Chapter 256 Iron Guardian
Xiao Yixian's face was as cold as ice. She didn't say a word, but just waved her hand lightly. Her nails were like being cast by magic, and they instantly became half a foot longer and as sharp as ten daggers. These nails flashed with a gray-purple light, and it was obvious at a glance that they were not only sharp, but also carried deadly toxins.
She waved her fingers casually, and her nails cut through the air, making a sharp hissing sound. Although the sound was subtle, it made people shudder. The air seemed to become fragile under the cutting of her nails, leaving an almost invisible crack, which was enough to prove how sharp her attack was.
Then, Xiao Yixian moved. Her figure was so fast that it was almost invisible. Like a black lightning, she rushed straight to Xiebi Rock. The air around her seemed to vibrate because of her movement. A strong fighting spirit burst out from her body, sweeping across the sky like a storm. The oppressive feeling of this power made the people around her feel suffocated. Even the weaker spectators had to hold their breath.
Xie Biyan's eyes were cold, and he stared at Xiao Yixian's movements closely. He held the cane tightly in his hand, as if he wanted to crush it. Then, he also began to move, and his figure left a series of blurred afterimages in the air like a ghost, and the speed was so fast that it was dazzling.
Under everyone's nervous gaze, the two Dou Zong-level masters collided violently like two comets streaking through the night sky. Their confrontation was like the collapse of heaven and earth, and the energy fluctuations that erupted were like ripples on the water, spreading in all directions. This force was so strong that the surrounding space seemed to tremble, as if it was at risk of shattering at any time.
Although the battle between Xiao Yixian and Xie Bi Yan was extremely fierce, the three elders of Mulan and Yan Luotian were also fighting fiercely with Queen Medusa, Jia Xingtian and others. The battle was difficult to determine the outcome for a while, and the three Dou Zong-level battlefields were evenly matched.
However, on the battlefields of Douhuang and Douwang levels, the situation changed dramatically. The Three Kingdoms Alliance, which originally had the upper hand, saw its situation take a sharp turn for the worse because of the addition of Xiao Zi, a Douzong-level fighter in the Jiama Empire.
They were beaten back step by step, suffering heavy losses. In a short period of time, many Douhuangs had fallen, and as for Douwang-level warriors, the number of deaths was countless.
During the fierce duel with Xiao Yixian, Xie Biyan glanced at the melee below from time to time. He felt particularly heavy-hearted, as those were the elites of the Three Kingdoms Alliance. Although not all of them, at least more than half of the Dou Huang and Dou Wang were here. Even the chief elder of the Wanxie Sect, Wu Ya, was killed by the Dou Zong strongman who just appeared. This made him shocked and angry.
They had originally planned to easily defeat the Gama Empire, a seemingly weak opponent, but they did not expect the situation to reverse so quickly.
Two Dou Zong-level warriors suddenly appeared, one of whom was an equal to him, catching him off guard.
Now, the losses on his side are increasing rapidly, which makes Xie Bi Yan feel unprecedented pressure.
During the battle with the mysterious woman, Xie Biyan was surprised to find that she seemed to have a strong resistance to toxins. Facing the poison he released, she was unconcerned and did not even take the most basic defensive action. This situation gave Xie Biyan a sense of foreboding, and he felt an indescribable threat.
He realized that the current situation must be reversed, otherwise the losses of the Triple Alliance would be unbearable.
Xie Biyan no longer hesitated, he took quick action and used his power to keep a distance from Xiao Yixian. Then, he quickly took out a ball of black mist from his ring, squeezed it with both hands, and the black mist immediately exploded, releasing a strange sound wave that spread out from his palm.
"Humph, it seems that we underestimated the Jia Ma Empire. I didn't expect that they still had two Dou Zong masters who had never appeared. They really caught us off guard." Xie Bi Yan showed a cold smile on his face, "But no matter what, you can't win this war. After I finish you off, I will use your body to enhance my poison skills. My poison attack will definitely be more powerful, hahahaha."
Xiao Yixian had not responded to Xie Biyan before, but was focused on the battle. This duel allowed her to accumulate a lot of practical experience, helping her to better control her rapidly improving strength. She felt that the choice to fight this time was correct because it brought her valuable growth.
However, when the strange sound waves came, Xiao Yixian felt her soul tremble slightly. She realized that Xie Biyan might be summoning something.
Just as her thoughts were in turmoil, a powerful force swept in like a storm from behind the Tripartite Alliance. The aura was so strong that everyone present felt an indescribable sense of oppression.
This momentum gradually spread, and eventually, like an invisible net, tightly wrapped the entire Black Mountain Fortress. The air around seemed to become heavy because of this force, and everyone's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, and a tense atmosphere spread over the fortress.
Yao Chen, who was originally leisurely observing the battle of Little Medical Immortal in the Bone Flame Ring, suddenly felt a familiar powerful aura. This aura made his eyes sharp in an instant, as if two cold rays of light shot out from his eyes, carrying a hint of cold murderous intent.
He whispered to himself, his tone revealing a hint of anger and disdain: "It seems that Xiao Ling's previous guess was correct. The Three Kingdoms Alliance is indeed colluding with the Soul Palace. These guys hiding in the dark like rats are really haunting."
When the powerful aura with a chilling feeling rising from behind the coalition forces of the Three Kingdoms spread, the battles in the sky and on the ground stopped at the same time.
Everyone, whether they were strong men or soldiers, looked towards the source of the aura with doubt and vigilance. Only a few people seemed to know the owner of the aura, while most people were at a loss for this sudden powerful presence.
Even those Dou Zong realm masters who were originally fighting in a group could not help but look gloomy when they felt this aura. They quickly ended the fight with their opponents, stepped back a few steps, kept a safe distance, and temporarily stopped attacking.
They realized that the strength of this aura far exceeded any of them, and was almost comparable to top masters like Xiao Yixian and Xie Biyan. At the critical moment of this battle, the appearance of such a master would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the battle situation, and might even determine the final outcome of the war.
The atmosphere on the battlefield suddenly became tense and depressing, and everyone was guessing the position and intentions of this mysterious strong man. They knew that the joining of this strong man might tilt the balance of the battle, which would be a huge variable for both the Three Kingdoms Alliance and the Gama Empire.
In the distant sky, three fast-moving figures suddenly stopped, revealing the outlines of Qinglin, Ziyan, and Xiaozi. They felt the sudden strong aura, and the rhythm of the battle slowed down slightly.
They stopped their offensive against the Dou Huang and Dou Wang in the Three Kingdoms Alliance. Despite this, more than half of the Dou Wang and Dou Huang had already fallen in this battle. The losses suffered by the Three Kingdoms Alliance in this conflict were undoubtedly extremely heavy.
When the surviving Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs saw that the three powerful opponents did not continue their pursuit, they hurriedly retreated in the direction of the coalition forces. They wished their parents had given them another leg, and that they could run faster and stay away from these three evil stars.
At this moment, Yao Chen's voice rang in Little Medical Immortal's mind. His tone was not as relaxed and easygoing as usual, but rather very serious. "Xian'er girl, a difficult person just came over. He should be a Soul Palace earth-level guardian with strength at the level of a three-star Dou Zong. You have to be careful. If there is any danger, I will lend you a helping hand."
Hearing Yao Chen's words, Xiao Yixian's eyes flashed with surprise. She didn't expect that she would face someone from the Soul Palace directly this time. Although she had heard Yao Chen and Xiao Ling mention the Soul Palace before, and had also heard that Xiao Ling had captured a Soul Palace guardian, this was the first time she had personally encountered someone from the Soul Palace.
Although Xiao Yixian had never fought directly with anyone from the Soul Palace, her impression of the Soul Palace had been greatly reduced by Yao Chen's unfortunate experience and Xiao Ling's previous conflict. If she really ran into someone from the Soul Palace, she would never be merciful. She quickly gathered her thoughts and said to Yao Chen through soul transmission, "I understand, Yao Lao, I will be careful."
Then, Xiao Yixian turned her gaze to the source of the powerful aura. Her pupils shrank slightly, and she silently commented in her heart, "Is this someone from the Soul Palace? It is indeed like what Xiao Ling described. He doesn't look like a good person at first glance."
"Haha, little girl, you didn't expect that our Wanxie Sect still has a Dou Zong strongman hidden, right? Today, I want to see if you can deal with both of us at the same time!" The crutch in Xie Bi Yan's hand slammed heavily in the void, and there was a hint of cold smile in his voice.
Xiao Yixian just glanced at Xie Biyan casually without giving much response. Then, she turned her sight downwards, where Zi Yan and the other two were looking up at her. Their eyes met, and Zi Yan and the other two gave her a firm and reassuring look, indicating that Xiao Yixian didn't need to worry about their condition.
When Zi Yan and the other two met Xiao Yixian's eyes, a thick black smoke suddenly emerged from the depths of the Wanxie Sect. Like a demon being released, it quickly passed through the air and headed straight for the battlefield. In just a few moments, the black smoke stopped in mid-air, then slowly condensed and eventually turned into a blurry figure.
"Hehehe, Xie Bi Yan, I thought you were so powerful, but I didn't expect you would meet an opponent that you can't deal with." The black shadow was suspended in the sky, his eyes swept around, and then he let out a shrill laugh.
"Haha, Iron Guardian is really good at joking. This little girl is not an easy character to deal with," Xie Biyan responded, with a hint of respect for Hei Ying in his tone. "It is really admirable that she can reach such a level at such a young age. However, today's battle is crucial to our Three Kingdoms Alliance, so we can only ask Iron Guardian for help." Xie Biyan's laughter revealed his vigilance against this mysterious person, but he didn't seem to mind the other party's sarcasm.
"Of course, my helping hand is a small matter, but we have to make it clear in advance that the reward afterwards must not be less." The black shadow was surrounded by black mist, as if it would swallow up the surrounding light at any time. His voice was low and carried a hint of unquestionable coldness, echoing in the sky.
Hearing this, Xie Biyan's face tensed up involuntarily, but he soon regained his composure, gritted his teeth, showed a slightly stiff smile, and assured: "Iron Protector, of course. If you work hard, we in the Wanxie Sect will never treat you unfairly. We will prepare everything you need and will never break our promise."
"Hehehe, Scorpion Sect Master is really straightforward, I will definitely help you with this." Iron Guardian let out a creepy laugh, and then his eyes slowly turned to the chaotic battlefield below. He smiled coldly, and his body shook violently. Then, with a sound of chains rustling, several black chains shot out from his body like living venomous snakes, and then quickly coiled and wrapped around him.
"People from the Soul Palace," Little Medical Fairy stared coldly at the black shadow, her tone calm but with a hint of chillness.
"Oh, I never thought that in this remote northwest continent, there are still people who can recognize the Soul Palace." Iron Guardian glanced at Little Medical Fairy, with a hint of amusement in his tone, "Since you know something about the Soul Palace, you should know our strength. I will give you a chance to join us. As long as you have made enough contributions, you can choose any of the high-level techniques and fighting skills in the Soul Palace."
"I won't hang out with you gutter rats." The Little Medical Fairy said coldly, her tone full of disdain.
"Just wait and see, you will soon regret not choosing to stand on our side." The Iron Protector sneered, then turned to Xie Bi Yan, his voice carrying an unquestionable command: "You hold her back first, I'll go collect the souls of those who just died, and we'll deal with her together when I come back." After saying that, the Iron Protector suddenly waved his hand, and the two black chains wrapped around him seemed to be given life, and they shot into the sky suddenly, at a speed that made it almost impossible to capture their trajectory.
On the battlefield, the souls of those who had just died had not yet completely dissipated. The chains of the Iron Protector were like tentacles reaching out from the darkness, silently piercing into the bodies of those Dou Huangs and Dou Wangs who had just stopped breathing.
As the chains pulled, souls with terrified expressions were forcibly pulled out of their bodies, as if being pulled by invisible lines, slowly floating towards the Iron Guardian. He put these souls into his sleeves one by one, his movements were swift and methodical, revealing a kind of numbness and familiarity with this kind of brutality.
“The souls of ordinary strong men are indeed not as good as those of alchemists. If it weren’t for those people in the “Danta” in the central part of the continent who went there to massacre, I’m afraid the mission would be completed soon.” After sucking the soul into the chain, the Iron Protector shook his head and said with regret.
While the Iron Guardian was muttering to himself, the strong men of the Three Kingdoms coalition were frightened by his horrific method and retreated one after another. Although they knew that this mysterious person was their ally, facing such a horrifying method, they still instinctively wanted to keep their distance.
After absorbing those souls, Iron Guardian turned his gaze to where Zi Yan and the other two were. When his sight fell on Qing Lin, a gleam of greed flashed in his eyes.
"Hehehe, what an unexpected surprise, such a powerful soul power, I didn't expect to meet a person with a spiritual soul. It seems that Tie will make a great contribution today." There was a red light flashing in Tie Protector's eyes, revealing greed and excitement that was difficult to conceal.
Qinglin felt uncomfortable being stared at by the Iron Guardian's naked gaze and could not help but frowning. She remembered that her master had mentioned the Soul Palace and knew that they specialized in collecting souls, especially those powerful souls. She had heard about this a long time ago.
Qinglin was born with strong soul power because she had the Green Snake Three Flower Pupils. In addition, she had been practicing the "Dayan Jue" and "Taiyi Soul Jue" given to her by Xiao Ling, so her soul power increased very quickly. Previously, Yao Chen also used the medicinal materials obtained from the Dou Zun Ruins to refine several pills that could increase soul power and help break through to the spiritual realm. Not long ago, her soul realm had been successfully upgraded to the early stage of the spiritual realm.
"It seems that the person from the Soul Palace has set his eyes on my soul and is planning to attack me." Qing Lin sighed and whispered to himself.
Sensing Qinglin's worry, Xiao Zi immediately stood in front of her and turned back to comfort her: "Don't worry, Qinglin, I will protect you."
Zi Yan also came over and stood on the other side of Qing Lin. She gently touched her fists, and a circle of purple energy fluctuations appeared around her. She said in a firm tone: "If anyone dares to attack Qing Lin, I will never let him off easily."
Hearing these words, Qinglin felt warm in her heart, and she responded: "Thank you very much, but don't worry, I won't be bullied easily."
Iron Guardian's eyes accidentally passed over Little Medical Fairy. He muttered something in a low voice and flicked his fingers. The black chains wrapped around him immediately came alive, like three black snakes, and pounced towards Qing Lin and the others swiftly.
"Three Soul Locks!" As the Iron Guardian shouted, three chains intertwined in the air into a black net, cutting through the air and making sharp metal collision sounds. Every time these chains danced, it was like the scythe of the god of death harvesting lives, bringing a chilling sense of oppression.
Seeing the three black chains coming at them at a rapid speed, Xiao Zi reacted quickly, waving his hand to summon a fire barrier, blocking them in front of him, trying to intercept the chains.
The flame barrier collided with the chains, making a dull sound. Xiao Zi tried her best to maintain the barrier, but the power from the three chains was so strong that she felt very exhausted. In the process of resisting, Xiao Zi felt a little uncomfortable from the depths of her soul, a feeling of erosion at the soul level, which made her frown.
(End of this chapter)