After completely crushing the demon soul with an overwhelming force, Lin Shuguang took out the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman and forced out his own blood.
"Bang!"
The demon soul, transformed into a ball of energy, began burning on the spot, blazing with raging flames.
Yet under Lin Shuguang's expectant gaze, not the slightest bit of power flowed into his body.
Instead, the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman in his hand was stirred by some force, transformed into a rainbow streak, and drilled deep into Lin Shuguang's mind.
"What is this..."
Lin Shuguang froze.
Under his perception, the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman had actually transformed into a space composed of mysterious patterns, but this space was still incomplete.
Lin Shuguang fell into thought.
"It looks like an altar. It's still incomplete... Does that mean there aren't enough demon souls?"
The gates opened wide.
Rolling blood qi spread out like the dense, bloody stench that attracted schools of sharks in the deep sea.
The demon souls rampaging nearby surged toward it one after another.
They charged viciously at Lin Shuguang's blood-qi-emitting body, as if they could not wait to swallow all that blood qi clean.
In the blink of an eye, ten demon souls... twenty demon souls... fifty demon souls...
If an ordinary person had so many demon souls charging at them all at once, they would inevitably have exploded and died.
But Lin Shuguang's complexion remained rosy, without the slightest sign of depleted blood and qi.
Instead, his blood qi shot out like a rainbow, spanning the air.
The altar's runes, formed from the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman, flashed violently. As Lin Shuguang continued slaughtering demon souls, they automatically absorbed them as sacrifices.
With an endless stream of demon souls replenishing it, the altar continued to take shape.
A circular altar, its surface covered in mottled patterns, revealed boundless antiquity and vicissitude in Lin Shuguang's sea of consciousness.
Perhaps because the commotion Lin Shuguang had caused was simply too great, the Saber Prison formation—which normally would not be triggered—was activated at this moment.
The demon souls shrieked hysterically. Large numbers were shredded by the formation, while the survivors fled in panic.
Lin Shuguang inwardly sighed at the waste.
With a thought, he vanished from the lounge and unexpectedly appeared in the space within his sea of consciousness, where he observed the altar from close range.
"Before, even when my soul left my body, I couldn't bring my true body into my sea of consciousness. I never expected the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman to possess such a divine ability..." Lin Shuguang's eyes lit up. "That means that with a single thought, I can appear here. Doesn't this make it a world of its own?"
"This is good, too. The Heaven Sacrifice Talisman is a Sacred Artifact of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, and the Taiyi Immortal Sect has been outlawed by the Great Gan Dynasty. If I carried it around, there would inevitably be a chance of being discovered. Now that it can merge with my sea of consciousness, it saves me a great deal of trouble."
The Heaven Sacrifice Talisman had evolved into a Spatial Altar and hidden itself in Lin Shuguang's sea of consciousness. He did not even need to use his own mental power to conceal it—the Spatial Altar possessed divine power of its own, and no one could detect it.
"Xuanyuan City has countless experts. I used to think the Core Realm was very powerful, but now it seems that even after advancing to the Spirit Transformation Realm, I still wouldn't have the ability to protect myself. But with this Spatial Altar, no matter what danger arises, I can hide here at the first opportunity... Not bad."
After stepping out of the Spatial Altar, a noisy commotion came from the corridor outside.
Large numbers of fully armed prison guards appeared.
"The formation activated, and these demon souls were wiped out completely. That feels damn satisfying."
"How did the formation get activated? Could someone above have activated it?"
"How could that be? The energy available to operate the formation is limited. There's no need to use the formation for these demon souls. Even using a command token couldn't reach that level. It was probably triggered when some demon soul lacking sense tried to force its way into the prison..."
The discussion gradually faded. With the demon souls no longer causing trouble, the prison seemed to have gained a little more vitality.
Lin Shuguang's expression remained unchanged. He flicked a finger, and the door closed again.
No one knew what he had done.
Somewhere in the Black Prison.
"How did the formation get triggered?" Ji Feng asked curiously.
Sima Tingwei's expression did not change. "The demon souls stirred this time, and their reaction was too intense, so the formation was triggered to annihilate them."
Ji Feng suddenly understood, then sneered. "Did some old monster inside start scheming again? But being reduced to using even demon souls as a move means he must be at the end of his rope."
Sima Tingwei remained silent.
Ji Feng muttered to himself, "Your Black Prison is truly strange. You actually dare let such evil things as demon souls come here. As long as someone is willing to spend money on a formation stele, those demon souls would definitely be suppressed into perfect obedience..."
"When the Black Prison was first established, this rule was set down." Sima Tingwei calmly replied.
"From the very beginning? Was it that one, or the one from the Baojian Sect?" Ji Feng suddenly froze.
Sima Tingwei avoided the question. "If you're even afraid of demon souls, how are you worthy of calling yourself an elite of the Great Gan Dynasty?"
Ji Feng curled his lips. "The Black Prison's methods for nurturing talent are certainly unique. Right..."
He changed the subject. "Which old monster was making trouble yesterday?"
Sima Tingwei answered after a silence, "Ji Wufeng."
Ji Feng's face turned strange. "That madman from the Taiyi Immortal Sect? No wonder... No wonder they had you stationed here. That lunatic didn't make a move, did he? Back then, he caused a disturbance in the imperial capital. If His Majesty hadn't arrived in time, he could have stabbed a hole through the sky above the capital... I never expected that old monster not to have died, and to still be alive... Tsk, tsk, His Majesty is benevolent."
Sima Tingwei glanced at him without changing expression. Ji Feng silently grinned.
At their level, how could they not know why the Ancient Emperor had spared Ji Wufeng? But how could the truth be spoken so easily? Ji Feng had always been cheeky, so of course he was merely mouthing off.
"When are you returning to the imperial capital?"
Ji Feng's expression immediately soured at this. He waved dismissively. "No, no. It wasn't easy to find a chance to come out. Who would want to return to that damned place? Right, that Demoness from the Su Family has already broken through to the True Fate Realm. His Majesty specially bestowed the Ancient Protector Scripture upon her. If nothing unexpected happens, the Su Family should rise to prominence this year."
"Oh." Sima Tingwei spoke indifferently.
Ji Feng smiled. "Back then, someone from your family secretly tried to bring you and that Demoness from the Su Family together. At her cultivation speed, she'll catch up to you within two years. If His Majesty wishes it, her breakthrough speed could be even faster. Are you really not interested?"
"Not interested." Sima Tingwei was utterly composed.
Ji Feng shook his head with a light laugh. "Some things may not be yours to choose. The Baojian Sect was like that back then, wasn't it?"
Sima Tingwei remained silent.
When Ji Feng mentioned the Baojian Sect, he suddenly remembered Lin Shuguang and smiled. "Right, when I bought you the Dragon Gallbladder that day, I saw that disciple from the Baojian Sect at the Shenxiu Auction House."
"Isn't that perfectly normal?" Sima Tingwei did not take it to heart.
Ji Feng shook his head. "But what happened afterward was unusual. Isn't the Shenxiu Auction House Duke Shenhong's property? Why would his people show such respect to a disciple of the Baojian Sect? I've never heard that Duke Shenhong had that kind of relationship with the Baojian Sect back then..."
Sima Tingwei's expression also tightened. "Duke Shenhong has never concerned himself with state affairs. As for that person from the Baojian Sect... perhaps the two had an old connection."
"True..." Ji Feng suddenly understood. "That person from the Baojian Sect was, after all, one of the Sacred Mountain's right-hand men back then."
"Watch your tongue." Since this concerned His Majesty, Sima Tingwei's eyes carried a warning.
Ji Feng laughed awkwardly. "I've always had a loose mouth—you know that. His Majesty is gracious and enlightened. Surely he won't bother with a little shrimp like me." He cupped his hands apologetically.
It was as if His Majesty stood right in front of him.
After a long silence, Sima Tingwei said, "I think you should leave as soon as possible. Go anywhere, just don't stay here with me."
With Ji Feng's mouth, who knew when he might summon an imperial edict? Sima Tingwei would be dragged into trouble as well.
Ji Feng: "..."
"Sima, I spent more than three million to buy you that Dragon Gallbladder. Believe it or not, I'll curse His Majesty right now, and then say that you forced me to do it!"
Sima Tingwei: "..." After a long silence, he said nothing. He silently left the room and personally closed the door behind him.
Sima Tingwei left his quarters. Unwilling to provoke that troublemaker, he simply went to patrol the Saber Prison.
"Greetings, Lord Black Prison Envoy."
The old prison guard's eyes were sharp. He immediately closed the book in his hands and bowed in greeting.
Fortunately, Sima Tingwei did not stay long, allowing the old prison guard to let out a long breath of relief.
"Why did Lord Black Prison Envoy suddenly appear?"
"He nearly scared me to death just now. I almost choked while secretly eating something..."
"What are you panicking about? Something major just happened. Isn't it normal for the lord to come down and investigate..."
Sima Tingwei had originally wanted to go directly to Ji Wufeng's cell, but somehow, he first arrived outside Lin Shuguang's door.
He stopped there for a while.
Lin Shuguang seemed to sense something and looked up. After a while, the strange feeling outside the door vanished.
Sima Tingwei himself did not know what he had been thinking. In the end, he did not even go to Ji Wufeng's cell and simply returned home.
The night passed without incident.
Before Lin Shuguang came to stand night watch the next day, the old prison guard sought him out. As the guide assigned to Lin Shuguang by his superiors, he needed to ask whether Lin Shuguang had adapted.
"Last night's commotion was a little too great. Are you all right by yourself? If necessary, tell me, and I'll report it upward for you..." The old prison guard moved closer and lowered his voice. "The Qiao Family ran into trouble recently. The news that Qiao Shanheng was suppressing newcomers somehow got out, so he was punished and sent home. They're checking discipline strictly now. As long as you ask, no one will make things difficult for you."
Lin Shuguang shook his head. "I'm used to being alone. Having another person would be inconvenient."
The old prison guard opened his mouth. Even though he had witnessed all kinds of demons and monsters, Lin Shuguang's words left him more astonished than anything before.
For a long while, he did not know what to say. In the end, he could only force out, "The younger generation is truly formidable."
The matter of adding a Night Watcher ended there.
Lin Shuguang did not want to create more trouble. If another person were truly added, he would have to be cautious during his sacrifices. He feared that once he entered a killing frenzy, he might be unable to resist giving that person the same one-stop treatment with his blade.
Deep into the night.
Soon, it was once again the day when demons and monsters should have run wild.
But for some unknown reason, the demon souls unusually did not break into the second floor that night, and only rampaged through the first floor.
Listening to the clanging din from upstairs, Lin Shuguang's face darkened.
"You think I can't do anything to you just because you're not coming down?"
The door opened.
He strode forward, blood qi surging.
The first floor... The old prison guard's heart was in an awful state. He had just finished comforting Lin Shuguang, only for his own floor to be battered by demon souls from front to back. Heaven knew what kind of fury those wretched things had suffered, to vent it all on the first floor!
Boom!
A noise suddenly came from the corridor. The sound of something crashing against the iron doors gradually weakened, but it continued nonetheless, so the prison guards inside their rooms still did not dare open their doors to look.
Clang, clang—
The ground seemed to shake violently twice, and the sounds from outside abruptly vanished.
The demonic fog covering the corridor rapidly dispersed.
At this moment, some bold person gripped their command token, ready to activate it at any time, then opened the door and quickly peered outside. There was no trace of demonic fog, but they vaguely saw a patch of red light at the entrance to the corridor leading to the second floor...
"Wh-what's that?"
The others hurried out, but the red light had already vanished. The few prison guards who had seen it assumed that a Black Prison expert had appeared, and could not help feeling a little more emboldened.
The second floor.
Lin Shuguang silently hid inside the Spatial Altar, then secretly returned to his lounge when no one noticed.
This method of concealing himself was truly useful.
"If that's the case, then it's time to pay the Demonic Moon Sect a visit."
It was already midnight.
Just as the prison guards were growing drowsy, Lin Shuguang quietly arrived at the forging room with the aid of the Spatial Altar.
"Hey, are you still there?"
Lin Shuguang was indeed bold and reckless.
If it had been anyone else, knowing that the other party was a vicious criminal imprisoned here, who would have dared provoke him?
Yet Lin Shuguang not only did not avoid him—he took the initiative to approach.
He waited for the time it took half an incense stick to burn, but the mysterious person still did not appear.
"I'm preparing to go to the Demonic Moon Sect to obtain Void Water. I originally intended to help you, but since you missed this opportunity, forget it."
He was just about to leave.
The void trembled. "You're going to the Demonic Moon Sect?"
That voice appeared again.
Lin Shuguang's expression did not change, and he said nothing.
Only after the other party spoke did he hear, "I've sealed this place. No one knows about our conversation. Are you truly going to the Demonic Moon Sect?"
"I need Void Water." Lin Shuguang was concise.
The man fell silent for a moment. "Can you do me a favor?"
Lin Shuguang remained composed. "Senior, please speak."
The other party pondered for a moment. "The Void Water is hidden in the second secret room of the Demonic Moon Sect's treasury. When you enter to retrieve it, if you can also bring me the Three Yang Needle, I will definitely give you an opportunity."
Lin Shuguang was not tempted. Instead, he asked, "Senior has been imprisoned here for so many years. Can you still guarantee that the information is accurate?"
"I have my own methods." The man fell silent for a moment. "Once you bring me the Three Yang Needle, I can tell you some things. In addition, there will be another opportunity."
Lin Shuguang smiled. "Senior, since you even know the Demonic Moon Sect's location, you must also know that a True Fate Realm expert currently guards it. I'm merely at the Spirit Transformation Realm. I'm probably not enough to be noticed."
The mysterious man chuckled softly without getting angry. "Little fellow, don't try to fool this old man. Since you've decided to go, how could you lack the means to protect yourself..."
Lin Shuguang had not expected this fellow to be so troublesome. Wasn't it said that people became muddleheaded with age? Was this person human or a ghost?
He said coldly, "I have no precedent of extending credit."
The other party immediately fell silent.
Lin Shuguang began to wonder. Could this fellow really have nothing to offer?
"Forget it. Since this is a cause and effect, this old man will repay it..."
Before Lin Shuguang could react, a streak of light shot out of the void.
A prompt from the Pay-to-Win System appeared in Lin Shuguang's mind:
Recharge 200,000 Gold Leaves to learn the Void Chaos Art. Recharge now?
Before you continue