Chapter 317: Investigation

Xu Chen moved his Divine Sense, drawing a blue starlight from the Void of the Heaven-Suppressing Divine Stele. It drifted slowly from between his brows, hovering before the old man as he said, "This is the secret technique we use to open the Soul Lock. Only by using the starlight condensed from this Soul can we successfully open the Soul Lock array inside the bracelet."

The old man's eyes released a faint white light. He released his Divine Sense to envelop the blue starlight, observing it carefully for a long moment. Feeling no threat, he still said uneasily, "You must not deceive me, otherwise you will both die today!"

Xu Chen hurriedly said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. A junior with cultivation only at the Zhenyuan Realm, how would I dare to deceive a senior?"

"Hmph, you know what's good for you. Now, how do I open the Soul Lock!" the old man coldly snorted.

"If Senior takes this starlight into your Sea of Consciousness, you will naturally feel the method to open the Soul Lock..."

"How is that possible?"

"How is it not? This method is incredibly effective!" Xu Chen suddenly chuckled. With a pull of his Divine Sense, the blue starlight abruptly merged into the old man's forehead.

The old man's expression changed instantly as he retreated, simultaneously releasing thick Protective Origin Qi. But it was too late; the blue starlight rushed into his Sea of Consciousness, and ignoring the defenses of his Soul array, it merged directly into his Soul.

The old man suddenly stood frozen on the spot, as if struck by an immobilization spell, unable to move.

Xu Chen made no moves either, instead looking at the old man with a relaxed expression.

As an obscure and profound aura emanated from the old man, a moment later, a blue, twisted Shizi Yuwen Yinjie emerged from between his brows.

"You... what did you do to me?" The old man was both terrified and bewildered, looking at Xu Chen at a loss.

"You don't need to know. Now, open the Array Disk!" Xu Chen said.

"Yes!" The old man did not object in the slightest. He raised his hand and pointed into the void a few times. A palm-sized Array Disk fell into his hand from the darkness, and the light chains that had been imprisoning Xu Chen and Lin Qiu Ya instantly vanished.

Lin Qiu Ya's face was deathly pale, her chest heaving violently, and her eyes were filled with terror as she looked at the two men.

After being suppressed by the Array Disk just moments ago, her Soul and Origin Qi had been completely locked down; she couldn't even struggle, let alone speak.

But she had not expected that with just a single strange blue starlight, Xu Chen had caused the old man to release them both.

Xu Chen turned his head to comfort Lin Qiu Ya, saying, "Daoist Friend Lin, there is no need to be afraid. I have already used a Soul-control technique to subdue him; there is no danger for the time being."

Lin Qiu Ya nodded blankly, not daring to speak.

She found Xu Chen increasingly incomprehensible now, but since she wanted to escape the pursuit of Junwang Hall, she could only rely on this strange trio of Xu Chen.

Therefore, she did not dare to ask more.

"Ninth Elder, do you know where the two captured Taiyuan Sect disciples are being held?" Xu Chen asked.

The old man hurriedly nodded and said, "I know!"

"Can you take us there?" Xu Chen asked again.

The old man hurriedly shook his head and said, "I can, but those two female cultivators were imprisoned personally by Elder Tianhong, who set up layers of restrictions. Moreover, there is another Elder guarding them personally. Even if we go, it is absolutely impossible to get close."

Xu Chen could not help but frown.

It seemed the Xuanhua Sect was determined to obtain the Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill, which was why they were guarding the two senior sisters so strictly.

But since he knew the whereabouts of the two senior sisters, he felt very uneasy if he didn't go take a look. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Take us to see them first."

"Yes, two Daoist Friends, follow me!" The old man turned and walked outside.

Xu Chen and Lin Qiu Ya hurriedly followed.

Soon, the three of them passed through two restriction arrays in succession. The view before them suddenly brightened; they were actually standing in the stone chamber from before. Walking out of the stone chamber, the old man turned to close the stone door again, leading the two around the rear hall, winding through several turns until they arrived at another small courtyard.

There were even more restrictions here, with spiritual light everywhere. It seemed the entire courtyard was shrouded in an array, and there were several thick auras of Origin Qi within, one of which was at least at the mid-stage of the Danyuan Realm.

"Ninth Junior Brother, what are you doing here?"

Just as they stepped into the courtyard, an old man with silver hair and beard appeared before the three of them in one step. His eyes landed on Xu Chen and Lin Qiu Ya, and his expression immediately turned very gloomy. He scolded the old man, "Who are these people, and why did you bring them into our sect's forbidden ground?"

Ninth Elder hurriedly said, "Third Senior Brother, these two are Daoist Friends from the Xuanqing Sect of Dongwu. They originally came to pay respects to Elder Tianhong, but since Elder Tianhong is not here, I brought them to pay respects to you, Senior Brother."

Third Elder said with a face full of rage, "Two minor, uncivilized cultivators with shallow cultivation are worthy of an audience with Elder Tianhong? Is your head full of water? I have been ordered to guard this place; how can I meet outsiders at will? Take them away quickly. If Elder Tianhong finds out, both you and I will be punished."

"Third Senior Brother, please calm your anger. These two Daoist Friends came with heavy gifts, originally intending to form an alliance with our Xuanhua Sect to seek protection. With the Immortal Alliance Assembly about to be held, we will soon launch a major offensive into the territories of Dongwu and the Eastern Wasteland. Although the Xuanqing Sect is slightly weaker in strength, they are, after all, a local Immortal Sect and are very familiar with the activities of the Nether Beasts. Furthermore, they have been fighting the Nether Beasts for over a year and have stored a large number of Nether Beast Soul Beads within their sect, all of which are of very good quality. These Soul Beads are excellent cultivation items for several True Monarchs. How can we turn a blind eye to such a good opportunity!"

Ninth Elder flipped his hand and took out the goose-egg-sized Soul Bead that Xu Chen had gifted earlier.

"Hiss~"

The moment the Soul Bead appeared, an extremely cold aura permeated the courtyard. The powerful Soul aura fluctuation caused Third Elder's expression to change drastically, and he gasped, his eyes widening.

"This... could this be a Soul Bead from a Third-Tier Nether Beast?" Third Elder said, stuttering slightly.

"Correct, this is indeed a Soul Bead from a Third-Tier Nether Beast. It is a gift I specifically prepared to pay respects to the Xuanqing Sect!" Xu Chen nodded from the side.

Third Elder took the Soul Bead with slightly trembling fingers. After observing it carefully for a moment, the emotion on his face became much gentler, and he even revealed a hint of surprise, nodding as he said, "To be able to kill a Third-Tier Nether Beast, the Xuanqing Sect seems to have quite good strength. We cannot make the decision regarding the alliance, but with this Soul Bead, it is indeed worthy of Elder Tianhong making an exception to meet you once."

Xu Chen hurriedly said, "Actually, our Xuanqing Sect was originally an Immortal Sect of the Eastern Wasteland, and there is also an Elder at the Spirit Transformation Realm within our sect. This time, I was ordered to come to the Immortal Alliance Assembly to get to know some large Immortal Sects of the Divine Continent to seek support and cooperation. When I came, the Spirit Transformation Elder said that if any large Immortal Sect is willing to form an alliance with the Xuanqing Sect, the large quantity of Soul Beads stored by the Xuanqing Sect can all be sold at a low price. This one right now is just one of them; the sect has quite a few such reserves, and there are even more Second-Tier ones."

"Third Elder, every word this little Daoist Friend says is true. I have many more Soul Beads here that they gifted; the quality is all very good!"

As Ninth Elder spoke, he flipped his hand and took out another large handful of black Soul Beads of various sizes.

Third Elder scanned them with his Divine Sense and confirmed they were genuine. His expression immediately became even softer, and he smiled and nodded, saying, "It seems the Xuanqing Sect is indeed full of sincerity. Since that is the case, I will take the initiative to agree to your request. When Elder Tianhong returns, I will definitely report it in time. An Immortal Sect with a True Monarch sitting in command can indeed be considered a qualified ally. However, this is our sect's forbidden ground, and I cannot entertain you two. Please leave a Soul Jade Slip, and when Elder Tianhong returns, he will certainly summon you in time."

Xu Chen was full of surprise and thanked him repeatedly. He took out a Jade Slip, left a wisp of his Soul imprint, and handed it to Third Elder. Then he spoke again, "Third Elder, I have been at the Immortal Alliance Assembly for a few days, and everywhere I hear about a miraculous Spirit Pill called the Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill. It is said to have a great relationship with your sect. I wonder if we could buy some of this Spirit Pill when the time comes?"

Third Elder thought for a moment and said, "It is too early to say. If we obtain the pill formula and refine the Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill, it would be appropriate to trade some to our allies. However, the Taiyuan Sect currently refuses to hand over the pill formula. I have been ordered to guard this place precisely because these two Taiyuan Sect disciples are imprisoned here. But rest assured, when the Immortal Alliance Assembly is held, the Taiyuan Sect will inevitably loosen their stance. As long as you can show enough sincerity, there will certainly be no shortage of Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pills for you. Please return and wait for good news."

Xu Chen was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him, "In that case, this junior will thank the two Elders in advance on behalf of our Supreme Elder, True Monarch Guiling."

After speaking, Xu Chen took out more than a dozen Soul Beads of various sizes and handed them to Third Elder, saying, "This junior came in a hurry and did not bring many Soul Beads. Today, I will give them all to the two Elders so that we won't have to go to other Immortal Sects and hit walls. Everything is entrusted to you two seniors!"

Third Elder's eyes straightened a bit as he looked at the pile of Soul Beads being handed over. Coming to his senses, he waved his hand and collected all the Soul Beads, laughing from ear to ear, "Little Daoist Friend is very thoughtful. This is excellent. I guarantee you won't be disappointed in the future. Ninth Junior Brother, take the two little Daoist Friends away. Entertain them well, and do not lose any courtesy!"

Ninth Elder hurriedly nodded and said, "Senior Brother, rest assured. Two Daoist Friends, please!"

Xu Chen bowed to Third Elder again, "Thank you, Senior. You must keep a close watch on those two Taiyuan Sect disciples; do not let them die. This junior has heard that the Immortal Sects and cultivators of all sizes down the mountain are almost going crazy. Just a short while ago, Junwang Hall even got into a fight with a sect called the Ziyang Sect. I heard it was because they used the excuse of selling a pill called the Qingshen Recovery Jade Pill to harass the female disciples of the Ziyang Sect, and over a dozen people were injured or killed."

Third Elder smiled with a mocking expression, "Junwang Hall acts arrogantly and domineeringly, as always. But once our sect's Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pill comes out, their Qingshen Recovery Jade Pill will become trash. You two can rest assured; the two Taiyuan Sect disciples are perfectly fine right now and absolutely nothing will happen to them. I won't keep you two Fellow Daoists for tea. Please!"

"That's good, that's good. This junior will take his leave!"

Xu Chen bowed again and, together with Lin Qiu Ya, followed Ninth Elder out of the courtyard, winding through halls and houses until they soon arrived at the front courtyard.

"After we go down the mountain, you must closely monitor the movements in Third Elder's courtyard. You must ensure the safety of the two Taiyuan Sect disciples. Notify me as soon as there is any news!" Xu Chen handed a Jade Slip with his Soul imprint to Ninth Elder.

"Daoist Friend, rest assured, I will definitely do my utmost!" Ninth Elder nodded as he put away the Jade Slip.

"Then we are leaving!"

After Xu Chen finished giving his instructions, he took Lin Qiu Ya and headed out; they had not gone far when suddenly, a powerful Divine Sense surged toward them, followed by a violent tremor of Qi, and Shen Gonghao, dressed in a black robe and looking as elegant as a jade tree in the wind, suddenly flickered into appearance before the two of them.

(End of this chapter)