Chapter 305: The Misfortune of Xiao Xuan
The Search Mission
In Iron Sword City's City Lord's Manor on the Tian Cang Continent, a group of Supreme level experts from Tianluo Palace bowed respectfully. After seeing their leader, Liu Changkong, act so deferentially toward Xiao Tiance, they followed suit.
"Greetings, Lord Xiao Tiance!"
Xiao Tiance gestured casually. "No need for formalities. Liu Changkong, here are the jade talismans I forged last night. Distribute one to each of them. Start from the Tian Cang Continent and have each of them travel to a nearby continent. The moment any of their jade talismans light up, they must notify me immediately."
His voice carried urgency. Xiao Tiance's heart was set on locating Xiao Xuan and his other companions as quickly as possible, leaving little room for pleasantries.
Liu Changkong understood this urgency. "Yes, Lord Xiao." He bowed, accepting the nine jade talismans from Xiao Tiance. Turning to his subordinates, he commanded, "You've all heard Lord Xiao's orders. Take these jade talismans and set out immediately. Each of you will head to a different continent. If your talisman lights up, report back immediately."
"Understood, Lord!" The Supremes accepted the talismans, bowed again, and left promptly.
Liu Changkong's Leadership
As they prepared to leave, one of the Supremes, a white clad Six Rank Sovereign who had previously served Liu Yuan Sheng, asked, "What if our talisman doesn't light up after we reach a continent?"
Without waiting for Xiao Tiance to respond, Liu Changkong's tone turned stern. "If your talisman doesn't light up, move on to the next continent. Coordinate so none of you overlap. Each person must visit at least five continents. Failure to comply will be treated as treason against Tianluo Palace."
His decisiveness was not lost on Xiao Tiance, whose expression softened with approval.
The Supremes nodded solemnly. "Understood, Lord!"
Moments later, they departed for the teleportation array to begin their mission.
Xiao Tiance's Gratitude
As the group left, Xiao Tiance turned to Liu Changkong, a trace of admiration in his eyes. "Liu Changkong, if I can locate my companions quickly because of your efforts, you'll have my gratitude and a fitting reward."
Liu Changkong's face lit up with joy, though he remained humble. "Thank you, Lord Xiao. However, please, simply call me Changkong. I don't deserve the title of 'Lord.'"
Xiao Tiance nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, Changkong. By the way, your bone age suggests you've lived less than a thousand years, correct?"
Liu Changkong bowed again. "Yes, Lord Xiao. I've lived just over nine centuries but haven't yet reached a millennium."
Xiao Tiance smiled faintly. "I've lived more than a thousand years. I'll address you as Changkong from now on."
Though Xiao Tiance appeared to be in his twenties, his admission of his true age carried weight. Liu Changkong, familiar with ancient bloodlines and profound cultivators, found this revelation plausible. A cultivator of Xiao Tiance's caliber likely owed his youthful appearance to extraordinary methods.
Exhaustion Takes Its Toll
After the discussion, Xiao Tiance retired to his chambers. Having spent the entire night forging jade talismans, he was drained.
Back on the Dou Qi Continent, crafting just one positioning jade talisman would take him a month due to the toll on his spiritual energy. However, driven by urgency, he had forced himself to complete eight talismans in a single night. This repeated strain on his soul had left him utterly exhausted.
As he lay down, he consoled himself. "If I can find Xiao Xuan and the others quickly, it'll all be worth it."
Xiao Xuan's Dire Situation
Meanwhile, far away in the Western Heaven Continent, deep within a dark underground prison, Xiao Xuan was in dire straits. His body was covered in wounds, blood dripping from his tattered frame. His breath came in shallow gasps, his condition critical.
Before him stood a cruel, bloodthirsty middle aged man clad in a blood red robe. His expression was vicious, his eyes cold. This was Xue Yi, a Ninth Rank Sovereign of the Blood God Clan and one of its elders. His aura suggested he was on the verge of breaking through to Earthly Sovereign.
Xue Yi's voice was filled with menace as he snarled, "Still refusing to talk? Do you really think I won't kill you?"
Xiao Xuan, despite his injuries, spat blood at Xue Yi, his icy gaze unwavering. "If you have the guts, kill me now. Otherwise, one day I'll make sure there's nothing left of your Blood God Clan no men, no beasts, not even a single chicken or dog."
Xue Yi's fury reached new heights, his eyes burning with killing intent. Yet, he refrained from acting. Xiao Xuan's body was incredibly resilient, rivaling that of an upper Earthly Sovereign, and he carried a mysterious jade talisman capable of deploying Grandmaster level spiritual arrays.
A Dangerous Encounter
When Xiao Xuan first arrived in the Blood God Clan's forbidden grounds after passing through the spatial barrier, his lack of cultivation made him an easy target. However, his body's strength enabled him to crush Supreme level combatants barehanded.
Eventually, the clan surrounded him. Cornered, Xiao Xuan activated a jade talisman provided by Xiao Tiance. The resulting spiritual array killed two Five Rank Sovereigns.
Unfortunately, the array's energy was quickly depleted. The Blood God Clan then deployed three Earthly Sovereigns, including their clan leader, Xue Lingzi, an upper Earthly Sovereign. They captured Xiao Xuan after a fierce struggle.
Interrogation and Defiance
Since his capture, the Blood God Clan had been attempting to extract two secrets from Xiao Xuan: the method to cultivate such a powerful body and the technique to craft spiritual array talismans.
But Xiao Xuan remained defiant. Despite his pain, his spirit was unbroken.
Xue Yi, however, was growing impatient. "You're nothing but a rat, yet your body is stronger than most Earthly Sovereigns. Tell me your secret, or I'll make you wish for death!"
Xiao Xuan sneered. "Do your worst."
Xue Yi's hand twitched, his frustration mounting. Yet, he restrained himself, knowing that Xiao Xuan's secrets were worth far more than his life.
Hope on the Horizon
Unbeknownst to Xiao Xuan, the jade talisman he had carried was one of the positioning talismans Xiao Tiance was now mass producing. Soon, Tianluo Palace's Supremes would scour nearby continents, and the talisman in Xiao Xuan's possession would light up, revealing his location.
And when it did, Xiao Tiance would come bringing with him the wrath of a man who would stop at nothing to protect his companions.
Xiao Xuan sat chained in the Blood God Clan's underground dungeon, his body battered and bloodied. He remained defiant despite the severe torture he endured daily.
Xiao Xuan's Resolve
The two things his captors wanted his method for achieving such a powerful body and the technique to create spiritual array talismans would not be so easily obtained.
His body's strength: A natural result of his breakthrough to the Dou Di (Battle Emperor) level.
The spiritual array talismans: Creations of Xiao Tiance, which Xiao Xuan wouldn't dare reveal.
Xiao Xuan had learned during his captivity that he would regain his strength in a few months if he could endure. Though his storage ring had been confiscated, Xiao Tiance's positioning jade talisman remained hidden swallowed and safely lodged in his stomach. Xiao Xuan was confident Xiao Tiance would find him.
Blood Elder Xue Yi
The torturer, Blood Elder Xue Yi, lashed Xiao Xuan again. The whip cracked against his skin, leaving yet another deep wound. Xue Yi sneered at his captive.
"Kill you? No, no. You'll beg for death long before I grant it. We Blood God Clan have perfected the art of torment. As for your threats to destroy us, laughable! Our clan has stood tall on the Western Heaven Continent for tens of thousands of years. Do you think some outsider can shake us?"
Xiao Xuan's face contorted in pain but his resolve didn't falter. He spat blood at Xue Yi and retorted, "Go ahead, do your worst. When I'm free, I'll make sure your clan pays for this down to the last chicken and dog."
Xue Yi's fury grew, but he stopped short of killing Xiao Xuan. He needed the information this strange captive might hold. While Xue Yi had restrained his blows to avoid inflicting mortal wounds, Xiao Xuan's physical strength a hallmark of his Dou Di level body allowed him to endure.
Xiao Xuan's Struggles
Even without access to Dou Qi, Xiao Xuan's resilient body remained his strongest defense. When he meditated, he could feel traces of spiritual energy gradually building within him, a sign of his slow adaptation to the Great Thousand World's spiritual energy.
Before leaving the Dou Qi Continent, Xiao Tiance had warned him about this adaptation process. Unfortunately, Xiao Xuan's luck had run out the moment he was transported directly into the Blood God Clan's forbidden grounds. If he had landed near the Luo God Clan instead, things might have turned out differently.
"Just you wait," Xiao Xuan thought, closing his eyes as Xue Yi continued whipping him. "Once I'm free, you'll know I'm not bluffing."
The Blood God Clan's Plan
Xue Yi grew tired and finally stopped, collecting his whip before leaving the cell.
In the Blood God Clan's main hall, three Earth Sovereigns Blood God Clan leader Xue Lingzi and elders Xue Tong and Blood Hand waited for Xue Yi's report. As Xue Yi entered, slumping into a chair, he sighed in frustration.
"That man is stubborn. No matter how much I torture him, he refuses to say anything useful."
Xue Lingzi responded calmly. "Don't worry. He's trapped in our dungeon. There's no way for him to escape. We have all the time in the world."
He turned to Xue Yi and continued, "You should focus on the upcoming Ancient Ruins. This time, you must obtain the treasure needed for your breakthrough to Earth Sovereign. Once you succeed, our clan will have the upper hand in our war against the Luo God Clan."
Xue Yi's expression shifted to confidence. "Leader, rest assured. I won't fail. However, I'm still uneasy about that prisoner. He's strangely calm, as though he's waiting for someone to rescue him. And despite all this time, he hasn't lost his spirit. I suspect he has allies possibly even a spiritual array grandmaster."
Xue Lingzi's Assurance
Xue Lingzi chuckled at Xue Yi's concerns. "You're overthinking it. The dungeon is protected by our clan's grand array. Not even a Heavenly Sovereign could detect its presence, much less breach it. We've also enforced strict silence among the clan members. No one will leak his location."
Xue Yi nodded, though his unease lingered. "As long as you've made the necessary precautions, I can focus on the Ancient Ruins."
At this, Blood Hand interjected, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Leader, why not let me handle the prisoner? If he refuses to talk, I'll extract his soul directly."
Xue Lingzi's demeanor shifted. "No. You will not act recklessly."
His tone hardened as he explained, "We know nothing about his origins or the strength of his backers. Forcing a soul extraction could result in his self detonation, which the dungeon cannot withstand. If the Luo God Clan catches wind of this, it could spell disaster for us. Our priority remains the Ancient Ruins. The treasure there will determine our clan's future."
Calculated Patience
Xue Tong nodded in agreement. "Leader is right. That man's body is stronger than any Lower Earth Sovereign's, even without spiritual energy. He's likely from a lower plane, and the adaptation process has limited his power. Still, the spiritual array talismans he carries suggest he's connected to a grandmaster perhaps even a spiritual array master."
He sighed before continuing. "Had he not killed two of our Fifth Rank Sovereigns, I would have suggested allying with him. But it's too late now. We must proceed cautiously."
Blood Hand's impatience boiled over. "So, what's the plan? Let him rot in the dungeon?"
Xue Lingzi's cold glare silenced Blood Hand. "Enough. I'll handle the prisoner personally. Focus your attention on preparing for the Ancient Ruins. That is your only concern for now."
The three elders nodded, though tension lingered in the air. None of them knew their decisions would soon bring their clan to the brink of annihilation.
A Storm Brewing
Unbeknownst to the Blood God Clan, Xiao Tiance's jade talisman, hidden within Xiao Xuan, was a ticking time bomb. The Blood God Clan's grand array may have shielded the dungeon from external detection, but it would not protect them from the wrath of a man willing to turn the Great Thousand World upside down for his companions.
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