C595 A Big Fish Eats a Small Fish

Within the Sword Prison, battles erupted on all sides.

Mighty warriors like Xi Quan, upon noticing the sword beams separating the caves had weakened, unsheathed their swords and emerged.

Those who were near these formidable figures and lacked sufficient strength met swift ends.

Evenly matched opponents such as Loong Jie and Zhongli, upon realizing they were at a stalemate, ceased their combat without delay.

The Sword Prison was teeming with formidable figures and ruthless characters; none were eager to engage in a life-or-death struggle before their escape.

Chen Qingyan, from within her cave, watched as Loong Jie, informed by Zhongli, learned of the Chopping Moon cultivator's demise. The ancient dragon bellowed and surged toward another cave.

Zhongli, with a wide grin, took to the air and departed.

Soon after, Chen Qingyan heard the dying screams of other experts echoing from the caves, prompting her to fear for her own safety.

A short while later, a cluster of orange spirits burst in, flickering like dim ghostly flames.

The orange spirit surveyed the cave upon arrival.

Discovering Zhongli's absence, the Earth Demon—long confined and weakened in the Sword Prison—lunged at Chen Qingyan in desperation.

Chen Qingyan's head spun as a yellow oil lamp materialized within her energy center, its flame possessing the power to consume souls.

As she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, a piercing scream jolted her awake.

The oil lamp within her Consciousness Little World snuffed out abruptly.

The orange spirit, now cowering in a corner of the cave, wailed for mercy, "Spare me, please! This girl is an outsider; I merely sought to replenish some soul power."

Chen Qingyan, taken aback, then noticed a strikingly beautiful woman with an elegant demeanor standing in the cave.

The woman, clutching her sword case, surveyed the orange spirit with a cheerful smile.

Chen Qingyan gasped in recognition, "Auntie?"

Xi Quan, rejuvenated and youthful, wore a smirk tinged with sarcasm. She took her time responding, instead addressing the Earth Demon who had emerged from the Boundless Land, "I understand your plight. You've worked hard to cultivate and ascend to the Heavenly Realm, only to be captured and locked away in the Sword Prison. Your soul power has been siphoned off to fuel the sword beams, leaving you in dire need of fresh souls for nourishment."

The sword light and intent permeating the Sword Prison were sustained by the prison itself, existing in an endless cycle. The life force, spiritual essence, and soul thoughts of those confined within were imprinted onto an array inside the Sword Prison. After transformation, this power was channeled into the sword light, simultaneously draining and imprisoning them.

"Yes, I want to live too," the Earth Demon said in a panic.

"I'm in the same boat. My soul power is nearly spent." Xi Quan hadn't even resorted to the Withered Sword. A ghostly white light shot from the acupoint on her forehead, merging into the orange flame that was the Earth Demon, which then slowly faded away.

"A creature from the Boundless Land, yet seduced by an Outland Devaputra," Xi Quan mused. "Such a being should resonate with the Boundless Land, the place of its birth. It would need to be somewhere quite extraordinary to be spared. Unfortunately, it's just too frail."

After her reflection, Xi Quan turned her attention to Chen Qingyan.

Chen Qingyan greeted her with a sweet smile, neither overbearing nor meek, "Hello, Martial Aunt."

"You're quite fortunate," Xi Quan remarked, her lips curling into a half-smile. "Your master and I have been close since childhood. Even when I was cast out by the Sword Sect and hunted across the world, she defended me. Her talent may not match mine, but her fortune far exceeds it, and you've inherited that luck from your master."

Her implication was clear: without such luck, Chen Qingyan would have perished in the Sword Prison.

"Come with me!" Xi Quan had fought her way here to find Chen Qingyan and ensure her survival.

"Of course," Chen Qingyan replied, nodding dutifully.

...

Outside the Sword Prison.

As Yu Yuan's consciousness delved into the sword scar on his arm, he felt as though he was traversing distant realms. Meanwhile, the silver mountain outside exuded an eerie calmness.

Yan Qiling and the master of spatial magic had a moment of respite, no longer needing to exert their full strength.

Loong Yang, perched in the floating sedan, suddenly jolted with excitement. "My father! He's moved; he's left the cave where he was imprisoned!"

At these words, Tan Yuan's gaze shifted toward the Sword Prison.

The dense sword intent and blinding sword light permeated the entrance of the Sword Prison, with no one yet able to break free at this juncture.

Tan Yuan realized that Yu Yuan, deep in his sword meditation within the Sword Prison, had not managed to contain all the sword intent and light with the help of the sword sheath.

"In that case..." Yan Qiling squinted, a possibility dawning on him. He turned to the figure in white robes and mused, "The captives can't leave the Sword Prison for now, but if they can interact with each other, what then?"

He glanced at Tan Yuan, Shen Feiqing, and the rest, reading their expressions. He didn't need their words to confirm his suspicions.

"The ones locked away in the Sword Prison, if not slain by their jailers, will likely perish in droves once the internal seals are lifted," he said, frowning at the white-robed figure.

"The weak will perish," came the dismissive voice from within the white robe.

Yan Qiling lapsed into silence.

He had agreed to come here because the Sword Prison's inmates were not outlandish demons but originated from the Boundless Land, like his own master from the Divine Soul Sect—deemed the most heinous of devils.

The three upper sects, along with the Devil Palace and Demon Palace, had toppled the colossal Divine Soul Sect. As the new rule-makers, they rewrote history, branding whomever they chose as heretical.

Regardless of the past glory of those people and sects, or the merit in their cultivation practices, even those who had fiercely defended the mortal realm against the Devaputra Alien Race were condemned as heretics due to ideological clashes.

Yan Qiling rejected this narrative, which is why he had appeared in the Sword Prison. But now, with Yu Yuan wielding the sword sheath and harboring the sword soul, the once-sealed chambers of the Sword Prison had opened. Those branded as heretics, now partially freed, turned on each other in a brutal struggle for survival.

The host of the place was well aware of the situation, yet he tacitly consented.

"Hand over what you promised me," Yan Qiling demanded, extending his palm toward the figure in white robes. "This is the only transaction between us."

"Patience. Once everything is settled, you'll have what was promised to you," the man in white assured him.

...

Yu Yuan stirred from his slumber.

As his eyes flickered open, a sense of disorientation washed over him, a clear indication of his Spiritual Sense being overtaxed.

He quickly recognized that delving into the sword spell within the arm bone sword scar was depleting his Spiritual Sense.

The spiritual consciousness at the Penetrating Stage, a concentrated essence of the soul's energy, could lead to overwhelming fatigue and a struggle to focus when overused, making it challenging to delve deeply into the sword's mysteries.

With a mere thought, his Mustard Seed Bracelet glimmered, and a pellet appeared in his hand.

"Soul Accumulating Pill."

He swallowed the pellet, feeling the gradual release of its power. Peering into the Consciousness Little World within his mind, he observed his spiritual consciousness coalescing at the juncture of his three souls.

Reassured, he glanced at the sword sheath, noting its newfound heft.

His consciousness penetrated the sheath, and he was struck by the sight of dense sword intent and light at its base, like innumerable delicate streams filling the sheath's bottom.

"A multitude of Big Devils must now be free to roam," he thought, his face tensing with concern. "I hope Chen Qingyan hasn't encountered any trouble."

He rose abruptly, opting not to pursue further sword comprehension but instead headed for Zhongli's cave.

As he traversed the stone corridor, the once-segregated sword intent and light had vanished.

He deduced that the barriers within the Sword Prison, which had been established beyond the terrestrial bounds, must have failed.

"Empty."

The cave where Zhongli once resided was devoid of presence.

Clutching the sword sheath, Yu Yuan's gaze turned icy with worry.

Tap, tap, tap!

The cheerful cadence of footsteps echoed suddenly, halting Yu Yuan, who had been intent on departing to inspect other caves, in his tracks.

With an impassive expression, he clutched the sword sheath, attuned to the presence of the sword soul within his arm bone, his gaze fixed ahead.

...