Her eyes fixed upon the jade vial in Xiao Yan’s hand, both Medusa and the Little Healer Immortal’s expressions tightened slightly. In an instant, they moved—she followed—sealing off every exit in the room. As for the formidable Iron Guard of the Hun Sect, they too were somewhat wary of him. Although severely wounded, a powerful Battle Sect fighter could launch a dangerous counterattack, something no one dared ignore.
Seeing their reactions, Xiao Yan simply let out a slight smile, then ran a hand over the mouth of the vial. Slowly, waves of invisible flames began to wane, eventually dissolving completely. Right away, an illusory soul dashed desperately out of the vessel and shot upward with all possible effort toward the ceiling.
With an elegant flick of his finger, an ephemeral flame barrier abruptly formed above, blocking its path. The second this spectral soul made impact, sizzling sounds arose amidst fierce howls of extreme agonizing pain.
Watching it floundering wildly in its panic, Xiao Yan’s lips faintly curled upwards—an icy sort of smile—and with a subtle motion, he summoned the flame barrier once more. It flashed downward swiftly, enclosing it entirely within as it drifted slowly downward.
“Heh, Iron Guard, need you escape so soon?” Xiao Yan softly smiled, watching as the Iron Guard cowered in the flame shield with extreme caution, careful never to let any part of his body brush the surrounding blazing wall.
“Just what is it you wish?” Roared the Iron Guard, glaring furiously at Xiao Yan and the women behind him. “We Hun Guardians all have soul imprints within the Soul Hall. The instant you kill me, these traces shall be sensed. There’s no doubt then that the Hun enforce shall never rest until they deal with you!”
“I have merely a few questions to ask from you,” Xiao Yan, unaffected by the threats, calmly replied with a slight smile, “Answer truly, and I shan’t end you.”
The Iron Guard’s gaze flickered momentarily before narrowing in suspicion. “Questions, about what may I enquire?”
“I need information about the Hun Sect,” Xiao Yan said casually as he reclined in his chair.
At this, the Iron Guard’s gaze faltered, clearly stunned. Normally, everyone shied away from such knowledge. That a fellow should dare pry intrigued him entirely.
“Boy, do you dare play reckless with us? Do not think your connection to these Battle Sect level seniors entitles your arrogance! From the moment the Hun Sector decides to end you, nothing short of but their gesture would suffice.” He spat. “But heed my advice, release me and avoid dire consequences. Or else—”
Before he could finished, Xiao Yan, unfazed, flicked his fingers sharply, tightening the invisible blazing barrier sharply. Immediately the flaming barrier enveloped him, sending waves of scorching searing agony coursing through each segment of body and soul; his scream reverberated once again from the excruciating pain. The invisible fire wall continued its brutal torment on the spectral form for about another thirty seconds, then withdrew, leaving the Iron Guard’s entity utterly depleted and broken.
Casting an indifferent glare, Xiao Yan coldly said, “I did not get the answers required this time; don’t you dare believe you can provoke me into hesitation. And mark this: Should I ever kill you, I assure you—every deathly throes along the way shall linger longer for you. Pain you’d wish death to evade… would accompany you before your end.”
“You—!” Scowling hatred, the Iron guard fixed on Xiao Yan, fear flickered behind the glint of fury at being surrounded by the ethereal blaze. Finally after a silence, his voice was bitter, yet grumbled, “Fine! What is it about the Sect information you seek to unveil?”
“How strong is your entire sect?” asked Xiao Yan, a crucial, long-awaited question. This enigamatic organization, one so feared the revered old pharmacist had spoken in tones of dread, must indeed boast tremendous power—something Xiao Yan must grasp thoroughly should the day arise he would strike them down to rescue both his elder and father.
Again, a sneer crossed briefly across the Iron Guard’s eyes:
“You ask this question knowing full well how chilling the truth might be, boy. Our structure follows an uncompromising hierarchical system; the mere Guardians divide broadly into three—Heaven, Earth, and Man. I? Just merely ranked among ‘Man’. Beyond Guardians rest the revered Elder Council. Legends themselves, their sheer power finds few equals—let’s be clear—the breadth of cultivation in this world holds but few who truly could match!” He spat grimly. “As for the poison-clique or your self-styled ‘Toxic Clan’ as you call yourselves—a small branch, but one flick from within one single Hun Sect division—obliterated without resistance.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan’s gaze shadowed. The fact these high-ranked soul warriors only fell among the lowest ranks among ‘Guards’ meant the strength of even higher ones had to be immense.
“Tell me,” Xiao Yan said again, his fingers drumming over the desk. “Have you knowledge—perhaps about one known as the Eagle Guard?”
“Ha… Wuya? Did you fight him?” Now it was the Iron Guard who blinked, shocked.
“Fought… yes, very briefly.” said Xiao Yan nonchalantly.
Studying the young man before him for moment after moment, suspicion flickered in the guard’s eyes, then said slowly with begrudging admission,
“Then yes… Wuyaga. Another Hun Sector’s elite Guard—but above me: a true ‘earth-tier.’”
“Earth-tier,” pondered Xiao Yan aloud thoughtfully.
Then he added quietly in that same controlled voice,
“What do you then say about the leader—the Sector Lord—of the Sect: How powerful precisely would he be?”
At his query, immediate odd shadows passed over the Iron Guard’s face—a pause. Then laughter rang hollowly with sarcasm:
“I’ll save you the guesswork: even my knowing nothing more won’t make a dent on how little it helps. Even Heaventier elite don not see him—how should the low tier like me ever hope to stand in his presence?”
Then lowering to the verge of mockery, he said coldly:
“Only the revered Elders above know the Sector Lord’s full capability. Even the lesser ones. And just ponder his hand alone, built into dominance the very Sect’s might—its sheer weight… unfathomably immense and unassailable beyond you, boy. Such is his scale of dominance; one not even fathomed without the very key—a soul so prepared beyond anything you’d yet hold.”
Scowling deeper under mockery, and catching this moment of gloated hesitation, with a swift chill Xiao Yan interlaced coldly into his speech:
“You may prefer the alternate route—unwelcome words shall cost you repeated torture.” Cold glints flared, his tone cutting:
“Focus only on answering questions—and refrain from uninvited speech.”
Silenced under Xiao Yan’s chilling inspection a bit longer, the Iron Guard flinched inward as Xiao Yan resumed.
“What then becomes of souls you hunters procure? What do they ultimately serve inside the Sector?”
Again immediate was he, snapping back quickly:
“We don’t know! Never asked for reasons… only tasked for collection. Just how and for what use they go, not us lowly ones privy. You believe me or curse your own ears—I cannot help!”
Holding a defensive face, he continued more carefully, seeing the tightening glare from his captor.
“If I don’t know something—it simply IS.”
“And where is the main Hun headquarters? Tell me about it.”
“…That… that, I do not know. Truly.”
Flushed frustration clouded his face.
“So precisely—when captured—where do these captured souls go?” His question now sharpened like cold blades as he pierced through the Iron Guard’s face twisted between evading truths and fear.
“We deliver only to locations assigned to fulfill required mission quotas,” answered the latter slowly and cautiously:
“There is no central command directly accessible by our low-ranking class—each lower tier is sent assigned to local sect sub-branches.”
“And those assigned posts’ whereabouts—how many such locations do you even know yourself?” questioned Xiao Yan with an edge.
“We each only assigned and cleared only with access toward ONE. We low men only granted such. Earth-tier, two posts; Heaventier Guardians have full three posts cleared…”
The Iron Guard’s soul shuddered briefly glancing around again at the burning barriers hovering like execution traps, then added, “I have no reason lying here…”
Then, Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, and his soft question sliced with quiet precision:
“Then reveal it. One is already much—Where’s that ONE known?”
Silence gripped as teeth clenched briefly. Iron guard’s voice dropped with reluctance:
“I am forbidden. To ever speak… the price of betrayal… no way to escape, even worse for me than being incinerated under your cursed flame!”
A freezing gleam shot through Xiao Yan’s pitch-dark pupils—without delay, with merely a tightening hand signal, the surrounding flame wall again surged inward instantly cloaking its captive’s soul form, burning into his frame as sharp screaming resumed.
Xiao Yan’s voice now was soft, but edged like frozen daggers:
“You possess but two options: either perish slowly under torturous fire right where you kneel… or take what remains a hope of your treacherous lips sealing our quarry. Only then do you chance remaining alive.”
“Ugh-ugh-UGH…” Pain flayed across its being until suddenly, desperation spilled from mouth twisted into screaming submission from pain.
“Ahhh—I’ll tell! STOP! Please—Tell me where I must talk!!”
At the cry, Xiao Yan signaled the searing barriers back, allowing the weakened soul to float there, shuddering violently, scorched, and broken.
Finally defeated, the Iron Guard murmured hoarsely, “The division I was once assigned… lies far from Yunchu Imperial Realm… buried in the northern center continent frontier in the realm known as Heartsky—an abyss marked ‘Spiritbourn Ravine…’”
Xiao Yan muttered the words slowly over and again after him.
“Spiritbourn… in the Heartsky Dominion?”
Rearing from the murmurs in thought, he glanced questioningly to both the Little Healer and Medusawomen standing behind—unfamiliar with that foreign, faraway place.
Medusa remained contemplative briefly before the Little Healer finally responded softly:
“Yes… The Heartsky Empire, I do recall in legends heard as youths. But if their domain holds this specific Spiritbourn Ravine? Unconfirmed.”
Gathering his thoughts, Xiao Yan threw a lingering stare back at the Iron Guard—his soul faintly twitching in a broken rhythm, before finally, he muttered again with controlled warning:
“Best pray every clue leads us aright… because nothing awaits, Iron Guard—no more than what I myself can deal, should these trails die or you prove false.”
“What next—you keep me caged like this again!?”
At mention, he floundered, eyes widening sharply in anger.
“Would you prefer we let you free to run rampant again!?” Xiao Yan scoffed mockingly, then snapped signal: a powerful suction pulled once again—draining out any last resistance, the soul was sucked inside anew the vial once again, fire sealed back inside—flame poured to reseal the bottle, continuously heating, ensuring the Iron Guard to stay in the agonized, severely crippled state.
Finally reseled, a long exhale came from Xiao Yan. But his brows stayed heavy—the conversation opened but a mere peek through the door into the true might behind Hun Sector; the glimpse into their world still struck fear through the heart. Truly worthy of his mentor elder’s fearful respect, he admitted to himself.
“We proceed to the Black Abyss next step. Before seeking rare sacred fire and beyond that, we must begin investigation into this Sector.”
He sighed softly, adding aloud:
“The information today proves clear—the power required far exceeds current attainments. I will rise. Rapidly!”
Rallying resolve with determination reigned in, he ordered decisively:
“All hands ready supplies tonight. We depart at dawn for the abyss.”
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