Upon hearing Lin Ran mention this matter, the expression on Kannai Guji's face changed drastically.
He clearly remembered what Lin Ran had said before imprisoning them.
At that time, Lin Ran had stated his intention to extract his soul-master and use him as a bargaining chip for a transaction.
This meant that not only would his greatest trump card be destroyed by Lin Ran, but his very being would also become a pawn in Lin Ran's hands.
Furthermore, after being traded, the unknowns regarding his freedom, cultivation, status, and personal safety were immeasurable.
How could he possibly accept such extremely harsh terms?
In a fit of rage, Kannai Guji slammed the table and sprang up from the hard obsidian floor.
However.
Just then, a roaring sound echoed in his head once more.
*Buzzz!*
"Ahhhh!"
Accompanied by a piercing scream, Kannai Guji stumbled uncontrollably to the side, seeing stars and foaming at the mouth, his earlier arrogance completely gone.
"Alas, why bother... you can't change the predetermined outcome anyway..."
"If we had negotiated peacefully, we could have parted on good terms..."
"You insisted on being stubborn and now you're suffering?"
Lin Ran clicked his tongue twice and kicked at Kannai Guji's limp body.
It took Kannai Guji a considerable amount of time to regain some semblance of consciousness.
It was only then that he finally understood one thing. He had truly become Lin Ran's captive. And a completely thorough one at that.
Not only did he have no dignity, but he might not even have human rights.
After all, his divine sense was completely under Lin Ran's control, meaning Lin Ran could manipulate him however he pleased.
If he were to resist, the consequences would be unimaginable. The brain tremor he had just experienced was the best proof of that.
"Speak, what exactly do you want!"
Kannai Guji, his spirit utterly broken, decided to abandon all pretense of dignity and profit.
In the face of such a formidable opponent as Lin Ran, who could seemingly control everything and even tear space with a flick of his finger, all his struggles were futile.
Rather than enduring the full extent of the pain before being forced to accept it humiliatingly, it was better to adopt a submissive posture from the outset.
At the very least, this might allow him to preserve his life.
As long as his people were alive, there was still hope for a comeback.
Seeing Kannai Guji's resigned expression, Lin Ran burst into laughter.
"Heh! Didn't I tell you to give up earlier! But you wouldn't listen... you had to see the coffin before shedding tears..."
"If you had had such a good attitude from the start, we might have already settled this! Why would it drag on until now?"
"Come, let's get down to business..."
"First, take out that jade pendant of yours and let me have a look!"
Saying this, Lin Ran beckoned to Kannai Guji.
Since Kannai Guji had resigned himself to his fate, he naturally wouldn't argue with Lin Ran on such a matter. He easily produced a jade pendant and tossed it towards Lin Ran with a swish.
However, though he had surrendered, the soul within the jade pendant did not seem to have done the same.
The pure white jade pendant immediately began to shimmer with a vast expanse of silver radiance.
This radiance was highly corrosive and, while attacking Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan, it even seemed intent on breaking through the entire prison.
Facing such extreme arrogance, even Luo Qingyan could only sigh, lamenting that the other party was truly risking it all.
Just as she had predicted.
This silver radiance was nowhere near capable of harming Lin Ran or breaking the prison; it couldn't even secure a foothold.
The moment it appeared, Lin Ran's Universal Pull and Tsukuyomi were simultaneously unleashed upon the jade pendant.
*Boom!*
Lin Ran first fiercely sucked the jade pendant into his hand, then directly used his ocular powers to invade its spiritual domain, dismantling everything it contained.
He not only stripped away all control over the jade pendant but also gave the impression that he intended to devour the entire soul within.
This move truly terrified the white-robed elder inside.
He had never imagined that Lin Ran's methods would be so brutal, his attacks so vicious and lethal.
He had originally intended to stall for time, believing Lin Ran couldn't do anything to him while he remained confined within.
But now, it seemed that approach was no longer viable.
"Since you insist on pursuing me to the bitter end, then do not blame this old man for fighting you to the death!"
The white-robed elder roared and manifested his soul form from the jade pendant, transforming into a silver light and charging towards Lin Ran.
However.
*Swish!*
Before his momentum could fully materialize, two streams of light, one gold and one black, preemptively restrained him.
Luo Qingyan, who had been indulging in endless leisure, finally found a use for herself at this moment, stepping in to help Lin Ran intercept the white-robed elder.
The white-robed elder immediately regretted his actions as soon as he emerged.
He could never have imagined that the soul-suppression power within Lin Ran's prison would be so potent!
Not only was his strength reduced to less than a tenth, but many of his secret techniques that required communication with other energies were also rendered unusable.
This was because, apart from large blocks of obsidian and anti-magic runes, there were virtually no other elements present in this prison.
Adding to that, Luo Qingyan's holy light and dark power had even manifested as chaotic energy shackles, binding him so tightly that he was completely helpless.
"What a terrifying prison!"
"Apart from its near-invincible containment, it even possesses the function of instant transfer..."
"The cost of this investment must be more exaggerated than all the construction on Kyushu Island combined."
"Falling into your hands is not a loss... This life has been worthwhile..."
"Lin Ran... you... are truly a pervert!"
The white-robed elder's aged face was filled with bitterness, his expression beyond words.
However, he was unaware that the reason Lin Ran could achieve such thorough containment and transfer was primarily due to his divine power space.
Within this independent space that belonged solely to him, laws could be altered at his will, so the cost was far less extreme than he imagined.
But Lin Ran obviously had no intention of explaining this to him, and merely smiled.
"Likewise!"
"If we're talking about perversion, you're not far behind!"
"After all..."
"Oh, right! Your precious disciple probably doesn't know about the dirty deeds you've been up to behind his back, does he?"