The Giant Stone Clan never understood the concept of taking prisoners in battle. Their greatest pleasure in combat was crushing their opponents with overwhelming, brutal force.
This was especially true when they held the upper hand — the Giant Stone Clan's fighting style generally meant demolishing every single opponent down to the last.
When Jiang Chen called out to them to leave a few alive, they were somewhat unaccustomed to the request.
But they couldn't very well disobey Jiang Chen's words.
As a result, two of the elite emperor-realm warriors got rather lucky. The heavy hammers and pestles had already been swinging down toward their skulls.
San Shi switched to a sweeping strike with the handle instead.
The force of a handle sweep naturally couldn't compare to the hammer crashing down on one's head.
A hammer crashing down meant one outcome only — the head would explode like a watermelon. A handle sweep, at most, meant injuries and loss of fighting ability.
Bang, bang — the two elite warriors collapsed to the ground, stripped of their combat capability.
"Benefactor, they're all yours."
San Shi clearly hadn't had his fill of killing. He grabbed the two incapacitated elite warriors and tossed them directly in front of Jiang Chen.
With a great roar, he went charging off after others.
Jiang Chen stepped forward, subdued the two incapacitated warriors, one in each hand, and dragged them into a corner.
"Speak — shall I resort to torture before you talk, or will you confess nicely on your own?" Jiang Chen had no intention of wasting time on verbal sparring.
He didn't want to use torture, but that didn't mean he couldn't.
"Pah! Kill me if you want — do you think a warrior of Myriad Abyss Island would grovel before a lowly human-domain cultivator?"
A broad man with a close-cropped haircut wore a scowl on his face. His temper was clearly not the best; even as a prisoner, he still carried himself as though he owned the world.
Jiang Chen let out an amused laugh. Was this fool completely devoid of any awareness of his situation as a captive? Acting so arrogant — what exactly was he trying to prove?
Jiang Chen didn't bother with pleasantries. He knew that people like this were like stones in a cesspool — foul and unyielding.
There was no point expecting cooperation from such a person.
Without another word, Jiang Chen summoned Long Xiaoxuan and the Taishi White Tiger: "They're all yours."
Long Xiaoxuan and Little White had been restrained for so long that their release made them wild with excitement. They dragged the elite warrior away and began devouring him on the spot.
With so many elite warriors fallen on the field, their life essence was dissipating — though not particularly quickly.
For Long Xiaoxuan and the others, this was the perfect moment to absorb that life essence.
The remaining prisoner watched as Jiang Chen summoned a true dragon and a white tiger, both radiating menace. His face turned deathly pale with fright.
"Would you rather end up like him? Or will you cooperate properly?"
Jiang Chen's tone was flat, his voice cold.
This prisoner was clearly different from the previous one. The terrified pallor of his face made it obvious — his willpower was far from unbreakable. There was a way in.
"If you cooperate, this young master may grant you a way to live."
"Truly?" The man's interest was instantly piqued. He asked hesitantly.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Do you think this young master has any interest in joking with you?"
The man thought for a moment. "I'll confess everything, but... I want an oath."
"No oath — but this young master always keeps his word. I can spare your life, but while the death penalty may be waived, punishment is still inescapable."
"P-punishment?" the man stammered.
"Enough. The opportunity is yours. Talk or don't — that's your choice. My patience is limited." Jiang Chen's gaze drifted casually toward other areas of the battlefield. "Besides, there are still other prisoners alive. If you won't speak, perhaps someone else would welcome the chance."
Those who feared death would always fear death.
The man shuddered and nodded. "Fine, I'll talk! But I hope you'll keep your promise and let me live! I swear — from now on, I'll live under a false name and never return to Myriad Abyss Island!"
Jiang Chen shrugged. He couldn't care less about such promises.
"Yes, we're from Myriad Abyss Island." The man nodded with absolute certainty.
"That's it?" Jiang Chen's tone turned frosty. "Did you think the fact that you're from Myriad Abyss Island counts as useful information?"
A flicker of fear passed through the man's eyes. Stammering, he said, "W-we're from the Xiahou clan of Myriad Abyss Island."
"The Xiahou clan?" Upon hearing those words, Jiang Chen's face darkened instantly. Every terrible memory surged back to life in his mind.