In the distance, the void boomed, and a camel-colored lightning bolt strode through the sky, with waves of air howling! Behind it, a steady and condensed blood-red battle saber followed closely, tearing through the void!
Grandmasters!
Exclamations came from the crowd. Grandmasters, the heaven of the Wu Kingdom, were usually elusive, rarely seen!
But today, they had arrived at the borderland of the Wu Kingdom. It seemed this matter was not simple, and the crowd buzzed with discussion.
*Ching!*
A sword cry echoed through the nine heavens, and a figure slowly appeared, accompanied by a golden seal of light, surging through the heavens.
Roar!
A middle-aged man was seen riding a strange wolf, clad in a black python robe and wearing a treasure crown, radiating an imposing aura. Guarding him were the Sword Shadows who had followed Wan Mizhai into the Boundless Ridge.
Five majestic and powerful streams of Yuan Li scattered outwards. The immense pressure caused the bodies of other martial artists present to tremble!
Boom!
*Crack crack crack!*
Several large trees were severed at the waist and crashed to the ground!
Bang!
All present submitted, bowing down in unison! The formidable Yuan Li pressure deterred all living beings in this realm.
"Hmph!"
Wan Mizhai roared, and the five majestic and powerful streams of Yuan Li shattered three feet in front of Yang Hao!
*Crack crack crack!*
Bang!
The shock caused Yang Hao, who was only at the fourth layer of Houtian, to suddenly feel a heat in his throat. His Yuan Li surged uncontrollably, wanting to tear his body apart.
A gentle stream of Yuan Li was injected into Yang Hao's body, and the restless Yuan Li gradually calmed.
Wan Mizhai quickly took out a pill and had Yang Hao take it.
Powerful!
Before the person even arrived, their imposing aura had forced everyone to offer their precious knees! Even a ninth-layer Xiantian expert dared not look directly at the Grandmaster's presence.
Yang Hao took a deep breath. Although Wan Mizhai was a Grandmaster beside him, Wan Mizhai had long since dispersed his Yuan Li in front of him.
Yet, the shockwaves from the shattered Yuan Li had injured him significantly.
This was the first time he had felt the pressure of a Grandmaster, and a colossal wave surged in Yang Hao's heart. If Wan Mizhai had not intervened to shatter it…
The consequences were unimaginable!
Yang Hao looked at the five Grandmasters rushing over, feeling puzzled. Although Liu Ji was a Grandmaster and had now died in Yizhou, it was normal for it to cause a stir, but it wasn't necessary for five Grandmasters to personally descend. It was known that only the current new king, who was also a Grandmaster, was absent.
All the other Grandmasters in the Wu Kingdom had come to the place where Liu Ji was buried.
*Swish swish!*
Soon, four Grandmasters stood in the air. The crowd looked and saw a man in a camel-colored long robe, wearing a scholar's cap, with a pale complexion. This was the Chief Eunuch Zhang Yan, a third-layer Grandmaster.
Beside him stood a nine-foot-tall figure, with a broad back and strong physique, clad in golden heavy armor, a blood-colored long saber humming. The elder general of two dynasties, Ji Hu, a fifth-layer Grandmaster.
Zhang Yan and Ji Hu bowed slightly towards the ground, "Greetings, Lord Governor!"
The crowd looked and saw the uncle of the current king, the Governor of Yizhou, Ji Shu, a newly ascended Grandmaster.
"You are too kind. Has my nephew been well recently!"
Ji Shu's face was expressionless, which, in Yang Hao's eyes, was like a poker face.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Governor. The King is well!"
Zhang Yan replied.
"Hmph!"
A roar reverberated.
"I never expected you to show up." A domineering aura surged, and a person stood with his hands behind his back, a golden seal hovering behind his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
Beside him was the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Lan Feng, a second-layer Grandmaster, with eight sword energies swirling around him, his eyes closed, saying nothing.
"Why can you come, and I cannot!"
Ji Hu's eyes bulged, bloodshot and filled with a dead, chilling intent, staring at Chen Taisheng, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Stellar Sect, a sixth-layer Grandmaster.
*Ching!*
*Clang!*
A sword energy like a rainbow, stirring up a white streak, pierced rapidly towards Ji Hu.
Ji Hu clenched his left fist, imbued with formidable explosive power, causing the void to tremble!
Boom!
The two torrents collided, creating a towering wave, and the roaring sound echoed through the nine heavens. For a moment, the crowd below only heard a buzzing sound, temporarily losing their hearing.
"Old General Ji, you are old. Have you not supported this weak and decadent kingdom enough?"
Lan Feng's icy killing intent suppressed the entire scene. His eyes opened and closed, sword energies swirling, and the sword under his feet hummed intensely!
"Presumptuous! When I broke through to Grandmaster, you were still playing in the mud. Now you dare to mock me!"
"This land belongs to the Ji family!"
Ji Hu's face suddenly flushed. Ji Hu, an elder of two dynasties, was advanced in age, his blood and qi declining, and he had long given up hope of further breakthroughs. However, he was still a second-layer Grandmaster!
"Enough!"
Chen Taisheng roared. "You are all here today merely to confirm one matter. As for other things, we will settle our scores on the battlefield!"
Saying that, Chen Taisheng slowly descended, standing on the dark earth. The golden seal emanated boundless radiance, dispelling the toxic gas.
The other four followed suit.
"What do you think?"
Lan Feng, with a cold demeanor, looked at Ji Hu.
Ji Hu thrust his left hand into the black soil and dug upwards. A swarm of countless blood-red maggots writhed and flew in the black soil.
*Scrape!*
Ji Hu suddenly exerted force with his left fist, scattering the maggots in his hand. Black blood flowed from his left hand onto the black earth.
Immediately, his expression turned solemn as he looked at everyone, "Indeed, this is the work of the Soul Refining Hall!"
"Years ago, the imperial court, along with various forces across the land, worked together to kill the disciples of the Soul Refining Hall. Not a single soul escaped, and their bodies were all accounted for!"
"But why is this so?"
Zhang Yan's eyebrows twitched, and he couldn't help but ask.
The Soul Refining Hall originated from the lineage of Alchemists. Its founding master was Mu Yang, the son of Master Alchemist Mu Hua. This man was cunning and ruthless, breaking through to Grandmaster at a young age.
However, the path of alchemy was exceptionally arduous. Mu Yang could never break through to become an Alchemist. In a fit of rage, he plunged into the Prison Spirit Abyss at the western end of Han Jia City.
Decades later, he suddenly appeared in the Wu Kingdom, mastering a poisonous art and founding the Soul Refining Hall. He had cruelly massacred Liang Zhou with these blood-red maggots!
Treading on the corpses of a prefecture, the Soul Refining Hall once threatened the rule of the Wu Kingdom.
For this reason, Master Alchemist Mu Hua personally sought out the King of Wu and joined forces with various powers. It was at the cost of blood that the Soul Refining Hall was uprooted.
At that time, everyone had witnessed Mu Yang shattering his own body, his blood splashing across the Soul Refining Hall.
But now, these blood-red maggots had reappeared. This was undoubtedly a technique only the Soul Refining Hall possessed!
Had the Soul Refining Hall risen from the ashes?
This concerned the safety of the realm. Neither the current King of Wu nor Chen Taisheng and Lan Feng, who wished to usurp the throne, wanted to inherit a broken and decadent nation.
If the Soul Refining Hall were to return, who could resist it!
Therefore, they had all come to this place to investigate carefully.
Ji Shu, at the rear, squatted down to examine closely, "Besides you, did anyone else from the Soul Refining Hall escape?"