Chapter 1012: Seeing Yao Lao Again
The skinny figure stood in the sky. His body did not move, but his majestic aura was enough to cause this area to tremble.
Dou Zong, the true point when one could be considered a genuine expert on the continent. Only by successfully reaching this level would one gain the prerequisite that allowed one to survive in the Central Plains. Currently, Xiao Yan had reached this step at such an age. This achievement was impressive.
Rain poured down from the sky in all directions, wrapping the Heaven Eye Mountain within its grip. A pitter-platter sound appeared.
The figure stood in the distant empty air. No Dou Qi wings or bone wings appeared on his back. Walking through the air was a unique indicator of an elite Dou Zong.
A countless number of gazes passed through the rain and looked at the unmoving figure in the sky. In an instant, the entire Heaven Eye Mountain Range became completely silent. Only the sound of raindrops falling on tree leaves clearly resounded over the mountain.
The figure in the sky did not move. Each time the rain came into a radius within five feet of him, it would automatically scatter. That manner was as though there was an invisible barrier around Xiao Yan.
At this moment, Xiao Yan’s eyes were tightly shut. A majestic aura lingered over his body, causing it to appear as though he had transformed into a statue.
“What is wrong with him?” Jin Gu asked. Surprise flashed across his eyes when he saw Xiao Yan’s stillness. Currently, Xiao Yan had successfully advanced. Why had he become like this?
“It seems that he has entered a unique condition…” Jin Shi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Jin Gu was startled when he heard this. Even though his strength was stronger than Xiao Yan, he was unable to see just what was happening in his body.
“Let’s wait. He should recover soon.
“Alright.”
…
Xiao Yan, who had his eyes shut in the sky, frowned intently while those two were speaking. The fire seal on his brows, which had not shown much activity for a long time, currently emitted a fire glow.
Xiao Yan was initially uncertain about what was currently happening. The only thing he felt was that the Spiritual Strength within his body had become extremely sensitive the moment he had successfully broken through to the Dou Zong class. At the same time, he once again felt the faint remnant spiritual seal that remained within the fire seal between his brows.
This fire seal was something that Yao Lao had left behind when he had been captured. It was also not the first time that such a situation had occurred. When he broke through to the Dou Huang class back then, Xiao Yan had followed the remnant spiritual seal in the fire seal, traveling space itself, to probe into the mysterious large hall where Yao Lao had been imprisoned. Due to his Spiritual Strength being weak back then, what he could see was extremely blur.
With his experience from the last time, Xiao Yan understood what happened when he once again sense the change of the fire seal. The Spiritual Strength within his body gathered together before entering the interior of the fire seal.
A flash appeared in Xiao Yan’s eyes after his Spiritual Strength entered the fire seal. A strange, dark-black tunnel appeared. Without hesitating, his Spiritual Strength rushed into it like a bolt of lighting.
The dark-black tunnel seemed to be extremely long. However, Xiao Yan did not feel anxious due to him being in possession of the experience from last time. He carefully gathered his Spiritual Strength and swiftly shuffled through it.
This traveling continued for an unknown about of time before a kind of pressure was vaguely transmitted from the edge of the tunnel. A dark and dense fluctuation was also felt.
The Spiritual Strength had just charged out of the tunnel when it sensed a dark coldness sweeping over. The same large dark hall entered his eyes. This large hall was so huge that it was frightening. It was completely covered in a black-grayish color, which caused one to feel an extreme pressure.
There were quite a number of black rock pillars that were dozens of feet tall within the large hall. Many strange symbols were drawn on these rock pillars. They vaguely emitted a glow, appearing just like a countless number of flickering eyes, giving it a ghastly and chilly appearance.
Xiao Yan’s gaze swiftly swept over this large hall, which was so large that he could not tell its size. After which, his eyes suddenly turned to a certain area. A countless number of light clusters were flickering at that spot. Upon careful observation, one could see that the interior of those light clusters were spiritual bodies with their eyes tightly shut!
Although Xiao Yan had seen it the last time, there was too little time and his Spiritual Strength was still weak. Hence, the vision he brought back was very blur. This time around, however, he could clearly see that there was a black-colored chain snaking throgh the cluster of spiritual bodies.
This black-colored chain was wrapped around the spiritual bodies’ necks. There seemed to be something vaguely being drawn from the interior of the spiritual bodies through the chain…
Xiao Yan’s gaze moved with the chain and saw that there were some strange towering dark-black-colored pillars present at the edge of the chain!
These rock pillars seemed to be absorbing something from within the spiritual bodies. Xiao Yan felt a creepiness run through his body when he saw this scene. The ‘Hall of Souls’ seemed to be using these souls as a kind of nutrient?
Although Xiao Yan was currently only an invisible Spiritual Strength, his shocked emotion still appeared.
This shock continued for an instant before Xiao Yan hurriedly sense the faint trance that existed within the fire seal. His Spiritual Strength carefully drifted around the large hall.
For some unknown reason, he could not even see a single ‘Hall of Soul’ guard within this hall. There was only the uniform gastly and death-like silence.
A strange and gloomy place of death. This was Xiao Yan’s evaluation of this place.
Xiao Yan’s search did not stop while this thought jumped across his heart. His gaze swept over the packed interior of the hall. A moment later, his Spiritual Strength suddenly trembled. Joy immediately rose within his heart. That slight fluctuation had become a little more obvious.
Xiao Yan’s speed quietly increased with a thought flickering through his mind. However, he did not dare move too fast. He clearly understood that there was definitely an Honorable Elder (Dou Zun) guarding this hall. Although Xiao Yan’s current strength was completely different now, he was not so arrogant that he thought he could fight with an elite Dou Zun.
Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength suddenly paused after traveling forward for a short while. His gaze was startled as he looked in front of him. There was a cluster of light, which did not stand out, suspended on a rock table. Inside of the light cluster was an old man, whose body appeared somewhat illusionary. This old man had both his eyes tightly shut. That old face, that was so familiar, was surprisingly Yao Lao!
Yao Lao’s neck also had a black-colored chain around it. Moreover, this black-colored chain seemed to be even bigger than the others. There was also more of those strange symbols on it.
Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength trembled intensely, revealing his excitement and an indescribable feeling at this moment.
Xiao Yan looked at the face, which seemed to look even older. It had been nearly three to four years since Yao Lao had been captured. Xiao Yan felt pain, like his heart was gripped by something as well as an overwhelming killing intent when he thought of the hardship that Yao Lao had suffered during these years. Yao Lao had to be given a lot of credit for all of his achievements. As the saying went, a teacher was just like a father. Xiao Yan had also truly viewed Yao Lao as his father. It was natural that Xiao Yan’s heart felt an extreme pain when he saw Yao Lao suffering such torture.
Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength drifted toward the top of the rock table. Due to his cautiousness, Xiao Yan did not land his body. Instead, his gaze looked to Yao Lao, who had his eyes shut. He was able to sense Yao Lao’s life force. Although it was weak, it was fortunate that nothing overly serious had happened to him.
While Xiao Yan was observing Yao Lao, who was in a slumber, Yao Lao seemed to have sensed something. His eyelids twitched. After struggling for a moment, he gradually opened his eyes.
Yao Lao’s body instantly stiffened after he opened his somewhat turbid eyes. His gaze was dull as he started at the empty air in front of him. His body involuntarily trembled.
Seeing Yao Lao acting like this, Xiao Yan finally could not endure it any longer. His Spiritual Strength was distorted as he transformed into an illusionary figure that knelt toward Yao Lao in the air. After which, he kowtowed to Yao Lao. His voice was slightly hoarse, “Teacher, this disciple is unfilial!”
Yao Lao watched the young man that was suspended while kneeling. His eyes became moist and a small voice passed through the light ball.
“Little fellow, you have already done quite well. Being able to recruit you as my disciple is the best thing that these old bones of mine have ever done.”
Although Yao Lao was currently imprisoned, he still had his eyesight. He was able to tell that the current Xiao Yan was just a thread of Spiritual Strength. However, there was a great strength hidden within it. Since Xiao Yan was able to rely on a thread of Spiritual Strength to transform into a person, Yao Lao was naturally able to guess that the current Xiao Yan had successfully advanced to the Dou Zong class.
Xiao Yan’s eyes turned red. He whispered, “Teacher, rest assured that I will come and rescue you as soon as possible!”
“Perhaps you do not have the qualification…”
Xiao Yan’s words had just sounded when an old, indifferent voice slowly resounded in the large hall.
A vast pressure suddenly descended following the appearance of this old voice. However, Xiao Yan’s expression did not change. He stood up, turned around, and looked at the fluctuating space behind him with dark eyes. A purple-clothed, old man strangely appeared at that spot.
The old man in purple clothes glanced at Xiao Yan. He immediately knit his brows. Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength vaguely gave him a somewhat familiar feeling. After thinking for awhile, he involuntarily said with some surprise, “You are the Spiritual Strength from back then?”
Xiao Ya stared at this purple-clothed, old man and did not reply.
“It is unexpected that the person who could not even receive a spiritual fluctuation from this venerable self (Dou Zun) is actually able to come to this spot. Looks like you are much stronger than you were back then.” The purple-clothed, old man glanced at Yao Lao in the light cluster. He faintly smiled, raised his hand, and aimed it at Xiao Yan from a distance. “However, this is far from sufficient…”
“The next time I come here, I will repay you all of the hardships that teacher has suffered during these years!” Xiao Yan’s gaze was just like that of a wild beast. It vaguely carried a craziness that caused one to feel afraid.
“Hopefully…”
The purple-clothed, old man raised his eyebrows as his hand suddenly clenched. The space around Xiao Yan immediately cracked apart. Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength was eliminated by this frightening attack.
A pleased expression surface on the old face of Yao Lao within the light cluster as he looked at Xiao Yan’s disappearing body. Xiao Yan was able to remain unafraid in the face of an elite Dou Zun. From the looks of it, he had really grown quite a lot during these years. Yao Lao vaguely felt that the next time this disciple of his appeared, he was not going to be a mere Spiritual Strength. Instead, he would arrive himself!
The brows of the purple-clothed, old man were knit together when he saw the gratified look on Yao Lao’s face. For some unknown reason, his heart felt a little uneasiness that had not appeared for an unknown number of years… although it was not very intense, it still caused him to feel a chill that seeped deep into his bones.
“Xiao Yan huh…”
A voice that contained some iciness slowly sounded within the quiet hall.