107: Bloody battle in the barren mountains, terrifying axe

The desolate mountain range was full of strange, jagged rocks and withered trees. The afterglow of the setting sun painted the mountains in a bloody hue, adding to the desolation and Kill. Xiao Chen concealed his aura, moving through the forest like a ghost, each step falling into the most inconspicuous shadows. His Spirit Realm Soul perception, like an invisible spiderweb, enveloped an area of several miles.

It had been three days since he left the Pill Tower. He deliberately avoided densely populated areas, choosing this remote and difficult mountain path to hide his tracks as much as possible. However, a faint sense of danger constantly coiled in his heart like a venomous snake. He knew that the Soul Hall's pursuit would not be so easily shaken off.

"Rustle..."

A barely perceptible rustle of dry leaves entered his ears. Xiao Chen's steps paused, his eyes instantly sharp as an eagle's. In his Spirit Realm Soul perception, a mountain hollow a hundred zhang ahead showed abnormally obscure energy fluctuations, as if several auras had perfectly merged with the environment.

"An ambush..." Xiao Chen sneered inwardly, but his face remained impassive as he continued forward, feigning unawareness. However, the Dou Qi within him had already quietly surged to its peak, and his Spirit Realm Soul power was highly concentrated, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

Just as he stepped into the entrance of the mountain hollow!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three chains, as black as ink and as fast as lightning, shot out like venomous snakes from three tricky angles! Dead energy coiled around the chains, specifically designed to break through Dou Qi defenses, aiming directly for Xiao Chen's back, throat, and Dantian! At the same time, two dark figures sprang out from behind rocks on either side, wielding poisoned daggers, sealing off his escape routes! From the front, a majestic, chilling aura erupted. A gaunt old man shrouded in a black robe appeared, forming hand seals, and a massive Nether Ghost Claw descended upon Xiao Chen!

Five Soul Hall assassins! Three Five-Star Dou Zongs, one Six-Star Dou Zong, and the leading old man's aura had reached the Peak Eight-star Dou Zong! Their coordination was seamless, and their attacks ruthless, clearly a meticulously planned killing formation!

Facing this sudden encirclement, Xiao Chen's eyes blazed with cold light! Instead of retreating, he stomped his foot fiercely, activating both the Illusory Spirit Steps and his nascent Power of Space. His figure vanished from his original spot as if teleporting, narrowly dodging the sneak attack of the chains and daggers! Simultaneously, he clasped his hands together, and a solid-looking dark-gold battle axe phantom instantly condensed!

"Nine Axes of Heaven Opening — River Severing!"

The battle axe swept horizontally, and an extremely condensed dark-gold axe energy tore through the air, carrying the intent to sever rivers, meeting the massive Nether Ghost Claw!

"Boom—!!!"

The axe energy and the ghost claw collided violently, erupting in a deafening roar! The shockwave rolled, pulverizing all the surrounding rocks and vegetation! The Nether Ghost Claw vibrated intensely, actually splitting open with a crack from the axe energy! Although it wasn't completely broken, its power was greatly diminished!

"What?!" The Soul Hall Venerable Elder, a Peak Eight-star Dou Zong, his pupils constricted, his face showing incredible shock! His full-power strike was actually blocked head-on by a junior at the early Eight-star Dou Zong (A cultivation level) stage, and the junior even had a slight advantage?!

"This child's Heaven Opening Axe Intent is strange! Form the array, trap and kill him!" The Venerable Elder roared, and he and the other four Soul Emissaries instantly formed a sinister Five Ghosts Soul Locking Array! Five pillars of dead energy shot into the sky, transforming into a giant black cage, trapping Xiao Chen within! Inside the cage, chilling winds howled, and countless vengeful spirits shrieked, frantically assaulting Xiao Chen's soul!

"Petty tricks!" Xiao Chen snorted coldly, and his Spirit Realm Soul power erupted. The Indestructible Soul Armor instantly covered his sea of consciousness, blocking all the vengeful spirit impacts! At the same time, the battle axe phantom in his hand changed again!

"Second Form: Splitting Sea!"

The Heaven Opening Axe Intent transformed into an arc-shaped blade of light, not attacking the cage, but rather striking the five connecting points where the array's energy flowed! This axe strike contained the artistic conception of "dividing water and severing currents," precisely cutting off the connections between the five pillars of dead energy!

"Crack!"

The Five Ghosts Soul Locking Array shattered in response! The five Soul Hall assassins suffered backlash, all grunting in unison, and the array instantly collapsed!

"How is this possible?! He can actually see through the array nodes?!" A storm raged in the Soul Hall Venerable Elder's heart; Xiao Chen's performance completely exceeded his expectations!

"Third Form: Splitting Sky!"

Seizing the moment of his mental shock, Xiao Chen's figure moved like lightning. The dark-gold battle axe phantom tore through space, instantly appearing before a Five-Star Dou Zong Soul Emissary! The axe light flashed, and that Soul Emissary didn't even let out a scream before being torn apart by the invisible Power of Space, his soul scattered!

"Fifth Brother!"

"You little bastard, prepare to die!"

The remaining Soul Hall assassins were both shocked and enraged, charging forward frantically! Various sinister Dou Techniques (Fighting Skills) poured down like a torrential rain!

Xiao Chen moved with profound footwork, weaving through the dense attacks. The battle axe in his hand chopped, hacked, or swept, displaying the sharpness and versatility of the Heaven Opening Axe Intent to its fullest! With every clash, a Soul Emissary was either severely injured or killed! His fighting style was domineering, precise, and efficient, as if he was born for battle!

In a mere ten breaths, all four lower-ranked Soul Emissaries were slain! Only the Peak Eight-star Dou Zong Venerable Elder remained!

"Ah—! You little beast! I'll extract your soul and refine your bones!" The Venerable Elder's eyes were bloodshot, completely insane! He burned his vital blood, and dead energy surged around him, transforming into a ferocious Nine Nether Soul Devouring Python phantom. It opened its massive maw, lunging to devour Xiao Chen! This was his desperate, all-out strike, its power comparable to a full-power attack from an initial Dou Zun!

Facing this terrifying strike, Xiao Chen's eyes were solemn, yet fearless! He took a deep breath, pouring his Spirit Realm Soul, his Peak Eight-star Dou Zong Dou Qi (Fighting Skill), the power of his Xiao Clan bloodline, and all his battle intent into the dark-gold battle axe!

"Nine Axes of Heaven Opening... Fourth Form: Meteor!"

The battle axe phantom swelled, transforming into a giant Heaven Opening Axe. Dark-gold light flowed along its blade, as if carrying the power of a fallen star! With an intent to destroy everything, it fiercely cleaved towards the Soul Devouring Python!

"Rumble—!!!!"

An unprecedentedly terrifying explosion echoed in the mountain hollow! The entire hollow was leveled! Smoke and dust shot into the sky, obscuring the sun!

As the smoke and dust slowly dispersed, Xiao Chen was seen kneeling on one knee, his face pale, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The battle axe phantom in his hand had already dissipated, clearly indicating immense consumption. Across from him, the Soul Devouring Python phantom that the Soul Hall Venerable Elder had transformed into had collapsed. His body lay sprawled on the ground, a terrifying axe mark on his chest almost splitting him in half. His breath was faint, and his eyes were filled with endless fear and unwillingness.

"You... who exactly are you...?" The Venerable Elder struggled to utter a few words.

Xiao Chen slowly stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze cold: "The one who kills you."

He pointed his fingers like a blade, unleashing a finger-wind containing a Soul Impact, ending the life of this Soul Hall Venerable Elder.

After the battle, Xiao Chen quickly cleared the battlefield, collected his spoils, and burned the bodies to ashes with a single flame. His expression was solemn, not joyful despite the victory. This ambush clearly indicated that the enemy had precise knowledge of his whereabouts, and they had even dispatched a Peak Eight-star Dou Zong Venerable Elder. This showed that the Soul Hall's level of attention and intensity in pursuing him far exceeded his imagination.

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion... or is there a mole within the Pill Tower?" Thoughts raced through Xiao Chen's mind. He had to be even more careful.

After taking a medicinal pill and resting briefly, Xiao Chen dared not linger. He immediately set off, changing his original route, and fled deeper into the mountain range. He needed to find a safe place to fully recover his Consumption and consider his next plan.

However, he didn't know that shortly after he left, a phantom figure silently appeared above the leveled mountain hollow. The figure was shrouded in mist, its face indiscernible, only a pair of eyes that seemed to perceive all things, watching the direction Xiao Chen had departed.

"Heaven Opening Axe Intent... Xiao Clan bloodline... Interesting, truly interesting." The phantom figure let out a low laugh, "The Soul Hall this time, I'm afraid they've kicked a steel plate. But, that only makes it more interesting... This pool of water in the Central Plains, it's time for it to get murkier."

The figure slowly dissipated, as if it had never appeared.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away, in a certain branch hall of the Soul Hall, a soul jade slip quietly shattered. The furious roar of the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerable guarding the place echoed through the grand hall:

"Useless! You can't even take down a junior Eight-star Dou Zong (A cultivation level)! Issue the order, activate the 'Soul Hunt' at the highest level! Notify all branch halls in the Northern Region, spare no expense, pursue Xiao Chen! We want him alive, or his soul!"

A more frantic and brutal storm of pursuit targeting Xiao Chen officially began! And our protagonist had just embarked on his journey of tempering in the Central Plains. The road ahead was long, fraught with danger!