57: Chapter 57 The Demonic Cult Invades, the Heavenly Prison Riots!

Rumbles.

Intense vibrations surged from above, causing the entire floor of the Heavenly Prison to tremble as if from an earthquake.

No one knew just how intense the battle outside the Heavenly Prison was; it was shocking that it could penetrate over a dozen meters to reach the underground.

Under the constant resonance of the vibrations, the cages of the Heavenly Prison were teetering on the brink of collapse.

Then, with a snap, the bars at the entrance of several cells could no longer hold and twisted out of shape.

In an instant, the prisoners who had been sleeping were all jolted awake, staring in terror at the ceiling, unaware of exactly what had happened.

The prisoners in the Ding-class cells were weaker and had not yet been inscribed with suppression Formation marks; their strength had not been Sealed.

Seeing the cell doors collapse unexpectedly, the prisoners in those cells were stunned for a moment.

"What's going on?"

"How did the cell doors break open?"

"I don't know. It seems like they're fighting up above."

A disheveled man looked left and right, cautiously surveying the surrounding environment.

After confirming there was no one around, he tentatively took a step forward and stepped out of his cell door.

They didn't immediately flee toward the exit, but instead stretched their bodies on the spot.

The emotions that had been suppressed for too long in the Heavenly Prison were magnified infinitely at this moment of regained freedom.

"Hehe... the door is broken, I'm finally out!"

"This is truly an unexpected delight..."

A burly man with a blind left eye twisted his neck, his bones cracking like popping beans.

He greedily took a deep breath of the air mixed with the scent of blood, then shifted his gaze, landing on the depths of a nearby cell.

"Today, I'm going to vent properly."

As more and more prisoners attempted to escape, dozens of prisoners eventually gathered in the narrow corridor.

However, some prisoners remained in their cells, watching and waiting. They leaned against the walls, coldly observing the chaotic crowd in front of them.

Not everyone was unwilling to take risks, because even if the cell doors were broken today,

no one knew what was happening outside. Rushing out blindly would likely not lead to freedom.

Furthermore, the Heavenly Prison was heavily guarded; breaking out of the cell door was only the first step. It was better to just wait peacefully.

...

In the deepest room of the prison,

Jiang Mengli sat cross-legged. The Formation marks on her body had dimmed significantly, and her overall aura had improved quite a bit.

However, the suppression runes inscribed by the Demon Suppression Division were not so simple; most of her current strength remained Sealed and unusable.

Jiang Mengli frowned slightly and clicked her tongue.

"My strength hasn't recovered yet; this is a bit troublesome."

In her original plan, she should have broken free from her restraints by now, but she hadn't expected these Formation marks to be so stubborn.

Chen Ran leaned against the shadows of the wall, his expression flickering.

He released his perception, quietly sensing the fluctuations of the battle above the Heavenly Prison.

The battle above was exceptionally intense; energy surged everywhere, and True Qi swept across the entire area.

Among them were four particularly powerful auras clashing and fighting.

He also sensed a very familiar True Qi aura from within.

That was the aura unique to the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. It seemed the Red Lotus Demonic Cult was indeed responsible, which was slightly beyond his expectations.

Tap, tap, tap.

While he was still deep in thought, footsteps approached from afar.

Chen Ran reined in his thoughts and looked up.

He saw several prisoners in prison garb with crazed appearances walking over from the pitch-black corridor ahead.

As soon as those prisoners approached, their gazes were drawn to the stunningly beautiful woman before them.

They stared blankly at the beauty in red. At this moment, Jiang Mengli's skin was like congealed fat, and her cold temperament carried an intensely seductive charm.

Even though she had been locked in the cell for several days and her hair was a bit disheveled, it did not affect her beauty at all; instead, it made her appear even more pitiful and moving.

Just by looking at her, the gathered prisoners felt their blood rush, and a surge of heat rose from their lower abdomens.

"Yo, you were really right! We actually have a beauty locked up in here!" The One-eyed Dragon, leading them, licked his cracked lips, his eyes flashing with lecherous light.

Several other prisoners who had just broken their shackles also gathered around, making strange, mocking laughter.

"Big Brother is right. This woman is a top-tier prize. Being able to taste this before dying, it wouldn't be a wasted trip through this world!"

As the One-eyed Dragon spoke, he reached out to grab the iron lock of the cell.

After the Formation failed, this ordinary iron lock was effectively non-existent before his body as an 8th Rank Martial Artist.

Jiang Mengli watched them coldly, a flash of disgust appearing in the depths of her eyes.

Although her cultivation was Sealed and she was extremely weak, the arrogance in her bones had not diminished in the slightest.

"Get lost." Her voice was icy.

"Feisty!" The One-eyed Dragon laughed loudly and kicked the iron bars fiercely.

The iron bars shattered with a snap, opening a gap.

Just then, one of the prisoners suddenly stopped, his gaze crossing over the cell and looking into the shadows on the other side.

Standing in the shadows was a handsome young man wearing black casual clothes, with a circular demon pattern inscribed on his attire.

That was the uniform only worn by members of the Demon Suppression Division.

"Someone from the Demon Suppression Division!"

In an instant, the prisoners' expressions turned panicked. In their impression, members of the Demon Suppression Division were big shots; they were ruthless people who dealt with demons every day.

However, when the figure in the shadows was completely exposed under the candlelight and everyone saw his face, their expressions froze.

"I thought it was someone important; it turns out to be that little jailer who usually brings us our food."

The One-eyed Dragon gave a sinister laugh, recognizing who this person was—just a little jailer who had often fed them a few months ago.

To put it nicely, he had joined the logistics team of the Demon Suppression Division; to put it bluntly, he had just changed places to do menial work.

He pulled out a broken iron bar from the ground. "Kid, you're unlucky. I ate your slop for a few months in there; today, I'll use you as a sacrifice to the heavens!"

Jiang Mengli also noticed at this moment that Chen Ran was still here.

She was stunned for a moment, and her brows furrowed tightly.

In her view, Chen Ran had only been Cultivating for a few months at most; even with high talent, at best he was only an 8th Rank.

Facing these vicious, desperate criminals who truly possessed Peak 8th Rank strength, staying behind was purely suicide.

"What are you still standing there for? Run!" Jiang Mengli snapped, preparing to forcefully use her Cultivation Technique.

Originally, she had wanted to save this method for a critical moment, but it seemed she had to expend some power prematurely now.

Hum!

The Formation marks inscribed on her body sensed the movement of her internal power and erupted with light in the blink of an eye, attempting to block the flow.

Jiang Mengli let out a muffled groan, her face turning slightly pale.

Clearly, forcefully using her Cultivation Technique was not a simple matter for her either.

However, Chen Ran ignored Jiang Mengli's "protection."

Instead, he looked at the approaching prisoners and sighed softly.

"Sigh, I just want a peaceful life. Why are there always people without eyes coming to bother me..."

Chen Ran muttered to himself, yet his body remained standing in place.

Seeing that Chen Ran made no move, Jiang Mengli hurriedly warned:

"Step back, leave this to me."

From the prisoners' perspective, this little jailer who was usually timid and obedient was acting absolutely ridiculous right now.

"Putting on an act!" The One-eyed Dragon spat, his eyes cruel. "Brothers, hack him into meat paste!"

The next moment, his body turned into an afterimage, pouncing toward Chen Ran like a hungry wolf.

Chen Ran's eyes were calm. He extended his right arm forward, fingers spread, and slowly pushed his palm out.

His speed was not fast; it was as if he had just pushed forward casually.

Seeing this, the One-eyed Dragon grinned menacingly. "You're courting death!"

But the moment Chen Ran's palm was about to make contact, he suddenly turned his palm downward, slamming it toward the opponent's head.

Crack!

A crisp, explosive sound suddenly rang out, drowning out all the noise in the passageway.

The sinister grin on the One-eyed Dragon's face had not yet faded, and the iron bar he had raised was still suspended in mid-air.

The next second.

"Squelch!"

The One-eyed Dragon's head, like a rotten watermelon, deformed violently from side to side before finally bursting open with a pop.

Crimson blood sprayed out like a fountain, splashing onto the mottled bluestone walls.

The headless corpse swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground.