The Demonic Path and the Divine Prison Bureau Shaken
In the far distance, another demonic sect.
Deep within the sect, in a secluded chamber where the sun never shines, a withered old man suddenly opened his eyes.
On the long table in front of him, there were more than a dozen communication tokens neatly arranged.
Each one corresponds to an alliance of various sects and factions within the demonic path.
But just now, one of the tokens suddenly cracked and shattered into dust.
The token is engraved with the word "spirit", which means Demon Spirit Sect.
The old man's pupils suddenly contracted.
He reached out and lightly touched the shattered powder with his fingertips, his face turning deathly pale.
The Demon Spirit Sect's communication tokens were all shattered.
This means that all the high-ranking members of the Demon Spirit Sect who had contact with him, from the sect leader to the elders and from the elders to the core disciples, were dead, not one of them was left.
But what terrified him even more was something else entirely.
Within his body lies a wisp of a demonic avatar.
The Demon Heaven God's main body was trapped in the eighteenth level of the Divine Prison, but his clones were scattered outside, each responsible for contacting a demonic force.
The clone in this sect is connected to the clone in the Demon Spirit Sect.
But just now, that connection was severed, completely severed, leaving not even a trace of remnant energy.
Its clone is likely doomed.
The withered old man slowly stood up, his lips trembling slightly. He remembered, he remembered what the clone had said before it left.
It said it was going to the Divine Prison to save its original self.
It said it had found a Grand Commander of the Divine Prison Bureau, assimilated him, stolen the key, and that the day of its escape was just around the corner.
But now, it's dead.
The Divine Prison, the Divine Prison —how many years have passed, yet it's still so terrifying?
That clone, a demonic illusion formed from Lower First-Level Law, was completely ineffective against by ordinary means. Yet it died, and died utterly, leaving not even a trace of its spirit behind.
What terrifying beings exist within the Divine Prison?
The withered old man slowly sat back down on the futon, folded his hands on his knees, and exhaled deeply.
Fortunately, he didn't follow. His clone was slightly weaker than the one from the Demon Spirit Sect, but not by much.
If he also went to the Divine Prison, his fate wouldn't be much better than that of his clone.
He closed his eyes, severing the connection completely, and stopped thinking about the Divine Prison.
The original body has been trapped on the eighteenth level for tens of thousands of years, but at least it is still alive.
As long as he stays hidden in this sect, without showing his face or drawing attention, no one will notice him.
If such a terrifying existence still exists, he never wants to go near the Divine Prison in his entire life.
The higher-ups of the Divine Prison Bureau have been restless these past few days.
The newly appointed commander-in-chief Pei Xuandu, has disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead.
The fact that a Grand Commander of the Divine Prison Bureau Division with a cultivation Tenth Realm could disappear into thin air within the Divine Prison is a momentous event in itself.
What shocked them even more were the clues they discovered during the subsequent investigation.
Before his disappearance, Pei Xuandu secretly sneaked into the eighteenth floor and lingered for a long time in front of the prison of the peerless demon god, Demon Heaven God.
He used the Grand Commander's token, and the dark gold key that should have been locked deep inside the key vault.
He went so far as to almost unleash the Demon Heaven God.
"Why didn't he succeed?" In the council hall of the Divine Prison Bureau, an elderly commander with white hair slammed his fist on the table, his face ashen. "Since he was able to obtain the key, reach the eighteenth level, and stand before that demon's prison, why didn't he break the seal? Why did he himself disappear?"
No one can answer that.
The deacons in charge of investigating the matter exchanged glances, and finally whispered, "Pei Xuandu showed signs of assimilation. His mind had long been corrupted by the Demon Heaven God, turning him into a puppet. But just as he was about to break the seal, he seemed to encounter something, and then... that was it."
"What happened?" the old commander pressed.
"... I don't know. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, no residual fluctuations of laws, and even the seal was intact. Pei Xuandu seemed to have vanished into thin air, while the demon was still sealed on the eighteenth level, his aura stable and without any unusual movements."
A long silence followed in the council chamber.
An elderly deacon slowly spoke, "Could it be... that some peerless master is hidden within the Divine Prison?"
The moment the thought crossed everyone's mind, a chill ran down their spines, but no one dared to think any further.
The Divine Prison has existed for countless years, even older than the Heavenly Dragon Divine Dynasty.
It's not impossible that there might be one or two unknown entities hidden inside.
But who exactly was that person? And why did they make their move just as Pei Xuandu was about to break free from his seal? No one knows the answer.
Meanwhile, the world outside has indeed changed.
Jing Prince Zhao Zheng, who entered the Capital under the banner of "purging the court of corrupt officials," did not ascend the throne after eliminating Wei Changgeng's faction.
He helped the young emperor to remain seated on the throne, while he himself became regent.
Some in the court urged him to ascend the throne, but he only replied, "The bloodline of the late emperor is still alive; how can I, a prince, overstep my bounds?"
He compared himself to the Duke of Zhou, saying he would assist the young ruler and return power to the court.
That sounds nice, but nobody really believes it.
But it must be admitted that Zhao Zheng is indeed a skilled fighter.
The first thing he did was to rectify official corruption.
After Wei Changgeng's cronies were completely eradicated, he did not place his own cronies in the vacant positions, but instead selected a group of capable officials from various regions.
There were scholars from humble backgrounds who had passed the imperial examinations, Martial General from the border armies, and some former officials who had been suppressed by Wei Changgeng for many years.
These people were extremely grateful to him and worked exceptionally hard for him.
The second task was to quell the rebellion.
The Prince of Pingnan in the Southern Border refused to submit and raised an army in rebellion.
Zhao Zheng personally led a large army south and conquered the fiefdom of the Prince of Pingnan in less than three months, capturing him alive.
The Marquis of Dinghai in the Eastern Border also responded, but he was also defeated by Zhao Zheng's generals and eventually surrendered.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Duke of Zhenxi in the Western Border took the initiative to submit a memorial to apologize and relinquish his military power.
In just two years, Zhao Zheng managed to stabilize the situation in the Heavenly Dragon Divine Dynasty.
The people finally breathed a sigh of relief. Trade routes reopened, farmland was cultivated again, and the market gradually came back to life.
The jailers in the Divine Prison whispered among themselves, all finding it quite unexpected.
That Jing Prince was decisive and ruthless, yet he never usurped the throne.
The young emperor still sat on the dragon throne, attending court every day. Zhao Zheng stood at the head of all the officials, bowing respectfully.
Some believe he genuinely supports the young ruler, while others think he is waiting for a more opportune moment.
Regardless, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Dynasty did not completely collapse.
Although it is riddled with holes and its foundation is rotten, at least on the surface, it is still holding on.
From today onwards, Chen Du will be patrolling the first level.
A young jailer returned from outside, muttering about the interesting things he had heard, "I heard there's been another uprising in the south. The leader is a Ninth Realm cultivator who's leading a bunch of peasants to attack cities and seize territory. It's been going on for months."
Finally, the regent sent troops to suppress the rebellion, and the leader was executed on the spot, his body displayed on the city wall for three days.
Chen Du paused for a moment, but did not turn around.
What was that person's name?
The young jailer thought for a moment and said, "It seems his surname is Gu, and his name is Gu Changqing. I heard he used to be a doctor, quite famous among the common people. I don't know what he was thinking, giving up a perfectly good doctor position to rebel."
Chen Du continued walking forward, his steps returning to their previous rhythm.