After leaving the Li Family, Sun Xiaochuan headed directly towards the Tianmu Mountain Range. He found the location Venerate Shenzang had left for him, where a Heaven-rank Protector greeted him.
He showed the Jade Token Venerate Shenzang had given him to the protector and explained his purpose: he had agreed to join the Soul Hall but wanted to meet with Venerate Shenzang first.
Seeing that he had a Venerate's Jade Token, the protector didn't think much of it and brought him to the Soul Hall's location, the very place Zhao Li had previously broken into.
"Hall Master, your subordinate requests an audience."
Protector Qing stopped before the stone tablet and bowed respectfully.
A black mist enveloped the two of them, and when they reappeared, they were already inside the Soul Hall.
Over the past century, the Soul Hall had contacted many Alchemists, and Sun Xiaochuan was among them. Although he had hesitated and hadn't agreed to join, he had received a Spatial Jade Token personally crafted by Venerate Shenzang, which was the one he had just shown.
This time, having been humiliated at the Li Family, he decided to simply join the Soul Hall. One reason was fear of being assassinated by those behind Zhao Li, seeking a place of protection. The other was wanting to use the Soul Hall's power to get revenge.
With the Soul Hall's capabilities, both goals could be achieved, but after this, he would likely lose his freedom.
Sun Xiaochuan explained the situation, though his story was simply that he had encountered a mysterious powerful Alchemist who conflicted with him, and he had suffered a loss, hoping the Soul Hall could help him capture that person.
"Lord Venerate, everything I've said is true. The Li Family has a powerful Alchemist you're looking for; they are absolutely no worse than Ji Changlin."
"It had better be. Otherwise, you might have to get a taste of my Soul Hall's methods."
Venerate Shenzang didn't fully believe what Sun Xiaochuan said. He could tell at a glance that Sun Xiaochuan wanted to use the Soul Hall's hand to eliminate that person.
Venerate Shenzang didn't care about Sun Xiaochuan's little scheme. As long as what he said was true and there really was an Alchemist no weaker than Ji Changlin, he wouldn't mind taking action.
After speaking, Venerate Shenzang opened a Spatial Channel and walked in with Sun Xiaochuan.
Central Plains' Northwest region, Tianxuan City!
Above the Li Family's Pill Hall courtyard, Thunder Clouds still densely gathered.
An hour had passed since Zhao Li charged into the Thunder Clouds against the lightning.
Everyone could only see the Thunder Clouds churning, but they didn't know what was happening inside. However, the fact that the Thunder Clouds hadn't dispersed proved that Zhao Li was still unharmed, so they just watched from afar.
Suddenly, sunlight pierced through the Thunder Clouds and shone into the courtyard again. The Thunder Clouds dissipated, and Zhao Li revealed himself.
The Rejuvenation Pill was about to fly away the moment the heavenly might dispersed, but it was confined by Zhao Li with a wave of his hand.
Venerate Shenzang arrived here with Sun Xiaochuan just as the Pill Lightning dissipated. He immediately understood that this was the mysterious powerful Alchemist Sun Xiaochuan had spoken of.
Seeing the Pills and sensing their rich vitality, Venerate Shenzang was delighted. He immediately prepared to take action and capture them, disregarding Sun Xiaochuan, and flashed over.
"Hehehe~, I'll gladly take these Pills. You've worked hard."
A strange laugh echoed, and then a figure completely shrouded in black mist abruptly appeared before the Rejuvenation Pill. He reached out, about to pocket the Pills.
As the strange laugh came, a chill rose in everyone's hearts, and they shivered inexplicably. Seeing the old man shrouded in black mist appear so suddenly, they were even more terrified.
Zhao Li felt a sense of unease the moment he heard the strange laugh. With a thought, he was about to retrieve the Pills, but that area of Space was being interfered with by Venerate Shenzang. His pull only moved the Pills a few feet, causing Venerate Shenzang to grab at empty air.
Venerate Shenzang was slightly surprised and reached out again towards the Pills.
Seeing him make another move, Zhao Li didn't dare to be careless.
The moment Venerate Shenzang appeared, he already knew this person was the one who had appeared in the Soul Hall in the Tianmu Mountain Range. He knew this was a Dou Venerate level expert, and his heart tightened, his expression solemn.
He had worked so hard to refine the Pills, but someone else wanted to take advantage. Zhao Li naturally wouldn't agree.
"Just the right time to test what I just gained."
A wisp of lightning condensed on Zhao Li's fingertip. Although small, under the amplification of Zhao Li's Dou Qi, its power was more condensed and contained than when gathered by the Thunder Clouds, making it even more potent.
Rip~
The lightning, though small, arrived in an instant, striking Venerate Shenzang's palm. The contained lightning power erupted. Wherever the lightning passed, the black mist covering Venerate Shenzang melted like ice and snow, a small hole torn open. But as the black mist surged, it quickly disappeared.
Venerate Shenzang's palm trembled imperceptibly. He finally shifted his attention from the Pills and looked at Zhao Li, his gaze sinister, his voice withered.
"Who are you?"
Zhao Li didn't answer. With Venerate Shenzang blocked, he waved his hand and put away the Rejuvenation Pill. Only then did he look at Venerate Shenzang and said indifferently.
"When asking for someone else's name, you should first state your own. That's politeness, don't you know that?"
Venerate Shenzang watched quietly as Zhao Li put away the Pills, not stopping him. As long as he captured him later, these things would still be his.
He was surprised to hear such a naive word as politeness from an expert like Zhao Li. He found it amusing.
"Hehe~ This Venerate is Shenzang. You are very good, qualified to join my Soul Hall. Why don't you consider it,阁下?"
He stated his name not because of the politeness Zhao Li mentioned, but because he was arrogant. This was the confidence given to him by his strength and power.
Zhao Li looked at Venerate Shenzang indifferently. Hearing that strange chuckle again, he internally complained wildly. He wondered what the Soul Hall had done to them; every single one of them seemed like a lunatic.
Everyone present had some knowledge; they all heard Venerate Shenzang refer to himself as "This Venerate," and their hearts felt heavy.
A Dou Venerate was already a rare expert on the Dou Qi Continent. Above them were Saints, who had transcended the mortal realm and were no longer of this world.
The leaders of the major powers in the Central Plains' Zonggu Pavilion were merely Dou Venerates.
Not to mention the heavy hearts of the Li Family members, Sun Xiaochuan arrived late and saw Zhao Li block Venerate Shenzang with a bolt of lightning and leisurely put away the Pills.
His heart was in turmoil, and he even felt some regret.
Witnessing this scene firsthand, how could he not know that the mysterious expert who had suppressed him earlier was Zhao Li himself? Yet, he had previously underestimated him, thinking he merely had a mysterious expert protecting him.
His expression was grim, unable to voice his hardship, only able to hope that Venerate Shenzang would be effective.
But soon, he saw that Shenzang actually invited Zhao Li to join the Hall, and his eyelids twitched wildly. He was afraid that Zhao Li would agree.
This is suffering~ Shenzang, oh Shenzang, backstabbing your teammates, you're really something. If you can't take him down, these hundred-odd pounds of mine are going to be left here~
Zhao Li didn't know what these people were thinking. He didn't pay attention to what Shenzang said. Knowing that he was fully prepared, as if facing a formidable enemy, Zhao Li understood that this battle would likely be unavoidable.
He refused decisively and prepared to face the enemy.
"Venerate's invitation, allow me to refuse!"
"Kid, I advise you to come with me obediently, otherwise, if you suffer physical pain later, you can't blame me."
Looking at Zhao Li's appearance as if facing a formidable enemy, Shenzang chuckled.
Zhao Li's refusal was also within Venerate Shenzang's expectations. Outsiders didn't know how strong the Soul Hall was, so they naturally wouldn't be like him. Moreover, a figure like Zhao Li was a top-tier big shot in the Central Plains.
He thought about the task assigned by the elders of the Heavenly Gang Hall. If he couldn't complete it...
Shenzang's heart jolted. He decided to use force, first taking down Zhao Li before saying anything else.
Shenzang's sleeve lightly vibrated, billowing without wind. Under the cover of Dou Qi, its strength was already no less than a Divine Weapon.
"Come on, let this Venerate see what qualifications you have to dare refuse this Venerate's invitation."
Before he finished speaking, where Shenzang was located, Space quietly trembled, and then he appeared behind Zhao Li, pressing his palm towards Zhao Li.
Not knowing Zhao Li's strength, he also held back. If even so, Zhao Li still couldn't take it, then he would just capture his soul. The Soul Hall had plenty of methods to deal with souls.
Zhao Li's powerful soul perception and combat intuition complemented each other. When Shenzang disappeared, he had already condensed his Natal Flame in his hand, meeting Shenzang head-on.
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