I Transmigrated As A Prison Guard And Suppressed The Princess
Xiao Ran transmigrated to a fantasy world. As a dungeon guard in the Celestial Dungeon, with a special floor called the Purgatory meant for powerful demons and martial arts experts, he faced a huge challenge from the start. The Eldest Princess acquired a forbidden martial arts technique and was banished to the Purgatory. However, no one was powerful enough to restrain her. All the dungeon guards were defeated. Xiao Ran stepped up and declared, "Your Highness, it's better for you to behave yourself on my territory" and effortlessly subdued the Eldest Princess.
He progressed from imprisoning the Eldest Princess to delivering the Great Xia Kingdom from the evil clutches of various demons and evil martial arts experts.
...
Xiao Ran was the mastermind behind the scenes.
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Chapter 1: Subduing the Eldest Princess
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Xiao Ran, lock this green serpent in the Purgatory," the lieutenant said.
Xiao Ran walked up and with one hand, dragged the green serpent's tail towards the Purgatory.
The 1000 foot long serpent body weighed several thousand pounds. In his hands, it felt almost weightless.
He effortlessly dragged the green serpent into the Purgatory.
He then opened one of the cell doors and hurled the whole gigantic serpent inside.
Boom!
The ground shook from the impact, and the resulting thunderous echo reverberated outwards.
He then locked the cell door.
The Golden Tome of Creation in his mind flipped open to reveal information about the green serpent and the offenses it had committed.
Brilliant light flashed and three items were displayed on the shimmering pages: 100,000 Mastery Points, Transformation Technique, and a Seed of Sword Intent.
He called up his Attributes panel.
Xiao Ran:
Martial Arts Evolution: Grand Master Realm Level 10
Spiritual Master Evolution: True Realm Level 10
Martial Skills: Force of the Malevolent Dragon (Genesis), Six Domains of Holy Dungeon's Fist (Genesis), Traversing the Heavens in Twelve Steps (Perfection)
Spiritual Skills: Spawning Soldiers from Beans (Genesis), Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web (Perfection)
Three years earlier in the Great Xia Kingdom.
From the very first day he inherited the position of his father, Xiao An, until now, Xiao Ran had spent every single day in the Celestial Dungeon.
Like other transmigrators, he too had gold fingers.
After three years of trial and error, Xiao Ran finally understood how to activate the Golden Tome of Creation.
As long as the perpetrators passed through his hands, whether it was imprisoning demons or executing felons, he would be able to obtain rewards from the Golden Tome of Creation.
This was what he had obtained so far.
He added the 100,000 Mastery Points to the Seed of Sword Intent.
After his Attributes updated the new information, the panel now displayed: Sword Intent (Minor Achievement)
As he left the Purgatory,
a dungeon guard rushed over and said, "The lieutenant has ordered us to stop whatever we are doing now and rush down to the first floor antechamber."
Xiao Ran went to the first floor antechamber with him.
Almost all of the Celestial Dungeon guards had arrived.
The large hall had become extremely crowded and the lieutenant stood in front.
The Divine Sword Guards were holding down a young woman. She wore a moon-white bamboo hat that concealed her face.
"In accordance with His Majesty's order, felon Xia Jing is to be locked up in the Purgatory," said Lord Amethyst Sword, who was the head of this troop of Divine Sword Guards.
Gasp!
Everyone drew in a sharp breath. Xia Jing was the Eldest Princess of the Great Xia Kingdom, the biological older sister of the current Emperor Sheng Wen. She was a martial arts prodigy.
When she was just born, there was an ancient divine beast, the Golden Phoenix, that circled around the Imperial City for a hundred days.
Upon her birth, the Golden Phoenix swept into her body and awakened the Sacred Manifestation of the Phoenix.
She perfected the Postnatal Realm at the age of three, perfected the Connate Realm at the age of eight, and perfected the Master Realm at the age of fifteen. Finally at the age of thirty, she perfected the Grand Master Realm.
She once charged into the demons' hinterlands all by herself and killed all the demons within a thousand mile radius with a single sword.
Up until now, remnants of the supreme sword energy still lingered there, and countless people feared to take a step into that territory.
Yet now, such a distinguished figure had been reduced to a dungeon captive.
"My Lord, we won't be able to restrain her!" The terrified lieutenant said.
"Hmph! Her shoulder blade has been pierced right through. She won't be able to unleash her exceptional talent and abilities. She can't even compare to an ordinary person now. What are you guys afraid of?" Lord Amethyst Sword bellowed.
"Yes, my Lord!" The lieutenant hurriedly replied.
"Before we receive any orders from His Majesty, take good care of Her Majesty. If anything were to happen to her, you are answerable."
After issuing his instructions, Lord Amethyst Sword left hastily with his subordinates.
He conveniently threw the ball back into the lieutenant's court.
"Your Highness, please!" The lieutenant respectfully gestured for her to move forward.
The Eldest Princess stood motionless on the spot. She didn't even bat an eyelid.
The lieutenant clenched his teeth and issued a command, "Lead the Eldest Princess into the Purgatory."
Two dungeon guards hurried forward to grab the Eldest Princess.
As soon as they got near her, a huge force erupted from her body. Her aura spiraled out and sent the two dungeon guards flying.
"Is Your Highness determined to resist?"
"Get lost!" The Eldest Princess shouted in an icy tone.
The lieutenant was furious. "Please forgive me then."
With a wave of his right hand, more than ten dungeon guards rushed towards the Eldest Princess.
Just as they arrived before her, that terrifying force emanated from her again and sent all of them flying.
"Attack all at once!" The ashen-faced lieutenant yelled.
Over a hundred dungeon guards rushed up at once to try and restrain the Eldest Princess.
Screech!
A flash of golden light swept out, and numerous brilliant rays radiated out from her body. A golden phoenix materialized above her head. It looked at the onrushing dungeon guards, gave a flap of its mighty wings, and the resulting hurricane sent all of them airborne.
In less than a second, the entire cohort of the Celestial Dungeon's guards was practically wiped out.
The lieutenant's face turned so dark that he could almost squeeze ink out.
A violent aura burst forth as he strode towards the Eldest Princess purposefully. "Your Highness, you're making things difficult for us!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
the lieutenant took one step and abruptly re-appeared next to the Eldest Princess.
With his Master Realm Level One skill activated, his palm grew claws and he reached for the Eldest Princess in a menacing lunge.
"You think too highly of yourself," the Eldest Princess retorted contemptuously.
The Golden Phoenix extended its sharp claws and swiped the lieutenant's palm away viciously. Its massive wings smashed onto his head, sending him flying across the room.
Pow crash!
The lieutenant's body went smashing through more than ten walls before coming to a stop. He laid there badly injured, completely buried under a heap of rubble.
"The Celestial Dungeon is said to be an extremely dangerous area where evolution skills are forbidden. It is but a flimsy shack," the Eldest Princess said mockingly.
She glanced sideways.
Seeing Xiao Ran standing in a corner with a chilly smirk on his face, she took the initiative to walk towards him.
Standing in front of Xiao Ran,
the Eldest Princess asked, "You seem to be very confident. Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Your Highness, why are you doing this?" Xiao Ran asked.
"You want to fight too?"
"The Celestial Dungeon is my home. His Majesty has decreed that you will be imprisoned in the Purgatory."
The Eldest Princess' aura suddenly turned ferocious without any warning. The Golden Phoenix circled around and then charged menacingly towards Xiao Ran with a savage shriek, "Screech!"
Xiao Ran was blasted by an enormous wave of vicious energy.
However, Xiao Ran stood calmly on the spot. Under the Eldest Princess' startled gaze, he extended an open palm and grabbed the Golden Phoenix by the neck. With a swift sudden fling, he threw the creature down and stomped on it.
"This is impossible!" The Eldest Princess' expression changed drastically.
She took three steps back in quick succession.
"Your Highness, it's better for you to behave yourself on my territory," Xiao Ran cautioned.
"Is that so?" The Eldest Princess snorted in an icy tone.
The subdued Golden Phoenix struggled with all its might, trying to break free from Xiao Ran's feet.
"How stubborn!" Xiao Ran shook his head.
With a tap of his right foot, he crushed the struggling Golden Phoenix. It disintegrated into a shower of spiritual light specks that floated back into her body.
As the Eldest Princess watched in horror, he rushed towards her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and then brutally smashed her against the wall.
The Eldest Princess finally came to a stop after crashing through more than ten walls. In the next second, Xiao Ran appeared in front of her again.
He struck once more.
He grabbed her body and flung her outwards again.
She was catapulted from the southern end to the northern end, then from the northern end back to the southern end. He only stopped when she had passed out.
"This person is a downright scumbag. She won't learn unless she is taught a good lesson," Xiao Ran said.
He carried the Eldest Princess and headed for the Purgatory.
When he reached the Purgatory, he opened the first cell and threw the Eldest Princess inside.
He then locked the cell door.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared in his mind. It opened to the first page and revealed Xia Jing's information as well as the crime she committed. She had surreptitiously read through the forbidden book left behind by Emperor Taizu—Nine Heavens Evil Spirits Purification Skill.
After injuring more than ten imperial palace patriarchs, she was finally subdued by a thousand-year-old ancient demon.
The golden pages spun and revealed three things.
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Chapter 2: Nine Heavens Evil Spirits Purification Skill
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Nine Heavens Evil Spirits Purification Skill, 500,000 Mastery Points, Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
From the 500,000 Mastery Points he apportioned 400,000 points to the Nine Heavens Evil Spirits Purification Skill.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Nine Heavens Evil Spirits Purification Skill (Godfiend Technique): Beginner's Level
Effect: Refine all energy in the world and develop the purifying spiritual force to saturate a supreme physical body with unparalleled battle prowess.
Note: You cannot develop this technique unless you are a Godfiend. Otherwise, you will degenerate into a heinous monster demon that feeds on all life in the world.
Whatever constraints that other people faced in developing their skills did not apply to Xiao Ran. He had golden fingers. After the data was digitized, there were no sequelae.
He added the remaining 100,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
Phoenix Essence Sword Technique (Heaven-rank Superior-Grade): Beginner's Level
He shut down the Attributes panel.
Xiao Ran glanced at the Eldest Princess. In the Purgatory, there was the Purgatory Netherflames as well as a foul sinister atmosphere.
The Netherflames of Purgatory were capable of burning one's soul, turning a living and breathing being into an idiot.
The foul sinister atmosphere could corrode one's vitality, causing the life force to dissipate and the body to decay, until death.
Specks of golden light protected her, keeping the Purgatory Netherflames and foul sinister atmosphere at bay.
As he left the Purgatory,
the lieutenant rushed over with a group of people.
"Where's the Eldest Princess?"
"Her highness felt that she had committed a grave sin and took the initiative to follow me into the Purgatory to repent," Xiao Ran said.
"Ah," the lieutenant did not think much of it.
In his opinion, Xiao Ran was just an ordinary dungeon guard. Even they weren't a match for the Eldest Princess, let alone him.
Xiao Ran simply smiled. When he was teaching the Eldest Princess a lesson just now,
he used his spiritual soul energy to distort the space around them. With the level of evolution the lieutenant and the rest of the guards had, they were completely oblivious to what transpired between the Eldest Princess and him.
Unless their skills had evolved to a more advanced level than his.
The lieutenant quickly left with his men.
He did not want to stay here for a moment longer.
The Celestial Dungeon had a total of nine floors. Below the ninth floor was another level, the notorious Purgatory.
It was formed naturally and enveloped in the Purgatory Netherflames and foul sinister atmosphere indefinitely. Over the years, as it leaked out, the foul sinister atmosphere permeated the entire dungeon.
The closer one got to the Purgatory, the denser the foul sinister atmosphere became.
Therefore…
The positions in the Celestial Dungeon were rotated every three years, including the lieutenant and the other dungeon guards.
For Xiao Ran, this year was his third year and in three months' time, his three-year term would be completed. At that time, he would be transferred out and could change to another position with better perks.
"To other people, this is a dangerous place, but to me, it's an endless treasury. When the time comes, I'll have to modify the document," Xiao Ran said.
"Brother Xiao, I've been looking for you all over the place." Little Zhou ran towards him.
He took out a tael of silver and shoved it into Xiao Ran's hands.
"Brother Xiao, eighth floor, cell number 102, send the demons on their way to the underworld."
"It's just a small favor. There's no need for money," Xiao Ran declined.
"Of course you must accept this! Brother Xiao, it's only right since you are risking your life," Little Zhou said.
Xiao Ran was just being polite. He put the money away and took the document from him.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao!" Little Zhou thanked him and left.
"I made the right decision back then," Xiao Ran said.
It was the second year he had been stationed in the Celestial Dungeon. He had thought of this work-around because the number of demons he imprisoned and executed every day was too few. It had slowed him down when farming for rewards.
As long as they gave him money, Xiao Ran would help them.
Firstly, he could add to the Golden Tome of Creation. Secondly, he could earn extra money.
For the past two years, all the dungeon guards in the Celestial Dungeon knew of this character called Xiao Ran.
When he arrived at cell number 102 on the eighth floor, there was a bull demon imprisoned there. Black demonic energy surged around him and a terrifying evil aura emanated from his body. His eyes were bigger than an egg.
His four limbs were chained to the wall, his body fully spread out like a starfish.
He could not move at all.
When he saw Xiao Ran enter his cell, panic flashed briefly in the bull demon's eyes. However, he recovered quickly and tried to entice him with this offer. "I am the great general of the Green Ox Mountain. As long as you let me go, I will impart to you a Heaven-rank superior technique."
Xiao Ran laid out the torture devices, one long sword and one dagger.
The long sword and dagger were augmented by the exorcism runes drawn by a Spiritual Master. It could break through the demons' defense and destroy them.
The long sword was used to take the lives of demons, while the dagger was used to take the materials from their bodies.
In the document, it was recorded that after executing the bull demon, the executioner was to retrieve his tendons, penis, eyeballs, horns, flesh, blood, fur…
Demons were full of treasures. These things could be used to hone weapons and concoct pills.
"Have a good journey," Xiao Ran said.
With the long sword in his hand, he decapitated the bull demon.
However, something unexpected happened.
A drop of demon blood flew out from the severed head, turning into a streak of blood light that rushed towards Xiao Ran's forehead.
Just as it was about to enter Xiao Ran's body and possess him,
he extended a hand, radiating with golden light, and calmly grabbed the drop of demon blood firmly in his palm.
No matter how it struggled, it could not break free from the golden light surrounding it.
"W-who on earth are you?" the bull demon's remnant soul asked in fear.
"Xiao Ran."
With that, he clenched his fist and crushed the drop of demon blood.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and flipped open a page, revealing the information of the bull demon and his crimes.
A month ago, in the town of the Li Clan, he had swallowed tens of thousands of residents to develop his demonic powers and was captured by the Divine Sword Guards.
The golden pages riffled through to reveal two items: 10,000 Mastery Points and Blood Essence Pill.
The Bull Demon's evolution level was relatively weak. The things that he obtained were also not as good as those from the Eldest Princess.
Holding the dagger, he started dissecting the bull demon.
His dissection skill was close to perfection and his movements flowed naturally. He took off the materials on the bull demon's body perfectly and stored them in his Ethereal Pouch.
Back on the eighth floor,
Little Zhou hurried over, smiling broadly. "Brother Xiao, are you done?"
"Yep." Xiao Ran tossed the Ethereal Pouch over.
Little Zhou checked it's contents and was even more satisfied.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao. I'll buy you a drink after work tonight."
"One drink isn't enough," Xiao Ran said.
If not for him, with Little Zhou's Postnatal Realm Level 5 abilities, he would have been possessed by the bull demon.
Little Zhou was stunned momentarily. He thought that the bull demon must have given him too much trouble, so he smiled and proposed, "How about the Drunken Immortals Court?"
"All right," Xiao Ran agreed.
Back on the ninth floor,
entered the rest chamber and closed the door.
He added the 10,000 Mastery Points to the Transformation Technique. Although it was only an Earth-rank Superior-grade skill, it could change one's appearance. Even someone with a secret skill like Spiritual Eyesight could not see through it.
Transformation Technique: Beginner's Level
He took out the Blood Essence Pill and swallowed it.
As soon as he swallowed it, he activated the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill to boost his evolution, thereby increasing his spirit energy by a year.
Not only that,
the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill operated on its own 24 hours a day, devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the air, as well as the foul sinister atmosphere in the Celestial Dungeon. It could even devour the Purgatory Netherflames, refining it into a purifying spiritual force.
He tried toughening his body again, but as his realm was too low, the effects were not significant.
"I'm still far from breaking through to the Profound realm." Xiao Ran sighed.
At nightfall,
after Xiao Ran finished his handover to the next shift, he changed into a set of blue embroidered clothes and met up with Little Zhou at the entrance of the dormitory.
Other than Little Zhou, there were two other people, both colleagues.
"Brother Xiao, I thought you weren't coming," Little Zhou teased.
"Since a filthy rich guy is treating, how could I let a golden opportunity to freeload pass me by?" Xiao Ran asked.
The other two guys guffawed loudly, provoking a look of reproach from Little Zhou. Laughing and chatting gaily, they made their way to the Drunken Immortals Court.
They were just in time for a good show. The Top Courtesan made her appearance, and the Drunken Immortals Court had set up an auction. The winning bidder would be able to take the beauty away with him for the night.
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Chapter 3: There is a Malevolent Force in You
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Little Zhou, isn't your family very rich? The Top Courtesan is so pretty, aren't you tempted?"
"That's right, Little Zhou. It's definitely worthwhile to die for such a ravishing beauty."
Little Zhou shook his head at their banter.
"The customers who came today are either nobles or the offspring of officials. Although my family does have some money, compared to them, it's nothing to shout about."
Seeing that Xiao Ran was only focused on drinking and eating, Little Zhou asked, "Brother Xiao, why are you not looking at the Top Courtesan?"
"Can you eat her?" Xiao Ran asked.
Little Zhou was at a loss for words. When he thought about it, it made sense. Who were they? They were just Celestial Dungeon guards. How could they compare to those people down there?
"Come, let's drink," Little Zhou called out.
The bidding soon came to an end.
The son of the Great General, Yang Baoyu, was the top bidder with an astronomical price of 200,000 taels and he left with the beauty in his arms.
"The General is upright and selfless. He had three sons. Only this youngest son is ignorant, incompetent, and a bully to boot."
"Who says so? The Top Courtesan is in his hands. It would be a miracle if he survived tonight."
Little Zhou made a shushing gesture and pointed outside. "Be careful, the walls have ears."
The two looked at each other. "We didn't say anything."
After having their fill of food and drinks,
Little Zhou paid the bill and the four men left.
They returned to their dormitory and parted ways with one another.
The next day,
Xiao Ran had just arrived at the Celestial Dungeon when the lieutenant escorted a criminal over.
"Xiao Ran, lock her up in the Purgatory," the lieutenant ordered.
The person in front of him was none other than the Top Courtesan from last night.
"My Lord, what crime did she commit?" Xiao Ran asked out of curiosity.
"She killed Yang Baoyu."
Yang Baoyu was the youngest son of the Great General. He was the rich young scion who had splurged 200,000 taels last night.
"Ah," Xiao Ran said as he recalled the details.
He restrained her and brought her into the Purgatory.
He then locked her inside cell number 68.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared in his mind, displaying her information and the crime she had committed.
At dawn today, she had hacked Yang Baoyu into a million pieces, making him bleed until the last drop of blood before letting him die.
This was indeed a ruthless person!
The golden pages flashed and two items appeared—Spiritual Clarity Eye, 50,000 Mastery Points.
"No wonder she was able to kill off Yang Baoyu and his bunch of bodyguards."
He left the Purgatory and entered the rest chamber.
He added the 50,000 Mastery Points to the tome.
After the Attributes was refreshed,
Spiritual Clarity Eye (Special Eyesight Ability): Beginner's Level
Activating his Spiritual Clarity Eye, he looked towards the Celestial Dungeon.
The foul sinister atmosphere appeared as black ink in his view, as thick as a mountain. It permeated every corner of the Celestial Dungeon. In particular, it appeared especially dense where the demons were incarcerated.
He retracted his Spiritual Clarity Eye.
"It's a pretty useful eyesight technique,"Xiao Ran said.
After leaving the rest chamber, a dungeon guard walked over hastily and handed a document to Xiao Ran.
"My lord has orders to hack the courtesan to pieces," said the dungeon guard.
"The higher-ups reacted so quickly?" Xiao Ran frowned.
"The one who died was the general's son, so their reaction was naturally faster."
"I understand," Xiao Ran said.
He turned around and entered the Purgatory.
Arriving the at cell number 68,
he activated his Spiritual Clarity Eye to look towards her.
She was a Spiritual Master and not a warrior. If he did not take the initiative to attack, he would not be able to check her actual evolution level.
Under the effects of the eyesight technique, her evolution level was revealed. She was Spirit Realm Level 1, which was equivalent to a Master Realm Level 1 Warrior.
Under the two-fold torture of the Purgatory Netherflames and foul sinister atmosphere, she sat there without any expression, as if the one being tortured was not her but someone else.
He opened the cell door and entered.
"You are sending me on my way so soon?" The Courtesan asked.
"The crime you have committed is too grievous," Xiao Ran said.
"Before you carry out your duty, will you listen to my story?"
"Sure," Xiao Ran agreed.
He took out the torture devices and wiped them silently.
The Courtesan faced the scenario before her serenely and told her story.
She had a younger sister. Once, Yang Baoyu bumped into her by accident. This perverted devil was immediately so captivated by her that he could barely walk.
After finding out her address, he abducted her sister on a dark and windy night.
If that was all, then the matter would end right here.
However, this beast had used despicable means to force her sister to death. He was still not satisfied and in his fury, desecrated her corpse. He mutilated her body for three whole days before getting someone to toss her corpse at the entrance of the village where it was torn to shreds by more than ten wolves.
At this point, the Courtesan laughed coldly. "Do you think such a beast should die?"
"He should die," Xiao Ran said in agreement.
"So I didn't do anything wrong to avenge my younger sister, right?"
"What you did wrong was to be born into the wrong family, where you are not as high-born as he was," Xiao Ran said.
The Courtesan was at a loss for words and laughed sarcastically. "How do you plan to do it?"
"The higher-ups want me to hack you to pieces, as a tit-for-tat punishment."
"Before you carry out your duty, can you satisfy a small request of mine?" the Courtesan said in a seductive manner.
"Why don't you tell me about it?"
"I'm still a virgin. I've been training with my sect all this while. I only left the mountain after hearing about my sister's tragic news. Before I die, I want to be a real woman." The Courtesan explained with a blush.
"This request is too difficult. I can't do it." Xiao Ran replied in embarrassment.
"Are you not a man?"
"There's a malevolent force in you. I do not dare try it." Xiao Ran pointed at her.
Holding the long sword, he met her stunned gaze and continued, "Since you have a valid reason, I'll make it quick for you."
"Wait!" The Courtesan's expression changed.
She did not expect Xiao Ran to see through her scheme.
Xiao Ran was right. She did indeed have a malevolent force in her. The moment Xiao Ran entered, she could unleash her spiritual soul energy. Coupled with the power of pure Yin force to trigger a secret technique, she could break through the seal on her body and instantly subdue Xiao Ran before escaping from the Celestial Dungeon.
Unfortunately, Xiao Ran did not fall for her trick.
"Do you have any last words?" Xiao Ran asked.
"My sect is the Heavenly Yin Sect of the Heavenly Yin Mountain. You will only be a dungeon guard here even if you work hard for the rest of your life. Release me, and I will bring you back to my sect. I will let my master take you in as his disciple and teach you the secrets of Heavenly Yin Sect."
"This is my home. Have a good trip," Xiao Ran said.
The long sword pierced her heart and sent her off.
However, a spiritual soul marking turned into a ray of black light and quickly rushed into Xiao Ran's body. It reassembled into a marking of plum blossom on his arm.
"You don't have good intentions. You still want people to take revenge on me after you're dead," Xiao Ran said coldly.
He mobilized his massive spiritual soul energy and applied it forcefully over the plum blossom mark, erasing it completely.
He tossed her body into the Earth Fire. In the midst of the roaring flames, it rapidly turned into ashes.
Back on the ninth floor,
a dungeon guard carried a lunch box and placed it on the table.
"Brother Xiao, can you give this meal to the Eldest Princess for me?" The dungeon guard took out a tael of silver from his waist and handed it over.
"We are all brothers, surely there's no need to talk about money." Nonetheless Xiao Ran quickly put away the silver.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao. I'll go back first. The foul sinister atmosphere here is too strong." The dungeon guard took his leave.
Xiao Ran carried the lunch box to cell number 1.
He took out the key, opened the cell door, and walked in with the lunch box.
Not surprisingly, the Eldest Princess, as the elder sister of His Majesty, received completely different treatment even though she was similarly serving a jail term in the Purgatory.
There were all kinds of daily necessities provided, and they were all expensive stuff.
He opened the lunch box and laid out the food on the table.
"Time to eat," Xiao Ran said.
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Chapter 4: This Request… Puts Me in a Very Difficult Position!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Eldest Princess opened her eyes and glared at him coldly. When she thought about what happened yesterday, she could no longer repress her anger.
"Call me when you're done eating," Xiao Ran said.
He turned to leave,
and just as he reached the cell door, a low explosive sound came from behind him. A fist landed on his back.
Fortunately, the Force of the Malevolent Dragon instinctively protected its master.
Roar!
The golden dragon spiraled outwards, dancing around Xiao Ran's body. As rays of golden light radiated outwards, the violent force instantly sent her flying.
The walls of the Purgatory cells were very sturdy. They were formed naturally as a result of iron core loss over tens of thousands of years. Not even Godfiends could easily break through them.
The Eldest Princess was sent crashing into the wall and dropped to the ground.
With a slap of her fair-skinned hands, she did a backflip and swiftly stood up.
Golden light burst out, and the Golden Phoenix materialized above her head again.
She stared at Xiao Ran coldly and gritted her teeth. "I don't believe this won't work."
She charged towards him once again. With the Golden Phoenix firmly under her control, she punched out with her right fist. The Golden Phoenix similarly echoed her moves and extended its sharp claws, lunging towards Xiao Ran's chest.
"Your shoulder bones have already been sealed, yet you still have enough strength left to fight. This divine beast protecting your body is quite extraordinary." Xiao Ran said.
He leaped into the air.
As he sailed upwards, he lifted his right leg straight up until it was aligned in a straight line with his left leg, then whacked his right leg down forcefully.
Pow!
The Eldest Princess was sent crashing once more. Even the Golden Phoenix was shattered by the impact, and it turned into a shower of golden light specks and re-entered her body.
"Again?" Xiao Ran gestured with his pinky in a provocative manner.
"Why is it like this?" The Eldest Princess was in disbelief.
"Why can't it be like this?"
"The Golden Phoenix protects its master's body. Even if the shoulder bones are sealed, I can still unleash a power that is comparable to a Master Realm Level 10. Don't tell me you're a Grand Master?"
"Is there anything else? If not, I have other duties to carry out," Xiao Ran said.
The Eldest Princess fell silent and didn't dare to act rashly anymore.
At least, she did not dare to do anything until her shoulder bones became unsealed. Otherwise, she would be asking for trouble.
Xiao Ran left the cell and was about to lock the door.
The Eldest Princess' expression changed abruptly, and her delicate body started trembling violently. She curled up and rolled around on the ground in painful anguish. Muffled cries of pain could be heard coming from her luscious lips intermittently. "Ah…"
"What happened?" Xiao Ran was puzzled.
He activated his Spiritual Clarity Eye and looked at her.
Black demonic energy seeped out of her body and rushed towards her head, attempting to control her.
The Golden Phoenix tried desperately to protect her master's last remaining shred of consciousness, doing its best to prevent this demonic aura from succeeding.
"Is this the after-effects of practicing the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill?" Xiao Ran asked.
"I can't… can't hold it back anymore!" The Eldest Princess roared with a savage expression.
A huge blast swept through the air, blowing off her bamboo hat and revealing her stunningly beautiful face.
However, at this moment,
her face was contorted with demonic energy, and even her eyes were emitting an evil energy.
"If you don't have the capability, you shouldn't be practicing any Godfiend techniques." Xiao Ran admonished.
He entered the cell again.
Standing in front of her, golden light accumulated in his palm and then he slammed his palm on her head.
Buzz!
It was as if the demonic energy saw a terrifying nemesis. It was instantly smashed into smithereens. The Eldest Princess regained a small measure of her consciousness.
She looked at Xiao Ran and pleaded, "Hit me, quickly!"
"This… this request puts me in a very difficult position," Xiao Ran said awkwardly.
Why does it sound like some kinky role-playing game?
"Hurry up! I can't take it anymore." The Eldest Princess begged.
"I don't hit women."
"Ah…" The Eldest Princess roared out loud in fury.
Thick demonic energy surged, and the surrounding temperature dropped to a terrifying degree. The entire cell instantly fell into darkness.
"Except under exceptional circumstances," Xiao Ran added.
Using the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill, he slapped her face and followed up with another palm strike.
The demonic energy started to dissipate visibly.
The Eldest Princess, who was on the verge of losing her rationality, regained some of it. She begged again, "Use more strength!"
"Only under exceptional circumstances do I give this special treatment," Xiao Ran stated.
He grabbed her head and pinned her to the ground. He straddled across her body and rained blows on her like a raging storm.
After more than a hundred punches,
Xiao Ran stopped. The demonic energy within the Eldest Princess' body had been temporarily dispersed. For now, her life wouldn't be in danger.
Her beautiful face had become swollen like a fat pig.
In particular her eyes, which looked more terrifying than jack-o'-lanterns.
"You were the one who begged me," Xiao Ran said.
"Get off." The Eldest Princess said weakly.
"Okay." Xiao Ran got up from her.
"Don't tell anyone about what happened today. No one is allowed to talk about it."
"I don't know anything." Xiao Ran locked the door and slipped away.
"Who on earth is he? When did such a person appear in the Celestial Dungeon?" The Eldest Princess sunk into deep thought.
When she thought of the sequelae resulting from the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill, even the Sacred Manifestation of the Golden Phoenix could not suppress it. How was he able to disperse it in two or three punches?
As he left the Purgatory,
Xiao Ran received a lunch box. Although it did not contain any spiritual items, at least he had sufficient fish meat.
After dinner,
the lieutenant assigned him two missions. One was on the ninth floor and the other was in the Purgatory. Both missions stated that the cell occupants were to be sent on their way to the underworld.
On the ninth floor, he entered cell number 132. The occupant was a Demonic Patriarch with an evolution level of Master Realm Level 8. He had consumed more than a thousand infants in his quest to refine the evil Numinous Treasures and was captured by the Divine Sword Guards.
Xiao Ran sent him to the underworld with a taste of the complete experience of brutal torture.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared, and flipped open to reveal a Painting Technique (Genesis).
This was the first time he had gotten a life-type of skill, and at maximum level too.
He then went down to the Purgatory and stood outside a cell.
This time, he had to deal with the green serpent. It was just yesterday when he had personally imprisoned him and today, he had already received orders to send him to the underworld.
This demon had either offended someone or committed a very serious crime.
There were no records on the document, only stating what materials were to be retrieved: serpent blood, serpent flesh, serpent scales…
Xiao Ran opened the cell door
and walked in. The huge body of the 1000-foot green serpent was curled up on the ground. It was securely bound by chains and it's cold serpent eyes looked at him mercilessly.
As it watched Xiao Ran lay out the torture devices, a trace of ruthlessness flashed across the serpent's eyes.
"Not even a mouthful of rice before we set off?" The green serpent tried to stall for time.
"There's no such service in the Celestial Dungeon. I'll pass your feedback to the higher-ups later," Xiao Ran said.
He wiped the long sword clean.
"You should be on your way."
"I have another question for you."
"Speak!"
"Were you the one who imprisoned me yesterday?" The green serpent asked.
"I take care of my ward from beginning to end," Xiao Ran admitted.
"Perfect." The green serpent sneered sinisterly.
Evil energy swirled and rapidly spread out, blanketing the sky and blotting out the daylight. It broke the seal on the shoulder bone, and the serpent's tail flicked out, shattering the chains binding its body.
Flicking out its serpent tongue like it was playing a cat and mouse game, it teased, "Since you are the one who imprisoned me, you shall pay with your body!"
"Your shoulder bone wasn't sealed. Someone from above had let you in intentionally," Xiao Ran said.
"You're quite smart to discover the crux of the problem so quickly." After saying that, the green serpent recoiled its huge body and lunged towards Xiao Ran in a flash.
With its mouth wide open, it tried to swallow Xiao Ran whole.
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Chapter 5: Wrong Path
"Your breath really stinks. Don't you demons ever brush your teeth?" Xiao Ran pinched his nose in disgust.
Golden light swirled around his right hand. As his disproportionately small hand reached upwards, he was able to grasp the huge gaping mouth firmly.
"Come here, you brute!"
He pulled with all his might. The green serpent couldn't stand up against this unparalleled force. He yanked the serpent's head down to the ground and stomped on it with his right foot.
With one swing of the long sword, he sliced it in half.
The evil energy swirled outwards and the two halves of its body healed together again.
However, it appeared frail and debilitated. Its aura was much weaker than before.
Hiding in the corner, he looked fearful. "You guys went back on your words!"
"Interesting, you can resurrect yourself." Xiao Ran's interest was piqued.
"Fortunately, my Lord left behind a backup plan to guard against you guys. Otherwise, I would have fallen into your trap this time." The green serpent said in an icy tone.
He opened his mouth and spat out the demon core.
On the demon core was an inscription for a long-distance teleportation summoning array.
"Arise!" The green serpent bellowed.
He activated the teleportation array on the demon core with sheer mental willpower.
Whump!
The green pentagon emanated a shaft of teleportation light that pierced skyward from inside the Purgatory and rushed towards the world outside.
"Useless trash! You can't even handle such a small matter." A steely cold voice roared out in disdain.
A strong demonic energy emanated from the teleportation array. The immense pressure distorted the surrounding space, causing a thunderous rumbling uproar.
A ten-thousand-feet-long white serpent slithered out of the teleportation array and landed beside the green serpent.
As soon as it appeared, the green serpent's demon core shattered instantly .
With the demon core destroyed, the green serpent seemed to be severely injured. It spat out a large mouthful of blood, and its aura became even more weakened, as if it could faint at any moment.
The white serpent flicked a tongue at the green serpent, sending a stream of demonic energy into its body, temporarily stabilizing the green serpent's injuries.
"Thank you, my Lord!" The grateful green serpent said respectfully.
"You can't even take care of a mere dungeon guard, and on top of that, I have to take action personally? You've disgraced the entire Serpent King's Clan," the white serpent reprimanded severely.
The green serpent slid to one side and waited apologetically.
The white serpent glared at Xiao Ran with a steely gaze. "You humans just don't follow the rules. You can change your mind even when you've given your promise."
"A serpent demon at the Grand Master Realm Level 7. This is a rare sight indeed." Xiao Ran smiled.
"You still dare to laugh in the face of death?" The white serpent was enraged.
It opened its huge mouth and spat out a mammoth ray of lightning that zipped across the room with vicious velocity.
"Break!" Xiao Ran responded.
A simple punch landed on the ray of lightning and in one stroke, destroyed it with ruthless brutality.
With a single step, he leaped across the cell to stand before the white serpent.
He grabbed its head and lifted it off the ground.
With the Force of the Malevolent Dragon engaged, he slammed the white serpent against the cell wall like hurling a punching bag.
Wham wham wham…
One after another.
The green serpent was stunned. This scene stung his eyes and he couldn't bear to look on anymore. He turned his head and thought to himself, "What a sorry sight my Lord has turned into!"
After a dozen breaths,
Xiao Ran threw the white serpent roughly against the wall for one last time.
The white serpent shook its head. Its demon body was about to fall apart, and it could not muster any strength at all. Even the boundless demonic energy within its body had been forcefully dispersed by Xiao Ran's thrashing.
As Xiao Ran approached it, it hurriedly called out, "Sir, please lend me your ears."
"You also have a teleportation array inscribed on your demon core?" Xiao Ran asked.
"N-no!" The white serpent was sweating profusely.
"Then what were you going to say?"
"Sir, this is all just a misunderstanding. I have taken the wrong path. In reality, I didn't intend to come here," the white serpent lied brazenly.
"I am human, you are demon," Xiao Ran said.
With a tap of his foot on the long sword, a golden light burst forth from the blade and transformed into a hurricane, killing the white serpent.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared, revealing the information of the white serpent and the crime he had committed.
Although it had not been arrested, it played right into his hands on its own accord. Furthermore, it had committed no fewer crimes than the green serpent.
Brilliant light flashed and two items appeared. One hundred years of Martial Arts evolution and 400,000 Mastery Points.
"You're a good serpent," Xiao Ran said affirmatively.
"Sir, please don't come near me. I have no intention of breaking out of prison. I like to stay in prison." The green serpent begged for mercy.
"Why did you mobilize so many people?"
"Sir, you don't know?"
Xiao Ran stomped on its serpent tail and said coldly, "Cut the crap."
The green serpent told him everything from beginning to end.
"There's a dragon character in the Purgatory?" Xiao Ran was shocked.
He was very familiar with the Purgatory, but he did not know that there was a True Dragon hidden here.
"Everything I said is the truth."
"All right, you can go down there and keep him company!" Xiao Ran nodded.
With one mighty swing of the sword, the green serpent perished.
This time, the green serpent did not resurrect itself again. Xiao Ran quickly removed the materials from its body and then dissected the white serpent as well.
The materials for the green serpent must be handed over to his superior. The white serpent, however, was a bonus that he had earned.
Just as he was leaving the Purgatory,
two powerful auras brushed past him and quickly rushed into the Purgatory.
"So soon?" Xiao Ran was surprised.
In the Purgatory,
a man and a woman stood in the green serpent's cell.
The man wore the uniform of a Divine Sword Guard. It was a purple gown, indicating that he was a Lord Amethyst Sword.
The woman was sophisticated and charming. Every move she made was extremely enchanting.
She was from the Spiritual Divinity Bureau.
The Spiritual Divinity Bureau was different from the Divine Sword Guards. Those people in this department were all Spiritual Masters.
But these two branches had the same level of authority. They could entrap the demons and capture the demonic overlords. As long as any demon committed any crimes, they would be captured by these two branches.
A Grand Master and a True Realm Spiritual Master guarded the Celestial Dungeon to ensure its safety.
Looking at the traces of battle left behind in the cell, they detected some of the aura that had yet to dissipate, especially the monstrous demonic energy of the white serpent. It was too thick.
"Judging from the situation, a serpent demon of the Grand Master Realm has sneaked in," said the Lord Amethyst Sword.
"It's already dead," the alluring woman said.
"To be able to kill such a serpent demon in such a short time, this person must be at least a Grand Master, or even stronger. But in the Celestial Dungeon, besides the two of us, I really can't think of anyone else?"
"The Eldest Princess?" The alluring woman pointed in one particular direction.
Lord Amethyst Sword shook his head. "Her shoulder bones are sealed. The Golden Phoenix alone can't do it."
They looked at each other.
They could see the seriousness in their eyes.
"Are you able to find him?" Lord Amethyst Sword asked.
The enchanting woman shook her head. "I've already tried using a secret technique just now. I couldn't detect any clues."
"Unless he has already left?"
"It doesn't matter whether he has left or not. The Celestial Dungeon didn't suffer any losses, so it does not concern us. Besides, we are about to be transferred soon. It is better to avoid unnecessary trouble," said the charming woman.
"You're right. Provoking a powerful enemy for nothing is a very unwise move," Lord Amethyst Sword nodded in agreement.
After handing over the green serpent to the lieutenant, Xiao Ran was called to a rest chamber.
The Lord Amethyst Sword and the alluring woman were present.
"Greetings, my Lord, my Lady," Xiao Ran said.
"Let me ask you, just now when you sent the green serpent on its way, did you see anyone else in the Purgatory?" Lord Amethyst Sword's gaze was imposing as he stared at Xiao Ran, as if he wanted to see through him.
Xiao Ran remained calm and composed. "Everything is normal."
"You really didn't see anything?" The enchanting woman engaged a spiritual skill, her eyes glowing with blue light.
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Chapter 6: Need Another One Hundred Years
"Yes," Xiao Ran replied.
The enchanting woman felt that something was wrong somewhere, but Xiao Ran did not seem to be putting on an act. She withdrew her Spiritual Skill and with a wave of her hand, said, "You may go!"
Xiao Ran left.
Lord Amethyst Sword said, "Now are you satisfied?"
"Perhaps I'm overthinking things. Since the other party was able to sneak into the Celestial Dungeon while we were guarding it, he would similarly be able to sneak out under our noses without detection," said the enchanting woman.
Back in the rest chamber,
Xiao Ran locked the door.
"A Spiritual Master at True Realm Level 1 and a Warrior at Grand Master Realm Level 2. Is this the secret force that guards the Celestial Dungeon?"
He added 400,000 Mastery Points to the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill.
After the Attributes was refreshed,
Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill: Minor Achievement
The speed at which it propagated was faster than before. Even the power of the purifying spiritual force had doubled.
"One million Mastery Points just to raise this realm to the level of Minor Achievement. If I want to raise it to the state of Genesis, I'm afraid it's going to be an astronomical figure." Xiao Ran was speechless with disbelief.
That would require an additional 100 years of evolution.
He had already taken half a step, one half-step towards the Profound Realm.
Based on the current situation, he would need roughly another hundred years of Martial Arts evolution to officially break through into the Profound Realm.
He left the rest chamber,
and entered the Purgatory.
To think that there was a dragon character imprisoned in the Purgatory. After three years in the Celestial Dungeon, he had yet to see a dragon character.
The dragon character was full of treasures. If it was really a true dragon, he could extract some dragon blood from it.
Using his Spiritual Clarity Eye, he checked all the demons in the cells one by one.
When he arrived at cell number 99, Xiao Ran stopped in his tracks.
An ichthyoid demon was imprisoned inside. Its rank was that of a Grand Master Realm Level 9.
His shoulder bones were sealed, and his body was densely bound with chains made of 10,000-year-old Mystic Iron.
Under the Spiritual Clarity Eye's gaze, the Illusion Technique of the ichthyoid demon disappeared. In its place was a Deluge Dragon, its true form.
His bloodline was extremely pure, infused with at least ninety percent of the Dragon Vein.
If he could break through to the Profound Realm, the Dragon Vein would be rendered complete and he would turn into a real dragon.
"Isn't this a Deluge Dragon?" Xiao Ran muttered.
"What are you looking at?" The Deluge Dragon asked with an icy look.
Even though the Deluge Dragon was powerful, it was of no use to him. If it was a True Dragon and possessed the purest Dragon Tribe's Bloodline, the dragon blood would be of some use to him.
"Should I nurture him? Let him evolve into a true dragon and then extract blood from him?" Xiao Ran deliberated.
"I am asking you a question! What are you looking at?"
Xiao Ran opened the cell door and walked in. He took out the flesh and blood of the white serpent and threw it in front of him.
"Eat."
"Are you going to send me to the underworld?" The Deluge Dragon looked on in alarm.
"Just eat it if I tell you to. Why do you have to talk so much garbage?" Xiao Ran chided.
"Fine. Do you think I'm afraid of you?" The Deluge Dragon opened its mouth and swallowed everything in one gulp.
As he swallowed the serpent flesh and blood essence,
the Dragon Vein in his body became purer.
"A Grand Master serpent demon? You guys sure are generous." The Deluge Dragon sneered.
Xiao Ran took out the white serpent's Demonic Core and tossed it to him again.
The Deluge Dragon did not reject the offer and swallowed the Demonic Core.
The Demonic Core contained all the quintessence of the white serpent, which greatly improved his bloodline.
After digesting everything, the Deluge Dragon evolved to reach Level 10 of the Grand Master Realm. The Dragon Vein had also become purer. He was just a small step away from evolving into a full-fledged Dragon Vein.
"Anymore?" The Deluge Dragon's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"That's all," Xiao Ran said.
He left the cell and locked the door.
The Deluge Dragon narrowed its eyes as it watched him leave. "Did he discover my true identity? That's impossible! Not even a Profound Realm expert can see through my Illusion Technique."
It was afternoon now.
There was half a day's rest after the change in shift.
Xiao Ran changed his clothes and made his way towards the market.
The white serpent's materials had to be disposed of. It would be inconvenient to keep them with him, and they were of no use to him.
At the Ink Jade Pavilion,
they specialized in selling demon materials and various resources for skill and technique evolution.
Inside the shop,
an old man and a scar-faced man sat across each other at one of the tables in the back hall.
"Has everything been arranged?" The old man asked.
"I have prepared everything on my side and have already spread the news. Tomorrow at the break of dawn, the Blood Blade Sect's Patriarch and the Demon Lord from the Rakshasa Sect will duel in the Imperial City to distract their attention. How are things on your side?" The scar-faced man said.
"I have completed my preparations as well. Once your guys make your move, my people will charge into the Celestial Dungeon and rescue the Sacred Progeny," said the old man.
"There are two Grand Masters guarding the Celestial Dungeon. Are you sure you can do it?" The scar-faced man was worried.
"I've asked King Hu of Mount Flaming Inferno to lend a hand. I assure you everything will be fine."
The scar-faced man's expression changed. He seemed to be very afraid of this demon. As fear flashed across his eyes, he asked with trepidation, "Why did he agree to your request?"
"Nothing is impossible. As long as you give him enough, he will naturally lend a hand." The elder said.
"In that case I'm relieved." The scar-faced man nodded.
The two men left the back hall.
As he passed by the main hall, the scar-faced man glanced at the white serpent material Xiao Ran had taken out. His pupils constricted in anticipation and his gaze was filled with greed.
Serpent tendons, serpent skin, serpent scales, etc.
Xiao Ran placed all the materials on the counter.
"How much are all these worth?"
"A total of two million taels," said the shopkeeper.
"All right." Xiao Ran nodded his acceptance.
He took the bank notes from the shopkeeper and left.
The scar-faced man secretly followed him. If he could lay his hands on such a huge sum of money, it would definitely improve his own circumstances further.
They left the Ink Jade Pavilion.
After walking less than ten steps, Xiao Ran sensed that someone was following him.
Xiao Ran smirked and continued moving forward.
How interesting, to think that this guy would dare to prey on him.
He changed directions and entered an alley.
Whoosh!
A huge gust of wind blew towards him. A streak of light turned into lightning and shot towards his face.
Xiao Ran swung his fist and shattered the flying daggers that were aiming for his face in one swipe.
He looked at the scar-faced man who walked out from the corner and asked, "I had barely stepped out of the shop and you guys had already sent people to kill me?"
"Hand over the money and I'll leave your corpse intact," the scar-faced man said in a steely tone.
"Just you alone?"
"Just me!" The scar-faced man stepped forward.
The powerful aura of a Level 2 Grand Master sealed off all of Xiao Ran's escape routes and pressed towards him.
Xiao Ran was unperturbed. With a light shake of his body, he demolished the other party's aura easily.
"You are not good enough."
"You're courting death!" The scar-faced man was furious.
Blood-red light swirled out furiously as he took a step forward and swiftly charged forward. He struck out with his palm in the air and uttered, "Chaotic Element One Hit Palm!"
As the wind whirled past, it transformed into a gigantic palm print dozens of feet wide. It descended from the sky with an overwhelming pressure.
"Break!" Xiao Ran reciprocated.
With a casual clap of his hand, he effortlessly destroyed the palm strike that the other party had discharged.
In a blink of an eye, Xiao Ran was already in front of the scar-faced man. A fist smashed into the assailant's navel, effectively crippling all the powers he had acquired. The explosive force instantly sent him flying.
Xiao Ran walked up to him, stepped on his chest, and looked down at him with disgust, "That's all you've got?"
"S-Sir… I'm the Left Custodian of the Sky Devil Sect. I bear you no ill will with this attempt to stall you. I just want to spar with you," the scar-faced man clarified hurriedly.
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Chapter 7: Martial Law
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"I also didn't mean to kill you. I was careless and accidentally gave you one fatal punch." Xiao Ran replied.
The scar-faced man sunk into utter despair, but he still struggled desperately. "Sir, on account of our esteemed Sect Master, please spare me this once!"
"Who is your sect leader?"
"Eh! Sir, you've never heard of him?"
"Is he very famous?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Our sect master has evolved to a very high level of Grand Master Level 10. His demonic arts could shatter heaven and earth, they could move the gods and demons to tears. Such is our sect's reputation in the world. Whenever the Sky Devil Sect is mentioned, even demons have to show him some respect," the scar-faced man introduced bombastically.
"Your sect master is in the capital city now?"
"No! Our Sect Master is still back in the sect headquarters and is currently in self-imposed confinement pursuing skills evolution. He vowed not to come out until he has broken through to the Profound Realm," the scar-faced man said.
"What a pity then." Xiao Ran shook his head.
He crushed the assailant's head with one stamp of his foot.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared, displaying his individual information and the crime he had committed.
Killing without batting an eyelid. Unpredictable mood swings.
Brilliant light flashed and two items appeared on the golden page. 200,000 Mastery Points, Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt.
He added 200,000 Mastery Points to the Sword Intent and refreshed his attributes. It still displayed Minor Achievement.
However, the power of the Sword Intent had increased by more than three notches.
He took out the Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt. This was a Numinous Treasure inlaid with seven gems. Each gem had a different color and was dazzling. It had ten cuboid compartments for storing belongings.
"This item is not bad at all." Xiao Ran said, feeling pleased with himself.
He took off the belt around his waist and put on the Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt instead.
"Not bad, not bad at all."
Looking in the direction of the Ink Jade Pavilion, he was in no hurry to make a move. He would send the other guy to the underworld once it was nightfall.
Back at the dormitory,
before he could enter, a dungeon guard rushed over.
"Xiao Ran, I've been looking all over the place for you."
"What's the matter?" Xiao Ran asked.
"My Lord wants you to go over immediately."
"Now?"
"Yes." The dungeon guard nodded.
He then entered the Celestial Dungeon.
Apart from Xiao Ran, everyone else in his shift had already arrived.
"I have just received news from the higher-ups. From today onwards, the Celestial Dungeon will be under martial law for the next three days. Except under special circumstances, no one is allowed to leave the Celestial Dungeon," the lieutenant announced.
"My Lord, did something happen?" someone asked.
"The Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect and the Demon Lord of the Rakshasa Sect will be dueling in the Imperial City tomorrow night. There are also many foreign experts in the capital city with some demons mixed in. We have to do our best to ensure that the Celestial Dungeon is impregnable," the lieutenant elaborated.
Back at the Purgatory,
Xiao Ran wandered one round leisurely, inspecting his territory.
The demons were all very well-behaved. They screamed miserably while enduring the torture of the Purgatory Netherflames and the foul sinister atmosphere.
He passed by the Eldest Princess.
The swelling on her face had dissipated.
Her bamboo hat was ruined, but her exceedingly beautiful face glared at him coldly.
"Who are you? Why are you able to suppress my demonic illness that was a result of practicing the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill?"
"If you ask me, who should I ask?" Xiao Ran left hurriedly.
"Stop right there!" The Eldest Princess shouted.
Xiao Ran ignored her. This woman was going crazy again.
"The Patriarch's last words were that no one was able to alleviate the sequelae brought by the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill. How did he do it?" The Eldest Princess furrowed her delicate brows in deep thought.
At the Ink Jade Pavilion,
the old man's face turned dark. One whole afternoon had passed yet there was still no news from the scar-faced man.
A subordinate rushed in from outside.
"Greetings, my Lord!"
"Still no news?" The elder asked.
"No! I've sent everyone out. No matter how hard we searched, we couldn't find any sign of the Left Custodian."
"Could something have happened?" The old man was getting suspicious.
"I don't think so! The Left Custodian is a Grand Master expert who specializes in concealment. He has always kept a low profile. It's very likely that he left the city for some other business."
"Put his matters aside for now. Go out again and inform the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect and the Demon Lord of the Rakshasa Sect to follow the plan."
"Yes, my Lord!" The subordinate received his orders and retreated.
For some reason, the old man's eyelids were twitching violently, as if something ominous was about to happen.
He massaged his temples.
"Strange! Why do I feel a sense of fearful heart palpitation?" The old man was starting to feel doubtful.
After pondering for a moment, he instructed the people outside, "Pass down my order, increase the defense by one fold."
At nightfall,
Xiao Ran glanced at the sky and reckoned that it was about time for those guys to swing into action, even if it was not dawn yet.
Using the transformation technique, he transformed his appearance into that of an old man.
His powerful spiritual soul energy warped the space around him, making it impossible for anyone to notice him, no matter how near they were.
Enveloped by the space warp, the only thing that could be seen was air.
Taking a step forward, he left the ninth floor and headed outside.
At the antechamber on the first floor, the lieutenant sat on a chair, resting with his eyes closed. The dungeon guards stood around him and waited solemnly.
Xiao Ran walked past them before their very eyes but they did not sense anything.
Once out of the Celestial Dungeon,
Xiao Ran stopped in his tracks. Through the power of his spiritual soul energy, he could sense that the two experts from the Divine Sword Guards and the Spiritual Divinity Bureau were honing their skills out of sight.
After taking a quick glance, he deftly made his way through the layers of defenses and swiftly left the area.
Just as he left, in an obscure room, the enchanting woman from the Spiritual Divinity Bureau opened her eyes. "Why do I feel like I'm being watched, for some strange reason?"
The Lord Amethyst Sword rolled his eyes. "Stop being so suspicious. With the two of us guarding this place, not even a fly can enter."
"That's true." The alluring woman nodded in agreement.
The two of them continued to meditate and enhance their skills.
The night curfew in the Great Xia Kingdom was only lifted on special days or important festivals.
The streets were deserted. Other than the sounds of the night watchmen, there was only the howling night wind.
A figure silently appeared at the entrance of Ink Jade Pavilion.
It was Xiao Ran who had changed his appearance.
Looking at the signboard of the Ink Jade Pavilion, Xiao Ran made a gesture and his powerful spiritual soul energy swept out. " Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web!"
Using the power of his spiritual soul energy, he cast a humongous mystical net that covered the entire building of the Ink Jade Pavilion.
Golden light swirled about, sealing up the whole region.
Unless one's skills evolution surpassed Xiao Ran's, no one would be able to break out of the encirclement.
With a single step, his right foot stomped down. A terrifying foot imprint plummeted down from the sky with overwhelming force. In an explosion of golden light, it violently crushed everything.
With a single stomp, the entire Ink Jade Pavilion was reduced to a massive heap of rubble.
"How outrageous!" A furious voice rang out as a white-haired old man dashed out from the ruins. He stared menacingly at Xiao Ran, his steely gaze reflecting the depth of his murderous intent.
As he looked at the Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web surrounding him, that insurmountable power of the spiritual soul energy made his eyelids twitched and his murderous aura instantly dropped to zero.
His heart sank to the bottom of the valley. Where did this old monster come from?
With a forced smile on his face, he tried his best to appear friendly. "We at Ink Jade Pavilion have always followed the rules when we conduct our business. I have never offended you, Sir. What do you mean by this?"
"During the day, I sold some serpent demon materials here. As soon as I left the shop, I was targeted by your people. Have you forgotten so quickly?" Xiao Ran said.
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Chapter 8: The Deputy Sword Master of the Divine Sword Guards
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Sir, what did you say? I do not understand you?" The old man asked in confusion.
"Let me remind you again. The man who made an attempt on my life had a scar on his face."
"Did you kill him?" The old man was shocked and furious.
"Yes, he died in my hands," Xiao Ran readily admitted.
"You, you… have you ever thought of the consequences of destroying our Sky Devil Sect's plan?" the old man shouted.
He whipped out a long sword. It looked threatening yet refined, and the brilliant reflection on its blade illuminated the night sky.
He swung the sword in one wide forceful arc with the command "Break this!"
The sword landed on the Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web, attempting to slice through in order to escape.
However, the spiritual soul energy swirled around rapidly, repelling the might of the sword.
"That's it?" Xiao Ran asked.
The old man was stupefied. With his Grand Master Realm Level 3 capability, he could not even open a crack despite attacking with all his might. What exactly was this guy's evolution level?
Could he be a Spiritual Master at a very high level of the True Realm?
The more he thought about it, the more scared he became.
Death awaited him whether he put up resistance or not. The old man gritted his teeth and gave everything he had for a final push. He mobilized all the spirit energy within his body and infused the sword with this power before executing an Earth-rank Superior-grade technique. "Netherezim Sword Technique!"
The sword's light radiated outwards to all corners as the terrifying sword energy swept over the surroundings.
Then a light beam hundreds of feet wide emanated from the sword as it came slashing downwards once more on the Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web.
Whoosh!
Blasts of shockwaves burst forth in all directions, but the Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web was as stable as a giant monolithic mountain. The old man's full-powered strike was repelled once again.
Cough! Cough!
Feeling Xiao Ran's unflinching gaze, the old man awkwardly coughed twice. "Sir, please don't misunderstand. I had a stroke of inspiration and wanted to offer a sword display to provide you with some laughs."
"I didn't misunderstand. It looks pretty good." Xiao Ran nodded agreeably.
"Then can I leave now?"
"I shall send you off then!" Xiao Ran made his move.
He activated the Sword Intent, even if it was only at the level of Minor Achievement. A Sword Intent was still a Sword Intent, however insignificant the level was. Out of 10,000 practitioners, it would be considered a miracle to have just one person attain enlightenment of the Sword Intent.
As soon as it appeared, it ruptured through heaven and earth.
The Inescapable Heaven and Earth Web was engulfed by the aura of the Sword Intent and fenced the old man in.
"No…"
A beam of sword radiance that could cleave through the ages descended from the heavens and destroyed him with a single strike. Not even a speck of dust remained.
A sword scar that was more than a thousand feet deep was left on the ground. Penetrating sword energy swirled wildly within, devouring everything around it.
"Looks pretty useful," Xiao Ran said.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and introduced his individual information and the crimes he had committed.
He was even more despicable than the scar-faced man. He actually used the primordial Yin energy of young girls to hone his demonic arts. There were at least eight hundred young girls who perished at his hands.
"Scum," Xiao Ran cursed.
The golden pages flipped again and displayed three items: 300,000 Mastery Points, 10 years of Martial Arts evolution, and one Blood Ginseng Pill.
He looked at the ruins around him.
Xiao Ran grabbed at the air and growled, "Come to me."
A powerful suction force burst forth from his palm, extracting all the materials used for enhancing skills that were left behind in the ruins of the Ink Jade Pavilion.
He withdrew his spiritual soul energy and turned around to leave.
Suddenly, an expert tore through the air and appeared before him in the span of a few breaths.
He was a member of the Divine Sword Guards. He was a deputy sword master, and the red robe he wore was very flashy.
With a stony face, his ice-cold eyes locked onto Xiao Ran.
"This is the capital city of the Great Xia Kingdom. You shouldn't display such abominable behavior here," said the Deputy Sword Master in an icy tone.
"I understand. I'll be more careful next time," Xiao Ran said.
"Are you following me to the Celestial Dungeon on your own accord or do I have to invite you?"
"It's just a street brawl, isn't it? Is there a need to make such a big deal out of this?"
"It looks like I'll have to invite you personally," said the Deputy Sword Master.
Xiao Ran was like a phantom. His speed was simply too fast.
The aura of a half-step Profound Realm shook the heavens and earth, and its force bore down upon all like a cataclysmic heavenly power.
The Deputy Sword Master responded, "Six Domains Sword Technique!"
The long sword slashed out, forming the Six-Directional Sword Domain. Infinite sword energy sliced towards its target.
"I've already told you that it was an accident this time. Why are you still so stubborn?" Xiao Ran ranted very unhappily.
He raised his right fist and countless beams of golden light concentrated on the ball of radiance emanating from his fist. His aura instantly reached its peak and he unleashed another skill: "Six Domains of Holy Dungeon's Fist!"
He had already refined this Heaven-rank Superior-grade fist technique to the level of Genesis.
The punch transformed into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and restrained the Holy Dungeon before unleashing itself, bombarding thunderous blows on the oncoming beams of sword lights.
Pow crash!
After the punch, the Deputy Sword Master of the Divine Sword Guards staggered around like a kite with its string cut, and then vomited a mouthful of blood. He was seriously injured. Suddenly he shot backwards like a streak of shooting star.
His retreating speed was at least twice as fast as his arrival speed.
"I already said I didn't do it on purpose. Why must you force me to do it?" Xiao Ran whined.
He craned his neck to take a look. The direction in which he went flying seemed to be the Imperial Palace.
Isn't this…
It wasn't long before several powerful presences burst out from the Imperial Palace, rushing towards the outside world.
Their pace was strong and swift like the wind.
After a dozen breaths,
several figures appeared on the site of the Ink Jade Pavilion ruins. One of them was the Deputy Sword Master involved in the earlier altercation with Xiao Ran.
However, he looked extremely pathetic right now, and his intestines were about to fall out from his chest. Fortunately, his evolution was fairly advanced, so he wouldn't die for a while.
Looking at the terrifying sword aura scar that was over a thousand feet deep, those few men's expressions turned grave.
"I can't believe he actually attained enlightenment on the Sword Intent. Judging from this, he must be at least an expert of the Profound Realm."
There was silence all around.
The prospect of a Profound Realm expert entering the capital city was simply too terrifying.
It might even be a cataclysmic catastrophe.
"Pass down my orders. Mobilize everyone in the Divine Sword Guards and Spiritual Divinity Bureau. Capture all the demons and demonic arts experts hiding in the capital city, dead or alive."
"I've been injured so badly by him. Are we just going to let this go?" The Deputy Sword Master felt very aggrieved.
"You can always hit him back the next time you see him."
"…" The Deputy Sword Master was speechless with rage. If I could defeat him, would I be in such a miserable state now?
Back at the Purgatory,
Xiao Ran did not alert anyone.
Sitting in the rest chamber,
he added 300,000 Mastery Points to the Sword Intent and refreshed his attributes.
Sword Intent: Dominating Refinement
He had finally leveled up. After reaching the Dominating Refinement level, the power of his Sword Intent was even more terrifying. It was more than two times stronger than before.
However, the Mastery Points required to reach the Perfection level was a vast amount.
His Martial Arts evolution had increased by another ten years, therefore he was ninety years away from breaking through to the Profound Realm.
Even now,
the purifying spiritual force within Xiao Ran's body was extremely dense, just like a massive ocean, deep and vast.
He took out the Blood Ginseng Pill. It was a pill used by Spiritual Masters. One Blood Ginseng Pill could increase one's spiritual soul energy by ten years.
After consuming the pill, he could feel the power increase by ten years.
"There are really many old freaks hiding in the palace. Fortunately, I escaped in time, otherwise, they would have discovered me." Xiao Ran said.
He left the rest chamber,
entered the Purgatory and came to the Deluge Dragon's cell.
The Deluge Dragon panicked when it saw Xiao Ran again. It felt that this person was staring at it with bad intentions.
"Why are you here again?" the Deluge Dragon asked.
Xiao Ran took out his keys and opened the cell door. He walked in and grinned. "This is my home. I can come whenever I want."
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Chapter 9: King Hu
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Deluge Dragon fell silent for a while before asking, "Are you bringing food for me again?"
"Do you dare to eat it?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Is there anything that I wouldn't dare to do? If you dare to give it, I have the balls to eat it." The Deluge Dragon replied in a mocking tone.
Xiao Ran took out a pile of resources for skills enhancement and tossed them in front of him, forming a big heap.
Gulp!
The Deluge Dragon swallowed hard without touching the offering and eyed him suspiciously. "A person who is exceptionally kind for no good reason is either an evil doer or a thief."
"Are you eating or not?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Since I'm at your mercy, why shouldn't I eat it?" The Deluge Dragon opened its mouth and swallowed the whole heap of resources.
The Dragon Vein became slightly purer but had yet to make that final step.
With a goading demeanor, he said proudly, "I have already eaten it."
Xiao Ran took out a container and dagger.
The Deluge Dragon was shocked and struggled violently. The iron chains binding his body rattled noisily and it glared at him furiously. "What are you doing?"
"Bloodletting," Xiao Ran said.
The Deluge Dragon opened its mouth to bite him when he got near.
Pow!
The moment he stretched his head out, Xiao Ran punched him so hard that he saw stars.
With a swipe of the dagger, he cut a hole in the dragon's limb. The dragon blood flowed out and dripped into the container.
"You'd better not move. If you spill just a little, I'll cut open another hole until I can fill the whole bottle to the brim."
"I am not your pet loach!" The Deluge Dragon gnashed its teeth furiously.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Who on earth will keep giving without getting anything back?"
It did not take long for the two-pound bottle to be filled with dragon blood.
With a flick of his finger, a streak of golden light struck the dragon's wound, instantly healing it and stopping the bleeding.
Looking at him, Xiao Ran observed that his face was pale and his aura was debilitated by a lot. He looked like he just had diarrhea.
"Don't play dead. With your level of evolution, you can easily recover in two to three days." Xiao Ran said and gave him a kick.
He put the bottle away and left the cell. After locking the cell door, he left the Purgatory.
"Evil Demon! I swear that I will never eat your food again!" The Deluge Dragon said resentfully.
Back in the rest chamber,
Xiao Ran took out the bottle of dragon blood and examined it for a while before downing the whole bottle.
It tasted really bad.
However, it still produced a bit of effect. The Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill could refine it and use it to strengthen the body. When the effects of the dragon blood disappeared, his body's capability would have improved by a huge margin.
"It works, but the quantity is too little. I would still need to nurture it," Xiao Ran said.
The next day,
after breakfast, the Celestial Dungeon became a hive of activity.
Nobody knew what was going on up there, but demons and demonic arts experts were being arrested and thrown into the Celestial Dungeon one after another.
Xiao Ran took the missions from the lieutenant and locked all these characters in the cells.
They worked from morning till night and did not even have time to eat lunch. It was not until nightfall that the situation eased.
They had a busy day.
Although the fiendish demons imprisoned this time were not very powerful, there were many of them.
The haul for that day: a total of 550,000 Mastery Points, 20 years worth of Martial Arts evolution, and a special Martial Arts, Death Feigning Mystical Technique.
He added 150,000 Mastery Points to the Death Feigning Mystical Technique.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Death Feigning Mystical Technique: Beginning's Level
Effect: Passive Martial Arts skill, user could breathe naturally while concealing one's aura, just like a divine turtle. It cannot be broken unless the opponent's ability was two realms higher than the executor.
It was a rather practical and useful auxiliary martial arts skill.
He used the remaining 400,000 Mastery Points on the Sword Intent.
The might of his Sword Intent rose once more, but his realm was still at the Dominating Refinement level.
After adding the 20 years of Martial Arts evolution, his purifying spiritual force increased by a huge amount. He was still 70 years away from breaking through to the next realm though.
"Brother Xiao, why are you here?" Little Zhou walked over quickly.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Didn't you just finish your work? Everyone is hungry, so they packed some food from the canteen and asked me to call you over to join us for a meal," Little Zhou said.
"Let's go then," Xiao Ran responded.
They left the ninth floor and arrived at the antechamber on the first floor.
The other two had been waiting for a long time.
At the sight of Xiao Ran and the rest, they handed them the cutlery.
"Do you know why so many demons and demon bosses were imprisoned today?"
"I know you're well-informed. Don't keep me in suspense, Old Zheng."
"Hehe!" Old Zheng laughed at the backhanded compliment.
He craned his neck to look around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to their group, he lowered his voice and said, "I heard that at daybreak tomorrow, the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect and the Demon Lord of the Rakshasa Sect will be dueling in the Imperial City. The higher-ups are furious and want to use these people to set an example as a show of their authority."
"Nonsense! The Imperial City is a Forbidden Ground where demons are prohibited from entering. Even if it's a sect's patriarch, if he dares to behave abominably there, he'll probably be taken down in an instant."
"Believe it or not, it's up to you!" Old Zheng rolled his eyes.
At the crack of dawn,
an uninvited guest arrived outside the Celestial Dungeon. His demonic aura was so strong it soared sky high and his entire body was shrouded in demonic light.
Looking at the Divine Sword Guards standing guard outside, he took a step forward and unleashed a vicious blast of demonic aura directly at their bodies.
Wham wham wham…
Over a hundred Divine Sword Guards were instantly sent flying.
"These guys from the Divine Sword Guards are only so-so," King Hu said disdainfully.
Just as he was about to enter the Celestial Dungeon,
two streams of light shot out from the side and blocked his path. They were the two custodians in charge of guarding the Celestial Dungeon. One was a Lord Amethyst Sword of the Grand Master Realm and the other was a True Realm Spirit Master.
"These two can barely qualify to be my opponents," said King Hu.
"You vile creatures from the Cardinal Vulpes Tribe trespassed into the Celestial Dungeon without permission and even injured our people. Aren't you afraid that the Imperial Court will send experts to entrap and destroy you?" the alluring woman berated.
Her name was Ling Qing'er. According to the official designation recorded in the Spiritual Divinity Bureau, she was a priest.
The Divine Sword Guard was called Shen Yiming. His rank in the Divine Sword Guard was equivalent to hers.
"Would Emperor Sheng Wen dare to send someone to Mount Flaming Inferno?" King Hu said in mockery.
The two custodians became silent. There was an ancient Patriarch in Mount Flaming Inferno whose abilities had reached the heavens and his techniques were supremely powerful. Unless there was no other choice, no one dared to step inside their territory.
They exchanged glances.
Ling Qing'er berated, "Leave now and we will pretend that this never happened."
"It's too late! I've already promised someone else. How can I go back on my word?" King Hu shook his head.
A more violent demonic aura shot out from his body.
"Crimson Devil Sky Fire!"
He clapped his hands together, and endless flames burst forth from his palms. These flames converged into two huge flaming dragons that charged towards them, gnashing their fangs and brandishing their claws.
Ling Qing'er and Shen Yiming's expressions changed drastically as they hurriedly executed their ultimate moves to defend themselves.
However, the difference in their abilities was too great. The two of them did not even last three breaths before they sustained serious injuries. They collapsed to the ground in a sorry state and fainted.
"Too weak." King Hu shook his head.
Instead of taking their lives, he turned around and entered the Celestial Dungeon.
According to the information provided by the Sky Devil Sect, the Sacred Progeny they had incarcerated was in cell number 88 on the ninth floor.
Once he entered the Celestial Dungeon,
King Hu was unstoppable. None of the dungeon guards could withstand a single blow from him.
In the blink of an eye, he reached the ninth floor.
He stared at Xiao Ran, who was sitting in the main hall drinking tea. Seeing that he was not afraid and even dared to look him in the eye, his body quivered for a split second and he re-appeared in front of him. He asked him coldly, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
"The Celestial Dungeon is a place of authority. How could they let you barge in just like that?" Xiao Ran asked in puzzlement.
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Chapter 10: Receiving Credit without Doing Anything
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"You think those two pieces of trash from the Divine Sword Guards and the Spiritual Divinity Bureau can stop me? Are they even worthy?" King Hu scoffed.
"That's true! With your ability, dealing with them is indeed quite simple." Xiao Ran nodded.
He put down the teacup and stood up from the chair.
It was his lucky day. Here he was stuck in the Celestial Dungeon, but he could still pick up a fox demon of Grand Master Realm Level 7.
"Why do I get the feeling that not only are you not afraid, you are actually rather happy?"
"I have to be more confident, to get rid of the negativity."
King Hu was taken aback, and his bulging blue eyes nearly popped out.
Was he playing with me? Who gave him the courage?
A savage demonic aura shot out and went berserk, enveloping the entire hall in a turbulent cataclysmic heavenly power pushing towards Xiao Ran. "I will crush your bones and scatter your ashes!"
His hand suddenly shot out in a powerful grasp, and a terrifying power swirled in his palm, aimed towards Xiao Ran's neck.
"You've already reached demon quintessence but your temper is still so fiery." Xiao Ran shook his head.
He grabbed his onrushing grasp and subdued it.
With a pull of his arm, a supreme power gushed out. It was not something the demon could withstand at all. His entire body was sent flying and smashed into the wall.
Striding forward one step,
he re-appeared in front of the fallen creature. With a wave of his hand, he bashed him in the head in a single punch.
"Crimson Devil Sky Fire!" King Hu's expression changed drastically as he frantically executed his counter-move.
In a chaotic fashion, he activated his innate divine ability. Endless flames burst forth from his body and raced towards Xiao Ran.
In an instant,
the flames engulfed Xiao Ran.
"No matter how powerful you are, you still died in my flames."
"I can't even be bothered to chastise you anymore. How can you bring out these flames that are used for cooking and make a fool of yourself?" Xiao Ran shook his head.
A burst of golden light rushed out of his body.
The fiery flames that filled the sky were extinguished in the blink of an eye by this flood of golden light.
"Impossible!" King Hu cried out in shock.
Xiao Ran immediately grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground.
"Isn't it better to stay outside and remain a carefree demon ? Why do you have to drag yourself in here?"
"That bunch of b*stards from the Sky Devil Sect! How dare they deceive me!"
"It's about time for you to go to the underworld," Xiao Ran said.
He crushed his neck in a single squeeze.
A remnant soul rushed out from his corpse. He looked at Xiao Ran in fear and dashed outside.
"Huh! It can even pretend to be a corpse?" Xiao Ran exclaimed softly.
With a grasp in the empty air, a terrifying suction force pulled the fleeing demon back.
No matter how hard King Hu struggled, he could not break free. "You can't kill me. I'm from Mount Flaming Inferno…"
"You're so noisy." Xiao Ran chided.
A rush of golden light burst forth and annihilated the remnant soul.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and revealed his individual information and the crimes he had committed.
He was a direct descendant of the Cardinal Vulpes Tribe from Mount Flaming Inferno. He specialized in absorbing the Yang energy of others to strengthen his skills.
The golden pages spun again and displayed an item—the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire.
"Just this?" Xiao Ran was speechless with disbelief.
As he flicked his palm, a golden flame the size of a basketball materialized and floated above his palm.
In terms of power alone, it far surpassed the Crimson Devil Sky Fire by ten times.
"This is good stuff." Xiao Ran put away the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire.
He dragged King Hu's corpse into the Purgatory.
He stopped outside the Deluge Dragon's cell once more.
The Deluge Dragon widened its eyes in horror. So terrified was he that he almost vomited his innards. "Don't come near me…"
"It's no use." Xiao Ran opened the cell door and entered.
He threw King Hu's corpse in front of him.
"Eat."
"I won't eat it even if you beat me to death." The Deluge Dragon refused to take the bait.
"All right! I'll fulfill your wish then." Xiao Ran nodded.
After Xiao Ran rained blows on him for a few minutes, the Deluge Dragon finally understood that he had no other options. "Stop hitting me, I'll eat!"
"You're just a b*tch. You simply won't accept your fate if I don't teach you a lesson," Xiao Ran said.
The Deluge Dragon looked aggrieved. With a resentful gaze, it swallowed King Hu whole unwillingly.
"So showy."
"He's a fox demon. It would be strange if he didn't show off." Xiao Ran rolled his eyes.
After consuming King Hu, the Deluge Dragon's abilities evolved to a higher level once more. It reached Grand Master Perfection Level and the Dragon Vein became even purer. It even restored instantly the weakened state he had suffered from the bloodletting yesterday.
Xiao Ran took out the container and dagger.
"Can you be more gentle?" The Deluge Dragon asked weakly.
"All right," Xiao Ran agreed smilingly.
With a slash of the dagger, he made a cut on yesterday's wound.
As the dragon blood flowed out, he collected it with the container.
Even when the bottle had been filled to the brim, his breath was still strong.
Seeing Xiao Ran take out another bottle, the Deluge Dragon was terrified, "Again?"
"If you continue spouting nonsense, I'll cut a few more holes on your body."
The Deluge Dragon quietened down but cursed and swore in his heart. He thought that he would receive better treatment in jail and at the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about getting beaten up.
But now, even when he was in jail, he still couldn't rest in peace. He was still being bullied.
After filling three bottles of blood in a row and seeing that his aura was getting weaker and weaker, Xiao Ran finally stopped.
He put away the three jade bottles. "I'll find something for you to nourish your body later."
As he left the Purgatory,
and returned to the ninth floor,
a Deputy Sword Master of the Divine Sword Guards, accompanied by Ling Qing'er and Shen Yiming, rushed over with a group of dungeon guards.
"Greetings, my Lords, my Lady," Xiao Ran said.
"You just came out from the Purgatory?" asked Ling Qing'er.
"Yes," Xiao Ran answered.
"Have you seen King Hu?"
"Who is King Hu?" Xiao Ran scratched his head in puzzlement.
Looking at this Deputy Sword Master, he started feeling suspicious. He had beaten up this guy so badly last night that his intestines almost dropped out. How was he so energetic and lively after just one night?
"The two of you should stop acting. The fox demon is causing trouble and forcefully barged into the Celestial Dungeon. Other than the two of you, who else here can defeat him?" Qin Fangzhen said.
"Sir, it honestly wasn't like what you said." Shen Yiming protested with an agonized look.
"I know the two of you are modest, but it's your contribution that counts. Later on, the two of you will each receive an Earth-rank Healing Pill." The Deputy Sword Master Qin Fangzhen waved his hand and considered the matter settled.
Since the Celestial Dungeon was not breached, he felt relieved and quickly left with his men.
Ling Qing'er and Shen Yiming began to clean up the aftermath. With King Hu's intrusion, the Celestial Dungeon had suffered countless casualties. Even the lieutenant had died in this incident. There was a pile of troublesome matters waiting for them to settle.
Xiao Ran entered the rest chamber.
Taking out the three bottles of dragon blood, he marveled at the amount of energy contained within them which far exceeded that of yesterday.
After consuming the three bottles of dragon blood, his body's abilities rose rapidly once more.
At dawn,
Ling Qing'er summoned everyone to the antechamber on the first floor and introduced the newly appointed lieutenant as well as the other dungeon guards that had been transferred over from elsewhere.
Then, it was time for the shift change.
After exiting the Celestial Dungeon, Little Zhou caught up with Xiao Ran.
"Brother Xiao, it's great that you're fine."
Xiao Ran patted his shoulder and teased, "Aren't you all right too?"
A look of lingering fear appeared on Little Zhou's face as he lamented, "Brother Xiao, you don't know this, but you almost couldn't see me anymore. That King Hu had just reached the eighth floor when I bumped into him."
"And then?"
"Then, I knocked my head against the wall and fainted. When I woke up, I heard that he had been dealt with by Lady Ling," Little Zhou said.
Xiao Ran gave him a thumbs up. "You're a talent."
"What about you, Brother Xiao?"
"I was conducting my rounds in the Purgatory. When I came out, I happened to bump into Lady Ling bringing people over." Xiao Ran replied.
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Read I Transmigrated As A Prison Guard And Suppressed The Princess Chapter 11 - Entrapment online for free - AllNovelFull
Chapter 11: Entrapment
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Brother Xiao, since you have better luck than me, you have to give me a treat," said Little Zhou.
"All right! Let's go to the Drunken Immortals Court to get you dead drunk," Xiao Ran agreed.
"Should we call Old Zheng and the others?"
"Yes, let's do that! The more the merrier. I am not short of small change," Xiao Ran said.
They agreed to meet at the entrance of the dormitory at noontime.
Xiao Ran did not return to the dormitory and instead walked towards the brokerage.
He had two million taels in his pocket. With such a large sum of money, he could achieve a small goal and buy a house in the capital city.
The capital city was a good place to live in, but the property prices were too high.
They kept increasing without any end in sight.
Before this, he might not have enough to buy a house, but now he had money.
I could buy one with a nice yard, he thought
He found a larger brokerage and the middleman served tea.
"Sir, what are your requirements for the house?"
"The location has to be good. It's best if it's located in the Jingwen Square. There must be mountains, water bodies, and a large expanse of greenery," Xiao Ran said.
"Eh! Dear Sir, your luck is too good. It just so happened that there is a dwelling for sale that meets your requirements. Why don't I bring you over there to take a look now?"
"Sure," Xiao Ran agreed.
With the middleman leading the way, they stopped at a dwelling unit in the bustling area of Jingwen Square.
On one side was a picturesque river. The environment was beautiful, and the two banks were lined with green leafy trees.
The middleman took out a key and opened the lock. He made an inviting gesture. "Sir, after you please!"
They entered the courtyard dwelling.
The environment was quite pleasant. The front yard was planted with all kinds of valuable plants and flowers.
There was also an artificial lake in the backyard teeming with fish.
The entire courtyard dwelling was clean and tidy. It was well maintained.
"This courtyard dwelling occupies a total of three and a half acres. As the owner has lost money from doing business, he is facing cash flow problems and urgently needs to sell the courtyard dwelling. If you are sincere about buying it, the asking price is three hundred and fifty thousand taels," said the middleman.
"So expensive?" Xiao Ran was shocked.
"Jingwen Square is a vibrant downtown area, and the location here is so favorable. There's the picturesque river by the side and the excellent layout of the courtyard dwelling. The construction materials used are all top-notch, so it's naturally more pricey."
"I hope you are not trying to rip me off on account of my young age, are you?"
The middleman looked aggrieved, but still forced a smile. "The property prices in the capital city keep changing on a daily basis. If the owner didn't need money urgently, he wouldn't sell such a nice dwelling."
Xiao Ran did not agree immediately. He walked one round in the courtyard again. The longer he viewed the place, the more satisfied he was.
After making payment, the middleman handed him the deed to the dwelling, and at the same time promised that they would handle the rest of the paperwork, which would be handed to him in three days' time.
He cleaned the master bedroom and bought some new furniture.
Using his Spiritual Clarity Eye, he examined the feng shui and re-arranged some of the areas that were not harmonious.
Xiao Ran was finally satisfied.
He kept himself busy until noon.
Back at the dormitory entrance, Little Zhou and the other two had been waiting there for a long time.
"Brother Xiao, you didn't rest?" Little Zhou and the others came up to him.
"I went out for a walk just now and used my savings to buy a small dwelling," Xiao Ran said.
"Brother Xiao, did you strike the lottery?"
"That's right, Brother Xiao. Other than Little Zhou who is a second-generation rich heir and owned a dwelling, Old Zheng and I still don't have a house yet."
"As long as you save some money regularly, you'll be able to buy a house very soon too." Xiao Ran smiled.
"Brother Xiao, you will have to spend a lot of money this time. It's a happy housewarming celebration. In addition to the good luck you have, it's an occasion of double joy. You have to let us have a good time," Little Zhou said.
"How about two each?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Brother Xiao is indeed generous." The three of them gave him a thumbs up.
They arrived at the Drunken Immortals Court.
He asked for a private room.
He requested for six lady companions, and Little Zhou and the others each took two.
"Brother Xiao, you're not joining in?" Little Zhou asked.
"I'm not interested. You guys can have as much fun as you want."
The three of them exchanged pleasantries and drank with Xiao Ran for a while before hugging the two girls and going into the room next door.
Xiao Ran felt bored and was about to leave.
A wisp of demonic aura came out from the backyard. Although it was very well concealed, he just happened to sense it.
"Strange! Where in the Drunken Immortals Court did this demonic energy come from?" Xiao Ran was puzzled by this unexpected development.
Using his Spiritual Clarity Eye, he looked towards the backyard.
He found a room filled with dense demonic aura and evil energy. Although they were trying their best to suppress it and not let it leak out, there were still some that seeped out.
It was completely incompatible with the surrounding scenery.
He pondered for a moment.
Xiao Ran withdrew his Spiritual Clarity Eye, mobilized the immense power of his spiritual soul energy, and proceeded to check on the room.
The occupant inside was very cautious and had set up a restriction force field in the room.
However, how could something like that stop him?
Without alerting anyone, his spiritual soul energy seeped into the room.
A man in a blood-red robe and a black-robed man were sitting on the chairs, looking ashen-faced.
"We made a serious miscalculation this time," the Demon Lord said.
The Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect was ashen-faced. As he clenched his fists, he hissed, "Those b*stards from the Sky Devil Sect are so unreliable. They said that the guys from the Imperial Court will not appear for fifteen minutes. It was only five minutes before they came charging in there."
"Fortunately, both of us were more than capable of handling them and breaking through their encirclement, or else we would have been locked up in the Purgatory right now." The Demon Lord raged.
Everyone fell silent.
After a while, the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect broke the silence, "We are all seriously injured and won't be able to leave this place anytime soon."
"I've already sent out a message to have some guys come over to escort us out. When they arrive, we will leave this place." The Demon Lord said.
"My men are on their way, too. When they arrive, even if the guys from the Imperial Court discover us, they can't keep us here."
Xiao Ran frowned. Two bonus demon heads?
Manipulating his spiritual soul energy, he began scanning his surroundings.
He got the shock of his life when he saw what was presented before his eyes.
There were three Lords Amethyst Sword from the Divine Sword Guards in a room next to them.
Other than the three of them, there were dozens of Divine Sword Guards lying in ambush.
"Is this an entrapment?" Xiao Ran muttered.
He immediately lost interest in taking action, paid the bill, and left Drunken Immortals Court.
The moment he arrived at the Celestial Dungeon, a dungeon guard who had been anxiously searching for him rushed over. His eyes lit up when he saw Xiao Ran, and he quickly welcomed him, "Brother Xiao, you're finally back. I've been looking for you for almost two hours."
"What happened?" Xiao Ran asked.
"My Lord is looking for you. He wants you to go over immediately."
"Okay." Xiao Ran nodded.
He then entered the Celestial Dungeon.
The newly appointed lieutenant was frowning. When he saw Xiao Ran, his face broke into a smile. "Come here quickly."
"My Lord, is there something you need?" Xiao Ran asked.
"The higher-ups were furious about what happened last night! The Cardinal Vulpes Tribe actually dared to barge into the Celestial Dungeon. The higher-ups want to execute that fox demon with the Grand Master Perfection Level as a warning to others!" The lieutenant said.
"Any requests?"
"Dismember him and cut him at least 3,650 times. You are the best here. I'll have to count on you for this."
"Yes, I'll do it right away," Xiao Ran agreed readily.
"How is the Eldest Princess now? Is there anything that needs to be addressed?" The lieutenant suddenly asked.
"No. Everything's fine."
"Then you may go." The lieutenant waved his hand.
Xiao Ran entered the Purgatory with the Ethereal Pouch and the document.
He stopped at cell number 188, took out the key, and opened the cell door.
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Chapter 12: A Streak of Sword Aura had turned into a Treasure Land
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
A three-headed Cardinal Vulpes fox demon that was over 100 feet in size was incarcerated inside. The surface of its body was ablazed with the Crimson Devil Sky Fire, and a terrifying and malevolent aura emanated from its body.
His shoulder bones were sealed, and his four limbs were pierced through by 10,000-year-old Mystic Iron chains as thick as the arms of an adult. The chains were wound around his body and securely bound him to the wall.
As he shifted innocuously, green luminescence streamed through the chains, an indication that a special confinement spell had been cast to suppress his body.
Upon seeing Xiao Ran enter, all three heads turned towards him simultaneously.
A terrifying force instantly descended upon him.
"You're about to die and you're still playing tricks?" Xiao Ran said.
"Did the Imperial Court send you to kill me?" The fox demon frowned.
"What else were you expecting?"
"How dare they? I came from the Mount Flaming Inferno, and my name is on the list of Patriarchs. If they touch me, aren't they afraid of the Patriarchs taking revenge?"
Xiao Ran took out the torture device and wiped the sword clean.
He looked at him with pity. "You were implicated by someone. The higher-ups are very angry and want to sacrifice your head as a warning to the rest."
"Did someone from the Mount Flaming Inferno break into the Celestial Dungeon?" asked the fox demon.
"You're not so stupid after all. Yesterday, a Cardinal Vulpes fox demon barged into the Celestial Dungeon and killed many people," Xiao Ran said.
"How many came?"
"Just one. His abilities are still too weak. He's only at the Grand Master Realm Level 7."
Whump!
A tower of fiery rage was shot up from the fox demon's body. The Crimson Devil Sky Fire burned even more furiously. Its six eyes were spewing flames as it cursed angrily, "Is he a pig? Does he not know that I am imprisoned in the Celestial Dungeon? Did he think I am tired of living?"
Xiao Ran shrugged and nodded affirmatively. "I guess so."
"What's his name?" the fox demon.
"I think he's called King Hu?"
"That fool! Back then, I mentored him for three whole years. Without my coaching, with his level of intelligence, he would never be able to attain enlightenment of the Crimson Devil Sky Fire in his lifetime." The demon fox grew increasingly incensed.
"Can I ask you a question?" Xiao Ran said.
The fox demon looked at him icily.
"Why do you have two more heads than him?"
"I'm a direct descendant of the royal tribe. My bloodline is more noble than his," said the fox demon.
"It's all the same. I'll send you to the underworld now." Xiao Ran nodded.
"After you!" The fox demon struggled vehemently.
He opened his jaws and spat out a drop of elemental lifeblood. It was pure gold and contained immense power. As soon as it appeared, it shattered the surrounding space.
"Crimson Devil Sky Fire!"
Using his elemental lifeblood to activate the Crimson Devil Sky Fire, the power of the flames tripled. Even the color of the flames took on a reddish-gold color.
The fox demon rolled on the ground madly, covering the sky and earth with fiery flames as he pounced forward, instantly enveloping Xiao Ran in flames.
Looking at the 10,000-year-old Mystic Iron chains on its body, the fox demon was overwhelmed with malcontent. It was just a little bit more, just that bit more, and he would break through to the Profound Realm.
But now, everything had been ruined by that pig.
He spat out another drop of his elemental lifeblood. This was the last drop.
As demons evolved to higher levels, they would be able to accumulate lifeblood. This lifeblood's power far surpassed that of blood essence. Each demon could only accumulate three drops at most.
He had used one drop before he was imprisoned.
Now that he had used two drops consecutively, his potential was completely exhausted.
"Break!" The fox demon shouted.
He used his elemental lifeblood to transform into ferocious flames that rapidly consumed the 10,000-year-old Mystic Iron chains.
As for Xiao Ran, in his opinion, a mere dungeon guard would be instantly burnt to ashes by the upgraded Crimson Devil Sky Fire.
"This fire is not bad, but it's too little," Xiao Ran said.
His Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire shot out and devoured the Crimson Devil Sky Fire in one shot, and in the process, increasing its power by a little.
Looking at the flames on his body, he motioned with his right hand and the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire burst outwards, consuming all the flames that were burning the 10,000-year-old Mystic Iron chains completely.
The flames then spun around and returned to Xiao Ran's palm.
"Anymore?"
The fox demon widened its eyes and extended all of its three heads. "You, you…"
"If that's all, then let's go!" Xiao Ran said.
Putting away the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire, he swung his long sword, leaving a gaping wound on the demon's body.
"Oops, I made a mistake! The higher-ups have requested that you be dismembered and given at least 3,650 slashes."
Replacing the sword with the dagger, he carried out the punishment under the fox demon's horrified gaze.
After three thousand six hundred and fifty slashes, the fox demon was still breathing. "The Patriarchs will not let you off."
"I'm not the one who wanted to kill you. If you want revenge, go look for Emperor Sheng Wen," Xiao Ran said.
With a final slash, he finished him off.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared. It flipped open to a page and brilliant gold light shone out. This time, he obtained four items.
500,000 Mastery Points, 50 years of Martial Arts evolution, three Blood Ginseng Pills, Spirit Shifting Soul Control Technique.
He put the demon's materials into the Ethereal Pouch.
The Spirit Shifting Soul Control Technique was a spiritual skill. The stronger one's spiritual soul energy was, the greater the effect.
It was used for controlling the consciousness of other people.
He added 100,000 Mastery Points to the Spirit Shifting Soul Control Technique and refreshed his attributes.
Soul Shifting Soul Control Technique: Cursory Trial Level
After adding the remaining 400,000 Mastery Points to the Sword Intent, it still remained at the Dominating Refinement level. He was not far from reaching the Perfection level, and its powers had increased greatly.
With the addition of 50 years of Martial Arts evolution, the power of the purifying spiritual force in his navel escalated by a large amount. He was still 20 years away from achieving the Profound Realm.
He took out three Blood Ginseng Pills and consumed them, adding another 30 years worth of evolution to his spiritual soul energy.
"Killing the powerful demons definitely gives more rewards."
Looking at the other demons imprisoned in the Purgatory, Xiao Ran licked his lips. He really wanted to kill all of them with one slash.
Back at the antechamber on the first floor,
he handed the Ethereal Pouch to the lieutenant.
The lieutenant looked through it and nodded in satisfaction.
"You have done well. You certainly lived up to your reputation of being the number one executioner in the Celestial Dungeon."
At this moment, Little Zhou and the other dungeon guards also stopped by.
"Do you know why I summoned you guys?" The lieutenant asked.
A well-informed dungeon guard probed, "Is it because of that treasure land, my Lord?"
"That's right!" The lieutenant nodded.
"A few days ago, a Profound Realm expert accidentally discovered a demon hiding in the Ink Jade Pavilion, so he hacked it with his sword. Right now, there is still remnant supreme sword energy left behind! Anyone below the Master Realm can benefit greatly from practicing his skills in this place."
Gulp!
The dungeon guards swallowed hard, their eyes burning with anticipation.
"It's a pity that the quota is limited. I had to spend a lot of effort just to get 50 places. If someone at the Postnatal Realm were to go in there, they would be able to break through at least three small realms. For Connate Realm practitioners, they could also improve by one or two small realms," said the lieutenant.
"We pledge our lives to serve you, my Lord!" Everyone expressed their loyalty.
"I have high hopes for all of you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have called all of you here. For the next three days, all of you should stay there and improve yourselves."
He looked at Xiao Ran.
"You have carried out your duties conscientiously. I will not disappoint you."
Xiao Ran wondered whether he should say out loud the salacious swear word he had in mind. What bullshit Profound Realm expert? He was still twenty years of evolution short of breaking through to this realm.
At the Ink Jade Pavilion, all he did was to deploy the Sword Intent, which incidentally left behind the streak of sword aura.
Yet, it had turned into a treasure in their eyes? There was even a limit on the quota of participants. From the sound of it, it was like they had snatched it from the jaws of death.
Under the lieutenant's lead,
the group left the Celestial Dungeon and headed straight for the Ink Jade Pavilion.
At this point, the surroundings had already been cordoned off by the Imperial Guards.
Apart from them, there were also the Divine Sword Guards, the Spiritual Divinity Bureau, the Sacred Martial Bureau, the Forbidden Martial Guards, and the people from the God Enforcement Division.
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Chapter 13: No One was Spared
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Good Lord.
The five major powerful law-enforcement departments of the Great Xia Kingdom were all present. There were quite a number of people here. Including Xiao Ran and the rest, there were already more than 500 people.
After the five departments entered, it was the Celestial Dungeon's turn.
"Xiao Ran, you will go first," said the lieutenant.
Xiao Ran walked to the front of everyone gloomily.
"This Sword Aura will only last for three days. Work hard on improving your skills after you enter." The lieutenant reminded him again.
After Xiao Ran and the rest entered, the lieutenant left.
"Brother Xiao, you don't seem happy?" Little Zhou asked.
"Sigh! I'm not interested in improving my skills. If I have the time, I'd rather be on duty in the Celestial Dungeon," Xiao Ran said.
Little Zhou's eyes lit up, and he moved closer. "Brother Xiao, this is a treasure land for practicing skills. You can increase your abilities by two or three minor realms in three days!"
Seeing that Xiao Ran was unmoved,
he took out a banknote worth a hundred taels and stuffed it into his hands. "Brother Xiao, I admire your professionalism very much. Why don't we swap places?"
"We're all colleagues, there's no need for this, right?"
"Of course not! Brother Xiao, use this to get yourself a drink."
Xiao Ran accepted the banknote and swapped places with him. Little Zhou stood at the front excitedly.
This scene did not escape Old Zheng's eyes. When he saw that Little Zhou had succeeded, he took out all of his valuables. "Brother Xiao, I'm not as rich as Little Zhou. Here's 50 taels. Can we swap places?"
"It doesn't matter if there's money or not. As long as our friendship is strong enough," Xiao Ran said.
After accepting the money, he swapped places with Old Zheng as well.
The people in front had already had a good head start. The people behind all wanted to spend more time refining their skills with the Sword Aura to increase their powers.
Xiao Ran kept accepting money and swapping places with other people until he was the last person, all the while presenting a very conflicted expression.
"That's all," Xiao Ran said.
Looking at the lieutenant of the Imperial Guards outside, he smiled and waved at him.
"Something wrong?" the lieutenant asked.
"You and I seem to hit it off quite well. With your talent, if you can train here, you will definitely be able to reach a higher level."
"Will there be any problems?" The lieutenant asked with a worried expression.
"We're all family. Although our duties are different, we're all working for the country. It's all right." Xiao Ran patted his shoulder reassuringly.
The lieutenant took out 35 taels of silver and shoved them into his hands.
"That's all I have."
Xiao Ran fingered the money and eyed him with an ambivalent look.
The lieutenant gritted his teeth and borrowed almost 300 taels of silver from the Imperial Guards stationed outside.
"It's really all I can get."
"This is not about money. It is a test of your determination to improve your skills." Xiao Ran clarified as he put away the money.
"I understand."
"Go!" Xiao Ran waved his hand.
The lieutenant followed the rest inside excitedly.
Xiao Ran then left the Ink Jade Pavilion.
He couldn't return to the Celestial Dungeon for now. When he thought about how the Divine Sword Guards were laying in ambush at the Drunken Immortals Court, he figured why not go over and help them?
After he arrived at the Drunken Immortals Court,
Xiao Ran asked for a private room on the third floor and ordered enough food and drinks to fill one whole table. However, he turned down the offer for female companionship.
Activating his spiritual soul energy, the immense spiritual force swept out, inundating the entire Drunken Immortals Court.
The number of Divine Sword Guards had increased to a hundred. The three Amethyst Sword Lords were still keeping watch on the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect and the Demon Lord.
Apart from them, there were also some disciples of the Blood Blade Sect and the Rakshasa Sect.
"They arrived so fast?" Xiao Ran was surprised.
He glanced at the sky. There was still some time before nightfall.
After having his fill of food and drinks,
at nightfall, Xiao Ran made his move.
He had already taken note, his target was a Lord Golden Sword.
According to the official rank designation of the Divine Sword Guards, below the rank of the Sword Master were the Amethyst Sword, Golden Sword, Silver Sword, Sapphire Sword, and lastly, the ordinary members.
In the event that the three Lords Amethyst Sword did not get involved, the Golden Sword was the next most respected authority.
He slipped out and caught one of the Golden Sword Lords.
With his Master Realm abilities, he was completely helpless against Xiao Ran.
He took off the unconscious guard's uniform, leaving only his underpants. He then put the uniform on himself.
He tied him up with a rope and stuffed a rag in his mouth before sealing his shoulder bones and throwing him under the bed.
After that he used the Transformation Technique to change his appearance.
He checked himself from head to toe and was rather pleased.
After leaving the room and returning to his station, a Silver Sword subordinate met him. "My lord, didn't you go to take a dump?"
"I settled it swiftly. We have important matters to attend to," Xiao Ran said.
"Just now, the Lord Amethyst Sword sent us a message. He told us to secretly shrink the confinement net without alerting the enemy."
"Do it," Xiao Ran ordered.
The Divine Sword Guards swung into action.
Fifteen minutes later,
the Blood Saber Sect and Rakshasa Sect disciples that snuck into the Drunken Immortals Court had all died at Xiao Ran hands.
"My Lord, why did you kill them all?"
"We don't have enough manpower," Xiao Ran explained.
The subordinate pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement.
They didn't have many men to begin with. If they had to send these felons to the Celestial Dungeon, then all this going back and forth would cause delays, and would most definitely alarm the people outside.
He stayed for three consecutive days.
On the third day,
practically all the disciples of the Blood Saber Sect and the Rakshasa Sect had arrived.
By afternoon, no more appeared.
Tonight was the time to reel in the net.
Under the cover of the night, Xiao Ran and his group surrounded the Blood Saber Sect Patriarch's room.
The three Lords Amethyst Sword stood at the entrance with cold cruel expressions.
"Attack." A Lord Amethyst Sword waved his right hand.
The surrounding Divine Sword Guards barged into the room in a bloodthirsty charge.
"You bunch of slavish dogs, do you really think your actions can fool me?" The Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect snorted in disdain.
Infinite blood-red light shot out from the room. A huge force burst out in a ring, destroying the room. Even the Divine Sword Guards that rushed in were sent flying.
Then…
Two figures quickly dashed out, one on the left and one on the right. They executed their techniques to the maximum power and under the cover of a terrifying whirling force they made their escape.
"Oh no! We've been tricked." One Lord Amethyst Sword's expression changed drastically.
Looking at the two fleeing figures going their separate ways, he hurriedly instructed, "Split up and pursue them both!"
He took the lead and went after the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect.
The other two went after the Demon Lord of the Rakshasa Sect.
"F*ck! The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch is three times stronger than the Demon Lord, yet you two guys went after him instead?" The Lord Amethyst Sword was incensed.
"A bunch of useless teammates. They set up an inescapable net, yet their prey could still escape." Xiao Ran looked on scornfully.
He went in pursuit of the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch.
At the moat,
Blood Blade Sect Patriarch stopped and looked at the pursuing Lord Amethyst Sword with a fierce glint in his eyes. "If I don't get rid of him, I'm afraid we won't be able to escape the capital city."
As the Lord Amethyst Sword approached rapidly, the Patriarch unveiled the Blood Demon Saber and slashed ruthlessly. "Blood Demon Saber Technique!"
The night sky was illuminated by a blinding saber light that was completely imbued with lethal force. One multiplied into two, two multiplied into three, and three multiplied into over a hundred sabers that slashed out viciously.
This onslaught of sabers tore through heaven and earth without mercy.
The dazzling saber aura was devastating, crushing everything in its path like dead leaves.
"Six Domains Sword Technique!" The startled Lord Amethyst Sword hurriedly executed his counter-move.
He hastily extracted his Numinous Treasure long sword, activated the First Sword Domain before charging forward.
Both of them were at the Grand Master Realm Level 4, but it was obvious that the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch was much stronger. As the rain of sabers hit him, he was sent flying a few hundred feet away, before crashing down with severe injuries.
"I'll spare your dog life tonight. The next time I see you, I'll definitely take your life."
The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch didn't dare to stay any longer after issuing his threat and quickly fled.
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Chapter 14: No One Else Has Such Luck
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Just as he made it out of the city,
the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch looked back in the direction of the capital city behind him, feeling very pleased with himself. The Great Xia Imperial City, known as a forbidden ground for demons and sects, was reputedly so heavily guarded that even Profound Realm experts would perish if they attempted to breach it. Its reputation was completely unfounded.
He couldn't hold back any longer and laughed out loudly without reservation. "What kind of bullsh*t forbidden ground is this? This Patriarch here can still come and go as he pleases, can't he?"
"You laugh like a squealing pig. Even demons would be frightened to death by you." Xiao Ran jumped down from the tree, chewing a stalk of foxtail grass in his mouth.
When he saw who spoke, Blood Blade Sect Patriarch responded in a mocking fashion, "I was wondering who it was, so it's just a small golden sword slave from the Divine Sword Guards."
"These are not my clothes," Xiao Ran shrugged.
He removed his golden robe and threw it on the ground.
"You're not from the Divine Sword Guards?" The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch had a bad premonition as he queried the stranger.
"Yeah."
"Who cares who you are. If you dare to block my path, then you shall die!" The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch's killing intent soared.
He rushed forward,
without even deploying the Blood Demon Saber. He struck out brutally, "Blood God Skeletal Palm!"
A gigantic blood-red palm imprint plunged down from the sky, slamming towards Xiao Ran's head.
"Is that all?" Xiao Ran pursed his lips.
His right fist blasted out, golden light pervading the air, forcefully breaking through the palm technique the Patriarch hurled over.
As the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch looked on in abject terror, Xiao Ran grabbed the front of his clothes and violently smashed him to the ground.
Pow!
The ground exploded and a huge crater appeared. The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch was practically buried alive inside.
Xiao Ran walked over to where he was and stood at the side, looking down at him. "So is the capital city like what you said, that you can come and go as you please?"
"Who… who exactly are you?" The Blood Blade Sect Patriarch uttered as blood spurted out of his mouth.
"Xiao Ran."
He struck his palm out in the air and butchered him.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared once more. It flipped open to a page and revealed his individual information as well as the crimes he had committed over the years.
Brilliant light flashed and three items appeared. 250,000 Mastery Points, Blood Demon Saber Technique, 10 years of Martial Arts evolution.
Together with the Mastery Points accumulated over the past three days, it was exactly 500,000.
He added these 500,000 Mastery Points to the Sword Intent, and its power increased once more.
With these ten years worth of Martial Arts evolution, he was only ten years away from breaking through to the Profound Realm.
Blood Demon Saber Technique (Earth-rank Top-grade): None
He put the Blood Demon Saber into his Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt and left.
He did not return to the dormitory in the Celestial Dungeon and instead went straight home.
Not long after he left, the seriously injured Lord Amethyst Sword arrived with his companions.
Looking at the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch's remains at the bottom of the crater, he instinctively averted his eyes from the ghastly sight.
"I told you not to run. If you had gone back to jail with me, you could have extended your life for a few more breaths. But you didn't listen to me. Now that you have been punched to death, serve you right." The Lord Amethyst Sword gloated.
At dawn,
Xiao Ran had breakfast at the street stall before making his way to the Celestial Dungeon. Little Zhou and the rest had already arrived.
The lieutenant's face was stony and the atmosphere was tense. On the ground lay the corpse of a dungeon guard. His face was ashen and his vitality had been completely corroded. There was still a strong sinister aura lingering on his body.
"Look at all of your frozen expressions. Your fear is written all over your faces. If this gets out, I will lose face completely," scolded the lieutenant.
Everyone held their breath as they kept their heads lowered.
This dungeon guard's tragic death jolted them all wide awake again.
The Celestial Dungeon was not a peaceful place. Although working here meant getting generous benefits and very high salaries, it was life-threatening.
"In this world, there is a degree of danger in everything we do. When a person is at home, trouble can fall from the sky. It is indeed a little dangerous to work here, but the benefits are good and there are perks aplenty. After three years, you can still be transferred to a good position." The lieutenant said.
"You're right, my Lord," one of the dungeon guards echoed his sentiment.
"All of you, keep your chin up and focus on your work. Wipe away those sad faces."
He waved his hand and got someone to dispose of the dungeon guard's corpse.
Just as he was about to assign tasks, two Lords Amethyst Swords, leading a group of subordinates, escorted a criminal over.
"Greetings, my Lord!" The lieutenant saluted hurriedly.
"Lock him up in the Purgatory and make sure he receives good treatment. Give him a taste of different types of punishment every day. Don't let him die," said a Lord Amethyst Sword stonily.
Xiao Ran recognized them. They were the two who had pursued the Demon Lord last night.
And the criminal with disheveled hair and severed legs was the Demon Lord.
"My Lord, who is he?" The lieutenant inquired.
"Demon Lord of the Rakshasa Sect. He could run faster than a rabbit. However, his luck was too terrible. He actually ran into Deputy Sword Master Qin and had to leave his legs behind." The Lord Amethyst Sword recounted gleefully.
The two Lords Amethyst Sword kicked him a dozen more times before leaving with full satisfaction.
"Xiao Ran, lock him up in the Purgatory and serve him a set of 36 torture methods for starters," the lieutenant said.
"Right," Xiao Ran replied.
He lifted the Demon Lord by the neck and entered the Purgatory.
He locked him in a cell and bound him to the metal rack.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared in his mind. The golden pages spun, displaying two items. Ten years of Martial Arts evolution, 250,000 Mastery Points.
"Here I come," Xiao Ran said eagerly.
Holding the whip, he lashed out in the air, producing a loud explosion.
The Demon Lord's eyelids twitched reflexively, but he was still stubborn and goaded Xiao Ran, "Give me everything you have!"
"If you are not a spineless wimp, then bite your tongue and commit suicide," Xiao Ran said.
The Demon Lord was speechless. If he had the courage, would he still be a dungeon prisoner?
The whip lashed down, tearing his skin and flesh apart. Blood splattered everywhere.
After finishing the job,
Xiao Ran locked the cell door and left the Purgatory eagerly.
He ran into the rest chamber and locked the door.
He added the 250,000 Mastery Points to the Sword Intent and refreshed the attributes.
Sword Intent: Perfection
Its power had increased twofold. Now everything in the world could be utilized like a sword. The moment the Sword Intent was unleashed, the enemies would fall.
After absorbing the ten years of Martial Arts evolution, the purifying spiritual force in his body reached the Spiritual Realm. It further broke through the bottleneck and shot straight into the Profound Realm.
At the same time,
the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill permeated his whole body, strengthening his body once again.
"Now that I've reached the Profound Realm, besides increasing my lifespan, I can also fly through the air. I have to find a chance to give it a try," Xiao Ran said.
He left the rest chamber,
and coincidentally bumped into Little Zhou bringing in another criminal.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao. I've already broken through to Connate Realm Level 1 on this trip to the treasure land." Little Zhou gushed gratefully.
Xiao Ran patted his shoulder. "This is all due to your own hard work."
"I've arranged with Old Zheng and the rest. I'll treat all of you tonight. We won't leave Chunfang Court until we're dead drunk."
"Why aren't we going to the Drunken Immortals Court?"
"Brother Xiao, you didn't know? Drunken Immortals Court is just too unlucky. Last night, the Divine Sword Guard's people were there to arrest criminals. They practically tore apart most of the compound, and the proprietors are still rebuilding it." Little Zhou said.
"All right." Xiao Ran nodded his assent.
"Brother Xiao, I'll go back first. Lord Shen and Lady Ling had issued orders that they wanted to interrogate this criminal personally. They are still waiting in the antechamber on the first floor."
"What crime did he commit?"
Little Zhou looked around furtively and whispered, "It seems that he is the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect."
"You better go!" Xiao Ran said.
After Little Zhou left, Xiao Ran entered the Purgatory. It was time to let the Deluge Dragon bleed.
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Chapter 15: The Eldest Princess From the Painting
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Why are you here again?" The Deluge Dragon got a shock and started struggling violently. The chains binding its body rattled nosily and vehemently.
Xiao Ran opened the cell door and entered.
"Relax, don't be so nervous. I mean no harm."
"My… My vital energy hasn't recovered yet. Can it be delayed for another two days?" The Deluge Dragon asked doubtfully.
"Your complexion is rosy and your aura is magnificent. Yet you said you have not recovered your vital energy?"
The Deluge Dragon was speechless.
Watching Xiao Ran take out the dagger and the container, he knew that there was no way he could escape today. He decided to try his luck at getting something out of a hopeless situation. "At least let me eat something before you make a move, right?"
"Dream on! You're in jail, not on vacation," Xiao Ran said.
With a practiced stroke he made a cut on the wound in the dragon's limb. The dragon blood oozed out and flowed into the container.
"Your bloodline has become purer again?"
The Deluge Dragon expression changed drastically as he shook his head in denial. "No it did not."
After filling two bottles to the brim, the dragon became weak again. His aura became debilitated, becoming extremely feeble. Only then did Xiao Ran stop.
"The next time I come, I'll try to bring you something, depending on the situation," Xiao Ran said.
He locked the cell door and left.
"Ah! I've had enough of this…" The Deluge Dragon roared furiously.
He passed by cell number 1.
He looked in at the Eldest Princess, sitting there calmly and resting with her eyes closed. It was as if she sensed his presence. Her eyes snapped open and glared at Xiao Ran who was standing outside the cell. The memory of him straddling over her body and brutally beating her up came flooding into her mind.
She was grinding her silver teeth in fury. She wanted to punch him back, but she knew she was no match for him.
"What are you looking at?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Hmph!" The Eldest Princess snorted coldly and shut her eyes again.
Xiao Ran shrugged and left, humming a little merry tune.
"Roar!" An ancient beast-like roar issued from her mouth.
Billowing demonic energy surged out from her body, rushing madly towards her consciousness.
Even the surface of her body had a very thick layer of demonic aura.
The Golden Phoenix rushed out, emanating a holy and purifying radiance. It tried its best to disperse the demonic energy, wanting to protect her. However, in the face of this terrifying demonic energy, its powers were too weak.
"Don't go! Hurry up and hit me!" The Eldest Princess begged in anguish.
Xiao Ran stopped in his tracks and cast his Spiritual Clarity Eye over her.
Compared to last time, the demonic aura in her body had increased by one-third.
Demonic aura filled her body, poisoning her vital veins, blood, and flesh until they were pitch black.
"Has she been furtively practicing the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill all this while?" Xiao Ran thought on a hunch.
"I can't take it anymore. I beg you to hurry up!" The Eldest Princess held her head with both hands. Her demonic flames were rampaged uncontrollably. Her demented aura blew her hair upwards until it formed a straight line.
Xiao Ran opened her cell door and entered.
The Eldest Princess took the initiative and lunged towards him. She grabbed Xiao Ran's hand and begged, "Hit me, hurry up!"
"That's not good, is it?"
"Do it!" The Eldest Princess couldn't wait any longer.
Xiao Ran raised his hand and slammed it on her head. The demonic aura dissipated slightly and she regained some consciousness.
She grabbed his other hand and slapped it towards her.
"Hey! Did you get my permission to take my hand?" Xiao Ran was displeased.
"Use more force!" The Eldest Princess urged again.
"I don't hit women," Xiao Ran said.
"Ah…" The Eldest Princess' expression turned malevolent. She gnashed her teeth in her wide open jaws, as if she was a ferocious beast that was about to swallow people whole.
She opened her mouth and bit him.
"Get lost!" Xiao Ran kicked her away.
He rushed forward and straddled over her body. He converged purifying spiritual force on his fist and punched her brutally.
After more than a hundred punches,
Xiao Ran stopped and the demonic aura around her disappeared completely.
She lay on the ground and gasped with relief.
"Get off."
Xiao Ran stood up from her and took three steps back. Her swollen porcine face was extremely unpalatable.
"The demonic aura this time is worse than last time. Are you still practicing that forbidden technique?"
"How did you know?"
"It's not hard to find out," Xiao Ran said.
"No!" The Eldest Princess denied.
"Don't ask me for help the next time the demonic aura erupts."
He turned around and left. The Eldest Princess became frantic. If Xiao Ran didn't agree to help, once the sequelae broke out again, she would definitely turn into a heinous monstrous demon and become a walking corpse.
She stood in front of him. "No!"
Xiao Ran folded his arms and stared at her in a quizzical fashion.
The Eldest Princess gritted her teeth. After thinking for a while, she decided to tell the truth. "This Forbidden Technique is very deviant. Once you start practicing it, you won't be able to stop. It will operate on its own for 24 hours a day."
"Wasn't your shoulder bone sealed?"
"Don't ask me. I don't know either." The Eldest Princess shook her head.
"I'm very busy. I can't always be by your side, right?"
"I'll let them promote you."
Seeing that Xiao Ran had no reaction, the Eldest Princess thought about it and understood. How could an extraordinary person like him be interested in rank and file official positions?
If she were to use this kind of debase worldly method, it would probably be a slap to his face.
"What do you want?"
"Anything?" Xiao Ran asked.
"No!" The Eldest Princess took a step back, maintaining her guard.
"What are you doing?"
"You want me to keep you company, isn't it?"
Deep creases appeared on Xiao Ran's forehead as he said in an unpleasant tone, "I'm a decent person."
"If you want me to help you, you have to promise me something." Xiao Ran added.
"Let me hear it!"
"With you as the model, let me draw you," Xiao Ran said.
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"Alright! I agree." The Eldest Princess agreed.
Xiao Ran was quick to find some ink and paper.
"You look very ugly right now. Let me help you reduce the swelling first," Xiao Ran said.
A stream of purifying spiritual force was injected into her face. After several breaths, she regained her original state.
"Stand by the side."
The Eldest Princess walked over and stood by the wall.
Xiao Ran was about to draw with the brush when he remembered that he still had two bottles of dragon blood on him. He took out a bottle and poured some of it onto a dish. He then dipped the tip of the pen in some dragon blood and began drawing on the paper.
His Genesis Level painting skill was close to the state of Nirvana.
It was done in one go.
He put away the brush and admired the figure in the painting who looked exactly like her. It was a painting full of graceful charm.
Picking up the painting, a golden light shot out and scattered in the air. Amazingly, the figure in the painting walked out.
"This, this…" The Eldest Princess was dumbstruck.
"Retrieve." Xiao Ran summoned back the figure and rolled up the painting.
The Eldest Princess walked up to him and made one round examining him closely, as if she wanted to see through him.
"What?"
"The painting you just casually produced is able to unleash the full strength of a Master Realm Level 1 punch?"
"Is that strange?" Xiao Ran asked.
"What level is your painting skill?"
"You want to know? I'm not telling you!" Xiao Ran turned around and left.
After leaving the Purgatory,
Xiao Ran entered the rest chamber.
After drinking the two bottles of dragon blood, his physical body grew stronger once more, making him comparable to Master Realm Warriors.
He took out a brush and paper and started drawing again.
This time, he drew a young monk and a line of words, "Demon, I want you to help me evolve my skills."
After producing three paintings, a dungeon guard could be heard knocking on the door.
"Brother Xiao, are you there?"
Xiao Ran put the paintings away and opened the door to go out.
"Something wrong?"
The dungeon guard stuffed ten taels of silver into Xiao Ran's hands with an ingratiating look on his face. "My Lord asked me to lock a Master Realm Level 10 demon in a cell on the ninth floor."
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Chapter 16: Celestial Varg Manifestation
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"It's nothing. There's no need for money," Xiao Ran said.
Nonetheless, he adroitly slipped the silver into his pocket.
The dungeon guard's lips twitched and his smile widened. "Brother Xiao, that's for you to buy a drink."
"Where is that demon?"
"Still in the antechamber on the first floor."
"Let's go," Xiao Ran called out.
They reached the antechamber on the first floor.
It was a wolf demon that was dozens of feet tall. It was matte black, blacker than the soot at the bottom of a pot. A sinister evil aura emanated from him. His eyes were blood-red, sinister and cruel. There was a three-foot-long silver nail on each of his limbs and above his head.
Heavy metal chains bound his front limbs behind his back.
"That's him?" Xiao Ran pointed at him.
"Yep, I'll have to trouble you, Brother Xiao."
"It's just a small matter." Xiao Ran smiled reassuringly.
He grabbed the chain around his neck and dragged him to the ninth floor.
Upon reaching the ninth floor, the wolf demon said, "I want to ask you about someone."
Xiao Ran glanced at him and then smacked his head. "Do you think this is a missing person department?"
"How dare you hit me?" The wolf demon widened his eyes.
Pow!
Xiao Ran smacked him again and kicked him twice. "Look at how disgusting you are now. Why wouldn't I hit you?"
The wolf demon kept quiet.
After a while, he added, "Where is Luo Xuan imprisoned?"
Xiao Ran opened the cell door and kicked him in. He stood at the door and asked, "You want to visit your friends even when you are in jail?"
"Tell me where he is and I'll give you a fortune. You and your descendants will be able to live comfortably for three generations."
"Just say it if you want to, otherwise the deal is off."
"You better not lie to me!" The wolf demon gave him a piercing glare.
"30 miles east of the capital city, there's a small hill. There are three trees lined up in a row there. I have buried 200,000 taels of silver below them."
"And?" Xiao Ran asked.
"No more! Tell me where Luo Xuan is being held."
"I don't know." Xiao Ran shrugged.
"Are you f*cking with me?"
"I'm not lying to you. I really don't know. But thank you for the silver."
"You are courting death!" The wolf demon raged.
Demonic aura surged and converged behind him into the illusion of a huge green wolf. In a flash, it appeared in front of him and swung down his paws like a cleaver, breaking the chains.
In one gigantic breath, it inhaled and sucked all the five silver nails out of his body.
"Arooo!" The wolf demon let out a long howl in celebration of his freedom.
Without these five Numinous Treasure silver nails confining him, his sealed shoulder bones were instantly released. His demonic powers swirled out freely, and all his powers recovered in a flash.
He licked his lips and walked towards Xiao Ran with a sinister smile. "It's not that easy to get my money."
"This ability looks interesting." Xiao Ran was interested.
"This is my Lunar Howling Varg Tribe's supreme ability—Celestial Varg Manifestation." The wolf demon explained smugly.
"Can you tell me where Luo Xuan is now?"
"Who's Luo Xuan?"
"You don't know?" The wolf demon was taken aback.
"Do I have to know?"
"I don't believe it!" The wolf demon lashed out instantly.
The wolf claws shot out like a gust of demonic wind. Viridian light swirled chaotically, as the claws aimed for Xiao Ran's neck.
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. It's the truth," Xiao Ran said.
A golden light shot out from his arm as he unleashed a punch outwards.
Crack!
The wolf demon's entire arm was crushed and became crippled.
"Ah…" The wolf demon was sent flying in the same instant and smashed into the wall.
"After destroying your soul, can the Celestial Varg Manifestation still be used?" Xiao Ran asked.
When he reached the fallen creature, he stomped on his neck.
The wolf demon struggled vigorously but was unable to move at all.
It was as if it was not just one foot that stomped on him, but a terrifying mountain range that supported the sky weighing down on him.
"Go!" Xiao Ran manipulated his spiritual soul energy and violently forced it into his mind.
This act destroyed the demon's soul completely.
Under the excruciating pain, the wolf demon foamed at the mouth and fainted.
"Now you will behave yourself. An idiot without a soul. I'm afraid this special ability will be wasted." Xiao Ran smiled and removed his foot.
He reinstated the five silver nails on his body and secured him with the chains.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared. It opened to a page and revealed the wolf demon's individual information and the crimes he had committed. He had descended from the Great Viridian Mountain lineage.
No wonder he was as black as the soot at the bottom of a pot. He actually used human blood to refine his skills, evolving his physical body. His death wasn't something to be regretted.
Golden light swirled, showing two items: 100,000 Mastery Points and 10 years of spiritual soul energy.
After adding this 100,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique, the attributes did not change. It was still at Beginner's Level.
His Sword Intent had already reached the Perfection Level. If he were to raise the level of this sword technique and combine the two together, its power would increase exponentially.
After raising his spiritual soul energy by ten years, he was still a hundred and fifty years away from reaching Earth Realm.
The Earth Realm was comparable to the Profound Realm.
He left the cell and locked the door.
"Who is Luo Xuan?" Xiao Ran pondered in puzzlement.
At this moment, Little Zhou returned with the criminal.
"Brother Xiao, why are you here?" Little Zhou asked curiously.
"Helping someone else lock a wolf demon in a cell," Xiao Ran said.
"You're on duty on the ninth floor. Do you know where Luo Xuan is imprisoned?"
Little Zhou's expression turned odd. Even the criminal who was being escorted looked up at him curiously.
"Brother Xiao, you really don't know?"
"All right," Xiao Ran nodded.
Little Zhou pointed at the criminal by his side. "He's Luo Xuan."
"Isn't he the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect?"
"Yeah! His name is Luo Xuan."
"Oh…" Xiao Ran answered as the realization hit him.
"Brother Xiao, why are you asking about him?" Little Zhou asked.
"It's nothing! It's almost time to knock off. Go lock him up first and wait for me at Chunfang Court later."
Little Zhou nodded and left.
"Why are the demons of the Great Viridian Mountain fraternizing with the Sky Devil Sect? What is this wolf demon's motive for infiltrating the Celestial Dungeon?"
If he couldn't figure it out, he might as well not think about it.
They completed the shift handover.
After exiting the prison, he changed into a fresh set of clothes and walked towards the street.
Meanwhile, at the Qingyuan Bookstore,
Xiao Ran stopped at the door. This bookstore looked bigger and more luxurious. He decided to go for this bookstore.
He sauntered into the bookstore.
"Sir, are you here to buy or sell paintings?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Sell paintings." Xiao Ran took out the three paintings.
A young monk, a huge sword, and a sun.
"Just this?" The shopkeeper was stupefied.
Seeing Xiao Ran nod seriously, he took another look. Although the painting was ordinary and the paper used was very amateurish, the pictures and characters in the painting seemed to come alive.
The more he looked at it, the more attractive it became. The more he looked at it, the more artistic it became.
The artist's painting skills must have reached a very advanced level.
Seeing that he did not react except to stroke the paintings lovingly, Xiao Ran asked, "Do you want it?"
"Sir, did you draw this?"
Xiao Ran glared at him fiercely. The shopkeeper knew that he had offended the customer and quickly smiled apologetically. "I was too rude! One thousand taels for one painting, so the total is three thousand taels."
"Sure." Xiao Ran did not expect the paintings to be so valuable.
"Sir, may I offer a suggestion? Next time, when that master is painting again, can you let him use professional art paper? This paper's quality is too inferior. It will lower the painting's value," said the shopkeeper.
"He's poor."
The shopkeeper took out three banknotes worth a thousand taels of silver each and handed them over. He also handed over ten rolls of professional art paper. "If it's not enough, we can always discuss again."
"All right," Xiao Ran agreed and left.
Report chapter
Chapter 17: Demon! I want you to help me evolve my skills
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After leaving the capital city,
Xiao Ran arrived at a spot where there was no one around. He looked up at the starry night sky, and with a single leap, he sailed into the clouds.
Only Profound Realm experts could fly through the sky.
The inhibitions between heaven and earth were reduced to the lowest.
He did not even need to apply the purifying spiritual force on his body. With his current physical evolution, he could even withstand the astral winds from the nine heavens.
The faster the speed, the stronger the astral winds.
They were like millions of sharp blades, easily tearing through the fortress walls made of stone and metal.
However, when the winds landed on his body, they simply dissipated on its own.
"Traversing the Heavens in Twelve Steps."
A Heaven-rank Top-grade technique had been enhanced to Perfection Level.
With every step, his speed doubled. With every twelve steps, his speed increased twelve times.
He morphed into a shooting star and disappeared from the world in the blink of an eye.
A thirty-mile journey only took a few minutes.
Xiao Ran descended from the sky and stopped in front of the three big trees.
"The Godfiend evolution technique is indeed different. It can even refine the terrifying astral winds between heaven and earth. Along the way, it did not consume any purifying spiritual force and in fact, even enhanced it a little."
He confirmed that this was indeed the correct location.
"Open!"
He stomped on the ground with his right foot, and a ring of golden light shot out that swiftly covered an area of a few hundred feet.
Crash whoosh…
After an interval of earth-shattering, mountain-shaking convulsions, a huge crater appeared. The 200,000 taels of silver buried underground by the wolf demon were revealed.
He clapped once in the air.
The dozen or so boxes flipped open. They were overflowing with shiny silver, glittering and shimmering brilliantly.
"This demon is not bad. He didn't lie." Xiao Ran smiled in satisfaction.
He put all the silver into the Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt.
Then he leaped into the sky again and disappeared from where he was standing a few seconds earlier.
At the entrance of Chunfang Court,
Little Zhou and the other two had waited for almost an hour.
"Brother Xiao hasn't changed his mind about coming, has he?" Old Zheng asked.
"He must have been delayed by something. Let's wait a little longer." Little Zhou shook his head.
Xiao Ran strolled in from the side and stopped in front of them. "I was held up by something. Since I've made you guys wait for so long, it will be my treat tonight."
Little Zhou protested, "Brother Xiao, we've already agreed that I'll treat you. How can I let you…"
"Two for each of you. Have fun," Xiao Ran interrupted him.
"Brother Xiao is so generous!" Little Zhou smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
"Let's go in," Xiao Ran called out.
The four of them entered Chunfang Court.
Meanwhile, at the Qingyuan Bookstore,
just as the shopkeeper was about to close the store, a scholar arrived. He wore a long green robe with four small words written on his chest—Dragon Lake Institute.
The Dragon Lake Institute had built up a great reputation in the Great Xia Kingdom. Its fame was no less inferior to the Divine Sword Guards.
When the scholars were learning, they could also evolve their Immense Righteous Energy.
Any scholar who successfully perfected the Immense Righteous Energy would be able to achieve twice the results with half the effort once they started practicing other skills. They were the nemesis of all demons and monsters.
The shopkeeper did not dare to be careless and welcomed him warmly. "Sir, do you want to buy paintings? Or sell paintings?"
"Any top-class masterpiece?" Chen Wenheng asked.
"Sir, your luck is really good today. If you had come a bit earlier, there wouldn't have been any that I can recommend. Just a moment ago, I spent a big fortune to procure three of the best family heirloom works of art." The shopkeeper spread out Xiao Ran's three paintings.
A monk, a huge sword, and a sun.
Gasp!
Chen Wenheng took in a breath sharply. With his discerning ability, he instantly recognized that these three paintings were unquestionably extraordinary.
The artist must have reached an extremely advanced level in the art of painting to be able to produce three ordinary paintings using average paper that could project into the 'Real Realm'.
"I want them all!" Chen Wenheng spoke excitedly.
"The cost of each painting is 10,000 taels of silver. If you really want it, I'll give you a discount. 29,900 taels," said the shopkeeper.
"I-I don't have that much money?"
"So how much do you have?"
"Six thousand taels."
"That puts me in a very difficult position!" The shopkeeper retrieved the painting from the scholar's hand.
"Can I just take one painting?" Chen Wenheng was unwilling to give up just like that.
The shopkeeper put on an act and bargained with him for a while. He gave the impression that he was on the losing end and eventually agreed to accept six thousand taels of silver.
As he watched his departing silhouette,
the shopkeeper whispered, "I simply love dealing with these nerds from the Dragon Lake Institute."
Back home,
Chen Wenheng excitedly called his newly acquired concubine over.
"Yuemei, come out quickly. I found something good."
A humble-looking pretty girl, youthful and innocent, came out from one of the inner rooms and looked at his raised right hand. "Another painting?"
"This painting is different. Look!" Chen Wenheng unrolled the painting.
He had chosen the painting of the monk.
As soon as he unrolled the painting, a wisp of purifying spiritual force within the painting sensed the spectral aura and transformed into a stream of elemental force that zealously devoured the surrounding spiritual aura.
Whump!
Golden light radiated out and illuminated the painting.
The young monk in the painting came to life as well. His eyes widened in fury as he absorbed more and more spiritual energy until he was able to walk out of the painting.
Xiao Ran did not use any dragon blood on these three paintings. He only used a bit of purifying spiritual force.
Even so, the young monk was able to unleash a Connate Realm Level 5 aura.
"Brazen monster, I can tell with a single look that you aren't human! I want you to help me evolve my skills!" The young monk berated.
Yuemei's expression changed dramatically. In the face of this golden light that contained purifying spiritual force, she revealed her original form right away and reverted to a female ghost.
She looked at the young monk in terror and fled into the darkness.
"Where do you think you're going?" The young monk took a step forward.
He re-appeared in front of her, opened his mouth wide and swallowed her whole.
The golden light vanished and the young monk returned to the painting.
The painting fell to the ground and became what it was before.
Thump!
Chen Wenheng looked as if he had made a trip through the gates of hell and back. Cold sweat drenched his entire body as he fell to the ground weakly.
"She, she's a ghost! She actually pretended to be a human!"
He thought about how he had been getting weaker and weaker during this period of time. He was clearly young and full of vitality, and had strong Yang energy. Yet he almost had to support himself against the wall to walk.
He was finally enlightened.
It was as if he had broken free from some kind of shackle and experienced an epiphany in the Immense Righteous Energy. From then on, all glory, splendor, wealth, and riches would be in his hands, reversing his destiny, overturning heaven and earth.
At the Chunfang Court,
in a luxurious private room,
sat four men around the table.
The dishes were served, and eight young and beautiful women in sexy attire walked in gracefully.
Little Zhou and the others took one in each arm.
The remaining two young women approached Xiao Ran but were waved away. "No need."
"Brother Xiao, I'm not picking at you, but since you've already spent the money, you can't just simply drink, right?" Little Zhou said.
"You guys go enjoy yourselves." Xiao Ran shook his head.
Little Zhou and the others left with their companions.
Xiao Ran waved and gestured for the remaining two to leave.
"Master, this must be your first time here, right? Are you feeling a little uptight?"
"Our service is very good. We take good care of everything. I guarantee that you will be satisfied."
The two of them edged closer towards Xiao Ran from both sides.
When she was out of Xiao Ran's sight, her beautiful face changed into a set of white skeletal bones, sinister and ghastly. She opened her mouth and sucked vehemently, intending to devour his Yang energy.
"Ah…" Before they could even get a taste of Xiao Ran's Yang energy, they each let out an appalling scream.
A layer of golden light rose from his body, overbearing in its tyranny over all life and matter. Its almighty suppressing energy deflected the two creatures and sent them flying.
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Chapter 18: The Work of a Sacred Hand
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"What are you doing?" Xiao Ran looked at them.
The two female ghosts were terrified. They struggled hard to stand up but couldn't even lift themselves off the ground.
"This person's abilities are at an advanced level. Quickly ask Sister Qian to come over," one female ghost said.
The other female ghost hurriedly nodded.
The two ghosts opened their mouths at the same time and let out a peculiar cry that reverberated throughout the surroundings.
A tremendous presence approached and enveloped the room.
In an instant, the temperature dropped to freezing point. A cold ominous wind howled, and the furniture in the room shifted locations on their own. A chilling sound rang out.
Spectral aura surged as a female ghost appeared before the two fallen creatures.
She was dressed in a red bridal gown and embroidered shoes, looking rather demure.
"Young Master, do you find them too ugly and want me to accompany you?" The red-dressed female ghost smiled coyly.
Spectral force materialized and formed a bewitching charm that charged towards Xiao Ran.
Whoosh!
Golden light rippled outwards and decimated her charm.
"You have chosen the wrong prey," Xiao Ran said.
The red-robed female ghost's expression turned threatening. Immense spectral aura billowed outwards, forming a huge auric field that transformed the room into a spectral domain. She said icily, "I gave you a chance but you didn't take it!"
She transformed into a red shadow and charged towards Xiao Ran.
She raised her hand which immediately turned into skeletal fingers. A terrifying spectral force swirled around her palm, then with a strong suction force, it shot towards his head in a ruthless grasp.
"Come here!" Xiao Ran struck out with his palm mercilessly.
He broke her skeletal palm, whacked it onto her head, and then slammed her body to the ground.
He stomped on her head and pressed her face down to the ground.
"Anymore ghosts?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Let go of me!" The red-robed female ghost struggled strenuously.
With a Master Realm Level 8 evolution, she couldn't even raise a single ripple.
The two female ghosts were startled by the scene before them and fled outside.
"Where are you going?" Xiao Ran raised a finger and pointed at the fleeing figures.
Two beams of golden light shot out and caught up with the two ghosts in no time, annihilating them.
Their evolution was so low that their information did not even appear in the Golden Tome of Creation.
"Don't kill me. I work for the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag." The red-robed female ghost frantically identified herself.
"Where is she?" Xiao Ran asked.
"The Matriarch will be arriving in the capital city in three days."
"Oh," Xiao Ran answered.
He then crushed her into fragments with his foot.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and revealed her individual information and the crimes she had committed.
After hanging out at the Chunfang Court for a month, she had absorbed the Yang energy of at least 200 people.
The golden pages flipped again, showing the three items, 50,000 Mastery Points, five years of martial arts evolution, and five years of soul evolution.
He added the 50,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Phoenix Essence Sword Technique: Minor Achievement
He was still 195 years away from breaking through to Level 2 of the Profound Realm.
The Spiritual Master Evolution had also advanced further. He could break through again in 145 years.
He left the room,
and bumped into Little Zhou and the others coming towards him in high spirits.
Their footsteps were a little feeble and they were wobbling badly.
"Brother Xiao, sorry to make you spend so much. I'll give you a treat tomorrow night," Little Zhou said.
"Look at all of you. You should get some tonics to nourish your bodies when you get back," Xiao Ran said.
After making payment,
they left the Chunfang Court. He parted ways with the three of them and returned to his home in the Jingwen Square.
At dawn,
in the courtyard dwelling of the Chen Clan.
Chen Wenheng retracted his Immense Righteous Energy and frantically left the room, waking his father from his sleep.
"Father, quick, give me 20,000 taels."
The Senior Chen glared angrily. "Get lost!"
"I've attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy." Chen Wenheng unleashed his Immense Righteous Energy as proof.
Golden rays of Immense Righteous Energy emerged from the top of his head.
Golden light illuminated the whole room, and a righteous and holy aura descended upon everyone. It expelled all the negative emotions and relaxed the minds of those present.
"Y-You…"
"Quickly give me the money," Chen Wenheng interrupted him.
"What do you need money for?"
"I don't have time to explain. If I am delayed, it will be too late."
"Get it yourself from the ledger."
As soon as the Senior Chen finished speaking, Chen Wenheng dashed out.
With the twenty thousand taels in hand, he raced to the Qingyuan Bookstore anxiously.
The shopkeeper had not opened the store for business yet. He could not wait any longer and banged on the door. "Hurry up, open the door."
A few minutes later,
the shopkeeper cursed and swore as he emerged from the interior. When he opened the door and saw that it was Chen Wenheng, his sleepiness dissipated immediately and he became clear-headed. He said with caution, "Once the goods are sold, we do not accept returns."
"Those two paintings are still there?" Chen Wenheng asked anxiously.
"You are not here to return the painting?"
"I am here to buy paintings."
"Oh…" The shopkeeper relaxed.
He glanced sideways. "Of course, the two paintings are still here. However, I can't sell them to you at the same price as yesterday. It will have to be at the original price."
"Here is twenty thousand taels of silver. Hurry up and give me the paintings." Chen Wenheng shoved the banknotes over.
He waited until he got the painting and then left.
The shopkeeper looked at the banknotes in his hand in complete bewilderment. "Could this nerd have injured his head from studying too much?"
However, he was still worried, so he wrote a notice and stuck it on the wall, "Once goods are sold, no returns or refunds will be accepted."
At the Dragon Lake Institute,
Chen Wenheng activated his Immense Righteous Energy and charged into the institute to look for his teacher, Wen Fuxian.
The Great Scholar of this generation had attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy and used it to evolve his skills. In the span of ten years, he had broken through to Level 3 of the Grand Master Realm.
"Teacher, I've attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy!" Chen Wenheng yelled as he charged into the room.
Wen Fuxian, who had the habit of drinking morning tea, was so startled by the yell that he almost choked on his tea.
He glared at him angrily and was about to reprimand him when he saw the Immense Righteous Energy swirling around his body. He stood up abruptly.
"This can't be! With your abilities, you definitely won't be able to attain enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy in this lifetime."
"Teacher, you said a few days ago that as long as I work hard, I will be able to attain enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy sooner or later."
Wen Fuxian was at a loss for words and muttered silently to himself, "I was just consoling you."
"Tell me in detail the whole process of how you attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy."
Chen Wenheng recounted everything that happened so far.
After hearing what he said, Wen Fuxian asked, "Where's the painting?"
Chen Wenheng took out the two paintings from his robes. He eagerly unrolled them and looked at the sword and the sun.
With his level of mastery, he could tell with a single glance that the two paintings must have come from an incomparable Sacred Hand. His painting skills had reached the Perfection Level at the very least, perhaps even Genesis Level.
"Ten thousand taels for one painting?" Wen Fuxian asked.
"Yes." Chen Wenheng nodded.
"Here is twenty thousand taels. These two paintings are mine now."
"Teacher, you…"
Wen Fuxian's expression was grave. "These paintings are extraordinary. One painting alone can help a person attain enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy. You have already attained enlightenment. They are useless to you now."
Seeing that he was about to protest but held back again, Wen Fuxian consoled him, "You have made a big contribution. I'll bring up this matter to the principal later and impart you the song of Immense Righteous Energy."
"Thank you, Teacher." Chen Wenheng was visibly excited.
"This matter is of great importance. We absolutely must not let the other institutes find out about it. Go to the Qingyuan Bookstore now and keep watch over it. If this kind of painting appears again, buy all of them regardless of their price. The Institute will reimburse you the money."
"All right." Chen Wenheng agreed.
Holding the two paintings, Wen Fuxian left the room in a hurry and rushed to the principal's chamber.
Meanwhile, at the Celestial Dungeon,
Xiao Ran came in from outside and stood in the hall.
The atmosphere was stifling.
All the dungeon guards were here.
The lieutenant said with an icy expression, "These sects are getting more and more impudent. They have totally no respect for the Imperial Court at all. On account of their advanced level of abilities, they brazenly stir up trouble. Later on, a group of criminals will be sent here to be locked up. They are to be given one round of all the various punishments available."
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Chapter 19: I'm Up
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Speak of the devil.
The men from the Divine Sword Guards escorted a group of criminals and walked over briskly.
Leading the way was a Lord Amethyst Sword.
The lieutenant stepped forward and saluted. "Greetings, my Lord."
"I'll leave them to you guys. Torture them to the maximum limit," ordered the Lord Amethyst Sword.
"Yes, my Lord," replied the lieutenant.
After the handover,
the Divine Sword Guards left and the lieutenant began to distribute the tasks.
There were nearly a hundred criminals, and each guard was given one. Xiao Ran was special, and he was given three, and all three were at the highest level of evolution amongst the captives.
One was a Level 1 Grand Master Realm, while the other two were at Level 10 of the Master Realm.
"Lock all three of them in the Purgatory and skin them alive," the lieutenant ordered.
"All right," Xiao Ran nodded.
He escorted the three of them into the Purgatory.
He decided to lump them altogether. He unlocked the cell of the Demon Lord and threw the three new residents inside.
Heavy chains bound his four limbs and securely confined him to the metal rack.
Fear was written all over the Demon Lord's face. "Why did you lock them in here with me?"
Pow!
Xiao Ran gave him a tight slap and glared at him. "Do you think this is your home? Do I need your permission to lock up a few people?"
"The Purgatory is so big, surely it has no shortage of cells." The Demon Master weakly defended himself.
Xiao Ran raised the whip,
and lashed in the empty air, resulting in a loud explosive bang.
All four jumped out of their skins simultaneously.
"Let the three of them go first," the jittery Demon Lord suggested magnanimously.
"So modest." Xiao Ran said.
He lashed out with his whip towards the demon.
The other three onlookers instinctively twitched, feeling their scalps go numb.
The Demon Lord was too pitiful. Every time the whip hit him, his skin would split open and blood would splatter everywhere. Even from hundreds of meters away, one could hear his heartrending screams loud and clear.
"It's your turn now," Xiao Ran said.
The Grand Master got a shock. He decided to try enticement. "Can we discuss this?"
"Tell me about it."
"How about I give you money and you let me go?"
"Where's the money?" Xiao Ran asked.
"I can gather hundreds of thousands of taels from the disciples outside."
"You're trying to scam your way out by making use of other innocent people?" Xiao Ran retorted and gave a brutal lash.
The excruciating pain made the master grimace and he broke out in cold sweat.
"I… how about I teach you a technique? You will be able to practice it to the level of Grand Master Realm."
"Not interested." Xiao Ran hit out again.
Even though his evolution level was high, his cries were very loud and particularly heartrending. As the saying goes, the older they got, the more afraid of death they became.
When it was the last two criminals' turn, one of them had toughened up his physical body and said proudly, "You're just a little dungeon guard. You won't be able to break through my defense."
"I don't believe it!" Xiao Ran said.
Just one lash from the whip knocked him unconscious.
After the punishment,
the Golden Tome of Creation appeared. It flipped open to a page and revealed the crimes they had committed. All of them were scum. None of them were good. Even ten deaths was inadequate punishment.
He obtained a total of four items, 300,000 Mastery Points, 20 years of Martial Arts evolution, Earth-rank Technique Realm Card, and 30 years of soul evolution.
He added 300,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique. It did not reflect any change in realm level.
He was still 175 years away before his Martial Arts evolution could level up again. He was 115 years away from becoming a Spiritual Master.
Earth-rank Technique Realm Card: Increase an Earth-rank Technique to the level of Genesis instantly.
Xiao Ran only had the Blood Demon Saber Technique, which was an Earth-rank Top-grade technique.
The rest of the martial arts were all Heaven-rank techniques. They were either special techniques or Godfiend techniques.
He utilized this Earth-rank Technique Realm Card on the Blood Demon Saber Technique and refreshed his attributes.
Blood Demon Saber Technique: Genesis
"I'm afraid not even the Patriarch of the Blood Blade Sect has reached this height!" Xiao Ran said.
He left the cell and locked the door.
As Xiao Ran passed by the cell of the Deluge Dragon and met his gaze, the Deluge Dragon got scared out of its wits. "Don't come over, my vital energy hasn't recovered."
"You can do it." Xiao Ran grinned.
The Deluge Dragon became even more agitated.
After leaving the Purgatory,
a dungeon guard handed over a lunch box. "Brother Xiao, my Lord wants you to deliver the food to the Eldest Princess."
"Okay." Xiao Ran accepted the lunch box.
He entered the Purgatory again,
and stopped at cell number 1.
Opening the cell door, he walked in and placed the lunch box on the table. "Place the lunch box at the door after you're done."
He turned around and left.
The Eldest Princess looked at his retreating back with mixed emotions. "Who exactly is he?"
Back on the ninth floor,
Little Zhou had already laid out six dishes and a soup. They were all meat dishes. "Brother Xiao, come and eat."
"Aren't you afraid of the foul sinister atmosphere?" Xiao Ran sat on the chair.
Little Zhou had a bitter expression on his face. "There's nothing we can do about it. We've caught so many criminals this time, we have to do it here!"
"Bear with it a little longer. We will be transferred out of here in less than three months," Xiao Ran said.
"I hope that nothing will happen during this final period of time."
After taking just two bites, Little Zhou closed his eyes and fell unconscious on the table.
"The food is poisoned!" Xiao Ran turned ashen-faced.
He took Little Zhou's pulse and checked his condition.
After he ascertained that Little Zhou only passed out with no major injury, he began to feel relieved.
"Who poisoned the food? What is their motive for doing this?" Speculation swirled in Xiao Ran's mind.
Activating his spiritual soul energy, he began examining the situation outside.
The dungeon guards on the ninth floor were all taken down, and so were the guards on the eighth floor… Everyone on the first floor, including the lieutenant, were lying on the ground.
Hurried footsteps could be heard coming from outside.
Three people from the God Enforcement Division entered the Celestial Dungeon from outside. The leader was a Divine Constable who held the same rank as a Lord Amethyst Sword of the Divine Sword Guards. He had two Saint Constables with him.
"What are they doing here at this hour?"
Retracting his spiritual soul energy, Xiao Ran laid on the table and pretended to have fainted.
The three of them headed straight for the ninth floor.
"The foul sinister atmosphere here is so dense. I wonder how is the Sacred Progeny now?" The Divine Constable said with a frown.
"The Sacred Progeny has an infusion of Northern Sky Demonic Energy bestowed by the sect master. It can protect him for a short period of time. He should be fine."
"I hope so." Divine Constable nodded.
"They're not from the God Enforcement Division?" Xiao Ran realized with a shock.
The food in the Celestial Dungeon was prepared by its own exclusive canteen, and had to undergo strict screening. These guys not only managed to drug the canteen food, they could still masquerade as the higher-ups of the God Enforcement Division. Things were not as simple as they look.
A short while later,
after rescuing the Sacred Progeny, the trio passed by the main hall.
The Sacred Progeny inadvertently glanced to the side and stopped when he saw the unconscious Xiao Ran and Little Zhou.
"What is it?" the Divine Constable inquired.
"During the time of my imprisonment, these two people bullied me quite a bit. Allow me to vent my anger," the Sacred Progeny said.
He walked over with a sneer.
He grabbed Little Zhou's clothes and lifted him up. "I've already said that a mere Celestial Dungeon can't confine me."
He gave Little Zhou two slaps and one kick before throwing him to the ground.
He walked up to Xiao Ran and smiled sinisterly. "I am Luo Xuan, weren't you looking for me? Get up!"
He kicked Xiao Ran viciously.
A hand grabbed his leg without any warning and Xiao Ran stood up from the chair with an icy cold expression.
"I'm up."
The Sacred Progeny's expression changed drastically as fear flashed through his eyes. "Why aren't you poisoned?"
"This poison is too mild," Xiao Ran said.
He pulled with all his might. The tremendous force was not something the provocateur could withstand. The hand smashed him brutally to the ground.
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Chapter 20: Spirit Spring
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Go to hell!" The Sacred Progeny roared.
His shoulder bones had been unsealed by the Divine Constable, and he had recovered all his powers at the Master Realm Level 1. He gave a punch outwards in fury. The demonic energy surged, converging into a terrifying demonic fist that smashed towards Xiao Ran's chest.
"Can you stop for a minute?" Xiao Ran shook his head wearily.
His right foot swung out and stomped on the attacker's fist, crushing it instantly.
Meeting his shocked gaze directly, he stepped on his head and rolled his foot on it a few times.
"Does the earth taste good?"
The Sacred Progeny struggled with all his might. Although it was only a foot, it felt as heavy as ten thousand pounds. He couldn't even move a single inch.
The constables recovered from their shock.
"You're courting death!"
"Release the Sacred Progeny!"
The two Saint Constables roared out as demonic energy burst forth from them. They charged forward with all their might, unleashing their maximum power and blocking off Xiao Ran's escape route.
One of them formed a claw with his palm and with a loud roar, made a grab for his head.
The other person brandished his saber in a menacing manner. The hall was inundated with the light from his saber.
Countless saber shadows slashed towards Xiao Ran's head as he swung the saber.
"You want him, right? I'll return him to you." Xiao Ran propelled the Sacred Progeny outwards with one powerful kick.
"Shameless!" The two subordinates stopped immediately at the sound of their superior.
The powerful force from airborne Sacred Progeny smashed into them, injuring them so badly that they spewed out blood. They were sent crashing to the ground, and all three of them rolled on the ground into one heap.
The Divine Constable walked up with a frozen look on his face.
His eagle-like eyes seemed to be able to see through Xiao Ran. "May I ask who are you?"
"I'm not telling you," Xiao Ran said.
"On account of our Sky Devil Sect, can you extend us some courtesy and let us go?" The Divine Constable asked.
He could not see through Xiao Ran, therefore he decided to play it safe and tone down his hostility.
"How much is the Sky Devil Sect worth?"
"You won't budge?"
"I can't." Xiao Ran shrugged.
The Divine Constable became enraged. "You are courting death!"
Without any warning, he attacked. The angry power of a Grand Master far surpassed that of a Master. An overbearing force issued forth and a thunderous roar reverberated in the air. The entire hall seemed to be cut off from the rest of the world as the crushing force from all directions pressed down on Xiao Ran.
"Sky Devil Realm Shattering Fist!"
A burst of light from the fist blanketed the sky, piercing through heaven and earth. As his arm blasted out, it broke through all techniques and smashed towards Xiao Ran.
"Blood Demon Saber Technique!" Xiao Ran counter-attacked.
He tapped the tip of the sword lying on the ground with one foot and the sword flew into his grasp.
It was different from the way the Blood Blade Sect Patriarch executed this technique. Here golden light flooded the air and thousands of rays illuminated the hall.
The sacred, tyrannical, and haughty blade light was imbued with immutable cosmic truths.
It converged on this blade, severing all things.
The beam from the fist disintegrated and the saber beam plunged down.
"No…"
The ground was left with a saber scar that was more than a thousand feet long and dozens of feet deep. The keen saber aura lingered there for a long time and drowned him out.
Even the two Saint Constable were not spared by the saber.
Crack!
The ordinary saber could not withstand the tremendous power and disintegrated.
"The quality is too poor." Xiao Ran shook his head.
He walked to where the Sacred Progeny laid.
The Sacred Progeny's hands scrambled on the ground in frenzy as he pushed himself away from him in fear. "You… what are you doing?"
"Why can't you just sit in jail obediently? Why do you have to escape?"
Spiritual soul energy gushed out and rampaged into his mind, destroying his consciousness.
"Ah…" The Sacred Progeny screamed and fainted.
He heard hurried footsteps coming from outside.
"Justice always comes after the fun is over," Xiao Ran lamented.
He flopped on the table and pretended to have fainted.
Ling Qing'er and Shen Yiming were leading the team.
The guys from the God Enforcement Division had gone inside for such a long time and had yet to come out. The two of them found it strange and instructed someone to check on them. In the end, they got a big shock.
All the dungeon guards in the Celestial Dungeon had been knocked out.
Now, they had brought men down to check.
They discovered that the Sacred Progeny was still in the dungeon but the three guys from the God Enforcement Division had vanished. There was a thousand-foot-long saber scar on the ground. Even with their evolution levels, they could barely withstand the residual saber aura.
Gasp!
The two of them exchanged glances, and Ling Qing'er said with shocked realization, "They're dead!"
"Luo Xuan is fine, but his consciousness has been destroyed. When he wakes up he will be an idiot," Shen Yiming said.
Ling Qing'er issued an order for Luo Xuan to be locked up in a cell and then revived the dungeon guards. Everyone was severely interrogated and the conclusions they obtained were all the same.
They only fainted after eating lunch.
When Ling Qing'er and Shen Yiming arrived at the canteen, the person in charge of the canteen had already committed suicide by consuming poison. The dead cannot testify.
The incident was reported to the higher-ups of the Divine Sword Guards and the Spiritual Divinity Bureau.
The big shots of the two major departments rushed over to the God Enforcement Division angrily. After a heated argument, they almost came to blows.
In the end, Emperor Sheng Wen caught wind of the fracas and sent an independent party to stop the bickering and launch a thorough investigation.
Eventually, the investigation uncovered that the three guys did indeed come from the God Enforcement Division.
The Chief Divine Constable of the God Enforcement Division went absolutely ballistic. He wanted nothing more than to drag these three subordinates out of the ground and savagely butcher them one more time before entering the palace to receive his punishment.
When he came out of the Imperial Palace, his face was so black that it could almost drip ink.
After making recompense to the Divine Sword Guards and the Spiritual Divinity Bureau for the loss of their members, he issued an inviolable order to hunt down all remaining Sky Devil Sect members at all costs.
Meanwhile, at the Celestial Dungeon,
Little Zhou massaged his face gingerly. He was almost in tears from the pain. "Why did he only beat me up? That's not fair."
Pow!
Xiao Ran smacked him on the head. "You mean you want him to beat me up too?"
"Brother Xiao, that's not what I meant. Luo Xuan is too despicable."
"You can punch him back," Xiao Ran helpfully suggested.
"Will I get into trouble?" Little Zhou was worried.
"He has become retarded. What can possibly happen even if you give him a beating?"
Little Zhou thought that he had a valid point. He pulled Xiao Ran into the cell.
"Father, I want candy." The Sacred Progeny pounced over and clamored for candy from Little Zhou.
"I'm not your father!" Little Zhou yelled angrily.
With one kick he sent him flying. Then he straddled him, held his face down to vent all his anger. Every punch landed squarely on his flesh.
After a while,
Little Zhou let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Awesome, this feels awesome!"
Back in the hall,
his face turned bitter again. "Brother Xiao, I'm going on a blind date tomorrow. If I go looking like this, I'm afraid this blind date will be a complete loss."
Xiao Ran patted his shoulder and said, "Be more confident. It will work out."
"Why am I so unlucky?"
"Don't look at me. I can't help you with this," Xiao Ran said.
Little Zhou left sadly.
Xiao Ran checked his gains.
He had been busy up till now, and was questioned by the lieutenant again.
The Golden Tome of Creation opened to a random page. Golden light swirled about, revealing three items: 200,000 Mastery Points, Sacred Heart Pill, Spirit Spring.
He added the 200,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
Its realm level remained unchanged but its power had increased by another three notches.
Sacred Heart Pill: Activate potential.
He swallowed the Sacred Heart Pill. He couldn't taste anything, but felt a stream of heat passing through his body.
Spirit Spring: Special Numinous Treasure
Effect: Ten drops of spirit water could be produced every day. It could slow down one's aging process and stabilize one's appearance.
He retrieved a drop of spirit water and consumed it.
It was very sweet and had a mysterious power. It was quite delicious.
"Not bad," Xiao Ran said.
He endured until it was time to knock off.
Little Zhou came over with a furtive look and pulled Brother Xiao to the side. "Brother Xiao, have you heard?"
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Read I Transmigrated As A Prison Guard And Suppressed The Princess Chapter 21 - A Blind Date between Man and Ghost online for free - AllNovelFull
Chapter 21: A Blind Date between Man and Ghost
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"I didn't hear anything," Xiao Ran said.
"The three high-level officers of the God Enforcement Division who came to the Celestial Dungeon just now were from the Sky Devil Sect," whispered Little Zhou.
Seeing his calm reaction, he looked puzzled. "Brother Xiao, aren't you surprised?"
"What has that got to do with us?"
Little Zhou was speechless.
"It's time to knock off. I'm going back now." Xiao Ran strode off.
"Brother Xiao, wait!" Little Zhou ran after him.
Under Xiao Ran's sharp questioning gaze, he shifted uncomfortably and pleaded in a voice full of self-doubt, "You're my bosom brother. Can you help me this one time?"
Xiao Ran did not respond.
Little Zhou continued to act pitiful. "I'm already in such a pathetic state. If I attend the date looking like this, I have totally no confidence at all. My good brother, please take half a day off and accompany me."
"External appearance is not important. The beauty of the heart is the true beauty. From another perspective, if she doesn't mind your current appearance, she will definitely be able to stay by your side for the rest of her life and never leave you," Xiao Ran said.
"Really?"
"Have some confidence in yourself." Xiao Ran left quickly.
Little Zhou was almost fooled into believing him. After a while, he regained his senses and ran after him again.
Xiao Ran couldn't stand the constant pestering and had no choice but to agree.
After locating the lieutenant, Little Zhou helped to submit the leave application for Xiao Ran. When he found out the reason, the lieutenant laughed with amusement.
"Xiao Ran is right. Little Zhou, you lack confidence."
"My Lord, so you will approve it?" Little Zhou asked.
"There's no reason to stop you."
"Thank you for your help, my Lord," Little Zhou said.
After leaving Celestial Dungeon,
"Brother Xiao, I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the dormitory tomorrow. You must come earlier."
"Okay," Xiao Ran answered.
Back at his home in the Jingwen Square,
he felt that something was missing somehow. He took out the painting of the Eldest Princess and hung it in the room. He nodded in satisfaction. He felt much better now.
The next day,
as soon as Xiao Ran arrived at the entrance of the dormitory, Little Zhou, who had been pacing back and forth on the spot, stuck his head out.
"Brother Xiao, you're finally here."
He dashed towards him in a few big strides.
Xiao Ran burst into laughter.
"Is there something weird on my face?" Little Zhou was puzzled.
"Nothing weird except for a few big pimples. Coupled with this green brocade suit, you look quite comical," Xiao Ran said.
"Don't tease me, Brother Xiao," Little Zhou complained begrudgingly. "My father had to put in a lot of effort to entrust someone to arrange this date."
"Let's go," Xiao Ran said.
They had breakfast at the marketplace,
then walked towards the Predestiny Bridge.
They were going to meet the matchmaker and the blind date lady there.
When they got there,
they found them on the grassy meadow not far from the bridge.
"Madam," Little Zhou called out.
He quickly rushed forward to receive the other parties.
There were two ladies standing beside the matchmaking madam. One was a refined, well-dressed lady. The other was her maidservant.
Little Zhou's eyes were fixed on her. His soul was totally captivated by her.
Xiao Ran did not go over to join in the fun. He only came to give Little Zhou some support.
He found a tea house and sat down for a cup of tea.
"Miss Li, this is Little Zhou. He is a man of good looks and many talents. He has a good job and his family is well-to-do," the matchmaking madam introduced.
"Hello!" Little Zhou extended his hand enthusiastically.
The matchmaking madam rolled her eyes at him. "Well-bred ladies are more shy."
"Ah," Little Zhou hurriedly recovered himself.
"You two talk alone for a while. Cui'er, let's go wait at the side." The matchmaking madam gestured to them.
She brought the maidservant and came over to sit opposite Xiao Ran.
Looking at Xiao Ran, the matchmaking madam's eyes flashed momentarily and she subconsciously licked her lips. Her heart was burning with desire and she thought to herself, "Such strong Yang energy!"
"How should I address this young man before me?" the matchmaking madam asked.
"Xiao Ran, Little Zhou's colleague."
"Are you married?"
Xiao Ran had a bad feeling about where this conversation was leading. Was the matchmaker addicted to her job?
"Not thinking about settling down for now."
The matchmaking madam got really excited. "This is Cui'er, Miss Li's maid. Although she is a maid, she has a good personality and her looks are presentable. What do you think?"
The maidservant glanced at him shyly and lowered her head, fiddling with the corner of her clothes.
"Have some tea." Xiao Ran played dumb.
A while later,
the matchmaking madam stood up and left the table. When Little Zhou returned, the madam and Miss Li seemed to be deep in conversation.
When they returned, Miss Li exuded warm friendliness and said, "Little Zhou, you're quite a nice chap. Can you send us back?"
"Yes! But isn't that too abrupt?" Little Zhou was worried.
The matchmaking madam took charge of the situation and poked his forehead with one finger. "Why are you so dense? The lady has already taken a fancy to you. Can't you tell?"
"Hehe!" Little Zhou rubbed the back of his head and laughed foolishly.
Xiao Ran stood up from his chair and said, "I have something on. I'll go back first."
"Brother Xiao, you promised to accompany me this morning."
The matchmaking madam was also unhappy. How could she let a golden opportunity like this slip through her fingers?
Before she could speak, Little Zhou pleaded again, "Please help me this time!"
"Fine." Xiao Ran sighed and relented.
When they reached her home,
they saw that it was a large courtyard dwelling with four entrances and exits. However, it was located in the suburbs and was not far from the fortress walls. There were no other families nearby.
"Right here," said Miss Lee.
She opened the gate and gestured for them to enter.
Once they entered the courtyard dwelling,
the matchmaking madam quickly locked the door.
She knocked out Little Zhou with one punch on the head. Miss Li and the maidservant stood beside her and followed her lead.
The three of them ogled at Xiao Ran with burning desire in their eyes, wishing they could swallow him in one gulp.
The surrounding scenery transformed.
The simple rustic courtyard disappeared, turning into a dilapidated haunted house.
A sinister cold wind howled as spectral aura pervaded the air. Frightening wails rose up in a chaotic chorus.
The matchmaking madam and the two women also transformed.
She was dressed in all white, and her eyes were oozing blood. Her feet were not touching the ground, and she was levitating in the air.
"Sister Hong, this guy is so handsome. Can you let us have some fun before we devour his Yang energy?"
"That's right, Sister Hong. It's such a pity to simply absorb his Yang energy without having some fun."
The two female ghosts cajoled cloyingly.
Sister Hong smiled sinisterly. "I'll go first."
She walked towards Xiao Ran, thinking of him as her helpless prey.
"Be good and don't resist. No one can hear you here even if you scream your lungs out."
She stretched out her right hand and touched Xiao Ran's face.
"What is your relationship with the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag?" Xiao Ran asked casually.
Sister Hong froze. "You know the Matriarch?"
"I haven't met her yet."
"We are all the Matriarch's subordinates. We are under orders to collect Yang energy in the capital city. Tonight, when the Matriarch comes, we will transfer the Yang energy to her," said Sister Hong.
Her palm continued to caress his face.
"I'm not Ning Caicheng. I'm not interested in female ghosts." Xiao Ran instantly executed his move.
Numerous rays of golden light radiated from his body.
The strong invigorating yang energy quashed all matters like a sacrosanct invincible overlord, its brilliance cascading down on the three of them.
"Ah…"
Three shrieks were heard in succession. The two female ghosts were instantly decimated by the golden light emitted by the purifying spiritual force.
Sister Hong's outstretched right hand instantly evaporated. The excruciating pain caused her to instinctively fly away, falling clumsily onto the ground.
Even the spectral aura that filled the room was not spared. One second it was a spooky spectral domain. In the next second, it was clear blue sky with white clouds, and abundant sunlight beamed down.
"You're not Little Zhou's colleague. You came from one of the five powerful departments." Sister Hong said in shock.
The five powerful departments she was referring to were the Divine Sword Guards, the Spiritual Divinity Bureau, the God Enforcement Division, the Sacred Martial Bureau, and the Forbidden Martial Guards.
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Chapter 22: Someone from the Palace
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"The Celestial Dungeon is my home. I'm proud to be a dungeon guard," Xiao Ran said.
"What a good opportunity." Sister Hong's eyes lit up. She slapped the ground with her palm and propelled herself forward. She ratcheted up her powers to the maximum and transformed into a plume of dense spectral cloud that shot out.
"You can't escape."
Xiao Ran waved his right hand, and the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire burst forth.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind her.
"No…"
The terrifying flames flared up and incinerated her into ashes in a flash. They spiraled back to their original size before returning to his palm.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and revealed her individual information and her crimes.
She was more evil than Sister Qian from Chunfang Court. She absorbed the Yang energy of nearly three hundred people.
The golden pages spun and showed two items. 50,000 Mastery Points, five years of spiritual soul energy evolution.
He added the 50,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
Its realm level didn't change, but its power did increase a little.
The Spiritual Master Evolution advanced further again. He was now only 110 years away from breaking through to the Earth Realm.
Xiao Ran shook his head. "The Golden Tome of Creation doesn't care about demons below the level of the Connate Realm."
A stream of spirit energy was injected into Little Zhou's mind.
"Miss Li!" Little Zhou woke up groggily and looked around.
The elegant courtyard was gone, leaving only the dilapidated courtyard house and Xiao Ran standing all alone.
"Brother Xiao, where are they?"
Xiao Ran briefly recounted what had happened.
Upon hearing that they were all ghosts, Little Zhou got such a big shock that his innards almost turned green.
"Do you still miss her now?" Xiao Ran asked with a smile.
"Brother Xiao, you must keep this matter a secret for me. Don't let anyone know about it, or I'll lose all face."
"You won't be able to hush it up."
This was because when they went for the blind date, everyone in the Celestial Dungeon had found out about it.
At the thought of this, Little Zhou wished he could slap himself in the face. "Were they really wiped out by the Divine Sword Guards who were passing by?"
"Yeah," Xiao Ran nodded.
It was almost noon time.
"I have to go back to work."
They left the courtyard house and headed back to the Celestial Dungeon.
They arrived at the Celestial Dungeon just in time for lunch.
Old Zheng's eyes lit up. He waved his hand and called out, "Brother Xiao, over here."
Xiao Ran sat opposite the two of them. Old Zheng passed him the bowl and chopsticks and asked curiously, "Did Little Zhou succeed?"
"Ask him yourself," Xiao Ran answered cryptically.
He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
After asking twice, Old Zheng had no choice but to give up.
After their meal,
a dungeon guard found Xiao Ran and passed him five taels of silver, asking for his help to send a demon on his way to the underworld.
He took the document and the Ethereal Pouch and proceeded to the ninth floor.
His target was a Verdigris Blood Venomous Aquila. It was a Level 9 Master Realm demon and was covered in poison. Even the demonic aura it emitted contained lethal poison.
"I hail from the Great Viridian Mountains. You can't kill me." The Venomous Aquila stammered in terror.
Xiao Ran took out the torture devices silently and wiped the long sword clean.
The document requested that his wings should not be damaged and should be harvested in pristine condition.
"Aren't you afraid that we will take revenge?"
Xiao Ran flicked his longsword, and the sword blade reverberated with a low hum. He looked at him expressionlessly, "Have you ever thought about those innocent people you ate?"
A scornful expression appeared on the Venomous Aquila's face. "A bunch of worthless creatures. They deserve to die."
"You're a worthless creature right now," Xiao Ran said.
"You…"
Swish!
The sword slit his throat and severed his head cleanly.
He removed the wings, then dissected the body for other materials, and put them into the Ethereal Pouch.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared. Flipping open to a random page, it displayed three items: 100,000 Mastery Points, a bottle of Black Jade Heretical Poison, and 10 years of soul evolution.
He added the 100,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique but its level remained the same.
There was a big leap in the Spiritual Master Evolution but there was still a hundred years to go before he could achieve a breakthrough.
Black Jade Heretical Poison: Any practitioner below the Profound Realm will lose all their skills within 15 minutes.
He dragged the demon's body into the Earth fire.
After handing the document and the Ethereal Pouch to the dungeon guard, Xiao Ran left as the guard thanked him profusely.
Back on the ninth floor,
before his butt could warm up the seat, the lieutenant summoned him. When he reached the antechamber on the first floor, all the dungeon guards were there.
A woman in palatial attire stood there, her face hidden behind a moon-white veil.
She stood there motionless, exuding an air of authority.
Behind her stood two palace maids and a group of Divine Sword Guards.
"Your Highness, everyone is here," the lieutenant said respectfully.
"Take me there."
"Your Highness, this way please!"
A group of people followed them, heading towards the inner zone.
"Brother Xiao, do you know who she is?" Old Zheng asked in a low voice.
"Must be some princess, I guess," Xiao Ran surmised.
"That's right! Her Highness the Elder Princess Xia Luoran."
"Never heard of her." Xiao Ran shook his head.
On the ninth floor,
the foul sinister atmosphere billowed portentously. Some dungeon guards found it extremely difficult to endure, breaking out in cold sweat and shivering uncontrollably.
"You guys keep watch here. You, follow me," the Elder Princess ordered.
"Yes, Your Highness," replied the lieutenant and braced himself for what would follow.
The Elder Princess walked in front with only two palace maids. As soon as the surrounding foul sinister atmosphere reached her, it was dispersed by the purple glow emanating from her body.
Not long after they went in, a palace maid returned and looked around. "Who's Xiao Ran?"
"Me." Xiao Ran walked up from behind.
"Come with me."
With that, the palace maid entered the Purgatory.
Xiao Ran followed her.
In the Purgatory, in cell number 1.
The Elder Princess and the others stood outside the cell. The lieutenant remained bowed down, trying to breathe as softly as possible. He glanced at Xiao Ran who just entered and ordered anxiously, "Quickly open the cell door."
Xiao Ran took out the key and opened the cell door.
The Elder Princess entered the cell and the palace maid gestured to the two men to wait by the side.
It was not known what they were discussing inside. After about seven to eight minutes, a heated argument could be heard inside. A while later, the Elder Princess stomped out with an icy expression and stopped in front of Xiao Ran.
"Take good care of my aunt. If anything happens to her, I hold you answerable."
"All right," Xiao Ran replied.
The Elder Princess came and left quickly.
Thump.
The lieutenant's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.
"My Lord, are you all right?" Xiao Ran helped him up.
The lieutenant wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. He was thoroughly scared out of his wits but pretended to be relaxed. "I'm fine! You must take good care of the princess."
After he left, Xiao Ran walked over and was about to lock the cell door.
The Eldest Princess let out a soft moan, and the suppressed pain exploded. Her expression turned ferocious, and the thick demonic aura gushed out from her body and attacked her consciousness. "Hurry up and beat me!"
Xiao Ran was hesitant. "Your niece asked me to take good care of you."
"I can't take it anymore."
The Golden Phoenix rushed out, quickly revolving around her. Golden light scattered down, protecting her final shred of rationality.
Before she lost her consciousness completely, the Eldest Princess rushed up, grabbed Xiao Ran's hand, and slapped it on her head.
As the demonic energy dissipated, she let out a long breath.
"Comfortable."
"Don't do that. Your niece—"
"Beat me!" The Eldest Princess begged.
More and more demonic energy flowed out from her body. In an instant, the prison cell turned into a demonic realm.
"Hitting you can be taken to mean taking care of you, right?" Xiao Ran asked.
Report chapter
Chapter 23: Thousand-Year-Old Ageless Hag
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After more than a hundred punches,
Xiao Ran stopped. While still straddled across the Eldest Princess, he asked. "What were you two talking about just now? Why were you arguing so heatedly with your niece?"
The Eldest Princess glared at him bitterly and growled, "Get off."
"All right," Xiao Ran stood up.
"Next time don't punch my face again."
"If you're not afraid of the demonic aura corroding your consciousness, I can fulfill your wish."
The Eldest Princess was dumbstruck.
"Luoran told me to cripple my own powers in order to remove the sequelae that resulted from practicing this forbidden technique."
Xiao Ran looked at her quietly and waited for her to continue.
The Eldest Princess said with a bitter smile. "She doesn't know that this Forbidden Technique isn't what she thinks. Even if I cripple my powers, it can still evolve on its own. If it wasn't for the Golden Phoenix suppressing it, it would have overcome my consciousness in no time."
"This matter will still be a problem at the end of the day. The matters of your Imperial family are none of my concern." Xiao Ran shook his head.
He locked the cell door and left.
After he completed the shift handover,
he turned down Old Zheng and the gang's suggestion to go for a drink at Chunfang Court and swiftly arrived at the matchmaking madam's courtyard house.
The Thousand-Year-Old Ageless Hag was coming over tonight.
Xiao Ran settled down to wait for her.
Around nine o' clock, the night wind started howling. In an instant, it became ten times stronger. With the small courtyard as the center, it spun out and enveloped the whole place in no time. The spectral aura rapidly spread out, and a loud wailing sound tore through the silence.
"Here she comes," Xiao Ran's eyes lit up.
Using his Spirit Clarity Eye, he spied a dark cloud rapidly converging towards him.
"Level 10 Grand Master evolution?"
Rubbing his palms together in glee, he couldn't hold back his thirst. This would be another big hearty meal.
After a dozen breaths,
a spectral aura descended from the sky and accumulated in the courtyard. The spectral aura converged into a dense shape. Billowing violently, an immense evil aura emanated from the presence that had taken shape.
A short midget with a fat head and big ears was revealed. This extremely ugly presence was the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag.
"Hurry up and get your asses out here!"
It was so quiet that not even a ghostly shadow could be seen.
The Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag was dumbfounded. It had been a while since she last saw them. These three b*tches have grown so audacious!
"They can't come anymore." Xiao Ran strolled out from the darkness.
"Who are you?"
"Xiao Ran, I work in the Celestial Dungeon."
The Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag attempted to see through him. When she did not detect any iota of spirit energy within Xiao Ran's body, she relaxed completely.
"Just a little dungeon guard like you?"
"So what if I'm a dungeon guard? I am using my own ability to earn a living. It's nothing shameful," Xiao Ran said.
"Let me ask you, where are those three slaves?"
"Didn't I tell you? They can't come anymore. They're waiting for you down there."
"Is that so?" The Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag sneered sinisterly.
Immense spectral aura morphed into a giant hand that blanketed the sky, and aimed for Xiao Ran's neck in a merciless grasp.
Xiao Ran walked towards her. In the face of the approaching huge palm, he activated the Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire. As it blazed around his body, it suddenly shot up thirty feet and decimated the giant spectral hand heading for him.
Whoosh!
Golden light flashed, illuminating the entire world, dispersing all the spectral aura in the surroundings. Xiao Ran then re-appeared abruptly before her.
The Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag was shocked. Her bulging eyes looked like they were about to pop out as she hurriedly counter-attacked. "Celestial Specter Dark Lord Technique!"
Tens of thousands of spectral auras erupted instantly. Numerous malevolent specters rushed out of her body, roaring ferociously as they tried to swallow Xiao Ran.
For a brief moment,
Xiao Ran was surrounded by malicious specters.
"Burn!" Xiao Ran ordered in a soft voice.
The Empyrean Conflagration Holy Fire suddenly flared outwards and morphed into a hundred feet tall inferno, engulfing the charging malicious specters and burning them into ashes in an instant.
As the terrified Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag looked on, the flames then converged into a huge fiery dragon. The dragon opened its jaws and prepared to swallow her.
"Stop right there!"
A roar rang out as three figures rushed in.
Demonic energy blanketed the sky like a thick and dense fog.
As soon as these three demons appeared, the entire small courtyard transformed into a Demonic Forbidden Ground, overflowing with a turbulent demonic aura.
"Oh, three more?" Xiao Ran was elated.
But the dragon didn't stop in its tracks. It proceeded to swallow the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag in one gulp.
It then spiraled back into its original form and rolled back to his body.
He turned around and looked at the three windigo demons.
The three brothers were exactly the same. They were all Level 10 Grand Masters.
"It's my lucky day." Xiao Ran smiled.
The Eldest Windigo took a step forward and said with a dark expression, "Didn't you hear us telling you to stop?"
"I heard you. I just didn't want to stop."
"Since you killed the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag, you must compensate us for what she had promised us," the Eldest Windigo said.
"Big Brother is right. Dead ghosts cannot be revived. You have to compensate us."
"Not only that, it must be double the compensation."
Xiao Ran finally understood. Although these three demons had advanced evolution levels, they didn't seem very smart.
"What did she promise you?"
"She asked us to come to the capital city and accompany her to the Celestial Dungeon to retrieve a wisp of the Eldest Princess' dragon aura. After the matter is done, she will give us the Sky Demon Skeleton," said the Eldest Windigo.
"You've all been deceived by her," Xiao Ran said.
"Just tell us if you want to compensate or not!" All three brothers stepped forward menacingly.
With the fusion of their combined auras, their powers increased dramatically, surpassing the Grand Master Realm and shooting into Level 1 of the Profound Realm.
An enormous demonic pressure inundated the entire area.
Violent gales swept across like flashing lightning.
"These three pigs…" Xiao Ran muttered scornfully.
"We brothers hate people calling us pigs the most!" The Eldest Windigo roared.
"Why is Big Brother talking so much nonsense with him? Just kill him."
"Since we can't have the Sky Demon Skeleton, we can just kill him and barge into the Celestial Dungeon to retrieve the wisp of dragon aura for ourselves."
The other two suggested.
Violent demonic energy then engulfed the surroundings as the three of them launched their attack.
Three demonic windigo projections hundreds of feet tall shot out from the top of their heads and converged, forming a massive demonic windigo that was 300 feet tall.
Trampling across the heavens, its four hooves galloped through the air. The almighty demonic force streaked across a hundred miles as it rushed towards Xiao Ran, sweeping away everything else in its path.
"No wonder she wanted to drag all of you into the Celestial Dungeon together. She had scammed you guys into becoming her fighting goons for free." Xiao Ran muttered as realization dawned upon him.
With the three of them working together, they had already unleashed the power of Profound Realm Level 1.
"Phoenix Essence Sword Technique!"
With the augmentation of Sword Intent, he executed this Heaven-rank Superior-grade sword technique.
Using his hand as a sword, a golden light emanated from his palm. The moment the terrifying Sword Intent materialized, it instantly sliced through the barricade formed by their auras and soared into the clouds.
All life and matter in the world came to a standstill before this Sword Intent.
Screech!
Golden light burst forth. A golden phoenix thousands of feet tall materialized in the air, morphing into a streak of sword light that could cut through time, plunging down from the heavens.
As all life and matter stood frozen in time,
the three demons remained rooted to the same spot. Behind them, a terrifying sword beam thousands of feet wide appeared.
The sword energy then went berserk and launched a vicious onslaught on the small courtyard.
Xiao Ran sauntered over and looked at the three corpses, nodding in satisfaction.
He collected their corpses and in one big stride, left swiftly.
Not long after he left, several Lords Amethyst Sword of the Divine Sword Guards appeared.
Pooh!
They were all Grand Masters, but they were still unable to withstand the lingering sword energy. They tried hard to fend it off but in the end, they each spat out a mouthful of blood.
One of them yelled in terror. "Hurry up and get out! Go get Deputy Sword Master Qin!"
When Qin Fangzhen arrived, despite utilizing his powers to the maximum to invoke his spirit energy to form a protective force shield around his own body, it was still difficult for him to take a step forward. He struggled valiantly until he reached the inner courtyard.
The remaining sword energy in there then struck him with full force and deflected him outwards violently. "Quickly get Deputy Sword Master Fang!"
Report chapter
Chapter 24: Beryl Lotus Brilliance Sword
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"My Lord, don't tell me even with your powers you can't make it in!" One Lord Amethyst Sword blurted out without thinking.
Qin Fangzhen stood up with a black face and gave him a hard whack on the head. "What nonsense! There is nothing that I, the Deputy Sword Master, can't do!"
"Didn't you just ask us to go get Deputy Sword Master Fang?"
Pow!
Qin Fangzhen whacked him again and then glared at him. "You heard wrong."
He noticed that they were staring at him suspiciously.
Qin Fangzhen silently cursed and swore at this bunch of moronic subordinates. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and then said pompously, "Watch carefully. How can a mere Sword Aura stump this Deputy Sword Master?"
He walked to the door again.
He turned around and saw all his subordinates staring at him.
"F* k!" Qin Fangzhen was very displeased.
Looking at the sword energy in the courtyard, he could feel how terrifying it was just by standing at the door.
This was just the residual energy left behind by the other party's attack. If it had been the actual force aimed directly at him, he reckoned that he would have gone across the bridge to Hell by now.
"Absolute Heavenly Python Force."
He invoked this Heaven-rank Low-grade technique at its maximum strength and concentrated it to form another protective barrier around his body again. Once more, he entered the small courtyard, slowly but steadily.
The keen sword energy charged towards him again.
He was like a small boat drifting in the open seas, in danger of capsizing at any moment.
"Hold on now." Qin Fangzhen clenched his teeth.
He pushed himself forward with much difficulty.
He was drenched in cold sweat, but his eyes were ablaze with determination.
A few minutes passed.
He had stagnated at the half-step into the Profound Realm all these years. The bottleneck had never once loosened for him. Now, under the galvanizing repelling force of this terrifying sword energy, he sensed an opportunity to break through.
"Heaven… Heaven-sent opportunity!" Qin Fangzheng was getting more excited.
Outside the door,
several Lords Amethyst Sword were gathered around.
The guy who had been whacked on the head earlier said, "My Lord wouldn't be stubbornly holding on in there just to save face, right?"
"You're out of luck. You'll be in deep sh*t when he gets back!"
"Didn't you see how the Lord got sent flying by the sword energy? Yet you still rubbed it in."
"Don't worry! It's no big deal. It's just a few months of toilet washing."
Under the merciless mocking by his comrades, the Lord Amethyst Sword's face crumpled up in agony and he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Is it too late for me to go in and apologize?"
Whump!
Inside the courtyard, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly shook and trembled simultaneously. A huge thunderous convulsion could be felt coming from inside.
With the courtyard as the center, all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was being rapidly absorbed by a powerful force.
The subordinates rushed over for a look. It seemed that Qin Fangzhen was about to break through.
"Haha…" An ecstatic laughter came from the courtyard.
Qin Fangzhen marched out of the courtyard.
Bang.
The courtyard also collapsed at this moment, turning into a heap of debris.
"There's nothing that I can't do. How can a mere streak of sword energy stop me?" Qin Fangzheng shouted out boastfully.
"Judging from the residual sword energy and demonic aura, it seems that a powerful expert had exterminated some demons here not long ago.
"Congratulations, my Lord, for breaking through to the Profound Realm. From now on, the whole world is your oyster and may your aspiration to reach the zenith of martial arts be triumphant," the subordinates hurriedly switched to bootlicking mode.
…
In his Jingwen Square home,
Xiao Ran sat on the daybed to check his gains.
After subduing the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag and the three windigo demon brothers, the Golden Tome of Creation opened to two pages. One displayed the crimes of the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag, while the other showed the crimes of the three brothers.
They might not be very smart, but their crimes were heinous.
They had committed more crimes than the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag. If there was anything they could solve with brutal force, they would use force and not waste their breath.
Many innocent people perished at their hands.
He obtained 400,000 Mastery Points from eradicating the Thousand-year-old Ageless Hag and 30 years of soul evolution.
As for the three windigo demon brothers, they only contributed one thing: the Beryl Lotus Brilliance Sword (Consummate Numinous Treasure).
He added the 400,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Phoenix Essence Sword Technique: Dominating Refinement
His Spiritual Master Evolution made further advancement. However there were still seventy years before he could break through to the Earth Realm.
He drew out the Beryl Lotus Brilliance Sword. There was a lotus floral motif engraved on the blade and a double-bloom lotus engraved on the hilt.
The elegant blade was aglow with beryl-hued radiance. It gave off a soft low hum as the keen sword energy gently wafted outwards.
"I have gained an appropriate weapon now." Xiao Ran remarked happily.
He swung his sword once or twice, and the sword energy effortlessly sliced through space.
He put away the Beryl Lotus Brilliance Sword, extinguished the oil lamp, and fell into a deep slumber.
On this day in the Celestial Dungeon,
the atmosphere was more oppressive and heavy than usual. Two more dungeon guards had their vitality corroded away by the foul sinister atmosphere, and their corpses were placed on the ground.
When Xiao Ran arrived, Little Zhou made a shushing gesture and pointed at the corpses on the ground.
"Bury them and inform the Ministry of Revenue to send the compensation payment to their families," the lieutenant ordered with a stony countenance.
Four dungeon guards walked up briskly and hauled the two corpses away.
"I have just received news from the higher-ups. In 15 minutes time, an enforcer from the God Enforcement Division will come to take away the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect," the lieutenant said.
"My Lord, didn't the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect become retarded?" A dungeon guard asked.
"They intend to use him as bait. Display him at the marketplace and execute him after seven days."
They were setting up a trap to lure the remaining members of the Sky Devil Sect into revealing their whereabouts.
It seemed like the previous incident had not gone down well with the God Enforcement Division. It was hard to imagine that they had to resort to such barbaric methods.
"The God Enforcement Division does not have enough manpower. The higher-ups want us to send some men over to maintain law and order. Which one of you wants to volunteer to go there?" The lieutenant asked.
All the dungeon guards lowered their heads.
Although the Celestial Dungeon was dangerous, at least they did not have to come face-to-face with death.
If they were to go over to help, the remaining members of the Sky Devil Sect might clash with the enforcers and hurt the innocent in the process. They would probably be wiped out in a single sweep.
Seeing that no one volunteered, the lieutenant began selecting names.
As the name selection was about to end, he read out two more names, "Little Zhou, Xiao Ran."
"Ah! My Lord, I am not married yet." Little Zhou put on a pitiful countenance.
"Didn't you go on a blind date yesterday?"
"I-I…"
"Speak!" The lieutenant's expression darkened.
"They were not human." Little Zhou muttered grudgingly with his head lowered.
Everyone looked at him doubtfully.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no way to hide it anymore. Little Zhou spilled out all the details. "They were all ghosts. There were three of them in total. Luckily, they were killed by the Divine Sword Guards who were passing by."
"Haha…"
The oppressive atmosphere was instantly dispersed by the waves of raucous laughter.
Some people were on the verge of tears.
"Stop laughing! Be serious." The lieutenant chided.
He patted Little Zhou's shoulder playfully. "Was she beautiful?"
"My Lord, now you're bullying me."
Hahaha!
The lieutenant could not hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
After a while the laughter subsided.
"This is not a matter of whether you are married or not. Besides you, there are dozens of other comrades who are going there. Some of them are single like you. At least you are luckier than them. You have been on a blind date."
The barely subsided laughter erupted again.
After assigning the tasks, the lieutenant gave the chosen men 10 minutes to get ready before falling in again at the hall.
Xiao Ran entered the Purgatory,
and stopped in front of the Deluge Dragon's cell.
Looking at Xiao Ran standing outside the cell door, terror welled up in the Deluge Dragon's heart again. He struggled violently, causing the chains to rattle noisily.
"There are so many demons imprisoned in the Purgatory, and many of them have higher evolution levels than me. Why are you only picking on me?"
Xiao Ran opened the cell and entered.
"We get along well."
The Deluge Dragon had nowhere to vent its bellyful of grievances and glowered at him resentfully.
He took out the three windigo demons' corpses from his Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt and tossed them in front of him. "You still feel aggrieved?"
Report chapter
Chapter 25: Getting to Know the Cruelty Of Reality only after Breaking Through
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"For me?" The Deluge Dragon asked in bewilderment.
He licked his lips greedily and stared at the three windigo demons' corpses.
When he saw Xiao Ran nod, he thought about how this fellow was going to draw his dragon blood again later and decided to vent all his anger on these three corpses.
He swallowed them in one gulp.
Boom!
Demonic energy burst forth and an overbearing force emanated from his body. Billowing demonic energy congealed into thick plumes that surged outwards.
In an instant, he had broken through to Level 1 of the Profound Realm.
"Break now!" The Deluge Dragon growled.
The powerful demonic power broke the confinement seal on his shoulder bones and shattered the chains, allowing the dragon to break free completely.
The Illusion Technique vanished and he reverted to his true form.
A Deluge Dragon more than 100 feet in size paced the ground, his whole body gleaming in magnificent sage green.
Two eyes as big as lanterns revealed coldhearted glints of light.
Sage green light swirled turbulently around his whole body, accompanied by the dragon's almighty force.
"Aren't you afraid?" The Deluge Dragon teased him, like a cat teasing a mouse.
"Have you lost your mind?" Xiao Ran asked.
"I've already reached the Profound Realm. My shoulder bones are unsealed, and my evolution has advanced. As long as I'm fast enough, before anyone realizes it, the capital city will no longer be able to confine me."
Xiao Ran frowned. "That shouldn't be!"
The Deluge Dragon stared back in confusion.
"Why didn't you become a True Dragon after you broke through?" Xiao Ran asked out loud the question in his heart.
The Deluge Dragon's expression turned dark. Immeasurable hatred welled up in his eyes. It gritted its fangs. "One of my dragon tendons has been extracted, so I can't become a true dragon for now. However, as long as I'm given some time, a new dragon tendon will grow. At that point, I can become a true dragon."
"Ah, I see." Xiao Ran nodded.
At the moment, the Deluge Dragon's bloodline purity had reached 99%. It was just one small step away from reaching that final goal.
As the dragon had reached the Profound Realm, using the dragon blood to refine his body was very effective.
"It's time for us to settle the score. How do you plan to repay me for drawing my dragon blood so many times?" The Deluge Dragon narrowed his eyes and sneered threateningly.
"You've become arrogant with just this small achievement?"
The Deluge Dragon nodded with self satisfaction. "No matter how vast and wide the world is, it can no longer confine me."
"What you need is a good down-to-earth thrashing." Xiao Ran shook his head.
With a single stride, thousands of golden rays radiated outwards.
The Deluge Dragon could see it clearly, but surrounded by this flood of golden light, no matter how he struggled, he could not invoke the demonic power in his body. He could only watch helplessly as the foot stomped on his body.
Pow!
An earth-shattering and mountain-shaking convulsion rippled outwards. Fortunately, the Purgatory was sturdy enough and everything remained intact.
After Xiao Ran stopped, he looked at the dragon and inquired, "How do you feel now?"
The Deluge Dragon trembled and curled up in a ball. "I like to stay in jail."
"There's no need to force yourself, you know?"
"Cross my heart."
"The world is so vast and wide, can it still accommodate you?" Xiao Ran asked again.
"It doesn't have to be that big. I'm satisfied with just a small cell."
"You have come to your realization very quickly." Xiao Ran concluded with satisfaction.
As Xiao Ran walked over, the Deluge Dragon cooperatively released its demonic energy, allowing Xiao Ran to seal his shoulder bone and bind him in chains.
He reached out his right limb and said, "Help yourself."
This time, Xiao Ran filled five bottles until the dragon felt weak before he stopped.
"The world outside is very dangerous. Don't think about breaking out of prison if you have nothing better to do," Xiao Ran said.
He walked out of the cell, locked the door, and left.
"W-what is this evil demon's power? I've already broken through to the Profound Realm, and I'm using my true form to boot. Why can't I defeat him?"
At the thought of this, the Deluge Dragon fell into despair.
He looked at the surrounding cell walls. Could it be that he was going to be imprisoned here for eternity?
Xiao Ran passed by the Eldest Princess' cell.
She was sitting on the chair drawing. When she heard footsteps outside, she looked up and the serenity in her calm mind was broken.
"I won't be around during this period of time. Get someone to look for me if there's any problem," Xiao Ran said.
"What will happen to me if you leave?"
"Bear with it." Xiao Ran shrugged and left.
When he reached the ninth floor, he turned into the rest chamber.
He took out the dragon blood and drank it.
The effects of a Profound Realm dragon blood were twice as strong as before. With five bottles of dragon blood in his stomach, his physical body evolution increased tremendously.
"It tastes really bad! Perhaps it will taste better after his dragon tendon has grown out," Xiao Ran said.
When he returned to the antechamber on the first floor,
everyone was already assembled.
The lieutenant did not chastise Xiao Ran for being late. The group simply waited quietly.
Powerful footsteps could be heard coming from outside.
The guys from the God Enforcement Division had already arrived. The one leading them was a Divine Constable. Behind him were three Saint Constables, followed by ten more Eminent Constables.
The God Enforcement Division's official designations were very intriguing.
The commander was the Chief Divine Constable, followed by the Divine Constables, the Saint Constables, the Eminent Constables and lastly, the ordinary members.
Even the lowest level Divine Constable was a Grand Master Realm expert.
"Greetings, my Lord!" The lieutenant hurriedly saluted.
"Have you made the arrangements?" The Divine Constable asked.
"Everything has been arranged."
"Where is he?"
The lieutenant waved his hand and two dungeon guards escorted the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect out from the back of the building.
"Bring him and follow me," the Divine Investigator ordered.
The whole group followed in his wake.
The Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect was personally escorted by the enforcers from the God Enforcement Division. Xiao Ran and his group simply tagged along behind them.
At the back of the crowd,
"Brother Xiao, my eyelids are twitching a lot. Is something bad about to happen?" Little Zhou was worried.
"It doesn't matter how big the problem is, someone will be there to solve it," Xiao Ran said.
Once out of the Celestial Dungeon,
the prison carriage had been waiting for a long time. They hauled him up and tied him up securely. The team had grown bigger again.
Apart from Xiao Ran and the rest, there was also a team of 200 Imperial Guards present.
Xiao Ran recognized the lieutenant in the lead. He was the one who had spent money to buy the last slot to practice in the Sword Aura at the Ink Jade Pavilion from him.
With such a huge formation walking on the streets, it created a huge impact, and news spread very quickly.
Petite Six Inn
was an ordinary inn.
In the backyard,
in one of the rooms, a woman dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat sat on the proprietor's seat in an aloof manner. The powerful aura emanating from her caused the people in the room to breathe timidly.
The closer one got to her, the colder the surrounding temperature became.
She was the Heavenly Enchantress, the first deputy sect master of the Sky Devil Sect.
Besides her, the remaining few people were also the higher-ups of the Sky Devil Sect. They held high positions and wield tremendous authority. If they so much as stamped their feet, the whole Sky Devil Sect would feel the earth-shaking tremors.
"Is this news true?" The Heavenly Enchantress asked in an icy tone.
Elder Zhao nodded solemnly. "This news has already spread far and wide. Our men have reported that the Sacred Progeny is on his way to the marketplace under heavy security escort. The Imperial Court has set up an inescapable web over there. Once there, it will be extremely difficult to rescue the Sacred Progeny."
"How far are we from the marketplace?"
"Based on their progress, they will arrive in fifteen minutes."
The Heavenly Enchantress fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.
After a while,
"The Sect Master has already emerged from seclusion and will arrive at the capital city the day after tomorrow. We must save the Sacred Progeny before the Sect Master arrives at the capital city," said the Heavenly Enchantress.
Thinking of how terrifying the Sect Master was, everyone fell silent.
"If we are to attack now, we will likely end up falling into their trap," Elder Zhao cautioned.
"Is there another way?" The Heavenly Enchantress asked.
Everyone was speechless.
"Pass down the order. In fifteen minutes time, when they relax their guard at the point of transfer in the marketplace, we will swing into action." The Heavenly Enchantress ordered.
The convoy moved forward.
Little Zhou became more and more worried. "Brother Xiao, if I apply for leave now, will the lieutenant beat me to death?"
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Chapter 26: Earth Realm
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Rule number eighteen of the Celestial Dungeon Legislative Act. Anyone who deserts at the last minute will be executed without exception. For three generations, the family members are not allowed to take up official posts or conduct commercial business," Xiao Ran reminded him.
"I was just joking." Little Zhou shrank back.
At the marketplace,
the number of onlookers had increased by several times. The execution stage was already set up.
There was a square-shaped platform surrounded on all sides by enforcers from the God Enforcement Division.
The Divine Constable stopped and gave the Sacred Progeny of the Sky Devil Sect an icy glance. His piercing gaze swept over the crowd as if he was trying to uncover the remaining members of the evil sect in the crowd. He waved his hand and ordered, "Bring him up!"
Two dungeon guards were just about to step forward and bring him out of the prison carriage to the execution stage
when something unexpected occurred.
More than ten loud thunderous claps boomed out as they landed on the ground.
Boom…
An explosion could be heard as black smoke billowed out. It was thick and dense, covering a radius of several thousand feet.
The Sky Devil Sect disciples who were hiding in the crowd dashed out towards Luo Xuan.
The Divine Constable's lips curled up in disdain. "Just as you expected, my lord."
Along with three Eminent Constables and ten Eminent Constables, they stood beside Luo Xuan and watched the scene unfold in stone cold silence.
The guards on the periphery were just ordinary members. Under the merciless charge of the Sky Devil Sect disciples, they could offer up no resistance at all.
There was also black smoke blocking their view, severely affecting their fighting ability.
In just a while,
the members from the Sky Devil Sect had slashed their way through and engaged the dungeon guards in a fierce battle.
"Brother Xiao, what should we do now?" Little Zhou was panic stricken as he gripped the Silver Light Sword tightly.
"Go with our gut feeling," Xiao Ran said.
"Should we join in or not?"
"You think you've got what it takes?"
Looking at the Silver Light Sword in his hand, Little Zhou shook his head and said honestly, "No, I don't!"
"Go stay by the side and take good care of yourself," Xiao Ran instructed.
"What about you?"
"Just take care of yourself."
"Okay." Little Zhou left hurriedly.
He found a safe place to lie down and play dead.
"This fellow…" Xiao Ran was dumbfounded.
The situation on the battlefield changed again.
The more powerful members of the Sky Devil Sect swung into action and dashed out from their hiding places and headed for Luo Xuan.
Just as they appeared, the Inescapable Web set up by the God Enforcement Division was activated.
Over a hundred people from the God Enforcement Division joined in the battle and held them back.
"To think that Ji Dongyang had to resort to such despicable methods. He had brought complete disgrace to the God Enforcement Division." A cold snort burst out in the air.
It boomed out like a peal of thunder in everyone's ears.
Those of lower evolution levels were sent airborne by the boom.
Demonic force rapidly surged forward as it descended from the sky.
The Heavenly Enchantress flew out from within, bringing with her a group of higher-ups from the Sky Devil Sect.
"I'll hold them back while you guys rescue the Sacred Progeny," said the Heavenly Enchantress.
She disappeared in a flash, leaving behind an afterimage that wafted away.
She appeared in front of the Divine Constable and his subordinates. With a scornful look on her face, she yelled, "Get lost!"
With a downward press of her fair hand, the whole ground trembled violently. A gigantic palm imprint blasted towards them in overbearing force.
"Attack together and stop her!" The Divine Constable's expression changed drastically.
As he stared at the rapidly approaching giant palm imprint, he could smell the fear of death from it. He did not hold back and frantically launched his counter-move. "Mystic Abyss Divine Sword!"
The resplendent sword light flashed out and multiplied over a hundred times rapidly before slashing towards the Heavenly Enchantress.
The three Saint Constables and ten Eminent Constables attacked at the same time and charged towards her.
The palm imprint of demonic light plunged down, and the impact sent all of them airborne.
The Heavenly Enchantress was just about to follow up with another move when an aura locked onto her.
A Deputy Chief Divine Constable walked to the front and reached her in a few strides.
"It doesn't matter what method we use. As long as it can kill all you monsters it is a good method," said the Deputy Chief Divine Constable.
"Is that so?" The Heavenly Enchantress struck immediately.
A far greater amount of demonic force burst forth, rushing towards him in a ruthless charge.
The Deputy Chief Divine Constable was fearless and engaged her stroke for stroke.
As the two experts exchanged a flurry of attacks and counter-attacks, no one dared to go near them and kept clear of a thousand feet radius.
At this moment,
Elder Zhao and the others from the Sky Devil Sect had reached Luo Xuan by now. The Divine Constable who was injured by the Heavenly Enchantress and three other hidden Divine Constables emerged to stop them.
It was a free-for-all melee.
However, the Sky Devil Sect was determined to risk their lives for this rescue. If anything were to happen to Luo Xuan, they would have to face the music when the Sky Devil Sect Master arrived. All of them were giving everything they had.
On the other hand, the enforcers from the God Enforcement Division had many misgivings and did not have the same steely determination to give it everything they'd got.
On top of this, the earlier Divine Constable had been severely injured by the Heavenly Enchantress and he was the first to lose his life.
"You guys hold them off. I'll go rescue the Sacred Progeny," said Elder Zhao.
He invoked his technique at its maximum power and charged towards Luo Xuan.
"They call this an Inescapable Web?" Xiao Ran pursed his lips in disapproval.
Seeing that the rescuer was less than three steps away from Luo Xuan, Xiao Ran took action.
The spiritual soul energy of True Realm Level 10 converged and materialized into an embroidery needle. It swiftly and accurately pierced through the Elder Zhao's forehead.
"Ah…" A ghastly scream was heard and Elder Zhao's dead body collapsed to the ground.
That got rid of him.
Looking at the remaining higher-ups of the Sky Devil Sect, his spiritual soul energy split into three streams and assassinated all of them from devious and crafty angles.
As they were still rooted in their original positions, when the attacks of the three Divine Constables landed on them, their dead bodies were instantly destroyed.
"W-what's going on?" a Divine Constable asked suspiciously.
"Don't look at me. I don't know either."
"Why are you thinking so much? They died at our hands anyway. No one can take the credit away from us."
The other two chimed in.
The three of them looked at one another and tacitly agreed with this proposition.
"What do we do now?"
"You guys go and help the Deputy Chief Divine Constable. I'll go and deal with the remaining members of the Sky Devil Sect."
After discussing their strategy, they immediately parted ways.
The Divine Constable charged into the mass of bodies. With his Grand Master evolution, he eliminated these rookies effortlessly. It was as if he had entered a state of no return.
The remaining two Divine Constables rushed over to assist the Deputy Chief Divine Constable.
Both the Heavenly Enchantress and this Deputy Chief Divine Constable had evolved to the level of half-step to the Profound Realm. As they were of the same level, neither could gain the upper hand.
Now with the help of two Divine Constables, the Deputy Chief Divine Constable was given an additional boost and with their combined powers, they kept the Heavenly Enchantress at bay with a flurry of blows.
Seeing that the battle no longer held any suspense, Xiao Ran retracted his gaze.
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared. It opened to a random page and revealed the information of the four fallen demons as well as the crimes they had committed.
The crimes the Elder Zhao committed were much more heinous than the other three combined. Many innocent women had died at his hands.
Even if he was dismembered ten times, it would do nothing to ameliorate his wrongdoing.
Golden light swirled out and three items appeared. 700,000 Mastery Points, 70 years of soul evolution, the Heavenly Slave Divine Finger (Heaven-rank Superior-grade).
He added the 700,000 Mastery Points to the Phoenix Essence Sword Technique.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Phoenix Essence Sword Technique: Perfection
With the enhancement of his soul cultivation by seventy years, he had made a breakthrough in his evolution as a Spiritual Master and attained the Earth Realm, which was comparable to the Profound Realm of Martial Arts.
With the power unleashed by his spiritual soul energy, he could easily kill a Level 1 Profound Realm expert.
Heavenly Slave Divine Finger: None
Effect: Enslave all living beings, subject them to such intolerable torture that they don't know whether to live or die.
"Not bad, I have not expended effort in vain." Xiao Ran said with a smile.
By this time, the black smoke had almost dissipated, and everyone could clearly see their surroundings. Little Zhou came over and asked, "Brother Xiao, what are you doing?"
"Aren't you supposed to be playing dead?" Xiao Ran joked with him.
Little Zhou got a shock and made a shushing gesture. "My good brother, don't talk nonsense. It's my treat, you can have fun at Chunfang Court."
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Chapter 27: Painting Spirit
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"We'll talk about this later. The remaining members of the Sky Devil Sect can't hold on any longer. Hurry up and go snare yourself a few heads." Xiao Ran gave him a kick.
"Okay." Little Zhou came to his senses and jumped into the melee.
He swung his Silver Light Sword enthusiastically and managed to grab three felons from the hands of the enforcers of the God Enforcement Division and chop off their heads before the battle ended.
Looking at the remaining battle comrades,
"Despicable! You God Enforcement Division scum only knows how to bully others with numbers?" The Heavenly Enchantress spat out.
"Against monsters like you, who cares about ethics?" The Deputy Chief Divine Constable mocked.
The three constables joined hands and left another three-inch deep cut on her chest.
"Now's a good opportunity." The Deputy Chief Divine Constable's eyes lit up.
He rushed up to her and shouted, "Yang Energy Infused Heavenly Dragon Palm!"
Boom!
The Heavenly Enchantress was sent flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood along the way.
Following this move, she invoked her technique at its maximum force and turned into a plume of demonic smoke to flee far away. An exasperated voice sounded from afar, "I will return to make you guys pay a heavy price for today's insult."
"If you can leave the capital city alive, we can discuss further." The Deputy Chief Divine Constable sneered.
He quickly went in hot pursuit of her with the two Divine Constables.
Within moments, there was no trace of them anymore.
"That's it?" Xiao Ran was indignant.
The so-called Inescapable Web was almost broken through.
It was no wonder the demons could infiltrate and hide among the onlookers, and even climbed to the top.
The remaining Divine Constable walked over and stopped in front of Luo Xuan.
"Father, I want to eat candy." Luo Xuan clamored with a silly smile.
"I did not father such a vile creature like you."
Sending out a palm strike at lightning speed, the violent palm force destroyed Luo Xuan along with the prison carriage.
"Clean up the execution ground," ordered the Divine Constable.
"My Lord, what should we do?" A dungeon guard couldn't help asking.
"Your department's performance is not bad this time. When this matter is reported, the reward will be distributed tomorrow. There's nothing else for you guys to do here, you can go back now!"
When they set off, there were a total of fifty men. When they returned, only eighteen men were left, and amongst them, eight were injured.
At the Celestial Dungeon,
the lieutenant's face turned black as coal. In his rage, he kicked the tables and chairs over and bellowed, "Are those guys from the God Enforcement Division all morons? They knew that the Sky Devil Sect would try to rescue him, yet they only sent these few people! Who do they think they are?"
A few minutes later,
after the lieutenant's angry outburst, he composed himself to face reality.
Losing so many men at once made things difficult for him!
He paced around on the spot a few times. The more he thought about it, the more angry he became. He could not take this lying down. "No! I must seek justice for our fallen comrades from Lady Ling."
His gaze landed on Xiao Ran and the rest.
"You've all worked hard this time. You've all done well. You haven't brought disgrace to our Celestial Dungeon. Other than the rewards for killing enemies, I'll apply to the higher-ups for each guard to be rewarded with 1,000 taels, and those with injuries will receive triple the amount."
"Thank you, my lord!"
"I will give you guys three days off. Have a good rest during this period of time," the lieutenant instructed.
Xiao Ran and the rest left.
It was already nightfall when they left the Celestial Dungeon.
"Brother Xiao, it's very late now. Tomorrow afternoon, at the entrance of Chunfang Court, I'll get Old Zheng and the rest to join in the fun," said Little Zhou.
"Be careful on the way back," Xiao Ran said.
"Okay," Little Zhou answered.
Back at his home in the Jingwen Square,
Xiao Ran stopped outside his house. There were blood stains on the ground that extended all the way until the doorway where they disappeared.
"I have guests?" Xiao Ran mused.
Immense spiritual soul energy swept out and scanned all the rooms.
A woman laid on the ground, covered in injuries. There was a shocking sword scar on her chest that almost took her life.
"Isn't that the Heavenly Enchantress?" Xiao Ran asked curiously.
He pushed open the door and entered.
"You, who are you?" The Heavenly Enchantress asked weakly.
She looked at the Eldest Princess in the painting with a fearful expression.
"Don't tell me you were injured by her?" Xiao Ran pointed at the painting.
"If it weren't for the fact that I was injured by those scum from the God Enforcement Division, I could have easily destroyed this painting with a wave of my hand."
"Huh? Did she turn into a painting spirit?" Xiao Ran exclaimed in surprise.
A stream of purifying spiritual force entered the painting.
Golden light burst forth, illuminating the painting. The Eldest Princess walked out from the painting, and her aura grew stronger, reaching Master Realm Level 2.
"Who would have thought that a painting done on a whim could give birth to spiritual awareness," Xiao Ran said.
With a wave of his right hand,
the golden light disappeared and the painting returned to its original state.
Pulling over a chair and pouring out some tea for himself, he asked with interest, "Are there any more of your sect's remaining members in the capital city?"
"You think I'll tell you?"
"Didn't think so! People like you will not behave unless you are taught a little lesson," Xiao Ran said.
The Heavenly Slave Divine Finger hit the gaping wound on her chest.
This finger technique's mastery level was none. As he was using it for the first time, the execution was a bit clumsy.
However, it was sufficient to deal with the Heavenly Enchantress.
"Ah…" The Heavenly Enchantress screamed out in pain.
It was as if countless little people were stabbing her soul with needles. She rolled on the ground in excruciating pain.
"It can produce such a good effect?"
He launched two more consecutive finger strikes.
The Heavenly Enchantress could not take it anymore and begged for mercy.
"Almost all of our members in the capital city have died at the hands of the God Enforcement Division. In addition, we have failed to rescue the Sacred Progeny and have suffered heavy losses in the process. However, our sect master will arrive in the capital city in two days' time."
"Where will he be staying?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Petite Six Inn, the secret lookout for our Sky Devil Sect. Other than the higher-ups in the sect, no one knows about it."
"Go slowly on your way to the underworld, wait for your Sect Master." Xiao Ran said.
With that, he exterminated her.
The Golden Tome of Creation flipped open to a page and revealed her crimes.
Scumbag!
Although she looked pretty, she was in reality a serial killer who had taken countless lives, in particular those of innocent young men.
The golden light swirled about, showing two items: 500,000 Mastery Points, 40 years of Martial Arts evolution.
He apportioned 100,000 Mastery Points to the Heavenly Slave Divine Finger and 400,000 Mastery Points to the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Heavenly Slave Divine Finger: Cursory Trial Level
The Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill was still at the same level as before. This was a whopper of a technique, and the Mastery Points required to level up was a lot.
The purifying spiritual force increased in power again. He was 135 years away from breaking through.
He disposed of her body, turned off the lights and went to sleep.
The next day,
Xiao Ran woke up leisurely and stretched lazily. He looked at the rising sun and thought that he could have a good rest during the three-day break.
He took out ten drops of spirit water and drank them, slowing down his aging and maintaining his appearance permanently.
At noon time,
he left the house and headed for Chunfang Court.
When he passed by the Drunken Immortals Court, he noticed it was still under reconstruction.
"Have you heard? Something big has happened at Dragon Lake Institute, and a certain precious treasure seems to have been stolen."
"I can confirm this. The husband of my aunt's sister-in-law works at the Dragon Lake Institute. He confirmed that the precious treasure has indeed been stolen."
"I have relatives working in the Celestial Dungeon. They said that dozens of students have been sent to the Celestial Dungeon for interrogation by torture."
The hawkers nearby were deep in discussion.
Xiao Ran listened for a while. He left after realizing they were basically repeating the same thing and flattering each other.
At the Chunfang Court,
only Little Zhou was there.
"Brother Xiao, you're here."
"Where's Old Zheng and the rest?" Xiao Ran asked.
"Actually they had half a day off in the afternoon. When I went to the dormitory to call them, I was told that they had been summoned by the Lord due to an urgent matter in the Celestial Dungeon." Little Zhou said.
He looked around furtively and spoke in a low voice.
"I heard that something was stolen at the Dragon Lake Institute. The principal was very angry. All the students who were in the institute last night were thrown into the Celestial Dungeon."
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Chapter 28: Sky Demon Skeleton
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"I heard about it on the way here." Xiao Ran nodded.
Little Zhou was taken aback. "Didn't the higher-ups said to keep it a secret? Why are they spreading it so widely?"
On thinking further, he eventually understood.
The news of the Dragon Lake Institute's precious treasure being stolen and dozens of students being imprisoned was such a big matter that it couldn't be hushed up.
"This has nothing to do with us. Let's go for a drink," said Little Zhou.
They entered the Chunfang Court.
Little Zhou asked for a private room and requested for a few ladies to accompany them but Xiao Ran rejected the proposition.
"Brother Xiao, we have agreed that I'll give you a treat to enjoy yourself. You're making things difficult for me."
"Are you unhappy that I am saving money for you?"
"I'm happy that other people are saving money for me, but Brother Xiao, you've invited me to enjoy myself so many times. Just buying drinks alone doesn't cost much. I feel bad."
"It's the thought that counts." Xiao Ran took a sip of wine.
He looked at Little Zhou curiously.
"How did your father handle that matter about your blind date?"
At the mention of this matter, Little Zhou was so angry that he slammed his fist on the table. "He was almost scared to death. He immediately brought his men to settle the score with the person who arranged everything. The other party didn't know either, but they still had to pay a small price before my father would let this matter rest."
"Ah," Xiao Ran answered.
His countenance turned bitter again. "My father said that he will find a more reliable matchmaker this time and arrange another blind date for me in a few days."
"Is he really your biological father?"
"More than a biological father."
"Didn't you ask why?" Xiao Ran asked.
"I did. He said that it's too dangerous to work in the Celestial Dungeon. People die at the drop of a hat. While I'm still healthy, he wants me to quickly produce an heir for the Zhou family."
Xiao Ran gave him a thumbs up.
Little Zhou couldn't take it anymore. This matter was too pathetic. He requested for four ladies.
"Brother Xiao, are you really not joining in?"
"You go ahead."
"I won't stand on ceremony then." Little Zhou said.
He hugged two of the girls and left.
Immediately after he left the room, he returned again.
"Isn't two enough?" Xiao Ran asked.
Shaking his head, Little Zhou pointed outside and said, "My Lord has sent someone over."
Old Zheng came in from outside. He waved his hand and shooed the ladies out. Then, he grabbed a glass of wine and emptied it in one gulp "Wonderful!"
"State your business," Xiao Ran said.
"Many comrades from the Celestial Dungeon perished in yesterday's mission. The higher-ups are doing the coordination, but the newcomers have not been dispatched here. At this time, dozens of students are imprisoned, we are overstretched."
"Weren't we given three days off?" Little Zhou interjected.
"The Lord himself is already getting involved with the chores personally. What else do you want?" Elder Zheng glared at him.
"F*ck! Why can't you come earlier? I've already paid for the ladies." Little Zhou cursed out with a look of displeasure.
Back at the Celestial Dungeon,
the lieutenant was standing beside an elderly man. Besides them, there was another student. It seemed that he was his student.
"My Lord, are you looking for us?" Little Zhou asked.
"Yes." The lieutenant nodded.
"This is the renowned Great Scholar of the Dragon Lake Institute, Wen Fuxian. This is his student, Chen Wenheng, and they are in charge of interrogating the suspects regarding the matter of the stolen precious treasure."
After introducing their identities, the lieutenant began assigning tasks.
"The two of you are in charge of interrogating the people locked up on the ninth floor. They are more suspicious. You can use torture as long as you don't kill them."
"What if they take revenge later?" Little Zhou was worried.
The lieutenant smiled icily. "Don't worry, just do it."
As the two of them were about to leave, he stopped Xiao Ran.
He handed over the document and the Ethereal Pouch.
"Xiao Ran, you shall execute the Horse Demon imprisoned in the Purgatory first."
"All right." Xiao Ran accepted the items.
Upon reaching the ninth floor, the two parted ways and Xiao Ran proceeded to the Purgatory.
When she saw that he had returned, the Eldest Princess put down the brush in her hand and asked curiously, "Weren't you transferred out temporarily?"
"The matter is settled, so I came back."
"I want to eat the white lotus cake from the palace."
"I'll inform the Lieutenant later," Xiao Ran said.
As she looked at his departing figure, the Eldest Princess didn't say anything eventually. She had wanted to ask why he was able to restrain the sequelae that resulted from her practicing the Nine Heavens Evil Spirit Purification Skill.
He stopped outside cell number 102,
opened the door and walked in.
He laid out the torture devices and wiped them clean. The document required him to remove all of the demon's materials.
"Can you listen to me tell a story before taking action?" The Horse Demon's expression was serene.
"Sure."
"Once upon a time, there was a pair of father and daughter. The father treated his daughter as the apple of his eye. If she wanted the moon in the sky, he would think of ways to pluck it for her. But one day, his daughter went out, and when she returned, she brought back an injured man.
Her father wanted to kill him, but was stopped by his daughter. As time passed, the man's injuries gradually recovered. The two of them developed feelings for each other over time and eloped while his father was away.
When the father returned, he saw a letter left by his daughter.
Desperately controlling himself from going mad, his father searched the whole world for his daughter. When he finally found her, she was lying in her grave.
The father burst into tears. After investigating the cause of his daughter's death, he found out that the two of them had gotten married after she eloped with him.
Later on, the man received news that the county governor's wife was seriously ill. Unless she was given a demon's heart of the Connate Realm level, the illness was incurable. The governor offered a handsome reward. Whoever obtained a demon's heart of the Connate Realm level and above would be rewarded with the position of a high official.
In order to gain the position of the official, the man used flattery to make his daughter dig out her heart. He then took the opportunity to cut off her head.
By the time the grieving father found him, he was already a county magistrate. He was also the provincial governor's son-in-law.
In his rage, he killed their entire family," said the Horse Demon.
Xiao Ran remained silent. They were on different sides and they had different priorities to take into consideration.
Nonetheless, he eventually said, "In the laws of Heaven, there exists reincarnation and retribution. Bad guys will eventually get their just desserts."
"Thank you for listening to me tell this story," said the Horse Demon.
He invoked his powers to ignite his bloodline, interweaving it to form a secret hollow compartment.
"This is the innate divine ability of my Pegasus Tribe. Since you took the time to listen to my story, I will give you a big present."
A complete skeleton flew out from this secret compartment.
As soon as the skeleton appeared, a terrifying aura emanated from it. Just the aura alone was enough to compress the space into emitting a mournful wail. A thick and dense demonic energy blanketed the sky. In just a few breaths' time, the prison cell had been transformed into a demon forbidden ground.
"This is a Sky Demon Skeleton," said the Horse Demon.
As his bloodline burned away, his last breath also dissipated.
"Have a good journey," Xiao Ran said.
His palm shone with golden light as he grabbed the skeleton.
Under the force of the golden light, the skeleton shrank rapidly, becoming a miniature version about the size of an infant. However, the concentrated demonic energy became even more terrifying.
"Don't tell me that the Sky Demon Skeleton is of the level of Profound Realm or higher?" Xiao Ran guessed.
He put it into the Seven Treasures Rainbow Jade Belt.
He stood looking at the horse demon's corpse for a while. The demon was already dead, but the Golden Tome of Creation didn't appear and no crimes were revealed. He then carried his intact corpse to Earth fire.
"You are the first demon that made me make an exception," Xiao Ran said.
He threw his complete body into the Earth fire.
The fiery flames engulfed his corpse.
Back at the antechamber on the first floor,
he passed the Ethereal Pouch and the document over to the lieutenant. As he looked over the document Xiao Ran said, "I failed."
"Just this once, no more exceptions." The lieutenant had always thought highly of him and gave him greater latitude.
"The Eldest Princess wants to eat the white lotus cake from the palace."
"I will send the request over. After they have prepared it, I'll get someone to pass it to you."
Xiao Ran left and returned to the ninth floor. Little Zhou hurriedly waved at him. "Brother Xiao, come quickly."
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Chapter 29: Profiteer
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Why are you so flustered?" Xiao Ran asked.
Little Zhou lowered his voice and said, "I did a simple interrogation just now. The six of them were very tight-lipped and refused to speak."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Brother Xiao, you are very resourceful. Do you have any good ideas?"
"None." Xiao Ran entered the cell.
Dozens of students of Dragon Lake Institute were imprisoned, and according to the degree of suspicion that fell on them, they were distributed to cells on different floors of the Celestial Dungeon from the first to ninth.
The more suspicious they were, the lower the floors they were sent to.
There were a total of six people imprisoned on the ninth floor, which indicated that these six were the most suspicious.
Upon seeing Xiao Ran enter, one of the imprisoned students yelled at him, "Let me out! I'm innocent."
"What is real cannot be faked, and what is fake cannot become real," Xiao Ran said.
"I want to see the principal. You guys are torturing us to get a forced confession."
"Spirit Shifting Soul Control." Xiao Ran activated this skill.
Golden light flashed in his eyes and a series of ripples emanated forth. With his current Spiritual Master evolution, the strength of his spiritual soul energy was not something the student could withstand.
Under the golden light, the student's consciousness became blurred until he fell under Xiao Ran's complete control.
"Tell me what you were doing last night."
"At nightfall, I read some articles and turned off the lights to sleep when I felt sleepy."
Xiao Ran withdrew the Spirit Shifting Soul Control technique. He left the cell, locked the door and entered the next cell.
Just like that,
he interrogated five people in a row, but none of them were responsible.
When he arrived at the last cell, although the student saw that there was a new dungeon guard assigned, his face was still expressionless. He seemed rather calm, though inwardly he was very nervous.
Xiao Ran was different from Little Zhou.
They were both dungeon guards, but their auras were different. A single look or movement from Xiao Ran could bring about immense pressure.
"You're different from the rest. You're not noisy," Xiao Ran said.
"Since the principal has ordered the Divine Sword Guards to investigate this matter and lock us up in the Celestial Dungeon, we will never be able to clear our name before the matter is fully investigated. Making a fuss at this time will only bring trouble to ourselves." The student said with a bitter smile.
"Your temperament is not bad," Xiao Ran replied.
The Spirit Shifting Soul Control was activated to control him.
"What were you doing last night?"
Boom!
Immense Righteous Energy shot out from the top of his head. Righteousness and saintliness combined to form a golden light, wanting to protect his consciousness and break Xiao Ran's spiritual technique.
"Huh! He actually attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy?" Xiao Ran let out a soft exclamation.
The higher-ups only said that these students were budding talents who were being specially nurtured. None of them were known to have attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy.
If a student had attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy, he would not have been thrown into the Celestial Dungeon. Every enlightened student was a treasure of the academy. Even if he had made a mistake, they would deal with it internally and not let the Divine Sword Guards interfere.
Following this line of deduction,
the logical conclusion was that this student deliberately concealed his Immense Righteous Energy, perhaps worried that others would discover it.
"Get back," Xiao Ran barked out.
His purifying spiritual force gushed out, pushing this little bit of Immense Righteous Energy back into his body. Once again Xiao Ran was in control of his consciousness.
"Speak!"
"Some time ago, Chen Wenheng got really lucky and bought three paintings at the Qingyuan bookstore. These three paintings were all created by a Sacred Hand. Every painting can help one to achieve enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy. He had absorbed the intent in one of the paintings and attained enlightenment, becoming a personal disciple of the institute, receiving one-on-one coaching.
Although the higher-ups tried their best to hush up the news, I still managed to find out.
In order to obtain the remaining two paintings, I collaborated with Priest Wu to come up with a plan a few days ago. We took action last night. After obtaining the two paintings, we took one painting each. After he left, I was afraid of more trouble that would follow, so I utilized the intent in the painting to achieve enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy," the student recounted.
"Paintings?" Xiao Ran felt that this was very familiar.
"A monk, a great sword, and a sun. The shopkeeper of the Qingyuan Bookstore failed to recognize the intrinsic value of these paintings and sold such a precious treasure at a cheap price of ten thousand taels."
Xiao Ran's face darkened. He finally understood.
The three paintings that he had sold to the Qingyuan bookstore netted him a thousand taels each, and this profiteer had sold it for ten thousand taels each.
"I'll look for him after work." Xiao Ran thought.
He continued with the questioning.
"Where is Priest Wu?"
"After leaving the capital city, head west for 50 miles. There is a small mountain there. Priest Wu lives in a house by the river near there."
He retracted the Spirit Shifting Soul Control and left the cell.
The student was totally bewildered, completely unaware of what had just happened.
Staring at the departing Xiao Ran, he frowned in puzzlement and asked, "Why is he leaving?"
Back in the hall,
Little Zhou poured a cup of tea and handed it over. "Brother Xiao, you didn't use torture?"
"I did." Xiao Ran accepted the teacup and drank everything in one gulp.
"Let's go."
"Where are we going?"
Xiao Ran did not answer. Little Zhou eyes lit up and he asked excitedly, "You have arrived at a conclusion?"
"Yes," Xiao Ran nodded.
At the antechamber on the first floor,
"You guys came at the right time. I was about to get someone to call you over," said the lieutenant.
"What's the matter?" Xiao Ran was puzzled.
"Although the guys from the God Enforcement Division are unreliable and excel at scamming their comrades, they are still quite generous. They are not stingy when giving out rewards. In fact, they gave more than expected." The lieutenant handed two bank notes to him and Little Zhou.
Each one had the value of 10,000 taels of silver.
"The work of the Celestial Dungeon may be dangerous, but it pays well. You deserve it," said the lieutenant.
Xiao Ran accepted the banknote.
The lieutenant took out two more bank notes and handed them over.
The amount this time was 1,000 taels.
"This is the reward for you guys when I applied to the higher-ups on your behalf."
"Thank you, my Lord." The two of them thanked him.
The lieutenant asked, "Aren't you guys interrogating the suspect? Is there a conclusion already?"
"Yes," Xiao Ran answered.
He omitted the process of how the confession was obtained and went straight to the conclusion.
"I have not misjudged you. You have made another big contribution." The lieutenant said excitedly.
"I'll bear your contributions in mind. When this matter is over, the reward will naturally come."
He quickly walked over to Wen Fuxian.
"I have news for you, Sir," said the lieutenant.
He told him everything that Xiao Ran had just told him.
Whoosh!
Wen Fuxian stood up agitatedly and walked briskly towards Xiao Ran. "Is what you said true?"
"Yes," Xiao Ran agreed.
"If what you said is true, then in the matter of the Dragon Lake Institute's precious treasure being stolen, you have made the biggest contribution," said Wen Fuxian.
Bringing Chen Wenheng along, he impatiently rushed towards the ninth floor.
Xiao Ran felt that this matter was especially funny. The three paintings that he nonchalantly drew had turned into precious treasures in the eyes of others.
"There's white lotus cake inside. Send it to the Eldest Princess first." The lieutenant handed over a food container.
Xiao Ran took the food container,
and entered the Purgatory. He opened the cell door and entered, placing the food container on the table.
There were two cakes inside, and each cake was cut into six pieces. The cakes were as noble and pure as a lotus flower, filled with dense spiritual energy.
"This is the white lotus cake you wanted." Xiao Ran sat on a chair, took one piece and began eating.
The taste was not bad. The energy in one piece of white lotus cake was equivalent to three days of hard work in skills evolution.
"You're quite impolite." The Eldest Princess glared at him indignantly.
She sat opposite him, took a piece of white lotus cake and began nibbling elegantly.
After finishing the white lotus cake,
Xiao Ran reminded her, "If you can break through to the Earth Realm as a Spiritual Master, the pain might be lessened when the demonic aura erupts."
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Chapter 30: Immense Righteous Energy
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Can't you directly restrain the sequelae of the Forbidden Technique?" The Eldest Princess' eyes burned with anxiety as she asked in panic.
Xiao Ran took a sip of tea and shook his head at her expectant gaze.
"My shoulder bones have been sealed, so my spiritual soul energy is confined as well. Other than the Forbidden Technique which is able to operate unaffected on its own volition, if I want to refine my Spiritual Master evolution, unless someone is willing to…"
She stopped at this point and looked at him with feigned calmness.
Xiao Ran put down the teacup and stood up.
Collecting the food container back, he said, "I won't interfere in your matters."
He then locked the cell door and left.
"Why is this person so stubborn?" The Eldest Princess became really infuriated.
On the ninth floor,
the lieutenant and the rest were standing guard here.
"Has Her Highness eaten?"
"Not a single piece is left." Xiao Ran handed the empty food container to a dungeon guard.
"Ah." The lieutenant nodded.
A few minutes passed.
Wen Fuxian returned with his student. Judging from the agitated expression on his face, it was clear that he had verified the authenticity of what was reported.
"Your involvement in this matter ends here. Keep an eye on them and wait for the decision from above."
"Yes, sir," the lieutenant replied.
He anxiously left with Chen Wenheng in tow.
"You guys have made another contribution, and it is a big one this time," the lieutenant said with a wide grin.
"I'll give everyone a treat at the Chunfang Court, one for each guy. Of course, the prerequisite is that we have to wait for the higher-ups to disburse the rewards first," Xiao Ran said.
"Generous!" The lieutenant accepted the offer with joy.
"Now that this matter has come to a close, the break I've promised you guys will proceed as usual. Rest well for the next two days."
"Yes," Xiao Ran nodded.
The lieutenant left with his men.
Little Zhou, Old Zheng and gang were the only ones who were close to Xiao Ran.
"Little Zhou, you're really lucky this time. Thanks to Brother Xiao, you get to share the limelight and rewards. You will have to cough up a big sum to treat us," Old Zheng said enviously.
"The day after is your rest day. I will book the whole night at Chunfang Court and pay for all the expenses." Little Zhou said generously.
"That's more like it." Old Zheng grinned and punched Little Zhou's chest playfully.
After completing the shift handover,
Xiao Ran changed into a fresh set of clothes and made his way to the Qingyuan Bookstore.
This dishonest trader turned his paintings around for a profit of 27,000 taels.
When he got there,
the shopkeeper's eyes lit up and he rushed out excitedly. "Sir, you're finally here."
Xiao Ran took a step back and held him back. "What are you doing?"
"Sir, do you still have paintings in your hands? I'll pay more. Fifty thousand taels for each painting." The shopkeeper raised five fingers for emphasis.
Over the past few days, he was practically turning green from regret.
As Chen Wenheng circulated the news, the reputation of the three paintings also spread far and wide.
Other than the people from the Dragon Lake Institute guarding this place, there were also people from other academies and heaven-knows-what organizations camping outside the bookstore.
The price of one painting had reached astronomical heights.
Xiao Ran remained silent and stared at him icily.
The shopkeeper was a smart man. He took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve and handed it over. "This is 24,000 taels of silver. I only earn 1,000 taels of silver in profit for each painting."
"The matter has already passed. Is it appropriate for you to compensate me for the difference in price?" Xiao Ran asked.
Nonetheless he quickly put away the stack of banknotes proffered.
The shopkeeper's mouth twitched madly. If it's not appropriate, why did you still accept it so quickly?
"Sir, what do you think?"
"To tell you the truth, I obtained these three paintings by accident. It is no longer possible to find such masterpieces." Xiao Ran sighed.
The shopkeeper rubbed his fingers. "Then my money…"
"It's getting late, let's talk another day." Xiao Ran quickly slipped away.
After leaving the Qingyuan Bookstore,
he had walked less than a hundred steps when he sensed an aura lock onto him and tail him.
"An ambush, eh?"
With a smirk, he changed direction and entered an alley.
At the end of the alley,
a figure walked out, dressed like a Daoist priest. The Daoist robe on his body was embroidered with a Yin-Yang Taiji pattern. He stood in front of Xiao Ran, blocking his way.
"Those three paintings came from your hands?"
"Yes! Who are you?" Xiao Ran asked.
"My name is Wu Hao," said Wu Hao.
"So you're the Priest Wu that the student from the Dragon Lake Institute was referring to?"
Wu Hao was stunned for a moment before quickly recovering himself. "Has he confessed?"
"After I used a little trick, he spilled everything."
"That kid is just a waste of my time. Fortunately, I've been keeping watch at the Qingyuan Bookstore, lying in wait there. Even though the people from the big academies have left, I am still standing guard here. If I had stayed at home, I'm afraid I would have become their captive." Wu Hao spoke anxiously.
He stared at Xiao Ran.
"Wait! How did you find out such secret information?"
Xiao Ran shrugged. "I work in the Celestial Dungeon."
"After talking so much, it turns out that you are a mere dungeon guard." Wu Hao's spirits lifted.
He walked straight toward Xiao Ran. As each footstep landed on the ground, the aura of a Grand Master pushed closer.
"Tell me the origins of these three paintings honestly and I'll give you a quick death."
"You're too greedy. You have a painting of the sun and you're still not satisfied."
"Who would mind having more good stuff?" Wu Hao asked.
Green light flashed as he flew up.
Five fingers extended claws outwards, emitting a loud shrieking sound, and charging straight for Xiao Ran's neck.
"You would need to have the ability too, you know," Xiao Ran said.
The Heavenly Slave Divine Finger was activated, and golden light converged on the tip of his finger. With a point of his finger, it broke through the force field imposed by the opponent's aura and then shattered his claws, landing squarely on his chest in the form of an aperture.
Pow!
The courtyard was thoroughly destroyed and the ruins buried him. Screams of pain and agony could be heard from below.
"Show yourself." Xiao Ran stomped his right foot.
Golden light rippled outwards like a powerful wave, blowing the ruins away and revealing the fallen priest.
Enduring the unbearable torture that was worse than death, Wu Hao struggled to get up from the ground with great difficulty before fleeing into the darkness.
"You can't escape." Xiao Ran gestured again.
The priest fell to the ground once more.
Getting hit by the Heavenly Slave Divine Finger, even if it was just a finger, was not something he could tolerate.
"Ah…" A heart-rending scream came from his mouth.
Horror filled his eyes as he watched Xiao Ran walk over. "Sir, you can't kill me. I'm from the Temple of Preeminent Clarity."
"I've never heard of it," Xiao Ran replied.
With a wave of his hand, a gigantic palm imprint plummeted from the sky, pounding him to death under his shocked gaze.
Xiao Ran made a grab in the air and retrieved a painting from the ground.
He unrolled it. It was his own painting of the sun.
"After making one big round, it still returned to my hands."
The Golden Tome of Creation appeared and flipped open to a page, revealing his individual information and the crimes he had committed.
He was a Daoist priest in name, but in reality all he did was to kill and rob people.
As long as it was a treasure that caught his eye, he would try to acquire it at all costs.
As the golden light swirled around, two items appeared: 150,000 Mastery Points, and the Sanctifying Righteous Treasure Tome (Heaven-rank Superior-grade).
Sanctifying Righteous Treasure Tome: Refine the Immense Righteous Energy, invulnerable to all evil, repelling all techniques.
He added the 150,000 Mastery Points to the Sanctifying Righteous Treasure Tome.
After the Attributes were refreshed,
Sanctifying Righteous Treasure Tome: Cursory Trial Level
At the same time, Xiao Ran also attained enlightenment of the Immense Righteous Energy.
He released his Immense Righteous Energy, which clarified his heart, and relaxed his mind to a degree that he had never felt before.
"This effect is not bad."
He strode away and headed home.
Meanwhile, on the west side of the capital city, at a small mountain 50 miles away.
Wen Fuxian and a Lord Amethyst Sword with his group of subordinates were lying in ambush near the fenced courtyard.
It was already late at night and that Wu fellow had yet to return.
The Lord Amethyst Sword began to feel doubtful. "Could he have left the capital city already?"
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