"Do the two elders still think the Hall of Souls is just a minor force?" Gu Fei asked seriously.
"No, regardless of what the Soul Hall's ultimate goal is, just their act of slaughtering countless innocent lives is reason enough to destroy them completely!" Gu Xiong shook his head. "Such an evil force cannot be allowed to exist in the world!"
He couldn't tolerate such indiscriminate killing of the innocent.
"What should we do with the soul essence?" Gu Xiong continued.
"Even though these things were created by evil means, they have already formed. It would be a waste to discard them." he said. "Gu Fei, you're an alchemist. Absorbing these soul essences will greatly enhance your soul power..."
Gu Xiong and Gu Nanhai both decided that Gu Fei should handle the soul essence.
"Alright!" Gu Fei nodded without hesitation. He indeed needed these to strengthen his soul power.
However, to advance to the God Soul Realm, merely relying on these soul essences would be far from enough; it would take accumulation over time.
After collecting the soul essence, Gu Fei and the others didn't linger. They immediately returned to the Gu Realm.
This incident made many of the higher-ups in the Gu Clan start taking the Hall of Souls seriously.
...
"Damn it..." Not long after Gu Fei and the others left the ruins of the Earth Hall, a black figure arrived.
This person was clad in a black robe, with a face that bore no distinctive features—ordinary and unremarkable, like a common person. His hands, which extended from his sleeves, were rough.
However, this seemingly ordinary figure was infamous in the Central Plains.
This person was none other than the Hall Master of the Hall of Souls, Hun Miesheng.
The entire Soul Hall had grown to its current size under his leadership.
But in just a few years, two of the three major halls- Earth Hall and Man Hall- had been destroyed.
The losses to the Soul Hall were immeasurable, with most of its powerful members dead.
Moreover, the soul essence accumulated over a century had been stolen, severely impacting the Hun Clan's grand plans.
"The killers are from the Gu Clan!" Hun Miesheng looked down at the ruins from above. He noticed large characters formed by trenches in the ground, and his fists clenched tightly.
"The Gu Clan has gone too far!" The usually calm Hun Miesheng could no longer control his anger.
However, since his opponent was the Gu Clan, this was not something he could resolve on his own.
...
In the Gu Realm.
Since returning, Gu Fei had immediately set about absorbing the soul essence.
He didn't need to worry about external matters. No matter how furious the Hun Clan was, they couldn't attack the Gu Realm, and the elders would handle any issues.
After absorbing the soul essence, Gu Fei's soul power doubled in strength.
However, his soul realm remained at the peak of the Heaven Realm.
"By my count, the Spatial Trade Fair in the Central Plains should be starting soon!" Gu Fei thought to himself, calculating the time.
The Spatial Trade Fair was a relatively unknown term in the Central Plains.
Only the top forces and experts across the continent knew anything about it.
This so-called Spatial Trade Fair was not organized by a single powerful individual or sect but was maintained by three relatively obscure sects.
These three sects were the Ground Line Gate, Mysterious Space Sect, and Reflecting Treasure Mountain.
In terms of reputation, these three sects were probably less well-known than the Four Pavilions.
However, in terms of strength, even factions like the Burning Flame Valley and the Profound Sky Sect wouldn't dare to underestimate them. The Central Plains were full of hidden experts.
The well-known saying 'one hall, one tower, two sects, three valleys, four pavilions' couldn't describe the full picture. Many sects, due to their low profile, remained unnoticed by the average expert.
In recent years, under the joint organization of these three sects, the Spatial Trade Fair had grown increasingly grand, attracting many hidden experts.
Even Heaven-Tier Dou Techniques were not unheard of at this event.
Of course, ancient clans rarely attended such events.
Especially the proud Gu Clan, who looked down on the Spatial Trade Fair.
But this time, Gu Fei planned to attend in person because the auction might feature fragments of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map and the Nine-Colored Origin Stone that Cai Lin needed.
The reason he said "might" was that Gu Fei wasn't sure if the events in the original story would still happen, given the changes he had made over the years.
"Xiao Yi Xian, Cai Lin, are you interested in accompanying me to an auction?" Gu Fei asked, finding them.
Before Xiao Yi Xian and Cai Lin could respond, Xian Yue and Wushuang, the two little ones, eagerly ran to him- they wanted to go out and see the world.
"Don't even think about it, you two!" Gu Fei refused without hesitation.
Given that he was now under special scrutiny by the Hun Clan, traveling would be risky.
Bringing the children along wouldn't be safe.
"Let's go out for a bit. I haven't gone out much these past few years!" Xiao Yi Xian smiled and nodded.
Since her last visit to the small valley in the North-Western region, she hadn't left the Gu Realm and had been busy raising the children.
Now that the kids were older and had playmates, she could finally take some time to relax and go out with Gu Fei.
Soon, Gu Fei, Xiao Yi Xian, and Cai Lin left the Gu Realm, while the two children were left in the care of Qing Lin and Ling Xi.
...
The location of the Spatial Trade Fair was in a desolate desert between the northern and southern regions of the Central Plains. Usually, the area was plagued by sandstorms, leaving it uninhabitable.
No one would ever guess that this place, that even wild beasts avoided, would host the most prestigious trade fair in the Central Plains.
"Whoosh!"
Outside the desert, in the clear sky, the sound of something swiftly cutting through the air suddenly rang out.
"Is this the place?" Xiao Yi Xian asked in surprise as she looked at the sandstorm-ravaged desert ahead.
"It should be!" Gu Fei smiled and nodded, sensing the presence of many powerful figures nearby.
Then, Gu Fei began moving through the air toward the depths of the desert.
As they moved, the howling sandstorm, which would typically be terrifying to ordinary people, dissipated within a hundred meters of their bodies. Behind Gu Fei, Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian followed closely.
The sandstorm that would have been a formidable obstacle to others posed no challenge to them.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the heart of the desert and climbed a steep sand dune.
In front of them, at the hollow section of the towering dune, was a massive black space portal, about a hundred meters wide, slowly rotating. A strong suction force spread from it.
"Let's go in..." Gu Fei held the hands of Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian, and without hesitation, they rushed into the black hole.