After a long silence, a sound, seemingly squeezed out from between teeth, finally escaped Tai Tan's throat. "In... in Longyin City."
Luo Can nodded slightly upon hearing this, then gestured with his chin towards Qian Renxue, indicating that she should release the domain. The next moment, the dense darkness that had permeated the surroundings receded like a tide, and the light of day shone down once more.
"This... this is impossible!"
"The power of Soul Tool is actually this formidable?!"
A series of trembling whispers rang out as Oscar and the others collapsed to the ground, their faces filled with despair as they looked at the chaotic scene around them. The ground was covered with charred marks, and the air was still thick with the lingering heat. Many of them had bruises on their bodies.
Ju Zi was still holding a portable Soul Tool Cannon that was still slightly warm in her hand. When she saw Luo Can and the other two turn around, she casually put the cannon into her Storage Soul Tool, quickly walked forward, and briefly explained what had just happened.
It turns out that when Luo Can and Qian Renxue were fighting Tai Tan, Oscar and the others saw the two "disappear" into the Darkness Domain and tried to take the opportunity to force Lou Gao to stay, so they launched an attack on Ju Zi first.
The result was self-evident: with just a few Soul Tool, Ju Zi made these conservative blacksmiths question their very existence.
" A-Can, what should we do with these people?" Ju Zi looked up at Luo Can, her gaze sweeping over the disheveled Oscar and the others on the ground.
Luo Can's gaze passed over her and landed on Lou Gao, Si Yu, and the others behind him. Seeing them looking at their old friend with undisguised reluctance on their faces, he immediately made a plan.
He slowly walked up to Oscar and the others, looking down at them with an icy voice. "For Lou Gao's sake, I'll spare your lives, but what happened today must remain a secret. You must not divulge a single word, or I will make you wish you were dead, just like that old dog Tai Tan."
Oscar looked up at Tai Tan was lying on the ground not far away, having lost an arm and lying like a dead dog, and a strong sense of regret suddenly welled up in his heart.
Lou Gao is gone, and Vice President Tai Tan is also finished. Two of the pillars of the Blacksmith's Association have collapsed. It seems that the heavens are going to destroy their Blacksmith's Association!
If he had known, he shouldn't have impulsively brought people to intercept these three.
"I...we understand." Oscar hung his head, his voice filled with desolation.
But words are no proof. To ensure these people wouldn't dare to speak recklessly, Luo Can secretly transmitted his voice to Qian Renxue: "Do you have any way to place a restriction on them so they won't dare to utter a single word?"
Qian Renxue nodded slightly, stepped forward to Oscar and the others, and gently pointed her slender finger at them. Endless dark energy surged from her fingertip, drilling into everyone's consciousness like a bone-deep infection. The next moment, shrill screams rang out one after another, and everyone rolled on the ground clutching their heads, their faces full of pain.
A moment later, Qian Renxue withdrew her hand and stepped back, speaking indifferently, "This is the Soul-Extinguishing Curse. If you dare to utter even a single word about what happened today, you will suffer the excruciating pain of being devoured by the gods and having your bones crushed, and then die in eternal agony."
Oscar and the others broke out in a cold sweat instantly. They looked at Luo Can and Qian Renxue as if they were looking at two demons from hell. They nodded repeatedly and didn't dare to breathe.
Luo Can watched this scene, his brow twitching slightly. He then transmitted his voice to Qian Renxue again. "Does this spell really have such an effect?"
"I was just kidding them." Qian Renxue's voice carried a hint of mischief. "I only used dark power to stimulate their souls, leaving a mental imprint."
Luo Can: "..."
This girl certainly has a lot of clever ideas.
Having dealt with Oscar and the others, the two ignored the distraught blacksmiths and turned to Tai Tan. Naturally, Luo Can had no intention of keeping this loyal follower of the Tang Family around to pave the way for Tang San, and raised his hand to kill him.
Just then, Lou Gao strode over, grabbed Luo Can's wrist, his face full of complex emotions, yet he still spoke with hope, " Pavilion Master, Vice Pavilion Master, I beg you, spare his life. He may be a bit stubborn, but he is still my close friend of many years. I simply cannot bear to watch him die in front of me."
Luo Can and Qian Renxue exchanged a glance, and after a long while, they slowly withdrew their hands.
"Alright, I'll give you that face," Luo Can said.
However, while he could be let go, he couldn't allow him to continue being a loyal dog of the Tang Family. Luo Can transmitted his voice to Qian Renxue again. "Do you have any way to guide him into depravity? For example, by constantly worsening the image of Tang Hao in his mind, and deepening his hatred for the Clear Sky Sect?"
"What's so difficult about that?" Qian Renxue smiled, walked slowly to Tai Tan, and squatted down in front of him. She gently touched his forehead with her fingertip. A faint black light pierced through her fingertip and entered Tai Tan's brow, forming a strange, dark purple line on his forehead before quickly disappearing without a trace.
"This is the Seed of Desire, which can continuously amplify the evil thoughts in his heart and subtly change his personality," Qian Renxue explained to Luo Can. "However, this is my first time using it, so I'm not sure how effective it will be."
Luo Can nodded, flicked his finger, and a gentle stream of soul power entered Tai Tan's body, temporarily sealing his wounds and preventing him from losing too much blood. " Tai Tan, for Lou Gao's sake, I'll spare your life today. I hope you'll behave yourself."
Tai Tan clutched his wound, glanced at Lou Gao with a complicated expression, and without saying a word, supported his broken body, staggering away from there step by step.
Luo Can turned to look at Lou Gao, a gentle smile returning to his face, "Let's go, Lou Gao. Xue'er and I will escort you to the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, after which Ju Zi will take you to the Fate Defying Pavilion."
"Mm." Lou Gao nodded gently, his heart filled with gratitude.
Having resolved this minor trouble, the group set off again. Traveling day and night, they left the territory of the Star Luo Empire and entered the Balak Kingdom in just two days.
After resting for a day in a border town, the group continued along the border until they finally arrived at the Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire. They settled in Nuoding City and booked an entire floor of a hotel.
As night deepened, Luo Can, Qian Renxue, and Ju Zi sat around the table in the room, discussing their upcoming itinerary.
" Ju Zi, I'm leaving Lou Gao and the others in your care." Luo Can looked at Ju Zi and said in a deep voice, " Xue'er and I will set off for Longyin City early tomorrow morning to search for the Breaking Clan."
"Don't worry, leave it to me." Ju Zi nodded, adjusted her glasses, and her eyes gleamed with confidence. Managing these craftsmen was something she was more than capable of.
She looked up at Luo Can, her voice tinged with a hint of tenderness. " A-Can, after this separation, will it be a long time before we see each other again?"
"Yes, at least one month, at most three months," Luo Can answered truthfully.
A faint smile played on Ju Zi's lips. She leaned forward, her soft body resting gently on Luo Can's shoulder, her warm breath brushing against his ear. "Then, shouldn't you make it up to me? After all, we won't see each other for several months."
The warm, soft fragrance enveloped him, Luo Can felt a surge of emotion. He swallowed hard and nodded unconsciously.
But as soon as he nodded, he saw Ju Zi and Qian Renxue exchange a knowing smile, their eyes revealing a cunning glint of understanding.
Luo Can's heart skipped a beat; he knew something was wrong.
That night, in the hotel in Nuoding City, Luo Can Canzi's silent protest rang out once again.