Chapter 1126: My Man, Dare Anyone Touch?

The entire Hall of the Unforgivable instantly fell silent.

Cell "Heaven Three" was actually a side hall, featuring a grand and imposing door like the other cells. Outside this door, a fence, made of an unknown, chillingly luminous ore, was added, securely sealing everything within.

But now, seemingly influenced by Night Owl's death aura, this fence, like the massive torture instruments nearby, had taken on an air of decay, desolation, and death.

"Bang!" In the blink of an eye, the fence cracked, and a large section crashed to the ground, as if some seal had been broken.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Xu Xiaoshou's scalp tingled. This damned place was called the "Hall of the Unforgivable," which implied that "Heaven Three" held an utterly heinous criminal.

It was predictable that if such a monster, perhaps sealed in this cell since ancient times, were to break free now, it would unleash a terrifying disaster.

"Aren't you going to retract your power?" Xu Xiaoshou turned to glare at Night Owl. "This is all your fault!"

Night Owl was clearly startled too. A single Chen Tan might not cause much trouble, but if an unknown entity were released, the outcome could be catastrophic, even for her.

Not only her, but in the worst-case scenario, the entire layout of the Hall of the Unforgivable, and even the First Hall of Sin, could undergo massive changes.

After all, who could be certain that the prisoner held in the Hall of the Unforgivable wasn't a half-saint from ancient times?

"Stop." Night Owl immediately raised her hand. The Death God's power permeating the hall halted, and the next second, it all retracted back into her body.

However, it all seemed to be too late...

"Bang!" The sealed fence outside "Heaven Three" cracked again, and another large piece fell, revealing a significant breach in the seal.

"Hiss..." Frost-white cold air slowly seeped out from the breach.

In less than a moment, the ground outside "Heaven Three" was frozen solid with ice crystals.

Cracking sounds resounded ceaselessly. This cold air was highly purposeful; as soon as it broke free, it immediately began to envelop the fence outside the cell.

It was imaginable that if this fence were completely frozen, cracked, and shattered, the unknown entity inside would be able to open the "Heaven Three" door with ease.

"Stop it." Night Owl suddenly turned, her voice icy, as if commanding a subordinate to do something obvious.

"Are you out of your mind?" Xu Xiaoshou spread his hands, his expression exaggerated, speaking with a life-preserving tone. "What am I supposed to use to stop it? My life? You made this mess, you clean it up. Do you really think this Hall of the Unforgivable is your Dark Division, and I have to obey you? In the Southern Region, I've never obeyed a single command from your Sacred God Palace!"

Night Owl's face hardened. She hadn't expected that just two words would provoke such a lengthy retort.

But time was short, and the situation didn't allow her to refute or lecture the rude Chen Tan. She moved swiftly.

"Whoosh!" The Lich Grand Master pointed his staff, and a thick, spectral beam, imbued with the intent of annihilation, descended from above. Carrying the power of the Death God, it directly struck the frost-white cold air attempting to freeze and damage the sealed fence.

Regardless of the power's level, the "decay" and "annihilation" abilities associated with the Death God's power should surely be able to extinguish it.

Xu Xiaoshou was aghast, feeling that the energy contained within this soul attack beam was truly terrifying. He wondered if "Immovable Wisdom King" could withstand it.

"Hmm, even if it couldn't be withstood, Night Owl would suffer equal backlash damage, and I could then activate 'Spiritual Awakening' and follow up with a 'Finger of Illusionary Destruction'..."

This was clearly not the time to be considering such things.

As the Lich Grand Master's light of annihilation was about to strike the frost-white cold air, a sudden flash of insight struck Xu Xiaoshou's mind.

"Wait..." He subconsciously wanted to cry out for it to stop, having realized a terrifying possibility.

But it was too late. The light of annihilation was incredibly fast, instantly enveloping all the frost-white cold air outside "Heaven Three" and striking directly.

"Boom!" A massive explosion reverberated. Xu Xiaoshou stared in astonishment as, just an instant before Night Owl's attack landed, the dense frost-white cold air, as despicable as he had predicted, retreated back into the cell through the breach.

This resulted in Night Owl's attack, with all its Death God's power, being poured onto the sealed fence without missing an inch.

"Is your brain full of mush?!" Xu Xiaoshou cursed angrily, "If you had half a brain, you'd know the consequences of that guy pulling his power back. Are you stupid?"

Night Owl froze, not because Chen Tan was scolding her, but because... no normal person would have predicted this development, right? Shouldn't it have resisted with all its might, implicitly testing each other's combat power?

"If you're so capable, you do it." She glared coldly, her initial daze replaced by fury, anger clearly visible on her face.

"Jijijiji—" The internal strife within the hall seemed to greatly amuse the entity inside "Heaven Three," which let out a series of shrill, high-pitched, strange laughs.

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but shiver. It was the kind of grating laughter that sounded like fingernails scratching a blackboard, even more unbearable than Elder Qiao's.

"Kid, you're quite cunning; you actually predicted this old man's thoughts." After the laughter, a playful voice emerged from "Heaven Three": "This old man has decided, you and I are two of a kind... Come, help me break open this sealed fence, and then you'll follow me!"

There was hardly any need for help, as Night Owl's attack had already further damaged a large section of the sealed fence.

However, this was a massive hall door, and relative to its overall size, the damage to the seal was minor, though cracks had certainly appeared.

"Old man, do you think I'm stupid?" Xu Xiaoshou looked towards the breach.

"Call me Old Man Han." The entity inside the cell didn't care about the young man's question at all, correcting him instead.

"Alright then, Old Man Han, how big of a brain cramp would I need to have to help you unseal this, like her?" Xu Xiaoshou said, pointing at Night Owl.

Received furious glare, Passive Point, 1.

While gaining Passive Points, Xu Xiaoshou's "Perception" was already analyzing the sealed fence.

It was just ordinary first-grade ore containing energy. Logically, it shouldn't be able to seal the monster inside, especially since the frost-white cold air just now was powerful and of unusual quality.

So, this was a spiritual array!

Using his "Textile Mastery" perspective to interpret the sealed fence, Xu Xiaoshou quickly realized that it was part of a super array connected to the entire Hall of the Unforgivable.

The massive torture instruments in the hall, the "God-Slayer Command" on the table, the sealed fence outside the cell... all were components, necessary elements of the grand sealing array.

This meant that from the moment the torture instruments became passive and the "God-Slayer Command" was taken, "Old Man Han" inside had already awakened. He/it had observed the situation for a while before choosing to speak?

This was a smart fellow. It must have already analyzed me and Night Owl, and probably made its choice between us, most likely the harmless me... Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts were extremely clear.

"What are you saying, kid?" Inside the cell, Old Man Han's voice grew impatient. "This old man is giving you an opportunity now; seize it well. Once I'm out, wealth and honor will be yours for the taking."

"Oh." Xu Xiaoshou nodded, glancing at Night Owl. "You called for me? Then watch this!"

Received suspicion, Passive Point, 1.

Night Owl gazed at Chen Tan, puzzled, unsure of what this guy intended to do.

Soon, she saw Chen Tan's hands fly, blurring into afterimages. Spiritual threads materialized one by one in his hands, incredibly thick, perfectly matching the scale of this giant hall.

Before long, the guy casually shot them out.

Some spiritual threads slapped onto the torture instruments outside, lifting the fallen remnants and barely restoring them to their original state.

Others flew onto the table, outlining a complex array where the "God-Slayer Command" had once been placed, as if replacing it.

All the remaining spiritual threads were simultaneously projected onto the breach in "Heaven Three"'s hall seal. Amidst flashing light and shadow, the threads wove into a chaotic, incomprehensible spiritual array, like a twisted braid, but at the same time, it repaired the damage.

"Knock, knock." Xu Xiaoshou leaned back against the cell door, tapped the fence with his hand, then poked a fingertip-sized hole in the spiritual array woven from threads, and calmly said:

"Old Man Han, right? Speak up, you have three chances to ask a question."

"Are you looking for death, kid?" Inside the cell, Old Man Han was enraged, clearly provoked by Xu Xiaoshou's attitude and tone. "Just wait until this old man gets out..."

"Why don't you try to get out first?" Xu Xiaoshou still watched Night Owl, a slight smirk on his lips.

The cell fell silent for a moment; no sound could be heard. It was likely attempting some kind of breakthrough.

Night Owl watched intently, but after a moment, no frost-white cold air still seeped out from the fingertip-sized hole Chen Tan had poked.

Received suspicion, Passive Point, 2.

Before long, a terrified voice echoed from inside the cell: "Brat, what did you do? My power... why can't it get out?! How is this possible? The seal was clearly broken by you!"

Night Owl's eyes, hidden in shadow, widened.

The seal, repaired?

She quickly scanned all the spots Chen Tan had interacted with: the torture instruments outside, the simulated "God-Slayer Command" array on the table, and the complex, braid-like spiritual array formed by threads at the breach.

He, a Grandmaster of Spiritual Arrays?

No! It was likely more than that. This guy had, in a short time, not only located the core of the Hall of the Unforgivable's seal but had also instantly repaired an ancient seal that had already been damaged.

His mastery of spiritual arrays was top-notch, even within the Dao Division!

"Chen Tan..." Night Owl softly whispered the name.

She truly couldn't recall such an exceptional talent in the Southern Region. Not only did he possess the aura of evil god power, but he also knew Ghost Swordsmanship.

And now, with effortless skill, this guy had instantly restored an ancient grand array that only existed in ancient times, one for which no references could likely be found today.

Who was he?

Who exactly was Chen Tan?!

Night Owl's mind raced. The terms "Pure Gate" and "Chen Tan" suddenly weighed heavily in her thoughts, gaining immense significance.

What a pity... If Yi were still alive, if Yi were her partner, he would quickly find his way here, no matter the circumstances. And with the knowledge stored in Yi's mind, he could probably instantly explain the eighteen generations of history behind "Pure Gate" and "Chen Tan."

Night Owl's eyes suddenly dimmed. Everything was just a fantasy... Yi was dead!

Her current partner was Yu Lingdi, but Yu Lingdi had been teleported away by the spatial distortion of the labyrinth.

Waiting for him to find her, or for him to proactively seek her out, was less reliable than figuring out how to subdue Chen Tan and then kill "Old Man Han."

"You seem to have figured something out?" Xu Xiaoshou, a slight smirk on his face, looked at the high and mighty Night Owl. He then turned and tapped the "Heaven Three" cell door again, calmly saying:

"Even if I took all the torture instruments here and removed the God-Slayer Command, your seal, I can break it if I want, or maintain it if I want. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Remember, Old Man Han, right? You have one question left. If you can speak properly, then speak properly. My patience is very limited."

The Hall of the Unforgivable immediately fell into a deathly silence once more.

In a hall with only two people, Night Owl was undeniably the master, controlling all life and death within.

But when the situation became a three-way standoff, Xu Xiaoshou could step forward.

He feared environments with few people because the factors influencing the outcome would also be few.

But once the situation became complex, he would thrive, just like when he played tricks on Teng Shanhai and Jiang Buyi.

Xu Xiaoshou never feared complexity, only reckless fools!

There was still a fingertip-sized channel communicating with the outside world at the breach in "Heaven Three"'s seal; it was Xu Xiaoshou who had poked it open.

He believed Old Man Han understood the pros and cons, just as Old Man Han, being clever, had chosen to observe the two people outside before emerging after the seal was broken.

Before long, a stammering, uneasy voice emerged from within the cell.

"B-Big Brother, give me a chance? This old man... uh, I don't want to be sealed anymore. How long can your trick seal this place? I-I want out..."

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head and chuckled. Humans!

"A minimum of one year, a maximum of three."

"If I'm willing to dip into my savings, once the Hall of the Unforgivable's power is drained by the spiritual array, and I add some... hmm, high-grade spiritual herbs or crystals, sealing you for ten years would be no problem."

"In short, I can always wait until the First Hall of Sin's next spatial distortion before choosing to leave. But if I'm trapped here forever, then you'll never be able to get out."

"Let..." Old Man Han's voice suddenly rose, wanting to say something more.

"Alright, the three questions are over." Xu Xiaoshou immediately blocked the hole he had poked open, fully repairing the spiritual array there, and Old Man Han's voice abruptly ceased.

He looked at Night Owl.

The head of the Dark Division stood high above the Lich Grand Master, previously commanding the situation with an air of superiority. Now, it seemed, her aura could no longer suppress him.

"Miss Night Owl, may I ask a question?" Xu Xiaoshou leaned against the "Heaven Three" cell door, as if finding security, and casually asked.

Night Owl remained silent.

Xu Xiaoshou took her silence as acquiescence and said, "What exactly is the God-Slayer Command?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt Night Owl's aura turn chillingly cold. Simultaneously, the Lich Grand Master beneath her, with its rippling muscles, stirred, and its staff rose.

Smart people knew what the other party intended.

Xu Xiaoshou understood instantly: Night Owl intended to finish him off while Old Man Han was re-sealed.

After all, at this very moment, without the influence of a third party, Night Owl was the undisputed master here!

"Boom!" The Death God's Owl Eye opened again in the sky behind Night Owl, and the darkness of death enveloped everything.

The Lich Grand Master swung its staff, and from the heavens descended thirty-six beams of soul annihilation light, far more terrifying than its previous attack on the sealed fence!

Received sneak attack, Passive Point, 1.

Xu Xiaoshou smiled.

"You really are despicable, Night Owl..."

Faced with such an attack, he didn't even move, merely casually shattering the spiritual array seal on the cell door behind him with a backhand.

At the same time, the voice from inside the cell door could finally be heard again.

"Wah wah wah—"

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"Chen Tan, you'd better not let this old man catch... huh?"

Undeniably, Old Man Han sensed the commotion of another battle unfolding outside, and at the same time, he heard someone tapping on the cell door.

"One chance." This was Chen Tan's voice!

"Hiss..." Without the slightest hesitation, a torrent of frost-white cold air instantly poured out from the breach, rising high. It didn't touch Chen Tan at all, instead condensing into a gigantic, bat-shaped half-ice wing directly in front of him.

This ice wing emanated the power of a half-saint!

"Boom boom boom..." With a single flap, the thirty-six beams of annihilation light, imbued with the Death God's power, were sent flying by the ice wing, deflecting towards Night Owl herself and the Lich Grand Master. The ice wing, however, remained completely unharmed!

At the same time, a chilling sound, a mix of frantic, wretched laughter and what seemed like a forced declaration of allegiance, echoed from the breach: "Who dares to touch this old man's subordinate?! Ah!"