A hundred zhang away, an enormous building black as ink towered into the sky. This was the Demon Suppression Division Prison. Covering more than a hundred mu, the entire prison resembled a prehistoric ferocious beast lying in wait.
It exuded a bloodthirsty, bone-chilling aura that made one shudder at a single glance.
"Baichuan, look... this is the Demon Suppression Division Prison." Yang Zhan followed beside Lin Baichuan and spoke softly. "Don't be fooled by its mere hundred mu of land aboveground. Its underground area is actually even larger. The prison holds not only demons, but also powerful figures from those wicked Outer Dao paths.
"But where we're going now is the first level. It mostly holds Soldier-class demons or Outer Dao cultivators in the Flesh Grand Realm, so it isn't too terrifying yet.
"But the second and third levels are completely different.
"I've heard that some demons and evil path experts, despite having their cultivation suppressed and sealed, are still extraordinarily sinister. A single glance from them can beguile a person's mind and make them commit suicide..."
"One glance can make someone kill themselves?"
Lin Baichuan raised his brows, inwardly alarmed.
This world truly was terrifying. Martial strength reigned supreme, and powerful experts were frightening beyond measure. He would have to keep a lower profile in the future and never let his guard down.
"Listen up, everyone. We are now heading to Area Jia-2 of the prison. When you enter, each of you will receive an identity token. The token will guide you to your corresponding cell. Your task is to slay the demon inside..."
At that moment, the icy-faced female Demon Slayer Guard who had led them here spoke. "Remember this. Though the demons you are to kill are only Soldier-Tier First-Rank Demons, they are not weak.
"If you are no match for them, crush your identity token immediately. You will then be teleported out of the cell. But the moment you crush that token, it means you have failed the assessment. Do you understand?"
"Understood..."
The hundred Apprentice Demon Slayers immediately answered in loud voices, their expressions varied.
Some were extremely nervous, their faces pale and ugly, with beads of cold sweat even forming on their foreheads. Others had gleaming eyes and were eager to try. Yang Zhan was the best example; Lin Baichuan could even see a trace of excitement in the fellow's eyes.
"Since you all understand, line up and collect your identity tokens one at a time."
The icy-faced woman waved her hand.
At once, the hundred-plus people formed a long queue. After collecting their identity tokens one by one, they entered the prison.
Lin Baichuan followed behind Yang Zhan, calmly accepting a palm-sized identity token from the female Demon Slayer Guard. The token was entirely black, apparently made from some special kind of wood. One side bore the words Demon Suppression, while the other bore a set of numbers.
First Level, Area Jia-2, Cell 32.
"After entering, turn left and walk to the end. Then go down the stairs..." The female Demon Slayer Guard swept a glance over Lu Changsheng and spoke coldly.
Her voice was icy and clear, as though it carried not the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Yes!"
Lin Baichuan nodded. Holding the identity token, he entered the prison. As the female Demon Slayer Guard had instructed, he turned left and walked straight to the end, where he indeed found a flight of stone stairs leading underground.
"Damn, why is it so cold down there?"
Some people had already gone down ahead of him. Faint cries of alarm drifted up, and Lin Baichuan frowned slightly before striding down the stone steps.
There were thirty stone steps in all, leading directly underground.
The instant he entered the first underground level, a torrent of icy Killing Intent rushed at him, making even Lin Baichuan shiver.
Damn, this wasn't just ordinarily cold!
Lin Baichuan's heart skipped a beat, and the hair all over his body rose involuntarily. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
The prison's first level was far from simple. With his current Body Refinement Ninth Stage cultivation, his blood and qi burned like a furnace, and he had long since become immune to heat and cold. Yet now he felt unbearably chilled and could not help trembling. If an ordinary person came here, they would likely suffer Killing Intent invading their body and die within three days.
"No wonder I always heard that the prison guards here were constantly being replaced. Damn, this really is a high-risk profession!"
Lu Changsheng muttered to himself, secretly feeling immensely fortunate.
Luckily, he had passed the assessment back then and become an Apprentice Demon Slayer.
There had also been refugees back then who failed the assessment and ultimately entered the Demon Suppression Division Prison.
If he had failed the assessment, he likely would have chosen to enter the Demon Suppression Division Prison as well and become a prison guard. If that had happened, his fate would have been easy to imagine.
Constantly eroded by Yin Fiend Qi, he would be lucky if his ancestors had burned incense high enough for him to live to thirty.
As Lin Baichuan's thoughts ran wild, he gripped the identity token and followed the mysterious guidance it gave him, walking step by step deeper into the prison.
The cells in the prison were all enormous. Since most of those imprisoned were demons, and some of those demons possessed colossal bodies, the cells naturally could not be small. Every cell was forged from a black metal, its surface covered in profound runes. Faint streams of light flickered over them, containing some formidable power.
These were array inscriptions, crafted by an Array Master. They could seal everything within the cells and also reinforce their defenses.
Before long, Lin Baichuan arrived at Area Jia-2, Cell 32.
He inserted the identity token into a groove beside the cell door.
Creak...
After the heavy prison door let out a teeth-aching groan, it slowly opened. Lin Baichuan withdrew the identity token, gripped his saber, and strode inside.
Imprisoned within the cell was a Green Wolf more than a zhang tall. Its eyes were crimson as blood as it stared fixedly at him. When its gaping maw opened, a nauseating stench of blood immediately wafted out.
"Kid, did you come here to kill me...?"
The Green Wolf stared at Lin Baichuan and said coldly, "You're only at the Body Refinement Ninth Stage. Who gave you the guts to come here?"
"How much strength does it take to butcher a beast like you? The Body Refinement Ninth Stage is more than enough."
Lin Baichuan sneered coldly. Before his words had even faded, he moved. With a sudden step, he charged forward. His saber left its sheath, and he brought it fiercely down upon the Green Wolf.
Clang...
The saber's cry exploded. A flash of blade light streaked forth, fast as lightning.
It was precisely the Seven Kill Saber Art he cultivated.
This was a Mortal-grade low-tier martial skill, the most difficult martial skill for Apprentice Demon Slayers to cultivate. But once mastered, its might far surpassed other Mortal-grade low-tier martial skills. If cultivated to perfection, it could even rival a Mortal-grade mid-tier skill.
"Bastard! A mere human dares to use me as a whetstone? Today, I'll swallow you alive..."
The Green Wolf roared. Its enormous claw swept out like a door plank, smashing directly toward Lin Baichuan. Even the air burst apart in its wake.
Crackle... Bang...
As the claw descended, it stirred up a terrifying Gale Wind that carved furrows into the ground like blades. The green wolf claw was as hard as gold and iron, colliding with Lin Baichuan's saber in a shower of sparks.
The next instant, an overwhelming force surged toward him, violently knocking Lin Baichuan back more than ten steps.
"So this is all the strength you have. Then you can die."
Lin Baichuan snorted coldly, his brows drawing together. He suddenly accelerated, crossing more than ten zhang like a phantom and appearing eerily behind the Green Wolf. His saber swept out, slashing toward its waist.
"Awoo..."
The Green Wolf roared. Lin Baichuan's strike was too fast, while its body was too massive for it to evade. It could only try its best to shift aside while violently lashing its wolf tail at Lin Baichuan like a long whip.
Lin Baichuan sneered. Facing the whip-like tail, he neither dodged nor evaded. Golden light suddenly flashed within his body, and his skin instantly turned a faint gold. He forcibly took the Green Wolf's strike, then swept his saber across its waist.
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