Chapter 197: Nine Locks Shattered

Nine Locks Shattered [Michael_Atallian_9966 Golden Tickets Bonus Chapter.??]

He could hear Seana calling his name, but her voice sounded impossibly distant.

He couldn’t stop now. If he did, the energy already inside him would continue tearing through his body.

He had to finish.?

[Void Devour!]

His cultivation technique finally activated.

It surged through the meridians he had just reopened. Rather than merely pushing Spiritual Qi through a fixed route, it refined the energy as it circulated, breaking down impurities and separating usable essence from the chaotic flow.

The pressure inside Lothe’s body shifted.

For the first time, the unpurified energy began to change.?

The prison’s restrictions still interfered with Lothe’s circulation. Before the refined energy could reach his Core, it had to pass through the Core Lock.

He directed a portion of the refined energy toward the three Coordinate Anchors. They responded, forming a stable spatial reference around the restriction. For the first time, Lothe could distinguish the barrier from the chaotic energy pressing against it.

He forced the concentrated energy forward.

BOOM!

The Core Lock trembled.

Another impact followed.

BOOM!

A fracture spread across the restriction.

Lothe’s vision blurred. Blood continued crawling up his face, gathering near his forehead as his circulation fought against the prison’s suppression. His heart pounded, and his body trembled.

He was reaching his limit.

Still, he pushed harder.

CRACK!

The Core Lock shattered.

[Core Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Core access restored.]

[Spiritual Qi storage restriction removed.]

The notification barely registered before the next danger emerged.

The chaotic energy rushed toward his Core, but the Spirit Root Lock remained. It surrounded his Spirit Root, preventing it from functioning normally.

If the energy overwhelmed his Spirit Root before he broke the restriction, it could destroy his cultivation foundation.

For the first time since beginning the absorption, Lothe felt genuine fear.

He could lose everything here—his Core, his cultivation, perhaps his life.

But the two monster cores were still releasing energy, and the chaotic current inside him was already becoming difficult to control. There was no easy way back.

Lothe forced the Void Devouring technique to circulate faster. The three Coordinate Anchors formed a triangular reference around the Spirit Root Lock, guiding the turbulent energy toward the restriction.

It struck.

BOOM!

The lock shuddered. Pain tore through Lothe’s body, and his consciousness wavered.

[Spirit Root Lock: Structural failure detected.]

[Spirit Root stability: CRITICAL.]

[WARNING: Uncontrolled pressure may permanently damage the cultivation foundation.]

He could barely remain conscious.

"Little Fox!" Seana cried. "Please!"

Lothe’s fingers twitched.

Just a little more.

He adjusted the flow around the three anchors, gathering the energy against the fracture. Then he pushed again.

CRACK!

The Spirit Root Lock broke.

[Spirit Root Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Spirit Root access restored.]

[Core and Spirit Root synchronization recovering.]

A surge of energy passed through Lothe’s body. For an instant, he felt his inner world open.

Then the remaining six locks resisted the flow.

The energy threatened to scatter through his meridians, but the Coordinate Anchors held their positions. Lothe maintained the Void Devouring technique, refining the chaotic energy as it moved through his restored pathways.

The process still hurt, but the current began to settle. Its violent fluctuations weakened. The green energy changed as the technique separated its usable essence from the unstable residue.

A faint purple glow showed beneath Lothe’s skin, tracing his meridians.

[Void Devour: Active.]

[Processing unpurified energy.]

[Spatial reference synchronization: Successful.]

[Refinement efficiency increasing.]

[Chaotic energy converting into refined Void Qi.]

The two monster cores trembled. Their green light dimmed as the energy within them drained away.

Lothe kept his focus on the remaining restrictions.

One by one, the refined Void Qi reached them.

[Soul Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Bloodline Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Physique Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Consciousness Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Vitality Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Foundation Lock: UNLOCKED.]

[Nine-Lock Prison: All restrictions neutralized.]

[Spiritual Qi circulation restored.]

[Core and Spirit Root synchronization stabilized.]

[Void Devour: Refinement complete.]

[Two Level Five mutated beast cores successfully refined.]

[Refined Void Qi acquired.]

[EXP Gained: 2,000]

For several seconds, Lothe remained suspended in the chains, head bowed, his breathing uneven.

Then the refined Void Qi surged through his body.

Purple energy rippled outward.

Lothe slowly raised his head. His eyes were dark and clear beneath the blood streaking his face.

The chains rattled as the Qi gathered around him. Two enormous hands formed beside his body, shaped from condensed spatial energy.

One grasped the chains at his left wrist.

The other took hold of the chains at his right.

Lothe tightened their grip.

The engraved runes flashed, struggling to hold him.

His expression remained calm.

The two hands pulled in opposite directions.

CRACK!

The chains snapped. Their broken ends struck the floor with a heavy clang.

Lothe dropped. His knees hit the stone, and he caught himself with one shaking hand.

For a moment, all he could do was breathe.

His lungs burned. His body ached, and blood stained his face and clothes. He had broken free, but the cost was clear.

The prison fell silent.

Rowan stared at the broken chains. Nyren’s lips parted slightly. Oren looked from Lothe to the two nearly drained monster cores. Caelan watched him in disbelief.

Lothe had absorbed two unpurified Level Five cores while his cultivation was sealed. He had broken through the prison’s restraints from within and freed himself.

Seana wasn’t looking at the chains. Her gaze was fixed on the blood covering Lothe’s face.

"Little Fox!"

She pulled against her own restraints.

Lothe looked up at her. Despite his exhaustion, a faint smile touched his lips.

"Let’s get you out of those chains, love."

He pushed himself upright. His legs trembled, but he stayed on his feet.

Then he turned toward Seana’s cell.

This time, there was no helplessness in his eyes—only quiet determination.

——————————

In the shadows beyond the cells, Zhao Meiyun watched.

He had seen the entire process. Lothe summoning the monster cores, forcing their energy through the prison’s restrictions, and breaking his chains.

Even for him, who had witnessed many unusual cultivators, couldn’t hide his surprise.

What kind of man does that?

Absorbing two unpurified Level Five monster cores was already reckless. Doing it while his cultivation was sealed bordered on madness.

Yet Lothe had survived—and turned the energy against the prison itself.

Meiyun’s expression settled back into its usual calm. A faint smile appeared.

Perhaps working with him won’t be such a bad idea.

Footsteps sounded in the passage behind him.

Meiyun’s eyes narrowed. Someone was approaching.

He turned away from the cells, his expression composed. "Looks like this is where our partnership begins."?