The Xiezhi Dark Prison, Trouble at the Door

"I don't recall having any guests from Original Response Temple visit today?"

Fei Ye Shui's tone was indifferent, yet it made Funeng and the old monk protecting him feel a chill in their hearts. The old monk's white eyebrows twitched, his neck straightened, and he stepped forward, clasping his hands in prayer:

"Ma Mangqin, the steward of the scripture hall at Original Response Temple, greets you two fellow practitioners."

Fei Tianqin, his anger undisguised, said in a deep voice, "My younger brother has already said that the Fei Household has no guests from the Snow Mountain Circuit this time. Monk, have you heard me or not?"

Ma Mangqin, after all, a top-tier Golden Core from a first-rate Nascent Soul sect like Original Response Temple. Although he was no match for the old bird in front of him, he was not intimidated by the Three Words.

He formed a finger-pinching gesture with his hands, and a flash of spiritual light appeared at his fingertips, instantly forming a palm-sized scroll in his palm.

The old monk chanted a Buddhist prayer again, and a swastika-shaped Buddhist light emanated from his palm as he presented the spiritual silk to Fei Ye Shui. The latter glanced at it briefly, and the swastika-shaped Buddhist light dissipated on its own before it even reached within a foot of him.

When the silk scroll fell into Fei Ye Shui's hands, the old monk on the other side swallowed hard, almost vomiting blood. He thought to himself, "Shouldn't Fei Ye Shui have died of old age long ago?! Even if he's not yet on his deathbed, he shouldn't have so easily destroyed my Buddhist teachings!"

Seeing the old monk's discomfiture, Fei Tianqin chuckled, and the Fei Household cultivators in the hall also felt quite pleased.

Original Response Temple is indeed the ancestral temple of the Esoteric Buddhism of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, but in the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, it is not up to an old monk who has not even achieved Golden Core mastery to manifest his divine power here.

Even Han Chengfeng and Shu Yuanjiang, the two foreign guests, and their escorts were slightly surprised to see this scene.

Sect Leader Kang Da habitually huddled in a corner, also showed some surprise. It was widely rumored that Fei Ye Shui and Fei Tianqin, one a scholar and the other a warrior, had carved out a place for the Ying Prefecture Fei Household in the Capital Circuit, which was surrounded by Nascent Soul cultivators.

I initially thought Fei Ye Shui was good at winning people's hearts, but I didn't expect that his actual skills were far superior to those of his peers. Perhaps he didn't have the deep foundation of the Fei Household's veterans, but he was probably not much different.

Even if his methods were foiled and he suffered a silent loss, Ma Mangqin, as Nascent Soul disciple, didn't need to be overly wary of Fei Ye Shui. He swallowed the phlegm rising in his throat and declared loudly:

"Fellow Daoist Fei, please take a look. The Luochuan Baili Household has relinquished their spot at this Ice Mallow Grand Gathering to our temple, and this spiritual silk is proof of that."

Fei Ye Shui scrutinized him for a moment without speaking. Fei Tianqin then spoke in a harsh voice, "You think the Baili Household just gave up like that? Don't you know..."

Ma Mangqin was prepared. Before the old bird could finish speaking, he interrupted, saying, "The silk scroll bears the seal of the Baili Household, which Senior Fei may verify. My humble disciple and I have traveled from the Great Snow Mountain to the Capital Circuit with the permission of several nearby True Person. We hope Senior Fei will recognize our authority."

Upon hearing this, the Fei Household inside the hall reacted in various ways, Gong Butong Wen Mountain Cult, and Su Changqiu, the young master of the Yuelu Su Household, who had also come as unwelcome guests; neither showed any unusual reaction.

Fei Ye Shui read through the dozen or so seal characters on the scroll one by one. When he looked up, his face remained expressionless, showing no joy or anger. He simply curled the corners of his mouth and softly murmured, "Since this is the will of all the True Person, what more is there to say? Please, fellow Daoists, take your seats, and let us begin."

Ma Mangqin led Funeng in another clasped-hands bow, and as the latter walked, he seemed to glance in the direction of Sect Leader Kang Da, intentionally or unintentionally.

The arrival of the people from Original Response Temple made the already less-than-joyful atmosphere even more oppressive. After solemnly reading a draft of welcoming remarks, Fei Nanxi, who was presiding over the grand event, began to explain the rules of the Fei Household Ice Sunflower Gathering:

"The Five-Spirit Ice Mallow's leaves embody the Five Elements, its stems conform to the Eight Trigrams, its effects harmonize Kan and Li, and its power draws in the stars. It is a precious Core Formation the Ying Prefecture Fei Household. To repay the kindness and kinship of all families over the years, we are holding this Ice Mallow Grand Gathering, inviting all the outstanding talents to showcase their skills."

At this point, Fei Nanxi pointed to the sky, and a section of the sky slowly collapsed. A vortex several meters in diameter slowly emerged, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi was so violent and chaotic that even ordinary True Cultivator who used their divine eyes to look at it felt as if their pupils were being burned by fire, and tears welled up in their eyes.

In terms of pupil techniques alone, even surrounded by superior cultivators, Sect Leader Kang Da could be considered a top expert, so he wouldn't be harmed by the vortex of Spiritual Qi. He focused his gaze and saw that the Spiritual Qi around the vortex seemed to be guided, gradually calming down. He silently recited in his mind, "Xiezhi Dark Prison."

The three unwelcome guests might be clueless, but the three members of the Fei Household main branch and the three outsiders, Kang Dabao, already knew what the Fei Household was going to compete in at this Ice Sunflower Gathering.

The cave that Fei Nanxi led to was not the complete Xiezhi Dark Prison, but rather a narrow entrance to the Xiezhi Dark Prison Fei Dongwen, another member of the Fei Household, who held the post of "Deputy Supervisor of the Demon Correction Office" in the Immortal Dynasty.

The Demon Correction Office of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty has fallen from its immense power in the early years of the dynasty to its current state of decline, though it still retains some real power compared to other departments.

This Xiezhi Dark Prison is the cave abode passed down by the successive supervisors of the Demon Correction Office Division. As the name suggests, it is used to supervise evil cultivators who have been listed on the Evil Cultivator List and brought back to their homes.

While the Kuang Household clan had indeed lost much of its influence elsewhere, it still retained some prestige in several regions around the capital.

In short, the general idea is that the imperial power radiates outwards from Great Abyss Capital as the core, and the farther away the emperor is, the more his power declines.

However, even within this small area, the Demon Correction Office's nameplate is still quite valuable.

Every year at the end of the year, the prefectures and counties surrounding the capital would, to show respect and maintain appearances, send over, to varying degrees, some of the Demon Correction Office Evil Cultivator List to report.

These captured monks could not all be killed in vain.

The Liangxi and Haibei regions are plagued by rampant demonic scourges, requiring the deployment of soldiers; the treacherous spirit mines throughout the Imperial Clan Court urgently need miners to work and support the inner court; and the various supervisory offices of the Privy Treasury Bureau) for alchemy, weaponry, talismans, formations, and agriculture also require manpower.

Even the lowest and most useless ones were assigned to female officials by the various brothels and courtesans for training, and used as food for spirit beasts by the various departments of the Imperial Stud, and were still required to shine for the Kuang Household clan.

As for whether these criminals imprisoned in the Demon Correction Office will encounter situations similar to those of Devil Cultivator from the outside world who extract marrow from bones, skin and tendons, and refine them into cultivation resources.

At times, these rumors did cause a stir, but in reality, they were all just baseless speculations, and at least no Demon Correction Office.

The Demon Correction Office divided the prisoners under its control into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Each class had three, nine, twenty-seven, and eighty-one cells, totaling one hundred and twenty, which were placed in the Xiezhi Grotto-Heaven.

Now, the first three classes are mostly empty, while the last class is overcrowded.

Today, Fei Nanxi opened one of the Bing Six Prison Chamber, which held those deemed the most heinous criminals by the Demon Correction Office. Once the Imperial Ancestral Temple issues the Enlisted Army Talisman, they will all be incorporated into the slave army and sent to various border regions to serve as human walls.

Kang Dabao and the others understood, but one of the unwelcome guests, Wen Mountain Cult Gong Butong, spoke first with a question, "This junior has presumptuously spoken. May I ask what the senior means by this?"

With his knowledge, he wouldn't be unable to recognize the cave abode of the Xiezhi Dark Prison.

Before coming, I thought that this visit would simply be a contest in the arena witnessed by the elders of both clans, and that the winner would be decided. But now it seems that the Ying Prefecture Fei Household has put some other ideas into this.

"Young friend, don't be impatient, let me explain slowly." After answering, Fei Nanxi stroked his long beard and continued, "Most of the people in the Bing Six Prison Chamber are True Cultivator who have been escorted from various prefectures in the past twenty years. They are all destined to live for a lifetime."

However, most of them were stubborn individuals who struggled relentlessly when they were arrested, so most of them were seriously injured. As of today, it is unknown how many have died and how many have recovered.

Previously, my family's Clan Elder Dongwen had already dispatched a group of Demon Correction Office Bureau to inventory the Spirit Artifact and tools of these evil cultivators from back then, and only ten days ago did they send people into the prison cells to deliver them to various places.

Today's Ice Mallow Grand Gathering will be counted based on the number of evil cultivators' souls within. Early-stage True Cultivator's souls will be counted as one, mid-stage True Cultivators' souls as three, late-stage True Cultivator's souls as ten, and if False Core is encountered, it will be counted as one hundred.

"I, along with my fellow young friends, will have protectors outside to verify the situation using Mirage Qi Screen. The prison is equipped with all-seeing eyes, ensuring that your achievements will not be overlooked."

When Fei Nanxi spoke of this, the expressions of the three escorts of the unruly guests changed slightly, but before they could speak, they heard the former read in a deep voice:

"However, these prisoners are all guilty of heinous crimes and are ruthless individuals. If any of your noble families suffer any loss in this Xiezhi Prison, my Fei Household cannot bear the consequences."

After chuckling twice, Fei Nanxi stroked his long beard and addressed the assembled protectors with a serious expression. "Therefore, if none of you fellow Daoists have any objections, we must first have it written down as a record, to avoid any unnecessary formalities later that might damage the relationship between our two families."

As Fei Nanxi spoke, he took out a piece of silk that already bore the seals of the Han, Shu, and Fei families. The old man from the Wen Mountain Cult took it first, pondered for a moment, and then wrote his name. The beautiful woman from the Yuelu Su Household also hesitated for a while before writing her name. Only Ma Mangqin, the manager of the scripture hall of Original Response Temple, didn't even look at it before putting pen to paper, showing quite a bold attitude.

Fei Nanxi gave the handsome monk behind the old monk a careful look, said nothing, and simply waved her hand, summoning the spirit silk back to her hand with a gentle breeze.

He turned and walked to Fei Ye Shui, presenting the clothes for the latter to examine. After that, the old cultivator flicked his sleeves, and the last trace of spiritual violence surrounding the vortex in the sky completely dissipated.

"In that case, please, my young friends, take your place."

As soon as Fei Ye Shui finished speaking, the spiritual silk in his hand extended into a hundred-zhang-long ladder leading to the vortex. Kang Dabao and the other nine people held their breath and transformed into streams of light, shooting into the Xiezhi Dark Prison.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da could feel the intensely hot gaze directed at him from behind, which almost melted his robes, yet his expression remained unchanged.

Having survived countless brushes with death, Kang Dabao became increasingly appreciative of his own life. However, he was also very clear that since defying fate was something he couldn't avoid, he shouldn't be afraid.

"So what about the powerful clans of the capital, or those True Person appointed by the emperor? Let's compare your lives with those of a peddler from Pingrong County and see whose life is more valuable."

---- Cloud Horn Prefecture, Jin County

"Sir, the air is thick with moisture and lightning is appearing; traveling by airship now would be somewhat risky."

The second-in-command of the Double Brightness Caravan was a short- True Cultivator from the Stone Mountain Sect. He was on duty at the bow when the helmsman came to report, so he Swift Movement to the cabin to inform Ming Zhe.

The latter stopped his hand seals, opened the glass window, and beckoned in a wisp of outside air. After examining it for a while, he confirmed that True Cultivator the short-bearded cultivator had said was true.

At this time, the thunder and flame energy contained in the sky is beyond the ability of the magic arrays engraved on their Second-Tier Lower-Grade flying boat, which is mainly used for trading, to withstand.

We must slow down our journey, otherwise, if a bolt of lightning strikes and destroys the flying boat, our sect leader will likely be heartbroken for some time.

Under the light of the Spirit Stone lamp Ming Zhe frowned. The centipede-shaped, twisted scars on his face had mostly healed after using the spirit medicine given to him by Fei Shuhe, and were not particularly noticeable unless under the strong light at that moment.

He tapped the low table in front of him lightly with his knuckles, and the original chessboard lines on the table gradually disappeared, revealing a very clear map.

A dot of light on the map marked the current location of the caravan's airship. Ming Zhe had led his team through the surrounding mountains and rivers many times before and knew them by heart. He only needed a quick glance to make a decision.

He said gently, "Fellow Daoist Lao Wu, please have the helmsman disembark from the flying boat. Heading west, according to the pack animals' pace, it should only take half an hour to reach Old Wood Valley to rest. There, you'll find two small Qi Refinement clans, the Fang and Hui, both kind and respectful people. We'll give them some Spirit Stone, let them rest for a while, and then continue our journey once the weather clears up."

The True Cultivator surnamed Wu stroked his short beard, thinking to himself that the Chongming Sect was indeed as dogmatic as depicted in picture books.

With the strength of their own caravan alone, they could probably easily wipe out two Qi Refinement clans ten times over. It's truly strange that Ming Zhe still needs to pay Spirit Stone just to find a place to stay.

However, the Chongming Sect, and even their own sect leader, who is the head of the Pill Master, cannot speak up in front of Kang Dabao. Ming Zhe is in charge here, so the Wu surname True Cultivator would not say much and simply agreed respectfully and went to make the arrangements.

Several flying boats landed in a spiritless canyon and were then True Cultivator in Storage Bag by several cultivators assisting the caravan.

These flying boats, designed specifically for carrying people and goods, were presented to the Double Brightness Caravan by Ingenious Craftsman Fort, the new head of Xiu Ming. Although they were large, the materials used were not very refined, and the workmanship was only rough, so they were unremarkable.

Moreover, the protective arrays of these flying boats occupy a very small area, and most of the inscriptions are carved using mustard seed arrays, so that they can be stored in Storage Bag.

The rest of the caravan members also had no rest. Those assigned to guard the caravan moved about wielding magical Law Artifact, while the majority of the cultivators began to release batches of pack animals from their spirit beast pouches in an orderly fashion, loading the goods unloaded from the flying boats and continuing their journey.

These low-level spirit beasts of the foolish were not in a good mood. While the cultivators had their magic robes to ward off water and fire during the torrential rain, the fur of the pack animals would be soaked through.

In addition, these goods, weighing tens of millions of stones, are extremely heavy. If the cultivator leading the way doesn't offer a handful of fresh white alfalfa to appease them, these big guys will naturally throw a tantrum.

Fortunately, the Double Brightness Caravan had been operating for many years, and the merchants were all experienced, so calming these animals was a piece of cake.

Ming Zhe had a very clear understanding of the local hydrology. After the caravan had traveled for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they could see a cultivation portal standing on the mountaintop amidst the rain.

Before the caravan members could even begin, they saw Ming Zhe, the leader, turn serious, and those around him heard him mutter, "That's not right."

The Wu surname True Cultivator had just been chosen as an assistant, was also accustomed to the bloodshed of those with swords on their hands. Upon hearing Ming Zhe's words, he was about to ask a question when he first smelled a salty, fishy odor in the rainwater. Then, he frowned deeply and muttered in a suspicious voice, "Evil Cultivator?!"

"That's certainly true," Ming Zhe said, flicking his finger. As the flying sword entered his hand, it also severed a section of the rain curtain in front of him.

Among the caravan, a disciple of the Stone Mountain Sect specializing in reconnaissance approached, taking out a silk handkerchief embroidered with red butterflies. Just as he was about to gently shake it, Ming Zhe stopped him, saying, "What colorful butterflies would be flying around during a heavy rain?!"

After speaking, Ming Zhe summoned another man, a burly, dark-faced man who was Xiu Ming disciple of Xiu Ming: "Young friend Lao Kun, please use the mechanical puppet to scout the way."

The burly, dark-faced man bowed in response, and a spiritual light immediately emanated from his long sleeves. Then, several slender, wolf-shaped mechs, clad in animal hides, leaped out.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, images began to appear in the spirit mirror in the Kun man's hand, which was connected to the eyes of the mechanical puppet:

"They are indeed a group of Evil Cultivator, most of whom have mastered the Blood Dao. It seems that there are no cultivators left in the Fang Household of Old Wood Valley; the Fang Household's mortals are being forced together, clearly to be taken away."

Even without the Kun man explaining, Ming Zhe could clearly see these circumstances through the spiritual mirror, and his tone was full of doubt. "No response from the local militia? What are the village elders and the Jin County government doing?"

No wonder Ming Zhe asked such a question. Thanks to the diligent cultivation of internal energy by Sect Leader Kang Da over the years, even the most cruel local families in Ping and Jin counties have almost disappeared, let alone these ruthless external Evil Cultivator.

This phenomenon is even showing signs of spreading to the entire spiritual lands under the jurisdiction of the Double Brightness Alliance. However, this conflicts with the intention of various factions to govern by doing nothing, so the progress is not very optimistic.

The officials in charge of the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Duke of Qin were originally drawn from various cultivators and placed in different places to manage them.

However, as more and more sects and Aristocratic Clan joined forces, whether for the sake of mutual tolerance for the country or to enhance their prestige, the Office of the Duke of Qin's Mansion abandoned its strictness in its actions.

The officials in the prefectures and counties under each family's jurisdiction had long been filled by their own disciples, making it almost the same as before the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court. As long as the required supplies were delivered on time and in the required amount by the government, the officials of the government seemed to have no concern whatsoever whether the prefectures and counties were hell on earth or paradise.

As for Kuang Liuting of the Office of the Duke of Qin, since he achieved the Core Formation and returned from the outer sea, he seems to have become a celestial being. Not to mention these trivial worldly affairs, he has even inquired about important military and national affairs, and spends his days in seclusion cultivating.

As for the Office of the Duke of Qin's long-determined arrangement of one wife, four concubines, and eight concubines, there was still no sign of it. The old guys in the Great Abyss Capital Imperial Clan Court almost couldn't stop the Nascent Soul clans from the vicinity of the Capital Circuit, and they let them come to Mountain South to capture a son-in-law.

Therefore, under such circumstances, Chongming Sect was not immune to the common practice.

The officials in Ping and Jin counties were mostly senior disciples who were not highly regarded. They dared not neglect the orders issued by Little Ring Mountain and always carried them out meticulously.

However, according to the rules, this is just a group of Evil Cultivator Qi Refinement cultivation. The village head should have already gathered the local militia to surround and suppress them, and the county magistrate should have taken charge. How can they be allowed to run rampant like this?!

The Ming Zhe's mind, he saw the light screen on the spiritual mirror turn, revealing a corpse dressed in a blue official robe.

"Nephew Zhuo?!"

The cultivators were all startled by Ming Zhe's shout. The speaker could no longer contain himself and, barely suppressing his anger, whispered, "Team C, stay here to watch over the pack animals. The rest of you, follow me."

However, there must be a method to the march. Ming Zhe had seen many battles and had his own strategies. But he had only led the group halfway when he saw several other Double Brightness disciples, who were also county officials, retreat in a panic.

Upon seeing Ming Zhe's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, stammering, "Uncle-Master Ming!"

"Tell me clearly, what happened?!"

"This is going to be a disaster!"

"Speak!!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a whooshing sound as something cut through the air.

The arrow wasn't very powerful; Ming Zhe simply blocked it with his flying sword, and it turned into a cloud of red smoke that spread outwards. The ones chasing after him and shooting the arrow were the same group of Evil Cultivator who had previously wreaked havoc at the Fang Household.

The leader was merely a Qi Refining Qi Refinement, yet he showed no fear of Ming Zhe, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Instead, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth, and lazily offered a cupped-hand salute, appearing extremely arrogant.

The Evil Cultivator waved his hand, and one of his followers grabbed the Chongming Sect disciple who had just died and began to dangle him around wildly.

Ming Zhe was furious, but knowing this fellow must have something to rely on, he made no move. He watched as the Evil Cultivator swaggered forward. "Huangfu Jiang of the Three Immortals Cave greets fellow Daoist."

"This fellow is so arrogant!" a Double Brightness disciple shouted angrily, but was stopped by those around him.

Seeing this, Huangfu Jiang became even more arrogant, slightly lifting the hem of his shirt to reveal a crudely made jade token, looking smug:

"Our Three Immortals Cave, following the orders Hehuan Sect Senior Chu Han, the Spring Breeze Spring Wind Envoy of the Office of the Duke of Qin, has been searching for immortal seedlings from all over the place to enrich our sect. We travel freely and are treated with great courtesy in any military prefecture or state under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin. Even in the territory of Five Old Mothers Mountain, no one stops us."

Why is it that, in your territory under the Chongming Sect, no one has been sent to welcome you, nor have any gifts been offered, yet you have not uttered a word and have already drawn your weapons?! Tell me, what is the reason for this?

"The Hehuan Sect Spring Wind Envoy of the Hehuan Sect." The cultivator surnamed Wu was terrified, and his face suddenly turned extremely ugly.

"You mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement dare to falsely accuse a Grandmaster cultivator? You have quite the nerve!" Ming Zhe suddenly shouted sharply, startling Huangfu Jiang, who was opposite him, into losing some of his courage.

However, the look of panic on the latter's face did not last long before he merely let out a cold laugh:

"A month ago, the twelve Spring Wind Envoy under the command of True Person Crimson Snow began to select talents from all over the world to recruit for their own use. The number of heroes they recruited from all over the world is probably too many to count."

The purpose was to spread the seeds of immortality throughout the Office of the Duke of Qin's territory. Your insignificant sect is isolated and obstructs the affairs of the main sect. How can you blame the Spring Wind Envoy for this?!

Seeing Ming Zhe Huangfu Jiang's confident demeanor, which seemed genuine, Ming Zhe began to sweat. A disciple stepped forward to defend him, saying, "If the sect wants you to gather immortal seedlings, why are you here harming the common people?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Jiang, who had been relatively calm, hardened his expression and cursed inwardly:

"Li Shu, Li Shu!! It wasn't your bloodline that Grandpa harmed! Why did you gather all sides to drive us out back then?! Bah! Hypocritical hypocrites! Now that you hear Grandpa has taken on the task of the Golden Core cultivator, you still dare not interfere?! You wretches, today I'll teach you a lesson!"

The moment this evil thought arose, Huangfu Jiang Double Brightness's disciple and instead pulled out a corpse, threw it on the ground, and shouted loudly:

"Not only did your Chongming Sect fail to treat my disciple with courtesy, but you also harmed him! I will definitely report this to Spring Wind Envoy and see if your Chongming Sect can withstand the questioning from the higher sect! Can you withstand the wrath of a Nascent Soul?!"

The corpse crashed heavily onto the muddy ground, and the splashes of Saturn landed sparsely on the trembling officials of Pingrong County in front of Ming Zhe.

The former, seeing their trembling appearance, knew that Huangfu Jiang's words were true. Ming Zhe let out a long breath, his face extremely serious, and for the first time in his life, he began to doubt the plan devised by his sect leader.

"If my disciples had turned a blind eye like the others and allowed them to come and go freely, would this disaster have been avoided?!"

The thought had barely formed when Ming Zhe's palm, holding the sword, became damp with sweat. His gaze towards Huangfu Jiang was utterly indifferent. "Things have come to this point, to kill or not to kill?!"