Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 579 Take action
Northwest Continent, the Heavenly Lion Empire, the Netherworld Abyss.

In a single instant, an invisible wave, as vast as heaven and earth, swept out from the bottomless abyss like a storm, covering everything in its path. Wherever it passed, a strange spiritual pressure quietly spread, causing all beasts to bow their heads in its presence.

A moment later, when the fluctuation had extended for thousands of miles, as if reaching its limit, it contracted back like lightning...

"So this is the mid-stage Heavenly Realm? Heh heh, indeed powerful!"

In the pitch-black hall at the bottom of the Netherworld Abyss, the gray-robed old man slowly opened his eyes, feeling the powerful energy surging between his brows, a hint of intoxication flashing in his eyes.

How many years has it been? This long-lost sense of progress is truly intoxicating!
If it were in the Central Plains, no matter how much soul essence one possessed, it would be reserved for that great one, and would also be used for important clan plans. It wouldn't be available for a mere one-star Dou Sheng like myself...

Coming on this mission to the northwest frontier was definitely the right choice.

Beside him, the Four Heavenly Venerables smiled obsequiously and respectfully congratulated the old man on the stone platform: "Congratulations, Lord Hun Qing, on your advancement to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm!"

Hun Qing then lowered his gaze, looked down at the four Heavenly Venerables who were bowing below, and grinned.

"Jie Jie—"

"My progress is largely thanks to Blood River! I will remember this, but..."

He gave a gentle compliment, then immediately changed the subject and said in a deep voice, "You must find a way to replenish the portion that I consumed."

"In this campaign, I, the Saint, will oversee the operation. Go ahead and collect as many soul essences as possible! If you can collect a million souls, I will recommend you for merit. If you can collect ten million souls, I will take you as my disciple and help you attain sainthood..."

Upon hearing this, the Four Heavenly Venerables' faces lit up with joy, and they quickly said, "Thank you, my lord! Blood River will certainly live up to your expectations!"

"Go-"

Hun Qing waved his hand and said proudly, "I alone am enough to ambush you. You should also step forward and assist the Lion Nether Sect in accelerating the conquest of the Northwest Continent and the harvesting of souls."

The Four Heavenly Venerables nodded, bowed respectfully, and then transformed into a streak of blood-red light, flying out of the Netherworld Abyss.

Inside the main hall, the gentle expression on the Soul Purity Saint's face gradually faded, replaced by a chillingly murderous look in his eyes: "Heh heh, those who know that I have misappropriated the essence of the soul cannot be allowed to live. After I have finished using them, I will find an opportunity to eliminate Blood River!"

The Soul Clan doesn't believe in repaying kindness with kindness. Therefore, the moment the Four Heavenly Venerables handed over their soul essence, their untimely death was already predetermined.

"My soul realm has improved too quickly; my superiors will definitely become suspicious when I return... What a pity, such a good opportunity!"

A somewhat helpless sigh echoed faintly in the gloomy hall.
-
a few days later.

Northwest Continent, the Mulan Empire.

In the Emerald Ring Mountains, the territory inhabited by the snake-people, Lin Yuan, with Little Fairy Doctor's slender waist in his arms, rose from the Queen's Palace in the center of the mountains. They then transformed into a streak of icy blue light, piercing the sky and speeding towards the central part of the Northwest Continent...

Amidst the flowing light, Little Fairy Doctor tilted her head slightly to look at Lin Yuan's face, only to find him looking at her with a mischievous expression.

In an instant, the memory of that "chaotic" night before suddenly reverberated in Little Fairy Doctor's mind, causing the blush on her cheeks to spread to the depths of her ears.

Was she out of her mind last night? How could she cooperate with Lin Yuan's nonsense like that?

What about being in Medusa's chambers, wearing Medusa's clothes, and playing Medusa...?

"Last night, I must have been controlled by Lin Yuan's illusion magic to do those inappropriate things. After all, his Nightmare Mist is so powerful!"

"Yes, that's right, that must be the reason."

Burying her head tightly in Lin Yuan's chest, Little Fairy Doctor took a deep breath, forcibly finding an excuse to separate herself from last night's self and today's self, before gradually suppressing the shyness in her heart and regaining her rationality and composure.

Noticing that Lin Yuan was still looking at her mischievously, she bit her lip lightly, then clenched her embroidered fist and punched Lin Yuan twice in embarrassment and annoyance before changing the subject.

"Is this enough to deal with the snake-people?"

"With our combined strength, it shouldn't be difficult to create an alternate dimension for the Serpent People, protecting them from the ravages of war..."

"If you're in a hurry to get back to Dan Tower, I can manage on my own."

Although Little Fairy Doctor and Medusa have been 'fighting openly and secretly' since they met, their relationship is actually quite good, and Little Fairy Doctor still cares about the snake people.

"No need!" Getting down to business, Lin Yuan abandoned his playful teasing and said seriously, "For now, that's enough..."

"Giving the snake people a separate dimension is too conspicuous and may attract unnecessary attention."

"After I deal with the Soul Hall personnel this time, the Soul Hall may send high-level experts to investigate. At that time, the Snake People, who possess a separate dimension, will be the first to be suspected."

"A force capable of creating another dimension naturally possesses the strength to destroy the Four Heavenly Venerables and others."

"And this time, I left the Snake-People with several high-level puppets, enough for them to deal with enemies below the Saint Realm. The puppets can be stored in storage rings, and no one would expect that the small Snake-People would have such a trump card."

"In this way, as long as the snake people do not act ostentatiously, the safety of the entire race can be guaranteed."

"Even if they happen to be targeted by the Soul Hall, the protective letter I leave as the Heavenly Venerable Abyss can protect them from conflict with the Soul Hall."

"These two arrangements are sufficient to protect the snake people; there is no need to do anything that would backfire."

When Lin Yuan first joined the Soul Hall, he had a plan—to quickly climb to a high position in the Soul Hall through alchemy, and then use his high position in the Soul Hall to support the Northwest Seven Stars' affiliated forces and control the Northwest Continent for his own use.

However, due to a series of coincidences, his strength and influence grew too rapidly, making this plan completely unnecessary to implement.

Yes, Lin Yuan didn't expect that he would develop so quickly after entering Zhongzhou.

Although a 25-year-old Dou Sheng is not as powerful as Qing Lin, who broke through to Dou Sheng at the age of 21, he is still a terrifying existence in the history of the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Although the original plan to control the Northwest Continent was no longer needed, it was not difficult to act as a protective umbrella for the several empires in the Northwest Continent by using the identity of Yuan Tianzun, so that the Soul Hall would not harm them in the slightest when it operated in the Northwest.

Lin Yuan, who has identities in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, still has a significant advantage in this regard.

As long as the Soul Palace doesn't attack the Snake-People, and with the powerful puppets left behind by Lin Yuan, the Snake-People's safety is not a major concern as long as they don't cause trouble.

"That's true, a separate alternate dimension is indeed quite conspicuous!"

After listening to Lin Yuan's explanation, Little Fairy Doctor pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement. She then said no more—being with Lin Yuan meant she didn't need to use her brain.

Lin Yuan smiled, and with a thought, his speed increased dramatically, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

With the Dan meeting approaching, he needed to get back as soon as possible...
-
Two days later, in the Heavenly Lion Empire, at the Lion Nether Sect.

The sect headquarters, which had been bustling with activity yesterday, was now deathly silent, though a faint smell of blood lingered in the air. In the magnificent central hall, Lin Yuan reclined lazily on his throne, one hand casually supporting his head, the other lightly tapping the armrest. His cold gaze fell downwards, a chilling smile playing on his lips.

Below the throne, the four, eight, and nine Heavenly Venerables, Lion Heaven, the sect leader of the Lion Nether Sect, and a total of fifteen other Dou Zun stood quietly.

However, these powerful figures who had slaughtered millions in the Northwest in just over a month were now standing blankly in the large bag, as if in a dream, their eyes filled with a sense of disorientation.

"Hun Qing also came to the Northwest Continent, and even misappropriated some of his soul essence to elevate his soul to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm, is that right?"

Lin Yuan's expression turned slightly solemn as his gaze fell upon the Four Heavenly Venerables, and he confirmed in a deep voice.

"Yes, Vice Hall Master!" Upon hearing the question, the Four Heavenly Venerables trembled and stammered, "Lord Hunqing is currently in the Netherworld Abyss, acting as an ambush force for this operation..."

"Interesting, this is an unexpected bonus."

Upon receiving confirmation, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

The essence extracted from the soul of a mid-stage Heavenly Realm Dou Sheng powerhouse is no less than the accumulation of hundreds or even thousands of years by an ordinary branch hall.

These soul essences, along with the souls of dozens of Dou Zun and hundreds of Dou Zong, as well as the stockpiles of the Northwest Branch Hall protectors confiscated by the Blood River, might be enough to gather the soul essences needed to advance to the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm this time.

Just as Lin Yuan was pondering, the space in the main hall rippled slightly, and Little Fairy Doctor, dressed in a white dress, slowly walked out of the distorted space and landed lightly beside Lin Yuan.

"I'm done here. Here's what you wanted!"

She chuckled softly, glanced at the several-foot-long transparent ball of light in her hand, and carefully handed it to Lin Yuan.

"Thank you for your trouble!" Lin Yuan sealed and stored away the wisp of soul essence, then rose from his throne: "Little Fairy Doctor, help me extract the souls of these people. I'm going to the Netherworld Abyss to deal with the remaining Soul Palace expert..."

"Do you need me to help you hold the line?" Little Fairy Doctor hesitated for a moment, then asked softly.

"No need, you can handle things here."

Lin Yuan waved his hand, and his figure disappeared, leaving only his calm voice echoing in the hall, "Just an ordinary one-star Dou Sheng, he can't cause any trouble."

Seeing this, Little Fairy Doctor said no more and began to extract the souls of the Dou Zun in the hall.

Having already dealt with the souls of hundreds of Dou Zong and Dou Zun, she was quite skilled at this, extracting and sealing the soul in one smooth motion...
-
After leaving the Lion Nether Sect, Lin Yuan headed north and soon arrived at the Netherworld Ravine.

"It really is the aura of a Battle Saint."

Standing in the void above the Netherworld Abyss, Lin Yuan opened his eyes and withdrew his sensory soul power. "So, it seems he's the only Dou Sheng here. Well then... let's begin!"

Once he had made up his mind, he no longer hesitated, and a powerful aura rose from his body like a volcanic eruption.

"The Shadow of Ancient Dragons!"

With a low shout, Lin Yuan quickly formed several hand seals, his eyes flashing with a faint purple light.

In an instant, a phantom of an ancient dragon materialized, leaping and enveloping the entire sky in its shadow. The space surrounding the Netherworld Abyss violently distorted, becoming like a prison, sealing off this world...

Before attacking someone, Lin Yuan first seals off the space to prevent the other party from escaping or summoning reinforcements using a spatial jade slip. This is Lin Yuan's basic technique.

"Who dares to attack my Soul Palace? You're courting death!"

A moment later, a chilling shout rang out, and a terrifying aura rose from the deep ravine below. Immediately afterwards, a cold and boundless black mist surged out.

Amidst the churning black mist, a skeletal throne emerged, and the gray-robed elder slowly rose to his feet…

"Such a minor character, yet he's making quite a show of himself!" Seeing the other party's behavior, Lin Yuan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"It's actually you, Medicine Lord Lin Yuan?"

On the other side, the moment Hun Qing saw Lin Yuan, a look of astonishment appeared on her face.

The next moment, he came to his senses and said excitedly, "Sealing off space, it seems that it was your Pill Tower that attacked my Soul Palace. Very good, capturing you will not only bring great merit to the palace, but also bring a reward from Young Master Soul Wind..."

Lin Yuan's true identity is a confidential matter, and only a handful of people in the entire Soul Palace know it, not including Hun Qing, who is outside the Nine Heavens Venerable system.

After all, the powerful Soul Clan has quite a complex network of factions!
Among the entire Soul Clan, only the Soul Emperor, who possesses absolute power, and the Void Devouring Flame, who holds a lofty position, are capable of perfectly ruling the clan!
Lin Yuan's aura, concealed by the Nightmare Mist, was only at the early stage of a One-Star Dou Sheng or the mid-stage of the Heavenly Realm.

Therefore, when Hun Qing, whose cultivation had reached the late stage of a one-star Dou Sheng, sensed Lin Yuan's aura, he was somewhat surprised, but also calm and happy—the opportunity to make a contribution had come!

"Hello, Saint of Soul Purity... Die!"

Lin Yuan showed no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the other party. His hand seals shifted rapidly, and the soul power between his brows surged forth.

"The Wrath of the Underworld!"

Under the horrified gaze of the Soul Saint, Lin Yuan's vast soul power, at the late stage of the Heavenly Realm, instantly condensed into a hundred-foot-tall phantom, completely enveloping the latter's body. Just as the latter's last hand seal was formed, it suddenly opened its giant mouth.

A mysterious fluctuation, intertwined with sound and soul, accompanied by a strange "moo" syllable, emanated from the phantom's mouth, and then suddenly erupted like a storm.

The entire world seemed to fall silent in an instant.

Upon seeing this, the Soul Purity Saint's expression suddenly changed—in that instant, he sensed the overwhelming sonic soul impact!
"Buzz--"

The empty space began to tremble at this moment.

"Damn it!" he roared, preparing to circulate his battle qi and soul power to resist. However, before they could fully circulate their battle qi, the terrifying sonic shockwave was already upon them!
That terrifying attack speed, which had caused Lin Yuan great losses, caught Soul Cleansing Saint off guard this time as well!
At that terrifying speed, he didn't have much time to defend himself either!
The soul impact came quickly and went even faster. The Soul Purity Saint's body emitted a low, muffled sound the instant the sound wave pierced through it.

"Pfft-"

His body froze for a moment, his face turned pale instantly, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The excruciating pain, like being sawed, relentlessly surged through his mind, giving the Soul-Cleansing Saint an urge to tear his head apart: "You wretched little beast, I will tear you apart alive!"

He stared at Lin Yuan with an extremely ferocious look in his eyes, which were filled with a violent killing intent.

"Heh heh, who are you going to tear apart?!"

Suddenly, a detached and cold voice came from behind Hun Qing, echoing in his ears.

Before Hun Qing could react to the excruciating pain of his soul being torn apart, a hand wreathed in icy blue flames pierced out from the void behind him. The extreme heat, like an indestructible blade, instantly broke through his battle qi defenses and violently pierced through his heart...

(End of this chapter)