Inside the
Discovering that the Abyssal Giant Demon had been taken out, some members of the
Elsewhere, within the darkness.
A figure stood silently. This person in black had witnessed the entire process of the Abyssal Giant Demon being obliterated by the Divine Lightning Kill Formation, watched
More than once, he had been tempted to intervene and snatch Nie Li from Ye Xiu's grasp, but in the end, he held back, his gaze shifting to another location.
"I know you've sensed me and are waiting for me to make a move, but tracking me won't be that easy. This round of confrontation goes to you, but next time won't be so simple." The man in black chuckled coldly, his figure slowly dissolving into the darkness.
Near the Tai Yi Kill Formation,
From the moment the Abyssal Giant Demon appeared, aside from capturing two Dark Guild Demon Spirit Masters, Ye Zong had remained vigilant against this unsettling presence. Even until the opponent disappeared, Ye Zong had been unable to locate them.
"It seems the opponent had no intention of making a move," Ye Zong thought to himself. If the opponent had attacked, even he, Ye Zong, would likely have been drawn into a fierce battle.
Just then, a Black Gold rank warrior hurried over.
"Lord Ye Zong, this is terrible," the warrior said urgently.
"What happened?" A bad premonition immediately arose in Ye Zong's mind.
"Those three Black Gold rank Demon Spirit Masters we captured earlier are all dead," the warrior reported with a cupped fist salute.
"As expected." Ye Zong clenched his fist. To prevent those three Black Gold rank Demon Spirit Masters from escaping and becoming a future threat, he had completely crippled their Soul Seas, destroying any possibility of them ever recovering their cultivation. The original plan was to imprison them in the City Lord's Mansion's secret dungeon for thorough interrogation later, to uncover the Dark Guild's hiding place. He hadn't expected the Dark Guild to be so ruthless, severing the limb to save the body by killing the three captives directly. "Did they send someone to break them out? What strength was the opponent?"
Logically, the location of the secret dungeon was known to no one outside. How had the enemy known its position to launch such an attack? This needed to be thoroughly investigated!
"Reporting to the City Lord, no one came to stage a rescue. Those three Black Gold rank Demon Spirit Masters simply died inexplicably," the warrior said.
"Died inexplicably?" Ye Zong's heart tightened. The Dark Guild truly had sinister methods! If his guess was correct, the Dark Guild had placed a Soul Chain on the three captives. The moment they discovered someone had been captured, they would activate the Soul Chain, strangling them to death.
With such measures, betrayal from within was essentially impossible. No wonder the Dark Guild remained so mysterious, preventing the various families in the
Meanwhile, outside the City Lord's Mansion.
A figure in black stood silently. Several dozen other figures in black knelt respectfully around him, none daring to make a sound, including a few who were Black Gold rank.
"Eight Black Gold rank were sent in total. One killed by the Abyssal Giant Demon, two by Ye Zong, one by that brat. And the team sent to the Tianhen Family to capture that brat's parents returned completely empty-handed. You useless waste!" the man in black snorted coldly.
"My Lord, we had no idea those two strange formations possessed such terrifying power. Moreover, the Tianhen Family had several Black Gold rank experts guarding them and were well-prepared. We couldn't even locate where the brat's parents were living!"
The man in black opened his right hand. Three black sigil stones in his palm lay cracked and shattered.
"Forget it this time. If you fail in your duties again next time, you'll end up just like them!" The man's voice was as chilling as if it came from the depths of hell.
At these words, the kneeling figures below trembled, their faces filled with terror. These three black sigil stones were the Soul Stones of the three captured Black Gold rank Demon Spirit Masters. Once the man in black formed seals and shattered the stones, the Soul Chains would tighten, ensuring their certain death.
From the moment they joined the Dark Guild, their fate had been completely seized. Their souls were bound to those small Soul Stones; if the stone was crushed, they would die. They had tried to resist, but all who did were killed, their miserable ends too horrifying to witness. As for escape, the Dark Guild was far too powerful. No matter where you ran, they would track you down. Thus, they could only be enslaved, carefully carrying out the Dark Guild's tasks. Occasionally, a comrade's death would fill them with dread.
Yet even with constant casualties, every year the Dark Guild saw numerous new recruits emerge from its brutal, hellish training grounds, bolstering its ranks and making it ever stronger.
For the City of Radiance, the Dark Guild would forever remain a terrifying nightmare.
"Let's go. We return to report to the