Chapter 226: An Old Acquaintance in Prison

Chapter 226: An Old Acquaintance in Prison

"Nonsense! You’re the one who killed Duanmu Jishuang. Do you really think you can deceive the elders of the Demon Sect?" Duanmu Linger suddenly stood up, her eyes gleaming with Freezing Energy as Profound Qi condensed within them. Two streaks of Sword Qi shot from her pupils, lashing toward Lin Zhirong.

Having advanced to the Third Level of the Transcendent Realm, her cultivation had grown even stronger. The two streaks of Sword Qi pierced through a layer of the prison’s barrier formation and blasted forward.

"Congratulations, Sister Linger, on breaking through another level. What a joyous occasion. Pity you’re just a prisoner now." Lin Zhirong curled his lips slightly, his expression full of disdain.

With a wave of his arm, he conjured a Manifestation Wheel, deflecting the two streaks of Sword Qi and sending them flying back. They struck Duanmu Linger’s legs, piercing through and leaving two bloody holes.

The sound of shattering bone echoed.

Both streaks of Sword Qi had struck her leg bones.

Duanmu Linger felt as if the bones in her legs had been completely shattered. The pain was unbearable, blood gushing out as she collapsed to the ground.

Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, but she refused to cry out, gritting her teeth instead. "You dare… break my legs? My father will kill you!"

Her fingers clenched tightly onto the hem of her clothes as she endured the agony.

Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes turned icy, arcs of Lightning flickering at his fingertips.

Lin Zhirong sneered. "Do you really think you still have a chance to live? Duanmu Linger, you colluded with the imperial court and betrayed the Demon Sect. Now, the imperial army has arrived at the foot of Nine Death Cliff. After committing such a grave crime, do you still believe you’ll walk out of this Iron Prison alive?"

Duanmu Linger’s expression changed. "The imperial army is attacking the Demon Sect Headquarters again? How is that possible?"

Lin Zhirong smirked triumphantly. "This time, not even your father can protect you. The elders of the Demon Sect have already decided to throw both of you into the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave, where you’ll be executed with the cruelest punishment."

Ning Xiaochuan could tell Lin Zhirong wasn’t lying. If that was the case, the imperial army had indeed returned to besiege the Demon Sect Headquarters.

Lin Zhirong glanced at Ning Xiaochuan. "Ning Xiaochuan, I’ve heard you’ve cultivated a unique technique comparable to the Blood Devouring Demon Art. If you pass it on to me, I might consider letting both of you leave."

"Don’t believe him! Prisoners in the Demon Sect Iron Prison can’t be released by someone like him," Duanmu Linger retorted.

Lin Zhirong scoffed. "Ignorant fool! In the past, perhaps I couldn’t have let you go. But now, all the Demon Sect elders are tied down by the imperial army. The prison’s defenses are far weaker than before. With my martial prowess, taking you out wouldn’t be difficult. Hand over that technique, and I’ll release you both immediately."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes before he nodded. "Fine. I’ll teach you the technique right now."

"Really?" Lin Zhirong took a step forward, excitement flashing across his face.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochuan moved with Lightning speed, darting to the prison bars in an instant. Reaching through, he seized Lin Zhirong by the throat and activated the power of the Demonic Sword, beginning to devour the Blood Qi and Profound Qi within Lin Zhirong’s body.

Having just broken through to the Third Level of the Transcendent Realm, Ning Xiaochuan needed vast amounts of Blood Qi to stabilize his cultivation. Since Lin Zhirong had delivered himself to his doorstep, he saw no reason to hold back.

Under the overwhelming force of Ning Xiaochuan, Lin Zhirong was violently dragged forward, his head squeezed between two iron bars until his nose bridge nearly snapped.

Terror gripped his heart—he never imagined Ning Xiaochuan could break free from the Mystic Iron Chains. Now, it was too late to fight back. The blood in his body reversed its flow, all of it surging toward Ning Xiaochuan’s palm.

"You wanted to witness that miraculous technique? I’ll let you experience it slowly now." Ning Xiaochuan gripped Lin Zhirong by the neck, lifting him off the ground, his fingers threatening to crush the man’s skull.

The two deaf-mute Prison Guards were momentarily stunned before simultaneously attacking Ning Xiaochuan, thrusting their spears at him.

They were first-rate martial artists, their strikes ruthless, sealing off all of Ning Xiaochuan’s escape routes. If he didn’t release Lin Zhirong, he would surely die under their spears.

But Ning Xiaochuan had no intention of letting Lin Zhirong go.

Today, he was doomed.

"Break!"

Ning Xiaochuan charged forward, smashing through three iron bars with his body, bursting out of the Iron Prison. With one hand still gripping Lin Zhirong, he slammed him against the iron wall, cracking his skull open as blood seeped out.

A pair of seven-meter-long Wings of Rage unfurled from Ning Xiaochuan’s back, formed from condensed Profound Qi. The feathers were like iron hooks, the wind force like a hurricane, sending the two deaf-mute Prison Guards flying backward. They crashed into the iron wall, their spears clattering to the ground.

Under Lin Zhirong’s unwilling, terrified, and pleading gaze, the blood in his body was completely drained. His body withered, his skin shriveled, his hair turned white, and his eyes sank deep into their sockets—until he became nothing but a desiccated corpse.

After refining the Blood Qi, Ning Xiaochuan strode toward the two deaf-mute Prison Guards, summoning two Lightning Giant Beasts that reduced them to dust.

Only then did Ning Xiaochuan return to the Iron Prison, pressing his fingers against Duanmu Linger’s leg and stabilizing her injuries with Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi, stopping the bleeding.

The wound pierced by Sword Qi quickly healed under the influence of Profound Qi, forming a scab.

Though the wound closed, the broken bones were not so easily mended. Without healing elixirs, given her martial cultivation, it would take at least seven days of rest for the fractures to fully recover.

Ning Xiaochuan severed the chains binding her with the Demonic Sword, then carried her on his back as he strode out of the Iron Prison.

"Boom!"

With a swing of the Demonic Sword, Ning Xiaochuan cleaved open the iron wall, tearing a man-sized gap. Stepping through the breach, they entered the prison corridor.

They had only just escaped one isolated cell. To break out of the Iron Prison entirely, they still had to pass through at least seven checkpoints.

Each checkpoint was sealed by Black Iron Heavy Gates, guarded by martial experts. Escaping would be as difficult as scaling the heavens.

The moment Ning Xiaochuan and Duanmu Linger emerged, over ten martial experts blocked their path.

All of them were deaf-mutes, clad in thick armor, their gazes cold and sharp. They wielded One-Star Mystic Artifact spears, their tips crackling with electricity.

"We must kill our way out quickly. If the Prison Guards send word and Demon Sect experts arrive, we’ll lose our chance to escape," Duanmu Linger said.

Ning Xiaochuan's left arm bones had long merged with his Martial Arts Divine Abilities. As he extended his arm, hundreds of lightning bolts instantly erupted, slashing toward the Prison Guards.

The power of the lightning far surpassed his previous capabilities, each bolt as thick as a bowl's mouth. The strikes landed on the Prison Guards' armor, emitting green smoke as the electricity pierced through the thick plating, searing their flesh and reducing them to charred skeletons.

Though the Prison Guards were formidable—capable of standing their ground as elite martial artists in the outside world—Ning Xiaochuan's strength had already reached the level of veteran experts. Naturally, they were no match for him.

Over ten Prison Guards were struck down by the lightning, collapsing to the ground as blackened corpses.

"Ni...ng Xiao...chuan..."

"Ning... Xiao...chuan..."

A faint voice echoed weakly within the Demon Sect Iron Prison, so quiet it was nearly inaudible.

Ning Xiaochuan had been about to break through the iron gate and charge toward the next checkpoint, but he halted abruptly upon hearing the voice.

In this sunless iron prison, could someone actually recognize me?

Following the sound, he approached a black iron wall and summoned the Demonic Sword. With a single slash, he cleaved the wall open.

Beyond it lay another frigid, pitch-black prison cell. Inside, an elderly man with disheveled hair was imprisoned, bound by thirty-six iron chains—clearly a high-profile prisoner of the Demon Sect.

The old man's body was emaciated, severely dehydrated, his tattered robes barely clinging to his frame. It was impossible to tell how long he had been imprisoned here.

Ning Xiaochuan studied the man's clothing—worn, decayed, and faded—but upon closer inspection, he could still discern the remnants of an imperial military uniform.

He was a court officer.

"Who are you? Did you overhear our conversation earlier?" Ning Xiaochuan demanded.

Every cell in the Demon Sect Iron Prison was separated by three-meter-thick Black Iron Prison Walls. Just how powerful was this old man to have heard their exchange through such barriers?

Indeed, no ordinary person gets locked away in this place.

The elderly man struggled to open his eyes, gazing at Ning Xiaochuan. "You... are Ning Xiaochuan of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House? Your father... was Ning Qianyi, and your mother... Duanmu Ning?"

"That's right." Ning Xiaochuan's pupils constricted. "Just who are you?"

"Counting the years... you should indeed be about this age now. Hah... How are your father and mother?" the old man asked.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "They were executed by the Jade Emperor eleven years ago."

"Eleven years..." The old man's body trembled as he strained to widen his eyes. "On what charges?"

Though pressed for time, Ning Xiaochuan was intrigued that the man knew his parents' names. He answered patiently, "Conspiring with the Demon Sect, betraying the imperial court, leading to the annihilation of seven hundred thousand troops."

"So it was... Eleven years... It's already been eleven years... Cough..." The old man grew even more agitated, letting out a bitter laugh. Had there been any moisture left in his body, he might have shed tears. But after being imprisoned for so long, his severe dehydration left him unable to even cry.

Ning Xiaochuan's heart stirred as he asked, "Could it be that eleven years ago, Senior was also part of the army besieging the Demon Sect?"

The elderly man nodded and said, "Back then, your father held the commander's seal as the supreme leader of the three armies. Yue Wuyang was the general of the central army; the Left Deputy General was Mo Longting, and the Right Deputy General was Qi Chong. I am Qi Chong."

Overjoyed, Ning Xiaochuan bowed deeply and took out the Imperial Authority Token, saying, "This junior has come specifically to uncover the truth about that battle from back then. I hope Senior can enlighten me with some information."

Ning Xiaochuan glanced at the chains binding the elderly man and summoned the Demonic Sword, intending to sever them and rescue him.

"Don't!" The elderly man stopped Ning Xiaochuan. "My... my lifespan is nearly exhausted. I won't live much longer. If you use the sword to break the chains, the backlash will only hasten my death. Let it be. To see the son of an old friend before my life reaches its end—I am already content."

Clutching the Demonic Sword, Ning Xiaochuan ultimately refrained from striking down.