Chapter 180 The storm is coming, the hunt begins

“Hehehe, this time this guardian will help you get rid of the Sky Poison Girl, but don’t forget the reward afterwards.” A cold voice came from the strange fog.

"Iron Guardian, what you did is a bit unkind." Upon hearing this, Xie Biyan's face changed significantly, and he said in a deep voice: "Before the Sky Poison Girl became powerful, I could have easily dealt with her, but you asked me to hold off on my actions."

"You said at the time that you needed the Sky Poison Girl to expand the war, and you also promised that you would unconditionally cooperate with me to deal with her. But now..."

“Hehehe,” a strange laugh came from the swirling black fog, “Promise, is that true? How come this guardian doesn’t remember it?”

Hearing Iron Guardian denying his previous promise, Xie Biyan's eyes darkened, "Iron Guardian, you..."

"What do you mean by 'you'? Do you want to turn against this protector?" The Iron Protector smiled coldly and said indifferently: "Xie Bi Yan, if you are not willing to cooperate, this protector can find someone else to cooperate with. Hehehe, for example, that Sky Poison Girl is a good choice..."

As he spoke, his cold tone became more threatening.

Upon hearing this, Scorpion Bi Yan's expression suddenly changed.

If this Iron Guardian really went to help the Poison Sect, then this war against the Poison Sect would be dangerous. Moreover, this bastard would definitely do such a thing.

At this moment, we must not turn against each other. We must wait until the war is over.

After thinking for a moment, Xie Biyan gritted his teeth, suppressed the anger in his heart, and forced a smile on his dry old face, saying: "I got it mixed up. Iron Guardian, please rest assured that you will be provided with everything you need when the time comes."

"Hehehe, that's right, that's how you should be a qualified partner of the Soul Palace. In addition, the price of this protector has increased this time, so add 30% to the reward. Goodbye..."

Before he finished his words and before Xie Bi Yan could refute, the swirling black mist quickly dissipated.

"Damn you, not only did you break your promise, you also forced me to buy you something."

Xie Bi Yan looked coldly at the direction where the strange fog dissipated. A hint of murderous intent emerged in the depths of his eyes, and then quickly disappeared. The Soul Palace was not someone he could afford to offend.

After a long time, he finally calmed down and turned his gaze towards the direction of Tiandu City, as if he saw the powerful enemy through the void.

"After so many years of silent cultivation, it is time to come out and complete the great cause of unifying Izumo. Sky Poison Girl, Poison Sect, I have let you jump around for so long, it is time to end it. Thank you for the wedding dress you have made for my Wanxie Sect."
-
On the mountain outside Tiandu City.

The Little Medical Fairy held her cheek with her hand and twirled the wine glass in her hand lazily, but her voice was somewhat distressed: "So, our Dou Zong-level enemy this time is not only Xie Biyan, but there may also be Soul Palace guardians hiding in the dark?"

Lin Yuan nodded and said seriously, "Based on my inference, it is indeed the case. In any case, it is better to deal with it in advance or be prepared."

The Little Medical Immortal pondered for a moment, drank the spiritual liquid in the cup in one gulp, and asked: "Lin Yuan, since you are more familiar with the people of the Soul Palace, the strategy for this response will be handed over to you. The Poison Sect and I will fully cooperate."

"Okay!" Lin Yuan nodded.

After filling a cup for Little Medical Immortal, he said confidently, "Apart from anything else, I do have some experience in dealing with Soul Palace guardians. The first step we need to take is to find him. I have a way to do this."

As he spoke, Lin Yuan's eyes became slightly stern, and a powerful soul force spread out, isolating the inside and outside of the stone pavilion.

Then, he flipped his hand and a black box appeared in his hand.

Lin Yuan opened the box, revealing a dazed and weak soul inside. With a slight flick of his finger, the soul in the box was bound by an invisible fire cover and floated in front of him.

He smiled lightly and said indifferently: "Guardian Wu, how have you been recently?"

"Wu Ying greets you, sir." The guardian Wu, who had come to his senses, greeted him hastily, and said weakly, "If you have any instructions, just tell me. Wu Ying will never refuse."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Lin Yuan, his eyes full of fear.

It's not that he, Wu Ying, is not tough enough, but that the other party's methods and character are too cruel.

The guardian Wu, who was restricted by Lin Yuan and unable to commit suicide, has experienced too many cruel things during this period of time. At this moment, if given the chance, he would rather die.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan smiled with satisfaction. His painstaking training was worth it. The boy became much more obedient.

He looked at the guardian Wu with a smile and said gently, "Guardian Wu, I see that you are quite lonely. I would like to find a former colleague to keep you company and squat in the box with you. What do you think?

After a pause, Lin Yuan added: "After he comes, he will cooperate with me in those experiments in the future."

Hearing the word "experiment", Wu Hufa shuddered all over and said quickly, "Your Excellency is wise and has a good idea. I am willing to assist you with this matter. If there is anything I can do for you, please speak up."

"Hehe, very good. First, tell me all the details of the Soul Palace communication that you know, without leaving out any of them!"

"Yes, sir. When we were communicating with the Soul Palace Guardians..."

Afterwards, the Guardian Wu told Lin Yuan everything including how to contact other guardians, how to find other guardians, how the guardians get along with each other, etc.

During this exchange, Wu Hufa was very active in offering suggestions.

In particular, when Protector Wu learned that several people were currently in the Izumo Empire and their target was the Soul Palace Protector there, his enthusiasm for assistance increased dramatically, and he even told Protector Tie's background directly.

"Does this guy have any old grudges with the Iron Protector? It seems that the Soul Palace guardians are not very harmonious with each other!" Lin Yuan thought to himself.

However, Lin Yuan had no intention of probing into the matter. He looked at the Guardian Wu with a smile and said, "Thank you, Guardian Wu. I appreciate your cooperative attitude. Please keep it up. Perhaps, you will be free again soon."

As he said this, with a look of joy in the eyes of the guardian Wu, he waved his hand and sealed him back into the black box.

The little medical fairy sitting opposite her looked at Lin Yuan with strange eyes. In the previous conversation, she had the illusion that Lin Yuan was the villain in the story.

Lin Yuan raised his eyes and looked at the Little Medical Fairy with a smile, "This way, we know each other well, and it will be much easier to deal with them next time."

The Little Medical Fairy cleared the illusion in her mind, nodded, and said softly: "What are your plans next?"

"Of course, I'll cast a net to catch fish." Lin Yuan smiled sinisterly, and the soul ring on his finger flashed a faint light. "Hehe, I have to think of a way. I can't let the Iron Guardian waste the collected souls. Those are the spoils I have reserved, and they will be useful later."

Zi Yan, who was standing by, seemed to be infected and also imitated Lin Yuan's strange laughter: "Hehehe, you're right, everything my brother likes is ours."

As they spoke, Zi Yan and Lin Yuan looked at each other and laughed in tacit understanding.

Upon seeing this, the little medical fairy gently stroked her smooth forehead, but there was a hint of relief in her helpless eyes. It seemed that the future journey would not be too boring.

Afterwards, Lin Yuan seemed to remember something, took out a list from his storage ring and handed it to Little Medical Fairy, saying slowly: "Little Medical Fairy, there is one more thing I need your help with, help me search for the things on this list."

The Little Medical Fairy took the list and took a glance at it. It was a list that recorded a large number of medicinal materials.

She put the list into her ring, nodded and said, "I will give instructions on this matter and have the Poison Sect members collect as much as possible. In addition, I have wiped out many forces in the past two years and harvested a lot of medicinal herbs, which are all piled up in the Poison Sect's treasure house."

"Many of the herbs on this list should be found in the Poison Sect's treasure house."

"Treasure house?" Zi Yan's eyes lit up when she heard these two words, and she quickly said, "Take me there quickly, Sister Xiao Yixian, I want to go treasure hunting."

Seeing this, Lin Yuan pulled Zi Yan's little face and said calmly: "Why are you in such a hurry? The treasure house won't run away. Girl, stay with me honestly for the time being. Let's go look for treasures in other places first."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Xiao Yixian's pretty face and raised his wine glass.

"Thank you, Little Doctor Fairy. But..."

"Let's stop here today. We can talk about the rest after I confirm some information. Today is the day we meet again, and this full moon is very suitable for the occasion. Let's have a good drink and chat!" Hearing this, Xiao Yixian smiled and nodded, picked up the wine glass, and said softly: "If you are in the mood, I will accompany you!"

"Goodbye!" They drank a glass together.

After Lin Yuan filled the glass with wine again, he flipped his hand and a strand of well-preserved black hair appeared in his palm. He chuckled and said, "Since you are by my side now, I will give this back to you. Compared to me, it should mean more to you now."

As he spoke, he slowly handed the strand of black hair to the Little Medical Fairy.

Looking at this strand of jet-black hair, Xiao Yixian was stunned.

This strand of black hair was the one that Little Medical Fairy gave to Lin Yuan at his special request on the day they became friends. It was the strand of black hair that represented their friendship.

The little medical fairy reached out her hand, took the strand of inky black hair, gently stroked it with her fingers, and a look of nostalgia appeared on her face.

"Thank you, Lin Yuan!"

"Hey! If you want to thank me, give me a strand of your now gray hair. Might as well tell you a secret, gray hair is a special attack against me!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yixian's face flushed for a moment, but she immediately suppressed it and rolled her eyes at Lin Yuan, "You're saying these indecent things again."

Having said that, her expression was somewhat relaxed.

After hearing Lin Yuan's words, Zi Yan on the side immediately reacted and asked Lin Yuan: "Brother, the white hair is a special attack on you, then what about my purple hair? Is it a special attack on you..."

"Uh--"

Amidst the laughter and playfulness, the few of them gradually dispelled the strangeness of their first meeting and the unfamiliarity of meeting again after a long separation.
-
The next morning.

The beauty had left, and Lin Yuan lazily leaned against a mountain wall, squinting his eyes at the sun that had just risen in the sky. He played with a strand of snow-white hair with his left hand, and pressed his temple with his right hand, rubbing it gently while thinking.

"Combining the information from Guardian Wu and Little Medical Fairy, I already have an idea of ​​how to find the Soul Palace Guardian in Izumo."

"However, we should still confirm it a little to avoid any unnecessary accidents."

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan put away the white hair in his hand, waved his hand, and a huge amount of soul power surged out of the soul ring. A moment later, the blood soul appeared in front of Lin Yuan, and as the seal in his hand flipped, it quickly transformed into the form of the guardian of the Yuan.

At the same time, Lin Yuan separated a part of his mind and soul power and attached it to the blood soul, and the blood soul's eyes flashed instantly.

"Go, Blood Soul." Lin Yuan gave the order in a ceremonial manner.

As Lin Yuan finished his words, the blood soul in guardian form rolled up waves of cold black mist and flew quickly towards the direction of Wanxie Mountain.

Feeling the news coming from the blood soul, Lin Yuan's mouth curled up and revealed a satisfied smile.

One of the characteristics that makes the blood soul superior to ordinary split souls is that it is truly like an incarnation outside the body. It can move at a range far away from the main body, and it is extremely closely connected with the main soul, making it extremely smooth to control.

"This blood soul is really useful. It's worth the effort I put into making it."

Putting his thoughts aside, Lin Yuan woke up Zi Yan who was soundly sleeping. The two of them left the barren mountain together and flew towards the direction of the blood soul.
-
Izumo Empire, Ghost Mountain.

This place is located on the border area between the Poison Sect and the Anti-Poison Sect Alliance. A conflict broke out between the two sides recently, and a battle involving thousands of people took place here.

In the end, both sides suffered heavy casualties and retreated, leaving behind many corpses.

If the two major camps had not had a tacit understanding to annex the neutral forces first, this battle would have been enough to become the fuse of an all-out war.

When the moon rose, a black fog floated over the desolate mountain where corpses were scattered everywhere.

Then, two chains surrounded by black mist shot out and pierced through the bodies of the two fallen Dou Wangs. The chains trembled slightly, and two illusory souls were pulled out and swallowed into the chains, while the bodies that had lost their souls were thrown away at will.

After sucking the soul into the chains, the Iron Guardian in the black fog shook his head helplessly and let out a series of cold sighs.

"The souls of ordinary strong men are indeed far inferior to those of alchemists."

"I really don't know what the elders above are thinking. Our Soul Palace is so powerful, why do we always have to follow the rules of secrecy and not interfering in the secular world at will?"

"If there were no such restrictions, this guardian could easily destroy some sects and countries, and the task of collecting souls could be easily completed."

"However, in recent years, the workload assigned by the superiors has increased a lot, and they don't attach so much importance to such rules, so the relevant restrictions have decreased a lot."

"Otherwise, this guardian would not dare to intervene in the situation of the Izumo Empire like this."

Thinking of this, Iron Guardian's eyes flashed with excitement, "If the battle in Izumo that I have planned can be successful, I will definitely be able to harvest a large number of souls. Maybe, this time I will have the opportunity to be promoted from a human-level guardian to an earth-level guardian."

"Who knows, maybe this action of mine will attract the attention of the big shots above, and help me rise to prominence?"

Just as the Iron Protector was daydreaming, an aura similar to his appeared in his perception.

Suddenly, a sinister look flashed across Iron Guardian's eyes: "This aura is similar to this Guardian's. Is there someone who wants to pick peaches here? Go ahead for a while..."

Immediately, the Iron Protector rolled up the black cloud and flew towards the breath he sensed.

A few minutes later, two groups of black fog met in the air.

Shrouded in black fog, the Blood Soul incarnation of the Dharma Protector Yuan spoke first: "Haha, although I have heard other Dharma Protectors say it, but the place you are assigned to, the Iron Protector, is really a good place. Death and souls are everywhere, which is really enviable."

"I haven't seen you before. Who are you? Which lord promoted you to be the Dharma Protector?" asked the Iron Dharma Protector.

He looked at the black fog in front of him with fear. The aura emitted by the other party was no less than his own.

As for the other party's identity as a Soul Palace Guardian, Iron Guardian had no doubts. After all, although he had never seen him before, the Soul Palace aura and iconic laughter on Blood Soul were too authentic, and there was no doubt that he was a Soul Palace Guardian.

"Hehehe, this protector is the protector directly under Elder Mu Gu, Protector Yuan, and I have been ordered to come here to hunt down some people." Xuehun revealed the fabricated identity.

Then, he began to test: "However, this guardian encountered a strong enemy during the mission and consumed a lot of souls. I heard that a war is about to start in the Izumo Empire. I guess you don't mind me capturing some souls?"

Hearing this, the Iron Guardian's face turned cold, "Damn it! It's indeed a hyena that smelled the scent and ran over to steal the prey. You want this Guardian's prey, no way!"

“Hehehe,” with a grim smile, the Iron Protector said coldly: “Protector Yuan, Izumo is my territory, and I was the one who instigated the Izumo War. No matter what the reason is, it’s not appropriate for you to come and have a share of the spoils!”

As if angered by the Iron Guardian, the Yuan Guardian said coldly, "Iron Guardian, I am completing the mission of the Elder Mu Gu."

“Don’t use your power to suppress me.” With a flash of red in his eyes, Iron Guardian said decisively: “It doesn’t matter whose mission it is. The soul of the Izumo Empire belongs to me. No other guardian can get his hands on it.”

As he spoke, a cold and powerful aura emanated from him, expressing his resolute attitude with practical actions.

The guardian Yuan, who was shrouded in black fog, flashed a meaningful smile on his face at this moment, "Haha, I got the information. It seems that the guardian of the Soul Palace of the Izumo Empire is only the Iron Guardian. Then the next step will be easy."

Looking at the Iron Protector who was intimidating him in front of him, the Protector Yuan on the scene and Lin Yuan's real body in the distance, their eyes flashed with murderous light as if they were about to start hunting.

(End of this chapter)