Although It Was a Trap, the Information Was Real

After leaving Yao Tianhuo a voice transmission, Tang Chen did not look back as he stepped into the spatial rift.

Before long, when he emerged from the rift again, the world before him had completely changed.

This was the northern region of the Northwest Continent, a place known as the Red Cliff Plain.

Sand-laden winds howled across the land. A blood-red sun hung crookedly at the horizon, its dim light bathing the entire earth in a veil of crimson. Even the air seemed to carry the scent of blood.

"It really is the aura of a Heavenly Flame."

Tang Chen stood in the void, releasing his soul perception without restraint as it swept in all directions.

Every bit of information about this region flooded into his mind without omission.

A moment later, Tang Chen's lips curved into a smile. "So that's how it is. Looks like quite a few people came this time."

Having figured out the situation, Tang Chen wasted no more time. He completely concealed his aura, transformed into a streak of lightning, and sped toward the direction where he had sensed the Heavenly Flame.

He was incredibly fast, arriving at the location in just a few breaths.

As far as the eye could see, the area was filled with bare, yellow-brown mountains. There was not a single green plant in sight. The loose yellow soil was easily swept into the air by the fierce winds, and barren slopes stretched endlessly onward, without the faintest trace of life.

The air was dry and scorching, burning his throat even as he breathed it in. The wind carried dense fire-element energy, and the stifling heat made his entire body uncomfortable.

Across the yellow earth beneath him, massive ravines crisscrossed in every direction, their depths unfathomable. From above, they resembled an enormous maze, enough to make one's scalp tingle.

"As expected of a Heavenly Flame. It actually turned this place into such a hellhole."

Looking at the desolate scene, Tang Chen could not help sighing inwardly.

Following the aura, he shifted his gaze toward those bottomless ravines. The aura of the Heavenly Flame was rising from deep below them.

It was not merely the aura of a Heavenly Flame. There were quite a few people down there as well. With a casual sweep of his soul perception, Tang Chen clearly grasped the situation below.

Most were Dou Emperors. The weakest were Dou Kings, while the strongest was a five-star Dou Zong.

However, these people were clearly not in the right state of mind.

"Those Soul Hall bastards really do love doing such heinous things."

Disgust appeared on Tang Chen's face. He did not linger, merely moving his body as he concealed his aura and slipped into the massive ravine.

Upon reaching the bottom of the ravine, the scene before him was completely different.

A chaotic battle was raging inside.

Dou Qi of every color crashed wildly about, while thunderous explosions rang out without end. Everyone looked as though they had killed until their eyes turned red, their pupils bloodshot as they madly attacked every person around them.

Their methods were terrifyingly vicious.

Even people wearing the same clothes no longer distinguished friend from foe. They hurled all kinds of Dou Techniques mercilessly at those beside them.

One man had an arm severed, leaving behind a mangled, bloody stump, yet he did not even frown as he continued attacking wildly with his other hand.

Another had a massive hole punched through his chest, blood pouring from the wound, yet he acted as though nothing had happened and desperately tried to charge toward the center.

No one stopped killing. Not a single one.

The stench of blood was so thick it choked the air. Corpses missing arms and legs were piled everywhere, strewn across the ground. The earth had been soaked through with blood, turning sticky beneath one's feet.

This was simply a living hell.

Tang Chen's soul power was formidable, allowing him to see things others could not.

Beneath these people's feet, an enormous formation suffused with blood energy was slowly operating, enveloping every one of them.

At the center of the formation, a cluster of dark yellow flames burned fiercely.

Everyone had gone mad trying to approach that flame, only to be desperately blocked by the others. No one could get even half a step closer. Thus, they remained locked in a stalemate, slaughtering one another.

Tang Chen understood it at a glance.

"They deliberately released news of a Heavenly Flame appearing, lured everyone here, then used a formation to confuse them into killing each other so they could harvest their souls. The people of Soul Hall truly are ruthless enough."

After seeing Soul Hall's entire scheme, Tang Chen could not help marveling inwardly at their viciousness.

"Though it is a trap, the Heavenly Flame is real."

Tang Chen turned his gaze toward a spot not far from the battlefield, an eerie smile appearing on his face.

That Soul Hall Dou Zong was currently immersed in the pleasure of harvesting souls, his face filled with intoxication and satisfaction. He had not noticed in the slightest that someone had already set their sights on him.

"Kekeke!"

The Soul Hall Protector looked at the corpses scattered across the ground and watched as souls were slowly extracted by the formation, letting out a piercingly strange laugh.

His black robe concealed his face completely, but the pride and greed in that laughter could not be hidden.

"Just a little more, just a little more, and this year's quota will be completely fulfilled!" The Protector rubbed his hands together, looking exactly like a demon that had crawled out of hell.

Just then.

"Feeling good?"

An icy voice suddenly sounded behind him without warning.

It was like a voice drifting from the depths of the underworld, devoid of even a trace of warmth.

The instant the Soul Hall Protector heard that voice, every hair on his body stood on end.

He wanted to turn around, to flee, to mobilize his Dou Qi for defense, but before he could make any move, a large hand reached out from behind and seized his head.

That hand was as hard as an iron claw. Its five fingers gripped his skull, exerting such force that it seemed capable of crushing his head at any moment.

"You haven't answered my question yet." Tang Chen's voice echoed slowly by the Protector's ear like a demon's whisper. "Tell me, does it feel good?"

The Protector felt ice-cold all over, the chill spreading from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

He frantically tried to circulate the Dou Qi inside his body and struggled with all his might, but what happened next drove him into utter despair.

His Dou Qi seemed to have frozen solid. No matter how he urged it, there was not the slightest response.

He could not circulate even a fraction of it.

The aura of death descended upon him, bringing a terror he had never experienced before.

"M-Milord, spare me..." The Protector's voice trembled, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. "I-I'm from Soul Hall..."

He wanted to use Soul Hall's name to intimidate his opponent, hoping to make him wary.

However, Tang Chen gave him no answer.

What he heard was the sound of his own head shattering.

With a crisp crack.

Then, all of his consciousness vanished completely.

With that squeeze, Tang Chen crushed the Protector's head and the soul within it. A wisp of flame then sprang from his palm, burning the corpse into nothingness.

He did not give him even the slightest chance to escape.

Once the Protector died, a cluster of dark yellow flames floated out from where he had vanished.