Cruel Probing

Seemingly sensing a malicious gaze, Protector Wu felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could utter a single word, his mouth was rendered completely incapable of speech. He could not discern the true power of the barrier; merely observing it from afar filled him with dread. However, Hall Master Mo, whose cultivation was far deeper than his own, felt quite differently.

After observing it for a long time, he could not help but grow suspicious. On the surface, this barrier appeared no different from those set up by ordinary Dou Zun experts—a standard spatial barrier that merely obscured vision, leaving the mountain gate shrouded in a blur. Yet, compared to those created by Dou Sheng experts, it was, by his estimation, far inferior. In his understanding, a Dou Sheng expert could carve out their own space—a small world. With a private sanctuary of their own, who would want to be exposed to the outside world and bothered by others?

Hall Master Mo's analysis was spot on in many respects, yet it led to a massive deviation in his conclusion. The reason Zhang Nian had not created a small world was, first, that he had lacked the time back then. Furthermore, creating a small world consumed a vast amount of energy to forge the "key" required to enter it; if he could not emerge within a short time, it would pose a significant problem.

Secondly, the existence of such a world in this location helped the residents of the Jia Ma Empire recognize the presence of this Dou Sheng expert, while simultaneously attracting others to pledge their loyalty more effectively. For instance, the overtures from the Miteer clan, the Misty Cloud Sect, and the Jia Ma Imperial Family were all within his expectations. After all, had he been in a small world, these people would have assumed Zhang Nian had simply chosen a random spot and disliked being disturbed, making it much harder to reap any benefits.

Thirdly, he had absolute confidence in this barrier; no one below the level of a Dou Sheng could possibly break it. Coupled with the infusion of Nanming Li Fire, he believed even the most formidable Dou Sheng would feel a sense of fear.

However, these were not things Hall Master Mo could fathom. At this moment, Hall Master Mo intended to use Protector Wu—whose mouth and body he had already sealed—as a lab rat. By doing so, he could test the depth of the Qinglian Saint and use the results to claim credit with the Soul Hall headquarters in the Central Plains.

He picked up Protector Wu with one hand, carrying him like a chick, and walked toward the barrier. A fierce glint appeared in his pitch-black eyes as he spoke, "Protector Wu, it is time for you to contribute to the organization. What do you say?"

The icy tone made Protector Wu feel as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar. He vaguely guessed what the other party was about to do, but with his mouth sealed and his limbs bound, he could neither speak nor struggle.

"Wuu wuu wuu!"

The occasional whimpering revealed his intense desire to survive. Unfortunately, Protector Wu was facing Hall Master Mo. A leader who could reach such a position had climbed over mountains of corpses and seas of blood; how could he be swayed by the whimpering of a discarded dog?

The closer they got to the barrier, the more he could feel the deterrent power of the flames above. This only strengthened Hall Master Mo's resolve to test it out. When they were less than twenty meters from the barrier, he shook his right arm, and a surge of Dou Qi mixed with spatial power erupted from his body. Protector Wu was sent flying in a beautiful arc, crashing toward the barrier.

After doing this, Hall Master Mo quickly fled toward the rear. Although he had consumed a high-grade concealment pill, he would still be detected if he stayed too close. If the opponent were truly a Dou Sheng, Hall Master Mo would have fled at the first opportunity. He had made two preparations, something even Protector Wu was unaware of: first, the high-grade concealment pill, and second, a treasure he carried that hid his aura. The two complemented each other, making it impossible for even an ordinary Dou Sheng to discover him immediately.

In the sky, after taking one last look at the azure heavens, Protector Wu closed his eyes in despair. The next second, a loud "Boom!" echoed as his body slammed into the barrier, sending ripples surging outward. Simultaneously, the white flames at the very top triggered a chain reaction. The fire cascaded downward layer by layer along the energy fluctuations. In an instant, the entire barrier was covered in white flames, and Protector Wu, now being scoured by the fire, let out a shrill, miserable whimper.

Inside the mountain gate:

"Boom!"

Zhang Nian sensed the anomaly immediately. He looked up toward the source of the disturbance and saw a figure in black robes appearing outside the perimeter of the barrier. Although he did not know who the person was, he knew for certain they were not from the Jia Ma Empire. To dare to crash into his barrier like this—the visitor was clearly ill-intentioned!

With a wave of his hand, he adjusted the intensity of the Nanming Li Fire. If he burned this person to death in an instant, wouldn't he lose all information? He wanted to know who had the audacity to target him.

His figure shot out, flying into the sky. A faint light flashed from the Storage Ring on his fingertip, and a diamond-shaped emblem appeared in his palm, which he secretly hid behind his back. As the barrier opened a small door, Zhang Nian appeared outside. He saw Protector Wu being scoured by the flames, black mist rising from his body as if he were being continuously purged by the Nanming Li Fire. The shrill whimpering made one's hair stand on end.

Who was this person?

In his impression, there should be no one like this in the Jia Ma Empire. Furthermore, through his perception, Zhang Nian discovered that the opponent's strength was not weak at all; he had already reached the level of a one-star Dou Zong. Such an expert did not exist in the current Jia Ma Empire, nor would one appear for another dozen years.

Upon closer observation, he noticed that the man's mouth, hands, and feet were locked by spatial energy. To bind a Dou Zong expert just to test him—was there someone else behind this?

He turned his head to look at the distant forest. Everything seemed normal: flying magical beasts soared into the blue sky, the forest swayed gently in the wind, and the occasional rustle of leaves could be heard. As a three-star Dou Zun, he had not detected anything unusual.

Hall Master Mo, hiding in the forest, was already drenched in sweat. His life hung in the balance. He was gambling; if he won, he would gain immense wealth and opportunity, but if he lost, he would be left without a place to bury his bones, and his end would be no better than Protector Wu's. Seeing Zhang Nian's gaze flicker and pass, he finally let down his guard. Although he dared not move, the slight loosening of his clenched fists and the relaxation of his brow revealed the lingering sense of relief in his heart.

He waved his hand to undo the spatial lock on Protector Wu. In an instant, one could hear the shrill, miserable screams of someone crying for their parents.

"Ah~"

"Ah!"

"Stop screaming."

Zhang Nian did not want to deal with Protector Wu, so he coaxed, "Who are you, and why have you trespassed on my mountain gate? Tell me the truth, and perhaps I might consider sparing you."

The look of despair in his eyes said it all. Protector Wu merely glanced at Zhang Nian and then remained silent. Although his body could move, what did it matter? To not speak was death, but to speak was a fate worse than death. The moment he was thrown, he had already known his fate. Even if the person before him possessed heaven-defying abilities, he could never be a match for the Soul Hall. It was better to just be burned to death by the flames; he felt he was nearly there anyway.