From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The grayish-white light before my eyes flickered violently, and the feeling of space twisting and pulling lasted for a brief moment before suddenly disappearing.

Yao Mengkang stood firmly on the ground, steadyed himself, and cautiously looked around.

The sight that came into view made his pupils shrink slightly.

This place still seems to be part of the Abyss of Silent Souls.

But the aura was even more ancient and deathly still, carrying a chill that could freeze one's soul.

The sky is an unchanging leaden gray, devoid of sun, moon, and stars.

All around grew a kind of pitch-black tree, its branches twisted like dying arms.

The vast majority have withered completely, not a single leaf remains.

Only a very few trees still stubbornly retain a few withered yellow leaves.

The withered yellow leaves trembled slightly under an invisible "force," appearing extremely desolate.

The wind could be clearly heard howling, a mournful sound like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, swirling with gray mist.

However, strangely enough, Yao Mengkang could not feel any airflow blowing on him at all, and his clothes did not sway at all.

Looking around, the withered tree branches and the dust on the ground remained motionless, as if the mournful sound of the wind was merely an illusion echoing deep within one's soul.

As far as the eye could see, in the distant gray mist, faintly visible were translucent soul shadows wandering aimlessly.

Their auras were more solid and colder than those of the soul beasts encountered on the outskirts, as if they had been wandering in this place for millions of years.

"What a strange place..."

Yao Mengkang felt a chill run down his spine.

The concentration of the aura of the dead here far exceeds that of any area he has experienced before. If it weren't for the Chaos Stone Bead rotating steadily in his dantian, absorbing all the invading aura, he would probably have been overwhelmed by the massive negative energy and lost his mind in an instant.

Looking at those wandering soul beasts, Yao Mengkang felt no fear. Instead, because of the stone bead, a sense of restlessness arose in his heart.

These soul beasts have existed here for an unknown period of time, and their soul sources must be even more refined and abundant. If they could be killed and absorbed, the benefits to one's soul would be immense.

With the stone beads protecting him, he was not afraid of erosion; for him, this place was simply a treasure trove for cultivation.

However, Yao Mengkang was unaware of this.

In the far distance, atop a black hill that looked as if it were made of countless bones, a figure stood silently.

That was not an ordinary soul beast, but a soul entity that roughly took on a human shape.

It was tall and solid, almost indistinguishable from a real person, with a blurred face, except for two clusters of dark and cold flames dancing in its empty eye sockets.

It exuded no aura and stood there quietly, as if it had merged with this desolate world.

The instant Yao Mengkang appeared, its empty eye sockets seemed to subtly turn in this direction, giving him a fleeting, indifferent "look."

There was no emotion in his eyes, no curiosity, no murderous intent, not even contempt, just like a person walking by and casually glancing at an ant on the ground, without pausing for a second to think about it.

Then it withdrew its insignificant "gaze" and continued to gaze at the endless grayness in the distance like a sculpture.

If Yao Mengkang could have sensed this glance, he would have been horrified to discover the oppressive aura emanating from this humanoid soul shadow.

Even more terrifying than Lin Shouzhen, the Sword Master of the Mind who was able to defeat a Saint!

It was a desperate gap stemming from the level of life and absolute power.

The outer area of ​​Silent Soul Abyss.

After a thorough search, Xuan Yuanpo finally located the group of the ten outer disciples by relying on his keen sense of aura.

However, the scene before him made his heart sink.

Zhou Tiancan, Mu Qingqing, Wang Le, Huo Ling'er, Xu Zijian, Shi Hao and others were all there, while Li Han remained hidden to the side.

But something was clearly wrong with them!

Their eyes held barely concealed irritability and hostility, and they even maintained a wary distance from one another, creating a tense atmosphere.

Clearly, during the time they were separated, each of them killed more than one soul beast.

The accumulated erosion from the ghostly aura within his body had become quite severe, amplifying his negative emotions significantly.

"Fellow junior brothers and sisters!"

Suppressing his anxiety, Xuan Yuanpo stepped forward and said in a deep voice.

"Stop hunting soul beasts immediately! This place is strange; although soul beasts have soul sources to strengthen their souls after they die..."

"But another eerie aura that accompanies it will erode your mind and spirit, and cannot be dispelled."

"Amplifying negative emotions, if continued, could lead to a loss of control!"

He tried his best to keep his tone calm while explaining the pros and cons.

However, the people affected by the corruption reacted extremely strongly.

"Stop? Senior Brother Xuanyuan, are you joking?"

Wang Le sneered, his eyes filled with an abnormal excitement and provocation.

"This is a great opportunity to quickly improve your strength! Are you trying to hog all the benefits?"

"That's right! I feel my sword intent is about to break through! Why should I stop?"

Xu Zijian also stubbornly retorted.

Although Shi Hao and the others did not speak directly, their resistance and doubt were obvious in their eyes.

Just then, from the shadows, Li Han's hoarse, cold voice rang out, carrying a sharp, confrontational edge:

"Xuanyuan Po, you're meddling too much. Risk and opportunity go hand in hand; we'll weigh the pros and cons ourselves. Just because you're powerful doesn't mean you can interfere with others' paths at will."

His words were like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting the amplified rebellious sentiments of the crowd.

"Li Han is right!"

"We can take responsibility ourselves!"

Xuanyuan Po frowned, knowing that words would no longer be enough to persuade his companions whose minds had been clouded.

His eyes turned cold; he knew he had to take a tough stance!

"In that case, I apologize for the inconvenience!"

The Frostmark Sword was suddenly drawn, and its icy sword intent instantly enveloped the entire area!

He moved like lightning, heading straight for Wang Le, who was shouting the loudest!

Although Wang Le was corrupted, the difference in strength was too great, and only a flash of sword light was seen.

The flaming longsword in his hand was blasted away by a tremendous force, and he staggered backward, falling to the ground with a thud. His blood and qi surged, and he was unable to get up for a moment.

Without pausing, Xuan Yuanpo shifted his sword stance and attacked Xu Zijian and Shi Hao.

The two fought back with all their might, but their sword intent and the earthen wall were like paper in front of Xuan Yuanpo's Ice Heart Sword Intent, which had become even more refined after being tempered by soul beasts.

In just two or three moves, his defenses were breached by the sharp sword energy, and he was sent flying backward. Although he was not seriously injured, he lost his ability to fight.

Xuan Yuanpo's intention was clear: to quickly subdue the group with overwhelming force and force them to calm down.

However, when he turned his sword to try to subdue Mu Qingqing, who was treating his injured companion and was not showing any aggression, a sudden change occurred!

"stop!"

A roar, like that of a wounded beast, exploded forth!

Zhou Tiancan, who was standing next to Mu Qingqing with a somewhat confused and struggling look in his eyes, turned bloodshot the moment he saw Xuan Yuanpo's sword pointing at Mu Qingqing!

A violent, savage, and terrifying aura, seemingly originating from the ancient wilderness, erupted from Zhou Tiancan's body like a volcanic eruption!

His already imposing body seemed to swell even more, his skin glowed with a faint reddish-gold luster, and his vital energy surged like smoke!

"The Great Elephant Shakes the Earth!"

Zhou Tiancan unleashed a punch, without any fancy moves, just the purest and most domineering power!

Wherever the fist passed, the air exploded under the strain, the ground cracked, and the powerful fist intent faintly transformed into the phantom of a giant elephant roaring to the sky, crashing fiercely towards Xuan Yuanpo!

Xuan Yuanpo's expression changed slightly. He could feel that the power of Zhou Tiancan's punch had reached the late stage of the Spirit Sea Realm, and was even approaching that of him, a sword cultivator at the peak of the Ten Thousand Zhang Spirit Sea Realm!

That pure power and defense are even more astonishing!

"Three Falls from the Cloud Platform"

Xuanyuan Po dared not be careless. His Frostmark Sword drew three mysterious trajectories, condensing an extreme chill.

The sword intent transformed into thin, icy blue lines that were difficult to detect with the naked eye, meeting the barbarian elephant's fist intent head-on!

"boom--!!"

Fist and sword clashed, unleashing a deafening roar!

Ice shards and vital energy scattered everywhere, blasting a deep crater into the surrounding black soil!

Zhou Tiancan grunted and took several steps back. A thin layer of ice covered his fist, but when he shook his hand, the ice shattered inch by inch, and he was completely unharmed!

The strength of its physical defense is evident!

Xuanyuan Po was also forced to sway by the recoil, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Tiancan's outburst was incredibly powerful!

"roar!"

Zhou Tiancan completely went berserk.

With bloodshot eyes, it charged forward again like a ferocious beast, disregarding everything else.

Fists, feet, elbows, and knees have all been transformed into the most terrifying weapons.

The offensive was like a raging storm, displaying overwhelming power and unyielding physique.

For a time, he fought Xuanyuan Po to a standstill, taking several sword strikes but only suffering minor cuts!

However, the gap in their levels of understanding is ultimately insurmountable.

Xuan Yuanpo's Ice Heart Sword Intent was superior. After adapting to Zhou Tiancan's ferocious attack rhythm, he seized an opening.

The Frostmark Sword, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, dodged the fist and struck with its blade, a skillful force directly imprinting itself on Zhou Tiancan's chest at the Tanzhong acupoint!

"puff!"

Zhou Tiancan's massive body suddenly stiffened.

The violent aura dissipated rapidly, like a punctured balloon, and the crimson eyes regained their clarity.

Overwhelmed by exhaustion and confusion, she collapsed to the ground, whereupon Mu Qingqing quickly caught her.

Looking at the people lying on the ground, and Mu Qingqing supporting Zhou Tiancan with worry and lingering fear in her eyes, Xuan Yuanpo sheathed his sword, his expression extremely solemn.

The situation was worse than he had anticipated.

We must find Su Xiaoman and Shi Potian as soon as possible!

Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!