Shin Xuanji took a deep breath and said, "He sent them to Hell."
"What?!" Lin Feilin jumped out of her seat, an expression of disbelief colored her face with a tinge of uncertainty. She reacted even more shocked and disturbed than Yan Zaizen did. Yan Zaizen, on the other hand, was silent and calm. His eyes didn't even ripple. He knew this was merely the foundation of the truth. There was more.
Shin Xuanji looked at Lin Feilin, waiting for her to calm her state of mind. After realizing her reaction had been a little too much, she took her seat and calmed her breathing. However, her eyes remained flashing a dark emotion. It resembled guilt.
Shin Xuanji then fully explained.
It started with the Yan Clan giving birth to the Master of a Thousand Arts, Yan Muzen. He was a heaven-defying genius that could, with a glimpse, learn arts and techniques with ease. He rapidly rose in strength and prestige.
In truth, it was merely his Bloodline excavated by his Origin Source, and it allowed him to swiftly duplicate others. His ability led to others awakening their bloodline, finding out a secret that even Yan Zaizen wasn't sure how to do at the time.
These warriors were elite, and ventured to conquer Presba. They succeeded. They replaced the Imperial Clan, becoming the new Imperial Clan of Presba and its ruling family.
According to Lin Feilin, the Yan Clan's Master of a Thousand Arts ambitions made him venture into a greater world with wild ambition, setting his sights onto the Xiantu Realm itself.
However, Shin Xuanji told the truth and it was not that.
At the time, he had decided to start his own faction called the Slaughter Demons of Nine Hymns. They were an organization similar to the Anima Syndicate. Because he had Yan Zaizen's Dao, he held a need for freedom. He wanted the power to act to his heart's content, but he needed more than just individual power for this to happen.
Unlike Yan Zaizen whose talent and means was heaven-defying, especially his rapid cultivation advancements in chaotic space, he had to do it the old fashion way and cultivate one second at a time with resources he could procure.
He had met the Master of the Thousand Arts then, even fought together when exploring other continents or planets in the realm. Yan Muzen wasn't like Yan Zaizen, but he had an endless ambitious air that drove his every action.
Shin Xuanji supported this. This soon led to an incredible yet insidious discovery. Another Asura Phantom Realm had been found, but not another Hell Altar. At that time, they found a unique Soul Art called the Yama Devil Soul-Arising Art.
This technique required a unique physique to cultivate it. This physique had to originate from Hell, but it was exceptionally powerful and suitable for Infernal Forgers. However, they didn't have any desire to cultivate it.
So, they sold it. Unbeknownst to them that the Xiantu Emperor of that time had set his sights on Hell and the Path of Infernal Forgers. He obtained the art and conceived a scheme. Luring the Yan Clan members over, he captured them all in one swoop.
Shin Xuanji had found out too late about this incident. When he investigated it, he had only learned that the Yan Clan had abruptly vanished. However, he and Yan Muzen had left various means to warn each other of possible dangers, whether it be against them or if they were currently in the thick of it.
Yan Muzen left a message informing the malicious means of the Xiantu Emperor. Without any hesitation, he led his men to slaughter a path of blood. Although he hadn't entered the Heavenly Path, he had Yan Zaizen's Dao and high-level law comprehension. He fought and killed until his knuckles were white and his eyes were red. It was then that he developed his Dao of Sovereign Slaughter, refined and supported by Yan Zaizen's Dao of Sovereign Ascension.
Yet, he was still too late.
The Xiantu Emperor had already brought them away and used the souls of those in the Fallen Stars Continent's Presba to force the Yan Clan members to cultivate the art. A step behind, he could only chase with all his might.
By the time he found them, the vast majority of the continent's inhabitants had their souls stripped. It was a dreadful graveyard, more disturbing than any bloody battlefield.
There, he met Ya Qinqan. Yes, her.
After a brief exchange of words, she left and Shin Xuanji couldn't stop her. Because...she was an Infernal Forger. Even till today, he wasn't exactly sure what had happened but he learned that the Xiantu Emperor, Ya Qinqan and her clan, including the Yan Clan members had left for Hell.
He didn't know why. But, he knew how. Supposedly, the Asura Phantom Realms they entered had a portal formation that allowed one to enter the lowest stages of Hell. He had even found them, but he couldn't activate them. No, he wasn't willing.
It needed an absolutely unfathomable amount of soul energy to use, and if he wanted that, he'd need to sacrifice millions of lives to do so.
"Haaa. I tried all I could…" Shin Xuanji revealed a dispirited and defeated look. After the Xiantu Emperor's departure, there was a fierce power struggle in which he came out on top, becoming the new Xiantu Emperor.
Yan Zaizen calmly analyzed this all and processed everything. He realized that one-sided accounts still had a lot of missing gaps, but it was enough for a few assumptions. Firstly, he didn't believe his clan was killed or dead.
In fact, he knew they weren't. It's entirely possible that the Xiantu Emperor took a page from the Asura Phantom Palace's Palace Master handbook - find soldiers to find materials. The Palace Master had used Phantasm and even Golems with Hell creatures' souls within them to excavate his materials from Hell.
The only shocking thing he felt was the Xiantu Emperor's decision to enter Hell. This was shocking and also, it made him realize that he had neglected the Asura Phantom Realm when he was searching for paths to Hell. If he remembered that, he could've ventured directly to Hell to save Pinaka.
However, he didn't fault himself. Firstly, he had no idea if the portal worked or existed. Secondly, he was in another Heaven. The sheer distance between heavens was mind-wrecking and finding the compass seemed easier at the time.
He gave a soft sigh in the end. His clan had been driven to Hell. Pinaka was sent to Hell. And, the mysteries of this world seemed tied to Hell somehow. It's like a hand of fate was giving him every reason to venture there, if only to learn its truths.
He lifted his eyes to meet Shin Feiyu. "And what about you?"
Shin Feiyu started. She didn't expect Yan Zaizen to call her out. Shin Xuanji's eyes brightened, but then rapidly dimmed as solemn sadness entered his heart. However, he intervened and said, "Junior Brother Zai, she's…" In the end, he couldn't say it.
Neither could she.
Yan Zaizen and Lin Feilin realized there was something more to this twenty-something girl that held enough favor to dine with them. However, he didn't press it. Everyone had their secrets, and he didn't want to disrespectfully inquire about them.
"I understand now. So, I guess that means I'll definitely have to go to Hell then." He smiled, but in his heart, this had been his desire since that fateful day where that mysterious existence took Pinaka from him. Similar to his how Shin Xuanji acted to retrieve his clansmen, he would slaughter all of Hell if it meant getting her back.