Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System at the Start

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the girl's pale face and tightly clenched fists, then added, "Take your time. What exactly happened? Where is Yun Yun now? Was she ambushed by a powerful enemy, or did something go wrong in her cultivation?"

Nalan Yanran rose as instructed, hurriedly wiping away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Her long lashes still bore tiny traces of moisture, and though her voice still trembled, it was somewhat steadier than before.

"It... it was the Soul Hall." She took a deep breath, struggling to calm her surging emotions. Looking intently at Xiao Ling, she spoke quickly but clearly.

"A few days ago, Master, several other pavilion stewards, and I left to carry out a sect mission under Heavenly Fire Venerate's leadership. Our destination was Black Wind Canyon on the Northern Domain border. We were originally meant to investigate a batch of Merchant Alliance goods that had been stolen."

"But the moment we reached the depths of the canyon, we were ambushed by Soul Hall experts!" At this point, Nalan Yanran's voice abruptly rose, and lingering fear and hatred flashed through her eyes.

"Those people had unfathomable cultivation and attacked with extreme brutality, leaving no survivors. Though our group fought with all our strength, they outnumbered us, and two Dou Venerate-level experts were overseeing them. The difference in strength was simply too great."

She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, her tone full of guilt and anxiety.

"In the midst of the battle, Master deliberately drew the Soul Hall members' attention to herself in order to cover my escape. She took a devastating blow from a Soul Hall Guardian head-on... Taking advantage of the chaos, I used every ounce of strength I had to break through their encirclement. But Master...