SOUL BURIAL GORGE

"Dou Venerate?!" 

Upon hearing the report from the Protector, the Soul Hall Elder's eyes gleamed with interest. In a low, commanding tone, he asked, "This is intriguing. Where exactly did Protector Shou's life token shatter?"

 "Honored Elder," the Protector quickly responded, "judging by the direction from which Protector Shou's life token shattered, it occurred in the magic beast Mountain Range, six thousand miles from here."

 "The magic beast Mountain Range?" The Soul Hall Elder narrowed his eyes, contemplating. "Did Protector Shou manage to convey the name of this Dou Venerate?"

 The Protector lowered his head, replying, "The life token shattered too quickly, but there were two words: 'Devourer Tianxiao.'"

"'Devourer Tianxiao?'" The Soul Hall Elder paused, mulling over the name. "There are only a few reclusive Dou Venerates in the Northwest Continent, but none of them go by that title. This must be a newly ascended Dou Venerate."

 The Soul Hall's influence spanned the entire Dou Qi Continent. As the head of a branch in the Northwest Region, the Soul Hall Elder was certain that if there were a Dou Venerate in this region, he would have known about it.

 After a moment's thought, the Elder's expression darkened. "It doesn't matter who this person is. Anyone who dares to kill a member of the Soul Hall even if he is a Dou Venerate, must pay the price!"

 With a wave of his hand, the space before him twisted violently, and dozens of shadowy figures appeared out of thin air.

 These figures were densely packed, each exuding an aura of at least Dou King level.

 "Lead the few Protectors and this group of Soul Envoys to the magic beast Mountain Range and investigate. If you find this person, contact me immediately," the Soul Hall Elder ordered sternly.

 "Yes, Honoured Elder," the Protector replied, bowing low before swiftly departing.

 the Soul Hall Elder then resumed his closed-door cultivation, waiting for the Protectors to return with news.

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**Meanwhile, in the Soul Burial Gorge...**

Xie Tianxiao, following the directions given by Protector Shou had arrived early in the forest known as Soul Burial Gorge but after searching he found no trace of the Soul Hall.

 Frowning slightly, Xie Tianxiao muttered to himself, "Strange. Six thousand miles south should have brought me here, but there's no sign of the Soul Hall's branch."

 "Could it be that I've come to the wrong place? Isn't this Soul Burial Gorge?"

 Soul Burial Gorge, as its name suggested, was a place of buried souls—a vast and dangerous forest. The forest was teeming with magical beasts, and its dark rivers were deep and bottomless. Anyone who fell into them was likely to become a lost soul.

 Because of its peril, few dared to venture into the forest, and the surrounding nations seldom sent people into its depths. Over time, the forest became known as Soul Burial Gorge, a place few would approach.

 "Hmm? There's a battle going on!"

 Suddenly, Xie Tianxiao sensed a fierce skirmish occurring on the other side of the forest. In a flash, he vanished from his spot and reappeared above the battlefield, concealing himself as he observed the scene below.

 A man in a green robe was locked in combat with a group of magical beasts, led by several fifth-tier beasts. These creatures, with their sharp claws, fangs, and scales of black armor, looked extremely ferocious and terrifying.

 "A Dou Emperor? What is he doing here?" Xie Tianxiao wondered, his eyes narrowing in surprise.

 After all, Soul Burial Gorge was known for its deadly reputation among the surrounding nations. Even a Dou Emperor would be cautious about entering, yet this man had ventured in, which was quite rare.

 "Roar!!!"

 Below, the man swung his large blade, unleashing a thick, dense blade aura that surged out from the blade, enveloping the surrounding soul beasts.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

 The blade aura struck the soul beasts, producing deafening explosions. The three- and four-tier beasts at the front were blown to pieces, leaving nothing but blood mist in their wake.

 "Not bad. For someone who has just broken through to the Dou Emperor level, to instantly kill so many four-tier magical beasts is commendable," Xie Tianxiao remarked with a hint of admiration.

 However, the remaining fifth-tier magical beasts, enraged by the loss of their underlings, roared furiously and charged at the man.

 The green-robed man's eyes flashed with seriousness. He took a step back, then suddenly retreated, slashing his blade down multiple times. With each swing, a wave of blade aura roared out, slicing through the magical beasts that leaped toward him.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

 Wave after wave of attacks fell, reducing the towering trees around him to splinters and toppling them to the ground, leaving deep scars in the earth.

…

"It's time to move on," Xie Tianxiao was about to leave when he suddenly sensed a wave of sinister, evil auras rushing toward him.

 "This aura…!!" Xie Tianxiao's eyes narrowed, a sharp light flashing within them. "It's the Soul Hall, no doubt, and there are quite a few of them."

 "It seems I wasn't wrong after all. The Soul Hall is indeed nearby!" Xie Tianxiao smirked. He had thought he would need to search for a while longer, but it seemed that the Soul Hall members had come out on their own, saving him the trouble of hunting them down.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…"

"Swish! Swish! Swish…"

 A series of sharp sounds echoed through the forest as dozens of Soul Hall envoys descended from the sky, surrounding the green-robed man who was still battling the magical beasts.

 Seeing the sudden appearance of these black-robed figures, the green-robed man's pupils contracted in fear, his face paling.

 "Who… who are you?" the green-robed man stammered, his voice trembling with fear as he stared warily at the group.

 The man had come to the forest in a desperate bid to save his wife, who had been poisoned by a treacherous enemy and was nearing death. He had heard from an alchemist that a rare herb needed to cure her grew in this forest, so he had rushed to find it. However, just as he located the herb, a group of magical beasts attacked him.

 Fortunately, he had enough strength to fend them off, or he would have already perished. But now, these mysterious figures had appeared out of nowhere, exuding a terrifying aura. The weakest among them was a Dou King, and there were even several Dou Emperor-level auras mixed in!

 "Kehehe."

 Three figures appeared in the sky, their sinister laughter ringing through the air.

 "Who would have thought that a little rat would wander into Soul Burial Gorge?"

 The leader of the three, an old man with a face covered in hideous scars, grinned maliciously.

 These three Protectors had been tasked by the Soul Hall Elder to lead the Soul Envoys in investigating the magic beast Mountain Range, but the commotion here had drawn their attention.

 When the green-robed man saw the three figures stepping on the void, he turned deathly pale as his eyes was filled with terror. "D-Dou ancestor…"

 "Kehehe, you pathetic insect, how dare you trespass on Soul Hall's territory? You're courting death!"

 Seeing the man's frightened expression, the leader of the Protectors let out a cold laugh. In an instant, he appeared beside the man, his hand reaching for the man's throat.

"!!"

 The green-robed man's pupils dilated in terror, but there was nothing he could do to stop the incoming blow!

"Boom!"

 Just as the Protector's hand was about to close around the man's throat, a massive, spectral hand materialized from the void, grabbing the Protector's throat instead, immobilizing him completely!

 "Wha—?!!"

 The Protector's face contorted in shock and fear as the bones in his neck were crushed with a sickening snap, blood spraying from his mouth.

 The Earth-ranked Protector was dead in an instant!

 "Who dares to kill a Protector of the Soul Hall?!" The remaining two Protectors' faces twisted in horror as they scanned the surroundings with growing anxiety.

 "So many Soul Envoys, and you needed a Protector to kill a mere Dou Emperor? Ridiculous!"

 A cold voice echoed through the air as Xie Tianxiao, hands clasped behind his back, finally appeared before them.