Venerable Jiyin

"An explanation?"

Ning Chen sneered, his tone turning abruptly icy.

"Go back and tell Venerable Jiyin that I said he is to temporarily halt the soul collection in the Chu Yun Empire and prioritize the task I have assigned him. If he has any questions..."

Ning Chen paused, then said slowly, "Tell him to crawl over and ask Hun Miesheng himself. Once he has clarified things, he can come back and speak to me. If he cannot get a clear answer, or if he is too afraid to ask... then he should keep his mouth shut and do exactly as he is told."

Hun... Hun Miesheng?!

Although Tie Protector did not know exactly who this big shot was, the surname "Hun" alone, combined with the fact that he could make Venerable Jiyin "crawl over to ask," implied a status so high it was simply unimaginable!

Could it be a true titan holding power within the Soul Clan, or perhaps... the real name of the master of the Soul Hall?

The thought made his soul tremble!

The last shred of hesitation and concern vanished in an instant!

Compared to the risk of offending this unfathomable "Lord Hun Chen" and the terrifying existence behind him, what did the orders of Venerable Jiyin matter?

"Yes! This subordinate understands! This subordinate will obey!"

Tie Protector bowed until his body was bent like a shrimp, his voice trembling slightly from a mix of excitement and fear.

"I will go make the arrangements at once! I will ensure the entire Wanxie Sect welcomes you with the highest honors and immediately mobilize all our strength to gather the items you require! I would never dare to be the slightest bit negligent!"

His heart held no other thoughts now, only one incredibly firm resolve:

Spare no cost to serve this "Lord Hun Chen" well!

This might be the greatest crisis of his life, but it could also be an unprecedented opportunity!

He, Tie Protector, was going to cling to this powerful backer for all he was worth!

Watching Tie Protector's desperate, fawning display, Ning Chen sneered inwardly, though on the surface he merely gave a faint "Hmm" and waved his hand.

"Go. Make the arrangements as quickly as possible; I shall wait here."

"Yes! This subordinate takes his leave! Please wait a moment, my Lord!"

As if granted a pardon, Tie Protector bowed once more before his figure slowly merged into the black mist and vanished into the horizon, clearly eager to carry out the orders.

On the Wind Riding Boat, only Ning Chen and Little Fairy Doctor remained.

The mountain wind whistled, dispersing the suffocating tension that had just filled the air.

Little Fairy Doctor finally let out a long sigh of relief, patted her chest, and looked at Ning Chen with lingering fear, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Ning Chen turned to face her questioning gaze, offered a slight smile, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "It's fine, just a minor nuisance. Let's go; we'll have more comfortable lodgings soon. After that, you can study your poison arts in peace."

"Okay..." Little Fairy Doctor nodded, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but ask, "Ning Chen, are you... really named Hun Chen, or was everything just now a lie?"

Little Fairy Doctor was afraid—afraid that the person she had spent so much time with had been wearing a mask the entire time.

And that the little feelings she held in her heart were nothing more than wishful thinking, as laughable as a joke.

"Rest assured," Ning Chen smiled slightly.

"I come from the Central Plains and am very familiar with the Soul Hall, and even the existence behind it. Everything I said just now was merely to scare him."

"After all, if a laborer offers himself up, it would be a waste not to use him."

"So that's how it is..."

Little Fairy Doctor knew Ning Chen was still keeping things from her, such as the finger he had flicked earlier, which was definitely not a feat a Dou Wang could achieve.

But none of that mattered anymore. She only knew that if Ning Chen wanted to harm her, there would be no need for him to waste so much time by her side.

One month later, Wanxie Sect headquarters.

The once gloomy, treacherous, and heavily guarded headquarters of the Wanxie Sect now possessed a rather peculiar atmosphere.

The largest secluded courtyard, built against the mountain and overlooking most of the sect, had been completely cleared out and meticulously decorated to serve as the temporary residence for Ning Chen and Little Fairy Doctor.

For the past half-month, various ancient texts, scrolls, and jade slips recording exquisite poison arts, bizarre poison techniques, and ancient poison paths had been flowing into the courtyard like a river.

The sheer quantity, variety, and high grade of these items were enough to make any poison master green with envy.

Among them were treasures that the Wanxie Sect had hoarded for hundreds of years, "voluntarily" offered up.

The Wanxie Sect Supreme Elder responsible for all this—the notorious Xie Biyan, whose cultivation had reached the Dou Zong level—now possessed none of the majesty of a regional hegemon.

He treated them with the fawning attentiveness one might reserve for an ancestor, personally overseeing every detail of Ning Chen and Little Fairy Doctor's daily life and needs, his face often wearing a sycophantic smile that was entirely at odds with his fearsome reputation.

Any poison resource, cultivation chamber, or servant of value within the sect was arranged with the utmost speed and the highest standards the moment Ning Chen or Little Fairy Doctor showed the slightest interest.

This meticulous, almost excessive fawning made Tie Protector, who considered himself "Lord Hun Chen's number one confidant," feel somewhat disgruntled.

He felt that this old scorpion was stealing his thunder and that his flattery was far too blatant.

However, such good times, combined with Tie Protector's activities in the Chu Yun Empire, eventually caught the attention of Venerable Jiyin, who was responsible for Soul Hall affairs in the Northwest Continent.

A secret branch of the Soul Hall located somewhere within the Chu Yun Empire.

The great hall was dim, with only a few flickering, ghastly green soul fires drifting about, casting light upon the hideous reliefs carved into the stone walls.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt as though it might drip water.

Seated high upon a throne of white bones was a figure shrouded in dense black mist, whose aura was several times more tyrannical and sinister than that of the Tie Protector.

It was none other than one of the Soul Hall elders stationed in the Northwest Continent, Venerable Jiyin!

At this moment, the cold gaze of Venerable Jiyin was like a physical blade, stabbing fiercely down at the Tie Protector, who appeared respectful but did not seem overly fearful.

"Tie Ying,"

Venerable Jiyin's voice sounded like two rusted iron plates grinding together, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

"I ordered you to oversee soul collection in the Chu Yun Empire, yet you have done well for yourself; progress has been sluggish for a month, and instead, you have mobilized vast manpower to scavenge for irrelevant poison technique manuals, even going so far as to unauthorizedly use the resources of the Wanxie Sect to serve two individuals of unknown origin!"

"You had best give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise... you might just get the chance to experience the Soul Hall's prison for yourself."

Facing the overwhelming pressure and interrogation of the Dou Zun, the Tie Protector remained unhurried, his back even straighter than usual.

What a joke, so what if you're a Dou Zun?

Aren't you still just a dog of the Soul Hall? The person I, Tie Ying, am serving now is a big shot from the Soul Clan!

Although he thought this in his heart, the Tie Protector was no idiot; he still bowed respectfully, then, neither servile nor overbearing, recounted the entire process of meeting "Lord Hun Chen" and the instructions "Lord Hun Chen" had given him.

Finally, he raised his head, meeting Venerable Jiyin's increasingly icy gaze, and repeated Ning Chen's earth-shattering words word for word.

"...That lord said, if you have any questions, Venerable, you may go ask Lord Hun Miesheng yourself; once you have clarified things with him, then you may come to discuss it with him."

"If you cannot ask clearly, or dare not ask, then please, Venerable... act according to his orders for the time being."