, do not hesitate to take action against him, regardless of his life or death!"

The final four words fell like ice crashing to the ground, causing all the high-ranking members of the Soul Hall to shudder. They quickly bowed and accepted the order: "We will obey the Hall Master's command!" (End of Chapter)