Inside the cage, a deathly killing intent, like viscous ink, completely permeated every inch of space.
Long Panzi's aura of Void Spirit Realm still pressed down like Ancient God, making it hard to breathe. Fragments of the shattered Black Iron Throne lay scattered at his feet.
His eyes, as cold as a deep pool, were fixed on True Person Huanglong. The surging azure spiritual energy around him was almost transforming into a tangible blade, yet it lingered in mid-air without falling.
Long Panzi was indeed hesitant.
True Person Huanglong Lu Yun has been in charge of the Vermilion Bird Holy Sect for millions of years, fighting for the Cultivation Alliance in battles across the north and south, and guarding the Vermilion Bird Star Domain for countless years.
In terms of merit, seniority, and loyalty, few in the entire alliance can match him.
For millions of years, he served under her tirelessly, risking his life in numerous interstellar wars. Even Long Panzi had to accept this debt of gratitude.
Moreover, Lu Yun's words were resounding and firm, a vow made with his very soul, not empty threats. Cultivators in the cultivation world value their vows of the soul above all else; once broken, their soul and spirit will be annihilated, with no chance of reincarnation.
More importantly, Long Panzi had his own plans.
What he wanted from beginning to end was neither Liu Mei's life nor the pleasure of torturing a junior, but the Ancient God bloodline and Cinie Treasure treasure in Luo Chuan's body. That was his only chance to break through the shackles of the Void Spirit stage and step into a higher realm.
Liu Mei is Luo Chuan's weakness. Keeping her alive is far more useful than killing her directly. If he were to torture her to death, Luo Chuan would definitely go mad. At that point, it would be a fight to the death, and he would have no chance of getting what he wanted.
The torture he inflicted just now was merely a warning shot, meant to intimidate True Person Huanglong and also to force Liu Mei to reveal the secret she had been telling him.
But now that Lu Yun has risked his life to protect him and vouched for him with his soul, if he still insists on taking drastic measures, not only will he chill the hearts of the old ministers of the alliance, but he will also cut off his best path to obtain the secrets of Luo Chuan.
Azure Dragonzi's clamor was nothing more than petty personal grudges, insignificant compared to his major breakthrough.
The surging killing intent around Long Panzi slowly subsided, and the overwhelming pressure of the Void Spirit Realm that almost shattered the cage also quietly receded like the tide. However, the remaining aura still made everyone present's hearts pound wildly, and they dared not make the slightest move.
He slowly lowered his right hand, which was imbued with cyan spiritual power, and the sharp blade at his fingertips, capable of tearing apart the soul, vanished instantly.
The excruciating pain in the cage suddenly ceased. Liu Mei's body, which was already on the verge of collapse, trembled violently. Her still straight spine could no longer support her, and she collapsed softly. However, she still held on to her last bit of consciousness and did not utter a single groan.
Blood dripped slowly from Liu Mei's lips, soaking her clothes. In her eyes, which had been filled with pain, some despair finally faded, leaving only gratitude for True Person Huanglong and an unyielding stubbornness.
Seeing this, True Person Huanglong finally felt relieved. The Vermilion Bird True Fire had been surging around him slowly subsided, though his golden robe still carried a lingering aura of malevolence. He bowed deeply to Long Panzi and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you for your kindness, senior!"
Long Panzi didn't look at him. His gaze swept indifferently over Liu Mei, who was lying on the ground with a weak breath. His voice was still cold, but it had lost some of its world-destroying killing intent and gained more of an unquestionable decisiveness.
" Lu Yun, I will trust you this time."
"Since you have sworn an oath with your soul, you must, within three years, extract from Liu Mei the location of Luo Chuan, the secret of the Ancient God's bloodline, and the details of the Cinie Treasure magic weapon."
"If you cannot give me the answer I want in three years, don't blame me for not showing any mercy. At that time, you, this woman, and the entire Vermilion Bird Holy Sect will all be buried with you for your stubbornness!"
With each word Long Panzi, it was like a heavy hammer striking the ground, causing the iron chains of the prison cage to vibrate and hum.
True Person Huanglong felt a chill run down his spine, knowing this was Long Panzi's last line, and immediately nodded emphatically:
"This junior swears that within three years I will give you a satisfactory answer. If I fail to do so, I am willing to perish, without uttering a single complaint!"
Azure Dragonzi, who had just gotten up from the ground, had half of his cheek still swollen and his mouth still tasted of blood. When he saw that Long Panzi had actually agreed to let Liu Mei go, he became anxious.
Ignoring the pain on his face, he scrambled to Long Panzi's side and shouted again, trying to stop him:
"Senior! You absolutely mustn't! Lu Yun is clearly in cahoots with Luo Chuan! How can you believe his lies! This woman is incredibly stubborn; only torture will get a confession..."
Before he could finish speaking, Long Panzi suddenly turned his head. His eyes were like an ancient, frozen pool, devoid of any emotion, yet carrying an unparalleled majesty emanating from a powerful being in the Void Spirit stage. With just a glance, Azure Dragonzi felt as if his blood had frozen instantly.
There was no anger or murderous intent in his eyes, only extreme indifference and disdain, as if he were looking at an arrogant ant.
With just one glance, Azure Dragonzi felt his soul completely locked, making it incredibly difficult to breathe. His spiritual energy stagnated, rendering him completely immobile.
The words that Azure Dragonzi was about to say stopped abruptly, like a duck being choked. He swallowed the rest of his words back, and the urgency and resentment on his face were instantly replaced by extreme fear. His pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
"When did it become your place to question my decisions?"
Long Panzi's voice was soft, yet it carried an unyielding majesty of the Heavenly Dao. Every word struck Azure Dragonzi's soul, making his hair stand on end and his soul scatter.
Azure Dragonzi's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his knees slamming heavily onto the hard ground with a dull thud.
He felt no pain at all, but desperately lowered his head, pressing his forehead hard against the cold ground. His body trembled like a leaf, and he repeatedly kowtowed, admitting his mistakes. His voice was tearful, full of fear and obsequiousness.
"This junior knows his mistake! This junior knows his mistake! This junior was confused for a moment and dared to question your decision, senior. I deserve to die! I beg you to spare my life! I beg you to spare my life!"
Azure Dragonzi kowtowed repeatedly, blood seeping onto the ground. His forehead was a bloody mess, yet he dared not stop, his heart filled with endless fear.
He then realized that in Long Panzi's eyes, he was nothing more than a pawn used to deal with Luo Chuan.
Now that Lu Yun has stepped in, the chess piece's usefulness has diminished. If it dares to speak out of turn and disobey Long Panzi's wishes, it will be mercilessly crushed in the next second, leaving not even a skeleton behind.
Long Panzi glanced coldly at Azure Dragonzi, who was kneeling and kowtowing, his eyes filled with contempt. Did such a sycophantic and short-sighted person deserve to lead the Azure Dragon Sacred Sect?
If he didn't still have some value to him, he would have eliminated him long ago.