122: Meteorite Mountains, Netherworld Soul Refining Formation

Leaving Tianxing City, Xiao Chen and Feng Xian traveled west at an extremely fast pace. As the Young Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion, Feng Xian's mastery of Power of Starlight was exquisite. He rode a flying sword shimmering with starlight, his speed no less than Xiao Chen's spatial teleportation. The two of them were like two shooting stars, streaking across the sky.

The further west they went, the more chaotic the energy in the world became. The originally clear sky gradually grew dim, and the air was filled with a chilling sense of oppression. The earth began to take on an ominous dark red hue, with sparse vegetation and jagged rocks. Occasionally, massive beast bones could be seen scattered on the ground, exuding an ancient and dangerous aura.

Days later, a boundless, dark red mountain range, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, appeared at the horizon. Above the mountain range, there was no blue sky and white clouds, but a twisted, shattered, chaotic void that looked as if it could collapse at any moment! Countless spatial rifts spread like a spiderweb, sometimes swallowing light, sometimes spewing out violent energy currents. The mountain range itself was even more rugged and strangely shaped, with faint, eerie winds and the roars of unknown creatures echoing from within. This was the legendary forbidden land—the Yun Shen Mountain Range!

“What terrifying spatial turbulence!” Feng Xian’s expression was solemn as he stopped his flying sword, gazing at the shattered void. “The space here is extremely unstable. Flying rashly could easily lead to being sucked into a spatial rift, leaving no bones behind!”

Xiao Chen’s Heavenly Realm Soul perception spread out, and his brow furrowed slightly. His Soul Power was greatly suppressed and interfered with here, reducing his perception range to less than a thousand zhang. Moreover, he could clearly feel several terrifying auras hidden deep within the mountain range that made his soul tremble, at least Peak Dou Zun (equivalent to a Seventh-tier Peak) or even Dou Sheng level (Eighth-tier) existences!

“The call of the ancestral land... it’s getting clearer.” Xiao Chen sensed the burning clan mark between his brows, his gaze fixed on a certain direction deep within the mountain range. There, an invisible thread seemed to be pulling at his bloodline.

“Brother Feng, where does the star map point?” Xiao Chen asked.

Feng Xian took out a scroll of an ancient, tattered star map and infused it with Power of Starlight. The star map lit up, revealing a blurry outline of the Yun Shen Mountain Range's periphery and some flickering star markings. “According to the star map, the relatively safe entrance is a place called ‘Soul Severing Canyon’ about a hundred miles ahead. Only by passing through the canyon can we enter the interior of the mountain range. But it is said that there are ‘Soul Devouring Yin Winds’ and spatial traps inside the canyon, making it extremely dangerous.”

“Soul Severing Canyon... let’s go.” Xiao Chen didn't hesitate, taking the lead and soaring towards the canyon. Feng Xian followed closely behind.

The two of them concealed all their auras, moving through the rugged mountainous terrain like ghosts. Along the way, they encountered many bizarre sights: mobile man-eating plants, venomous insects hidden in the shadows, and even vengeful spirits formed from pure resentment! These vengeful spirits had no physical bodies, specialized in attacking the soul, and fought fearlessly, making them extremely troublesome. Fortunately, Xiao Chen's Heavenly Realm Soul had a strong suppressive effect on such evil entities, often dispersing them with a single Soul Impact, while Feng Xian's Power of Starlight also had a purifying effect. Their cooperation was seamless, and they passed through without major incident.

Half a day later, a colossal canyon appeared before them. The cliff walls on both sides of the canyon soared into the clouds, dark red as if stained with fresh blood. Inside the valley, a fierce yin wind howled, stirring up sand and rocks, its sound like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, piercing directly into the soul! Even more terrifyingly, the space within the canyon was extremely unstable, with numerous small spatial rifts visibly appearing and disappearing, emitting a destructive aura.

“This is Soul Severing Canyon! Beware of the Soul Devouring Yin Wind and spatial rifts!” Feng Xian warned, Power of Starlight surging around him to form a starlight shield.

Xiao Chen nodded, his Heavenly Realm Soul Power transforming into an invisible armor to protect his sea of consciousness. At the same time, he pushed his spatial perception to the extreme, carefully avoiding the erratic spatial rifts. The two of them, one in front and one behind, cautiously stepped into the canyon.

The light inside the canyon was dim, and visibility was extremely low. The yin wind scraped against their protective Dou Qi like knives, producing a harsh friction sound, and an invisible force continuously eroded their souls. If not for their powerful soul strength, they would have lost control of their minds long ago. The ground was covered with sharp gravel and the bones of unknown creatures, and the air was filled with a heavy scent of decay.

After traveling for about ten li, everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, Xiao Chen's Heavenly Realm Soul keenly captured an extremely subtle formation fluctuation! This fluctuation perfectly blended with the surrounding chaotic energy environment; if not for his profound soul realm, it would have been impossible to detect!

“An ambush!” Xiao Chen suddenly stopped, shouting sharply!

“What?!” Feng Xian’s expression changed, and he immediately looked around vigilantly.

“Hehehe... As expected of a brat who can break through to the Heavenly Realm Soul, your perception is indeed sharp!” A cold laugh echoed from all directions! On the cliff walls on both sides of the canyon, three figures shrouded in dense death qi slowly emerged, forming a triangle and surrounding Xiao Chen and Feng Xian! The leader, whose aura was as vast as the sea, had actually reached Three-Star Dou Zun! The other two were also Peak Two-star Dou Zun! They were the three Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Hall!

“Scum of the Soul Hall! You really are like lingering ghosts!” Feng Xian roared, his starlight flying sword humming as sword qi erupted.

“Brat from Starfall Pavilion, this has nothing to do with you. Get lost and you might keep your life!” The Three-Star Dou Zun Heavenly Venerable leading them said sinisterly, his gaze fixed on Xiao Chen. “Xiao Chen, this Soul Severing Canyon will be your burial ground today! To deal with you, my Soul Hall has dispatched one Three-Star Heavenly Venerable and two Two-star Heavenly Venerables! You should be proud!”

Xiao Chen's expression was icy, but his heart sank. Three high-level Dou Zun! And one of them was a Three-Star Dou Zun! Such a lineup was enough to besiege and kill an ordinary Four-Star Dou Zun! The Soul Hall had truly gone all out to kill him!

“Just the three of you?” Xiao Chen sneered, his Heavenly Realm Soul pressure erupting to try and intimidate them.

“Hmph! Although your Heavenly Realm Soul is strong, you haven't fully mastered it yet! What's more...” The Three-Star Heavenly Venerable grinned ferociously, forming hand seals. “This place has long been set up with the Netherworld Soul Refining Grand Formation! This formation specializes in countering souls! Let’s see how you resist! Formation, activate!”

“Boom—!”

The entire canyon suddenly shook! On the ground and cliff walls, countless dark runes abruptly lit up! A terrifying suction force came from underground, frantically devouring Xiao Chen and Feng Xian's Dou Qi and Soul Power! At the same time, the power of the Soul Devouring Yin Wind in the canyon surged tenfold, transforming into countless black wind blades that swept down like a deluge! Even more terrifying, the surrounding spatial rifts seemed to be guided, beginning to converge and compress towards their location!

Formation! A killing formation!

“Not good!” Feng Xian’s face turned pale, his starlight shield violently fluctuating under the formation's suction and the wind blade attacks, on the verge of shattering!

Xiao Chen’s eyes were sharp. He knew he absolutely could not be trapped in the formation! He roared, his Heavenly Realm Soul Power and Dou Zun Dou Qi erupting simultaneously! The dark golden battle axe phantom instantly condensed!

“Nine Axes of Heaven Opening—Fifth Form, Void Breaking! Open for me!”

He gripped the axe with both hands and fiercely chopped down at a node where the formation's energy was weakest! Spatial ripples emanated from the axe blade, attempting to tear apart the formation's barrier!

“Boom!”

Amidst a deafening roar, the formation's light barrier violently shook, revealing cracks, but it did not shatter! The three Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables simultaneously spat out a mouthful of vital blood, reinforcing the formation, and the light barrier instantly stabilized!

“It's useless! The Netherworld Soul Refining Grand Formation is a secret transmission of my Soul Hall, combined with the natural dangers of this place, its power is boundless! Unless you are a Five-Star Dou Zun, you can forget about breaking it!” The Three-Star Heavenly Venerable laughed wildly, “Refine souls!”

The formation's power increased again! Black soul-refining flames surged from underground, scorching their souls! Spatial rifts coiled around them like venomous snakes!

“Brother Xiao!” Feng Xian's lips bled, his shield on the verge of collapse!

Xiao Chen's eyes were resolute; he knew he had to fight with all his might! He no longer held back, injecting the Star Soul Power he had just cultivated from the Star God Contemplation Method, along with his Xiao Clan bloodline power and the power of the heaven burning furnace, into the Heaven Opening Axe Intent!

“Star God Guidance, Bloodline Burn, Furnace Opens Heaven! Axe Intent... Reaches the Divine!”

An unprecedented giant axe phantom, wreathed in starlight and faint golden bloodline flames, emerged! Upon the giant axe, a scene of creation seemed to appear! When the axe struck, it was no longer about tearing space, but about... stabilizing the cosmos!

“Crack!”

This time, the Netherworld Soul Refining Grand Formation was split open by a single axe strike as if it were made of paper! The violent energy backlash caused the three Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables to scream and vomit blood simultaneously!

“Go!” Xiao Chen grabbed the heavily injured Feng Xian, his body transforming into a streak of light, about to rush out of the canyon!

However, just as the formation shattered, another anomaly occurred! From the deepest part of the canyon, a surging death qi, a hundred times more terrifying than that of the Soul Hall Heavenly Venerables, containing endless stillness and destruction, erupted like a volcanic eruption! Within the death qi, a blurry, thousand-zhang-tall phantom of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor slowly condensed, its cold eyes locking onto Xiao Chen!

“This is... the forbidden existence of the Yun Shen Mountain Range itself has been alarmed?!” Xiao Chen's pupils contracted sharply, feeling a fatal threat! The aura of this Ghost Emperor phantom had definitely reached the Dou Sheng level!

A wolf in front, a tiger behind! A true dead end!