Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Calamity Befalls the Misty Cloud Sect

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    Word Count: 3,415 Words

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    Xiao Yan slowly extended his hand, and the two black and white koi fish seemed to possess life and spirituality as they swam into his palm.

    The two fish spiraled up his arm, moving gracefully as if they were dancing with each sway of his movement.

    Xiao Yan understood that refining the Yin-Yang Twin Flame meant accepting this mission.

    Originally, the Xiao Clan of Wu Tan City was living peacefully, dominating the city, enjoying a life of plenty as local lords, wanting for nothing.

    Now, suddenly, they had gained a mortal enemy in the Hun Clan. Moreover, Xiao Yan had just learned that there were eight Dou God Clans, each possessing a piece of the Tou She Ancient God''s Jade.

    This meant that it wasn''t just the Hun Clan who desired the ancient jade; the other clans coveted it as well.

    Xiao Yan gently stroked the two little fish with his fingers. The Yin-Yang Twin Flame was already fully matured, and not only that, it had been completely refined by Xiao Xuan. As long as one possessed the Xiao Clan bloodline and had cultivated the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change, refining the Yin-Yang Twin Flame shouldn''t involve any pain.

    This could be considered one of the inheritances left by his ancestor to his young descendant, the kind one could obtain just by clicking ''confirm'' to sign in.

    Xiao Yan pondered for a long, long time. At this moment, he was all alone. If possible, he wished there were someone who could offer him some advice.

    ''Sigh, actually, there''s no choice. Whether it''s the Yin-Yang Twin Flame, the so-called Dou God Bloodline, or the Secret Technique created by a Dou God, I need them all.'' Xiao Yan shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed deeply.

    The poor have no choice.

    "Ancestor, I am truly grateful that you think so highly of me. As a member of the Xiao Clan, it is my duty to protect my clan, guard my loved ones, and make the clan prosper." Xiao Yan''s expression became extremely solemn, without a hint of jest, and his voice was firm and resolute.

    "I, Xiao Yan, may not be able to do better than you did, Ancestor, but I swear to the heavens that as long as I, Xiao Yan, live for a day, I will ensure the continuation of our clan''s bloodline and take the protection of the clan as my own responsibility."

    "In the name of the Little Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, I hereby swear, I shall guard the clan and sweep away our savage foes. If I die one day, I shall become a guardian spirit to bless my Xiao Clan, ensuring its eternal prosperity. Let the sun and moon bear witness to this oath, and heaven and earth serve as my judges!"

    Xiao Yan extended his hand and swore with his soul, his voice resonating with his spirit to prove his sincerity.

    The two black and white fish merged together as soon as his voice fell, transforming into a half-black, half-white flame that floated before him.

    [Good. The people of my Xiao Clan are no cowards.]

    The Yin-Yang Twin Flame suddenly surged with a booming sound. The black and white flames turned into a sea of fire that completely enveloped Xiao Yan.

    His entire body felt comfortable at this moment, as if he were soaking in a hot spring. That warm sensation made him drowsy.

    He closed his eyes contentedly and began to circulate the Flame Mantra, guiding the Yin- Yang Twin Flame.

    The Yin-Yang Twin Flame seeped into his flesh and blood through his pores, slowly traveling along his meridians toward his Acceptance Soul.

    Xiao Yan could sense the Dou God Bloodline that Xiao Xuan had mentioned within the Yin- Yang Twin Flame, but this Dou God Bloodline was extremely thin.

    By the standards of the former Xiao Clan, this bloodline was merely Grade 1-the weakest kind. Forget about activating the Clan Mark; it was practically useless except for slightly enhancing talent. Without the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change, this bit of bloodline power could only marginally improve cultivation aptitude.

    But that made sense. If the bloodline concentration were too high, how could it have escaped under Hun Tiandi''s nose?

    -

    While Xiao Yan was ''receiving a blood transfusion'' inside the Gate of Life and Death, he naturally didn''t know that earth-shattering changes were already occurring within the entire Misty Cloud Sect.

    "Have you heard? The Misty Cloud Sect has sealed the mountain."

    "I''ve heard. They say they''re going to hold some sort of ceremony and have closed off Misty Cloud Mountain to avoid disturbances. No one''s allowed in or out."

    At this point, nearly a day had passed since Xiao Yan entered the Gate of Life and Death to train.

    Not long after Xiao Yan entered the Gate of Life and Death, Yun Shan announced the sealing of the mountain gate. He even activated the newly restored sect-protecting grand formation to completely seal off the entire Misty Cloud Sect.

    Forget about entering or leaving; even spiritual perceptions couldn''t penetrate.

    In the Jia Ma Imperial Palace, upon discovering that something was amiss, Princess Yao Ye hurriedly gathered all the experts who had attended the confrontation between Nalan Yanran and Xiao Yan two days prior.

    "We haven''t discovered anything unusual." Mu Chen shook his head, indicating that he didn''t understand why the Misty Cloud Sect had suddenly done this.

    "After Xiao Yan caused a commotion in the Misty Cloud Sect, Queen Medusa appeared, leading to Yun Shan''s defeat. Xiao Yan proposed entering the Gate of Life and Death for training as compensation. Everything seemed normal." Nalan Jie also shook his head, having noticed nothing amiss.

    Fa Ma seemed to recall something. His brows furrowed as he said, "Could it be that the Misty Cloud Sect has a second elite Dou Ancestor, and they''ve sealed the mountain to capture Queen

    Medusa?"

    He suddenly remembered Yun Shan''s crazed words at the end. If Yun Shan had been calling for another Dou Ancestor hidden within the Misty Cloud Sect at that time, then it was indeed

    possible!

    "A second one?! How is that possible?! How could the Misty Cloud Sect produce two Dou Ancestors?!" Jia Xing Tian exclaimed. If the Misty Cloud Sect truly had two Dou Ancestors, then the entire North-Western Region might fall under their control.

    The upcoming Great Meeting of Factions of the North-Western Region wouldn''t need to be held. Two Dou Ancestors would be enough to dominate.

    Hai Bodong sighed and said worriedly, "For now, let''s wait and see. I have a soul jade piece made by Xiao Yan. If something really happens to him, he should crush the jade piece to notify

    me."

    ...

    Over a month passed in the blink of an eye. Since sealing the mountain more than a month ago, the Misty Cloud Sect seemed to have become a sacred land isolated from the world. It was no longer bustling with people coming and going as before. Even the once lively Misty Cloud City had become sparsely populated.

    At this moment, near the Gate of Life and Death, more than a dozen thick black iron chains coiled around the stone pillars, as if trying to uproot it.

    The other ends of the iron chains were connected to various altars. Upon closer inspection, one would find that these altars resembled Soul Offering Altars, except that this time, the offerings placed on them were not soul stones or soul tokens but living beings.

    In just this short week, not only had the disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect who had already

    joined the Hall of Souls as Soul Envoys gone out hunting, but some rogue cultivators who had joined the Hall of Souls also participated. Together, they captured many cultivators and mercenaries from various cities.

    The vast majority were Dou Practitioners and Dou Masters. There were also some Dou Grandmasters and Dou Spirits. Even magical beasts and ordinary people were not spared. Protector Wu laughed sinisterly when he saw that the returning Soul Envoys had completed their tasks. "Jie Jie Jie, put all the people into the altars! As long as there are enough of them, I refuse to believe we can''t forcibly uproot this Gate of Life and Death by absorbing their

    souls!"

    In an instant, those Soul Envoys wearing Soul Robes threw all the captured ordinary people

    and cultivators into the altars.

    The massive platforms immediately became crowded as the various Soul Envoys dumped all

    the captured beings into them.

    technique! "Yanran, take the other disciples and leave the Misty Cloud Sect immediately. I''m going to find Master; he must have a way," Yun Yun bit her lower lip and said quickly.

    Queen Medusa glanced at Yun Yun and said, "Those captives were seized under your Master''s

    own orders."

    Yun Yun''s face turned deathly pale upon hearing this. Although she had already suspected something, actually hearing it was still hard to accept. How could the Master who had raised

    her become like this!

    Boom!

    In an instant, Misty Cloud Mountain trembled once again. Protector Wu, whose strength had skyrocketed after using the Secret Technique, grabbed the thick black chains and gave a

    violent tug upward.

    "Rise for me!"

    Protector Wu intended to uproot the Gate of Life and Death along with the secret realm space

    below!

    All the Soul Envoys trembled in fear when they saw this terrifying act. Whether Dou Kings or Dou Emperors, they were scared out of their wits, their bodies shaking uncontrollably. After absorbing countless souls, Protector Wu''s strength had reached the peak of a 9-star Dou Ancestor! He had even grasped Spatial Strength!

    Although he hadn''t achieved the Dou Venerate''s complete mastery of space, he wasn''t far off.

    Buzz!! Suddenly, the entire Misty Cloud Sect emitted a dazzling light. Wisps of clouds and mist enveloped the area and actually collided with the black fog released by Protector Wu.

    White mist surged out from the Gate of Life and Death, and silhouettes appeared one after another.

    Yun Shan''s eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Those are the protective forces left behind by the previous Sect Leaders!"

    Protector Wu''s eyes turned cold the moment he saw this scene. His tone shifted as his voice

    echoed across the sky: "Since your Misty Cloud Sect chooses to oppose me, then there is no need to support this sect any longer. Some things should be taken back!"

    The elders of the Misty Cloud Sect who had joined the Hall of Souls all turned pale when they

    heard the sinister laughter from within the black fog. Yun Shan seemed to realize something and hurriedly tried to retreat.

    However, just as they started to move, a strange suction force suddenly erupted from that mass of black fog. This force swept down like a tidal wave. While it didn''t harm ordinary people, those who had joined the Hall of Souls and cultivated its Soul Training Methods

    suddenly froze. Then their bodies became as stiff as puppets, faces contorted in pain and twisted into hideous grimaces.

    Even Yun Shan found himself unable to move.

    "Protector Wu! What are you-?!"

    "Jie Jie Jie, did you really think I was so kind as to gift you all a Di Class Soul Training Method?

    The Mother-Child Twin Soul Technique was meant to be used together with the Nine Forest Hundred Soul Devourer all along!" Protector Wu revealed a savage expression. All the Misty Cloud Sect members who had joined the Hall of Souls were under his control.

    After reporting about the Xiao Clan back then, Protector Wu had received many Soul Points as

    a reward, allowing him to obtain this technique.

    "Jie Jie Jie, you''ve accepted the power of my Hall of Souls. Now it''s time for you to pay the

    price." A chilling laugh emanated from within the black fog. "Come forth!"

    Protector Wu''s cold shout suddenly resounded. Following that, the bodies of nearly a dozen

    Misty Cloud Sect Elders and some elite disciples instantly went limp. Illusory soul bodies

    floated out from the tops of their heads and slowly rose into the air amidst countless shocked and horrified gazes, finally all being sucked into that eerie black fog. Only Yun Shan was desperately resisting, suppressing his soul from being drawn out.

    With a squelching sound, Yun Shan looked down in horror to see a withered hand piercing

    through his back, stabbing directly through his heart.

    "Jie Jie Jie, Yun Shan, this Protector will gladly accept your soul." Protector Wu then pulled, extracting Yun Shan''s soul body and directly tossing it into his mouth to chew. After devouring the souls of Yun Shan and many Misty Cloud Sect elders, Protector Wu''s

    strength suddenly skyrocketed to an unbelievable level.

    "Bastard! Give me back my Master''s soul!" Yun Yun''s eyes turned red with tears. A pair of

    green Dou Qi wings rapidly unfolded behind her. With a powerful flap, she soared into the sky,

    charging toward that mass of black fog. "Hmph, overestimating yourself!"

    Protector Wu''s cold laugh echoed from within the black fog. A black energy arrow suddenly

    shot out, aiming straight for Yun Yun''s forehead.

    Bang! Queen Medusa suddenly appeared in front of Yun Yun, her hands condensing brilliant

    seven-colored light. However, the incomparably terrifying power instantly shattered her defense.

    With just a casual strike, Protector Wu sent both Queen Medusa and Yun Yun flying. "Jie Jie Jie! What this Protector-no, what this Venerable-seeks, none shall hinder! That inheritance belongs to me!" After devouring countless souls, Protector Wu''s strength was infinitely close to that of a Dou Venerate!

    "That remains to be seen."

    Suddenly, a familiar voice came from below.

    Xiao Yan slowly walked out from the Gate of Life and Death, his body enveloped in black and

    white flames. He surveyed his surroundings, and upon seeing the Soul Offering Altars filled

    with corpses, he roughly guessed what had happened.

    Protector Wu''s eyes filled with greed at the sight of Xiao Yan. He casually tossed aside Yun

    Shan''s corpse as an overwhelming black fog surged forth.

    "Jie Jie Jie, Xiao Yan, you''ve finally shown yourself. Quickly hand over the inheritance to me,

    and this Venerable might spare your life!"

    Xiao Yan looked at Protector Wu, who had amplified his strength through a Secret Technique,

    with a strange expression. He said, "Do you even know what that inheritance is? And you

    think you can just take it?"