347: The Soul Palace's backup plan

Mu Qingxian's sudden outburst clearly exceeded Blood River Heavenly Venerable's expectations.

That immense and vast aura of terror, which nearly reached the peak of a Nine-Star Dou Zun, surged out of her body like a volcanic eruption, instantly scattering the bloody stench filling the surroundings!

Her cheeks, originally pale from the poisoning, now showed an unusual flush due to the extreme exertion of her power.

"Good! Good, Hall of Souls! Do you truly think I, Valley Master Mu of the Sound Valley, am made of clay?"

Mu Qingxian's phoenix eyes held killing intent, and her voice was as cold as ten thousand years of profound ice.

"Even if I am afflicted by a strange poison, dealing with a mere Five-Star Dou Zun like you is more than enough!"

She formed a seal with her jade hands, and the sound wave Dou Qi around her vibrated at an unprecedented frequency, drawing the energy of heaven and earth to converge madly. Above the Illusion Sound Platform, it was as if ten thousand gods and devils were chanting and roaring!

An enormously large profound light sound wave palm print instantly condensed. Runes flowed across the palm print, containing destructive power capable of shattering mountains and splitting seas!

"Earth Rank High Tier Dou Technique—Heavenly Sound Shattering Void Palm!"

Before the palm print even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused space to distort, and the hard Illusion Sound Jade Platform below began to crack inch by inch!

The smugness on Blood River Heavenly Venerable's face had long been replaced by shock. He could clearly feel that if this palm strike landed, he would definitely be instantly severely injured, perhaps even perish on the spot!

"Damn it! How could she still possess such power?!"

Blood River Heavenly Venerable roared internally, desperately mobilizing his Blood River Dou Qi to set up layers of thick, blood-colored barriers in front of him, while simultaneously retreating rapidly, hoping to evade this fatal blow.

However, Mu Qingxian struck in fury, and her spiritual energy had already locked onto him completely. The enormous sound wave palm print was like a maggot clinging to bone, moving at an incredible speed, about to smash him and his layers of blood barriers into dust!

In the nick of time!

"Hmph! Valley Master Mu, what great anger!"

A cold, hoarse voice, yet one containing supreme majesty, exploded above the Illusion Sound Platform like thunder!

Immediately following, the space between Blood River Heavenly Venerable and the massive sound wave palm print suddenly shattered like a mirror!

A hand, withered like a ghost's claw, silently reached out.

This hand was wrapped in thick, inky black mist that refused to dissipate, and within the mist, countless souls seemed to be wailing in pain.

The ghost claw seemed slow, but arrived first, gently pressing down on the Heavenly Sound Shattering Void Palm, which was capable of destroying mountains.

"Bang—!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected, only a dull, heavy sound like striking thick leather.

A visible energy ripple violently spread out, instantly clearing the clouds and mist within a thousand-zhang radius!

The Illusion Sound Platform below was even forcibly shaved down by several feet by this shockwave!

Under the ecstatic gaze of Blood River Heavenly Venerable, who had survived a calamity, and the suddenly constricted pupils of Mu Qingxian, a gaunt Black Robed Man, slowly and completely stepped out from the void where the ghost claw and the sound wave palm print had collided. Space was distorted, and black mist swirled around him.

There were no powerful energy fluctuations outwardly visible around him, yet just standing there quietly, he seemed to be the center of the entire world, and even the light dimmed around him.

A pressure far deeper, colder, and more soul-freezing than the aura Mu Qingxian had just unleashed spread out like a tide.

That pressure was precisely that of a peak Nine-Star Dou Zun!

Blood River Heavenly Venerable immediately knelt on one knee as if he had seen his savior, his voice filled with immense respect and excitement.

"Your subordinate, Blood River, greets Seventh Heavenly Venerable!"

The Black Robed Man slightly raised his hand, signaling him to rise.

From beneath the hood, two eyes like ghost fire landed on the extremely solemn Mu Qingxian, and a hoarse laugh emerged.

"Heh heh, Valley Master Mu's Heavenly Sound Spirit Body truly lives up to its reputation. After being poisoned by the Soul-Corroding Miasma, you can still forcefully unleash such combat power. This old man is truly enlightened."

"This Venerable is the Hall of Souls' Seventh Heavenly Venerable, Seventh Heaven Venerable."

Seventh Heaven Venerable!

This name struck Mu Qingxian's heart like a heavy hammer!

The Hall of Souls' Seventh Heavenly Venerable—that was an old monster whose status was revered and whose strength reached the heavens even within the Hall of Souls, truly one of the existences standing at the peak of the continent!

Mu Qingxian's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

A Five-Star Dou Zun like Blood River, she could barely handle him even with the backlash from her secret technique, but facing a Hall of Souls' Seventh Heavenly Venerable who was in peak condition and also a peak Nine-Star Dou Zun, she was poisoned first and had forcefully boosted her strength. She was now at the end of her rope, with absolutely no chance of victory!

At the peak of the mountain, the Sect Master of the Five Poisons Sect was already terrified, his face drained of color, trembling all over.

"Seventh Heavenly Venerable! The Hall of Souls actually sent such a major figure! Venerable, then we don't need to do anything, right?"

He subconsciously looked toward Jiang Donghua, only to see that the other man's expression was still calm, but a trace of interested light seemed to flash through his deep eyes?

Jiang Donghua looked at Seventh Heaven Venerable, who had suddenly appeared below, and the faint curve of his lips seemed to widen slightly.

"A peak Nine-Star Dou Zun. Now this is getting interesting."

Seventh Heaven Venerable's gaze, like ghost fire, fell upon the pale-faced Mu Qingxian, and his hoarse voice carried a cat-and-mouse mockery.

"Valley Master Mu, a wise person submits to circumstances. Your Heavenly Sound Spirit Body is rarely seen in ten thousand years; it would be too great a pity if you were to perish here."

"Why not submit to my Hall of Souls? With your talent, the Hall Master will surely value you greatly, and your future status might not even be below mine."

"Why sacrifice your life for a Sound Valley that has long been in decline?"

These words sounded like a plea for surrender, but they actually contained a powerful soul attack, attempting to dismantle Mu Qingxian's fighting spirit.

Su Ning, standing nearby, immediately grew anxious upon hearing this.

Blood River Heavenly Venerable had promised to elevate her to Valley Master. If Mu Qingxian surrendered to the Hall of Souls, where would her position be?

She couldn't help but shriek.

"Seventh Heavenly Venerable! You mustn't! This old woman is stubborn and will never truly submit. Why not..."

Before she finished speaking, Seventh Heaven Venerable didn't even turn his head, but the shadow beneath his hood seemed to glance at her slightly.

"Pfft—!"

Su Ning was struck by a heavy blow and sent flying backward. While still in mid-air, she spat out a large mouthful of blood and crashed heavily onto the ground. Her aura instantly weakened, and her eyes were filled with endless terror.

Seventh Heaven Venerable spoke indifferently, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"When I speak, when is it ever the turn of an ant like you to interrupt?"

"Valley Master Mu, is this the kind of idiot who can't discern the situation, the Disciple you painstakingly cultivated for over twenty years?"

"It seems your ability to instruct Disciples is quite limited."

Mu Qingxian looked at Su Ning, who had been heavily injured with a casual strike. A trace of complexity flashed in her eyes, but it was overshadowed by cold indifference.

A traitor meeting this end was her own fault.

All her attention was currently focused on how to escape the predicament.

Facing Seventh Heaven Venerable's offer of surrender, Mu Qingxian outwardly displayed struggle, hesitation, and internal wavering, even deliberately allowing the surging aura around her to show a slight instability, pretending to seriously consider the offer.

Secretly, however, she injected a hidden stream of Dou Qi into an ancient jade slip she held tightly within her sleeve.

That was the life-saving item passed down through generations of the Sound Valley, a spatial communication jade slip. Once crushed, it could transmit a crisis signal and approximate location back to the Valley's core forbidden area, no matter the distance.

At that time, the elders remaining in the Valley would activate the final contingency plan, either coming to her aid or initiating a transfer.

"The Hall of Souls is powerful. This Valley Master truly needs to consider the welfare of everyone in the Sound Valley!"

At the same time, she exerted force with her fingertip!

The jade slip shattered immediately!

However, the expected spatial fluctuation did not appear!

After the jade slip shattered, it turned into a cluster of tiny light spots, but these were blocked by an invisible barrier, merely spreading out a barely noticeable ripple before completely dissipating into the air, failing to penetrate this area of heaven and earth!

Mu Qingxian's face instantly turned ashen white!

Her greatest reliance had failed!

"Heh heh heh..."

Seventh Heaven Venerable let out a deep, satisfied laugh.

"Valley Master Mu, were you waiting for this?"

Just then, above the Illusion Sound Platform, two other areas of space rippled open like water curtains. Two figures, also wearing Black Robes and possessing monstrous auras, slowly stepped out, one on the left and one on the right.

The person on the left was burly, with a violent aura, having reached the level of an Eight-Star Dou Zun!

The person on the right was slightly leaner, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he was at the peak of a Seven-Star Dou Zun!

The moment these two appeared, their energies subtly connected with Seventh Heaven Venerable's, forming a strange resonance that sealed this area of heaven and earth even more tightly!

The burly Eight-Star Dou Zun laughed heartily, his voice like a great bell.

"Big Brother, it seems Valley Master Mu was still hoping to send a message!"

"Too bad. This space has long been sealed by our three brothers' Three Talent Space Locking Array! Never mind sending a message, not even a fly can escape!"

The leaner Seven-Star Dou Zun also chimed in sinisterly.

"That's right! Mu Qingxian, give up all hope! I, Eighth Heavenly Venerable, Eighth Heaven Venerable, and Ninth Celestial, Ninth Heaven Venerable, are blood brothers with Seventh Heavenly Venerable, Seventh Heaven Venerable!"

"Today, with us three brothers present together, you have no chance of escape!"

Seventh Heaven Venerable's gaze beneath his hood held a sense of absolute control as he looked at Mu Qingxian, who had completely fallen into despair, and slowly said.

"Now, you can make your choice. Is it submission, or death?"

Three Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerables: one peak Nine-Star, one Eight-Star, and one peak Seven-Star!

Such a terrifying lineup, just to capture one Eight-Star Dou Zun who was poisoned and had her retreat sealed off!