Chapter 423: The Cowherd Boy

In a secluded and desolate corner of Central Plains, there stood a heavily guarded black palace between the cliffs.

Inside the palace, in one of its rooms, numerous jade scrolls floated in the air, bobbing up and down, creating a mysterious sight.

Crack!

Suddenly, one of the jade scrolls shattered, and the white jade fragments scattered on the ground.

Within another secret room of the palace, black fog swirled, concealing a figure within. When the jade scroll broke, the black fog came to a halt, revealing the person's full appearance.

The figure wore a black robe, with an unremarkable face, looking like an ordinary person. His hands, revealed from the sleeves, appeared slightly rough. However, despite the unassuming appearance, his eyes were filled with fury.

Without any visible movement, in the next moment, he had already appeared in the space where the jade scrolls were kept. Glancing at the scattered jade fragments on the ground, he muttered in anger, "First Tianzun Hun Wuya actually died!"

He didn't have many Dou Saints to command!

Frustrated, he waved his hand, summoning the broken jade scroll.

With swift hand seals, the jade scroll emitted a faint glow, and a mighty soul power ruptured the space, shuttling towards the distance.

In just a moment, he arrived above Holy Pill City and immediately saw Xiao Ming putting the First Tianzun's body into his storage ring, seemingly ready to deal with the remaining Hall of Souls experts.

'Ha! It turns out to be the brat from the Xiao Clan. I had previously underestimated him, but now that he's here, let's take him away!'

Boom!

The space above Holy Pill City churned suddenly, and an enormously powerful soul fluctuation erupted from within, crashing fiercely towards Xiao Ming!

At the same time, Xiao Ming, who was preparing to chase the Hall of Souls experts, was also taken aback. Reacting hastily, he turned around and unleashed a solid punch, channeling his soul power from his forehead.

Xiao Ming was caught off guard by this unexpected and terrifying collision. His mind echoed with a buzzing sound, and he even felt a dizzying sensation. He was forcefully pushed back, retreating several thousand meters.

"Who?!"

Xiao Ming quickly regained his composure after the attack. He did his best to stabilize his soul fluctuations, while his soul power spread throughout the surrounding area.

At the same time, a furious shout resounded from his mouth. The person who launched the attack was capable of injuring him, clearly possessing a soul power much stronger than his own!

The sight of Xiao Ming being thrown so far by the attack stunned Xuan Kong Zi and the others. Xiao Ming's soul power was capable of killing a Dou Saint, so the fact that he was thrown so far indicated that the person attacking was extremely powerful!

'Who is this person?'

Xuan Kong Zi and the others halted their pursuit of the Hall of Souls experts and looked at the dark figure. A thought immediately popped into their minds.

'This soul fluctuation seems somewhat familiar...'

This thought was unique to the three giants of the Pill Tower.

"Are you Xiao Ming from the Xiao Clan?"

Upon hearing the faint voice coming from above Holy Pill City, Xiao Ming looked up and saw a dark figure exuding immense pressure. While feeling a slight shock, a conjecture immediately surfaced in his mind, 'The Hall of Souls' Chief, Hun Mie Sheng?'

In the Hall of Souls, besides the Hall Chief, Hun Mie Sheng, Xiao Ming couldn't think of anyone else capable of cultivating their soul to such a level.

"It appears you have devoured the soul essence collected by our branch halls. Otherwise, you wouldn't have reached the Late Heaven Realm. Truly worthy of being Xiao Xuan's descendant, you indeed carry some of his demeanor from back in the day..."

"I initially planned to deal with some troubles after I came out of seclusion. However, since you dared to kill our Hall of Souls' First Tianzun, awakening me prematurely, then you shall accompany me back to the Hall of Souls. The soul essence of our Hall of Souls is not something anyone can enjoy!"

As that indifferent voice echoed, Xiao Ming suddenly felt as if this entire world was imprisoned. Even his soul seemed to be stagnating, and the rest of the people in Holy Pill City were also frozen in place, their eyes filled with horror.

"Your soul power is formidable, but unfortunately, your true body is too weak..."

The void rippled, and then a gigantic black hand, spanning hundreds of meters, took shape in the sky, reaching out to grab Xiao Ming.

"Hun Mie Sheng, given your seniority, it's excessive to attack a junior like this..."

Just as the dark giant hand was about to strike Xiao Ming, suddenly, a faintly old voice rang out, and another equally massive giant hand formed in the sky. The two collided with a thunderous clash, unleashing a terrifying soul storm that broke through the imprisonment of this world.

Upon hearing this voice, Xuan Kong Zi and the others revealed a trace of delighted smiles. It was the Ancestor!

Fantastic! With the Ancestor here, this mysterious person would not be able to harm them in the slightest.

The Ancestor had established great prestige in saving the Pill Tower from danger on several occasions.

Other individuals were somewhat bewildered, feeling both curious and fearful about the mysterious figure.

"Old Ghost, are you sure you want to protect this Xiao Clan junior? Be careful, or you might become nourishment after I destroy your spiritual intelligence!" As the attack was thwarted, the voice of the Hall of Souls' Chief resounded angrily through the sky.

"Hehe, with your abilities, I'm afraid you lack the capability to do that, Hun Mie Sheng..." The aged voice responded slowly.

"You!"

"Why don't you leave my Pill Tower right away!"

As the words fell, another immense surge of soul power rushed toward Hun Mie Sheng.

"Damn it!"

Hun Mie Sheng blocked the attack and looked at his somewhat ethereal body, cursing in anger. He was only briefly out of seclusion and couldn't unleash his full power.

If he continued the battle, his soul would be at risk of injury, which would affect his ability to continue his seclusion.

With no other choice, Hun Mie Sheng could only utter some harsh words, rupturing the space, and taking all the Hall of Souls' experts present with him as he left.

Meanwhile, on a plain located tens of thousands of miles away from the Pill Tower, a green ox leisurely chewed on grass. On the ox's back, a young cowherd of about five or six years old slowly raised his head, gazing towards the distant northwest direction. In his clear eyes, there seemed to be a profound understanding of all things in the world.

"Sigh, Xiao Clan junior, the Hall of Souls... I wonder how long this turmoil will last in Central Plains..."

The young cowherd sighed with a childish voice, then flicked the cow's whip, urging the ox to move slowly away.

...

Back in Holy Pill City, Xiao Ming was drenched in a cold sweat as he withdrew his soul power back into his body. His eyes were filled with seriousness.

He hadn't expected that killing the First Tianzun would attract Hun Mie Sheng. The earlier scene would have made it difficult for him to flee if it hadn't been for the assistance of that mysterious expert.

After all, Hun Mie Sheng's strength was superior to his own, being a five-star Dou Saint...