In the sky, the violent clash of black and red dou qi raged indiscriminately—its destructive force naturally encompassing both Gu He and the Protector Wu.
Gu He, however, remained relatively unharmed. Shielded by the Qinglian Holy Platform, he had ample time to react. At the critical moment, he could instantly retreat to the horizon's edge, escaping the battlefield.
The Protector Wu, on the other hand, was far less fortunate.
Having been too close to the epicenter of the dou qi explosion, it was struck by the devastating aftermath. A muffled groan escaped its lips as its body staggered violently, forced into a sharp retreat.
High above, as the most terrifying ripples of dou qi finally dissipated, the collision point of the two opposing forces gradually calmed before ultimately annihilating each other.
Sensing the offset of the destructive energies, the beasts lurking in the mountains below finally released a collective sigh of relief.
The earlier shockwaves had been too overwhelming—had even a few more waves followed, the entire mountain range might have been reduced to rubble.
As the dou qi faded, the howling winds and churning clouds above slowly settled. A shadow flickered in the sky, revealing the now-disheveled figure of the Protector Wu.
The moment his body reappeared, a fit of violent coughs wracked him.
The black mist shrouding his form had thinned considerably—clear evidence of the immense toll the dou qi collision had taken on him.
"Damn it! How does this bastard possess such a terrifying dou technique? Just where did he come from?"
His eyes flickered with lingering fear as he stared at the white-robed figure standing atop the distant Qinglian Holy Platform. The Protector Wu's expression twisted into something ugly.
A thought flashed through his mind, 'Could he truly be from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan?'
Generally, those who wielded such advanced dou qi techniques hailed either from ancient clans or top-tier magical beast bloodlines.
The Vermilion Bird Seal that Gu He had unleashed was something the Protector had never heard of before—yet its overwhelming power was undeniable, rivaling even high-level Earth-tier combat skills.
On the Dou Qi Continent, few factions possessed the means to cultivate such advanced Earth-tier techniques.
If this man wasn't from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, then he most likely belonged to one of those ancient families—the only ones capable of wielding such terrifying methods.
A chilling realization struck the Protector Wu, sending his heart racing. On this continent, very few forces could instill fear in the Hall of Souls—and those ancient families were among them!
"No wonder this guy is so monstrous… Damn it! What rotten luck—to run into such a freak here!"
Thoughts raced through the Protector Wu's mind. After a moment of hesitation, he turned a solemn gaze toward Gu He and spoke in a low voice,
"Who exactly are you, senior? I am a earth-level protector of the Hall of Souls. We've had no prior grievances—why must you hunt me down?"
Gu He's indifferent voice echoed from within the Qinglian Holy Platform, his body bathed in azure light.
"The Hall of Souls commits countless evils. All who encounter its members are duty-bound to punish them—what reason do I need to kill you?"
"You—!"
A dark fury flashed across the Protector Wu's face. From Gu He's words, it was clear—there would be no reconciliation today. This man harbored a deep-seated blood feud with the Hall of Souls.
"Forget it. This lunatic won't listen to reason. I'll retreat for now—once he's gone, I'll deal with this later."
With that thought, the Protector Wu stole another glance at the distant sky—still no movement. Gritting his teeth, he made a decisive retreat.
"Trying to run?!"
But the moment he turned to flee, a cold sneer rang out. A white-clad figure flashed forward, palm raised—a massive fireball erupting toward the Protector Wu.
Feeling the scorching heat at his back, the Protector Wu's expression twisted in panic.
Swinging his arm wildly, he hastily launched a chain to intercept—only for it to melt instantly upon contact. The weakened fireball continued its relentless pursuit.
"Damn it!"
A sense of dread gripped him. The earlier black orb dou technique had drained him severely—compared to Gu He, who remained nearly unscathed, he was now at a crushing disadvantage.
Retreating frantically, the Protector Wu swung his arms repeatedly, summoning multiple chains like black pythons to clash against the fireball. Only after several desperate strikes did he finally neutralize the attack.
Gu He hovered in the sky, watching with a faint smirk as the Protector Wu struggled to deflect a single fireball.
"At your limit already? Then die obediently!"
His eyes turned icy. Without another word, his natal divine flame surged violently from his body, coalescing above him into a colossal fire dragon.
This dragon, entirely forged from his innate flames, radiated an overwhelming, lifelike aura—its crimson eyes gleaming with terrifying sentience.
"Go."
With a cold command, the massive fire dragon lashed its tail—its body transforming into a streak of lightning as it shot toward the Protector Wu.
Seeing the dragon closing in like a purple meteor, the Protector Wu's face paled. In his current state, how could he possibly withstand Gu He's full-powered strike?
But escape was his only option.
Without hesitation, black mist erupted around him as he bolted toward the horizon like a shadowy comet.
"Hmph!"
Gu He snorted. His palm clenched abruptly—space itself twisted ahead of the fleeing Protector Wu, slowing his retreat drastically.
Seizing the moment, the fire dragon closed the distance in an instant. With an earth-shaking roar, it struck the Protector Wu head-on, engulfing him in a cataclysmic explosion of flames.
As the searing heat bore down on him, the Protector Wu turned in horror—his pupils reflecting the rapidly expanding inferno. A primal fear surged from the depths of his soul.
...
"BOOM!"
An earth-shattering explosion suddenly resounded across the sky.
At that moment, the entire mountain range below trembled violently. Some weaker beasts were instantly stunned by the thunderous blast, their ears bleeding from the shockwave.
In the sky, vast purple flames condensed like ominous clouds before slowly spreading outward.
Wherever they expanded, space itself rippled like a boulder hurled into a calm lake—turbulent waves of visible energy distorting the air.
Gu He's gaze remained fixed on the spreading purple flames. The Hall of Soul's protector had taken a devastating blow from him, and though the man might still cling to life, Gu He had no intention of letting him escape.
'This battle forced me to reveal too many trump cards. To avoid future trouble… I can't let him leave alive.'
That thought flashed through his mind, sharpening the murderous intent in his eyes.
Under the watch of countless eyes, the purple flames continued to expand until, at a certain moment, the fiery mass trembled—and a battered black shadow shot out in a desperate bid for escape.
The figure raced toward the northern sky, its once-imposing aura now pitifully diminished. Clearly, after enduring Gu He's relentless assault, the Hall of Soul's protector had lost all arrogance.
The moment the protector fled, Gu He—who had been watching closely—sneered. His body transformed into a blazing pillar of fire, streaking across the sky and cutting off the escape route in an instant.
"I am a member of the Hall of Soul! If you kill me, they will never let you go!" the Protector Wu snarled, though his voice lacked its former authority.
The black mist shrouding him had thinned drastically, his dou qi weakened to a pitiful level.
Gu He regarded him with cold indifference, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "A lost dog, barking empty threats."
"Fine! If you won't relent, then I'll fight you to the death!" Protector Wu roared.
Black mist surged around him—but instead of attacking, he abruptly twisted midair, using the fog as cover to flee in another direction.
Gu He watched in amusement before shaking his head. With a sharp clench of his fist, a powerful suction erupted from his palm, slowing the protector Wu's escape.
In a flash, Gu He reappeared behind him and struck his back with a crushing blow.
The impact sent the protector Wu reeling, his black mist dissipating further. At this point, even a Dou Emperor could easily finish him off.
With the protector Wu thoroughly crippled, Gu He sneered and unleashed a torrent of purple flames, weaving them into a colossal net that ensnared the struggling figure.
No matter how fiercely the protector Wu thrashed, the fiery prison held firm, reducing him to a trapped beast howling in helpless fury.
Gripping the flaming net, Gu He descended onto a nearby mountain peak. Now, with the protector Wu grievously injured, resistance was impossible.
'Finally, after all this effort, I've captured this Hall of Soul pest.'
Yet Gu He was surprised. 'Even in this state, he still has the energy to scream?'
His fingers tightened, and the fire net contracted violently, pressing against the Protector Wu's body. A sizzling sound erupted, followed by a piercing shriek as the black mist shrouding him burned away—revealing his true form at last.
Inside the dou qi membrane floated a translucent, flickering soul—severely weakened, barely holding together.
Gu He froze.
"A soul body?"
He stared, dumbfounded. The mighty protector of the Hall of Soul, a foe who had rivaled Dou Ancestor-level strength… was nothing more than a spectral remnant?
Having read BTTH, Gu He had some understanding of this.
The Hall of Soul lived up to its name—its targets were powerful souls, and its methods revolved around soul manipulation. It made sense that some of its own members were also soul bodies.
After all, the best way to hunt a soul… was with another soul.
"Kill me, and the Hall of Soul will hunt you to the ends of the dou qi continent!" Protector Wu snarled, defiance still burning in his eyes despite his helpless state.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you… yet." Gu He smirked, reaching into the dou qi membrane to grasp the protector Wu's soul without hesitation. "You still have much to tell me."
Seeing Gu He's audacity, the protector Wu's eyes darkened. A black chain—now shrunken—materialized from his fingertip, lashing toward Gu He's wrist.
"Humph!"
Gu He snorted. With a flick of his finger, an invisible purple flame ignited in his palm and shot straight at the protector Wu's soul.
The moment the flame made contact, thick white smoke erupted from the protector's form, accompanied by a sizzling sound—and then an agonized scream.
"Damn you! What kind of flame is this?! It burns the soul directly?!"
…
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