101: Yue Xiaoxiao flicked her fingers, extracting souls and refining spirits.

The Protector turned to a Disciple and ordered, "As soon as midnight strikes, immediately activate the beacon and awaken the Puppets we sold to Li Feng."

The Disciple confirmed, "Does the Protector mean... to cleanse that city now?"

"Yes." There was no ripple in the Protector's voice. "The Spiritual Qi here is abundant. This Mortal city, having been nourished by Spiritual Qi for a hundred years, must contain many unpolished Materials we need."

"Let Li Feng's Puppets go first to create chaos and slaughter the Mortals."

"During the slaughter, they will automatically search for those Materials with Spiritual Roots and will never harm their Spiritual Roots!"

"At that time, we will go to harvest. The unpolished Materials from one city will surely satisfy the main sect this time!"

The Protector glanced at the water clock beside the stone platform, his voice hoarse.

"It's almost time. Prepare to activate the beacon."

Just as a Disciple was about to obey, a voice suddenly echoed in the empty underground cavern without warning.

"No need."

"Who?!"

The Soul Transformation Stage Protector suddenly turned around, his Divine Sense sweeping with full force towards the shadows at the entrance.

All the Thousand Puppet Sect Disciples became tense, one after another summoning their Magical Artifacts and aiming them at the tunnel entrance.

Under their wary gaze, three figures slowly emerged.

Leading them was a young man in white, his expression calm.

Beside him was an extremely beautiful woman, holding his arm.

Finally, there was a young girl wearing a Daoist robe, her expression somewhat excited.

"A Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator?"

The Protector saw Su Lin's cultivation fluctuations, first startled, then his heart settled slightly.

He himself was in the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation, and there were dozens of Disciples here, many of whom were in the Late Nascent Soul Stage. He did not believe that an Early Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator could pose a threat.

"Who is Your Excellency? Daring to trespass into my Thousand Puppet Sect's workshop, you are truly seeking death!"

The Protector threatened, but his attention quickly shifted to the two women beside Su Lin.

He habitually swept his Divine Sense over them.

The next moment, the expression on the Protector's face froze.

Empty.

There was nothing.

His Divine Sense passed through the bodies of the two women without receiving any feedback.

They stood there, flesh and blood, yet in his perception, there were two voids.

This was absolutely impossible!

Unless... unless they were Mortals!

But how could Mortals follow a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator into such a demonic den?

The Protector refused to believe it and once again activated his Divine Sense; this time, he even used a secret probing technique.

His Divine Sense still sank like a stone into the sea.

The woman seemed to notice his prying and slowly lifted her eyelids, glancing at him.

Just one glance.

Yet the Protector felt his Divine Sense instantly crushed by an irresistible force!

"Pfft!"

He staggered back a step as if struck by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with terror.

"Protector! What's wrong with you?" The surrounding Disciples were greatly alarmed.

"I can't see through... I can't see through their cultivation!"

The surrounding Disciples were about to use their Divine Sense to investigate but were immediately stopped by the Protector.

"Don't move!! These two are not for you to pry into!"

The Protector pointed tremblingly at Ye You and Yue Xiaoxiao, his voice distorted.

"A Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator... with two people I completely cannot see through..."

The Disciples present finally understood the Protector's meaning.

Even a Middle Stage Soul Transformation Protector couldn't see through them; there was only one possibility—Body Integration Stage!

Two of them!

Panic instantly erupted among the crowd!

"It's... it's a Body Integration Stage grand Cultivator!"

"How did they find this place?!"

"Quick! Quickly activate the defensive Formation!"

The Protector was also completely panicked. He ignored his injuries and frantically rushed towards the control center, screaming, "Quickly sound the alarm! Notify the main sect! There are Body Integration Stage enemies invading!"

Su Lin watched them in disarray and spoke calmly.

"Xiaoxiao."

"Master, I am here."

Yue Xiaoxiao respectfully responded and then stepped forward.

She looked at the panicking Thousand Puppet Sect Cultivators, and an extremely impatient expression appeared on her tender face.

The members of the Thousand Puppet Sect did not dare to delay and immediately activated the defensive Formation.

"Buzz!"

With a muffled sound, dark red runes lit up on the ground and walls of the entire underground cavern.

A solid dark red light shield rose from the ground, isolating Su Lin and the others.

Powerful energy flowed on the light shield, clearly the strongest defense the Thousand Puppet Sect relied on.

Through the light shield, he roared, putting on a brave front, "You ignorant fools! What if you break in?

You will never break through my sect's Formation! Once the main sect's reinforcements arrive, we will surely extract your Souls and refine your Qi!"

"Extract Souls and refine Qi?"

Yue Xiaoxiao spoke.

She stood beside Su Lin, tilting her head.

"That's good."

"What did you say??"

The Protector was stunned, completely unprepared for such a reaction.

"I said, that sounds really fun."

Yue Xiaoxiao's voice carried a cruel pleasure.

She had been humiliated in front of that demoness named Ye, so she could only endure it.

But now, these useless beings who weren't even fit to be Materials dared to mention extracting Souls and refining Qi in front of her, the Old Ancestor who toyed with Souls?

If she couldn't defeat that demoness, couldn't she still deal with these ants?

A surge of anger rose in Yue Xiaoxiao's heart.

She took a step forward, standing before the light shield.

She looked at the dark red barrier flowing with runes.

Then, she puffed out her cheeks and gently blew a breath at the solid Formation.

"Whoosh."

A burst of pure ghostly Qi gushed out, touching the Formation barrier.

The so-called defensive Formation, upon contact with this breath, its light quickly dimmed.

The dark red runes began to collapse and extinguish.

"Crack... crunch..."

Faint cracking sounds emerged.

On the sturdy barrier, cracks rapidly spread throughout the entire Formation.

"Bang."

With a soft sound, the barrier shattered, turning into countless light particles that dispersed.

"..."

Inside the underground cavern, all the Thousand Puppet Sect Disciples' movements froze.

The Soul Transformation Stage Protector's expression stopped.

"You... you..." The Protector uttered a dry sound.

"Don't you like playing with Souls?"

Yue Xiaoxiao walked in, her pure black eyes sweeping over everyone present.

"Then I'll let you play to your heart's content."

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. "Snap."

An invisible ripple instantly spread, enveloping the entire workshop.

"Ah ah—!"

The Soul Transformation Stage Protector bore the brunt of it. He suddenly threw his head back, and his body began to tremble.

He felt something being forcibly stripped from his body!

The other Disciples were even more miserable.

One by one, they clutched their heads, rolling on the ground, emitting incoherent sounds.

"Come out." Yue Xiaoxiao issued the command.

Numerous illusory figures were forcibly pulled from the crowns of those Cultivators' heads!

These translucent figures, carrying black Qi, were the Souls of the Protector and the Disciples.

They twisted, trying to escape back into their bodies, but were bound in mid-air by a force.

"No... don't..." The Protector's Soul made intermittent pleas.

He now understood what kind of existence he had provoked.

This was the Old Ancestor of the Ghost Dao!

"Kneel before me!" Yue Xiaoxiao said angrily.