Female Protagonist Assistance System

Chapter 98 : . Netherworld City Branch Hall

Netherworld City, Soul Hall branch.

Within the vast, pitch-black grand hall stood fourteen obsidian pillars, covered in numerous eerie runes that faintly flickered with a subtle radiance. The flashing lights resembled countless eyes, creating an ominous and solemn atmosphere.

The hall exuded a cold, oppressive aura. Figures wrapped in black robes patrolled the area.

Deep within the hall, an elderly man with white hair knelt on the ground. Countless black chains pierced his body, firmly pinning him in place.

A purple-robed elder sat not far away, his eyes tightly closed. Judging by his attire, he appeared to be a high-ranking elder of this branch hall.

"The wise adapt to circumstances. Stubborn resistance is the most foolish behavior. Yao Chen, with your alchemy skills, perhaps only those old fossils in the Pill Tower can compare to you on this Dou Qi Continent. If you were to join Soul Hall, your status would surely surpass mine. Why suffer here needlessly?" The purple-robed elder suddenly spoke.

The old man called Yao Chen slowly raised his head, his voice hoarse: "Qin Tian, I'm not a spineless coward like you."

"You must be aware of Soul Hall's strength, otherwise, with your pride, you wouldn't have hidden for so many years. Although this is just a branch of Soul Hall, do you really think... anyone can save you?" Qin Tian sneered.

A mocking expression appeared on Yao Lao's face, too lazy to respond further.

Seeing Yao Chen's unyielding attitude, Qin Tian felt extremely irritated. He and Yao Chen were of the same generation, both renowned figures in their time. However, Yao Chen had always outshone him with his superior alchemy skills, which Qin Tian found particularly galling.

Having one's arch-enemy become a prisoner should have been a joyous occasion, but faced with Yao Chen's unwavering spirit, Qin Tian found no pleasure in it. Instead, he felt even more frustrated.

"Let's see how long you can keep up this stubborn act," Qin Tian coldly snorted, leaving a harsh threat.

Just as his words fell, several black shadows flew in from the entrance of the hall. Qin Tian was startled to see that these shadows were actually Soul Hall branch guards, violently thrown before him. The once fierce and arrogant Soul Hall guards now lay motionless.

"Who goes there!" Qin Tian suddenly stood up from his seat, shouting with a grave expression.

His mind raced. The reputation of Soul Hall's branch in Netherworld City was enough to strike fear into people's hearts. He never imagined anyone would dare cause trouble here.

Could they be here to rescue Yao Chen? How is that possible? Hadn't the Medicine Clan long abandoned Yao Chen? Moreover, the Medicine Clan could barely protect itself now, how could they possibly come to rescue Yao Chen?

The response came in the form of crisp footsteps, particularly noticeable in the darkness.

Qin Tian stared intently in the direction of the footsteps. He could sense an overwhelming pressure emanating from that direction, enough to instill fear even in him.

From the darkness emerged two young women. Qin Tian recognized one of them as Gu Xun'er, the Young Miss of the Ancient Clan.

Upon seeing Gu Xun'er, cold sweat instantly broke out on Qin Tian's brow. It wasn't that he, a Half-Saint, feared a Dou Venerate, but rather the Ancient Clan's power behind Gu Xun'er.

How could the Ancient Clan possibly allow their Young Miss to come to such a place alone?

His gaze shifted to the woman in the crimson-patterned silver robe beside Gu Xun'er. Instinct told him this woman was extremely dangerous.

As Qin Tian scrutinized Gu Xun'er and Xiao Han, Yao Chen also noticed the two. Having spent several years by Xiao Yan's side, he immediately recognized Gu Xun'er and Xiao Han's identities, his shock no less than Qin Tian's.

In his impression, Xiao Han was merely a somewhat talented disciple of the Xiao Family. Although he greatly admired her calm and composure, he never imagined she would achieve such accomplishments at such a young age. Unlike Qin Tian, Yao Chen's soul force was extremely powerful, allowing him to sense the terrifying power contained within her.

"So it's the Young Miss of the Ancient Clan." Qin Tian took a deep breath inwardly, forcing out a smile and lowering his stance, "May I ask what brings the Young Miss to our Soul Hall branch?"

Gu Xun'er played with a strand of her hair, appearing somewhat nonchalant: "Your Soul Hall and my Ancient Clan are already at odds. Why I'm here... can't you figure it out yourself?"

Qin Tian struggled to maintain his expression. He hadn't expected Gu Xun'er to be so direct. At the same time, a surge of anger welled up. He, a Half-Saint, had voluntarily lowered his stance to a young Dou Venerate, yet this junior not only failed to appreciate it but even disrespected him so blatantly. How could he tolerate this?

But Qin Tian had no choice but to endure. He might not care about a single Dou Venerate, but a Dou Venerate backed by an ancient clan was someone he had to treat with caution.

Moreover, the woman beside Gu Xun'er gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.

So, Qin Tian could only swallow his pride.

"Young Miss Gu, it's wise to leave some leeway for future encounters," Qin Tian said, his face slightly strained but his tone still polite.

Gu Xun'er's lips curled slightly, her eyes cold and devoid of warmth. Her red lips parted, uttering words that instantly changed Qin Tian's expression: "Who wants to see you again in the future? Do you think I'm stupid?"

She had heard of Qin Tian's reputation and deeds—betraying his master, selling out close friends, bullying men and women, indulging his clan members and disciples in evil acts, destroying several well-established and reputable families out of self-interest. He was by no means a good person. Now that she had met him, Gu Xun'er naturally wouldn't show him any courtesy.

Xiao Han ignored Qin Tian's instantly darkening expression, her gaze fixed on the chained Yao Chen.

Yao Chen's survival was unexpected to her. After all, she knew about Yao Chen's decision to abandon Xiao Yan due to dissatisfaction with his actions, and she had heard from the system about Yao Chen's fate. In her understanding, given Xiao Yan's nature, he would certainly seek revenge on Yao Chen, especially with his newly acquired soul-refining technique... Yao Chen's escape from being refined was indeed fortunate.

However, after some thought, Xiao Han roughly understood the reason. Yao Chen's strength in life had reached the Half-Saint level, and as a high-level alchemist, his soul force was much stronger than that of an ordinary Half-Saint. For Xiao Yan to refine Yao Chen's soul, he would need to reach the Dou Venerate level, but according to Gu Xun'er, the current Xiao Yan had barely touched the edge of high-level Dou Ancestor.

Moreover, Xiao Yan's current strength was mostly accumulated through refining souls, making his foundation unstable. It would be even more difficult for him to refine Yao Chen's soul.

Returning her focus, Xiao Han raised her hand to gently pat Gu Xun'er's head, saying softly, "Don't waste time. There's no need to communicate with such a person."

Gu Xun'er instantly shed her mocking and cold demeanor towards Qin Tian, replacing it with her usual coquettish smile when facing Xiao Han. The speed of her change in expression was astounding.

"Then I'll listen to Senior Sister," Gu Xun'er said with a smile.

Observing Gu Xun'er's change when facing Xiao Han, Qin Tian's heart tightened. As the Young Miss of the Ancient Clan, although Gu Xun'er had always been courteous and modest to outsiders, her pride was no less than others'. What kind of background did this woman have to make this proud Young Miss show such an expression?

Senior Sister? But there had never been any news of the Ancient Clan's Young Miss taking anyone as a master.

Qin Tian swallowed hard. Just as he was about to say something, he saw the woman in the crimson-patterned silver robe raise her hand. He felt an incredibly terrifying pressure suddenly bearing down on him, as if the sky had collapsed, pinning him down.

"Ugh!" Qin Tian spat out a mouthful of blood, his body involuntarily falling to his knees. He was terrified inwardly. He had only felt this kind of pressure from the Soul Clan Leader, Soul Emperor Tian. Could this woman... also be a nine-star Dou Saint?!

"Please spare me, Your Excellency!" Qin Tian immediately surrendered, begging loudly for mercy.

Xiao Han coldly looked at Qin Tian, asking in a flat voice, "Is there a young man imprisoned here, around the level of a Dou Great Master?"

Hearing this, Qin Tian's heart sank. Their branch hall imprisoned those with strong abilities or special significance to Soul Hall, while those low-level ordinary people were taken away by higher-ups in Soul Hall shortly after imprisonment. As for what they were taken for... Qin Tian had heard rumors. They were likely used as nourishment for the Young Hall Master of Soul Hall, to be refined for soul power to enhance his strength.

Currently, due to the unstable situation, all low-level prisoners in the branch hall had been taken away. Their fate... Qin Tian could guess without thinking.

Seeing Qin Tian's slightly changing expression, Xiao Han roughly understood. Her face instantly darkened, and uncontrollable anger erupted. Terrifying energy poured out with her fury, causing the air to vibrate. Qin Tian felt a tightness in his chest and coughed up blood.

"Senior Sister, calm down!" Gu Xun'er quickly grasped Xiao Han's sleeve, trying to soothe her.

Gu Xun'er understood Xiao Ding's importance to Xiao Han. The two brothers, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, were among the few relatives Xiao Han acknowledged. Even though Xiao Han's emotions had become colder after emerging from the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, she still held them in an important position. Now that Xiao Ding's fate was unknown, Xiao Han was naturally filled with rage.

Taking a deep breath inwardly, Xiao Han suppressed her anger. How could a Half-Saint withstand the fury of a peak Dou Saint? Moreover, Xiao Han was no ordinary peak Dou Saint. If she didn't restrain herself, Qin Tian would surely die.

"Is there a young man named Xiao Ding imprisoned within Soul Hall?" Xiao Han's gaze was cold, her tone icy.

Qin Tian was on the verge of tears. As an elder of the branch hall, how would he pay attention to which low-level insects were imprisoned inside?

At this moment, Yao Chen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Ding... is the eldest young master of the Xiao Family, right? If this old man remembers correctly, he should be imprisoned on the twelfth underground level of this branch hall."

Hearing this, Xiao Han's gaze instantly fell on Yao Chen, the pressure in her eyes making Yao Chen feel momentarily breathless.

Qin Tian trembled as he looked at Yao Chen, wondering how Yao Chen knew where a Dou Great Master was imprisoned.

"I have some connection with the Xiao Family," Yao Chen said, pausing with a bitter smile on his face before continuing, "So when Young Master Xiao Ding was brought here, I took note."

"The twelfth underground level..." Xiao Han's expression softened slightly. Without any visible movement from her, the chains binding Yao Chen suddenly shattered, turning to dust.

Qin Tian's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Yao Chen was slightly stunned, not expecting Xiao Han to release him.

In the next second, Qin Tian felt a blur before his eyes. When he regained clarity, he was horrified to find himself in front of Xiao Han.

The woman in the crimson-patterned silver robe placed her hand on his shoulder. The terrifying pressure made his entire body tremble, not daring to struggle.

Xiao Han's silver eyes were cold and devoid of warmth:

"Lead the way."