Within the Soul-Locking Secret Realm, thick magma surged and churned wildly, bubbles bursting and releasing a scorching heat. In the very center of the magma, a tall platform stood abruptly, the fierce magma creating ripples that crashed against its edges.
On the platform, ten thick pillars stood solemnly, each carved with vivid patterns and shimmering with strange light. On the pillars, cold iron chains were wrapped, deeply embedded in the long-dried white bones.
Those white bones, broken or incomplete, gleamed with a chilling light in this desolate place, seemingly silently telling a story of despair and struggle.
On one of the pillars, a woman was tightly bound by heavy iron chains. She was like a delicate flower that had fallen into purgatory, her face exquisitely beautiful but devoid of color, like a plum blossom covered in frost and snow, exuding a Human Heart paleness.
She was frail and weak, her head hanging limply. A few strands of messy hair slipped down her cheeks. Her long eyelashes, like cicada wings, could not hide the dimness and weariness in her eyes, as well as a trace of pain.
At that moment, a red iron chain suddenly shot out from the surging magma, like a fire dragon, crackling loudly, and with terrifying power, it lashed out at the woman with lightning speed.
The red iron chain tore through the void, emitting a sharp hiss, like the ferocious laughter of an evil dragon. Finally, without warning, it lashed at the woman, yet it did not cause her any harm whatsoever.
But in that instant, the woman's eyes widened suddenly, her pupils contracted sharply, and an indescribable pain surged from her soul, as if her soul were being cruelly torn apart and split by an invisible hand, every inch of her mental perception filled with pain.
This is the Soul-Locking Iron Chain. It doesn't pull out the body, but only the soul. Even Immortal Emperor cannot withstand its attack. The pain is a hundred times, or even a thousand times, more painful than being whipped. In the end, one's soul is ripped out and one dies. No one would be willing to try it because it is simply too terrifying.
The woman's name was Liu Qin, but the creatures of the Spirit Domain all called her the Elf Queen! In the past, she wore magnificent robes and a dazzling crown, possessed immense power, and ruled over the entire Spirit Race.
But not long ago, this queen was deceived by Jialan and ruthlessly imprisoned here, suffering endless torture. And this is not the cruelest part.
She watched helplessly as the elders who supported her were brought here and beaten to death by the Soul-Locking Iron Chain. All of this was because she had believed the lies told by Jialan.
The death of each elder caused her immense pain, as if it were more painful than the Soul-Locking Iron Chain striking her own body. She hated herself for listening to Jialan's words; if she hadn't, these elders wouldn't have died.
Liu Qin winced in pain, letting out a muffled groan. Her delicate face contorted, her brows furrowed, and cold sweat poured down her forehead like rain, soaking her hair. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
After a long while, she finally recovered, her eyes vacant and colorless, her consciousness gradually fading. In a daze, a figure appeared in her mind—her beloved younger sister. When they were little, she was always following her around, and she would always patiently play with her sister.
Until she became a saint, she was constantly busy with her affairs and had almost no free time. As a saint, she had to shoulder this responsibility, which made her neglect spending time with her younger sister.
Her younger sister, Human Heart, even took the initiative to share some of her chores as she grew older, never complaining. Liu Qin felt guilty and wanted to make amends, but then came devastating news: her sister had disappeared!
At that time, Liu Qin sent countless clansmen to search for her, but after thousands of years, there was still no trace of her. However, she did not give up and secretly sent people to search for her until now.
She had considered the possibility that her sister's disappearance might be related to High Priest Jialan. She knew Jialan's ambition and his desire to seize the throne, but he had always been suppressed by her and her sister. Therefore, Jialan most wanted her sister to disappear; only when her sister was gone would he dare to compete with Liu Qin for the throne.
And that was indeed the case. After her sister disappeared, Jialan slowly revealed his ambition, winning over the clan elders and offering tempting conditions. Many elders could not resist the temptation and chose to stand on his side.
Liu Qin had warned them, but the elders seemed to have gone mad and still chose Jialan. Liu Qin was also troubled by this, mainly because Jialan was quite powerful and she couldn't easily take action against him, otherwise she would have suppressed Jialan long ago.
Ultimately, the entire Spirit Race was divided into two factions: one led by Liu Qin and the other by Jialan. The two factions fought openly and covertly, constantly clashing with each other.
Therefore, Liu Qin guessed that her sister's disappearance was related to Jialan, but she had no evidence, so she could only investigate secretly. Not long ago, she finally found some clues!
Just as she was about to confront Jialan, Jialan approached her and admitted that her sister's disappearance was related to him. Upon hearing this, Liu Qin was furious and decided to kill Jialan.
However, Jialan threatened that if he died, Liu Qin would never be able to find her sister again. Helpless, Liu Qin could only suppress her anger and refrain from taking action.
Later, Jialan told Liu Qin that her sister was in the Soul-Locking Secret Realm. Desperate to find her sister, Liu Qin rushed into the Soul Soul-Locking Secret Realm Soul-Locking Secret Realm without thinking. But when she arrived, she found that her sister was nowhere to be seen. She had been deceived!
She didn't even see through such a simple lie. When she realized she had been deceived, she was furious and her killing intent towards Jialan reached its peak. Just as she was about to settle accounts with Jialan, she discovered that an array had been set up here!
She was suppressed by the formation, and Jialan took the opportunity to suppress her, trapping her in the Soul-Locking Secret Realm, where she was whipped by the Soul-Locking Iron Chain. What followed was that she watched as one by one, the elders who supported her were sent in and had their souls ripped apart by the Soul-Locking Iron Chain. In fact, if her soul hadn't been exceptionally strong, she would have perished long ago and wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.
"Sister..." Liu Qin whispered, her voice weak, her consciousness gradually fading. If the Soul-Locking Iron Chain again, she might never wake up again.
During this time, she suffered both mental and spiritual torment, and her heart was already dead. Death might be a relief for her, after all, she was really too tired.
"Sister... Sister..." Suddenly, a trembling voice, choked with sobs, rang out and echoed throughout the entire secret realm.