461: Chapter 461 Xue Rong's Conditions

[A moment of silence.]

[The previously raspy voice spoke again: "You just said... Liu Qingtian? Liu Xuerong's younger clansman?"]

["Yeah," you responded.]

["Middle Stage Body Integration?"]

["That's right."]

[The surroundings fell silent once more for an instant.]

["Early Stage Void Refining, and you almost killed a Middle Stage Body Integration?" The voice sounded somewhat incredulous. "Kid, are you a monster?"]

[You smiled and didn't respond.]

[Another voice chimed in, sounding muffled and heavy: "No wonder you're locked on the ninth floor—that woman Liu Xuerong is afraid you'll run away."]

["Nonsense, who else but Geniuses and Prodigies could be locked on this floor?"]

["By the way, why are you Seniors locked up here?" you asked.]

["Me? I flirted with Liu Xuerong." The raspy voice laughed self-deprecatingly. "And then I was locked up for a thousand years."]

["I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, charging in and out seven times," another voice replied, muffled and heavy. "Finally, I was cornered by the Flame Emperor and Liu Xuerong working together."]

["I lost a bet." A sigh came from the darkness. "I made a bet with the Flame Emperor and lost."]

["As for me..." a faint voice echoed from a corner, "I knew too much."]

[Listening to everyone's varied explanations, the corners of your mouth curled up slightly.]

[This floor was more interesting than you had imagined.]

[The days passed one by one.]

[You gradually grew accustomed to the rhythm here.]

[Listening to your cellmates brag and bet every day was actually quite leisurely.]

["The 10,086th Betting Tournament begins!" A messy-haired old man banged on the bars. "Bet on whether the patrolling guard will step with his left foot or right foot first tomorrow!"]

[You chimed in: "Why don't we change the bet?"]

[Everyone fell silent and looked at you in unison.]

["Let's bet on a prison break," you said slowly. "Whoever proposes the method that gets the most support wins. Whoever has the worst method loses. How about it?"]

["Haha!" someone laughed immediately. "Then you're definitely going to lose, kid!"]

[The messy-haired old man lowered his voice mysteriously: "This old man has studied prison breaks for five hundred years. I have two plans!"]

[You pricked up your ears.]

["First," he held up one finger, "find the Formation nodes of this tower and use a Divine Soul impact to break open a small crack."]

["Although cultivation is suppressed here, the Divine Soul Origin remains." He sighed. "Unfortunately, I've tried for five hundred years, and those nodes haven't budged an inch."]

["And the second?" you asked.]

["Second—" he had just started when he was interrupted by a bald, burly man.]

["Second is to wait!" The burly man slapped the bars. "Wait for that woman Liu Xuerong to have a change of heart!"]

["That thing of hers was eaten by dogs long ago!" you said casually.]

[Everyone froze for a moment, then burst into earth-shaking laughter.]

["Hahahaha—!"]

["Little brother, that mouth of yours!"]

["Vicious enough! I like it!"]

[Laughter echoed through the ninth floor, lingering for a long time.]

[Leaning against the bars, you laughed along with them.]

[These mighty figures who once shook the world had been trapped here for countless years, and they could only pass the time in this manner.]

[The days passed one by one.]

[An unknown amount of time passed—]

[Perhaps a few months, perhaps a few years.]

[You gradually became well-acquainted with your cellmates.]

[From their mouths, you also learned many secrets—about the Heavenly Palace, about the Flame Emperor, about Liu Xuerong, about the five top factions, about the Demon Domain, about the Devil Domain...]

[You committed them all to heart.]

[One day—]

[A guard suddenly brought a bathtub and threw it into your cell.]

["Venerable Liu's orders," the guard said expressionlessly. "Clean yourself up, then follow us to see her."]

[You looked down into the tub—fresh water, nothing else.]

[You raised an eyebrow.]

[Is this an interrogation?]

[Or... something else?]

[You looked down and sniffed yourself.]

["Ugh... (⊙o⊙)"]

[Your stomach was empty; there was nothing to throw up.]

[Well, you certainly did stink.]

[Not being one to stand on ceremony, you immediately began to wash up.]

[Just as you took off your outer robe—a sudden commotion came from next door.]

[You looked up—]

[All your cellmates were pressed against the bars, staring at you in unison.]

["Yo! Qin Chen!"]

["Are you hiding some secret from us, kid?"]

["Kid, you wouldn't happen to be Liu Xuerong's lover, would you?"]

["I don't think this is simple. Maybe Liu Xuerong is going to use you for Alchemy!"]

[Everyone chimed in, making your heart feel quite uneasy.]

[A moment later,]

[You finished washing and were picked up by the guards to be taken out of the Immortal Suppressing Tower.]

[You flew west for several hours.]

[When the clouds and mist dissipated, the view suddenly opened up—]

[A palace floated in the sky.]

[No, it was a cluster of palaces.]

[Stretching for tens of thousands of miles, suspended above the Nine Heavens, surrounded by galaxies and surging seas of clouds.]

[The outer layer consisted of arched bridges condensed from rainbows, spanning the Void Realm and connecting the various palace halls.]

[Further in, spiritual mist swirled, white cranes spread their wings, and immortal birds danced in flight.]

[In the depths, a main hall was built entirely of white jade. Nine night-luminescent pearls on the roof shone like moons, and on both sides of the jade road before the hall, exotic flowers and rare plants competed in beauty.]

[At the end, a ten-thousand-foot waterfall poured down from the sky into the Void Realm, its mist refracting into countless rainbows.]

[Beside the waterfall were pavilions, terraces, waterside towers, and winding paths leading to secluded spots.]

[There were mountains, waters, Spirit Beasts, and immortal birds.]

[Grand as a heavenly palace, luxurious as a dream.]

[The guards carried you across the rainbow bridge, through layers of halls, flying toward one of the palaces.]

[A moment later, you were brought into one of the grand halls and thrown onto the floor like a sack of grain.]

[The guards turned and left, and the hall doors slammed shut.]

[Silence all around.]

[Rubbing your sore shoulder, you slowly looked up—]

[The hall was extremely deep and wide.]

[Atop nine levels of jade steps sat a person.]

Liu Xuerong.

[She looked down at you with a cold gaze.]

"Qin Chen."

"How did you Breakthrough to Void Refining in less than a hundred years?"

[Her voice was calm and steady, echoing in the vast hall.]

[You patted the dust off yourself and said indifferently, "I have the xuantian treasure mirror, as if you didn't know."]

[She stared at you, remaining silent.]

[Your expression remained unchanged.]

[After a moment, she withdrew her gaze.]

["I won't waste words with you."] she spoke, her tone still calm:

["Make a great dao oath to do one thing for me. Once it's done, I will release you."]

[You laughed and raised an eyebrow. "I killed so many members of your Liu Clan, and you'd still release me?"]

[Liu Xuerong's expression didn't change. "You don't have a second choice."]

[You stared at her and suddenly asked, "What is it?"]

[Liu Xuerong glanced at you. "Yun Xiaozi."]

[Hearing this, you smiled inwardly and thought: Just as I suspected!]

["Then won't the final result still be death?" You smiled brightly. "Might as well die sooner and get it over with."]

["If you are unwilling," her voice turned a few degrees colder, "I will refine your soul into a sky lantern to hang forever in the Heavenly Palace, suffering the torment of soul-burning day and night."]

[The temperature in the hall seemed to drop a bit.]

[You were silent for a moment.]

[And then—]

[You sat down on the floor.]

["Come on then." Your gaze was calm. "I've been ready for a long time."]

[After saying that, you simply closed your eyes and waited for death.]