Chapter 184: Chapter 181: Miserable Jin Quan
"In all these years, I’ve only met two others who’ve reached my particular stage of the Void Realm. There are over a hundred at the Void Realm, though. As for anyone below the Void Realm, they aren’t qualified to be imprisoned here."
Wu the Old Ghost explained patiently, "As for who is truly wicked and evil, there actually aren’t many. After all, no one who can cultivate to the Void Realm is a fool. If their character was flawed or they were prone to stirring up trouble, they would have been eliminated from the path of the Martial Dao long ago."
"The vast majority of them have circumstances beyond their control. They either offended a powerful figure in the Mountain and Sea Empire, or they dug their own graves and ruined their futures."
As he spoke, Wu the Old Ghost looked at Mo Qi. "I know you want to subdue them and make them your own, but let me give you a word of warning: most of them are proud and arrogant. They won’t submit so easily."
"Especially with your Cultivation, the Qi Refining Realm. In their eyes, you’re no different from an ant."
Mo Qi pondered for a moment before asking, "Then in your opinion, Brother Wu, what would it take to make them submit?"
"Either you use absolute Combat Power to beat them into submission and force them to swear a Divine Soul Celestial Oath, or you fulfill their deepest desires, display overwhelmingly powerful potential, and make them follow you willingly."
"What are their desires?" Mo Qi asked.
Wu the Old Ghost spread his hands helplessly. "That, I don’t know. Everyone’s desires are probably different."
Mo Qi scratched his head with a wry smile. ’I guess I oversimplified things.’
’It wasn’t that there was no way to subdue these prisoners, but the process would be troublesome and long.’
"Oh, right!" Something occurred to Wu the Old Ghost. "If you can really ring the Dragon Vein Imperial Bell, your chances of subduing them will increase dramatically."
"I understand," Mo Qi nodded.
’No matter what, I have to ring that Dragon Vein Imperial Bell!’
...
Inside a certain bamboo dwelling within the Imperial Academy, a young man of about thirty was jolted from his meditation.
This man was one of the Eight Great Masters, Yan Hong!
He turned his hand over and saw that a Soul Jade Slip, which represented a person’s life force, had shattered.
Yan Hong’s expression changed drastically.
’Su Yu is dead?!’
’With his Early-stage Vajra Realm Cultivation, who Within the Pass could have taken his life?’
’Could it be that Mo Qi?’
’Impossible!’
’Zhang Shao said Mo Qi’s Combat Power was only comparable to the Vajra Realm. He couldn’t possibly be Su Yu’s opponent.’
’Did Zhang Shao deceive me?’
’What in the world happened Within the Pass?!’
Yan Hong’s expression turned exceedingly ugly. He only had three disciples with Vajra Realm Cultivation in total, which ranked him seventh among the Eight Great Masters.
Now that Su Yu was dead, he would inevitably drop to the very bottom, perhaps even fall out of the ranks of the Eight Great Masters.
This was something Yan Hong could not accept.
He took out a Communication Talisman, poured True Essence into it, and activated it, his voice grim. "Zhang Shao, out of respect for our past master-disciple relationship, I agreed to do something for you. But the information you gave me seems to have been wrong. Shouldn’t you explain yourself?"
...
North of the Mountain and Sea Empire Imperial City stood a mountain peak that soared into the clouds. The foot of the mountain was heavily guarded by the Empire’s army.
This was the Celestial Prison, where death-row inmates were held.
Inside a solitary cell, a burly, tower-like man was bound securely to a giant stone sphere. Specially made steel spikes pierced his four limbs, connecting him to chains as thick as a man’s arm.
Every hour, the stone sphere would release bolts of lightning and intense heat, tormenting the man without end and giving him no chance to catch his breath.
Outside the cell, on the other side of a restrictive barrier, a black-robed Zhang Shao watched the man with a gloating expression.
"Jin Quan, how are you enjoying the Imperial Celestial Prison?"
The burly man’s eyes were shut tight, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
He was Jin Sanpang’s father, the former Steward Leader of the Wolf Fang Sect—Jin Quan!
Receiving no response, Zhang Shao wasn’t annoyed. He continued, "Lord Steward Leader, heh heh. Once second only to me, the Sect Leader, your status on par with my own. What a pity... you didn’t know how to cherish it."
"Colluding with the Void Sect, causing my son’s death—you violated a great taboo of the Wolf Fang Sect!"
"You are the greatest traitor in the Wolf Fang Sect’s history!"
At these words, Jin Quan slowly opened his eyes.
"Zhang Shao, there’s no one else here. Why bother with all this phony nonsense? Don’t you know perfectly well in your heart whether I, Jin Quan, betrayed the Wolf Fang Sect? Why bother?"
"Oh? Finally willing to speak?" Zhang Shao sneered. "Whether you betrayed the Sect or not isn’t for me to decide. That was the result of the Ancestors’ joint deliberation! Besides, you secretly instigated a Beast Tide, violating a great taboo of the Empire. I was acting righteously for the greater good, even against my own kin. I will be praised by the Empire for it."
"Hahaha!" Jin Quan threw his head back and laughed. His laughter was tinged with exhaustion, helplessness, and most of all, complete despair.
’Instigating the Beast Tide was for the Wolf Fang Sect’s benefit!’
’Besides, Zhang Shao was the one who subtly hinted at the idea in the first place.’
"I, Jin Quan, was single-mindedly devoted to the Wolf Fang Sect! No matter when, no matter what risks or challenges we faced, I was always on the front lines!"
"On this point, my conscience is clear! I have repaid the Wolf Fang Sect for raising me!"
"But you, Zhang Shao, what did you do? You indulged your son, Zhang Cheng, letting him constantly try to assassinate San Pang! I was charging into battle at the front, while you were in the rear plotting to wipe out my Jin Family’s bloodline. And you have the nerve to talk about betrayal?"
Zhang Shao remained unmoved. "It is a fact that Jin Sanpang appeared at the Void Sect and claimed to have joined them!"
"I don’t recall the Wolf Fang Sect having a rule that says if the father is a Sect member, the son has to join too, does it?" Jin Quan sneered.
"Twisting words and forcing logic!" Zhang Shao snorted coldly. "There is only one end for a traitor: death!"
"Do you think Jin Sanpang will survive just because he joined the Void Sect?"
"Jin Quan, you don’t know yet, do you? To save you, that filial son of yours has already come to the Imperial City with that little thief Mo Qi to participate in the Imperial Selection. I pulled a few strings. If I’m not mistaken, by now, they should both have already fallen. Hahaha!"
For the first time, Jin Quan’s expression changed.
"Zhang Shao, you handed me over to the Mountain and Sea Empire on purpose?!"
"Hmph, you finally figured it out? Too bad, it’s too late."
Jin Quan flew into a rage, struggling to his feet.
"I’ll kill you!"
The chains were instantly pulled taut. The wounds on Jin Quan’s pierced limbs tore open, and blood gushed out.
But it was as if he couldn’t feel the pain, and he continued to struggle with all his might.
But alas, his Cultivation was sealed and his limbs were crippled. It was impossible for him to break free.
He could only let out a mournful, furious roar.
Gazing at Jin Quan’s face, which had become savage with rage, Zhang Shao’s smile widened.
"I just love that look on your face—wanting to kill me, but being completely unable to. In a few more days, you can go down and keep Jin Sanpang company. Thinking about it that way, shouldn’t you thank me for reuniting father and son?"
"Zhang Shao, you’ll die a miserable death!" Jin Quan roared like a wild beast, a gut-wrenching cry of pure rage.
BOOM!
KRAK!
Lightning erupted from the stone sphere, striking Jin Quan to the ground.
The chains instantly turned red-hot, searing his wounds.
Jin Quan collapsed in agony, screaming and convulsing on the ground.
"So naughty!" Zhang Shao laughed unrestrainedly.
Just then, he received the communication from Yan Hong, and his smile vanished.
"My dear disciple, my information is never wrong. The people you sent must have just been too useless," Zhang Shao replied.
"Zhang Shao, are you trying to humiliate me?" Yan Hong said in a low, dangerous voice.
"Humiliate you? No, no, no. I am simply stating a fact. You’re just like you’ve always been, always looking for excuses when you fail."
Yan Hong was furious. Ever since becoming a Renowned Master of the Imperial Academy, he had never been so insulted.
"Alright, my good little disciple, I don’t have time to bicker with you right now. You should calm down yourself." With that, Zhang Shao cut off the Communication Talisman.
Yan Hong’s words sent him into deep thought. ’Has Mo Qi already become strong enough to kill someone at the Vajra Realm?’
’Luckily, I didn’t place all my hopes on that failure, Yan Hong.’
’I trust that the couple, Wang Chen and Zhao Yuqi, won’t disappoint me.’
