He Was Definitely No Dou Sheng!

"Pretty stubborn, aren't you?" Zhang Nian couldn't help smiling. How could someone who had cultivated to the Dou Zong realm not care about his life? Unless there was something even more terrifying backing him. At present, the only possibility he could think of that might appear in the Jia Ma Empire was a Dou Zong expert...

Hmm!

That had to be it!

Watching the black qi rise in waves from Protector Wu, Zhang Nian came to his own conclusion: the man before him was from Soul Hall. As for who exactly he was, that was hard to say, but it didn't matter. If a Dou Zong had blundered into his barrier like this, it could only mean one thing: there was another, even more powerful presence nearby!

With that thought, Zhang Nian turned to gaze at the forest. A faint spatial force seeped from his body, and the air around him grew hazy. Hall Master Mo, hidden in the shadows, realized that the other party had likely sensed something. He didn't hesitate and turned to leave. But before he did, he had already reached one conclusion: this man was definitely no Dou Sheng expert!

After all, Zhang Nian had only deduced that Hall Master Mo was there, based on his own reasoning—or, more precisely, on the Space Lock around Protector Wu. He hadn't actually sensed Hall Master Mo's presence. A cruel smile curled Hall Master Mo's lips. If the man wasn't a Dou Sheng expert, then everything would be much easier to deal with. The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame wasn't something a mere Dou Zun should lay claim to.

But on closer inspection, the power that flame had shown at first had indeed been astonishing. After that, though, it had become extremely weak, as if the Dou Zun expert had deliberately weakened it. Could he have been trying to keep his captive alive?

"Heh. Protector Wu knows the rules. Falling into enemy hands means, at worst, death. But if he dares betray Soul Hall, he'll wish he were dead, no matter where he runs!"

After uttering those vicious words, he flickered away like a specter, vanishing from the world in an instant.

Meanwhile, no matter how thoroughly Zhang Nian searched, he couldn't find the slightest trace of anyone else. His soul power was his weakest point at the moment, so he simply gave up the search. With the special properties of his barrier, even Hun Tiandi probably wouldn't be able to do anything to him.

He turned his attention to Protector Wu and waved lightly, releasing him from the barrier's restraint. At the same time, he withdrew all the Nanming Li Fire from Protector Wu's body and clothes.

So this was what it felt like to go from hell to heaven. In just a moment, the pained expression on Protector Wu's face vanished, replaced by relief. But it lasted only an instant. Then, as if he had seen through everything, he shouted at Zhang Nian in a low voice:

"Kill me! I don't want to live anymore!"

In fact, Zhang Nian had gone even further. As he removed all the restraints on Protector Wu, he had also severed the man's ability to sense Dou Qi. At that moment, Protector Wu could do little more than speak and run. He was no different from an ordinary person. Such was the absolute suppression brought by the difference in their cultivation.

"You're from Soul Hall, aren't you? I've never had any grudge against Soul Hall. How is it that just because I settled in this backwater, I have to be bullied by trash like you?" His voice was calm, but every word cut deep. Zhang Nian's gaze turned sharp as the aura of a three-star Dou Zun surged from him, bearing down on Protector Wu.

One look was enough to leave Protector Wu's back drenched in cold sweat. An imperceptible trace of killing intent enveloped him. The sensation was like a thorn in his back, deeply unsettling. Yet when he thought of Soul Hall's methods of torture, he still stubbornly shouted, "There's no point in saying more. Right now, you're the butcher and I'm the meat. You say I'm from Soul Hall, so I must be. If it pleases you, you could even say I'm your son, and I still wouldn't say another word."

What a slippery way to dodge the question. Zhang Nian was so amused that he almost laughed. Give him an inch and he'd take a mile!

He extended two fingers, and a wisp of milky-white flame sprang to life atop them. With a flick of his finger, the flame danced through the air like a mischievous child, spun once, then vanished in a flash. The moment it touched Protector Wu, it sank into his body.

In the space of a single breath, its intensity surged. The Fallen Heart Flame could burn the soul, and the Nanming Li Fire had the same property—perhaps even more so. If the Fallen Heart Flame burned, the Nanming Li Fire purified, purging its target into nothingness.

"Ahh!"

A piercing scream rang out without end. No one could endure such pain, let alone a member of Soul Hall whose body was made of soul power. Protector Wu's body visibly began to disappear: first his feet, then his calves, and slowly upward. The process grew slower and slower, as if Zhang Nian had deliberately reduced its pace.

"You... you're truly vicious! Kill me! Give me a quick death. I won't tell you anything!"

Protector Wu's voice was full of anguish, with a touch of viciousness beneath it. He seemed to be trying to provoke Zhang Nian's anger and make him grant the quick death he wanted.

Zhang Nian smiled scornfully. "Oh? You seem eager to die. Don't worry, I have medicines that can restore your soul. Once I've replenished it, you can endure this agony every day. No, not agony of the body—agony of the soul."

"Did I ask you to come barking at my doorstep?"

A chill crept into Protector Wu's heart. He had underestimated the decisiveness and cruelty of a powerful expert. But what could he do now? If he spoke, he'd wish he were dead; if he didn't, he'd wish he were dead. At least if he talked, he might die a little more comfortably...

With that thought, Protector Wu chose to betray his allies before he died. He was alone, with nothing left to lose, and he no longer hoped to survive. If he could die quickly, at least his life would not have been in vain.

"You guessed right. I am indeed from Soul Hall. My superiors sent me to approach the strongest force in the Jia Ma Empire and prepare for our next move. But I never expected that this tiny northwestern empire would have a Dou Sheng expert..."

Protector Wu paused. The moment he thought of Hall Master Mo's ugly face, a chill ran through him. He stopped holding back and blurted out, "The man who came with me is the hall master of Soul Hall's branch in the northwest region of the continent. As for why we came..."

Protector Wu turned to look at the sky, at the strange wisp of milky-white flame suspended above the barrier. One glance was all it took for Zhang Nian to understand. That milky-white color, that terrifying power—there was no doubt it was a Heavenly Flame. The only one that fit was the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. So that was why they had set their sights on it?

That meant his earlier guess had been right: someone else had indeed been hiding in that forest. What a headache. He'd been careless. He hadn't expected Soul Hall to notice him so quickly...