The cold air of the dungeon hung thick as Xianwu stood before the cell, his gaze piercing through the dim light to focus on the prisoner chained to the wall. The man's body was battered, his clothing torn, and his face swollen from numerous beatings. He looked up weakly, eyes filled with a mix of fear and defiance. Xianwu remained silent for a moment, studying his face, contemplating his next move.
The guard, who had led Xianwu down, spoke in a low voice. "This one's a tough case. We haven't managed to get a word out of him. He's strong-willed, but if anyone can break him, perhaps it's you." He stepped back, his expression wary. There was something unsettling about Xianwu's presence that made the guard uneasy.
Xianwu gave a nod, his gaze still locked on the prisoner. "Leave us," he instructed. The guard bowed quickly, disappearing up the narrow stairway, leaving Xianwu alone in the flickering candlelight of the dungeon.
Footsteps echoed down the stone stairs, and Xianwu turned slightly as Lan Hua and Yun Wei entered the dungeon. Lan Hua's eyes widened at the sight of the prisoner, her gaze shifting to Xianwu with a mix of curiosity and concern. Yun Wei, normally lighthearted, seemed uneasy in the oppressive atmosphere, his eyes darting between the chained man and Xianwu.
"You two shouldn't be here," Xianwu said, his voice calm but firm.
Lan Hua shook her head, her expression resolute. "We need to know what we're dealing with. If you're going to interrogate him, we want to be here for it."
Yun Wei nodded, though his face betrayed his apprehension. "Besides, we're in this together, right? Whatever it takes."
Xianwu regarded them for a moment, then turned his attention back to the prisoner. "Very well. But what you're about to see is not for the faint of heart." He stepped closer to the prisoner, his expression impassive.
The prisoner shifted slightly, trying to sit up straighter despite his restraints. Xianwu took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "You will tell me what I need to know," he said quietly, his voice steady but filled with an unmistakable edge of menace. "The Demon Sect is stirring, and your silence will not serve you here."
The prisoner let out a harsh, pained laugh, blood staining his teeth. "I will never speak to you. Kill me if you must. I have no fear of death."
Xianwu regarded the man, a flash of pity flickering in his eyes before disappearing behind an iron resolve. "I do not intend to kill you," he said, his voice softening to a cold whisper. "There are fates far worse than death."
Lan Hua's eyes widened, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. "Xianwu, what are you planning?"
Without answering, Xianwu placed his hand on the man's forehead, his fingers glowing with a pale, otherworldly light. "Soul Searching Technique," Xianwu muttered, his voice barely audible. The dungeon seemed to darken as a sinister energy enveloped the room. The prisoner's body tensed, a violent shudder passing through him as his eyes went wide, his jaw clenched tightly against the agony now coursing through him.
Lan Hua gasped, her hand instinctively moving to her mouth. "Xianwu, that's… that's a forbidden technique. How do you even know such a thing?"
Yun Wei's face had gone pale, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by shock. "This… this is beyond anything I imagined," he whispered, watching as the prisoner convulsed in pain.
The Soul Searching Technique was among the most feared arts in the cultivation world, a method of extracting memories directly from a person's mind, regardless of their willingness. It brought with it unimaginable pain, an invasion that tore apart the mind and soul, leaving nothing untouched. Xianwu felt the man's consciousness resisting, a frantic struggle to protect his memories. But against the power of Xianwu's cultivation, resistance was futile.
The prisoner let out a strangled scream, the sound echoing through the empty corridor. Xianwu's eyes remained closed, his focus unbroken as he delved deeper, sifting through fragments of thought and recollection. The images came in bursts—disjointed, chaotic, but slowly becoming clearer.
Xianwu saw flashes of the man's journey, a darkened path lit only by flickering torchlight. There were figures cloaked in black, their faces obscured, standing around a table on which the Obsidian Flame Core rested. He heard voices—cold, calculating—discussing their plan to steal the artifact and unleash its destructive power. The scene shifted, revealing a symbol etched into the wall behind them—a dark, twisted emblem that Xianwu recognized instantly: the mark of the Demon Sect.
Another scream tore from the prisoner's lips as Xianwu pressed further, the pain overwhelming the man's defenses, his mind laid bare. The memories shifted again—the image of a cavern, hidden deep within a forest. Hooded figures moved in and out, their movements hurried. Xianwu saw crates filled with artifacts, and a faint glow of something sinister emanating from within them. The words "Murim… in chaos… our time has come," echoed in his mind, spoken by a voice dripping with malice.
Xianwu opened his eyes, withdrawing his hand. The prisoner slumped forward, his breath ragged, sweat pouring down his battered face. The man's eyes were empty now, his spirit broken by the torment he had endured. Xianwu stood there for a moment, his expression cold and detached. He had learned much, and that was all that mattered.
Lan Hua stared at Xianwu, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and disbelief. "I can't believe you used that technique… It's monstrous."
Yun Wei swallowed hard, his expression one of unease. "Xianwu, I know we need answers, but that… that was something else."
Xianwu turned to face them, his expression cold and unyielding. "The Demon Sect will stop at nothing to plunge Murim into chaos. If we are to stand against them, we must be willing to do whatever it takes. I do not enjoy using this technique, but our enemies leave us no choice."
Lan Hua looked away, her expression conflicted. She understood the necessity, but the brutality of it still shook her. Yun Wei nodded slowly, though the doubt in his eyes remained. "Alright… but let's just hope it doesn't come to that again."
Xianwu had seen the darkness within the prisoner's memories—a hidden cavern, the plans of the Demon Sect, the stolen artifacts. They had a location now, a lead that could not be ignored.
"The Demon Sect… a hidden cavern in the forest," Xianwu murmured to himself, his mind piecing together what he had seen. He knew the location from the glimpses he had caught, and it would be there they would have to go next. He turned away from the prisoner, his expression hardened with determination.
As Xianwu ascended the stone steps back towards the upper levels of the trading company, he moved with calculated purpose. The Soul Searching Technique was a tool, one that he wielded without hesitation when necessary. The danger posed by the Demon Sect left no room for weakness or sentimentality.
At the top of the stairs, Lan Hua and Yun Wei were waiting, their eyes searching his face for any sign of what he had uncovered. Yun Wei shifted on his feet, clearly uneasy. Lan Hua stepped forward, her voice low. "Did you learn anything?"
Xianwu met her gaze, nodding. "I know where we need to go next. There is a hidden cavern in the forest, used by the Demon Sect. That is where we will find our next answers." He paused, his gaze unwavering and focused. "But be prepared. The path ahead will not be easy. The darkness we face runs deeper than I anticipated."
Lan Hua's expression steeled, her resolve mirroring his. "Whatever it takes, we will face it together. The Demon Sect must be stopped."
Yun Wei, though still visibly shaken by the grim intensity of Xianwu's demeanor, nodded in agreement. "You lead the way, Xianwu."
Xianwu gave them a curt nod, his gaze distant as he contemplated the next steps. The journey ahead would take them deeper into the heart of darkness, but he was ready. The Demon Sect would not succeed—not as long as he still drew breath.
The three of them turned and made their way out of the Five Rivers Trading Company, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. Somewhere in the shadows, the Demon Sect was preparing for their next move, and Xianwu knew that they could afford no hesitation. This was only the beginning, and the true battle was yet to come.