Chapter 0012: Bloody Aura Surging into the Sky

With the sun rising in the east, the morning propitious energy descended.

Propitious energy mingled with the first rays of sunlight each day, and the power it contained was both rich and pure. Only skilled cultivators could capture and absorb it.

Once again, Yang Wu relied on the Supreme Nine Profound Art to secure a wisp of the dawn’s propitious energy. Again, his dantian rapidly consumed it, sending it through to nourish his twelve major meridians and body, which seemed to shine with a sacred brilliance.

Skinny Monkey and Xiaoman, who had just emerged from the stone hut, saw this and thought with awe, Heaven’s son has descended to the mortal realm!

After some time, Yang Wu heard the repetitive melodious ring from his body as the majestic energy flowed through him, leaving him feeling relaxed.

Hearing the sound, Skinny Monkey exclaimed, “I took the blood ginseng and gained two stones of strength overnight, yet Big Brother has just gained four stones! His growth speed is amazing! I guess he really is destined for greatness. He may be in trouble here, but this is temporary.”

Skinny Monkey could not help but recall a young blind man he had once met. The blind man had told him that he would find disaster, but it would be a blessing in disguise, leading to a benefactor who would lift him to astounding heights.

He had to wonder if Yang Wu were the benefactor that blind man had spoken of.

As Xiaoman watched, she realized the young man was even more impressive than she had first thought. Perhaps, one day, her new master would free her of this place.

Yang Wu stood, his joints popping. In a matter of seconds, he had grown a bit taller.

He clenched his fists and grinned. “Did I gain four stones of strength in one night? This is awesome!”

He had broken through to the Medial Grade Foot Soldier Realm and reached the Superior Grade in one step. Now, he was not far from his grade prior to his imprisonment.

This had all happened within three days, and it felt like a dream.

However, he did not give the matter much thought. Yang Wu was still a prisoner, not in control of his own life. He needed to grow even stronger!

——

Cellblock 68 had undergone massive changes that night. Both Wang Yan and Centipede had been overthrown, and Wang Yan’s hideous face had been beaten beyond recognition. Centipede had not been so lucky. He had died, and many of his Foot Soldier minions had been injured. Both events drastically altered the cellblock’s status quo.

The culprits currently occupied Centipede’s old hut. Skinny Monkey now proclaimed himself as the block’s new boss and had recruited more than a dozen Inferior Grade Foot Soldiers. All of these new recruits were willing supporters, and they claimed Scarlet Steel Rock from the hands of other inmates.

Meanwhile, Yang Wu lived behind the scenes and stayed quiet. He wanted to avoid the public eye and the guards’ attention. Doing so would only lead to his suffering.

Obviously, the guards knew about the situation, but they did not care. Survival was a competition among the inmates, so they turned a blind eye. These prisoners’ deaths would not cause them any issues. As far as they were concerned, the inmates were as worthless as grass.

Unfortunately, one of the prison guards disagreed with the rest. He had called Wang Yan before him to explain the situation, and she told him of the night’s events, her face injured and covered in tears and snot.

“I thought Yang Wu had been crippled before he had been sent here? How can he still have any combat prowess?!” the man demanded, shouting.

This man was no ordinary prison guard, but one of the squad leaders, Xu Ziyang. He also had orders to take special care of Yang Wu.

“It’s true! How could he have beaten me so badly if it weren’t? And I’ve heard that he killed Centipede! It’s all that brat’s work! Milord, please avenge us!” Wang Yan cried.

Xu Ziyang considered the situation for a moment, then said, “I got it. You can go now. He’ll die soon enough.”

Killing Yang Wu would not be difficult for Xu Ziyang, but he had orders to ensure the young man suffered a fate worse than death. So, the squad leader had Yang Wu whipped before giving him to Wang Yan and letting her have her way with him. Yet, even after such severe treatment, the troublemaker still had so much energy. Yang Wu had even beaten Wang Yan, crippling her. Xu Ziyang felt something was off with this new prisoner, and he knew it would be best to rip the problem out by the roots.

But before he could deal with Yang Wu, something unexpected happened in cellblock 8.

Someone had dug a deep pit, unwittingly releasing a terrifying and bloody aura that had consumed and killed several inmates in the area. The disturbance alerted the prison’s warden and two of his deputies, and the warden immediately summoned all of nearby squad leaders.

Thousands of people surrounded the area in cellblock 8, including warden Wan Tianlong and deputies Zhao Changdao and Lie Feng, as well as many prison guards.

Wan Tianlong wore a horned helmet, sturdy brown armor, rode a bull spirit and wielded a halberd. He struck an imposing figure. Intimidated, most people avoided looking directly into his eagle-like eyes.

[TL Note: An animal spirit is an animal with spiritual powers. Different from regular animals, they have gained human-like intelligence and can cultivate. The spirit here is referring to spirituality rather than ethereal beings like ghosts. It is not just animals that can become such beings. Mountains and rivers can also gain intelligence and spirituality, coming to life and cultivating. In such cases, you get mountain spirits for example; basically elemental or nature spirits.]

Deputy Zhao Changdao was not a tall man, but he looked quite strong. He carried a massive saber that was longer than most people were tall and looked majestic atop his war tiger.

Meanwhile, deputy Lie Feng strode in on a gray wolf with an azure longsword hanging from his waist. His expression was hostile, encouraging many prisoners to keep their distance.

These three men were the main authority figures in the Smoke Signal Mountain Prison, commanding dozens of guard captains, squad leaders, and countless guards.

“A bloody aura has filled the area. I’m afraid that some evil being waits in the pit. It might even be a living creature!” Wan Tianlong commented softly, watching the violent energy pour out of the pit, relentless.

“Warden, we have uncovered many artifacts over the years, some with unusual origins. Could this location contain some significant secret?” Zhao Changdao asked.

“This is an ominous place. Hundreds of inmates died during the prison’s construction,” Lie Feng pointed out with a frown.

“It does not matter. Since this is happening in our prison, we must investigate. Send someone in to see what’s going on.” The warden ordered one of his squad leaders to take a hundred guards into the pit.

All of the guards were armored Warrior Realm cultivators, radiating vibrant auras and wielding glittering weapons. They worked together to resist the bloody aura filling the night.

At first, they held off the hideous aura, but as they approached the pit, it began to affect their bodies. One by one, they began to scream, unable to resist.

As they cried out, intense energy exploded from the pit, swallowing the hundred guards.

Wan Tianlong’s eagle-sharp eyes began to twitch, and he held out a hand, demanding, “My bow!”

Obediently, an old man next to him handed the warden a war bow and several arrows. Wan Tianlong immediately pulled his bow taut, using ten cauldrons of force, and fired an arrow. The arrow’s feathers trailed a faint, green light as it sliced through the air and into the bloody aura.

[TL Note: Cauldrons of force is likely the next unit of measurement after stones. The conversion is not known yet.]

Boom!

The shot was quite powerful, striking with a dull sound. The attack seemed to affect the bloody aura, but it soon recovered. Unfortunately, the hundred prison guards disappeared into the pit, and a strong bloody stench filled the air.

“What was that?!” Zhao Changdao exclaimed.

“It acts like a blood wolf, yet it moves like a consuming energy. This is the same method a King uses to consume energy and manifest a form!” Lie Feng said, still frowning.

[TL Note: A cultivator of the Earthen Sea Realm is known as a King, as the realm is also known as the King Realm, which is explained later in the story. The Earthen Sea Realm follows the General Realm, which follows the Warrior Realm.]

“Clear out cellblock 8 and close it off immediately! We can’t let any information leak. Kill anyone who violates the order.” Wan Tianlong’s eyes glowed with excitement as he barked the command.

He had the vague sense that some secret lay hidden under block 8. Perhaps some long-ago King had stored his power here. If he could claim the secret, he might make a breakthrough and reach the King Realm himself.

Both Zhao Changdao and Li Feng realized what the warden intended, and they hoped they would get a cut of the pie.

However, events might not progress as they wished.

——