"Sssshhh!" The black chain surged forth like a venomous serpent, suddenly piercing through the space, then transforming into a blurred black line and shooting straight toward the elderly physician standing a short distance ahead. The tip of the chain was exceptionally sharp, adorned with intricate, arcane characters arranged in spiraling patterns that wound around the tip. Under the impetus of the Wu protector's energy, these spirals subtly radiated a faint, ominous aura—clearly, this deep-dyed chain was no ordinary iron chain. Faced with the chain slicing through space, the elderly physician could not afford to be slow. The Hall of Souls was profoundly enigmatic, and their attacks appeared capable of inflicting severe damage upon spiritual beings. Yet fortunately, the physician was no ordinary spiritual entity; protected by the bone-spirit and cold flame within his body, he was far from defenseless against the Hall's formidable hunters. A dense, silvery-white flame danced vigorously within his palm before suddenly erupting into a rocket-like surge, colliding powerfully with the black line of the chain. "Boom!" The two collided, producing a deep resonance, yet without a particularly powerful burst of energy. Instead, a ripple of potent qi, tinged with dark and pale silver hues, spread out silently, causing subtle tremors in the very space it traversed. The impact of the black chain against the rocket fell far short of Wu Hufa's expectations—indeed, an unusual temperature, a mingling of cold and intense heat radiating swiftly from the chain, even caused a ripple in his internal qi. "It's no wonder you managed to escape the Hunsen Palace's pursuit—this unique fire power must have been the key!" After retreating slightly, the chain spiraled around Wufa, his crimson-eyed gaze sharp and composed, fixed upon Yao Chen, a touch of astonishment evident in his tone. Ordinary soul-bodied beings, even when their soul power is strong, find their full potential significantly diminished when facing the hunters from the Soul Temple. Their weapons are specially crafted to counter soul-bodied beings, yet such effectiveness is greatly reduced against soul-bodied beings possessing unique soul flames and other celestial or terrestrial spiritual treasures. As he had mentioned, the old Dr. Yao's escape from the Soul Temple's pursuit was indeed made possible by the power of his Bone-Soul Cold Flame. With a calm gaze upon the Wuxi Master whose body shrouded in swirling black mist, the old Dr. Yao slowly clenched his palm, and within moments, a dense, pale flame rapidly coalesced into a white staff slightly smaller than Xiao Yan's Xuanzhong Zhi. The flame rose along the staff's surface, yet conveyed a visual sense of coldness. However, anyone truly touched by this seemingly cold flame would likely be reduced to ashes in an instant. "Your Hall's suppression effect on spiritual bodies holds little weight against me. Therefore, display your true strength—otherwise, Cloud Lake Sect will be your final resting place." Bai Shi pointed steadily at Wu, while Yao Lao spoke slowly. "Hmph! Your claims are indeed bold. Even without that suppression effect, can your spiritual body truly defeat me, Wu? That's pure fantasy!" Hearing this, Wu returned a sharp laugh. Then, with a flick of his arm, three black figures surged forth from behind, making a rustling sound, eventually coiling like three venomous serpents above his head. "Three segments of Soul Chains!" With hands veiled in mist, he extended them, then altered his hand seal. The three chains spiraling above Wu's head suddenly roared with wind, launching forth with a sharp hiss. As they streaked out, crossing in swift, precise movements, they completely sealed off all of Yao Lao's escape routes. Clearly, Wu had mastered this unusual weapon of chains to an exceptionally refined degree. Coldly gazing at the three black lines rapidly expanding within his pupils, the herbal elder swept his sleeve and flicked his fingers five times, instantly coalescing five slender streaks of crisp, pale flame that curled like serpents around his body before suddenly bursting forth, colliding head-on with the three chains. Clang! Clang! The chains struck the pale flames, producing a series of sharp, metallic clinks, even with sparks shooting forth. Yet no matter how elusive or unpredictable the chains' attacks, the five serpentine flames commanded by the elder consistently sealed them off, revealing his seasoned combat prowess. Despite deploying such maneuvers, no tangible results were achieved. The guard, Wu, clearly appeared astonished. He could clearly sense that each time the chains struck the flames, a wave of alternating cold and hot heat surged along the chains—this sensation proved quite uncomfortable for him. "Indeed, this old man is no ordinary figure—no wonder the Huan Pavilion dispatched three of their senior protectors, only to have him escape. I once thought their words were mere pretense, but now I see... they truly prove difficult to handle." As the intensity of the attacks grew, the Wu Protector grew increasingly serious. The resilience of the Ye Elder's soul and the tenacity of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame far exceeded his expectations. "Yunshan, act swiftly and deal with Xiao Yan!" After another fierce exchange with the Ye Elder, the unusual temperature caused ripples in the black mist upon his body. By now, he no longer cared for appearances and directly shouted to Yunshan, who was engaged in fierce combat with Xiao Yan at a distance. Hearing Wu Hu Falu's roar, the Yao Elder's face also grew slightly serious. The pale white flames surging over his body grew denser and his offensive intensified dramatically. Yet, despite this intensity, it seemed difficult for him to swiftly eliminate Wu Hu Falu within a short time. Even though Wu Hu Falu's inherent disadvantage against spirit-bodied opponents had been significantly reduced thanks to the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame, after all, this was still a strong cultivator of Douzong level—killing him would surely prove no easy task. With a solemn smile toward the other side, Yun Shan's sleeve trembled, and at once the immense deep green energy surging from his head rippled and began to flow, soon coalescing into a long green sword stretching nearly a zhang in width. The sword's surface was unusually dark and lacked any luster, yet as it formed, the surrounding space violently trembled, clearly indicating that the sword, entirely forged from Yun Shan's robust combat energy, contained an immense reservoir of power. Observing the massive, slowly rotating blade hovering above his head and sensing the terrifying energy within, Xiao Yan's expression turned pale. His wings trembled behind him, and he suddenly stepped back several paces. As he retreated, the hand seals in his hands abruptly changed. As the seals formed swiftly in Xiao Yan's hands, the robust ki within him began to surge rapidly, eventually flowing swiftly through several specific meridians under the weight of Xiao Yan's steady gaze. Under the intense pressure of this critical moment, Xiao Yan's spirit, energy, and focus became extraordinarily concentrated, enabling the normally occasionally unstable ki flow to now proceed with exceptional smoothness. The tidal surge of ki flowed continuously through those specific meridians into Xiao Yan's palms, causing the normally slender hands to broaden noticeably. A brilliant, powerful luminescence gradually emerged, eventually shining so intensely it appeared almost like a blazing sun, dazzling to the eyes. The sudden surge of intense light erupting from Xiao Yan's palm caused a slight frown on Yun Shan's brow. This youngster—how could his reserves keep appearing? Truly troublesome. As his thoughts turned, he glanced toward the battlefield between Wu Fuzheng and Yao Lao. When he noticed Wu Fuzheng beginning to falter under Yao Lao's sharp attacks, his expression grew sharply concerned. "We can't delay anymore. We must swiftly eliminate this young one. Otherwise, once that old man is free, I'll be in serious trouble." With this thought, Yun Shan's gaze sharpened instantly. He swiftly altered his hand seals and roared with a cold, piercing intensity that echoed across the sky. "Wind Stilled, Eclipsed by the Gale!" As the roar rang out, a remarkably sharp, sword-like cry burst forth from the heavens. Everyone turned in astonishment, seeing the qi-long sword hovering above Yun Shan's head begin to spin wildly—its strange, piercing sound emanating from there. "Hoo!" With a gesture of his hand, his fingers remotely pointed toward Xiao Yan, and instantly, the massive long sword spinning wildly surged forth! The sword moved so swiftly that it could even pierce through spatial barriers—within just a few flashes, it appeared mere tens of meters away from Xiao Yan. Witnessing Yun Shan's formidable and terrifying assault, the faces of Hai Bo Dong and the others in the chaotic battlefield instantly grew pale. Though separated by that distance, they could still feel the overwhelming energy radiating from the sword. Should they be struck by it, they knew they would surely suffer severe injuries, even if they themselves were capable fighters. Near the Xǐ Tái at the square, Yun Yun gently covered her red lips with her slender hands. The graceful, elegant face, now slightly pale, seemed to struggle under the assault—such a blow would be difficult even for a peak-level Douhuang-tier warrior to withstand, let alone the current state of Xiao Yan. Amidst the countless gazes filled with various emotions, Xiao Yan, as the one directly involved, suddenly closed his eyes. As he did so, the seal in his hands instantly transformed, and then a similarly vast and powerful energy surged dramatically into the sky. "Opening Mountain Seal!" A deep, resonant voice echoed within Xiao Yan's mind, and at once, a massive hand seal—stretching several zhang in width—emerged.