Undying Life

Chapter 844: You Have Guts

Glancing around at the prisoners, Zhong Shan slightly raised his head, examining the eighteenth level of hell. A cold smile flickered in his eyes.

"Taichu Holy King, is this supposed to be a warning for me?"

"If so, I can't let you underestimate me," Zhong Shan muttered to himself.

Although no one heard what Zhong Shan said, they could all sense a noble aura emanating from him, a powerful presence only a true leader could possess. This presence was not merely a result of his cultivation but was also due to the weight of his position and his experiences.

The dozen or so prisoners quickly retrieved two intact red bracelets from the shattered remains of Liu Ding and Liu Jia.

"Black Iron Tower, this thing?" One of the prisoners hesitated, holding a red bracelet.

If they hadn't witnessed Zhong Shan's terrifying power, the prisoners would have immediately worn the red bracelets to restore their cultivation and quickly escape the eighteenth level of hell. But having seen Zhong Shan's aura, they hesitated.

Black Iron Tower took the bracelets and cautiously approached Zhong Shan.

"Senior, these are red bracelets. Wearing them can remove the suppression of the eighteenth level of hell," Black Iron Tower said cautiously.

Zhong Shan, having decided on his next move, felt much more at ease. Looking at Black Iron Tower, he ignored the red bracelets and asked, "What is this eighteenth level of hell?"

"The eighteenth level of hell? It's said to be a top-grade celestial artifact, an eighteen-story pagoda-like treasure. It's currently inverted in the Qingqiu Great Prison. Entering it seals your cultivation, and with each lower level, the gravity doubles. Only by wearing these red bracelets can one avoid the effects. Most of Qingqiu Holy Capital's prisoners are held here," Black Iron Tower explained honestly.

Meanwhile, the prisoners were filled with curiosity. How could this man remain unaffected without wearing a red bracelet?

Stepping out of the cell, Zhong Shan reached out and retrieved the five beads from the slots. The beads contained the energies of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.

"These are the keys to the cells. For levels below the fifteenth, which house the most dangerous criminals, all five beads are required to open the cells," Black Iron Tower said.

"Put on the red bracelets and open all the cells," Zhong Shan ordered calmly.

"Uh?" Black Iron Tower was slightly taken aback.

"Didn't you hear me?" Zhong Shan said sternly.

"Yes!"

Black Iron Tower quickly put on a red bracelet and gave the other to another prisoner. They began opening the cells.

Zhong Shan waited patiently.

Before long, over ten thousand prisoners were freed.

"Thank you, Senior!" The prisoners immediately expressed their gratitude to Zhong Shan.

Even the fiercest individuals, after being imprisoned for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, had an indescribable yearning for freedom. Zhong Shan's strength was evident to all. If he could unleash such power in a mortal body, how powerful would he be without suppression? Perhaps, even the eighteenth level of hell couldn't hold him.

The chubby man in yellow was also released. Seeing all the prisoners freed from their cells, his eyes gleamed with excitement. This was a grand spectacle. What was this man planning? A massive uprising?

A massive uprising? Exciting! The young master loved it! Finally, he was witnessing another grand event!

Surveying the prisoners, Zhong Shan nodded and said, "Follow me as we ascend through each level of the eighteenth level of hell, freeing all the prisoners."

"Yes!" the prisoners responded.

In prison, strength commands respect. Zhong Shan was powerful, so everyone was willing to follow him, especially since it might lead to their freedom.

Reaching the central light pillar, Zhong Shan led a group of prisoners upwards to the seventeenth level of hell. The passage above was straightforward, just requiring some flight to reach.

In no time, they arrived at the seventeenth level.

"Who are you people?" Seven or eight prison guards shouted angrily upon seeing the intruders.

Black Iron Tower and another prisoner quickly charged forward. Both were Heavenly Immortals and, now free from suppression, their strength far surpassed that of the guards. Driven by the pent-up rage from being suppressed for thousands of years, they struck mercilessly, swiftly killing the guards.

"Free the prisoners," Zhong Shan ordered calmly.

Zhong Shan was direct. He didn't concern himself with the crimes these people had committed. In the Qingqiu Great Prison, did it matter? He was determined to deliver a significant blow to Qingqiu Holy Capital.

Meanwhile, in a grand hall not far from Qingqiu Great Prison, Sima Sanliang, dressed in official robes, was drinking with four other similarly attired officials.

In the center of the hall, a dozen dancing girls performed gracefully.

"Sima Sanliang, I heard you gave the Holy King from the Great Zheng a real humiliation yesterday? Quite the audacity!" one of the officials remarked.

"Hahaha, if any of you are interested, you can have a go too!" Sima Sanliang boasted.

"We don't have such nerve."

"By the way, what does Young Master Afu want? Liu Ding and Liu Jia aren't back yet!"

"They should be back soon! No need to worry. What could go wrong in Qingqiu Great Prison? Enjoy the food, watch the dance, and I have some good stuff to show you later," Sima Sanliang said with a smile.

The other four officials nodded but their brows furrowed slightly, sensing something amiss.

As evening fell, the dancers in the hall had changed several times. Sima Sanliang frowned. Liu Ding and Liu Jia were taking too long. Why weren't they back yet?

"We can't wait any longer. We need to leave. What about the keys? Sima Sanliang, are you hiding something from us?"

"Of course not!" Sima Sanliang quickly shook his head.

"Then where are our keys?"

"I have to check the eighteenth level of hell. We can't lose the keys."

"Those keys are our official seals."

The officials were growing impatient. They were no longer interested in the dancers and stood up immediately.

"Wait, wait, please don't be hasty. There's really no problem!" Sima Sanliang pleaded.

"No problem? Sima Sanliang, we lent you the keys out of camaraderie, but you keep evading and won't tell us the truth. You've disappointed us!"

"We need those keys back now!"

"Sima Sanliang, where are the keys?" one of the officials demanded.

"Well, I did send Liu Ding and Liu Jia to the eighteenth level of hell on an errand. It's a family matter," Sima Sanliang admitted reluctantly.

"A family matter?"

"What exactly?"

"Uh, just to teach someone a lesson. It's nothing major. We've done it before, haven't we? It's no big deal," Sima Sanliang said with a forced smile.

"Who?"

"The Great Zheng Holy King!" Sima Sanliang replied.

"What?" one of the officials' voices rose sharply.

All four officials glared at Sima Sanliang. If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn't care how Sima Sanliang dealt with them. But a renowned figure? They never dared touch such people. Their reputation was their capital. Who could guarantee that no one outside was trying to rescue them? Ordinary notable figures were off-limits, let alone a Holy King from the Great Zheng. A single mistake, and their positions as commanders of Qingqiu Great Prison could be jeopardized.

All four officials stared daggers at Sima Sanliang.

"Nothing will go wrong, trust me. I, Sima Sanliang, swear on my honor, nothing will happen," Sima Sanliang vowed.

Just as Sima Sanliang finished speaking, a prison guard rushed into the hall, panic-stricken.

"My lord, something terrible has happened!" the guard shouted, making the five commanders' hearts skip a beat.

"What is it?" Sima Sanliang immediately asked.

"The eighteenth level of hell—the prisoners have all escaped! A million prisoners are loose, causing chaos!" the guard yelled.

The guard's announcement left the five commanders pale-faced.

"Sima Sanliang, you—you...!" one commander shouted in anger.

There was no time to reprimand Sima Sanliang. They bolted out of the hall.

In an instant, Sima Sanliang was left alone. A million prisoners had escaped? His face turned ashen.

Above the eighteenth level of hell, on the surface.

The destruction caused by a million prisoners was horrific, especially those confined to the eighteenth level of hell. The moment they broke free, they unleashed their unparalleled ferocity. Kill, destroy—those were their only thoughts!

In no time, all the buildings around Qingqiu Great Prison were demolished. Qingqiu Great Prison had grand formations, but they were designed to defend against external enemies. Escaping from the inside was relatively easy.

Countless black figures flew out of Qingqiu Great Prison.

"Gahaha! The old demon is free!"

"Jiejiejie! The sky is vast, no one can catch me now!"

Outside Qingqiu Great Prison, chaos reigned as countless fearsome criminals flew in all directions.

A million prisoners were escaping, filling the sky and ground with their shadows. Near Qingqiu Great Prison, some reserve troops used special spells to send distress signals. The moment the signals went out, the entire Qingqiu Holy Capital was in an uproar.

"The highest level distress signal? Is another Holy Court attacking? Or is someone breaking into the prison?" a city guard captain exclaimed, standing up in shock.

In a military training ground:

"This is bad! We're under attack! Follow me to reinforce Qingqiu Great Prison!"

"Roarrrrr!" the army roared in unison, preparing for battle.

All the prisoners, filled with rage, charged out. At the entrance to the eighteenth level of hell stood two figures: Zhong Shan and the chubby man in yellow, who had been snoring moments before.

"My grandfather once said that an old man who could never become a Buddha once vowed, 'I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty.' Does this count as emptying hell?" the chubby man asked curiously.

"I suppose it does," Zhong Shan replied, looking at the chubby man in surprise.

"That monk was unlucky. If he were imprisoned in Taichu, he would have become a Buddha long ago."

Zhong Shan: "..."

"Brother, you've got guts. I, Su Afu, thought I was daring in Qingqiu, but seeing you, I realize there's always someone more impressive. People are coming soon. You should go quickly. I need to get going too. I've been locked up for days and need to find out if that 'cursed Holy King' Zhong Shan has arrived at Taichu. I must go back and check."

With that, the chubby man stamped his foot and disappeared from Zhong Shan's sight.