Chapter 837
Torture
Before long, Xun'er and Xiao Ling returned to the ancient realm of the ancient clan.
Gu Yuan had already sensed the familiar aura emanating from his daughter, and even realized that the aura had broken through the bottleneck of the Dou Sheng realm. As a father, he could not hide his joy and immediately put down all his affairs to personally welcome the two of them back.
The sky above the ancient realm was clear and blue, with drifting clouds gently rolling around, and the world was filled with rich and pure energy.
At this moment, the space rippled slightly, and layers of ripples spread out from the void. A spatial passage slowly materialized, and two figures stepped out from the passage.
The man stood tall and straight like a pine tree, with a handsome and dashing face, and a commanding aura emanating from him. The woman was slender and graceful, her figure made even more beautiful by a long turquoise dress, and her eyes were filled with gentleness.
The two stood side by side, walking in sync, their brows furrowed with undisguised intimacy; they were Xiao Ling and Xun'er, returning from the desolate ancient domain.
Gu Yuan, who had been waiting nearby, greeted the two with a smile as they appeared. His gaze fell on Xun'er, and he was filled with satisfaction: "Xun'er, you have indeed gained a lot from this trip to the Desolate Ancient Domain. Now that you have broken through to the Dou Sheng realm, I am very pleased with you."
Xun'er smiled gently and replied softly, "It is all thanks to Father and the ancient clan's years of cultivation that Xun'er is who she is today." As she finished speaking, she looked up at Xiao Ling beside her, her eyes instantly softening with tender intimacy. She took his arm, leaned her head against his shoulder, and said softly,
"Moreover, it is also thanks to Brother Xiao Ling's care along the way that Xun'er was able to obtain such a great opportunity. Otherwise, there would have been no possibility of breaking through the Dou Sheng bottleneck so easily."
Upon hearing Xun'er's words, Gu Yuan was even more pleased. However, seeing his daughter snuggling so affectionately against Xiao Ling, her heart and eyes filled with thoughts of him, even this composed Nine-Star Dou Sheng couldn't help but feel a pang of fatherly jealousy. His lips twitched slightly, and a hint of helplessness flashed across his face.
However, he was always reasonable. He knew that Xiao Ling must have played a significant role in Xun'er's smooth breakthrough to Dou Sheng, and he was well aware of this.
He quickly suppressed that subtle emotion, his gaze falling on Xiao Ling, his tone sincere and carrying the approval of an elder.
"Xiao Ling, it is thanks to you that Xun'er was able to break through to the Dou Sheng realm this time. My ancient clan will remember this favor. In the future, if you need anything in the ancient realm, just tell me. My ancient clan has a profound foundation and many treasures. Since you are an alchemist, your clan also has many high-grade rare medicinal herbs. If you need them, just take them. There is no need to be polite."
"Father-in-law, you are too kind." Xiao Ling's expression was humble, but his tone was firm. "Xun'er and I are one, so there is no question of 'taking care of' her. Protecting her is simply my duty. However, I will remember your kindness, Father-in-law, and I will certainly not refuse if I ever need to rely on the Ancient Clan in the future."
He paused slightly, the gentleness between his brows vanished, replaced by a solemn expression, and his tone abruptly changed: "But right now, there is a crucial matter concerning the Soul Clan that I must discuss with my father-in-law immediately. This matter has far-reaching implications and is related to the Soul Clan. Delay could lead to unforeseen changes, so the sooner we deal with it, the better."
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Ling's palm stirred slightly with fighting spirit, and ripples spread across the void around him, causing a dark spatial portal to open.
The next moment, a ragged, weak figure stumbled and fell from the doorway. Before he even touched the ground, he was lifted into the air by the Dou Qi condensed by Xiao Ling. His neck was gripped by an invisible force, and his face turned red, but he was unable to move.
And the one being lifted into the air was none other than Soul Wind, the young patriarch of the Soul Clan, who had been severely injured and captured by Xiao Ling in the Bodhi Ancient Tree space.
At this moment, his soul was still reeling from the shock, and his Dou Sheng cultivation was being suppressed by Xiao Ling's Dou Qi. His usual arrogance had vanished, leaving only fear and resentment on his face.
Gu Yuan had naturally sensed the strange and sinister aura surrounding Xiao Ling long ago. Seeing Xiao Ling's solemn expression, his deliberate mention of the matter's connection to the Soul Clan, and his direct capture of the person, Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of understanding and caution flashing in his eyes.
He stared at Hun Feng, who was bound by battle qi in mid-air, and said with certainty, "Judging from his appearance, he should be none other than Hun Feng, the young patriarch of the Hun Clan. You actually captured him alive and brought him back to the Ancient Clan. It seems that this matter is indeed not simple."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yuan said no more. He raised his hand and waved it, and a powerful yet gentle spatial force enveloped Xiao Ling and Xun'er, along with the Soul Wind that was being lifted into the air.
The void rippled slightly, and in the next moment, the three figures instantly traversed into a vast and deep secret chamber.
The walls of the secret chamber were paved with an unknown type of black jade, and several luminous pearls that emitted a warm glow were inlaid on the walls, making the room a pleasant blend of light and shadow.
A faint spatial fluctuation lingered in the air, isolating it from all outside prying eyes, making it the perfect place to discuss confidential matters.
Gu Yuan raised his hand and set up several isolation barriers before turning to look at Xiao Ling. He said in a deep voice, "This place has been heavily protected. No one can eavesdrop or spy on us. Tell me, what is the purpose of capturing Hun Feng?"
Xiao Ling didn't delay and immediately told Gu Yuan the key reason for capturing Hun Feng.
He mentioned his deliberately concealed cultivation level, but the Soul Clan seemed to know everything about it. They even specifically dispatched the two-star Dou Sheng Soul Wind to ambush him in the desolate ancient domain. Fortunately, the place where they met was inside the Bodhi Ancient Tree. That world was isolated by the power of the ancient tree, so Soul Wind could not summon the clan's experts to come to his aid. This allowed him to capture the man successfully.
If this were outside, Hunfeng would immediately send a message if he were defeated, which would attract several high-level Dou Sheng to surround him, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, Xiao Ling deduced that it was no accident that the Soul Clan could accurately grasp his cultivation dynamics and travel trajectory. They must have planted a spy within the ancient clan, and this spy must have held a high position to have access to such core confidential information.
These words were well-organized and logically sound, with each sentence hitting the core of the matter. As Gu Yuan listened, his brows furrowed, and his originally gentle aura instantly turned fierce.
His gaze toward Hunfeng was full of caution, clearly indicating that he also agreed with this deduction. To be able to hide within the ancient clan and have access to such core secrets, the identity of this undercover agent was probably more troublesome than imagined.
Soul Wind was completely enveloped by the overwhelming pressure of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng aura emanating from Gu Yuan. That immense pressure penetrated directly into his soul, causing even a late-stage Two-Star Dou Sheng like Soul Wind to tremble uncontrollably, his face turning deathly pale. Yet, he still forced himself to suppress his fear, gritting his teeth and shouting fiercely at Gu Yuan.
"Patriarch Gu! I am the young patriarch of the Soul Clan. If your Ancient Clan dares to lay a hand on me, the Soul Clan will not let it go! Does Patriarch Gu not care about the balance between the two clans and intend to provoke a war between the Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan?" "Heh." Gu Yuan chuckled, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "The entanglements between my Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan are not for a mere upstart like you to interfere with. Rather than talking about the balance between the two clans, I'd rather know how many secrets of the Soul Clan are hidden in your belly, young patriarch of the Soul Clan."
Having said that, he nodded slightly, his gaze shifting to Xiao Ling beside him, his expression becoming more serious.
"Xiao Ling, I'll leave the interrogation to you now. As a core member of the Soul Clan, he must know a lot of crucial information. You must extract something useful from him. I wholeheartedly agree with your previous deduction that the Soul Clan has planted spies in the upper echelons of our Ancient Clan. As long as this cancerous tumor remains, the Ancient Clan will never have peace. Only by rooting it out as soon as possible can we prevent future troubles."
"Don't worry, Father-in-law. I know a thing or two about interrogation. I'll make sure he tells me everything in no time."
Xiao Ling's lips curled into a faint yet chilling smile as his gaze slowly fell upon Hun Feng. His eyes, like those of a lurking hunter locking onto its prey, were filled with undisguised malice, directly enveloping Hun Feng.
Hunfeng felt a chill run down his spine under that gaze, instinctively shrinking back. A flicker of barely suppressed fear crossed his eyes, yet he still forced a show of his inherent arrogance and ferocity, gritting his teeth and roaring.
"Xiao Ling! You remnant of the Xiao family! Back in the Northwest Continent, those useless Soul Hall members failed to eradicate you completely, allowing you to live to this day! Hmph, don't even dream about it. No matter what tortures you use to torment me, I, the young master, will not utter a single word of the Soul Clan's secrets!"
"Is that so? Then let's see if your stubbornness or my Fallen Heart Flame can teach you to taste more bitterness." Xiao Ling's smile faded, and he slowly opened his palm. A wisp of invisible and colorless flame quietly spread out, and the scorching heat instantly spread out. It was the Fallen Heart Flame that specializes in attacking the soul.
Before Hunfeng could react, Xiao Ling raised his palm, and the wisp of Fallen Heart Flame swirled around Hunfeng like a tide, instantly enveloping his entire body.
However, the flames did not burn his flesh. Instead, they pierced through his skin and flesh like a malignant tumor. Under Xiao Ling's precise control, the Fallen Heart Flame devoured the soul but did not damage his body in the slightest.
In an instant, Hunfeng's soul was fiercely engulfed by the raging flames. The extreme burning pain exploded in his sea of consciousness like thunder. It was a hundred times more painful than the tearing of his physical body. His eyes bulged out, and a heart-wrenching roar burst from his throat. His body convulsed violently, and his limbs struggled wildly, but he was bound by his battle qi and could not move.
Even though he was in so much pain that he was covered in cold sweat and his face was contorted, he still gritted his teeth, blood seeping from the corner of his lips, and a fierce look surging in his eyes, but he refused to utter a single word.
Despite the excruciating pain, Hunfeng had not completely lost his mind. He clenched his teeth and secretly activated the Void Devouring Flame hidden within his body. He exerted all his strength to draw it around his body, intending to use the Void Devouring Flame's property of devouring everything to bite down hard on the Fallen Heart Flame, devour and suppress it, and break free from this soul-refining torment.
Sensing the unusual movement in Soul Wind's sea of consciousness, Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow and a playful smile appeared on his lips: "I forgot that you have such a good thing as the Void Devouring Flame Sub-Flame hidden in your body. Since it has been delivered to my door, I naturally have no reason to miss it."
Before he finished speaking, he reached out and pressed his palm precisely on Hunfeng's lower abdomen. A powerful suction force suddenly erupted from his palm, directly entangling the wisp of black flame in Hunfeng's body, trying to forcibly pull the primordial fire of the Void Devouring Flame out of his body!
Hun Feng was filled with shock and rage, his teeth clenched so tightly he could barely keep his mouth shut. He desperately tried to urge his fighting spirit to fight back, but his soul was being burned by the Fallen Heart Flame and was in excruciating pain. His fighting spirit was stuck in his body like a mud ox sinking into the sea, unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as the wisp of fire was pulled away by the suction force and slowly detached from his meridians.
In a short while, Xiao Ling gave a soft shout, slightly tightened his palm, and forcibly pulled a wisp of dancing black flame from Hun Feng's body, holding it steadily in his palm.
With the strange fire stolen, Hunfeng's already injured soul suffered another severe blow. His face turned deathly pale, his aura suddenly weakened, and his body slumped in mid-air. He didn't even have the strength to roar anymore. Only extreme resentment and fear surged in his eyes. His condition was extremely wretched.
The Void Devouring Flame, which had just been extracted from Hunfeng's body, suddenly surged, transforming into a black flame about ten feet in size. The surging flames carried a ferocious aura that seemed to devour the heavens and earth, and it rushed straight towards Xiao Ling, as if it wanted to swallow him and his fighting spirit whole and refine them.
As the flames swirled, a ferocious flame head faintly materialized, its eyes gleaming with a fierce light and its power overwhelming. Ordinary Dou Sheng experts would likely have no chance to resist it and would have no choice but to avoid its sharp edge.
Xiao Ling's expression remained unchanged, showing no fear whatsoever. Seeing Zi Huo rushing towards him, he casually raised his hand, and the power of space around him surged suddenly, transforming into an invisible barrier that firmly imprisoned the black flame wave.
Immediately afterwards, the spatial power contracted layer by layer, forcibly squeezing the surging void flames. The flames surged and hissed, but could not break free even a little. Finally, they were condensed into a black ball of light the size of a pigeon egg, which was steadily suspended in mid-air.
Xiao Ling reached out and grabbed the black ball, casually twirling it in his palm and letting it tremble slightly. He glanced down at his palm and muttered to himself, "It has quite a bit of fierceness. I'll deal with it slowly when I have some free time."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his eyes and turned his cold gaze back to Hun Feng, the chill in his eyes even greater than before.
"Looks like you're still pretty stubborn, so I'll add a little more 'spice' to it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling channeled all his fighting spirit into the Fallen Heart Flame. In an instant, the invisible flames that had been binding the soul and spirit surged violently, their scorching intensity increasing as the flames rolled and twisted. The excruciating pain that devoured the soul came in layers upon layers, several times worse than before.
Hunfeng could no longer hold on, and a shrill scream burst from his throat. His body trembled wildly in the restraint of his fighting spirit, his face was twisted into a ferocious expression, his clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and even his fingertips were spasming uncontrollably.
Under the cover of this extreme burning pain, Xiao Ling quietly transferred a wisp of peculiar energy, which, with the burning force of the Fallen Heart Flame, silently seeped into the depths of Hun Feng's soul, gradually entangled his sea of consciousness, and secretly cast spells to control him.
He already harbored doubts, wondering if Hunfeng knew about Guyang, this hidden pawn of the Soul Clan, and even more so whether such torment would make Hunfeng relent and reveal the truth.
But Xiao Ling never intended to wait passively. He had planned to use Hun Feng to tell Gu Yuan the secret about the ancient sheep. Since he wasn't sure if Gu Yuan would tell him, he would make him "willingly" tell him himself. (End of Chapter)