Warrior's Promise

"Second Senior Sister and Tenth Senior Brother, how much do you know about the Netherworld Devil Sect?" Su Mo wanted to gain some inside knowledge from the duo.

"11th Junior Brother, don't underestimate the Netherworld Devil Sect!"

Tian Chen looked very serious, his voice low and deep. "The master of the Netherworld Devil Sect was an Emperor-to-be. The four hall masters of the Shady Hall, Yama Hall, Ghost Hall, and Corpse Hall as well as Yan Tai the First Elder are all at Lv 9 Martial Royal Realm. The Netherworld Devil Sect appeared to have only these six powerful experts but in reality they have way more than these."

"Oh? How many members of the Netherworld Devil Sect are at Lv 9 Martial Royal Realm?" A beam of light flashed in Su Mo's eye.

"I'm not sure but I know there are more than one Emperor-to-be and more than five Lv 9 Martial Royal Realm fighters in the Netherworld Devil Sect." Tian Chen shook his head.

Su Mo looked more serious. This Netherworld Devil Sect was indeed very powerful.

Once the Firmament Palace returned, they must be careful.

He must improve his cultivation as much as possible. He had already reached the Martial Royal Realm but it was not enough.

Su Mo talked with Tian Chen more before calling Light One with his spiritual consciousness.

"Palace Master, what can I do for you?" Light One entered the palace and bowed to Su Mo, shiny and glittering.

"A puppet!"

Tian Chen and An Nuan were surprised to see Light One. They didn't know the existence of such an intelligent puppet with very advanced spiritual wisdom.

"Master Light One, get them a place in the Illuminious Palace!" Su Mo order Light One, pointing at the duo.

Su Mo arranged this casually. Tian Chen had been practicing saber techniques of gold property, more suitable to join the Brightgold Palace. And An Nuan was working on martial arts techniques of Water Property, better matched with the Watermoon Palace.

He arranged this temporarily. Once the Firmament Palace was reborn and the heirs to the nine palaces gathered, all the disciples would be re-assigned.

"Aye, master!"

Light One led Tian Chen and An Nuan out of the hall.

Tian Chen and An Nuan looked lost before leaving. The Illuminious Palace? It sounded familiar.

It finally rang a bell when they were outside the palace. "Isn't the Illuminious Palace one of the nine palaces of the Firmament Palace?"

Tian Chen and An Nuan both came from the East Continent. They knew well about the Firmament Palace. It didn't take them long to figure out it was the Firmament Palace.

"This... Master... Where are we?"

Walking on a white jade paved street in the Firmament Palace, Tian Chen couldn't resist asking.

"The Firmament Palace!" Light One answered without any emotion.

Tian Chen and An Nuan were shocked. They were inside the Firmament Palace!

Since when had Su Mo become the master of the Firmament Palace?

The duo was puzzled.

Tian Chen had more questions to ask but Light One stopped answering.

...

In the palace.

Once Tian Chen and An Nuan were gone, Su Mo broguth another figure out with his mind power.

"Huangfu Qing, it's time to clear our debts." Su Mo looked at this wretched figure coldly.

Huangfu Qing was in an absolutely miserable state. Su Mo's squeeze almost broke all of Huangfu Qing's bones and internal organs.

A Martial Royal Realm expert, Huangfu Qing suffered severely.

Inside the Divine Map, An Nuan had treated Huangfu Qing for a few days and he had recovered 20%.

"Su Mo, what do you want?" Asked Huangfu Qing in a low and gloomy voice, his face darkened.

Huangfu Qing appeared calm, without fear or concern. He was prepared for the worst.

"Huangfu Qing, have you prepared for such a day?" Asked Su Mo coldly.

"No." Huangfu Qing shook his head. He honestly never expected to be captured by Su Mo.

Su Mo had been making trouble with the Netherworld Devil Sect whenever and wherever he could. Huangfu Qing believed with all his heart that Su Mo would be killed sooner or later.

"Go ahead and do whatever you want!" Huangfu Qing closed his eyes, standing tall and straight.

Huangfu Qing knew Su Mo wouldn't let go of him. He didn't beg for mercy or attempt to escape.

"I have a few questions for you. Answer honestly and I'll spare your life," said Su Mo in a deep voice.

"Hmm! You are not that kind!" Huangfu Qing sneered grimly. He knew how brutal and fierce Su Mo was. There was no way he would spare his life.

"I never go back on my words." Su Mo promised solemnly.

However, Huangfu Qing didn't believe him at all. Even if he did, he would never leak anything to him.

Su Mo chuckled. "Huangfu Qing, I don't want to be too hard on you but you are pushing me."

"Whatever you say. I have nothing to tell." Huangfu Qing remained calm, ready for death.

Su Mo nodded. He walked back and forth quietly in the palace.

After a while, he appeared to talk to himself, "In my hometown, there were ten cruel tortures of the Qing dyansty before. One of them was skinning. Starting from the back, we cut open the skin and peel it off the muscles until peeling off the whole body.

"Another one was called lynching. We slice the flesh off one piece after another. After one thousand slices, there would be nothing but a skeleton left. And another one..."

Su Mo's words turned Huangfu Qing's face black, his eyes filled with flame of anger.

"Enough!" Huangfu Qing shouted to stop Su Mo.

"Huangfu Qing, you are a martial artist at the Martial Royal Realm. These tortures are not enough for you. We should spice it up a bit by poisoning the knife." Su Mo smiled casually as if having a small talk.

"You... Su Mo, at such a young age, how could you be this brutal? This is unbelievable!" Huangfu Qing shouted with anger, his face changed completely.

Su Mo's torture talk sent a shiver down his spine. He had never thought about such brutal ways of killing.

"One last chance. Would you like to answer my questions? In return, I'll spare your life."

A killing desire flashed across Su Mo's eyes as he continued, "If not, I'll practice all these ten brutal tortures of the Qing dynasty on you until you die."

Huangfu Qing was speechless, his face kept changing.

He was scared. Su Mo's brutal tortures sounded horrifying and creepy. He dared not try such brutal punishment despite his Martial Royal Realm cultivation.

"If I answered Su Mo's question, I might be able to leave alive!"

It also depended on what questions he had in mind. He could listen and see and he didn't have to tell the truth.

After a long moment of silence, Huangfu Qing looked straight into Su Mo's eyes and asked, "Su Mo, would you really spare my life if I answered your questions?"

"You have my words!" Su Mo nodded. He had promised An Nuan to spare Huangfu Qing's life.