Chapter 127: Soul-Devouring Cyan Light

Hu Mo was naturally furious. That old man, Duanmu Shenxu, had truly discarded all shame to strike at him, and his very first move was a lethal blow! How was he supposed to defend against the power of a War Saint?

Hu Yihu’s rage erupted instantly. With a thunderous roar, he released his War Soul. As it manifested, his power surged to its peak, and in the blink of an eye, he threw himself toward Hu Mo, desperate to protect him.

That expanse of green light was clearly aimed at Hu Mo. Although it seemed like a casual wave of the hand, the overwhelming pressure of war energy contained within it left Hu Mo feeling as though he could not breathe. He had felt this sensation once before from Cang Ling; in the face of such pressure, he lacked even the strength to retaliate.

Beyond the oppressive weight of the war energy, he clearly perceived a powerful soul-devouring force. Had it not been for the protection of his Three Treasures, his soul would likely have been torn from his body before the green light even touched him.

While fire overcomes wood, when the wood attribute becomes sufficiently dense, the relationship of restraint reverses. Duanmu Shenxu intended to crush Hu Mo with pure force; even if he did not strike directly, Hu Mo would still suffer damage to his soul essence from the backlash of the Ice God’s Finger.

It was too fast. Hu Mo could not even describe the speed. His finger had been only three inches from Duanmu Hong’s forehead, yet those three inches suddenly felt like thousands of miles. By the time he reacted, Duanmu Hong had been snatched away by Duanmu Shenxu and teleported thirty yards away, leaving the green light to wash completely over Hu Mo.

"No!" Hu Yihu roared, his entire body’s fire-based war energy transforming into terrifying speed as he shot toward Hu Mo like an arrow. But he was a step too late. When he was still several feet away, Hu Mo was already swallowed by the green light. Hu Yihu himself was struck by the residual energy, letting out a pained groan as he was sent flying backward.

Zhu Xinyue’s expression suddenly went blank. She let out a sharp scream and rushed desperately toward the green light, but Zhu Yan intercepted her halfway and knocked her unconscious with a single blow.

Zhu Xinluo and the others immediately ran over, snatching Zhu Xinyue from Zhu Yan’s grasp, fearing what else he might do to their younger sister.

Zhu Yan’s face was dark. He said nothing, his eyes fixed intently on the area of green light. His heart was a chaotic mess; he had to admit that whether Hu Mo lived or died was of great significance to him.

Wang Xu and Zhu Wannian stopped outside the green light, their faces grim. Zhu Wannian suddenly turned back and roared, "Old Ghost Duanmu, what are you doing! Why are you using the Soul-Devouring Green Light? Do you intend to take the boy’s life? Withdraw the light at once, or I will never let this go!"

At the edge of the ceremonial platform, Hu Yihu struggled to his feet. The soldiers of the Fire God Army went into a frenzy. Abandoning their formation, they all crowded onto the stage, standing around Hu Yihu like iron towers. These soldiers had always regarded Hu Yihu as a god; how could they allow anyone to harm their deity?

Hu Yihu’s expression was manic. He stood up and roared, his previously ruddy complexion turning deathly pale. Yet, his aura climbed continuously; in mere moments, he broke through three levels, reaching the rank of a Level 6 War Emperor.

"Fire God Army, form up!" Hu Yihu bellowed. He took the lead, standing before his men. Fury and agony twisted his features—Hu Yihu had truly lost his mind.

"Burning blood to fight to the death? This is trouble; these fellows have gone mad." Duanmu Shenxu felt a pang of regret. In a fit of rage, he had lost his composure, and now he would have to swallow the bitter fruit of his actions.

However, his anger did not dissipate. He knew clearly that had he not acted in time, his grandson would have been finished for life. He quickly mended Duanmu Hong’s slightly shattered soul, his expression dark and terrifying.

Although his temper had not cooled, he knew that if he did not withdraw the green light in this situation, Zhu Wannian and the others would certainly attack. Hu Yihu was not worth fearing, but he could not afford to underestimate Zhu Wannian.

"Do not be rash. I will withdraw the light," Duanmu Shenxu said in a deep voice. He formed hand seals with lightning speed and shouted, "Withdraw!"

As the word was uttered, the green light began to churn and shift toward the edge of the area. However, it only moved a few feet before stopping abruptly and beginning to shrink back inward.

Not only Zhu Wannian, but Wang Xu was also reaching his breaking point. Although some of Hu Mo’s words and actions had displeased him, he had developed a genuine appreciation for the boy’s talent. If Hu Mo died in this Soul-Devouring Green Light, he feared he would be unable to suppress his own rage and would turn against Duanmu Shenxu.

"Old Ghost Duanmu, what are you doing! Are you playing us?" Zhu Wannian roared. A small fire dragon appeared in his hand, and with a shrill cry, it charged toward Duanmu Shenxu.

The fire dragon grew in the wind, extending dozens of yards, its massive maw lunging to swallow Duanmu Shenxu.

Duanmu Shenxu was startled and quickly clutched Duanmu Hong, teleporting away. The fire dragon missed, and Duanmu Shenxu, appearing a hundred yards away, immediately shouted, "Stop! Let me explain!"

"Explain? Ha! Old Ghost Duanmu, you killed my grandson, and now you want to explain? The Hu family is ruined, ruined... Go to hell! Fire God’s Slash!" Hu Yihu bellowed. A sense of total despair filled his heart. How could he not know of the Soul-Devouring Green Light? Such a vicious technique was difficult for even a peer-level warrior to resist. That was why Zhu Wannian and the others hadn't rushed in to save him directly. Hu Mo was only a Level 6 War King; how could he possibly survive the Soul-Devouring Green Light?

The Fire God Army soldiers roared in unison, pouring all their war energy into Hu Yihu’s War Soul. Soon, Hu Yihu’s power climbed several more levels, pushing toward the War Saint realm.

However, the pressure he bore grew increasingly severe. The war energy reached saturation and even began to exceed his limits, causing blood to seep from his seven orifices. An aura of absolute despair emanated from him. Hu Mo was dead, the Hu family was finished—what was the point of him living?

Zhu Yan was stunned. Everything unfolding before him had spiraled beyond his control. Zhu Wannian was actually attacking Duanmu Shenxu alongside Hu Yihu; what on earth was happening?

Duanmu Shenxu was in deep distress, for only he knew the truth. He desperately wanted to withdraw the light, but he suddenly discovered he had lost control over it. No matter how he tried, the green light refused to obey. But would anyone believe his explanation now?

Hu Yihu had been completely consumed by rage and was staking his life to drag Duanmu Shenxu down with him. Zhu Wannian seemed equally insane, launching War Saint-level attacks like a torrential downpour. Wang Xu’s demeanor was also ominous, as if he too were about to strike. If he did, Duanmu Shenxu would not only be defeated but might not even survive the day.

Duanmu Shenxu dodged attack after attack while shouting his explanation, but he was met only with even fiercer assaults. Hu Yihu had delivered the tenth strike of the Fire God’s Slash; his aura was now so faint it was nearly negligible, yet he stood tall, slashing again and again at Duanmu Shenxu.

Wang Xu had not yet made a move. His gaze was fixed on that expanse of green light, his expression shifting constantly.

He had a strange feeling in his heart; he did not believe Hu Mo would die so easily in the Soul-Devouring Green Light. However, when he projected his soul power into the light, it was completely swallowed by the mist. The devouring power of the green light was so intense that even he, a War Saint, felt a chill. He could not help but mock his own thoughts—if Hu Mo hadn't died, it would truly be a miracle.

Of course, Hu Mo was not dead. Not only was he alive, but he was actually doing quite well.

When the green light first descended, he had truly believed he was finished. Fighting against such power was like throwing an egg against a rock.

But when the light truly enveloped him, he suddenly experienced a strange sensation—a joy arising from the very depths of his soul.

His cultivation, which had long been stagnant, began to grow slowly. The devouring force within the Soul-Devouring Green Light was being forcibly consumed by his Northern Profound Divine Art. His Three Treasures became ravenous, desperately absorbing the energy. Gradually, even the incantations for the fourth level of the Lingbo Steps began to clarify in his mind.

Hu Mo’s heart was in his throat. This was completely beyond his imagination; he never dreamed that the fourth level of the Lingbo Steps would reveal itself at such a moment.

During the time Hu Yihu and the others had been fighting, Hu Mo had absorbed nearly fifty percent of the power within the Soul-Devouring Green Light. But the Three Treasures remained unsatisfied, particularly the Green Wood King Cauldron, which seemed determined to reclaim its previous losses, absorbing the green light with a frantic hunger.

As the Three Treasures became more active, Hu Mo was astonished to find his soul power rising at a rapid pace. This was not the forced, shallow growth of a shortcut, but a true realization of his own. He felt as if someone were whispering the Great Dao in his ear, explaining it so clearly that even the most profound truths became easy to grasp. With his soul power finally catching up to his war energy, he felt as if he had returned to the womb; this profound elevation of body and mind left him immensely excited.

Level 7 War King, Level 8 War King, Level 9 War King, Level 1 Slaughter War King, Level 2 Slaughter War King... Hu Mo’s power continued to surge. In this short time, he had reached the peak of a Level 2 Slaughter War King. He suddenly stopped, for a sense of intense unease arose in his heart. His soul power immediately expanded, piercing through the Soul-Devouring Green Light to scan everything on the ceremonial platform.

His face darkened instantly. With a shrill cry, he burst out from the green light and roared, "Stop—"