Chapter 246 - 190: Soul Search and Spirit Seizure

"A Golden Core Cultivator!? Damn it, this is a trap! Split up and run!"

Huo Bai’s sudden appearance had clearly exceeded the expectations of the men sent to ambush and kill Fang Qingyuan. According to their intelligence, Fang Qingyuan only had a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator as a guard. They never imagined a Golden Core Cultivator was hiding in the background.

Upon seeing Huo Bai, the elderly leader, a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, shouted out in alarm. He immediately halted his charge, spun around, and rapidly fled.

When the other seven or eight Cultivators saw this, they were utterly terrified. Scared out of their wits, they couldn’t spare a thought for anything else but fleeing as far away as possible.

As for ganging up to fight the Golden Core Cultivator, the thought never even crossed their minds.

Due to the vast difference in cultivation realms, a Golden Core Cultivator fighting Foundation Establishment Cultivators was like a burly man with a machete fighting a group of elementary schoolers. In such a situation, even a dozen Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be no match for a single Golden Core Cultivator.

Besides, Huo Bai was no ordinary Golden Core Cultivator.

Seeing the crowd scatter and flee, the Tiger Capturing Divine Techniques Huo Bai had just unleashed took effect. A tiger’s roar echoed deep within their minds, and several of the Cultivators, who were two to three li away, swayed unsteadily before crashing down. They fell into the black, misty swamp below, their fates unknown.

Their cultivation levels were too low, and they couldn’t withstand Huo Bai’s soul-shaking sonic attack. However, four or five of the more powerful Middle to Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators managed to steady their swaying bodies. They activated various life-saving trump cards and continued to flee.

Huo Bai frowned slightly at the sight. These Foundation Establishment Cultivators posed no threat to him, but with them so determined to escape, he couldn’t split himself to catch them all.

Thus, Huo Bai locked onto the cultivator with the highest cultivation level among them. With a flicker, he vanished and gave chase.

A Golden Core Cultivator’s flight speed was naturally immense. The Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had only managed to flee for a dozen or so li before Huo Bai caught up.

Sensing Huo Bai closing in, a vicious look flashed across the man’s face. He clutched a Golden Talisman and spoke quickly to Huo Bai.

"Senior, this is all a misunderstanding! Please, just listen to what I have to say!"

Huo Bai ignored the man’s words entirely. He simply reached out his hand and unleashed the same technique as before: Tiger Capture and Sky Restriction!

As the White Tiger phantom flashed, the soul-shaking roar once again echoed in the man’s mind. This time, however, it was focused solely on him, making it three or four times more powerful than before.

Instantly, blood poured from the man’s seven orifices as his soul was thrown into turmoil. Yet, anyone who could cultivate all the way to Late-stage Foundation Establishment was a person of great perseverance. Even in this state, he still managed to activate the Talisman in his hand on pure instinct.

The phantom of a golden, branch-like magic treasure flashed into existence in the sky. Even from over ten li away, Fang Qingyuan could feel its oppressive might.

"A Talisman Treasure?"

Fang Qingyuan exclaimed in surprise. ’This person must be an important figure in the Spirit Wood Alliance,’ he thought, ’or at least the direct descendant of a Golden Core Cultivator. Otherwise, a Golden Core Cultivator wouldn’t have expended their own essence to create such a life-saving Talisman Treasure for him.’

But even facing this Talisman Treasure, Huo Bai’s expression remained calm. Before him, even the Golden Core Cultivator who had created this item would not have fared well, let alone a mere Talisman Treasure being wielded by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

White Tiger Soul Devourer!

The White Tiger phantom behind Huo Bai swelled instantly, growing to over a hundred feet tall. It then opened its massive, bloody maw and swallowed the golden, branch-like Talisman Treasure in a single gulp.

A few breaths later, a flush rose on Huo Bai’s face, but there was no other reaction. He glanced at the dazed Foundation Establishment Cultivator before him, pointed a finger to seal the man’s five senses and six perceptions, then grabbed him. He brought the man back to Fang Qingyuan, tossed him on the ground, and turned to pursue the next enemy.

A Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a Talisman Treasure as a trump card had been taken down so easily. Watching this unfold was a deeply satisfying sight for both Fang Qingyuan and Situ Jingyu.

’It’s hard to say if Huo Bai is just that strong, or if that Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was just that weak,’ Fang Qingyuan mused. ’He became Huo Bai’s prisoner in just a few moves.’

Seeing Huo Bai fly off into the distance, Fang Qingyuan felt a flicker of worry. ’What if this is a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain? If so, wouldn’t that leave me and Situ Jingyu in a terrible spot?’

At this thought, Fang Qingyuan grabbed the throat of the Foundation Establishment Cultivator in front of him. He then gestured to Situ Jingyu, signaling for her to go find the other Cultivators that Huo Bai had knocked unconscious and bring them back to be used as hostages.

A short while later, Huo Bai returned, dangling a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in his hand. He glanced at the four unconscious cultivators before Fang Qingyuan, nodded, and tossed the one he was holding to him as well.

Fang Qingyuan’s heart, which had been lodged in his throat, finally settled back down seeing Huo Bai return. He didn’t dare delay. He released Yinbao from the Ten Thousand Beasts Qiankun Banner and then recalled the tens of thousands of poison bees.

Once that was done, Fang Qingyuan piled the five Foundation Establishment Cultivators onto Yinbao’s back. With a call to the beast, the group quickly departed from the area.

...

In a hidden mountain ravine, Huo Bai sat cross-legged to the side, his eyes closed in silence.

This Golden Core Uncle’s mood had been low ever since he saw Huo Hu at the Artifact Talisman Alliance. Even after ruthlessly dealing with several Foundation Establishment Cultivators just now, his expression remained unchanged.

Fang Qingyuan didn’t want to get involved in the matters between Huo Bai and Huo Hu. He wasn’t in a hurry to return to the Beast Taming Sect, as it was currently unsuitable to bring these Foundation Establishment Cultivators back to the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect.

The Spirit Wood Alliance and the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect had not yet declared war; everything was still at the stage of covert competition. Bringing these cultivators back to the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect would be a troublesome affair.

’At the very least, they can’t die within the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect,’ he thought. ’This place, with its clear mountains and beautiful waters, is a perfect place to bury some bodies.’

With Huo Bai standing guard, Fang Qingyuan felt much bolder. He asked Huo Bai to wake the cultivator with the lowest cultivation level, then casually asked:

"You’re from the Spirit Wood Alliance?"

The slowly awakening Foundation Establishment Cultivator didn’t look very old, but he was exceptionally stubborn. He clenched his jaw and refused to say a word, clearly demonstrating his extreme loyalty to the Spirit Wood Alliance.

Fang Qingyuan wasn’t surprised by this. ’Young Cultivators like him, raised within the Spirit Wood Alliance since childhood, always have a strange emotional attachment to it.’

Seeing that the man wouldn’t talk, Fang Qingyuan ignored him and instead woke the other three Foundation Establishment Cultivators, leaving the final Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator unconscious.

After the four woke up, their expressions varied. Some wore looks of fury, as if they wanted to eat Fang Qingyuan alive, while others were ashen-faced, believing there was no hope of survival.

But though their thoughts differed, their reactions to Fang Qingyuan’s questions were the same: they either remained silent or cursed him loudly, completely uncooperative.

Listening to their curses, Fang Qingyuan let out a dry chuckle, then said something that struck fear into their hearts.

He turned to the silent, eyes-closed Huo Bai and said:

"These guys are all tight-lipped, and we don’t have much time. Let’s just go straight to a Soul Search."

Huo Bai nodded. He grabbed the youngest Foundation Establishment Cultivator and placed a hand on his head. The next moment, an immense suction force erupted, violently tearing the man’s soul from his body.

"AHHH!!!"

Accompanied by a tragic, inhuman scream, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s soul was finally ripped from his body. Huo Bai closed his eyes and executed his technique, beginning to sift through the soul for information.

However, after only a few breaths, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s soul shattered, dissolving into dense Soul Power that dispersed into the small world around them.

As for the young cultivator whose soul had been ripped out and shattered, although he was still faintly breathing, everyone present knew he was already dead. Only an empty shell remained, a shell that would only survive for a few more days.

Then, before the other three could even react, Huo Bai reached out his hand again, placing it on the head of another Foundation Establishment Cultivator.