Victor had collected two of the three pieces needed for the resurrection ritual.
Only one remained: the skeleton of a powerful expert.
He'd already chosen his target for this final componentâ€"a Dou Zong named Yue Tianxin who operated in the Black Horn Region.
This man was notorious for his crimes. Burning, killing, looting... there wasn't a sin he hadn't committed. In the chaotic Black Horn Region, his reputation was among the worst.
Victor felt zero guilt about killing someone like him.
After some inquiries, he quickly tracked down Yue Tianxin's location. When they found him, the bastard had just finished slaughtering an entire caravan. He was loading up the stolen goods, preparing to flee the scene.
"Who are you?"
Seeing Victor and Medusa suddenly appear before him, Yue Tianxin's expression changed drastically. His hands, hidden behind his back, began quietly gathering power.
This little trick naturally didn't escape Victor's notice, but he couldn't be bothered to care.
"No need to ask so many questions when you're about to die."
Victor raised his palm and struck out through the air.
Before Yue Tianxin could react, a golden palm the size of a mountain crashed into him. His entire body flew backward like a cannonball, finally slamming into the ground with tremendous force.
The earth shook. Sand and rocks exploded outward.
When the dust finally settled, Yue Tianxin lay in a deep crater, covered in blood.
Victor blinked in surprise. "Is this guy really that weak? I was holding back, too."
He hadn't even used one ten-thousandth of his power in that strike. He'd been worried one slap would turn the man into paste.
Turns out, he'd still overestimated the guy's durability.
Though not quite paste, his current state wasn't far off.
At least it wasn't dismembered. That meant it could still serve as material for the resurrection.
With a wave of his hand, invisible force lifted the grievously wounded Yue Tianxin out of the crater.
Just as Victor was about to extinguish the man's soul, Yao Chen suddenly flew out of the ring.
"Wait!" The old alchemist's translucent form hovered anxiously. "Can you find me a different body?"
Victor raised an eyebrow. "What, not satisfied with this one?"
Of course he wasn't satisfied!
This person's strength was only at the Dou Zong level! Back in his prime, Yao Chen had been a Nine-Star Dou Zun! Using this body to resurrect would limit him to Dou Zong strength at bestâ€"and that was assuming high compatibility between soul and skeleton. If the compatibility was poor, he'd be lucky to reach Dou Huang!
How could someone accustomed to standing on the shoulders of giants, looking down on all creation, willingly become one of the masses?
"If possible," Yao Chen said carefully, "please find me a Dou Sheng-level skeleton to resurrect with."
Victor's eyebrows climbed higher. "You really know how to make demands, old man."
Yao Chen quickly added, "As long as you're willing to use the bones of a Dou Sheng to revive me, I'll give you half of all the treasures, techniques, and medicinal herbs in Falling Star Pavilion!"
Falling Star Pavilion?
If Victor remembered correctly, that was one of the top powers in Zhongzhou.
An organization founded by Yao Chen and his old friend Feng Zunzhe, also known as Feng Xian. The collection in its treasure vault was extremely rich.
Thinking of this, Victor didn't hesitate. "Alright, deal."
He agreed just like that?
Yao Chen was momentarily stunned.
No haggling? No negotiations?
After all, this was a transaction. Bargaining was normal. Yao Chen had been mentally prepared for it. The ideal price in his mind had been a Dou Zun realm skeleton.
He never expected the other party to agree so easily!
Damn! He'd played his hand wrong!
If he'd known it would be this easy, he should have asked for moreâ€"like a five-star Dou Sheng skeleton!
Was it too late to renegotiate now?
Still, the fact that Victor had agreed so readily confirmed his suspicions. This person's strength had to be above the high-level Dou Sheng realm!
Only a Dou Sheng could kill a Dou Sheng, after all.
"Do you know where there's a Dou Sheng-level existence?"
"The Soul Palace!" Without thinking twice, Yao Chen turned his spearhead directly toward his mortal enemies. "And there are quite a few Dou Shengs in the Soul Palace!"
Time to collect some interest on old grudges.
Crack!
Victor exerted a bit of force and snapped Yue Tianxin's neck. He took the man's spatial ring, then tossed the corpse aside like garbage.
"Then let's head to the Soul Palace."
Zhongzhou, the core region of the Dou Qi Continent.
This was where the truly powerful gathered. Mighty forces stood everywhere you looked.
As a spatial crack appeared, Victor and Medusa finally arrived in Zhongzhou.
Compared to before, their appearance this time caused barely a ripple.
After all, this was Zhongzhou. Dou Zun wasn't exactly rare here. People living in this region saw Dou Zun-level experts tearing through space and coming and going every day.
The locals were completely accustomed to such sights.
"Zhongzhou truly is magnificent."
Medusa looked around curiously. She'd never imagined that one day she'd come to the core region of the continent.
Compared to this place, the Jia Ma Empire was like comparing heaven and earth!
"Where's the Soul Palace?" Victor asked.
Yao Chen's voice soon rang out from the ring. "Keep flying southwest. When you see a pitch-black mountain range with a massive palace on top, you've reached the Soul Palace."
Victor nodded and flew with Medusa in the direction indicated.
Sure enough, after about fifteen minutes, he finally spotted a dark mountain range in the distance. Atop it sat a magnificent yet eerily sinister palace.
"Who are you? This is Soul Palace territory. If you don't want to die, leave now!"
Before they could get close, a Seven-Star Dou Zun expert rushed over and blocked their path.
"Move aside, trash."
Victor threw out a casual punch.
Boom!
With just that one strike, the arrogant Dou Zun realm expert instantly exploded into a bloody mist. Dead beyond dead.
Seeing this, Yao Chen couldn't help but cheer inwardly.
As expected of a high-level Dou Sheng! Even a Seven-Star Dou Zun was killed with a single move!
"Who dares?! How dare you trespass on Soul Palace territory and kill one of our Heavenly Venerables!"
Suddenly, a roar echoed across a hundred miles.
Then a middle-aged man with a pale face, gloomy appearance, and long hair burst out from the palace.
After this person appeared, Yao Chen's expression in the ring immediately turned solemn.
"Be careful. This man's name is Hun Miesheng. He's the master of the Soul Palace, and his strength is that of a Five-Star Dou Sheng!"
Hearing this, Victor smiled indifferently. "Oh? A Five-Star Dou Sheng? That means this guy's skeleton should be more than qualified."
Yao Chen, "???"
Brother!
No, Godfather!
Are you really planning to get me a Five-Star Dou Sheng-level skeleton?
If he wasn't currently in spirit form, Yao Chen would've kowtowed to Victor on the spot!