In the dead of night.
The sound of a watchman's clapper carried from afar, only to be swiftly swallowed by the wind.
The young man with a feminine air slowly opened his eyes.
"The time has come."
At those words, the dozen or so people in the cell rose to their feet in unison.
"Finally!"
Dog Second—Li Gui—clutched his bare wrist as he stood, his face twisted with hatred. "I'm going to tear that bitch into ten thousand pieces!"
"Brother Dog, don't forget the important matter."
"Hmph!" Dog Second snorted coldly. He walked up to the heavy iron door, gathered his demonic power, and shoved hard.
The iron door did not so much as tremble.
"Don't waste your strength."
The feminine man walked over, his voice calm. "The outer walls of Yumen Pass's prison are made from specially crafted blue bricks, while the interior is cast with hundred-forged black iron. Not to mention the likes of us—even if a True Lord came in person, breaking it open would be no easy task."
"Then what do we do?" one demon asked anxiously.
The feminine man did not answer. Instead, he turned his gaze toward another slight man who had remained silent the entire time.
"It's your turn."
The man nodded, and his body suddenly shrank as his bones let out a series of sharp cracks.
In the blink of an eye, a living man had transformed into a tiny black snake no thicker than a thumb.
The black snake flicked out its tongue, twisted its body, and silently slipped through the narrow gap beneath the door.
Inside the cell, the demons all held their breath.
A moment later.
Click.
The heavy iron door was slowly pushed open a crack.
The black snake slipped back through the gap and transformed into a