317: Brother Jiang, I have failed you.

The gap between a Spirit Realm Soul and a mortal soul was an insurmountable chasm, representing a crushing difference in cultivation level.

This long-planned, unreserved Soul Power attack by Jiang Donghua had power far exceeding Chen Ming's imagination and comprehension.

At this moment, the Second Elder of the Xuanming Sect, a dignified Peak Dou Zong, had his soul severely wounded, his consciousness a chaotic mess; let alone mobilizing Dou Qi for defense, even the most basic thought became incredibly difficult for him.

He was like a bomb with its fuse removed, possessing vast energy but completely unable to detonate it, only able to watch in despair as the fatal attack descended.

Xiao Zhen's Great Splitting Hand, condensed with all his Dou Qi, solidly struck Chen Ming's unprotected chest!

"Crack—!"

The sickening sound of bones cracking exploded! Chen Ming's chest visibly caved in, his protective Dou Qi rendered useless due to his wounded soul.

He suddenly widened his unfocused eyes, which were filled with extreme pain, unwillingness, and disbelief!

After dominating the Northern Region for many years, he was actually going to perish here in such a humiliating manner?

The next moment, a phantom, distorted soul body, exuding a dense aura of malice, fled in panic from the ruined corpse—it was Chen Ming's soul!

"Spare me! Senior, spare me! I am willing to serve you! I will tell you all the secrets of the Xuanming Sect!"

Chen Ming's soul let out a desperate shriek; feeling the true threat of death, he no longer cared about dignity and only wanted to survive.

However, begging for mercy was destined to be futile.

As soon as his soul left his body, an invisible force, far more powerful and concentrated than the previous impact, instantly enveloped him like a net cast from heaven and earth!

This was precisely the sensory power of Jiang Donghua's Spirit Realm Soul!

In front of this power, Chen Ming's soul was immobile, like an insect trapped in amber.

Jiang Donghua's eyes were cold, devoid of any pity.

Clemency toward an enemy is cruelty toward oneself.

Without hesitation, he quickly took out a high-quality mutton-fat white jade bottle, specifically used for nourishing and sealing souls, from his storage ring. His hand seals shifted, guiding his Soul Power.

"Retrieve!"

A powerful suction force emanated from the mouth of the jade bottle, and Chen Ming's soul let out one last desperate wail before being forcibly sucked inside the bottle.

Jiang Donghua immediately sealed the bottle completely and casually placed it into his storage ring. The soul of a Peak Dou Zong was priceless, whether used for extracting information or for other purposes.

Everything, from the soul attack to the sealing of the soul, happened in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Zhen, watching Jiang Donghua's smooth, ruthless, and decisive methods, couldn't help but twitch his eye.

This young man, not only possesses bizarre strength, but his temperament and methods are also far from ordinary!

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he immediately shouted in a deep voice.

"Hurry up and leave! We shouldn't stay here long! The commotion from the battle just now was too great; reinforcements from the Xuanming Sect or other disturbed experts could arrive at any moment!"

Jiang Donghua naturally understood this logic.

He flashed over to the unconscious Mu Chen, first checking his pulse. Although his injuries were extremely severe, there was no immediate danger of death. He unhesitatingly took out several healing pills from his storage ring, which exuded a rich medicinal fragrance and were clearly extraordinary items. He carefully pried open Mu Chen's mouth, placed them inside, and used Dou Qi to help him dissolve the medicinal effect and stabilize his heart meridian.

"Let's go!"

Having finished all this, Jiang Donghua gave a low shout.

Xiao Zhen grabbed Xiao Han, who was still slightly dazed, while Jiang Donghua carried the unconscious Mu Chen on his back.

Without any further delay, they maximized their speed, turning into two blurred streaks of light, fleeing in the opposite direction of the Black Wind Mountain Range, quickly vanishing into the vast forest without looking back.

Throughout the frantic journey, Xiao Zhen, the pillar of the Xiao Family, an old monster who had weathered a century of storms and witnessed countless great waves, felt deeply affected.

Yet, his heart was currently churned by massive waves, unable to calm down for a long time. The astonishing scene from moments ago played back repeatedly and uncontrollably in his mind.

That invisible, colorless attack, which contained destructive power, was absolutely not some obscure Dou Technique!

That was a terrifying power that directly targeted the origin of the soul!

"A soul attack, it was definitely a soul attack!"

Xiao Zhen was absolutely certain in his heart.

As a Peak Dou Zong, he had interacted with many Alchemists and deeply understood the profound mystery and power of Soul Power.

Usually, an Alchemist's Soul Power leaned toward gentle, precise control, used for refining pills and sensing.

He had never heard of a soul impact as violent, tyrannical, and purely destructive as the one just now!

"One strike, just one strike! It shattered the soul of a Five-star Dou Zong and instantly stripped a Peak Dou Zong of his ability to resist!"

Thinking of the tragic death of Ghost Shadow, bleeding from his seven orifices, and Chen Ming's stunned and despairing gaze, a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Xiao Zhen's back.

This level of Soul Power could probably only be possessed by those legendary Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmasters, right?

An Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmaster!

What an esteemed existence that was?

They were extremely rare even in the Central Region, their status comparable to or even surpassing some Dou Zun Experts!

However, Xiao Zhen glanced with extreme complexity at Jiang Donghua, who was rushing beside him carrying Mu Chen on his back.

How old did this young man look?

His age was definitely similar to that of his grandson, Xiao Han!

An Eighth-Grade Alchemist Grandmaster so young?

This was simply an Arabian Nights tale!

"Damn it, this is unbelievable!"

Xiao Zhen couldn't help but curse inwardly.

He felt that his understanding of the world over the past century had been completely overturned.

What exactly was the background of this young man?

Could the Jia Nan Academy cultivate such a monster?

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Xiao Zhen's attitude towards Jiang Donghua had changed from initially helping him out of consideration for his grandson to one of intense curiosity, apprehension, and even a subtle, almost imperceptible, respect for him as an equal.

He suppressed the shock in his heart, trying to keep his voice calm as he spoke to Jiang Donghua.

"Young friend, follow me, go this way!"

Saying this, he adjusted direction, leading Jiang Donghua and Xiao Han into another, more remote area of continuous mountain ranges and primeval dense forest.

After several twists and turns through the forest, they finally arrived at the entrance of a hidden valley.

Just as they reached the valley entrance, two powerful auras rose from within, and two figures immediately flashed out, respectfully bowing to Xiao Zhen.

"Old Ancestor!"

Both men had profound auras and were clearly Dou Zong!

Although they appeared to be only One-star and Two-star, they were already formidable powerhouses in the outside world.

They were clearly the personnel Xiao Zhen had arranged in advance to meet them, representing the hidden strength of the Xiao Family.

Xiao Zhen nodded and introduced them to Jiang Donghua.

"Young friend, there is no need to worry. These are all people from my Xiao Family, and this place is temporarily safe."

Just as the group stepped into the valley and their minds began to settle, Mu Chen, who was slumped on Jiang Donghua's back, suddenly trembled violently and spat out another mouthful of thick, black blood exuding a cold, sinister aura. It splashed onto the grass ahead, instantly corroding and withering the green blades!

His already weak aura was now like a flickering candle in the wind, his breath barely perceptible.

He struggled to open one eye, looking at Jiang Donghua's profile close by. He forced a smile onto his pale face that was uglier than crying, his voice intermittent and full of despair and guilt.

"Brother Jiang, it seems I've been saved by you again..."

"It's just that this time my meridians... are shattered... and my five viscera are damaged. I'm afraid... I can only be... a cripple from now on!"

Speaking up to this point, extreme pain and unwillingness flashed in his eyes, but more than that was a deep sense of powerlessness and regret. He desperately grabbed Jiang Donghua's sleeve and used his last bit of strength to say.

"It's a pity, Sister-in-law Red Silk... I ultimately failed to find her. Her whereabouts are unknown. I failed to accomplish the task you entrusted to me!"

Before his voice faded, the light in his eyes completely dimmed. His head tilted, and he fell into a deep coma again, his vital signs extremely weak.

Jiang Donghua's heart tightened. He quickly channeled a thread of Dou Qi to investigate, and his expression instantly became extremely grim.

Mu Chen's injuries were far more severe than he had anticipated!

Chen Ming's Xuanming Cold Palm power was extremely malicious, not only severely wounding his physical body but also continuously eroding his vitality.

Those few words, like a final testament, had nearly exhausted his remaining life force.

He abruptly raised his head, looking sharply at Xiao Zhen, his tone filled with undeniable urgency.

"Senior Xiao! Does this place have an absolutely quiet, undisturbed secret chamber? I must immediately treat my brother's injuries and help him refine the pills inside him, or things could take a turn for the worse!"

Xiao Zhen had heard Mu Chen's words just now, sighing inwardly at the depth of their brotherhood. Seeing Jiang Donghua so anxious, he immediately nodded.

"Yes! Young friend, follow me!"

He said no more, personally leading the way. Instead of entering the obvious structures in the valley, he led Jiang Donghua around several huge rocks to a seemingly ordinary mountain wall.

He formed a seal with his hand, shooting a ray of Dou Qi light into a certain spot on the mountain wall.

"Buzz..."

The mountain wall let out a low rumble, then slowly slid open to the side, revealing a deep, dark passage entrance wide enough for several people to walk abreast!

A rich and pure energy of heaven and earth immediately rushed out from the passage.

"Please enter!"

Xiao Zhen stepped in first.

Jiang Donghua, carrying Mu Chen on his back, followed closely with Xiao Han.

Only after entering the passage did he realize the immense scope of the Xiao Family's work!

The passage walls were inlaid with moonlight stones for illumination and were smooth as mirrors, clearly carved by hand.

As they continued deeper into the mountain, Jiang Donghua could sense that the interior of this entire majestic peak had been almost completely hollowed out!

Stone chambers, warehouses, and cultivation grounds of various functions were distributed inside, the structure complex yet orderly—it was clearly a massive base built within the mountain's core!

The valley they had just entered was probably only one of many back entrances established by the Xiao Family to conceal their true location.

Xiao Zhen explained as they walked.

"This is a secret stronghold of my Xiao Family, absolutely safe. Young friend, you can proceed without worry. There is one of the best quiet rooms for healing ahead, drawing energy from an underground fire vein, which might be helpful to you."

Soon, the group arrived before a heavy stone door.

Xiao Zhen pushed open the stone door. Inside was a spacious stone chamber, with a spirit-gathering formation in the center. Beneath the formation, faint reddish earth-fire energy circulated; the temperature was suitable, and the energy was exceptionally abundant.

"This is the place."

Xiao Zhen said.

Jiang Donghua carefully laid Mu Chen flat on the jade platform in the center of the stone chamber. Looking at his brother's pale face, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes. He turned, cupped his fist towards Xiao Zhen and Xiao Han, and said in a deep voice.

"Senior Xiao, Xiao Han, thank you! Next, I need to focus entirely on treating his injuries, and I cannot be disturbed at all during this time!"

"Young friend, rest assured. I will personally guard you! I absolutely will not allow anyone to approach this place!"

Xiao Zhen promised solemnly.

Having witnessed Jiang Donghua's mysterious and unpredictable Soul Power, he had already placed the other party on a level equal to his own, one he needed to actively befriend.

Xiao Han also nodded heavily.

"Brother Jiang, if you need any pills or assistance, just say the word!"

Jiang Donghua said no more, took a deep breath, and turned to enter the quiet room.

The heavy stone door slowly closed, isolating the inside from the outside.