I Can Extract Divine Power

A mole?

Zhao Xuan clenched his teeth. In a fit of rage, he spat out a mouthful of blood. "A traitor!"

He had always found it strange how the Observatory was always able to find him.

But the Observatory had pressed him so hard, giving him no time to think. Now it seemed it was all the work of this spy.

Shen Bai patted the man’s shoulder. "You’ve worked hard."

The man’s face was solemn and serious. "It is my honor to contribute to the safety of the people."

Although they were men of the Observatory, their names were not on its roster.

Like travelers in the dead of night, with only darkness behind them.

The name of the Observatory was their only ray of light.

"I was placed here by the Prefecture Chief before last. The previous Prefecture Chief was not aware of my existence," the man added.

Everyone knew what the last Prefecture Chief had done, and the man worried Shen Bai would see him as a turncoat.

Shen Bai smiled. "That’s not important. What’s important is that your actions were for Nanxing Prefecture."

On the ground, Zhao Xuan’s eyes were ashen with despair.

He knew his time was short.

When Shen Bai looked over again, the ashen despair in Zhao Xuan’s eyes turned to venomous hatred.

"Don’t even think about learning how to open the Ancient City Ruins."

"Just you wait. There are definitely others in the Academy who know. The Ancient City Ruins are a disaster waiting to happen, and someone from the Academy will eventually come and open them."

"You won’t be able to stop it!"

Zhao Xuan’s tone was thick with resentment.

Shen Bai said with great interest, "I’d quite like to see if I can pry the information out of you."

Inside his body, Shen Bai’s Qi circulated, activating the poison in Zhao Xuan’s system.

The poison from the Poison Avoidance and Spirit Recovery Skill was terrifyingly potent, capable of inflicting immense pain on Zhao Xuan without killing him.

Zhao Xuan was stunned for a moment before pain washed over him, as if his entire body were being devoured by thousands of ants.

Not only that, but it felt as if a heavy hammer was constantly striking his heart, each blow sending tremors through his body.

"You’ll never find out!" Zhao Xuan bit his lip so hard it bled.

"Such loyalty."

Shen Bai lifted his foot, placed it on Zhao Xuan’s head, and said flatly, "If you talk, I’ll grant you a quick death. It’s much better than this torture."

Zhao Xuan’s eyes widened. "Never!"

Shen Bai ground his foot into Zhao Xuan’s head. "You can endure it once, maybe twice. But can you endure it hundreds of times a day, every day?"

Zhao Xuan said nothing.

"Unable to die, yet not truly living."

Shen Bai shook his head. "Forget it. Take him back to the Observatory. Whenever I’m bored, I’ll use him to test my poisons. As for some bullshit Ancient City Ruins, I’m not interested anymore."

At these words, Zhao Xuan suddenly fell silent.

Zhang He accepted the order and stepped forward, preparing to lift Zhao Xuan up.

But just then, Zhao Xuan suddenly shouted.

"I’ll talk! I’m willing to talk!"

He was afraid.

He had wanted to provoke Shen Bai into killing him.

He had even endured the wave of agonizing poison to make Shen Bai think it was ineffective against him.

But Shen Bai’s words were like a terrifying wind from the abyss, chilling him to the bone.

’This horrifying torture... for the rest of my life?’

’No. It would be better to just die.’

Shen Bai smiled. "That’s more like it. Now, tell me how to open the Ancient City Ruins, and everything you know about them."

Zhao Xuan gave a bitter smile. "I don’t know what’s in the Ancient City Ruins. I only know that causing massive destruction after entering might awaken the ruins."

"As for how to get in, you just have to place the Compass on the surface of the water where the needle points."

’The needle?’

Shen Bai glanced at it and asked, "Why isn’t the needle moving?"

Zhao Xuan recited an incantation. "It requires this incantation."

Shen Bai used his Divination Skill and once again gauged the Fortune and Misfortune.

Before Shen Bai’s eyes, the result was still ’greatly auspicious’.

This meant that Zhao Xuan wasn’t lying.

With this in mind, Shen Bai recited the incantation.

The incantation was incredibly strange. When Shen Bai finished reciting it, the Compass began to change.

On the surface of the green, rust-covered Compass, the needle began to spin rapidly.

The once-calm surface of the water began to tremble faintly along with the spinning needle.

The trembling was weak at first, but as time passed, it began to bubble like boiling water. GURGLE, GURGLE.

At that moment, the Compass needle stopped dead straight, no longer moving.

A spiral-shaped vortex appeared on the water’s surface, covering the stretch of river before them.

Zhao Xuan struggled to say, "Throw the Compass into the water to open the Ancient City Ruins. This Compass was originally created by Xinhua Academy specifically to enter the ruins."

When it came to research, those madmen had an astonishing talent. Back then, Xinhua Academy paid a huge price to develop this rusted Compass.

They just never expected that all their work would end up benefiting Shen Bai.

"Just give me a quick death," Zhao Xuan said, closing his eyes.

Shen Bai turned his head. "Take him back. My poison is still in him. Interrogate him day and night until you’ve gotten every piece of information he has about the Academy. Then find a place and kill him."

Zhao Xuan’s eyes flew open. "You’re a dignified Prefecture Chief, the shining Eight Extremes Young Master of the Jianghu! How can you go back on your word!"

He understood. Shen Bai intended to squeeze every last drop of value out of him.

And until he was wrung completely dry, he would absolutely not be allowed a quick death.

Before Shen Bai could speak, Zhang He stepped forward and slapped Zhao Xuan across the face.

Zhao Xuan saw stars, and his face quickly began to swell.

"You madmen from the Academy! After your insane experiments on the common people, do you have any right to say such things?" Zhang He sneered.

Shen Bai said, "Once you get back, be careful. Don’t accidentally kill him."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang He replied. "Lord Shen, do you need me to dispatch some men to accompany you inside?"

The surrounding members of the Observatory had looks of anticipation in their eyes.