Prison Break (1)

Inside the Heavenly Desire Palace, candlelight flickered, casting dancing shadows amidst a subtle, alluring fragrance.

The Desire Zenith Sovereign reclined languidly on a gilded soft couch, her phoenix eyes swollen and red from weeping. The silk handkerchief in her hand was already soaked with tears. Suddenly, she hurled her teacup to the ground—shards of porcelain scattered, and scalding tea splashed onto the gold-threaded carpet, sending up wisps of white steam.

"It's all that Nangong Yue's fault!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with sobs. "If she had acted sooner, how could my Li Er have... have..."

The Illusion Zenith Sovereign stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the blood moon outside the window. His fingers tapped out a dull rhythm on the sandalwood desk: "Madam, if you hadn't indulged him so much, allowing him to run wild, how could he have stirred up such trouble?"

"What a heartless wretch!" The Desire Zenith Sovereign shot to her feet, the jewels in her hair jingling. Her moon-white gauze robe trembled slightly with anger. "What bewitching potion did that little vixen give you? Now you're blaming me!" She collapsed against the brocade screen, sobbing uncontrollably, her slender shoulders shaking as if she were a delicate flower about to be uprooted by a storm.

"Enough!" A golden ray of light suddenly shot from the Illusion Zenith Sovereign's sleeve, slicing the bronze lamp stand in two like a sharp blade. The candlelight extinguished, and the hall darkened instantly. "The priority now is to rescue Li Er, not to stand here and wail!"

Before he could finish speaking, light footsteps echoed from outside the hall. A maid entered, her eyes lowered, holding a letter sealed with scarlet wax in both hands. She respectfully placed it on the desk and quickly retreated.

The Desire Zenith Sovereign's fingertips trembled as she took out a jade hairpin, dipped it in a specially prepared liquid, and gently ran it across the letter. The ink gradually appeared, as red as blood.

"That little girl is sending a message..." She suddenly clenched the letter, her crimson-lacquered nails digging deep into her palm. "Li Er has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice Prison!"

"Absurd!" The Illusion Zenith Sovereign stood up abruptly, his jade pendant clinking together with a crisp sound. "With Warden's Martial Suppression Talisman still in place, how could the Ministry of Justice Prison be so easily breached?"

"It was broken long ago!" The Desire Zenith Sovereign slammed the letter heavily on the desk, and the ink-jade paperweight cracked in response. "The Northern Desert war is critical, and the Warden has gone to oversee it personally. The Ministry of Justice is just an empty shell now! Besides..." She suddenly leaned close to her husband's ear, her breath like orchids, but her voice as cold as ice, "The Heavenly Desire Palace's attitude towards the two Holy Daughters' competition is the deciding factor. Does she dare play tricks?"

The Illusion Zenith Sovereign stared at the candlelight flickering in his wife's eyes, finally sighing and slowly nodding. But as he turned away, the Desire Zenith Sovereign clearly saw that the tortoise shell hidden in her husband's sleeve was oozing ominous streaks of blood, and her heart tightened.

The next day at noon, the sun blazed fiercely, but outside the Ministry of Justice Prison, it was cold and damp, as if cut off from the world.

Four black shadows moved swiftly along the rouge markings left by Nangong Yue. The leader was agile, with a gleaming scimitar hanging at his waist. He suddenly stopped, his gaze like lightning, peering through the iron bars into the depths of the prison—

The once dashing and romantic Jade Faced Fox was now curled up like a rag doll on the moldy straw, his clothes tattered, his face pale, clearly having suffered greatly.

"Young Master Li!" the swordsman whispered.

Hearing the call, the pale face suddenly lifted, and cracked lips trembled, his voice hoarse: "Quick... they use Power Dissipation Powder every day... I can't hold on much longer..."

A cold light flashed in the swordsman's eyes, and his scimitar slashed down, severing the black iron chains!

However, at that moment, a sudden clang of gongs echoed in the distance!

"Jailbreak—" As the alarm sounded, the swordsman struck back with his blade, and with a flash of cold light, the jailer's throat was cut, and blood spurted out. But it was too late. The entire prison erupted instantly, the clash of armor, the sound of footsteps, and angry roars weaving together into a symphony of death.

"Break out!" the swordsman shouted sharply, his figure flashing like a ghost. Where his blade passed, three rushing jailers fell instantly, and a hot, bloody mist spread.

However, when they rushed out of the prison, the people on the long street had already scattered in all directions. Even more despairing, beneath the archway of the marketplace, a strict military formation had already been set up, the tips of cold iron spears gleaming with a bluish light in the sun—clearly poisoned!

"Young Duke has cast a fine net." Liu Xian's high-pitched voice pierced the stagnant air. Eastern Depot agents poured out of the alleys like a black tide, surrounding the four. He stroked the sharkskin sheath of the Heart Severing Sword, suddenly flicking his orchid fingers and smiling sinisterly: "Leave a complete corpse for this one!"

A fierce battle erupted!

Although the Heavenly Desire Palace's assassins numbered only four, each was a sixth-grade master, their swordsmanship ruthless and cunning. With each flash of cold light, limbs flew, and blood stained the bluestone of the long street red.

However, outnumbered, one assassin's left shoulder was torn open by a poisoned spear, blood gushing out. He gritted his teeth and did not retreat, instead slashing off the enemy soldier's head with a backhand blow, shouting: "Take the young master away!"

Another took the opportunity to support the Jade Faced Fox, breaking through towards the alley. However, the city defense army's heavy shields pressed down like iron walls. After the third impact, the assassin finally spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to his knees with a crash.

Just as the Jade Faced Fox was about to be dragged into the prison wagon—

"Boom!"

The entire long street shook violently! Glazed tiles on the eaves fell like a rainstorm. Everyone present felt a piercing pain in their eardrums, as if an invisible pressure was crushing their bodies!

"Who dares touch my son!"

A roar like thunder exploded, and the Illusion Zenith Sovereign's figure actually stepped out of the void, his black cloak billowing without wind, the surrounding qi surging like raging waves! He flipped his palms, and the city defense army ten zhang away suddenly bled from all seven orifices, as if their internal organs had been crushed by an invisible hand!

Li Chen Zhou's pupils shrank, and his Golden Bell Shield qi erupted instantly, colliding with this force, emitting a booming sound like a great bell! He retreated seven steps, each step leaving spiderweb-like cracks on the bluestone slabs, finally kneeling on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.

"The big fish is hooked." He wiped away the blood and sneered, but saw that Liu Xian was in even worse shape—the Heart Severing Sword had been shattered into three pieces, and he had been sent flying, his official hat rolling off, his hair disheveled, looking utterly wretched.

The Illusion Zenith Sovereign's figure suddenly blurred into afterimages, and his true body had already flashed to the prison wagon, his fingertips about to touch the iron cage—

"Clang!"

Two astonishing sword lights fell from the clouds!

"The Zenith Sovereign has quite the temper." Jin San, one of the Brocade Guard's Thirteen Grand Guards, stood in the air, dragon-shaped energy wrapped around his Embroidered Spring Blade, while Flying Eagle, the Eastern Depot's Director, used his judge's pen to point out a sky full of stars, blocking the retreat!

Under the combined attack of two fourth-grade masters, even the Illusion Zenith Sovereign had to temporarily avoid the brunt!

Taking advantage of this gap, Li Chen Zhou and Liu Xian led their men to pursue the fleeing Jade Faced Fox. Behind them, the entire long street collapsed in the battle between grandmasters, and in the flying dust, the Illusion Zenith Sovereign's enraged face could be vaguely seen.