102: Chapter 102 Outer Sect

The iron door closed heavily behind him, sealing off the scent of blood.

Jiang Hanzhou stood in the corridor outside the cell; his dark gray cloth clothes were torn in several places and stained with dark red blood.

He gently exhaled a breath of turbid air and returned his tiger soul saber to his sumeru pouch.

He was not the only person in the corridor.

Almost simultaneously, the doors of several cells on the left and right sides opened quietly.

Commissioner Yan stood with his hands behind his back at the end of the corridor, his cold face devoid of any ripples, but Jiang Hanzhou keenly noticed that the other man's gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before nodding almost imperceptibly.

"Creak—"

The door of a cell two rooms away on the left opened, and Wu Huo staggered out.

He was bathed in blood, with a wound on his left arm deep enough to see the bone, still gushing blood. His face was pale, but his weathered eyes were startlingly bright as he grinned, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained teeth.

"Ha... that was close... damn, that really packed a punch..."

Leaning against the wall, Wu Huo pulled a packet of medicinal powder from his bosom and pressed it haphazardly onto the wound. He winced in pain, yet still laughed heartily.

The door of a cell on the right slid open silently.

The Blue-clothed Woman, Teng Yuzhi, stepped out gracefully.

In stark contrast to Wu Huo's disheveled state, her dress was as clean as new, and even her veil was free of dust. Only at the tip of the long sword she held in its scabbard did a drop of dark red blood slowly condense, dripping onto the stone floor of the corridor with a "plop," blooming like a small plum blossom.

Her gaze was calm as she swept it over Jiang Hanzhou and Wu Huo, nodding slightly as a greeting before walking to the side to close her eyes and regulate her breathing.

Immediately afterward, several more cell doors opened.

Liu Wenzhou's clothes were disheveled and his hair bun undone, but his expression remained composed, though his face was a bit pale.

Lei Hong walked out laughing heartily, carrying his pair of short halberds. His Evil Qi had not yet dissipated, and his lapel was torn open, revealing a sturdy chest with a few claw marks, though they were merely superficial wounds.

Zhao Yuanjing and his three companions walked out one after another.

Zhao Yuanjing's face was ugly; his brocade robes were torn in several places, and there was a clear bruise on his right shoulder, clearly indicating he had suffered a loss.

His three companions were in even worse condition; one of them had even lost an arm, and although it was hastily bandaged with cloth strips, their aura was withered.

A black-robed figure appeared silently, the cold aura around them seemingly even denser. The hem of their black robe was stained with some dark green, viscous liquid, emitting a faint stench of decay.

Several more people walked out one after another; some looked happy, some were dazed, and some couldn't help but lean against the wall and retch.

But many more had not come out.

Jiang Hanzhou took a rough glance; including himself, only forty-five people had walked out of the cells.

There had been seventy-nine people when they arrived, and now only forty-five remained.

The cruelty of the Prisoner Fighting Valley was, for the first time, displayed so nakedly before everyone.

"Thud!"

A muffled impact suddenly came from a nearby cell, followed by a roar filled with unwillingness and despair: "No—!"

The roar stopped abruptly, like a beast with its throat cut off.

The corridor was deathly silent.

Everyone understood what had happened.

Commissioner Yan's cold gaze swept over the remaining fifteen people, his voice hoarse and low:

"The prisoner fighting is over. The survivors have passed."

"From this moment on, you are Outer Sect Disciples of the Dragon Abyss Palace."

There was no applause, no cheers, only the silence and heaviness of those who had survived a catastrophe.

Commissioner Yan took a palm-sized jade plate from his bosom and tapped it lightly with his fingertip.

The jade plate shimmered with light, projecting fifteen tiny points of light that flew toward the forty-five people present.

Jiang Hanzhou raised his hand to catch the point of light flying toward him. It felt slightly heavy in his hand—it was a token with the warm, lustrous color of white jade.

The token was about two fingers wide and three inches long. The front was carved with cloud-shrouded mountain peaks and the two ancient seal characters for "Dragon Abyss," while the back bore a slightly smaller character for "Outer," with a line of small text next to it: East Sea · Jiang Hanzhou.

The edges of the token were inlaid with a circle of pale gold fine lines, shimmering in the light.

Jiang Hanzhou noticed that the tokens held by himself, Teng Yuzhi, and Wu Huo had pale gold edges.

While Zhao Yuanjing, Liu Wenzhou, Lei Hong, and others had silver edges.

The tokens of the others were just ordinary white jade.

"The token is your proof of identity in the palace, and it is also a low-grade spirit weapon," Commissioner Yan said indifferently. "Those with gold edges are the top three of this assessment and receive an extra ten contribution points, and their monthly allowance is doubled. Those with silver edges are the top twelve, and their monthly allowance is increased by fifty percent. The rest are ordinary Outer Sect Disciples."

"With this token, you can enter and exit most areas of the Outer Sect, accept missions, exchange for Cultivation Techniques and resources, and record contributions."

He paused, his tone suddenly intensifying:

"I will only say the Outer Sect rules once, remember them well."

"First, killing between fellow disciples without cause is strictly prohibited. If there are life-and-death grudges, you may apply to resolve them on the 'Dao Discussion Platform.' Violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the palace; in severe cases, they will be executed on the spot."

"Second, on the first day of every month, use your token to go to the 'General Affairs Hall' to collect your monthly allowance, including basic Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and contribution points. Gold-edged ones receive three portions, silver-edged ones receive two, and ordinary ones receive one. The specific details will appear on your token later."

"Third, Outer Sect Disciples must complete at least one Sect chore every month or hand over resources of equivalent value. The chores vary, including patrolling, planting, assisting in Alchemy or Artifact Refining, or participating in low-grade missions. Those who fail to complete them for three consecutive months will have their monthly allowance deducted. Those who fail for six consecutive months will be demoted to servants."

"Fourth, in places like the palace's Dharma Transmission Hall and Myriad Phenomena Tower, you can use contribution points to exchange for Cultivation Techniques, Martial Skills, secret arts, Medicinal Pills, and spirit weapons. Contribution points can be obtained by completing missions, handing over resources, or performing excellently in certain trials. Initial contribution points: ten for gold-edged, five for silver-edged, and three for ordinary."

"Fifth, Outer Sect Disciples must pass the 'Dragon Gate Trial' within three years to be promoted to the Inner Sect. Those who fail three times will either remain in the Outer Sect, become deacons, or leave the palace on their own."

"That is all for the rules."

After finishing, Commissioner Yan swept his gaze over everyone: "Now, follow me to have your residences assigned."

He turned and walked toward the other end of the corridor.

Everyone followed silently.

Leaving the Prisoner Fighting Valley and seeing the daylight again, everyone subconsciously took a deep breath.

Even though the air on this island still carried a faint aura of killing, compared to the bloodiness and oppression inside the cell, it was a world of difference.

Commissioner Yan led the forty-five people onto a medium-sized flying boat that had been waiting for a long time.

The flying boat was cyan all over, shaped like a willow leaf, with Formation runes flowing on both sides. It was extremely fast, carrying everyone toward the depths of the Star Island group.

On the flying boat, Jiang Hanzhou looked down at the warm white jade token in his hand.

With a slight movement of his mind, he injected a wisp of Qi and blood into it.