Chapter 249: "No Matter What, the Advantage Is Mine!"
Although the Soul Clan is renowned for its mastery of the "soul," Hun Yu's achievements in soul cultivation were far from impressive. The reason was simple: the internal strife within the Soul Clan was excessively intense. Every survivor in their clan had climbed to prominence with blood stained hands, often killing their own kin in the process.
Within the Soul Clan, power reigned supreme, and survival was the only priority. Dou Qi was always the first choice, while soul cultivation took a back seat. Who had the time or energy to hone their soul?
Even if one's bloodline was stronger than their opponent's, that didn't guarantee victory. An opponent older by several years might leverage their age advantage to offset the disparities in bloodline.
The number of talented individuals within the Soul Clan was absurdly high so much so that Hun Yu had once wondered why his clan had so many people with 8th and 9th grade bloodlines compared to clans like the Gu, Lei, or Yan Clans.
It wasn't until Hun Yu distinguished himself, stepping into the Dou Zun realm and solidifying his position, that he learned the truth: it was all thanks to Lord Nihility.
But even with this revelation, standing before the wild storm of soul power now, the immense pressure weighed on Hun Yu heavily. His face turned pale as he gritted his teeth. How could his soul, as a member of the Soul Clan, be weaker than his opponent's?
It felt as absurd as a fish drowning in water a ludicrous situation!
"Damn it… did Lu Bu have this hidden all along?" Gu Yao's usually icy expression flickered with shock. He had assumed that the colossal dragon claw attack Lu Bu had unleashed earlier was his ultimate move.
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Lu Bu to hide such overwhelming soul power. Even with his 1 star Dou Zun strength, facing this soul storm made Gu Yao's legs feel weak. The pressure on his soul was far greater than the dragon's aura from before!
"I thought magical beasts weren't adept at soul power. How does this guy…" Gu Yao's usually frozen demeanor faltered as his lips twitched. Ever since meeting Lu Bu, he felt like all the surprises he'd avoided since birth were being thrown at him in rapid succession.
Stronger than a Dou Di bloodline? Absolutely outrageous!
"How did Lu Bu's soul suddenly become this powerful…" Xiao Xun'er turned to glance at Lu Bu, her teeth lightly biting her lips beneath her veil.
When they first met, his soul had barely reached the early Heaven Stage. It wasn't even stable then, merely enough to deal with some Dou Zongs in battle. Yet now, his soul had already reached the peak of the Heaven Stage, seemingly on the verge of breaking into the Spirit Stage.
Soul cultivation was entirely different from Dou Qi. Even those with Dou Di bloodlines gained almost no enhancements in this regard. Souls grew stronger only as a byproduct of overall cultivation. While Dou Di bloodlines offered some advantage, compared to Lu Bu's rapid progress, even Xiao Xun'er found it embarrassingly slow.
What Xiao Xun'er didn't know was that Lu Bu had obtained his soul cultivation techniques from Yao Lao long ago and had been rigorously practicing them ever since. Coupled with the frequent "gift packages" of fierce souls from the Soul Hall, his soul power reached its current terrifying state.
"Is the commander really this strong?" Lin Xiu was dumbfounded. Even though he had seen Lu Bu defeat Gu Yao previously, he, like Gu Yao, had thought that was the extent of Lu Bu's abilities.
"His soul power has always been formidable," Gu Zhen replied with a knowing nod. He had witnessed Lu Bu's strength back in the Northwest Continent.
"Uh… I get it," Yang Hao muttered, scratching his head awkwardly. "But why does he keep using Xiao Yan's name?"
Not only did Lu Bu use Xiao Yan's name, but he even adopted his appearance. Back in the Northwest Continent, this same man, masquerading as Xiao Yan, had fought alongside Gu Zhen and Xiao Xun'er. The memory still left Yang Hao rubbing his nose reflexively he could still feel the sting of that day's beatdown.
Gu Zhen and Gu Luan exchanged glances, their lips twitching as they recalled Xiao Yan's bold claim back in the Black Corner Region: "I am the master of the Holy Gate, Lu Bu!" It seemed the two had a peculiar habit of borrowing each other's names.
The watching Huo Xuan observed the raging storm of soul power with a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "It seems the Black Armored Army still has a chance of victory. Even if they don't win outright, they won't suffer total annihilation."
With this thought, Huo Xuan stealthily sent out a dim, yellow flame from his palm. The flame shot toward the southwest of Central Plains and eventually reached a distant palace. A jade token flew from within and darted toward the eastern region of Central Plains.
Huo Xuan's lips curled into a small smile as he watched the soul storm continue to rage. If the Black Armored Army had shown no hope of survival, he wouldn't have sent out this signal.
Otherwise, how would he explain himself if the Gu Clan later confronted him with: "You were there. Why didn't you help?"
Although Huo Xuan was from the Yan Clan, he always assumed the worst of others. A furious Gu Clan could easily direct their anger toward him.
But now? He had nothing to worry about. With this "Xiao Yan" present, the Gu Clan might lose, but they wouldn't face total annihilation. That would buy them enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
Glancing at Lu Bu, who called himself "Xiao Yan," Huo Xuan chuckled softly. If both sides exhausted themselves fighting, the outcome could be quite favorable for the Yan Clan.
"Impressive soul power… it'll make you a perfect Soul Puppet," Hun Yu sneered coldly. What did it matter if Lu Bu's soul was strong? Hun Yu intended to see just how powerful he really was.
"Die!" Hun Yu's hand clenched as black energy surged, forming a savage beast's head wreathed in murderous intent.
"You know my soul power is strong, yet you dare try this?" Lu Bu scoffed, flicking his sleeve. His soul power condensed into an enormous invisible spear that shot toward an empty section of space.
Clang!
A resounding impact echoed as spatial ripples spread outward like water. A figure stumbled backward, tumbling out of the void it was none other than Hun Yu.
Not far away, the Hun Yu who had been smirking moments earlier dissipated into a fading afterimage.
Huo Xuan, Lei Yun, and even Yao Yi all froze in shock. Hun Yu's speed was incredible, yet none of them had detected his movement.
Yao Yi's face turned grim. As a member of the Yao Clan, second only to the Ling Clan in soul expertise, he prided himself on his soul perception. Yet even he, at the peak of the Heaven Stage, hadn't noticed a thing.
"How did this 'Xiao Yan' sense it?"
Firelight flickered in Huo Xuan's eyes as he realized something peculiar: Hun Yu was indeed formidable, but this "Xiao Yan" seemed to have the upper hand in their exchange.
"How did you see through that?" Hun Yu's previously composed expression darkened. While his soul wasn't as strong as Lu Bu's, he had used both Dou Qi and spatial manipulation to execute his move.
This Xiao Yan didn't even possess Dou Zun level strength or spatial abilities how had he detected spatial fluctuations?
"I told you… if you take another step, it will be earth shattering," Lu Bu said, his eyes flashing with a faint purple gold hue. Then, a twisted grin spread across his face.
"Jie jie jie… Hun Yu, do you think I'm joking with you?"
Lu Bu's voice echoed as his hands formed seals in rapid succession. Waves of immense soul power surged forth like a tsunami, quickly coalescing into a gray and semi transparent skull in front of him. Despite the gravity of the moment, he didn't forget his fake name.
"Yin Puppet Art: Spirit Eroding Skull!"
A glimmer of light flickered in Lu Bu's eyes as he let out a low shout. Two ethereal flames of spirit energy ignited in the skull's eye sockets, glowing eerily. The skull opened its mouth, and a vortex of black and gray energy began to form at its center.
"Wooo… woo…"
A haunting wail reverberated, the sound of spirits crying and wretched souls shrieking. The piercing noise unsettled everyone who heard it.
At the vortex's core, Hun Yu's expression darkened, and his forehead visibly throbbed as if his very soul was being forcibly pulled from his body.
The Yin Puppet Art was something Lu Bu had borrowed well, robbed from a sect called the Yin Puppet Sect while searching for the Devouring Ancestral Symbol in the Great Flame Empire. The "Spirit Eroding Skull" was one of four techniques within this Qi rank soul art. When Lu Bu previously faced Mu Protector and Yao Lao, he had used another move, the "Yin Demon Wail."
The full Yin Puppet Art consisted of four techniques: Spirit Eroding Skull, Yin Demon Wail, Yin Demon Strike, and Blood Essence Sigil.
The Spirit Eroding Skull's function was to devour the spirit energy of others. Lu Bu rarely used this since the Devouring Ancestral Symbol already made such techniques redundant for him. Yin Demon Strike, meanwhile, was a soul based soundwave attack similar to the Yin Demon Wail, but Lu Bu preferred the latter because he found it easier to execute. As for the Blood Essence Sigil it required the use of one's blood essence, which Lu Bu considered an annoying and impractical cost.
Thus, for most of his battles, Lu Bu relied on his formations and the Yin Demon Wail, leaving the other three techniques largely untouched.
In truth, while searching for the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, Lu Bu had once attempted to obtain the Great Desolation Imprisoning Hand soul art from the Creation Martial Tablet. However, lacking Lin Dong's protagonist like fortune, the aid of the Ancestral Stone, or the young clan leader of the Celestial Demon Marten Tribe, Lu Bu was promptly ejected before reaching the monument's core.
Seeing no point in wasting more time, and fearing potential delays in refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, Lu Bu abandoned the attempt and secluded himself in a remote mountain forest to focus on the refinement process.
"Damn you! I won't let you succeed!" Hun Yu's once fair face twisted into a hideous grimace as he felt the increasing pull on his soul. With a flick of his sleeves, countless wailing and malevolent spirit entities erupted from him, each shrieking with murderous intent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The spirits charged toward the Spirit Eroding Skull, detonating one after another in a cascade of soul shockwaves. The relentless impacts disrupted the skull's suction force, allowing Hun Yu to escape its grasp.
With a flash, Hun Yu retreated to the sky, glaring down at Lu Bu. His face was dark with anger, and it was clear that in their brief exchange, he had not gained even the slightest advantage. In fact, he had narrowly avoided a severe injury.
"What a strange soul art…" muttered Huo Xuan, his expression shifting slightly. As a member of an ancient imperial clan, he was well acquainted with a wide array of techniques. Aside from the commonly seen Dou Techniques, there existed soul arts specialized techniques that focused on spiritual energy rather than Dou Qi.
Legends spoke of ancient alchemists who wielded extraordinary power, not only because of their profound Dou Techniques but also due to their mastery of soul arts. The Yao Clan, for instance, was renowned for its soul based attacks.
However, Huo Xuan had to admit that this "Xiao Yan's" eerie Spirit Eroding Skull was far more sinister and unsettling than anything the Yao Clan could produce. In fact, if he hadn't known that Hun Yu was his opponent, Huo Xuan would have mistaken Xiao Yan's soul technique for a Soul Clan art.
Gu Zhen and Gu Yao exchanged glances, a spark of hope flickering in their eyes. "Thank goodness for Lu Bu," Gu Zhen muttered. "If Hun Yu had joined the battle earlier, we'd be done for."
"Attack!"
With renewed morale, the Black Armored Army unleashed a surge of Dou Qi, their battle cries shaking the heavens as they charged with everything they had.
Xiao Xun'er's golden eyes flickered as she pondered the situation. If they survived this crisis, how would she repay that bastard Lu Bu?
"Hmm… that technique seems quite valuable…"
Meanwhile, Yao Yi's eyes lit up as he stared at the dissipating Spirit Eroding Skull, his mind racing with possibilities. If he could learn such a technique, his strength and mastery over souls would undoubtedly rise to a whole new level.
"I must find a way to obtain it…" Yao Yi murmured, rubbing his chin as his eyes gleamed with greed. He knew he couldn't defeat the Gu Clan members here, let alone this Xiao Yan character. But this was the Yao Clan's territory surely, the Gu Clan wouldn't risk an all out war over a member of the fallen Xiao Clan.
After all, the advantage was his!
"No wonder this brat could defeat Gu Yao…" Hun Yu took a deep breath, his usually composed expression now dark and stormy. The brief clash had revealed to him that this "Xiao Yan," despite being a mere Dou Huang, was a formidable and troublesome foe.
"Xiao Yan, you're quite impressive…" Hun Yu sneered as he clasped his hands together, forming a series of complex hand seals. "But you're still far from enough!"
As the seals took shape, an intricate clan mark appeared on Hun Yu's forehead. His aura surged explosively, rising from 2 star Dou Zun to the peak of 5 star Dou Zun in mere moments.
"Clan marks… Hun Yu even resorted to this?" Huo Xuan muttered, astonished by Hun Yu's decisiveness. A clan mark was the last resort of the imperial clans, essentially calling upon the strength of their ancestors.
For most people, using a clan mark was a tacit admission of inferiority, but Hun Yu showed no hesitation.
"Ha! Against a fallen Xiao Clan member, he had to use his clan mark? How pathetic…" Yao Yi sneered.
However, before he could finish gloating, he noticed two sets of cold eyes Huo Xuan's and Lei Yun's fixated on him.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Yao Yi asked, frowning at their disapproving stares.
"No…" Lei Yun muttered, shaking his head. Internally, he wondered how Yao Yi could be so blind. Did he truly think himself superior to either Hun Yu or Xiao Yan?
"The Yao Clan…" Huo Xuan sighed quietly. "They've grown increasingly arrogant and ignorant in recent years…"
"Now then, Xiao Yan…" Hun Yu sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll crush you and your little army of soldiers into dust!"
"Try me!" Lu Bu shot back, slamming his hands together as silver patterns materialized beneath his feet. A faint silver skeleton appeared behind him, radiating an eerie, otherworldly light.
"Yin Puppet Art: Yin Demon Wail!"
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