As the roar of Wuxu's protective deity echoed across the heavens, the expression of pain on the colossal, phantom human face—swollen to several zhang in size—froze instantly. A remarkably dense black aura surged forth from its seven orifices, bursting forth with a sudden, thunderous explosion! Roar! The wave of terrifying black energy surged out like a mountain flood from the shattered phantom head, spreading across the sky in an instant. Within a single blink, an eerie glow of black light expanded rapidly, eventually enveloping the entire realm. This darkness came with unprecedented intensity—so complete that the brilliant sun in the sky seemed to vanish entirely, as if appearing for the first time. The world was suddenly and completely submerged in darkness. Amidst this overwhelming darkness, all present gasped in alarm. Soon, streams of various colored qi erupted in waves. Yet even with the illumination of these qi streams, visibility remained limited to mere feet ahead. "What's going on?" "What happened?" The sudden darkness caused immediate chaos across the plaza, with countless people gasping in shock and panic spreading rapidly. High above the trees, Xiao Yan and the others were momentarily startled by the abrupt darkness, but soon regained composure. With his sharp spiritual perception, he realized that the strange black veil was simply the expanding energy of Wu's protective spell. As the energy dispersed, the darkness would naturally fade away. "Unclear how Master and Cai Lin are doing..." Xiao Yan frowned at the dark void, his fists clenched, a growing sense of unease stirring within him. Observing Wu's earlier actions, it seemed he had extracted Yunshan's soul and then triggered his own self-explosion. A Daoist Grandmaster's soul unleashing such a burst—what a force of destruction! The thought alone made Xiao Yan's body tremble slightly. "Given how much commotion he's caused, is this all he's managed to create?" At Xiao Yan's side, Hai Bo Dong's body was enveloped in a layer of white qi, a gentle glow of qi illuminating the area within a span of one zhang. He furrowed his brows, gazing around, and murmured in quiet confusion. Upon hearing this, the others nearby—Jia Xing Tian and the rest—also nodded slightly. They too had not sensed any particularly powerful energy surge, aside from this strange black veil... "That man caused Yun Shan's soul to explode. Under his control, the resulting soul surge was primarily directed at Medusa and Master Xiao Yan, so we didn't feel much of it," said Fama, his brows creased. As a pharmacist, Fama naturally remained highly sensitive to intangible soul fluctuations. While others might not notice them, he could sense them subtly—somewhere in the dark sky, an exceptionally formidable energy surge was gradually building and intensifying. Hearing Fama's words, the faces of Hai Bo Dong and the others grew slightly tense, their internal qi rushing swiftly, as they remained alert for any sudden soul-based disturbances. Boom! Just as several people were speaking, a strange and barely audible sound suddenly resonated across the sky. This sound was deep and resonant, typically imperceptible to ordinary listeners, yet to Xiao Yan, it sounded like thunder. Feeling the terrifying soul vibrations embedded within the sound, Xiao Yan's face paled and he abruptly lifted his head, fixing his gaze firmly on a dark spot in the heavens. Yet beneath this dark sky, nothing was visible. "Damn it!" With no results from his inspection, Xiao Yan cursed, his brows tightly furrowed. After a moment, a sudden thought struck him—green flames flowed smoothly through his meridians, eventually surging into his eyes, transforming his once-black pupils into vibrant, flame-like ones. As the Lapis Luminous Lotus Flame appeared in his eyes, the otherwise invisible darkness began to slowly dissipate, revealing a world tinged with subtle shades of green, gradually unfolding before Xiao Yan's vision. The darkness dissipated, and Xiao Yan's gaze instantly settled upon the sky above, his face gradually turning pale. At that distant, dark horizon, where the old doctor and Medusa stood side by side, their conditions were not promising—Medusa fared slightly better, while the already ethereal form of the old doctor grew increasingly translucent. Nearby, opposite them, Wu, the protector, hovered in midair, his withered hands bearing a massive orb of dark light. Within the orb surged a powerful spiritual energy—energy that was somewhat familiar, having first erupted during Yunshan's soul explosion. Now, this spiritual force, born from the explosion, was completely under Wu's command. Although the sight could penetrate this darkness, it seemed that the dark sky even isolated sounds from the distant area, so Xiao Yan had no idea whether the three had been conversing. Thus, he only saw that after a brief standoff, the Wu Protector's face turned grim, and he raised a massive orb of dark soul energy high above him. Then, with a sudden thrust of both palms, the terrifying soul energy surged like a black meteor, streaking across the sky and rushing toward Medusa and Yao Lao. "Such a terrifying soul pressure..." Fama's face paled as he realized his soul perception had been entirely compressed within him, unable to radiate outward at all. While everyone else was silently stunned, the immense soul energy sphere in the heavens suddenly materialized before the solemn Medusa and the Wu Protector, then plunged down without the slightest hesitation, sending shockwaves that vibrated the very space. Thud! The furious soul energy crashed directly onto Medusa and the elderly pharmacist, who had already tried to evade it. Though both had drawn upon their utmost energy reserves, could the sheer force of a cultivator at the Douzong level's soul self-explosion really be that easily managed? Vibrant hues of energy and the white flame of the forest surged forth, fiercely resisting the violent erosion of the soul forces. Yet within mere moments, the dark soul forces surged dramatically, overwhelming and suppressing the powerful energies radiating from the two bodies! Plush! The vibrant energy rapidly dissipated, and Medusa’s face turned pale. A moment later, her cheeks flushed red as she could no longer contain a gush of blood, spitting it out, and swiftly retreated. While Medusa managed to escape unharmed, the now-weakened Yàolǎo, who lacked physical protection, could no longer achieve such resilience. The self-explosive soul forces inflicted particularly severe damage upon him—a soul being with no bodily defenses. Thus, as the defensive bone-spirit cold flame before him faded, the eerie black glow surged like a tidal wave, fully engulfing his body. His body struck so severely, the Elder's form had nearly become translucent, like flowing water trails—clearly, this blow had truly inflicted serious injury upon him. Xi Xiao could also feel the Elder's vitality growing increasingly frail. "Hah! Drugen, the Protector once stated that today, you would be unable to escape my grasp!" As the Elder's figure grew almost transparent, the Protector's eerie laughter echoed powerfully within the vast black veil. With a sudden movement, he flashed through the air and materialized mere steps away from the Elder. Observing this maneuver, the previously retreating Medusa's expression slightly tightened. She swiftly moved, darting forward with lightning speed to intercept the Protector. "Hmph!" As soon as Medusa began to move, the Protector coldly exhaled, altering his hand seal. Instantly, the black veil surrounding Medusa began to move in an odd, writhing manner, and the space itself rapidly warped, effectively blocking her advancing form. With the aid of the black veil, blocking Medusa, the dry palm of Wu Hufa suddenly glowed with a dark radiance, then surged forth like spectral claws, directly grasping the already translucent soul of the herbal elder. Feeling the looming, eerie surge approaching, the elder's transparent body subtly trembled, revealing a weathered, furrowed face. Gazing steadily at Wu Hufa's attack, the elder's eyes flickered slightly—he knew, with his current state of severe internal injury, he could no longer smoothly evade Wu Hufa's strike. It seemed today's capture had now become inevitable. His thoughts raced swiftly. His gaze then shifted downward, as if penetrating the darkness, fixing upon the pale, black-robed youth atop the tree branch. A serene smile spread across his face, and a bright white flame suddenly erupted from between his eyebrows, flashing across the space like lightning, and directly surged into Xiao Yan's forehead. "Little one, perhaps the teacher will no longer be able to accompany you side by side in the future, and from now on, everything will have to rely on yourself. Heh, after all these years, you're no longer the boy who needed the teacher at his side at every moment. I truly believe you'll go farther than I ever predicted. I hope I'll be able to witness that day again." The flame surged into Xiao Yan's forehead, and a gentle, elderly voice, unexpectedly, resonated within his mind. Upon hearing these words, Xiao Yan's body trembled violently; his teeth clenched tightly against his lips, blood seeping through, and the scene he had most feared finally came to pass. "Rest assured, my teacher will not easily pass away. This streak of flame is the essence of the Bone Spirit's Cold Fire. I have preserved it upon your forehead. Once you master it, you too will be able to wield the Bone Spirit's Cold Fire. However, since I have already fully absorbed and transformed it, your Burned Will technique will not be able to consume or refine it. Of course, should I truly meet my end, the flame mark upon your forehead will then fade automatically, and the Bone Spirit's Cold Fire will become an unclaimed essence—then it will be your final gift from me, to be absorbed by you... Heh, by the way, the ring in which I conceal my soul is called the 'Bone Flame Ring.' It contains the method to counteract your second brother's 'Life-Consuming Pill,' as well as some personal notes and messages. Should you ever meet my old friend, Wind Master, simply present this ring to him—he will believe everything you say, and will also assist you." "Although I have fallen into the hands of the Soul Temple, their attempt to refine and absorb my soul is by no means easy. Perhaps we shall meet again in the future, but remember this—before you gain strength, do not act rashly. If you wish to save both your master and your father, you must avoid any unforeseen mishaps!" "Ah, young one... you are my most proud student. I have always been quite satisfied with you." Gently, the soft laughter faded from his mind, while a white flame seal slowly formed upon the brow of Xiao Yan. As the flame seal solidified, the Wu Sect's guardian suddenly pierced through the body of the Medic Hermit, black energy surging forth, and with a low, bitter chuckle, he was forcibly drawn into a swirling mass of black mist.