Chapter 578 242: Pure Land

The moment he was defeated, they had turned on him without a shred of mercy, casting him aside like a worn-out shoe. They didn't even leave him a sliver of a chance to salvage the situation!

How fickle the world, how cold the hearts of men!

"I… understand."

Han Xiong squeezed those few words from between his teeth.

The Shen Family might not be a thousand-year-old Noble Family, but they were still a behemoth. In his current state, he couldn't afford to provoke them.

He had no choice but to swallow this injustice.

Seeing Han Xiong's livid expression, his confidant hesitated for a long moment before whispering, "Also... Senior Brother Luo Chengxuan... He, he sent someone over, too."

Han Xiong's head snapped up to look at him, a final sliver of hope in his eyes.

'Senior Brother Luo and I are from the same lineage. Surely he will…'

"Senior Brother Luo sent a message… He said… he said that regarding the over eighteen thousand Contribution Points he advanced for you, Senior Brother, he hopes… you can raise the funds to cover the shortfall as soon as possible."

The disciple's voice grew quieter and quieter until it was nearly inaudible.

"PFFT—!"

Hearing this, Han Xiong could no longer suppress the roiling qi and blood in his chest. He violently spat out a shocking spray of crimson blood.

"Brother Han!"

His confidant rushed forward to support his swaying, collapsing form.

Han Xiong coughed violently, each spasm sending waves of pain through his entire body. But he clenched his jaw, refusing to let himself pass out.

'He could still understand the Shen Family's abandonment as the heartlessness of a Noble Family.'

'But Luo Chengxuan… He had served him so faithfully, helping build his reputation. And now, while he was still gravely injured, the senior brother he had relied upon didn't offer a single word of comfort or a shred of aid. Instead, he couldn't wait to come calling for his debt!'

The duel with Chen Qing had its roots entirely with Luo Chengxuan—it was he who had "leaked" the information.

A bone-chilling resentment, like a venomous snake, burrowed into the depths of his heart and quickly spread.

Han Xiong did not hate Chen Qing.

In a ring duel, victory and defeat depend on one's own ability. Chen Qing had defeated him fair and square.

He hated these "allies" of his, who acted sanctimonious on a daily basis but kicked him when he was down at the critical moment!

He hated the Shen Family's snobbery and callousness!

He hated Luo Chengxuan's cold-blooded ruthlessness!

'Today, he, Han Xiong, had finally experienced the full spectrum of human warmth and cruelty!'

He struggled to regulate his chaotic breathing.

'If he ever got the chance, he would repay the hatred he felt today a hundred times over!'

.....

On this day, Chen Qing was fishing by the Emerald Waves Pool, just as he always did.

Sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds, scattering shimmering golden flecks across the water's surface. A few Silver Line Cod occasionally thrashed about in his bamboo basket, splashing up a bit of water.

He sat quietly for about an hour, then put his fishing gear back in his small courtyard and headed for the Prison Peak.

The Prison Peak was one of the Nine Great Inner Peaks, standing apart from the other peaks of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect. Its location was remote, and its environment was gloomy.

The Prison Peak and the Hidden Peak had always been the most mysterious places in the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.

It was completely different from the spiritual elegance of the Sect's other peaks.

The entire mountain was a dark brown, covered in jagged, bizarre rock formations. The vegetation was sparse and twisted.

A winding stone staircase led to the summit, and the sentry posts along the way were far more heavily guarded than any other important location in the Sect.

Holding the passage Token given to him by Qu River, Chen Qing proceeded unimpeded until he reached a massive mountain hollow halfway up the peak.

At the mouth of the hollow stood a magnificent gatehouse cast entirely from Profound Iron. Inscribed on the lintel were four large, powerful words: Black Water Abyss Prison.

At the entrance, two disciples stood as straight as javelins, their auras contained but potent. They were clearly elites.

Seeing Chen Qing approach, both stepped forward in unison. "This is a restricted area of the Sect! Unauthorized disciples are forbidden to approach!"

Chen Qing's expression remained calm as he revealed the Token.

The moment the two disciples saw the Token, their expressions turned solemn. They cupped their fists and bowed in unison, their tone becoming exceedingly respectful. "A Senior Brother with a pass! We apologize for our offense. Please, Senior Brother, enter!"

One of them stepped forward and activated the gatehouse mechanism.

A stream of light flashed across the surface of the heavy Mystic Iron Gate, which emitted a low HUM, and a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through appeared.

Instantly, a wave of cold, gloomy Evil Qi surged out, unsettling one's Heart and Spirit.

"After you, Senior Brother. A Steward will be inside to receive you," the gatekeeping disciple said, stepping aside.

Chen Qing nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Inside the gate was a wide, downward-sloping corridor. The walls were embedded with fluorite that emitted a white glow, barely illuminating the path ahead.

The Evil Qi permeating the air was bone-chillingly cold, yet it also carried a strange, searing sensation, completely different from the ferocious Evil Qi of Luoxing Slope.

The Evil Qi here was more impure and sinister.

Chen Qing didn't dare to be careless. With a single thought, he silently activated the Eight Extremes Vajra Body.

The qi and blood in his body immediately began to surge like a great river, emitting a low rumble. His skin took on a deep, antique-bronze sheen, and his body radiated a scorching, masculine aura.

As the Yin-Sha Aura attempted to invade his body, it made faint HISSING sounds upon contact with his barrier of qi and blood, dissipating like snow in the sun as it was neutralized.

Just as he was adapting to the environment and preparing to look for the guiding Steward, a calm voice echoed directly in the depths of his mind:

"Benefactor, you seem to have an affinity with my Buddha."

Chen Qing's heart leaped in shock, and he whipped his head around to look in all directions.

The voice hadn't entered through his ears; it had simply manifested in his consciousness. Even with his Spiritual Sense, he was completely unable to perceive the direction from which it had come!

The corridor was empty before and behind him. There was only the dim glow of the fluorite on the walls and the echo of his own footsteps.

"Who are you?"

Chen Qing asked in a low voice, secretly gathering his True Astral. His Diancang Spear wasn't in his hand, but his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were instantly raised to their peak as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings.

The next moment, not far in front of him, a figure in a black monk's robe slowly materialized, as if stepping out of the darkness itself.