46: There are also restless fellows.

Chen Nian held the constantly twisting Ghostly Creature in one hand.

His fingertips glowed with a faint golden light, acting like an invisible cage that firmly imprisoned the Second-Order Ghostly Creature.

The Ghostly Creature struggled in his palm, but could not move him in the slightest.

"Speak. Information on the Corpse Ghost Cult. Where is the headquarters of the Corpse Ghost Cult?"

Chen Nian's voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, yet it caused the temperature in the entire ward to drop several degrees.

The Ghostly Creature let out a sharp roar and bellowed at Chen Nian: "Don't even think about it! The Cult has bestowed upon me supreme power; how could I betray the great Cult!"

Its voice was full of fanaticism and disdain, as if mocking Chen Nian for overestimating himself.

Hearing this, Chen Nian nodded slightly, a look of approval appearing on his face.

"You have backbone."

"I like stubborn ghosts like you."

The moment the words fell.

The palm holding the Ghostly Creature suddenly erupted with dazzling golden energy.

That light was exceptionally scorching, carrying a terrifying aura that could purify all things.

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream, so wretched it didn't seem like it could come from a living creature, suddenly burst from the Ghostly Creature's mouth.

The sound pierced through the black mist and distorted the air, so sharp that Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi subconsciously covered their ears, their faces turning pale instantly.

What a powerful aura!

Just the wailing alone had such terrifying power!

If he were to strike with full force, how terrifying would that power be?

Both Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi were shocked.

However, Chen Nian simply held its neck with a calm expression, as if he were merely holding a harmless doll.

And that powerful Second-Order Ghostly Creature, which had been arrogantly roaring just moments ago, was now like a living thing doused in concentrated sulfuric acid, struggling and wailing violently.

Wisps of black smoke rose from its body, carrying an indescribable burnt stench that quickly filled the ward.

Wu Jiahao's Adam's apple bobbed; looking at Chen Nian's calm profile, a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

This Senior's methods were countless times more ruthless than he had imagined.

Zhao Xinyi's delicate body trembled, and she subconsciously took half a step back. The look in her eyes as she watched Chen Nian held a hint of unhideable fear alongside her awe.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Lord, have mercy!"

The Ghostly Creature's wails became intermittent, filled with endless fear and pleading.

It was afraid.

It was truly afraid.

That burning sensation originating from the depths of the Soul was ten thousand times more painful than descending into the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

However, the curve of Chen Nian's lips grew even colder.

He gave a contemptuous smile.

"Too late."

Two words pronounced the Ghostly Creature's fate.

The golden energy at his fingertips did not weaken; instead, it became more solid and brilliant.

"Aaaaaah—!"

A new round of wailing sounded, more miserable than any before.

Before long, spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the Ghostly Creature's body.

Its skin fell off in large chunks, revealing the foul-smelling, sticky rotten flesh underneath.

A thick burnt smell filled the entire room, making it almost suffocating.

It looked like it could completely dissipate into nothingness at any moment.

But Chen Nian's control over his power was exquisite to the extreme.

Each energy shock was precisely maintained at the edge of its collapse.

It allowed it to experience the ultimate agony of being on the brink of death while keeping it alive with one last breath, not letting it die so easily.

Torture was the theme of this moment!

After a while, Chen Nian spoke again, his voice still flat.

"Where is the headquarters of the Corpse Ghost Cult?"

This time, the Ghostly Creature did not dare to be negligent or resistant in the slightest.

Its distorted face was filled with the terror of having survived a disaster, and its voice trembled uncontrollably.

"I... I don't know..."

"I really don't know where the Cult's headquarters is..."

"I'm just a Wandering Ghost. By chance, I was spotted by a lord of the Cult and given power..."

"I'm just a peripheral member and can't access any core secrets. I beg the Lord to see clearly!"

Chen Nian's expression did not change at all.

"Who was the person who gave you power?"

"Where is he?"

The Ghostly Creature, as if grasping a life-saving straw, hurriedly replied.

"It's the Xuanzhen Sect!"

"Someone from the Xuanzhen Sect found me and gave me power. They were also the ones who told me to possess someone else!"

Xuanzhen Sect?

When those three words were spoken, Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi both shuddered, their faces filled with disbelief.

How could they not know about the Xuanzhen Sect?

Although it was only a civilian organization of practitioners and its scale wasn't huge, in Donghai City—especially in the Tianyun District—it was definitely considered a prestigious and righteous sect.

It had a long history and a century-old Legacy.

Although no world-shaking figures had ever emerged from the sect, it had always taken exorcising demons and protecting the region as its responsibility, enjoying a high reputation among the people.

But now... such a prestigious and righteous sect was actually colluding with an evil organization like the Corpse Ghost Cult?

And even helping a Ghostly Creature possess and harm people?

This simply overturned their understanding.

How did they dare?

How could they have fallen to such a state!

"Heh!"

A light laugh interrupted their shock.

The contemptuous smile on Chen Nian's face deepened.

"It seems there are still restless fellows that I need to deal with."

As he spoke, his gaze fell back on the shivering Ghostly Creature, and he continued to ask: "Why are you possessing ordinary people?"

The Ghostly Creature did not dare to hide anything and hurriedly told him everything it knew.

"The... the Cult is conducting a grand ritual to summon a sleeping lord."

"This ritual requires a massive amount of Life Essence."

"By possessing living people, we can use a Secret Method to constantly absorb their Life Essence and provide it to the Cult after conversion."

"The woman on the bed, her Physique is very special, and the quality of the Life Essence she can provide is extremely high. She is one of our Cult's key targets."

"You... you have ruined the Cult's plan. The Cult will definitely not let you off!"

At the end, its tone changed, as if trying to secure a chance for survival.

"But... but if the Lord is willing to let me go, I can... I can plead with the Cult's lords for you. The Cult might spare your lives."

When it said this, its eyes flickered, its face was full of panic, and its guilty conscience was obvious.

Not to mention Chen Nian, even Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi could tell that this was just a clumsy lie it had made up to stay alive.

Moreover, from the beginning, Chen Nian had no intention of letting it leave alive.

The contempt at the corner of his mouth turned into a grim chill.

"No need."

"You are no longer of any value."

"Just die quietly."

Before the words even finished.

The golden energy in his palm suddenly erupted.

That light was no longer a slow torture like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, but had turned into a torrent that destroyed everything.

"No—!"

The Ghostly Creature only had time to let out a desperate roar.

In the next second, its entire body was instantly annihilated in the brilliant golden light.

There was no explosion, no loud noise.

It was directly shaken into ashes and smoke, drifting away from Chen Nian's fingers and then completely dissipating into the air, leaving not a single trace behind.

[Ding! You have killed a Second-Order Ghostly Creature and obtained 200 points.]

As the System broadcast ended.

The ward fell into a dead silence once again.

Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi were once again deeply shaken.

They had once again witnessed Chen Nian's methods.

From interrogation to torture, to the final obliteration, the entire process was seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

It was as if, in his eyes, crushing a Second-Order Ghostly Creature was as simple and casual as crushing an ant.

However, Chen Nian completely ignored their shock.

He withdrew his hand as if he had only done a trivial matter and turned his calm gaze toward Wu Jiahao.

"Do you know where the Xuanzhen Sect is?"

Wu Jiahao and Zhao Xinyi jolted and immediately snapped back to their senses.

Wu Jiahao replied respectfully, "I know, Senior."

Hearing this, a cold arc curled at the corner of Chen Nian's mouth:

"Let's go. Lead the way; we'll pay them a visit."