Word Count: 3,206 Words
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Medusa's beautiful eyes widened in shock, her face filled with disbelief at how Xiao Yan had effortlessly crushed a 5-star Dou Ancestor serpent puppet with a single palm strike.
At that moment, Venerable Tian Huo's voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind, "It is said that those from the Hall of Souls cultivate in a manner completely different from ordinary people. Their Qi Methods and Dou Techniques are all linked to the soul, making them nearly impossible to guard against."
Venerable Tian Huo was left speechless as well. Such puppets were not uncommon in ancient ruins. In the distant past, there was once a craze on the Dou Qi Continent for puppet refining, and special secret techniques were used to create them.
As long as they had a steady supply of energy, these puppets could guard a ruin or inheritance site for a very long time. Later, the methods for making puppets were lost, which gradually led to their decline.
Venerable Tian Huo had also explored ruins when he was alive, competing with others and clashing with puppets. Once, when he was just a Dou Ancestor, he fought a human-form Dou Ancestor puppet. Had it not been for his Fallen Heart Flame, he might not have been able to defeat it.
Seeing Xiao Yan resolve the matter so easily made him feel a bit sour!
"Heh heh, depends on the person. Not just anyone can master this move," Xiao Yan said, sounding a bit pleased with himself.
The Asura Soul Reaping Technique was extremely difficult to cultivate, but Xiao Yan had been born with exceptionally strong Spiritual Strength, affording him a great advantage in soul-related matters. Consequently, his progress with Soul Skills came with relative ease.
Moreover, his Spiritual Strength had reached the level of a middle-grade 7th-tier alchemist. While snatching the soul of a living 5-star Dou Ancestor would be difficult, doing so from a puppet dead for countless years with a sealed soul was far simpler.
"Let's continue, Cai Lin... er, Medusa." Xiao Yan was visibly excited. Every soul point within those puppets was ripe for the taking!
Immediately, he joined forces with Medusa. She used her bloodline beast techniques to control the serpent puppets, while he employed the Asura Soul Reaping Technique to rip out the sealed souls from each puppet and place them into his Soul Command Token. He then pretended the puppet had died under a Dou Technique.
Meanwhile, a small black cat paw quietly reached out from the void and stealthily snatched away a light cluster.
Palm strikes, punches, and swings of the Heavy Xuan Ruler rained down. Xiao Yan's assault was nothing short of earthshaking from afar. Crucially, whenever he struck, the puppets were rendered useless.
By the time the Sky Serpent Mansion realized that Xiao Yan seemed to have a special way of handling the puppets, it was already too late.
The Sky Serpent Mansion group had used suicidal methods to seize four light clusters, with several Dou Ancestors joining forces and many Serpent Emperors sacrificing themselves as human shields. But Xiao Yan, Medusa, and that sneaky cat paw had taken six!
She Tianhao was both stunned and enraged. They had managed only four clusters with so many from the Sky Serpent Mansion risking their lives to intercept the puppets, whereas Xiao Yan's group of two people and a cat had secured six.
Even after taking the treasures, the duo continued to strike down every serpent puppet in sight, whether or not it guarded a light cluster, like a pair of madmen!
"How come there's none left?" Xiao Yan frowned at the many serpent puppet corpses scattered about, feeling unsatisfied.
He hadn't collected enough yet. At this rate, his annual quota would not be met!
Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. It seemed that becoming a Tianzun this year was unlikely.
Although he had collected quite a few souls from these serpent-type magical beasts, their overall quality was not high. Had they all been Dou Venerates, he might have advanced to the rank of Tianzun!
The higher one's rank in the Hall of Souls, the more precious Qi Methods and Dou Techniques one could obtain. If he had not become a Heaven Grade Protector back then, he would not have been able to exchange for the Asura Soul Reaping Technique at all.
One could see how frightening this High Di Class Soul Skill was. It could extract the sealed soul from serpent puppets created by a Half-Saint expert using the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Who could imagine how terrifying a Tian Class Soul Skill would be?
Given the Hun Clan's deep heritage, Xiao Yan was certain that there would be Tian Class Soul Skills that did not require Dou God bloodlines to cultivate, perhaps even High Tian Class Soul Skills.
Yet to exchange for those, he feared he would need to reach the rank of Hall Chief.
Even the First Tianzun probably lacked such qualifications!
Venerable Yan's road to promotion was indeed a long one.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the remaining experts of the Sky Serpent Mansion. Where once there had been dozens of Serpent Emperors and Serpent Ancestors, only six Dou Ancestors and four peak Serpent Emperors remained.
The rest had either left with inheritance treasures or perished at the hands of the puppets.
A dark thought began to cross his mind. Perhaps he should combine his own Spiritual Strength with Venerable Tian Huo's power and slaughter the remaining Sky Serpent Mansion incorrigibles right here and collect more 'contributions'...
For a moment, the atmosphere between the two sides grew unbearably tense.
Initially, the Sky Serpent Mansion had the advantage in numbers. They had even fantasized that if Medusa were hurt, they could gang up on Xiao Yan and her to finish them off.
Now, not only were Medusa and Xiao Yan unharmed, but the Sky Serpent Mansion had suffered serious losses. The situation had changed in an instant!
Especially that mysterious power Xiao Yan possessed which could actually deal with 9-star Dou Ancestors. It had left every member of the Sky Serpent Mansion trembling with fear.
However, in the end, Xiao Yan exhaled and slowly deactivated the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change. Instantly, searing pain and fatigue struck him, though fortunately not to an intolerable level thanks to his Yin-Yang Life and Death Flame. He had canceled the technique before reaching its absolute limit, sparing himself from the worst aftereffects.
He slowly shook his head. After all, this power-up was only temporary. If he were already a Dou Ancestor, he would show these snakes what it truly meant to be Venerable Yan.
Moreover, the Asura Soul Reaping Technique was not without cost. His soul was greatly depleted. At best, he could only muster the energy to unleash one more Four-Colored Fire Lotus before his Spiritual Strength would be exhausted.
'What a pity. If only I could reach the Dou Ancestor realm sooner.' Xiao Yan was currently a 4-star Dou Emperor. Even with the aid of the Tian Class Flame Mantra and the accelerating power of the Fallen Heart Flame, breaking through to Dou Ancestor would still require at least a year or two.
The further one progressed, the harder it became to advance. One only needed to look at how long his Spiritual Strength had been stuck at the peak of the Mortal State to understand.
The serpents of the Sky Serpent Mansion finally breathed a sigh of relief seeing Xiao Yan cancel his Secret Technique, though She Tianhao still ground his teeth in frustration. Their side had ended up with fewer rewards than Xiao Yan!
Moreover, none of the four light clusters he obtained contained any Demon Saint essence blood. This meant Xiao Yan's side must have obtained the Demon Saint essence blood!
According to ancient records, the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint left some Demon Saint essence blood in these inheritance ruins before dying. This essence was meant to help the successor break through from Dou Ancestor to Dou Venerate.
Thus, the entire inheritance site was set up to be used by those between Dou Ancestor and Dou Venerate in the first place.
She Tianhao's father, She Tianhuang, leaned close and murmured, "Son, be patient. If I'm not mistaken, none of these light clusters contain the Demon Saint essence blood."
!!!!
She Tianhao shot Xiao Yan a glance. The latter also glanced toward him and his cohorts. Both sides could see from each other's eyes that no one had obtained the Demon Saint essence blood.
Xiao Yan had managed to obtain two scrolls, a Rank 8 Monster Core, a Rank 8 magical beast bone, a drop of Rank 8 magical beast essence blood, and a high-grade tier 7 medicinal pill.
Though he did not recognize the pill's name, judging by its effects it was akin to a Beast Emperor Tempering Pill—that is, a pill used by magical beasts.
All told, there was no Half-Saint essence blood to be found!
It sank in for everyone that the most crucial Half-Saint essence blood was not hidden in any of these light clusters!
"Qing Lin, can you sense where the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's essence blood is?" Xiao Yan retreated to Qing Lin's side and asked in a low voice.
"Qing Lin?"
Xiao Yan's brow furrowed as he gazed at Qing Lin sitting cross-legged. After a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted. Qing Lin's eyes flickered with a cyan-green glow, and she remained completely unresponsive to his calls.
A chill suddenly welled up inside his heart!
Alarm flashed across his face, immediately drawing the attention of Medusa and the others in the Sky Serpent Mansion. Medusa frowned and asked, "What's the matter?"
Xiao Yan inhaled deeply. A terrible premonition churned in his heart. Finally, he said in a grave voice, "Something's gone wrong."
?!!
The eyes of both She Tianhao and She Tianhuang constricted in the next heartbeat. They both noticed the same thing. The entire Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils space was trembling violently, as though some terrifying power were awakening!
"Damn, we need to get out!"
She Tianhao reacted quite fast. The very instant he sensed the disturbance, an urgent roar burst from his throat. At the same time, the other experts from the Sky Serpent Mansion stamped their feet and their bodies shot away like lightning.
Although the Dou Ancestors among them reacted quickly, some of the Serpent Emperors were caught a beat off guard. After a brief hesitation, they scrambled to retreat using all their agility, but by then it was far too late.
Just as they began to withdraw, Qing Lin trembled slightly while seated cross-legged. Then, two faint red glimmers began to pulse intermittently in her hollow cyan-green eyes.
"AHHHHHH!"
A flash of blood-colored light appeared. Qing Lin abruptly raised her head, and a thunderous roar erupted from her lips and rolled across the entire area like a furious storm!
That terrifying howl solidified into a tangible wave, expanding outward from the central stone seat in all directions at lightning speed.
Xiao Yan had no time to consider anything else. He instantly executed the Three Thousand Lightning Movement, disappearing hundreds of meters away in a blur. Medusa's eyes flashed coldly as she launched a palm strike, unleashing a seven-colored radiance that blocked the sound waves for a fleeting moment before she too flickered over to Xiao Yan's side.
Those Sky Serpent Mansion experts who failed to evade were reduced to a bloody mist on the spot, and even their souls were obliterated.
This sudden bloody scene snapped all the serpents from the Sky Serpent Mansion to their senses. Their faces filled with dread as they channeled their Dou Qi without reserve and scattered from the hall like frightened dogs.
Crack, crack, crack!
The serpent puppets whose souls Xiao Yan had extracted suddenly stood up once again with a series of cracking sounds!
This time, their eyes shone with a green brilliance even more intense than before!
Qing Lin was controlling these serpent puppets now!
"Instant kill!"
"How can Qing Lin possibly have such fearsome power?!"
"Could it be that the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint isn't actually dead?!"
Even She Tianhao and other high-level experts seemed stunned, swallowing hard at the thought. If the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint wasn't dead, that would be too terrifying. That was a Dou Saint level expert!
'The inheritance trial... has failed.' Only Xiao Yan roughly guessed what had happened.
Inheritance trials were not guaranteed successes. In fact, most of them ended in failure.
And in this final trial, Qing Lin had indeed failed!
Medusa's beautiful eyes glinted solemnly as she stared at Qing Lin, who was now guarded by the reanimated serpent puppets. "So the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint is still alive? Or have they taken over Qing Lin?"
Xiao Yan swept his Spiritual Strength over and shook his head. "No, the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint is definitely dead. Something else is causing this, but I have no idea what."
This final trial was clearly intended for someone who possessed the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Even Xiao Yan did not know exactly what it entailed. He only knew that Qing Lin had definitely failed, and that failure had led to the current situation.
Xiao Yan glanced at She Tianhao and the other serpents standing even further back than him. He understood in his heart that these fellows could not be relied upon.
"Medusa, go with them and leave this place," Xiao Yan said through spiritual voice transmission.
Medusa frowned and looked at him without a word, then coldly retorted, "You want to stay here?"
"I can't just leave Qing Lin. No matter what, she's a member of my Xiao Clan, even if she doesn't have my Xiao Clan's bloodline," Xiao Yan replied. He offered Medusa a slight smile. "Besides, I have my own means at dealing with this kind of evil situation."
"If that roar alone can do so much, I doubt many of us here would survive if Qing Lin actually attacked," a Sky Serpent Mansion expert murmured apprehensively.
"Now that we have the inheritance treasures, let's just go. This place is too strange and too dangerous," someone among the many Sky Serpent Mansion experts said in a low voice, unable to hide the fear in his tone. That power was simply too frightening.
Just as She Tianhao was about to leave, he saw Xiao Yan standing in front of him. His expression changed, and he couldn't help but step forward, also wanting to play the hero.
"Son, do not be rash," She Tianhuang voiced a warning.
"Father, but..."
Rumble rumble rumble!!
Suddenly, the space of the pupil technique began to collapse with a thunderous rumble. She Tianhao, who intended to press on, was overcome with shock.
He spun around at once. A 5-star Dou Ancestor from the Sky Serpent Mansion spoke urgently before him. "Mansion Lord, please reconsider. Right now, Qing Lin's mind is muddled, as if under some form of control, and she has those serpent puppets by her side. Even a Dou Venerate might fail to make it past them. Attempting to fight our way through now is sheer suicide. Better to exploit the chance while Xiao Yan and Medusa are holding her attention, and leave quickly."
"But... Qing Lin, she..."
Rumble rumble!!
The ground shuddered violently again, and the earth sank further. The remaining Sky Serpent Mansion experts turned deathly pale.
"Mansion Lord! While Qing Lin has not fixed her gaze on us, we must go. If not now, when?" another serpent expert said anxiously.
"Mansion Lord, if Xiao Yan and Qing Lin are both buried here, that might actually be a good thing for our Sky Serpent Mansion!"
She Tianhao's face turned cold. "Let's go!" he shouted, then led the remaining members of the Sky Serpent Mansion in a desperate flight toward the exit.
Xiao Yan was not at all surprised that the serpents all fled. In a world ruled by the strong, honor and loyalty held little weight unless one wished to hasten their own death.
"Medusa, you should leave now. Since Qing Lin's trial has failed, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils space will soon shut. When a Half-Saint's space closes, even you might not be able to get out," Xiao Yan said solemnly, his eyes fixed on Qing Lin, who seemed to be struggling with a trace of pain in her expression.
Alas, Xiao Yan found it difficult to be that so-called smart person who would simply abandon someone. He could not stand idly by and watch Qing Lin die here.
He saw Medusa gritting her teeth and added, "Don't worry. Even if I do end up trapped, I have ways to escape. It may just take some time. Tell them not to concern themselves with me."
"Oh, and if a woman named Xun Er comes looking for me, let her know she'll have to wait a bit longer. I'll return to her side soon."
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and released all his Heavenly Flames at once. Eight different flames swirled around him, causing the surrounding temperature to spike dramatically.
His shadow writhed, forming a dark abyss below his feet. Several soul chains slowly rose from the depths.
Mao Wu leaped onto his shoulder. With Mao Wu now upgraded to an Earth Seed Flame, if they were truly trapped, the devouring ability of the Nihility Devouring Flame might help them break free eventually, even if not immediately. By slowly wearing down the boundaries of this Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils space, they could find a way out.
Now his biggest problem was that he didn't know what exactly had happened to Qing Lin and how he should help her recover.
Just as he prepared to charge toward Qing Lin with every ounce of strength, Medusa suddenly kicked him squarely in the butt, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Xiao Yan looked up at her in shock. What on earth are you doing??
Medusa looked down at him from above, her eyes cold.
"Don't misunderstand. That damned soul contract between us still hasn't been resolved yet. If you die, I might be dragged down as well."
Hearing that, Xiao Yan let out a silent huff, then got up to stand shoulder to shoulder with Medusa, both watching Qing Lin with solemn expressions.
"Thank you."
"Hmph, it's only because of that soul connection."
Xiao Yan popped several pills into his mouth without hesitation, swiftly restoring some of his Dou Qi and marginally boosting his strength.
Boom!
The Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was reactivated, and with Venerable Tian Huo's Spiritual Strength added, Xiao Yan forcibly elevated his cultivation to near the 3-star Dou Ancestor stage.
'Flame Splitting Tsunami!' He clutched the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly and slammed it down. A three-colored flame wave once again pounced toward that wall of serpent puppets.
Hiss hiss hiss!!
The moment Xiao Yan made his move, the serpent puppets all rushed him like wild beasts, not bothering to dodge. They simply used their tough bodies to withstand the Flame Splitting Tsunami head-on!
Because Xiao Yan had previously extracted their souls, they no longer possessed the Dou Techniques they had in life. At this point, they seemed more like mindless machines powered by nothing but their own formidable flesh, far less threatening than before.
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Title: Trial Failure
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