"Flames, rise!"
I silently recited those words. The next instant, wisps of red-and-yellow flame rose from my body, their light instantly piercing the deep, murky gray mist as they swept toward the Hall of Souls Protectors.
The Protectors' expressions shifted slightly. They all tried to dodge, but it was utterly useless. The flames swiftly coiled around them, igniting their black robes and furiously burning the soul bodies beneath.
"Aaargh!"
"Fire! There's something wrong with this fire!"
Several Hall of Souls Protectors screamed in agony. For a moment, their piercing cries filled the entire valley, making the remaining Protectors' hair stand on end.
But this lasted only the blink of an eye.
Because after that blink, those Hall of Souls Protectors had all burned to death. Even the soul-snaring iron chains in their hands lost their eerie blackness, becoming no different from ordinary iron.
A cool mountain breeze swept through the valley. On the ground, several Soul-Snaring Chains snapped into pieces, and a chill instantly ran down the remaining Hall of Souls Protectors' backs.
Their leader stared at me blankly. Only then did he finally realize that the man who had blundered straight into the entrance of their branch hall was definitely not some unaffiliated wilderness cultivator whom others could bully as they pleased.
He was an expert.
An expert whose heights rivaled the Corpse Burial Mountain Range!
"Y-you, who exactly are you?" their leader asked, trembling.
I smiled faintly. "My name is Nalan Ye."
"What?!"
Their leader was stunned. A name of earth-shaking renown instantly filled his entire mind, crowding out every other thought.
"You're the Great Love Alliance's Alliance Leader, Nalan Ye?!"
"That's right."
I nodded, smiling brightly. "So don't worry. I definitely won't report your branch hall's location to the Great Love Alliance."
After all, who in the