Jia Xingtian was a peak Dou Emperor, yet he had never been able to take that final step. However, he was extremely sensitive to this aura.
"Dou Ancestor, how is this possible? He's still so young," Nalan Jie's emotions were complex.
"This power should not originate from him; it must have a time limit," Fa Ma thought back to why he had been unable to see through Xiao Yan before; it was likely due to this power at play.
"This is bad; Chen Mo is in danger." Fa Ma still held Chen Mo in high regard, but in a country where even a Dou King could be considered a strong presence, the emergence of a Dou Ancestor was nearly a dominating force.
Fa Ma could not stop it.
"Teacher," Nalan Yanran looked at Yun Yun beside her, waiting for her decision.
At the moment Xiao Yan's aura reached that of a Dou Ancestor, Yun Yun had already made up her mind.
Protect Chen Mo.
Just as Yun Yun prepared to blow the flute, someone had already taken the lead.
Yun Leng pulled out a cloud-white flute from his Storage Ring, placed it to his lips, and blew hard. A strange, sharp sound suddenly erupted from the flute.
The piercing flute sound echoed around Cloud Mist Mountain, lingering endlessly.
As the sound resonated, everyone in the square fell silent.
Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma exchanged a knowing glance, then their pupils suddenly constricted, as if they had recalled something.
"That old guy really isn't dead!" they exclaimed in unison.
As the flute sound dissipated, a tremendous aura spread from deep within Cloud Mist Mountain, a pressure that could rival "Xiao Yan" enveloped the entire mountain.
Under the gaze of all, a white figure suddenly emerged from deep within Cloud Mist Mountain, stepping through the void, slowly making its way toward the square.
The white figure's movements appeared slow, yet in just a few steps, it reached the air above the square, emanating an aura that contended with "Xiao Yan."
"It's the previous sect master of Yunlan Sect, Yun Shan." Below, a leader of a faction recognized the identity of the white figure.
"I didn't expect that after all these years, someone would still recognize this old man," Yun Shan said, his hands tucked into his sleeves, speaking in a calm tone.
His gaze swept across the crowd, first resting on Chen Mo suspended in mid-air, and he smiled, "You must be Chen Mo, very good!"
Chen Mo nodded, secretly thinking, "It seems many formidable figures are about to emerge today."
After sizing up Chen Mo, Yun Shan finally turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, then uttered a line that took everyone by surprise: "You must be Xiao Yan; this old man has been waiting for you for a long time."
"Xiao Yan" was taken aback.
"To be precise, I've been waiting for that soul entity within you for a long time," Yun Shan answered, smiling, resolving "Xiao Yan's" confusion.
"Oh, you've been waiting for me?" an aged voice slipped from Xiao Yan's lips, causing the crowd below to shudder.
"Indeed, this power does not belong to him," Fa Ma realized, then pondered, "It seems a mysterious strong figure is assisting him."
Meanwhile, Yao Lao also began to converse quietly with Xiao Yan, "It seems the events of today were premeditated by Yunlan Sect; we're in for a tough battle."
"No matter what, Chen Mo must die today; teacher, you should have sensed it too. My heart demon has arisen, and unless I eliminate it, my cultivation will likely struggle to advance further."
"Don't worry; we've prepared for so long; unexpected incidents were within our expectations."
Yun Shan's sudden appearance did not faze Yao Lao.
Sensing "Xiao Yan's" disdain, Yun Shan smiled without anger, "Today, you'll likely have to stay here with the kid you're possessed by."
"Just based on you?" [Xiao Yan] shot a disdainful glance at Yun Shan, his contempt evident as the three-colored flames around him burned even more fiercely.
"Hehe, someone will take care of you; to be precise, the one waiting for you is not me, but…" Yun Shan chuckled, then clapped his hands, the crisp sound echoing through the sky.
"Protector Wu, the one you've been waiting for has arrived."
As Yun Shan's voice fell, a large expanse of black mist suddenly surged from a hall within Cloud Mist Mountain, rapidly condensing in the sky, ultimately forming a deep black mist cloud.
"Xiao Yan's" expression turned grave as he said in a low voice, "I didn't expect that Yunlan Sect would have dealings with the Hall of Souls."
The sudden scene left the crowd below in a daze.
Yun Yun also looked at the black mist with a shocked expression; its appearance in such a manner was clearly not a good sign. She then turned to Yun Leng with a stern face, her sharp gaze seemingly questioning him about why this black mist had emerged from the Elder Hall.
But Yun Leng completely ignored Yun Yun, his eyes fixed intently on the figures in the sky.
"You…" Yun Yun's eyes held a hint of anger.
Amidst the swirling black mist, a sinister, eerie laugh emerged.
"Jie Jie Jie, Yao Chen, I didn't expect the soul entity they spoke of would actually be you. All those years ago, I let you escape by chance, and the Hall of Souls has been searching for you for so long. I didn't expect you to appear here."
Protector Wu laughed ominously; he was all too familiar with this aura, having been a participant in that event years ago.
Yao Chen, the boy from the Xiao family; it seems today I will achieve great merit for the Hall of Souls.
"A bunch of rat-like monsters, today you will repay a part of that debt to the Hall of Souls!" [Xiao Yan] glared coldly at the figure within the black mist, his voice filled with boundless fury and killing intent.
"Celestial Change!"
With a fierce shout, [Xiao Yan's] aura surged once more.
Dou Ancestor one star.
Dou Ancestor two stars.
Dou Ancestor three stars.
Dou Ancestor six stars.
[Xiao Yan]'s realm climbed steadily to Dou Ancestor six stars before finally stopping.
One star, one day.
Yun Shan was only at Dou Ancestor one star.
Protector Wu was merely at Dou Ancestor three stars.
With such a disparity in stars, even if the two joined forces, it would be futile.
"How is this possible?" The previously confident Protector Wu's expression suddenly changed; he hadn't expected Yao Chen to use a secret method to elevate his cultivation so much.
Seeing the pressure suddenly surpassing him, Yun Shan's face turned pale; after all their plotting, were they really going to fail?
"This is a bit troublesome; we must join forces to take him down."
Protector Wu's strange voice helped stabilize Yun Shan's emotions slightly.
"Dirty insects, die!" When enemies meet, their eyes turn red; [Xiao Yan] wasted no time on idle talk. A surging, powerful soul force erupted from within him, overwhelming the two.
"Jie Jie, Yao Chen, secret methods are not just your domain!" Seeing Yao Chen's actions, Protector Wu let out a strange laugh, then waved his sleeve, and streams of eerie black mist surged from within him, quickly condensing into a thick layer of black mist clouds in the sky.
Protector Wu's cultivation also soared.