1040: Chapter 1039 Powerful Suppression, the Pitiful Ones

Wu Zhankong did not answer, nor did he even spare the other party a glance.

He simply extended his right hand, fingers spread wide, and made a phantom grasping motion toward the giant imprisoned by the ice crystal chains.

"Roar—!!!"

The Ice Soul Clan Elder let out a desperate roar, his remaining power erupting frantically as the extreme cold frost tried to freeze everything.

However, that cold air, capable of freezing stars, vanished like a clay ox entering the sea when it touched the three-foot radius around Wu Zhankong, evaporated completely by his scorching Qi and blood.

Wu Zhankong's palm descended, pressing onto the giant's head.

"Pfft!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a dull, soft sound, like a ripe fruit bursting open.

The blue-skinned giant's head, harder than refined steel, along with the struggling and howling Divine Soul within, shattered and collapsed in Wu Zhankong's palm like fragile pottery.

Immediately after, an invisible yet terrifying suction force erupted from Wu Zhankong's palm.

The giant's massive body, along with the fragments of the ice crystal chains containing the power of Law, were like withered leaves cast into a whirlpool—spinning rapidly and shrinking before finally turning into wisps of incomparably pure Qi and blood energy, swallowed greedily by Wu Zhankong.

"Crack, crack..."

A subtle sound, as if ice layers were freezing and then breaking, came from within Wu Zhankong's body. A faint ice-blue luster flickered across the surface of his skin before vanishing, and the furnace-like heat of his Qi and blood seemed to become a touch more restrained and profound.

Devouring, digesting, strengthening.

The entire process was so fast it was suffocating.

Inside the cage, there was complete silence.

The remaining eight prisoners—whether they were shadow lifeforms, enchanting succubi, or other existences with eerie auras—all felt as if their throats were being choked, and all sound came to an abrupt halt.

They stared blankly at the empty cell, where not a single scrap of residue remained, and then at the red-haired figure slowly withdrawing his palm as if he had only done something trivial.

Fear, like a cold venomous snake, instantly gripped their hearts.

This wasn't a prison breaker... this was an even more terrifying Vicious Beast in human form!

He didn't need allies, didn't care about threats, and was even indifferent to temptation.

Wu Zhankong turned around, his gaze once again sweeping across the remaining cages.

This time, no one dared to meet his eyes, let alone speak out.

Those beings who had once roamed the sea of stars could now only desperately restrain their auras, wishing they could turn into a speck of dust for fear of drawing the attention of this god of slaughter.

Seeing that Wu Zhankong had no intention of attacking again and was instead walking toward the exit of this folded space—the spatial node where the fluctuations were most intense and connected to the outside world—finally, an old and weak voice, filled with extremely complex emotions, sounded cautiously.

"Your... Your Excellency... please wait."

Wu Zhankong's footsteps paused slightly, but he did not turn back.

The voice continued, filled with awe and a hint of indescribable shock.

"Today, I have witnessed Your Excellency's Divine Might—breaking the prison as if it were nothing and devouring enemies with ease... Though we are trapped here, our hearts are shaken.

Might I ask... Your Excellency's great name? So that we may know what kind of figure could treat the Dark Star Abyssal Prison like a level path."

One could hear a pin drop in the space; all the prisoners held their breath, waiting.

Wu Zhankong was silent for a moment, and then a name, plain yet carrying a metallic resonance, echoed through the deathly silent prison:

"Wu—Zhan—Kong."

As those three words fell, they were like the beating of war drums, like the shattering of stars.

"Wu Zhankong, are you the one who captured that First Prince of the Black Cloud Empire?"

At this moment, another low voice filled with pleasant surprise rang out, and then he let out a burst of laughter as if talking to himself.

"Hahahaha! I never expected to see the real Lord Wu Zhankong in my lifetime!"

"Lord, let me out. You must have your own purpose for coming in, but you will surely be discovered once you leave this place.

I can help you draw attention; consider it a way to repay you!"

Hearing this, Wu Zhankong actually felt a flicker of interest. He turned to look at the cage where the voice had come from, and in the next moment, a singular sight appeared in his eyes.

Through the Void Stone Wall, he saw a thin figure. It was not of the Human Race; his skin was a dull lead-gray and covered with fine, naturally occurring energy circuit patterns.

Most striking were his ears—sharp, slender, and extending backward, with the tips faintly shimmering with ghostly blue light.

At this moment, the alien prisoner was half-kneeling in the center of the cage in a respectful posture, but in those eyes, deep as a star abyss, burned a fire of revenge suppressed for untold years and a touch of indelible joy.

A purple light flashed in Wu Zhankong's eyes. He did not forcibly break through the other's mental defenses but instead read him like an open book.

The alien prisoner actively opened up parts of his memories and the imprints of his life's trajectory, allowing the purple light to sweep through.

Countless fragmented images and a torrent of information flooded into Wu Zhankong's mind.

The lead-gray skinned race was called the "You Shi Clan." Naturally sensitive to energy fluctuations and spatial structures, they were once renowned Great Masters of energy vein prospecting and spatial engineering in the interstellar world.

This prisoner was named "Kalanduo." He was once the chief navigator of an You Shi Clan prospecting fleet, holding a respected status and a happy family with a wife and daughter.

The scene shifted: An armed fleet belonging to the Black Cloud Empire, under the guise of "requisition," forcibly abducted Kalanduo and some of his elite team members, forcing them to find hidden ancient ruins and rare mineral veins for the Empire.

Kalanduo initially refused, but the Black Cloud Empire threatened the lives of his wife and daughter.

An even more cruel scene: After successfully locating and assisting in opening a dangerous ruin, the Empire did not fulfill its promise to release his family. Instead, to prevent secrets from leaking, they turned the residential station where his wife and daughter lived—along with tens of thousands of innocent civilians inside—completely into cosmic dust in his presence, under the guise of an "accidental mishap."

Kalanduo witnessed everything, his eyes nearly bursting with rage and his Soul almost shattering. However, due to the Restrictions in his body and constant surveillance, he could not seek revenge, nor could he even take his own life.

Subsequently, he was imprisoned here. Because of his exceptional spatial perception, he was viewed as a "special asset." The Auction House planned to "use" him when needed or sell him as a rare commodity to some power in need of such talent.

This imprisonment had lasted for nearly a hundred years.

Over the century, despair, hatred, and self-reproach gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes, but he never gave up on finding a sliver of hope for survival, even if it was just to make the Black Cloud Empire pay a small price.

Having finished browsing, the purple light in Wu Zhankong's eyes faded.

Kalanduo's memories, especially that bone-deep pain and hatred, were genuine and could not be faked.

Wu Zhankong was silent for a moment, then laughed heartily. "I don't need help from the weak. Do whatever you want to do."

He raised his hand, fingers curling, and made a phantom clawing motion toward Kalanduo's cage.