Chapter 1102: No Other Choice
The sixty-four halls of the Soul Sect had suffered heavy losses, and within the sect itself, an unsettling aura of panic pervaded the air.
Upon receiving the news, Lei Qianfeng returned like a storm. The moment he entered the sect, a faint toxic aura made his heart jolt violently… This was unmistakably the same type of lethal poison that had claimed Lei Guangmo! He quickened his pace, bursting through the door with a thunderous crash, and instantly his eyes nearly split apart.
The drifting red mist mixed with a terrible poisonous aura filled the entire hall. Lei Qiandu and two other elders were present, their faces stiff. Xiao Qingtong sat slumped on the ground, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain, utterly unresponsive even as Lei Qianfeng smashed through the door.
Six people were releasing the poisonous mist and aura, all lying paralyzed on the ground, completely unable to stand, their moans weak and feeble. And these six people… they were unmistakably his remaining six sons after losing Lei Guangmo.
Every single one—not a single son was missing!!
Lei Qianfeng's mind buzzed violently, as if his entire head had suddenly exploded. His body swayed, nearly stumbling to the ground. The agony of Lei Guangmo's poisoning was still fresh before his eyes; this sudden terror plunged him into an endless abyss.
"What… what is this?! What is going on?!" Lei Qianfeng rushed to the side of his six sons and roared in a lost voice.
"Sect Master," Lei Qiandu said as he approached. "The poison they have contracted is identical to Guangmo's, but even more potent than what Guangmo suffered. Ling Yun… he clearly infiltrated our sect and ambushed the six young masters one by one!"
Even as he spoke these words, a chill still crept down Lei Qiandu's spine.
Lei Qianfeng's face twitched. He rushed to his eldest son, Lei Guangqian, and said tremblingly, "Qian'er, what exactly happened? How were you poisoned?"
Lei Guangqian's face was flushed red. His lips opened and closed several times before he could finally utter painful, indistinct words: "Son… does not know… only felt… dizziness before my eyes… when I woke… it was already… cough… Father King… save me…"
"…" Lei Qianfeng's body swayed, a bone-piercing cold stabbing into his very marrow.
Not only were Lei Qianfeng, the various elders, and hall masters present—figures who stood at the very pinnacle of the entire Heiya Realm—but Yun Che suddenly felt a subtle sensation… This girl was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface, and seemed to be deliberately approaching him with some kind of purpose.
But he had never known her before, and it was impossible for there to have been any past grievances between them. What exactly was she…
As Yun Che pondered, his Sound Transmission Jade suddenly rippled with profound energy fluctuations.
Picking up the Sound Transmission Jade, he heard Ji Ruyan's relieved voice: "That's great… Young Master Ling Yun, the Soul Sect, just as you said earlier, has once again asked us to find the Black Heart Poison Venerable, and they are much more anxious than before. I couldn't reach you earlier and thought something might have happened to you."
Calculating the current time, Yun Che replied, "I ran into a bit of trouble. I'm still at the Black Soul Mountain and need some time to return to Heiya City. Try to stall them for a few more hours."
After a long pause, Ji Ruyan responded, "Alright… but Young Master, please return as soon as possible."
Calming his breath, dispelling the odors on his body, and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Yun Che no longer paid any attention to Little Jasmine's whereabouts. He flew away from the Black Soul Mountain and quickly made his way back toward Heiya City.
——————————————
Heiya City, an abandoned area on the outskirts.
This was a dilapidated house covered in cracks, its doors and windows long shattered, standing isolated in a place rarely stepped upon.
And today, this desolate place had received "distinguished guests."
A group of people arrived in haste, led by none other than Lei Qianfeng, the Great Realm King of Heiya Realm. At his side was his primary wife, Xiao Qingtong, whose status in the sect was almost equal to his. Behind them followed the Chief Hall Master Lei Tiangang and the Grand Elder Lei Qiandu, accompanied by the sect's chief physician, Lei Deyan.
At the rear, a group of disciples carefully carried the six severely poisoned sons of Lei Qianfeng and his wife.
So much time had passed that the poison within them had erupted even more violently. The six bodies were shrouded in a thin red mist; the mere outward toxic aura made the nearby Soul Sect disciples feel extremely uncomfortable throughout their bodies.
The group descended and arrived before the small hut that the Black Feather Chamber of Commerce had directed them to. As soon as they got close, Lei Qianfeng, Lei Tiangang, Lei Qiandu, and the others all changed expressions sharply and halted in their tracks simultaneously.
Because they clearly sensed an extremely dark and icy aura.
This coldness came not only from outside their bodies but also surged from deep within their hearts, chilling their entire bodies, making their hearts palpitate, and causing every hair on their bodies to stand on end. The dilapidated little hut before them seemed enveloped in a sinister aura emanating from the depths of the Yellow Springs, sending chills through even these supreme experts at the pinnacle of Heiya Realm.
"Sect Master… this is…" Lei Tiangang showed a look of astonishment. He had never experienced such a terrifying aura in his life.
And just then, a hoarse, low laugh came from inside: "Hehehehe… it seems a big business deal has come knocking. Then come on in, hehehe…"
This sudden voice was as sinister as the cackling of a malicious ghost, and combined with the abnormal eerie aura of this place, it startled several disciples in the back, who stumbled back several steps, their entire bodies turning cold.
Lei Qianfeng's face shifted slightly. Before he could react, Xiao Qingtong beside him had already rushed inside. He furrowed his brows and had no choice but to follow.
(The text continues—the translation should stop here as the user only provided this portion. The note "work in progress..." indicates the chapter is not yet complete in the source, so we translate only what is given.)