Lin Yu easily passed through the lightning surging between the nine jade pillars and reached the downward-facing hole at the center.
A winding staircase extended underground, with a lamp every three zhang, illuminating the passage as brightly as day. As Lin Yu entered the Demon Prison, wails and cries of demons assaulted his sea of consciousness, but he remained unaffected.
Moments later, he reached the prison's deepest level: a vast space a thousand zhang in diameter, with hundreds of cells lining the perimeter, each shrouded in silver thunder. The demons imprisoned here were constantly being refined by the thunder—many had already perished in their cells.
"Blood food! Fresh blood food!"
"A human youth so tender has come here! I've forgotten the taste of human flesh!"
"Youth, come closer! Free me, and I'll reward you handsomely!"
...
The demons in the prison eyed Lin Yu with greed and longing. Previously, only Purple Mansion Realm warriors entered, able to resist their cries, curses, and temptations. Now, a youth who wasn't even Xiantian Realm had appeared, and the demonic cultivators immediately used all means to lure him into freeing them.
"Hehe! This place is excellent—much better than Great Han's Demon-Sealing Tower!" Cauldron Lord was pleased with the Demon Prison.
"Cauldron Lord, why do you say that?" Ignoring the demons' shouts, Lin Yu looked at Cauldron Lord in confusion.
"Look—each cell is controlled by a separate seal. Even if one demon breaks free, the others remain sealed. Unlike the Demon-Sealing Tower, where a breach lets all escape." Cauldron Lord paused, smiling. "This makes our task easier. We can break one seal at a time, releasing one demon without worrying about others escaping."
Lin Yu scanned the area and nodded. "True. Since we're here, let's slay a Purple Mansion Realm demonic cultivator today to whet your appetite, Cauldron Lord."
"Excellent! I can't wait—let me tell you how to break these seals!" Cauldron Lord urged Lin Yu on.
Lin Yu surveyed the imprisoned demonic cultivators and chose the loudest one, walking straight toward it.
"Yes, come this way! Youth, come here! Free me, and I'll teach you peerless cultivation arts to reach Myriad Manifestations and become a revered expert!" The Purple Mansion Realm demon cultivator grinned wildly, as if already envisioning its escape.
"Don't rush—I'll free you now." Lin Yu smiled at the Purple Mansion Realm demon in the cell and began dismantling the seal.
The demon cultivator froze, surprised. When had its soul迷惑 (迷惑) art become so effective? This human youth was far too cooperative—almost a shame to eat him!
Moments later, the silver thunder surging in the cell vanished, and the seal at the door dissipated.
"He's really free! The youth actually freed Demon Daoist!"
"Demon Daoist is too lucky to meet such a gullible youth!"
"Demon Daoist, free me next! I once treated you to a Hundred Infant Feast—remember?"
The other demons in the prison watched with envy and hatred, their eyes red as they tried to curry favor with Demon Daoist. The seals could only be broken from outside; once one demon escaped, it could break the others.
"Youth, I'll truly thank you!" Demon Daoist laughed wildly, stepping out of the cell and eyeing Lin Yu mockingly. "The best thanks is making you the first blood food I taste after escaping. Consider it an honor, youth!"
As he spoke, demonic energy coiled from his palm like ropes, lunging at Lin Yu. He had escaped and would soon taste fresh blood—other demons envied him.
Lin Yu shook his head, smiling. He flicked a finger, and wind sword intent howled out, annihilating the demonic energy and piercing Demon Daoist's forehead.
Demon Daoist's eyes froze in disbelief, then his soul dissipated, and he collapsed.
"Dead! Demon Daoist is dead!"
"Who is this youth? Demon Daoist couldn't even block one move!"
"He freed Demon Daoist to kill him?"
The other demonic cultivators were stunned, unable to believe Lin Yu had easily slain a Purple Mansion Realm demon.
Lin Yu turned to them, smiling. "No need to rush—it'll be your turn next."
He summoned the God-Eating Cauldron from his sea of consciousness.
"Hehe! After so long, I can finally refine a demonic cultivator again!" Cauldron Lord laughed triumphantly as starlight ripples enveloped Demon Daoist's body, pulling it into the cauldron.
"Youth, what do you intend to do?" The prison's demons eyed Lin Yu warily.
"You'll find out later. Take good care—don't let the formation refine you." Lin Yu greeted them with a smile, then turned and left the Demon Prison.
Back at the hostage manor, Cauldron Lord immediately refined Demon Daoist. However, as a mere Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, he provided negligible spiritual energy to Lin Yu now—only refining all demons in the prison would advance Lin Yu further.
Every night thereafter, Lin Yu visited the Demon Prison, and each time, a Purple Mansion Realm demon vanished.
Days later, a Great Zhou imperial elder arrived at the Demon Prison with a unit of Xiantian warriors.
"Elder Qian, the guards report the demons' cries from the entrance have weakened significantly. They fear an anomaly and request your inspection." The leading Xiantian warrior bowed to Elder Qian, one of Great Zhou's Purple Mansion experts, whom even royal heirs treated with respect.
"Very well. Wait here—I'll investigate." Elder Qian entered the Demon Prison, passing through the thunder-wreathed pillars. Descending the stairs, he found the prison eerily quiet, lacking its usual clamor. He circulated spiritual energy, ready for crisis.
Reaching the lowest level, he froze: the demons, once cursing and howling, now sat listlessly in their cells like lambs waiting for slaughter. Moreover, several seemed missing compared to his last visit. Had the prison's refining speed increased?
"Elder Qian, save us! Save us!" The demons saw Elder Qian and pleaded desperately.
"Save you?" Elder Qian was confused. What had happened? Did they mistake him for an ally? He quickly recovered, sneering. "Save you? Ridiculous! The Demon Prison was built because you worship demons and are hard to kill—you're meant to be slowly refined by the formation."