"Damn it, that hurts like hell…"
As Xiao Yan's consciousness gradually returned, that was the first thought to flash through his mind. At this moment, pain wracked every inch of his body, far worse than what he had endured while refining the Nine Profound Golden Lightning. His internal organs were shattered, and his meridians and bones had been fractured in numerous places.
If not for the miraculous regenerative properties of the Life Spirit Flame, the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and the Undying Flame working together inside him, he likely would have been little more than a corpse by now. Even so, the violent jolts from beneath him still tugged at his wounds, causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead.
Through sheer will, Xiao Yan forced himself to stay conscious. When he opened his eyes, a dull gray sky greeted him—but what caught his attention even more was the cold iron bars surrounding him. He was locked inside a metal cage. Around him were several blurry figures, though they didn't look like guards.
"That damned old hag…" Xiao Yan cursed inwardly, gritting his teeth.
He struggled to sit up, and the simple movement made the pain even more unbearable. Leaning against the cage bars, he steadied his breath, doing his best to stay lucid.
"Young man, you're awake?"
The voice came from one of the other people inside the cage. Xiao Yan glanced over. Although his body was severely injured, his soul strength remained at its peak. With one look, he could tell that these people weren't cultivators in the Dou Qi system at all—at best, they were slightly stronger than average mortals.
Even in his current state, subduing them would be a trivial task. But judging by their demeanor, they didn't appear hostile.
After a few cautious questions, Xiao Yan quickly pieced together his situation. Because his injuries were internal, no one realized how badly hurt he was. The person who had brought him here assumed he was just an ordinary, frail youth.
That person hadn't saved him out of goodwill either, but rather intended to use him as a laboring slave. This cage was used to transport people like him—slaves.
"Well, this is a hell of a start…"
Xiao Yan's lips twitched bitterly. Who would've thought that someone of his status—Demon Flame Saint—would one day end up locked in a slave cart? Normally, when someone got transmigrated to another world, shouldn't it be into the arms of a beautiful girl who'd fall for him during their time together?
Instead, here he was, already bound in chains. If his old acquaintances saw this, their jaws would surely drop.
Reaching for his storage ring, Xiao Yan realized his Nether Sea Ring was gone. Judging by its ornate design, the person who found him likely mistook it for some valuable accessory and took it. Still, Xiao Yan wasn't too concerned—he had placed a soul imprint on it. Once his strength recovered even a little, reclaiming it would be easy.
What truly troubled him was the absence of the Heavy Xuan Ruler.
That weapon was so heavy that even a Dou Sheng would struggle to lift it, so it was unlikely someone had stolen it. More likely, it had been lost somewhere during his chaotic transit through the wormhole.
"Forget it. One step at a time. First, I'll focus on healing. Then I'll retrieve my storage ring so I can refine pills to recover faster. After that, I'll think about tracking down the ruler."
With his priorities set, Xiao Yan also knew he had to start collecting information about this new world.
The white-robed woman who had dragged him into this mess hadn't made a single peep since he arrived. No matter how much he cursed her, she remained completely silent. Had her remnant soul vanished completely? He didn't know, but he knew better than to rely on her for anything anymore.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to play along for now.
"Big brothers, do any of you know where we're being taken?" he asked, feigning a tone of resignation.
"I heard them mention something about the Yangyuan Mine near Qingyang Town," one of the other prisoners replied.
"The Yangyuan Mine… so I'm being sent to dig ore, huh?" Xiao Yan let out a helpless sigh.
Still, he didn't care much. While this life seemed pitiful, he had faced far worse in his previous life. Compared to the deadly trials he had endured before, being a mine slave was child's play. At least it came with food and shelter.
According to the white-robed woman, the only way back to his world was to complete the task she had given him. With no alternatives, he could only consider this working for her—for now.
Although he hadn't yet uncovered any valuable intel, Xiao Yan was relieved to know that humans in this world had not been completely exterminated. With any luck, he might even be able to contact a resistance force opposing the demonic invaders and form his own rebel army. He could only hope the survivors in this world weren't too weak.
Meanwhile...
Far away, deep within a forested mountain range, the missing Heavy Xuan Ruler stood upright, embedded in a massive boulder.
A huge crowd surrounded it.
A black-robed girl stood at the front, frowning slightly at the sight of the dark red energy swirling faintly around the weapon.
"This is why you called me in such a hurry?" she asked calmly.
"Yes, Lady Qingtan," replied a woman in gray robes. "This weapon suddenly appeared here out of nowhere. Some of our people tried to retrieve it, but were killed by the force emanating from it. We thought it might be connected to the demonic invaders, so we summoned you."
Qingtan narrowed her eyes.
She reached out and grasped the weapon's hilt. The moment her hand touched it, a ferocious killing aura surged into her meridians. At the same time, the spiritual energy within her body slowed to a crawl, as though something were suppressing it.
Her expression darkened slightly.
Quickly circulating her power, she expelled the sinister aura. Then, with a soft grunt, she slowly lifted the black ruler off the ground.
"…What a strange weapon."
Even though she could lift it, wielding it freely was another matter entirely. The weight was immense, and its suppressive properties were unnatural. Most disturbingly, when she tried to store it in her spatial ring, the ring actually exploded.
It was the first time she had encountered such a bizarre artifact.
"This weapon likely has no connection to the demons. However…"
She trailed off, staring at the ruler with narrowed eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, she shook her head and muttered, "Better take it back with me. Leaving it here might cause more trouble later."
(End of Chapter)
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