The scene before them was so cruel and horrifying that it made Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu’s stomachs churn, almost causing them to vomit.
The Cangyan Daoist Palace’s actions were truly heinous, and they were not afraid of divine wrath.
It was no wonder that those humanoid puppets were all cloaked in black robes and wearing masks, tightly wrapped to avoid being recognized.
Zhou Qing furrowed his brows, quietly took out the Imaging Stone, and recorded this utterly tragic scene.
Once this footage is made public, it will surely arouse public outrage and unite everyone against them.
Perhaps even those sects hesitating to take sides will make the right choice.
At this moment, Yan Xiaohu’s expression changed drastically; he nervously tugged at Zhou Qing’s sleeve and pointed to the side.
Zhou Qing followed his gaze, and in an instant, his pupils contracted.
He saw a woman’s figure hanging from the last iron frame, her clothes torn and dirty, with large patches of snow-white skin exposed, eyes filled with terror and despair.
"Shi Zhen, Sister Shi Zhen—"
Zhou Qing was filled with disbelief.
Sister Shi Zhen had broken through to Nascent Soul after using the Nascent Soul Formation Pill he had given her, and then she left with her senior sister, Pei Yan.
Apparently, she left to help pay off a debt, while he was focusing on breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm, followed by the Four Flowers Gathering at the Crown, the various forces searching for him, and the current war between the five great sects.
Pei Yan, Yuqing Peak’s senior sister, and Shi Zhen had never returned, but unexpectedly, Shi Zhen appeared here.
Sister Shi Zhen admired the senior brother greatly; even Yan Xiaohu referred to her as sister-in-law, and she treated them both well.
At this moment, their eyes met, full of urgency.
Rescue, they must save her!
Not to mention Sister Shi Zhen, even an ordinary Taiqing Sect disciple—they, being fellow sect members, could not just watch the other being gutted.
At this moment, only three people remained before Sister Shi Zhen, and the blood-covered burly man, resembling a butcher, flexed his thick wrists, looked at a man who had wet himself in fear, coldly snorted, and the gleam of his sharp blade flashed, a piercing scream instantly reverberating through the cave...
Yan Xiaohu pointed again to several wooden boxes in the distance, where several disciples of the Cangyan Daoist Palace were carefully taking out a mysterious cold-emitting item from the boxes and putting it into the abdomens of the people.
Seeing this, Zhou Qing had a rough idea.
If his guess was correct, those arrays must be pre-made and brought here by Song Yuan for unified puppet assembly.
Not doing it at the sect must be because these people were secretly captured, and bringing them back openly might get noticed by the observant.
Once they became obedient puppets, it would be a different matter.
"Too noisy—" At that moment, a figure suddenly descended from the stone steps in the distance. He looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall but slightly thin, with sickly pale skin.
He was complaining while picking at his ear.
The person was Song Yuan, one of the five great talents of the Cangyan Daoist Palace, who had already reached late-stage Nascent Soul Realm.
Upon hearing Song Yuan, the disciples beside the iron frame immediately smiled ingratiatingly and quickly sealed the mouths of those screaming with spiritual power.
In an instant, the cave fell into a dead silence.
"Senior Brother Song, the Spiritual Acupoint Transformation Array is insufficient; two people remain."
One disciple hurried forward, flattered, pointing to the last two hanging people.
Song Yuan glanced over, a cold smile curling his lips, "Looks like I prepared fewer than needed. No choice; the materials for the array are expensive and extremely complicated to refine, and they are needed elsewhere too."
Then his narrow eyes shifted to Shi Zhen, his thin lips slightly pursed, and contemplation appeared on his face.
"Why does this person look so familiar? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before," he murmured.
The disciple beside him quickly explained, "She seems to be from the Taiqing Sect, in the Nascent Soul Realm. Her specific identity is unknown; she was captured by Elder Blood Bone himself."
"Nascent Soul Realm? If she’s either a True Inheritor or a core disciple, interesting!" Then he took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly.
"Her Nascent Soul is intact; this is a pleasant surprise. Elder Blood Bone, did you keep her for me, not embedding the array immediately to reserve her?" Song Yuan laughed.
Just as he finished speaking, an elder with sparse white hair and hunched back walked down from the step.
His deep-set eyes glowed with eerie crimson light.
"Her name is Shi Zhen, Taiqing Sect’s Yuqing Peak Peak Master Tong Min’s last disciple, recently broke through to Nascent Soul. After young master’s arduous journey, does this small gift please you?" The elder laughed sinisterly.
Song Yuan’s eyes gleamed upon hearing, then he stepped forward, staring at Shi Zhen, who was hanging helplessly with hands tied and exposed skin, clicking his tongue.
He slowly extended his hand, ready to touch the exposed snow-white skin. Shi Zhen bit back the intense pain and inner humiliation, strenuously turned her head, and spat bloody foam directly onto Song Yuan’s face.
Eyes wide open with rage, Shi Zhen roared, "You bunch of beasts, you will die miserably and suffer divine retribution. Even if I become a vengeful ghost, I will make sure you pay your blood debt."