While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 193 The Movements of the Soul Palace

Soon after,

Lu Yu watched expressionlessly as Qiu Yi, Bai Qiong, and the others, as if granted a pardon, led the two heavily injured Dou Zun away in a panic, practically tumbling and crawling, disappearing into the distant horizon.

The light and shadow shifted slightly inside the hall, and the imposing black figure, as strong as an iron tower, quietly appeared beside Lu Yu. His rugged brows were furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Are we just going to let them go like that?"

Lu Yu smiled calmly, his tone placid, yet carrying a chilling killing intent: "Of course not."

He turned his head slightly to look at Hei Qing, "I'd like to trouble you, senior, to make the trip yourself and... to give them a proper send-off. Make sure it's handled cleanly and efficiently, leaving no trace."

Upon hearing this, Hei Qing's eyes flashed with approval. He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, and chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll make sure they leave safely, and no one will be able to find a trace of them!"

Before he finished speaking, his imposing figure had already quietly merged into the space and disappeared without a trace in an instant.

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Several hours later, in a spatial passage.

Qiu Yi, Bai Qiong, and the others, who were desperately urging their spaceship forward, had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they had escaped unharmed. Suddenly, a terrifying pressure that froze their souls descended, as if the entire sky had turned dark!
A massive dragon claw covered in black scales seemed to emerge from the void, carrying a terrifying power capable of tearing through space. It gently pressed down on the spaceship and the six people on board, as if swatting a fly!
"No!"

Qiu Yi, Bai Qiong, and the others only had time to let out half a desperate roar before the spaceship and everyone on board were instantly reduced to dust by the absolute power difference, their souls and spirits annihilated!

Black Qi's figure flashed through the void, as if he had never appeared.

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After a few days,

Inside the main hall of Tianmu Mountain, Lu Yu was discussing matters with Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and others when Jin Shi, the patriarch of the Gold-Eating Rat Clan, quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.

Lu Yu's expression remained unchanged. He nodded slightly and said calmly, "Let him in."

Jin Shi accepted the order and quickly withdrew from the main hall.

Soon, a figure strode into the hall with hurried steps. The newcomer looked anxious and wore a familiar black robe; it was Elder Xuanqing of the Pill Tower.

As soon as he entered the hall, without even exchanging pleasantries, he urgently asked, "Elder Lu Yu! What exactly happened?! The soul lamps of the two elders from the Bai family and the Qiu family who came to your place, as well as the four Dou Zun, all went out at the same time several days ago!"

"The Pill Tower is in turmoil, and the two families are furious, insisting that your Spirit Treasure Pavilion is involved! Young friend, you must tell me the truth..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu exchanged a glance with Cai Lin and Little Fairy Doctor beside him, and their eyes revealed a hint of surprise and bewilderment.

Lu Yu frowned slightly and spoke first, his tone carrying just the right amount of surprise and innocence: "Is that so? They did come to my Tianmu Mountain a few days ago, but after failing to reach an agreement, we personally escorted them out of the country. After that, we at Lingbao Pavilion had no idea where they went or what happened to them."

Little Fairy Doctor also chimed in softly at the opportune moment: "Elder Xuanqing, everything was normal when they left that day. We even saw them off. How could this be..."

Cai Lin snorted coldly, a perfectly timed hint of anger flashing in her beautiful eyes: "Hmph, could it be that they encountered some misfortune on their return journey, and now they want to pin this fabricated crime on my Lingbao Pavilion? Is this how the five great families of the Pill Tower operate?"

The group sang in unison, their expressions realistic and their tone natural, completely distancing themselves from any real relationship.

Seeing their behavior, Elder Xuanqing's anxious expression eased slightly, replaced by a deep look of doubt.

He stroked his beard, his brows furrowed, and muttered, "This is strange... If it didn't happen here, then who could have such means to silently kill two Rank 8 alchemists and four Dou Zun at the same time?"

Seeing this, Lu Yu's eyes flashed with a thoughtful look. Then, as if he remembered something, he pondered and said, "Elder Xuanqing, do the Bai and Qiu families have any irreconcilable enemies? Or... does the Pill Tower as a whole have any adversaries who would dare to take such ruthless action?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Xuanqing frowned even more deeply, muttering to himself, "Mortal enemies? The Bai and Qiu families have always acted domineeringly, making many enemies, especially the Bai family, which has many adversaries. But in the past, those people didn't dare to truly kill him because of the Pill Tower..."

"You know, an eighth-grade alchemist is considered a core asset in the Bai and Qiu families..."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly perplexed: "Who on earth has the audacity and ability to make this move?"

"Could it be..." Elder Xuanqing seemed to have thought of something, and his voice suddenly turned deep.

"Could it be something? Does Elder Xuanqing have some suspicions?" Lu Yu's expression turned serious, and he pressed on with the question.

Elder Xuanqing's expression turned extremely serious, and he uttered two words in a solemn tone: "Soul Palace?"

"The Soul Palace?" A perfectly timed look of surprise and uncertainty appeared on Lu Yu's face. At this moment, Little Fairy Doctor, as if suddenly realizing something, softly chimed in, "Now that you mention it, Elder, I seem to remember. When I personally activated the protective formation to send off the elders of the Bai and Qiu families, I vaguely sensed a very subtle, cold fluctuation flashing by in the far distance."

"But the aura disappeared too quickly and did not get close to the Tianmu Mountain area, so I didn't pay any attention to it."

Upon hearing this, Cai Lin coldly said, "Hmph, in the Central Plains, who else but the Soul Palace could possess such strength and act so mysteriously and viciously? Perhaps it was them who secretly followed us and carried out the poisoning! What wouldn't these shady characters do!"

As Elder Xuanqing listened to their "analysis," his expression grew increasingly solemn, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

The Soul Palace and the Pill Tower have always been at odds. The Soul Palace secretly ambushed and killed the Pill Tower elders and seized the souls of the eighth-grade alchemists. This is something the Soul Palace is capable of doing!
He sighed heavily, his tone becoming much heavier: "If it really was the work of the Soul Palace... then this matter becomes even more complicated. Thank you for providing the clue, young friend. I need to return to the Pill Tower as soon as possible to report this matter."

Elder Xuanqing was clearly convinced, and after giving Lu Yu a few more instructions to be careful, he hurriedly left with this important "clue".

Once Elder Xuanqing's figure had completely disappeared into the horizon, the tense atmosphere in the main hall instantly relaxed.

The group exchanged glances, all unable to suppress knowing smiles.

Cai Lin raised her red lips slightly and let out a lazy, slightly teasing laugh: "This Elder Xuan Qing is easier to talk to than I imagined."

Little Fairy Doctor covered her mouth and smiled gently, saying softly, "If he hadn't been prejudiced against the Soul Palace from the start, this matter probably wouldn't have been so easily brushed aside."

A faint smile played on Lu Yu's lips as he glanced in the direction Elder Xuanqing had gone outside the hall. He said calmly and composedly, "The excuse has already been given. Whether the Bai and Qiu families believe it or not is irrelevant. As long as the other three families are willing to believe it, that's enough."

He turned around, his gaze falling on Cai Lin beside him, and instructed, "Immediately send a message to the other three families of the Pill Tower, saying that my Spirit Treasure Pavilion intends to discuss with them... the cooperative refining of Spirit-Nourishing Powder."

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at the same time,

In the southwestern region of Zhongzhou, there is the Burial Corpse Mountain Range.

Within a pitch-black hall hidden amidst endless yin energy and deathly silence, eerie white bone fire burned silently in niches, casting countless twisted and writhing shadows. This was the Hall of Humanity, one of the three main halls of the Soul Palace.

At this moment, the throne in the center of the hall was empty, and the Great Celestial Venerable, symbolizing supreme power, had not appeared. Below him, eight terrifying figures shrouded in black robes stood on either side, and the air was filled with a suffocating pressure and chilling aura.

Leading the group was none other than the Second Heavenly Venerable, Gu You, who was temporarily presiding over the meeting. He was emaciated and leaned on a strange cane with a hideous skull embedded at the top. Two eerie green flames flickered in his sunken eye sockets, and his entire body exuded a sinister and eerie aura that sent chills down one's spine.

A hoarse, chilling voice echoed in the hall, as if bones were grinding against each other:
"Recently, the Bai family and Qiu family of Danta, a group of six, were completely wiped out near the Tianmu Mountains. It seems that the alchemists of Danta are trying to pin this mess on my Soul Palace."

The two eerie green soul flames in his eyes slowly swept over the celestial beings lined up on both sides below, and his skull cane tapped lightly on the ground, making a teeth-grinding "click" sound.

“Who is behind this?” His voice suddenly turned sharp and shrill. “Step forward and tell us.”

The three Heavenly Venerables remained silent as stones. The Fourth Heavenly Venerable, Blood River, felt a slight surge of bloodthirsty energy around him and said in a low voice, "It has nothing to do with me."

The fifth and sixth Heavenly Venerables shook their heads in denial.

The Seventh Heavenly Venerable chuckled, his voice hoarse and lewd: "Second Heavenly Venerable, you know me. I've always only been interested in those female alchemists with big breasts and plump buttocks... The fun is in slowly playing with them. I have no interest in gnawing on the tough nut of the Pill Tower."

The Eighth Heavenly Venerable Prisoner let out a piercing, eerie laugh: "Hehehe... Second Heavenly Venerable, you know me. If I, Prisoner, were to make a move, I would only target lone alchemists. Why would I easily provoke the teams of the five great families of the Pill Tower?"

The voice of the Nine Heavens Venerable Demon Rain was like a cold wind blowing through a narrow crack in the stone, chilling to the bone: "Me too."

Within the deep-set eye sockets of Gu You, the two orbs of eerie green soul fire flickered violently, and a chilling snort emanated from his hunched body: "Hmph...it had better be so."

He didn't press further, but his ambiguous and cold attitude made the air in the hall almost freeze.

The celestial beings remained silent, their gazes quickly sweeping over each other, a deep suspicion and distrust flashing in their eyes.

Aside from their own Soul Palace, who else in the Central Continent would dare to be so audacious as to simultaneously lay a hand on the elders of both the Pill Tower and the Pill Tower?
The meeting ended in an eerie silence. The celestial beings transformed into wisps of black mist, dissipated, and returned to their respective branch halls.

Leaning on his menacing skull cane, Gu You returned to his gloomy and dark palace. He immediately summoned his trusted protectors, his voice icy and chilling: "Investigate immediately! Has any fool from any branch hall recently attacked the people of the Pill Tower without reporting and permission?"

Similar scenes unfolded almost simultaneously in the territories of several Celestial Venerables, including Blood River, Prison Land, and Demon Rain. Each Celestial Venerable sternly questioned their subordinates.

"Thorough investigation! Who has embezzled the souls of those two Rank 8 alchemists and failed to hand them over?!"

(End of this chapter)