72: Chapter 72 Blood Poison Sect

On the back of the Purple-Winged Giant Owl, an energy shield insulated them from the howling wind and some of the sun's heat. Xiao Yan and his two companions sat cross-legged, each beginning to Cultivate.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan frowned, opened his eyes, and stood up to gaze into the distance.

"What is it, Brother Xiao Yan?" Xun'er sensed Xiao Yan's movements, ceased to Cultivate, and stood up as well, looking at the frowning Xiao Yan beside her as she asked.

Zi Yan also opened her dark, round eyes and looked at Xiao Yan. These past two days had been boring to death, but Xiao Yan had kept her under strict control, not allowing her to go out as she pleased.

"I sensed something. This region doesn't seem very peaceful..." Xiao Yan said, frowning.

"Xiao Yan, if something is different, then let's go down and take a look. Staying here is too boring!" Zi Yan's eyes rolled as she said to Xiao Yan.

"Fine. You two stay here; I'll go down and take a look myself. Big Purple, just keep flying at this speed. Wait for me at the next city..." Xiao Yan nodded at her request and instructed, ignoring Zi Yan's sullen expression.

The Purple-Winged Giant Owl let out a long cry, indicating it understood.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan stepped through the energy shield. With a flash of purple light, he vanished from where he stood.

Behind the row of people below, a youth staggered forward, teeth clenched, his eyes filled with intense hatred and pain.

Why persist?

I don't know myself. I only hate. I hate that I cannot become stronger. I hate that I am so weak!

Do the weak deserve to be captured as slaves? Do they deserve to be killed for no reason?

Why should I live? Is my purpose in living just to persist for two more days, so I don't die in such agony?

A rock tripped the youth. A sense of weightlessness struck him. He staggered, the chains he wore clanking, nearly falling.

He had been walking continuously for days; the blood on his feet had dried several times over.

Fortunately, he didn't fall. The youth breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he steadied himself, a slight but firm push came from behind.

"Thump!" The sound of a fatal fall rang in his ears. The youth realized he had fallen.

He looked back in terror at the two people smiling on horseback, then at the scrawny, bloodless, pale face.

This thin woman was covered in dust, wearing tattered gray clothes. If you didn't look closely, you'd think she was a little beggar.

This haggard woman had fallen too far behind. The two demons behind her, who held death in their hands, made her heart tremble with every step she took.

She knew that if she didn't do something, she would die!

Seeing the woman limping past him, the youth's eyes were bloodshot. He tried to stand up immediately to overtake her, but a sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

"Ten, nine..." The countdown came from behind, in a frivolous tone. There was no vicious threat, but it sent a chill deep into the marrow.

The youth twisted his body frantically, crawling forward, but his speed couldn't surpass the limping woman!

The experience of these past few days made him understand that when the countdown ended, only one of them would survive. This had never been an exception!

"Five, four..." The countdown didn't stop because of the youth's fear. The man behind him wore a cruel smile, and a packet of powder with unknown effects appeared in his hand.

The youth squirmed in terror, looking back. He knew what that was. Once that powder was sprinkled on someone, it would continuously corrode the body, and then the person would burst into flames...

"Two, one!" The demonic countdown reached the final second.

"Boom!" A flame ignited without a source. This was combustion from the inside out, but the object being burned was the man holding the packet of powder.

The man was covered in flames, but strangely, when the horse beneath him touched the flames, it felt no discomfort at all.

The man rolled on the ground in extreme pain, letting out terrifying, shrill screams, while the packet of powder was ignited and exploded on his body.

"Who is it! Come out!" The dozens of ruthless bandits in front heard the screams, immediately drew their long knives, and gathered at the back of the line, kicking up clouds of dust.

The shrill screams were incessant, just like the slaves he had previously sprayed with fire powder. But until the burning man was reduced to ashes, nothing else happened, and no one appeared.

However, the situation did not end with the death of that bandit. The man who had previously killed two people with one slash followed suit, suddenly bursting into flames. Another round of screams rang in everyone's ears.

In the ragged group, many people revealed smiles. Finally, someone couldn't hold it back anymore and burst into loud laughter—hysterical laughter!

These knife-wielding bandits had never seen such a scene and were terrified. But seeing the people laughing loudly, anger rose from their hearts, and they swung their knives at them.

"Boom!" Flames erupted instantly from within that person's body, and shrill screams rang out one after another on this dirt road.

Many bandits wore expressions of having seen a ghost. They didn't hesitate anymore and fled in panic toward the distance. But after running only a few dozen meters, they suddenly flipped to the ground, as if they had hit something invisible.

It was a barrier—a Soul barrier set up by Xiao Yan. This invisible barrier was something even a Dou Huang expert could not dream of breaking through, let alone these bandits who were not even Dou Masters.

Xiao Yan was hidden in a spatial rift in mid-air, silently watching the bandits below who were constantly wailing and dying.

Only when there were two left did Xiao Yan slowly step out of the spatial rift and drift down before everyone's eyes.

Seeing Xiao Yan descend from the sky, these hundreds of people immediately understood that it was this young man who had burned these demonic bandits to death.

It was unknown who knelt down first, but then a large crowd knelt to the ground, facing Xiao Yan as if in pious worship.

The accumulated pain of many people turned into tears, dripping onto the ground.

The thoughts of this group were simple: the young man before them had saved their lives, and other than kneeling, they seemed to have no other way to thank him.

A powerful and gentle Soul Power gradually lifted these people up, while the two bandits intentionally left behind by Xiao Yan were forcefully pressed to their knees.

After some interrogation, Xiao Yan ended their lives, then questioned the people wearing chains and shackles, and learned the specifics.

When he had been observing from mid-air earlier, he had already understood some things from the bandits' unmasked conversations.

Now, learning the details: these people were originally residents of a mountain village in this country. Because they couldn't pay the various deliberately difficult taxes, they were sold by the city lord who governed that area, and then escorted by these guards to a powerful faction with Dou Zong level strength.

These people were being sent to the Sect named Blood Poison Sect. Those with slightly stronger bodies were fed poison pills to enhance their physical strength and were used for hard labor; they would surely die within three years.

The rest were either used to test poisons or used to Cultivate for amusement; they generally didn't live past three months.

Xiao Yan slowly breathed out, suppressing the terrifying aura that was nearly out of control. He didn't want to scare these innocent people.

A series of clicking sounds rang out as the shackles on these people were unlocked by Xiao Yan using his Soul Power. Many sat slumped on the ground; they had been walking for many days, and most of them had skin worn raw on their feet, layer after layer.

As for food, apart from one meal at night, they had no other sustenance.

Consequently, of the original group of over six hundred, only five hundred remained. Most of those who died were the old, weak, sick, or disabled, as well as some poor people who were dragged down by their families...

However, there were a few exceptions: several young and beautiful women who were specifically imprisoned in the carriage cages at the front of the procession.

Such things were not uncommon in this country. Many city lords and factions lacking money and morality would do this. It was just that in other countries, it was mostly done secretly, forming a dark industrial chain, whereas in this country, it was simply legal.