Translator: CinderTL

The stone chamber was empty, its four walls bare, containing only a single person and a meditation cushion.

The man sat cross-legged on the cushion, as gaunt as a withered pine, clad in a gray robe.

Song Wen’s mind flashed with information about this man:

Wu Clan’s ninth elder—Wu Luan, early-stage Void Refinement realm cultivator; he had broken through to Void Refinement over two thousand years ago but had never advanced to the mid-void refinement stage, leaving him with less than five hundred years of lifespan remaining; known for his ruthless and vicious nature, he resorts to any means necessary and takes pleasure in torturing prisoners in the Frozen Hell.

"Two little friends, what brings you to the Frozen Hell?" Wu Luan’s icy gaze swept over Song Wen and Ke Zheng.

Ke Zheng, unsure how to respond, instinctively glanced back at Song Wen.

Song Wen flipped his hand, producing a storage pouch. He stepped forward and offered it to Wu Luan.

"Senior, we have a request to make. Please accept this token of our sincerity."

Wu Luan didn’t take the pouch, his sinister eyes fixed on Song Wen.

"A mere nascent soul cultivator dares to bribe this venerable one? And with a full ten thousand high-grade spirit stones! It seems your scheme is far from simple."

Seeing Wu Luan refuse the pouch, Song Wen simply withdrew it.

"Senior, would you mind closing the stone door? There are matters we’d prefer not to be overheard."

The vertical shaft outside the stone house clearly led to the depths of the Frozen Hell.

However, layers of restrictions prevented Song Wen’s divine sense from penetrating the depths, leaving him no choice but to rely on Wu Luan to guide the way.

"Very well, this venerable one agrees. I’m eager to see what tricks you’re hiding up your sleeve!" Wu Luan’s lips curled into a cold sneer.

Without any visible movement, the stone door of the house slammed shut with a thunderous crash.

"Speak. What exactly do you intend to do?"

Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, Wu Luan’s sinister gaze suddenly transformed into terror.

The nascent soul cultivator’s body erupted with a terrifying aura. His hand morphed into a razor-sharp claw, lunging straight for Wu Luan’s throat.

The cultivator’s speed was blindingly fast, and the distance between them was practically non-existent. Wu Luan had no time to react, not even to summon his protective spiritual power, before the claw clamped down on his throat.

A torrent of spiritual power surged through the iron-like hand, flooding Wu Luan’s body and violently disrupting the spiritual power flowing through his meridians.

Pfft!

Wu Luan spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the corner of his lips crimson and splattering across Song Wen’s arm.

Ke Zheng stood nearby, a flicker of lingering fear flashing in his eyes.

He had initially assumed that "Jiang Yushan" was a Void Refinement Stage cultivator. He had even considered seeking help from Wu Luan upon meeting him.

Seeing Wu Luan captured so easily, Ke Zheng’s heart jolted violently.

He now realized that "Jiang Yushan" was at least a top-tier expert in the Void Refinement Stage, and possibly even a great power at the Body Integration Stage!

A cold sweat broke out on Ke Zheng’s back. He couldn’t help but feel grateful that he hadn’t acted rashly after entering the stone chamber. Otherwise, he would likely be a corpse by now.

He instinctively touched his right forearm. The broken bones had been reset, but in the rush, he hadn’t had time to heal them properly. He had merely concealed the injury with his sleeve.

With a slight tightening of his grip, Song Wen lifted Wu Luan, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, like a chick. His icy gaze locked onto the captive.

"Take me to the Frozen Hell."

"Senior’s cultivation is profound, and this junior is no match for you," Wu Luan said, his tone defiant. "However, this is Wu Clan territory. Aren’t you afraid our two Ancestors will notice your intrusion?"

Song Wen’s eyes grew colder. The Soul Cleaving Blade materialized, its tip slowly approaching Wu Luan’s forehead.

The short blade radiated a chilling aura. Even before the blade touched him, Wu Luan felt a piercing Golden Sharp Qi assault him, stabbing him with pain.

What terrified him even more was that this Golden Sharp Qi directly invaded his sea of consciousness, rampaging through it and inflicting excruciating torment upon his divine soul.

"S-stop!" Wu Luan’s face twisted in agony, his voice trembling. "I’ll take you there!"

Song Wen casually tossed Wu Luan to the ground like a discarded rag.

"You have ten breaths to compose yourself and regulate your breathing. If anyone notices anything amiss, I’ll take your life immediately."

Wu Luan hastily circulated his cultivation technique, channeling his chaotic spiritual power back into order.

The ten breaths passed in an instant. His breathing steadied considerably, though still slightly unsteady. However, the Wu Clan members in Frozen Hell were all of lower cultivation than him, so they wouldn’t detect any abnormalities.

He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the five bloody marks Song Wen had left on his neck faded away.

"Lead the way," Song Wen’s voice rang out.

To prevent Wu Luan from attempting any escape, Song Wen had not withdrawn the spiritual power he had infused into him. Instead, he had directly invaded Wu Luan’s dantian, encircling his nascent soul.

At any sign of betrayal, Song Wen could instantly activate the spiritual power and crush Wu Luan’s nascent soul.

"Yes!"

Wu Luan dared not disobey. He formed a magic seal and struck the stone gate.

The gate swung open.

Outside, the Nascent Soul Stage female cultivator remained standing respectfully.

"You’re dismissed. Withdraw," Wu Luan ordered.

"Your subordinate obeys," the female cultivator replied, turning to leave the mountain cave.

Once she had retreated outside and reestablished the barrier at the cave entrance, the trio finally moved. Wu Luan led the way, entering the vertical shaft.

After descending approximately ten miles, they encountered a barrier blocking their path.

Wu Luan produced a black token.

With a slight infusion of spiritual power, the token emitted a dark glow, and the barrier vanished.

They continued their descent, bypassing five more barriers before finally reaching the bottom of the vertical shaft.

This was a square cavern, within which stood over a dozen Wu Clan cultivators, their cultivation levels ranging from foundation establishment to nascent soul.

"Greetings, Ninth Elder," the Wu Clan cultivators said, surrounding the trio and bowing respectfully as soon as they landed.

Wu Luan waved dismissively, dismissing the group.

Then, turning to Song Wen, he asked telepathically, "Senior, what exactly is your purpose in coming to the Frozen Hell?"

"To find someone! Over two hundred years ago, Wu Bo sent a Divine Transformation Stage divine soul here. Take me to her."

Song Wen replied telepathically, his gaze sweeping across the cavern.

Each of the cavern’s four walls contained a deep, dark passage.

Along both sides of these passages were prison cells.

However, the cells were protected by restrictions, preventing Song Wen from sensing what lay within.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of fear flashed in Wu Luan’s eyes.

"So you have indeed come to rescue someone."

Wu Luan had long suspected this, but hearing it confirmed still sent a chill down his spine.

No one imprisoned in the Frozen Hell escaped torture.

When Song Wen witnessed the wretched state of the person he sought to rescue, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage. At that point, Wu Luan feared he would have little chance of survival.

(End of the Chapter)

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