106: Fight your way out, blood stains the swamp

Above the silver swamp, five figures shrouded in black robes stood suspended in the air. Powerful Soul perception swept over the seemingly calm swamp again and again, like a comb. The leader was the gloomy-faced Six-Star Dou Zong Elder of the Hall of Souls, Mu Gu. The black crystal atop the bone staff in his hand trembled slightly, pointing toward a certain spot in the swamp.

"Hmph, although the thousand illusions breath hiding talisman is ingenious, the residual spatial fluctuations here and the faint trace of Qi escaping from that woman's damaged Soul cannot escape my 'Soul Searching Crystal'!" Elder Mu Gu's eyes flashed with cruelty and greed. "They must be hiding beneath this swamp! Deploy the 'Five Ghosts Soul Locking Formation' and force them out!"

Four Hall of Souls guards responded immediately, quickly taking positions to the four sides, forming a siege around Elder Mu Gu. The five simultaneously formed hand seals, and dense Nether Dou Qi burst forth, intertwining in the air into five thick black light pillars. At the top of each pillar, a hideous ghost head materialized. The ghost heads opened their mouths, spitting out countless fine black threads, which descended like a massive spider web, covering the silver swamp below!

The Five Ghosts Soul Locking Formation! This Formation was not meant for direct assault, but rather used the power of the Nether to penetrate and seal space, constantly eroding the Souls of the beings within the Formation, forcing them to reveal themselves, or causing their Souls to directly collapse and perish!

As the black threads touched the swamp surface, the viscous silver liquid immediately churned as if boiling, emitting "hissing" sounds. The calming effect within the liquid was rapidly destroyed. The power of the Formation penetrated the swamp, eroding toward the bone-constructed space at the bottom!

Inside the bone-constructed space, Li Ao and Medusa simultaneously felt a chilling, bone-piercing power penetrating the Restriction, attempting to bore into their Souls.

"The Formation is complete, we can't hide anymore!" Li Ao's eyes were icy, filled with killing intent. He glanced at Medusa; although her Soul was still weak, the Battle Intent in her purple eyes burned fiercely, like fire beneath ice.

"This Queen can still fight." Medusa slowly rose. Seven-colored light flowed around her again; although not as dazzling as during her peak, it carried an added sense of desperate resolve. She made a grasping motion with her jade hand, and a seven-colored, snake-shaped longsword, entirely condensed from Soul Power, appeared in her grip, its tip pointed upward.

"Good! I will attack, you provide support, tear open the Formation, and strike down their leader!" Li Ao roared softly. The blood Qi and Dou Qi within his body erupted like a volcano! Pushing the power of the Bronze Battle Body to its limit, his entire Aura became incredibly savage and overbearing!

"Boom!" He no longer concealed himself. His figure shot up like a cannonball, directly smashing through the top of the bone-constructed space and bursting through the viscous swamp, appearing brazenly within the Five Ghosts Soul Locking Formation, bringing with him waves of silver mud.

"They're out! Kill!" Elder Mu Gu shouted fiercely. The power of the Formation instantly converged, and the five ghost heads simultaneously sprayed out condensed Nether Soul Thorns, like five venomous Dragons, biting toward Li Ao from different directions!

"Hegemon Fist—Mountain Splitter!" Li Ao did not dodge or evade, launching both fists simultaneously! Dark golden blood Qi intertwined with a bronze sheen, transforming into two incomparably condensed fist energies, which slammed fiercely into two of the Nether Soul Thorns like two ancient divine mountains!

"Bang! Bang!" The fist energies collided with the Soul Thorns, producing deafening booms! The two Soul Thorns, which were powerful enough to severely wound a low-star Dou Zong, were actually blasted apart by Li Ao using sheer Physical Body strength! The violent energy shockwave swept out, causing the remaining three Soul Thorns to deviate from their trajectory!

"What?! His Physical Body..." Elder Mu Gu's pupils contracted sharply. The Physical Body strength displayed by Li Ao once again exceeded his expectations!

Just as he was shocked— "Seven-Colored—Instant Radiance!"

A cold, soft cry rang out! Medusa's figure appeared like a phantom behind one of the Hall of Souls guards maintaining the Formation. The seven-colored snake sword silently thrust out, its tip condensed with extreme penetrating and purifying power!

That guard was merely a Two-Star Dou Zong, and most of his concentration was focused on maintaining the Formation. How could he have expected a target with a damaged Soul to dare to take the initiative to attack, and at such speed!

"Puchi!" The seven-colored snake sword easily pierced through his Nether protective Dou Qi like a hot knife through butter, stabbing into his back! The purifying power contained within the blade instantly erupted, like the blazing sun melting snow, annihilating his heart and Soul simultaneously!

A Two-Star Dou Zong fell instantly! A corner of the Five Ghosts Soul Locking Formation was immediately breached! The Formation light flickered violently, and its power was greatly reduced!

"You court death!" Elder Mu Gu was furious. He swung his bone staff, and a condensed ray of Nether Death Light shot toward Medusa like a sharp arrow!

However, how could Li Ao give him the chance?

"Your opponent is me!" Li Ao stepped on the Thunder Sound Steps, his figure appearing instantly in front of Medusa. His fist, covered in a bronze sheen, smashed out again, directly shattering the Nether Death Light! His icy gaze fixed on Elder Mu Gu, and he strode through the air step by step. With every step, his Aura climbed higher; that savage, Annihilation-like essence caused Elder Mu Gu's heart to tremble.

"Form the Formation! Quickly form the Formation!" Elder Mu Gu roared at the three remaining, slightly panicked guards.

But just as the three attempted to move, Medusa's seven-colored snake sword transformed into a sky full of sword shadows, enveloping them like a sudden storm! Although her Soul Power was insufficient, her swordsmanship was exquisite, and the elemental restraint she possessed instantly forced the three guards into a flurry of panic, making it impossible for them to reform the Formation.

The battlefield was split! Li Ao faced the strongest opponent, Six-Star Dou Zong Mu Gu, alone! Medusa, by herself, tied down the three low-star Dou Zong guards!

"Insolent junior! Nether Soul Prison!" Elder Mu Gu knew he could not hold back any longer. He tossed his bone staff into the air and rapidly formed hand seals! Black mist churned around him, transforming into a massive black prison filled with distorted Soul shadows, which descended to envelop Li Ao! Inside the prison, countless vengeful Souls shrieked, emitting terrifying power that eroded Souls and restricted Dou Qi!

This was his Domain-type Dou Technique! Once trapped inside, even experts of the same rank would find it difficult to escape!

Facing the descending Nether Soul Prison, not only did Li Ao show no fear, but a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

"Domain? Trying that in front of me?" He pointed his fingers like a blade. The wisp of Annihilation Rule Origin in his Sea of Consciousness vibrated wildly! An essence of "Return to Stillness," far vaster and purer than before, erupted outward with him at the center!

"Annihilation Domain—All Things Return to Nothingness!"

There were no gorgeous colors, no earth-shattering momentum. Only a gray, hazy Domain, which seemed capable of swallowing all light, sound, energy, and even existence, quietly unfolded around Li Ao.

The seemingly terrifying Nether Soul Prison, the moment it came into contact with this hazy Domain, was like meeting the nemesis of all nemeses! The vengeful Souls within were silently annihilated before they could even scream! The structure of the Soul Prison began to collapse and disintegrate, as if thrown into ultimate nothingness!

"No! This is impossible! What kind of Domain is this?!" Elder Mu Gu let out a scream of extreme terror. He felt his own Domain being forcibly erased by the opponent from the most fundamental Rule level, in a way he could not understand! He could even feel the wails of his own Soul and the Nether Origin!

"Die!" Li Ao's eyes were icy. He took a step, Transmigrating through the collapsing Nether Soul Prison, appearing before the distracted Elder Mu Gu! His fist, covered by the Annihilation Rule, slammed toward Mu Gu's back like an invitation from the God of Death!

"The Hall of Souls will not spare you!!" Elder Mu Gu roared in despair, desperately mobilizing all his Dou Qi to condense on his back!

"Boom—!!!" The fist force passed through his body! Elder Mu Gu's body stiffened abruptly. He looked down in disbelief at the fist, covered in bronze sheen and gray light, protruding from his chest. The vitality, Dou Qi, and Soul within his body were instantly destroyed and annihilated by the overbearing Annihilation Rule contained within that punch!

"Plop!" Elder Mu Gu's corpse fell limply from the sky, crashing into the silver swamp below and splashing up a wave of mud. A Six-Star Dou Zong had fallen!

At the same time, on the other side, Medusa used an exquisite move, the "Seven-Colored Illusory Body," to confuse her opponents, finding a gap. The seven-colored snake sword struck out like a venomous snake leaving its hole, consecutively piercing the throats of two guards, ending their lives. The last remaining guard, seeing the Elder dead and his comrades perished, was so terrified his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, and tried to turn and flee, but he was wrapped up by a seven-colored Soul Chain Medusa whipped out, violently pulled back, and instantly decapitated by a single sword strike!

The battle ended in a flash. All five Hall of Souls pursuers, including a Six-Star Dou Zong Elder, were annihilated!

Li Ao slowly retracted his fist, his face a shade paler. Forcibly deploying the incomplete Annihilation Domain placed an immense burden on him. He looked at Medusa; her Soul form swayed, clearly indicating that her burst of power had also pushed her close to her limit.

The two exchanged a look, both seeing the exhaustion in the other's eyes, along with a slight relaxation of having survived a great calamity.

However, just as they slightly relaxed— "Hiss—!!!" That spine-chilling, sharp hiss originating from the Nine-Headed Celestial Snake Remnant Soul came again, traveling from far to near at a terrifying speed! Moreover, this time, that violent, greedy will was clearer and much closer than before!

It was chasing them!

Li Ao's expression drastically changed. He grabbed Medusa's hand (the Soul form contact felt tangible but icy cold): "Go!"

He didn't even have time to collect the spoils of war. Burning the little remaining blood Qi and Dou Qi he had, he held Medusa and transformed into a streak of light, desperately fleeing toward the deeper parts of the Savage Ancient Domain!

They had to leave this area quickly and find a place where they could completely shake off that ghost!