99: Chapter 99 Prison Fight

Three days of time passed in the blink of an eye.

In the cliffside courtyard, nineteen rooms opened almost simultaneously.

Nineteen figures walked out one after another. As they met each other's gazes, they all saw a hint of gravity and faint anticipation in each other's eyes.

After three days of quiet cultivation and regulating their breathing, everyone had adjusted their state to the Peak.

Jiang Hanzhou walked among the crowd, his aura calm.

During his three days of seclusion, he not only thoroughly consolidated his cultivation at the Perfection of the Viscera Burning Realm, but also carefully sorted through what he had gained at sea and seen in books. His mind was clear, and he felt both vigilant and fearless regarding the upcoming assessment.

Fei Jingxing's figure appeared at the courtyard gate on time, still dressed in a plain white robe, his expression indifferent.

"Follow me."

Without any superfluous words, he turned and left.

Everyone followed silently, descending the stone steps they had taken to arrive, and once again boarded the white jade tower ship anchored in the hidden harbor.

The Azure Water Flood Dragon let out a low groan, pulling the white jade tower ship out of the harbor, breaking through the waves, and sailing toward the deeper parts of the Dragon Abyss Palace star island cluster.

This voyage did not take long.

About half an hour later, the outline of an island appeared on the sea ahead.

Unlike the star islands seen before, this island was not large, but its terrain was treacherous. Its entire body was a dull, iron-gray color, and the vegetation on the island was sparse, consisting mostly of low shrubs and craggy, strange rocks.

Around the island, one could clearly see the faint flow of Formation light halos. Furthermore, squads of Martial Artists dressed in uniform black fitted outfits with sharp auras were patrolling and guarding the surrounding sea in small flying boats.

Those patrolling Martial Artists were all full of Qi and blood, with sharp gazes and an indistinct Evil Qi about them; they were clearly elites who had experienced real combat.

Jiang Hanzhou's gaze narrowed slightly.

The cultivation of these patrollers was shockingly all at the Viscera Burning Realm!

Moreover, their Foundation was solid, definitely not comparable to those who had just entered this realm.

"Dragon Abyss Palace's Outer Sect Disciple..." he thought to himself.

Using those at the Viscera Burning Realm as guards, the heritage and quality of the Dragon Abyss Palace's Disciples were evident.

The white jade tower ship approached the island's pier.

On the pier, several Martial Artists in similar attire but with even deeper auras were already waiting. The leader was a middle-aged man in black with a cold expression and eyes like blades. His cultivation...

Jiang Hanzhou could not quite see through it, but that faint sense of oppression was in no way inferior to Xu Zhaoyang from that day.

"Dragon Fetus Realm!" Jiang Hanzhou felt a jolt in his heart.

"Senior Brother Fei." The middle-aged man in black cupped his hands toward Fei Jingxing; his attitude was not warm, but it carried the necessary respect.

"Junior Brother Yan, the people have been brought; I leave them to you." Fei Jingxing nodded slightly, then turned and said to Jiang Hanzhou and the others: "Disembark. The subsequent assessment will be in the charge of Commissioner Yan."

Having finished speaking, he did not linger, his figure flickered, and he returned to the white jade tower ship.

The Azure Water Flood Dragon gave a low roar, pulling the white jade tower ship to slowly sail away, effectively leaving them completely on this iron-gray island with its grim atmosphere.

The middle-aged man in black, Commissioner Yan, had eyes like lightning as he swept his gaze over the seventy-nine people who had disembarked.

His gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion, as if he were looking at a group of livestock waiting to be slaughtered, or rather... beasts about to be thrown into an arena.

Being swept by this gaze, many felt their hearts tighten. Even Zhao Yuanjing subconsciously straightened his back, putting away the reserve of a prestigious family Disciple.

"Form up and follow me." Commissioner Yan's voice was hoarse and deep, like iron scraping against stone.

Everyone dared not delay and quickly formed a not-so-neat line, following behind him as they walked toward the depths of the island.

The Viscera Burning Realm guards near the pier cast their gazes upon them; some were indifferent, some were scrutinizing, and more were carrying an undisguised... sense of schadenfreude?

"Another bunch of rookies."

"I wonder how many will come out in one piece this time?"

"Heh, I heard there's one with a Fire Spirit Body from the West Sea, quite a hot temper. I wonder how long he can last inside."

"There's a girl from the Teng family from the East Sea this time, decent Aptitude, what a pity..."

Low murmurs drifted over with the wind; although not loud, they clearly drilled into everyone's ears.

Zhao Yuanjing's expression changed slightly, and the eyes of the few companions from the West Sea beside him flickered.

Jiang Hanzhou's expression remained unchanged, but his heart became even more vigilant.

Even these knowledgeable Dragon Abyss Palace Disciples showed such expressions; this third assessment was likely even more dangerous than imagined.

The group walked silently along the island's rugged roads.

The deeper they went, the more desolate and grim the environment became.

A faint, indescribable aura began to permeate the air.

Jiang Hanzhou frowned slightly. The Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill inside his body began to circulate on its own, and a stream of pure Yang Qi and blood flowed through his body, dispelling that sense of discomfort.

He noticed that a faint, azure water light flashed and disappeared around Teng Yuzhi beside him, Liu Wenzhou was holding a warm jade pendant in his hand, and Lei Hong let out a muffled groan as his Qi and blood slightly radiated outward...

Everyone had their own means of resistance.

About a quarter of an hour later, a huge canyon entrance appeared ahead.

On both sides of the canyon were towering, pitch-black cliffs, as if split open by a giant axe, smooth and steep.

At the canyon entrance stood a huge gate tower cast entirely from black metal. Hanging above the gate tower was a giant plaque of the same material, with two scarlet characters carved in sharp brushstrokes—Prisoner Battle.

The handwriting seemed to be written in fresh blood, exuding an overwhelming aura of bloodthirst and grimness.

On both sides of the gate tower stood eight guards with even more ferocious auras, wearing black and red heavy armor. They held long halberds like statues; only the occasional gleam in their eyes showed they were living, battle-hardened warriors.

Commissioner Yan stopped in front of the gate tower.

He turned slowly, facing the seventy-nine examinees with their varying expressions. In those cold eyes, there was finally a ripple of emotion.

"This place is the Trial Grounds of the Dragon Abyss Palace, the Prisoner Battle Valley."

His voice echoed at the canyon entrance, carrying a metallic clang.

"Those imprisoned here are all criminals captured by our Dragon Abyss Palace or handed over by various forces. There are murderous bandits, Loose Cultivators who have fallen into the Evil Path, traitors who have colluded with demons, and vicious thugs and death warriors from other sea regions... Among them, the lowest in cultivation are at the Viscera Burning Realm. As for the higher ones, there is no lack of those who had just entered the Dragon Elephant Realm but were trapped here after having most of their cultivation crippled for various reasons."

With every sentence he spoke, everyone's face turned a shade paler.

Fight to the death with prisoners? And possibly at the Viscera Burning Realm, or even... crippled Dragon Elephant Realm existences?

"Your assessment is very simple." Commissioner Yan pulled his mouth into a cold arc. "Enter the valley, choose a prison cell, and begin the Prisoner Battle. Kill the prisoner inside, or... be killed by the prisoner."

"During the Prisoner Battle, there are no restrictions on methods or time. The victor lives, the loser dies."

"This is the final trial before you step into the Dragon Abyss Palace. It is also the only blood-stained proof that you are qualified to survive here."

His gaze swept over the faces that were terrified, pale, or feigning composure, and his voice suddenly raised, like a thunderclap:

"Now, tell me, does anyone want to quit?"

At the canyon entrance, there was a deathly silence.

Only the two characters "Prisoner Battle" seemed to have thick, sticky blood flowing in the eyes of everyone.