What is so special about the Green King?

Leading the group were two individuals. One wore a red cloud-patterned Daoist robe and had a majestic countenance; he was the Peak Master of Danxia Peak, Li Cangyun.

The other was burly with an aura as heavy as a mountain; he was the Peak Master of Baoqi Peak, Wang Lian.

Due to the matters involving his subordinate Elders Zhao Qian and Ye Qing, Li Cangyun had been publicly fined ten years of resources by Sect Master Lu Changhe and privately ordered to reflect behind closed doors. However, the disappearance of the Peak Master of Luoxia Peak, Liu Ruyan, was a matter of great importance. The Sect Master had sent several waves of people into the Secret Realm to investigate, but no news had returned.

Li Cangyun had volunteered for this mission to redeem himself through meritorious service.

On this trip, he was to protect the Disciples as they trained in the Secret Realm while also doing his best to search for Liu Ruyan's whereabouts.

When they sensed the disturbance in the Prison Realm, they set off to rush here.

When the group arrived, they saw countless Cultivators pouring into that patch of multi-colored mist as if they had gone mad.

Sensing the Spiritual Qi behind the mist, which was so dense it had almost materialized, Li Cangyun and Wang Lian exchanged a glance, both seeing the fervor in each other's eyes.

"Go!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Cangyun gave a low shout and transformed into a streak of light. Leading dozens of elite Disciples and Elders from the Taiyi Sect, he followed the tide of people and plunged into the misty passage.

A dizzying sensation washed over them, as if they were traveling through time and space.

When the scene before their eyes became clear again, Li Cangyun and the others found themselves in a brand new world.

The environment here was completely different from the Secret Realm, and the density of the Spiritual Qi in the air even far exceeded that of the Taiyi Sect's blessed lands!

Only... "Eh? Peak Master, where are the people who came in before us?"

A Disciple looked around with a dazed expression.

On the vast, empty plains, there was no one else to be seen besides their group from the Taiyi Sect.

Where were all those Cultivators who had just entered?

Slight traces of panic appeared on the faces of many Disciples.

"No matter."

Li Cangyun's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly.

As a Peak Master, he remained calm in the face of danger, his voice carrying a natural power that settled people's hearts.

"This misty passage likely possesses the trait of random teleportation. Different batches of Cultivators entering will be randomly sent to different locations in this Small World. It is fortunate that we were sent to the same place. Otherwise, being scattered in this unfamiliar land would be a true nightmare to find everyone again."

Wang Lian, the Peak Master of Baoqi Peak, nodded in deep agreement.

He took a deep breath, feeling the joy of the magic power within his body, and said solemnly, "The Spiritual Qi here is so staggering that the Opportunity must be immense! We should head deeper; perhaps we will find even greater rewards!"

"Indeed, I was thinking the same!" A sharp light flashed in Li Cangyun's eyes.

The group immediately reached an agreement. Led by the two Nascent Soul True Monarchs, Li Cangyun and Wang Lian, they cautiously explored in the direction where the Spiritual Qi was even denser.

About half a day later.

"Everyone, look!" a sharp-eyed Disciple suddenly let out a cry of surprise and joy.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and immediately gasped in unison!

In a valley ahead, spiritual mist swirled and auspicious light glowed; there was actually a large medicinal garden growing there!

Within it, third-tier Spiritual Plants were everywhere, growing as thick as common weeds!

There were even many fourth-tier Spirit Medicines flickering with various precious lights, their medicinal fragrance filling the air. It was a dazzling sight!

“Heavens! We’ve struck it rich! We’re rich!”

“So many fourth-tier Spirit Medicines! ‘Purple-Veined Mysterious Ginseng’, ‘Red Flame Fruit’, ‘Nine-Leaf Dragon Sunflower’... This, this is simply a treasure trove!”

“As expected of the two Peak Masters leading the way! Their Luck is extraordinary! Otherwise, if we had come on our own, we probably wouldn't have found such a great Opportunity in a lifetime!”

The Taiyi Sect Disciples were so excited their faces turned red.

Listening to the Disciples' flattery, an uncontrollable smile appeared on Li Cangyun's face.

Fourth-tier spiritual herbs were precious items of significant value even to a Nascent Soul True Monarch like him.

The value of the medicinal garden before him was so great that it was hard for him not to be moved!

He immediately stepped forward, preparing to begin harvesting.

However, right at that moment!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three figures flashed out from the dense forest beside the medicinal garden without warning, forming a triangular formation to block everyone's path.

These three all had profound auras and eyes like lightning.

They had originally been Cultivating with their eyes closed and were awakened by the commotion. At this moment, their gaze toward Li Cangyun and the others held a trace of subtle surprise.

"Cultivators from the outside... have they come in so quickly?" one of them murmured to himself.

Then, the leader, a cold-faced middle-aged man, fixed his gaze on Li Cangyun, who was about to move forward. His voice was flat yet carried an air of authority:

"Fellow Daoists from the outside, the medicinal garden ahead is under the command of King Yuan; it is private property."

"We are ordered to remind you: Do not enter without an invitation! Otherwise, a great disaster will befall you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Li Cangyun's footsteps paused slightly, and his brows furrowed.

He exchanged a look with Wang Lian beside him, and both saw a hint of a sneer in the other's eyes.

King Yuan?

Who was King Yuan?

As Peak Masters of the Taiyi Sect, they were prominent figures in the entire Eastern Region. When had they ever heard of such a person?

Looking at the three people before them, although their magic power fluctuations were condensed, their auras clearly showed they had only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul First Layer!

Heh, to think that a mere three Cultivators who had just entered the Nascent Soul Realm dared to speak so boldly before two True Monarchs of the Nascent Soul Third Layer?

They probably saw how precious this medicinal garden was.

Thus, they wanted to use a non-existent name to scare them off so they could hog this immense Opportunity for themselves?

Thinking of this, Li Cangyun found it somewhat amusing.

Cultivators nowadays were getting bolder and bolder, daring to spout such nonsense lies.

If that so-called King Yuan were truly that powerful, how could he, a dignified Peak Master of the Taiyi Sect, have never even heard his title?

He didn't care to waste more words with these three. With a cold snort, he slightly released the pressure of his Nascent Soul Third Layer cultivation.

He intended to step forward and forcibly enter the medicinal garden.

In his view, if these three were sensible, they would obediently step aside.

If they weren't, he wouldn't mind teaching them a lesson to make them understand who they shouldn't provoke!

"Halt!"

Seeing Li Cangyun ignore the warning and continue forward, the leading middle-aged man frowned and shouted sternly.

Li Cangyun acted as if he hadn't heard, the corner of his mouth even curling into a disdainful arc.

Seeing this, a cold light flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes, and he said no more.

He simply pointed his fingers like a sword and casually tapped toward the empty ground in front of Li Cangyun!

Hum!

A seemingly ordinary spiritual light shot out.

There was no earth-shattering commotion, yet at the moment it hit the ground, a heart-palpitatingly terrifying power erupted!

Boom!!!

With a dull roar, the earth shook violently!

A bottomless, pitch-black pit appeared out of thin air in the ground before Li Cangyun!

The edges of the pit were as smooth as a mirror, and the remaining magic power fluctuations within it were sharp and overbearing, emitting a terrifying aura!

Li Cangyun's advancing steps suddenly froze!

The disdain and arrogance on his face instantly solidified, replaced by unprecedented shock and horror!

Wang Lian beside him felt his pupils shrink suddenly, and his burly body tensed up!

Both were True Monarchs of the Nascent Soul Third Layer; how sharp was their insight?

They could clearly sense that the power of that seemingly casual spiritual light was actually... not the least bit inferior to a full-power strike from either of them!

But the opponent was merely a Cultivator who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul First Layer!

How was this possible?!

What alarmed them even more was that after the opponent struck, his expression remained calm.

It was as if this act was just a trivial matter.

And the other two beside him hadn't moved from start to finish, their relaxed demeanors showing absolute confidence in their companion's strength!

What did this mean?

It meant that each of these three Nascent Soul First Layer Cultivators possessed combat power no less than their own Nascent Soul Third Layer!

If they really fought, the two of them together... might not even be a match for these three!

In an instant, a strong sense of absurdity and defeat welled up in the hearts of Li Cangyun and Wang Lian, and they even began to doubt their own lives!

What kind of hellish place was this?

How could three nameless Cultivators encountered at random be such peerless Prodigies?!

Nascent Soul First Layer rivalling Nascent Soul Third Layer!

And three of them appeared at once!

This was too absurd, wasn't it?

The Taiyi Sect Disciples following behind them were now as quiet as cicadas in winter, their faces pale.

They gripped their Magical Artifacts tightly, their expressions alert to the extreme.

It seemed this Small World was far more dangerous than they had imagined!

Li Cangyun was also in a daze, standing frozen on the spot for a moment.

At this point, seeing this, the middle-aged man who had struck showed a faint smile and then lightly flicked his finger in the void.

Ding!

A crisp sound reached Li Cangyun's ears.

The sound was clearly not loud, but it was like a great bell echoing in his mind, snapping him out of his daze.

Li Cangyun shuddered.

After coming to his senses, there was no longer any hint of contempt in his eyes as he looked at the middle-aged man, only deep wariness and solemnity.

He took a deep breath and asked in a low voice:

“What are the names of you three Fellow Daoists? Was what you said about King Yuan... all true?”

The middle-aged man and the two beside him smiled at each other, and then he cupped his hands toward Li Cangyun.

“I am Zhou Tong.”

“Lin Wu.”

“Zhao Qiankun.”

After Zhou Tong, the leader, gave his name, he looked at the still shocked and puzzled expressions of Li Cangyun and Wang Lian.

He shook his head with a smile and comforted them, “You two Fellow Daoists need not be so dejected. As Cultivators from the outside, it is actually... quite normal for your strength to be inferior to ours at the same Realm!”

Quite normal?!

Hearing this, the corners of Li Cangyun's and Wang Lian's mouths both twitched!

Are those even human words?

Zhou Tong continued:

“You should know that this place is no ordinary Small World. This place is called the ‘Prison Realm’! And the owner of the medicinal garden ahead is one of the kings standing at the peak of the Prison Realm, Lord King Yuan!”

“Currently, Lord King Yuan is in closed-door Cultivation, and we are ordered to be Protectors here. If you were to trespass into the medicinal garden and anger Lord King Yuan, even the gods wouldn't be able to save you!”

“As newcomers who have just arrived in the Prison Realm, I advise you two to learn to act with caution.”

At this point, a look of relief appeared on Zhou Tong's face: “Speaking of which, you are lucky. If you had come in not long ago, before the shackles of the Prison Realm were released, no matter what your cultivation was on the outside or what layer of Nascent Soul you were, it would have been useless. You would have been forcibly suppressed to the Ninth Layer of Golden Core Perfection by the rules of this Realm!”

Boom!

These last words were like a bolt of lightning from the Nine Heavens, striking hard at the hearts of Li Cangyun and Wang Lian!

The two turned pale, their hearts filled with horror!

Forcibly suppressed to the Golden Core Ninth Layer?!

They were dignified True Monarchs of the Nascent Soul Third Layer!

This Small World actually possessed such overbearing and terrifying rules before?

They finally understood why the combat power of these three Nascent Soul First Layer Cultivators was so terrifying!

To be able to Cultivate under such abnormal shackles was equivalent to always moving forward with a heavy burden!

Now that the shackles were gone, they could naturally soar into the sky!

With such a solid Foundation and deep background, it was naturally easy for them to rival the Nascent Soul Third Layer at the Nascent Soul First Layer!

In Li Cangyun's eyes, these three were clearly at the level of Prodigies!

But!

When these three spoke of King Yuan, Li Cangyun could sense that it was awe from the bottom of their hearts!

From this, one could imagine that the strength of that so-called King Yuan must be extremely terrifying!

Thinking of this, Li Cangyun was secretly glad. Fortunately, they were stopped by these three. Otherwise, if they had picked the herbs in the garden, it would have surely invited a great disaster!

One of the three Cultivators who spoke, Zhou Tong, saw the look in Li Cangyun's eyes and nodded slightly.

He understood that these outside Cultivators should have come to their senses.

He then said, “Let's go. The large-scale herb gardens here basically all have owners, so don't even think about them. Since it's your first time in the Prison Realm, I'll take you to the divine tower. Although the divine tower is no longer needed now...”

As he spoke, he rose into the air and looked toward Li Cangyun and the others.

He invited Li Cangyun and the others to the Divine Tower Plaza.

As for this medicinal garden, it would be guarded by the remaining two Cultivators, Lin Wu and Zhao Qiankun.

“This, are we going?”

“What is the divine tower? What does he mean by it's no longer needed?”

“I guess it's that ancient tower we saw from the outside before!”

The Taiyi Sect Disciples discussed for a moment.

Their gazes turned toward Li Cangyun and the Peak Master of Baoqi Peak, Wang Lian.

Li Cangyun and Wang Lian exchanged a look. After a brief contemplation, Li Cangyun nodded.

“We appreciate you leading the way, Fellow Daoist!”

He then told everyone to follow along and see.

Zhou Tong, who was leading the way, smiled slightly.

While leading them, he introduced the three divine towers to Li Cangyun and the others.

“The tests of the divine towers are for magic power, Physical Body, and comprehensive combat power respectively! This is simple and nothing much to talk about. What's worth noting is that if you reach the hundredth floor of any divine tower, you can leave your name on the corresponding prison ranking list. If you reach the one hundred and fiftieth floor, you can be called a King! By the way...”

At this point, Zhou Tong's expression became solemn.

His eyes flashed as he warned Li Cangyun and the others: “Remember! In the Prison Realm, the Four Kings are supreme! They are the existences standing at the peak of the Prison Realm!”

“Other things can be discussed, but you must absolutely never offend King Shi, King Yuan, King Lei, or King Qing!”

When he mentioned the name King Qing.

Li Cangyun's eyes flashed; he noticed that Zhou Tong's gaze appeared very fervent!

Li Cangyun couldn't help but feel curious. His expression was thoughtful, and he finally couldn't help but ask:

“I wonder... what is so special about this King Qing?”