Chapter 443: Inquiry

Looking at Shi Liang's Nascent Soul, the anger in Zhang Nuo's heart diminished somewhat; regardless of everything, he had once been an Elder of the Divine Sword Sect, and becoming like this now could be considered the punishment he deserved!

At this moment, Shi Liang's Nascent Soul was already so shriveled it was nothing but skin and bone. Within the 'Four Spirits Square Cauldron', having been tortured incessantly by the Purple Lightning Wild Thunder for these past few days, the Yuan power within his body was almost entirely depleted. If Zhang Nuo did not release him now, he would likely die inside!

"If you want to know something, say it quickly! Then give me a quick death!"

The Nascent Soul's eyelids could barely open, and he was only managing to survive on a single breath.

"What is the real name of the Master of the Great Underworld Mansion, and where does he come from?"

Zhang Nuo did not stand on ceremony and asked directly about the Master's true origins! However, the Nascent Soul gave a bitter smile, his desperate expression filled with helplessness! He shook his head slightly and said:

"In the Great Underworld Mansion, I am nothing but a running dog! I have no idea what the Master's true origins are. Let alone me, even the likes of Qin Xiaofeng may not be clear on it!"

As his thoughts raced, Zhang Nuo's expression turned ugly! Previously, he had assumed that no matter how Shi Liang fared in the Great Underworld Mansion, he should at least know some news about the Master. But looking at it now, he did not seem to be lying, and besides, the words of one about to die are always sincere!

"However, I did hear back then that this Master fought a battle against Lu Yuhou and suffered not-insignificant injuries, and has long since returned to the Tianyuan Continent to recover!"

This sentence from Shi Liang made Zhang Nuo's eyes light up. A battle with the Great Underworld Mansion was now inevitable; if the Master was not there, their hopes of victory would increase by a few points!

"So you mean, right now, only Qin Xiaofeng is holding down the fort in the Great Underworld Mansion?"

"Correct! And let me tell you a big secret: back then, the Master used a certain secret technique to raise the cultivation of Qin Xiaofeng, the Demon Emperor, and Chi Bilie to the Nascent Soul Late Stage. But this secret technique could only last for a hundred years. Now that the hundred years have passed, they have all fallen back to their original cultivation levels, except for Qin Xiaofeng, who took a small step forward and entered the Nascent Soul Middle Stage!"

Shi Liang spoke of everything he knew, holding nothing back! Zhang Nuo and Su Haizhen listened in astonishment, especially when they heard about the secret technique that could raise cultivation; it made Zhang Nuo gasp repeatedly!

This was the first time he had ever heard of such a heaven-defying method! He lowered his head to ponder, then sent a voice transmission to Chunyangzi within his body!

"Senior, are there no secret techniques in the Human Realm that can forcibly raise a cultivator's cultivation?"

"According to my estimation, there likely are not! Judging by this, that Master must come from a higher plane, likely some great power from the Underworld!"

Ever since they discovered the Great Underworld Mansion, every single one of their affairs had been inextricably linked to the Underworld. This meant that this mysterious organization, the Great Underworld Mansion, was very likely created by people from the Underworld, and the person who created this organization was not of low cultivation! At the very least, they held a seat of power in the Underworld!

After asking a few more things about the Great Underworld Mansion, Zhang Nuo's face suddenly turned cold, his eyes burning with rage, and his facial muscles even twisted slightly!

The Nascent Soul noticed Zhang Nuo's abnormal change and his heart pounded with fear. Shi Liang thought that Zhang Nuo had finished asking what he wanted and was about to execute him! But to his great surprise, Zhang Nuo did not strike, but instead continued to ask:

"Have you heard who was responsible for the Blood Sacrifice at Heiniu Village back then?"

A flash of realization crossed his mind, and Shi Liang was stunned for a moment before letting out a soft laugh. So that was what Zhang Nuo was asking about! A mere Blood Sacrifice was a common affair for that group in the Great Underworld Mansion; who among them didn't have thousands of lives on their hands?

"Blood Sacrifice? The one in your village?"

"Correct!"

Staring fixedly at Shi Liang, this was the most authentic information he had ever had the chance to obtain; as for what Jin Buhuan had said back then, Zhang Nuo simply did not believe it!

"It was a conspiracy between Jin Buhuan and Chi Bilie! Back then, in order to find the cocoon of the Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect, they first hunted down Zhu Tong. Later, they discovered that Zhu Tong had escaped after self-detonating his Golden Core. Driven by desperation, these two thought of a Blood Sacrifice! And so, your village became the only choice!"

Before the Nascent Soul could finish speaking, Zhang Nuo slammed his fist onto the stone table beside him, and the table instantly turned to powder! His eyes, nearly spitting fire, shed two lines of bloody tears! It was just as Zhang Nuo had expected; all of this was caused by the Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect! If he had a choice, he would rather give up everything he had now just to be with his family again!

But what is done cannot be undone! There was simply no way to reverse it! Su Haizhen knew the true origins of Xuan Jin, so after hearing what Shi Liang said, she felt a wave of distress in her heart! So many years had passed, and the knot in Zhang Nuo's heart had never been untied; now that the truth was out, it only made him sadder!

So, all of this was simply because the Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect was lost near Heiniu Village; if it had been anywhere else, perhaps such a thing would never have happened!

"Jin Buhuan! Chi Bilie! You two just wait! Even if I, Zhang Nuo, am doomed to eternal damnation, I will still extract your souls and refine your spirits!"

A murderous aura surged wildly from Zhang Nuo's body. The Nascent Soul, trapped within the 'Purple Lightning Wild Thunder', trembled violently, his eyes filled with terror!

After a long while, Zhang Nuo finally calmed his emotions. Su Haizhen wiped away the bloody tears flowing from his eyes, turned her head, and continued to ask:

"Do you know what kind of signature divine abilities these two have?"

As a woman, Su Haizhen was meticulous; since Zhang Nuo wanted revenge, he had to first understand the detailed information about these two!

"I really don't know about that! Because every time we acted, we basically did it alone, and these two were also on guard against me; it was impossible for them to tell me the truth!"

Zhang Nuo sat down slowly. He had exchanged blows with Jin Buhuan once before, so he was no stranger to him, but Chi Bilie was completely different! It seemed that this was all the information he could get from Shi Liang!

"After Sect Master Sun self-detonated his Golden Core back then, how did you end up joining the Great Underworld Mansion?"

He was a bit curious; back then, Zhang Nuo had watched Shi Liang get struck to the ground by Qin Xiaofeng's attack, so how did he survive?

"Everyone has the will to survive! I am no exception! But I don't have any backbone; as long as I can live, I can do anything, even if it means bearing a lifetime of infamy! Qin Xiaofeng's strike back then did not kill me because, within the Divine Sword Sect, Sun Yiyang and Lin Fan were both people who would rather break than bend. To get useful information out of them was harder than ascending to heaven, so they took a liking to me. When Qin Xiaofeng attacked, he held back and did not kill me immediately!"

Now that things had reached this point, Zhang Nuo understood everything. It seemed that the Great Underworld Mansion's attack on the Divine Sword Sect had been premeditated! Most likely, it was all for the Mysterious Heaven Spirit Insect!

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

His face cold, Zhang Nuo looked at the Nascent Soul with ill intent!

"Nothing left, I have said everything I know! I only ask for a quick death!"

Slowly closing his eyes, Shi Liang prepared himself for his demise!

"A quick death? Hmph!"

Following Zhang Nuo's cold snort, the Nascent Soul opened his eyes wide, for he clearly felt that the tone of Zhang Nuo's voice was wrong. And at the very moment he opened his eyes, a large hand was firmly pressed onto the top of his head!

"Zhang Nuo! What are you doing?"

Shi Liang screamed in terror, a flush of blood rising to his bloodless face. Zhang Nuo's posture did not look like he intended to grant a quick death at all! Beads of sweat the size of beans poured continuously from the Nascent Soul's face!

"You didn't say little just now, but I still don't quite believe you, so please make one last contribution for me!"

As soon as the words fell, the five fingers Zhang Nuo used to press down on the Nascent Soul suddenly radiated a strange light, and at the same time, the Nascent Soul's body shook, a look of agony appearing on his face!

"You are actually using the 'Soul Searching Technique' on me!"

Feeling the things in his mind being hollowed out bit by bit, the Nascent Soul roared with his last ounce of strength.

This was the first time Zhang Nuo had used the 'Soul Searching Technique' since reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. Feeling the information from Shi Liang's mind pouring continuously from his fingertips, after a moment, Zhang Nuo loosened his hand. Instantly, Shi Liang's Nascent Soul lowered his head, looking as if he had not a shred of life left!

"It seems everything he said was true!"

Suddenly lowering his head, Zhang Nuo flipped his right hand, and a bloodstain split open in his palm. The 'Pure Underworld Divine Tree' extended two tender green branches from it, wrapped them around the dying Nascent Soul, and pulled him back into the main body of the Divine Tree in one go!

"Isn't what you just did a bit too cruel?"

Su Haizhen understood some of the grievances between him and Shi Liang, but using the 'Soul Searching Technique' on a cultivator was always somewhat immoral!

"Cruel! That is only because you did not see the scene of the Divine Sword Sect being wiped out back then!"

Putting away the Small Tripod, Zhang Nuo sat quietly on the chair, his face devoid of any expression, as if the tragedy of the Divine Sword Sect's slaughter was playing out in his heart!

Su Haizhen just watched him quietly, not knowing what to say for a moment! She came from a great family and had never harbored bone-deep hatred for anyone, so it was very difficult for her to understand everything Zhang Nuo had just done!

The next morning, when Zhang Nuo appeared in Yulong Hall, everyone noticed that his complexion was terrible, and he was constantly radiating a biting killing intent! Even Liu Qingshan and the others did not dare to provoke him easily!

After inquiring about matters regarding the Xian Mountain, Zhang Nuo returned to his own Cave Abode! Taking the Jade Slip of the 'Flame Control Technique' obtained from the Di Er Xian Dong out from his bosom, Zhang Nuo submerged his Divine Sense into it!

Now everything was clear, and the targets he needed to take revenge on were also identified; the only thing left to do was to quickly increase his strength, so he could personally slay the two men, Jin Buhuan and Chi Bilie, who had caused him years of suffering!