Chapter 107: Annihilating a Strong Soul

  Inside the cave, Yang Tian remained hidden within the Golden Crow Divine Furnace. His energy reserves were depleting rapidly, and if it weren't for the nearly million ancient elixirs in his spatial ring, he would have collapsed long ago.

  Yang Tian's spiritual sense continuously scanned his body, searching for the faint traces of the strange energy that allowed his pursuers to track him. However, the energy was elusive, shifting unpredictably and impossible to pin down. This left Yang Tian deeply frustrated.

  "Will this work?" Yang Tian wondered, his gaze fixed on the Ancestral Dragon Ring in his sea of consciousness. The ring hovered like an eternal monument, accompanied by a dragon-shaped jade pendant and countless "battle" characters.

  Yang Tian focused his mind on the Ancestral Dragon Ring, pouring his will into it. The ring was his greatest trump card, though he had no idea how to fully control it. But with no other options, he had to try.

  Time passed...

  After continuous attempts and exhausting his energy, Yang Tian was on the verge of giving up when the Ancestral Dragon Ring suddenly trembled.

  "Did it work?" Yang Tian's eyes lit up. He redoubled his efforts, pouring his will into the ring until the trembling grew stronger. Finally, the ring shook violently.

  "Roar!" A small black dragon emerged from the ring, its dark eyes scanning Yang Tian's body. It then exhaled a cloud of black mist, which enveloped Yang Tian.

  As the mist touched his skin, a faint, ethereal light was drawn out. Just as the black dragon was about to devour it...

  "Boom!" The light erupted with a dazzling radiance, sending a shockwave that shattered the surrounding rocks. The energy surged violently.

  "Not good!" Yang Tian's face paled. He hadn't expected the tracking energy to burst out like this. The commotion would surely attract his pursuers. Just as he prepared to flee, the black dragon moved.

  "You little brat, how dare you!" In the distance, Gu Qi's crystal ball suddenly glowed brightly. He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the burst of ethereal light.

  "Roar!" The black dragon roared in anger, exhaling several clouds of black mist that enveloped the ethereal light.

  The mist twisted violently, emitting powerful fluctuations. Yang Tian could clearly feel the energy of the ethereal light weakening. After ten breaths, the black dragon returned to the Ancestral Dragon Ring.

  "Finally, it's gone," Yang Tian exhaled in relief, his tense nerves relaxing. But before he could fully recover, a loud whooshing sound echoed from the distance.

  "Without that tracking energy, let's see how you catch me now," Yang Tian sneered. He dashed out of the cave like a leopard, sprinting into the distance.

  A short while later, the jade gourd landed near the cave. Gu Qi stepped off, his expression icy as he glared at the cave.

  "You little brat, you dare play tricks on me?" Gu Qi muttered, his face dark with anger. He walked to the cave entrance and sneered.

  "Come out!" With a single punch, the cave collapsed, sending dust and debris flying. Gu Qi, like a madman, began attacking the surrounding rocks.

  "If you come out now, I might go easy on you..." Gu Qi growled, his face twisted with rage as he tore through the ground.

  The earth trembled under his assault. Gu Qi left no stone unturned, crushing everything in his path.

  "Keep hitting. Maybe you'll destroy the entire mountain," Yang Tian muttered from a distant peak, watching Gu Qi's frenzy with a smirk.

  "Arf!" Xiao Bai jumped onto Yang Tian's shoulder, baring his teeth and shaking his little bell.

  "If he knew I was here, he'd probably dig a hole to hide in," Yang Tian said, patting Xiao Bai's head with a sly grin.

  "I need to find a place to recover. Let's see how they like playing hide-and-seek," Yang Tian said coldly. He found a secluded spot, carved out a new cave, and began his recovery.

  Time flew by...

  As night fell, the once-quiet mountains came alive with the roars of beasts. The outer regions buzzed with activity as countless ferocious creatures emerged to hunt.

  Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian's body glowed with a starlight hue. His aura was robust, and with the help of countless elixirs, his strength was growing by leaps and bounds.

  Yang Tian's body seemed like a dreamscape, with starlight dancing around him and occasionally seeping into his flesh, tempering his body.

  "Who would have thought that after being nearly killed by that old woman, I'd be on the verge of breaking through to the fifth level of Blood Refinement?" Yang Tian murmured, a smile tugging at his lips as he felt the restless energy in his river of blood and qi.

  "Boom!" Yang Tian stood up and threw a punch, the air trembling around him. His muscles rippled, and faint starlight shimmered on his skin—a sign of his abundant energy.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  After practicing a set of fist techniques, Yang Tian sat cross-legged. In his hand was an ancient spatial ring he had obtained from Martial Mountain.

  Yang Tian hesitated, his gaze fixed on the ring. He couldn't decide whether to open it.

  "Maybe I should leave it alone. Ancient cultivators were incredibly powerful. If there's some trap inside, I'm in trouble," Yang Tian thought, shaking his head and putting the ring away.

  Ancient cultivators were far more skilled than those of today. Some could even preserve their souls for millennia. If there was a soul fragment inside, Yang Tian could face a life-or-death crisis.

  Next, he summoned two artifacts: the Yin-Yang Unity Furnace and the Qian Yuan Cauldron, both now the size of an inch.

  "The Yin-Yang Unity Furnace requires yin and yang energy to reach its full potential. It's not useful to me right now," Yang Tian muttered, setting the furnace aside.

  "The Qian Yuan Cauldron, while not as powerful in attack, has incredible defensive capabilities. It's perfect for me. The Golden Crow Divine Furnace is too energy-intensive, but the Qian Yuan Cauldron is just right."

  Yang Tian held the three-legged, two-eared cauldron. Its purple-gold surface was adorned with intricate carvings of flora and fauna, radiating spiritual energy.

  With a smile, Yang Tian channeled a wisp of his spiritual sense into the cauldron.

  Inside, the cauldron was a vast, hazy space. Yang Tian's spiritual sense ventured deeper, searching for the core. Artifacts like this, on the verge of becoming divine tools, often had a small inner space where one could imprint their spiritual sense to gain control.

  In the center of the space, a figure sat cross-legged. It was an elderly man, his form translucent but his features sharp and lifelike. This was a soul fragment.

  The aura emanating from the old man was terrifying. Yang Tian's spiritual sense felt like a drop of water compared to the old man's vast river.

  The old man suddenly opened his eyes, locking onto Yang Tian's spiritual sense. With a cold smile, he raised his hand and sent a black streak of energy hurtling toward Yang Tian.

  Back in the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian dropped the Qian Yuan Cauldron, his face pale as a sharp pain shot through his mind.

  "What do I do now?" Yang Tian muttered, his mind racing. He hadn't expected a soul fragment to be inside the cauldron. It must belong to a powerful figure from the Ancient Li Family.

  As Yang Tian's thoughts churned, the old man's translucent figure appeared before him. The old man sneered, "Who are you? Why do you have the Qian Yuan Cauldron..."

  The old man trailed off, his eyes widening as he took in his surroundings. He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.

  "These are... Star Pills?" The old man gasped, staring at the mountain of elixirs.

  "How is this possible? These herbs can't survive in the outside world," the old man muttered, his eyes darting to the rare medicinal plants. "How... how are these herbs growing so quickly?"

  "It seems this old man has no idea what's happening outside," Yang Tian thought, his fear lessening since his physical body wasn't present.

  "What's this...?" The old man's gaze fell on four drops of Spring of Life water. He slapped his thigh in excitement. "This is Spring of Life water! How is this possible?"

  The old man began pacing frantically, his excitement growing. Suddenly, he threw his hands in the air and shouted, "This is a spatial treasure! Heaven has blessed me!"

  "This old guy's gone mad," Yang Tian muttered, scratching his head. The Ancestral Dragon Ring was his greatest secret, and now it had been discovered.

  "I've lived a virtuous life, and now the heavens reward me!" The old man began weeping, tears streaming down his face.

  After what felt like an eternity, the old man calmed down. He turned to Yang Tian, his expression suddenly serious.

  "Young man, I'll be taking over this space now. You can die."

  With that, the old man raised his hand, and a massive black streak of energy shot toward Yang Tian.

  "Roar!" Just as the energy was about to hit Yang Tian, the black dragon emerged again, swallowing the attack in one gulp.

  "What the hell is that?!" The old man stumbled back, his confidence shattered. He stared at the black dragon, fear creeping into his heart.

  "A... a tool spirit? Impossible!" The old man shook his head in disbelief.

  "Roar!" The black dragon roared, and a powerful suction force pulled the old man into its mouth.

  "That's it? It's over?" Yang Tian blinked, watching the dragon smack its lips as if it had just enjoyed a tasty snack.

  "Is this dragon the spirit of the Ancestral Dragon Ring?" Yang Tian wondered, amazed. The old man's soul had been annihilated in an instant, as if Yang Tian were the master of this space.

  "With his soul destroyed, there shouldn't be any information leaked," Yang Tian thought, nodding to himself. The old man hadn't recognized him, which meant the soul fragment couldn't communicate with the outside world.

  "I'll have to be more careful. Who knows what other treasures might contain soul fragments..."

  In a distant space, a massive mountain range stretched endlessly. Divine patterns covered the peaks, forming a terrifying killing array capable of annihilating even the most powerful cultivators.

  The mountains shimmered with multicolored light, and the palaces perched atop them seemed ethereal and unreal. Medicinal gardens dotted the landscape, their fragrant herbs guarded by powerful beasts.

  In one of the palaces, a group of people was deep in discussion. At the head sat a middle-aged man in his thirties, his imposing figure radiating immense pressure.

  Suddenly, an elderly man on the left side of the room stiffened, blood spurting from his mouth as his face turned pale.

  "Elder Ge, what happened?" the middle-aged man asked, frowning as he noticed the elder's condition.

  "The soul fragment in the Qian Yuan Cauldron has been destroyed. No information was transmitted," Elder Ge said, his voice cold and filled with rage.

  Losing a soul fragment was a severe blow. It would take decades and countless resources to recover.

  "Destroyed?" The others in the room were shocked. Elder Ge was a War Emperor, one of the most powerful cultivators in the Li Family. For his soul fragment to be annihilated without warning meant the opponent was terrifyingly strong.

  "Do we have a location?" the middle-aged man asked after a moment of silence.

  "No. There are only a handful of people in the Eastern Continent capable of destroying my soul fragment. That little brat must have a powerful treasure," Elder Ge said, his voice dripping with killing intent.

  Because of Yang Tian, his two most talented grandsons had been humiliated, and Li Hongtao had been stripped of his status as a saint.

  "That kid is too strange. I'm not worried about his treasures, but if he has a powerful protector, we're in trouble," the middle-aged man said, his brow furrowed.

  "Regardless, we must capture Yang Tian," several Li Family members declared, their motives clear. They wanted Yang Tian's techniques and treasures.

  "Agreed. The Ancient Holy Land has sent people to the Ten Thousand Mountains. I suspect the brat is hiding there."

  "The Ten Thousand Mountains..." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment before vanishing from the hall.

  Back in the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian finished imprinting his spiritual sense on the Qian Yuan Cauldron. With a sly smile, he picked up the Yin-Yang Unity Furnace and sent a wisp of his spiritual sense inside.

  Moments later, the soul fragment of the old demon Wang was summoned and promptly devoured by the black dragon.

  "It seems the dragon grows stronger by consuming soul fragments," Yang Tian observed as the dragon disappeared.

  After familiarizing himself with the Qian Yuan Cauldron's controls, Yang Tian left the Ancestral Dragon Ring.

  "It's time for revenge..." Standing at the cave entrance, Yang Tian smiled and dashed off in the direction where Gu Mo had last been seen.