Even the sunlight falling from above couldn't dispel the murky atmosphere here.
However, these weren't the main focus of Xu Qing's attention. As he climbed down the stairs and arrived at the top floor of the prison, he noticed that there were cells lining the walls of the deep pit.
Every cell was a huge area.
Within each area, there were countless cages.
Xu Qing could faintly see countless criminals of all races shouting inside.
Moreover, there was a strong smell of blood emanating from the surrounding soil, filling the area with a pungent stench.
Xu Qing remained silent, his face unchanged, as he continued forward.
The Pawn occasionally turned his head to look at Xu Qing. Upon noticing Xu Qing's composure, he gradually looked more interested.
As the two of them continued to walk deeper, Xu Qing saw more Pawns.
The Pawns here weren't young and were in this gloomy place all year round, causing them to emit a cold and murderous aura. Some of them were even holding mutilated corpses in their hands with blood still dripping from them.
That kind of cruelty that exuded from their bones made Xu Qing squint his eyes.
In addition, he discovered that when the Pawns saw him, some acted as if they were indifferent to his presence, some showed cruel looks, and some frowned with scrutiny.
Xu Qing didn't pay attention to these gazes. He could sense that every Pawn here had a very powerful cultivation base. Any one of them placed outside would be a remarkable figure.
They gave him the feeling of a wolf pack.
The Sword Holding Palace outside was also filled with wolves, but the wolves in the Prison Department were even more savage, bloody, and xenophobic.
They rejected everyone who wasn't a Pawn. In their hearts, there were only two identities: peers or criminals.
Xu Qing was neither a criminal nor a Pawn, and his appearance was very concealed, giving these pawns the feeling that a sudden light had appeared in the night, or a lost lamb wandering into a pack of wolves.
Despite the various gazes directed at him, Xu Qing calmly followed the Pawn in front to the 89th floor.
This was the centermost part of the entire prison. There were 88 floors above and 88 floors below.
There were no prison cells on this floor, only a black hall with 21 huge pillars in the surroundings. These pillars connected the upper and lower floors, and also had wyverns coiled around them.
Their vertical pupils coldly stared at Xu Qing. The lights in the surroundings were also incomparably dim. Xu Qing couldn't see too far and was only able to discern a figure sitting cross-legged in the depths of the hall.
Here, the expression of the Pawn who led the way became respectful and his eyes revealed fanaticism. He spoke with reverence.
"Palace Master, I've brought him here."
With that, the Pawn stood up and retreated until he left the 89th floor. He then waited outside.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and cupped his fists as well. He then bowed toward the figure in the depths of the hall.
"Sword Holder Xu Qing greets the Palace Master."
Almost at the instant Xu Qing's voice rang out, a huge eye suddenly opened in the darkness in the depths of the hall. This eye was over 100 feet tall and its vertical pupils were yellow. There were many black dots scattered inside. The edge of the pupil in the middle was swaying irregularly like smoke.
Under the eye, a tall figure sat cross-legged. He appeared to be middle-aged and was wearing black armor. In front of him lay a long spear, and his black hair swayed in front of the vertical pupil. The terrifying aura emanating from him distorted the surroundings. and the terrifying fluctuations caused the surroundings to distort.
Xu Qing only took a glance and his mind rumbled. He faintly felt as though he was looking at a god.
The other party didn't have any anomalous substances but the pressure he emitted could affect everything. It was as though he was the god of this prison!
He was the current Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace!
He slowly opened his eyes and coldly looked at Xu Qing.
His gaze was like lightning. The moment it landed on Xu Qing, every inch of flesh and blood in Xu Qing's body trembled. It was as though his body and soul couldn't withstand the gaze and were about to collapse.
Fortunately, the other party quickly retracted his gaze. Xu Qing's face was pale and his mind was shaken. The Sword Holding Palace Master said the first sentence after meeting Xu Qing.
"As Sword Holders, every one of us is a sharp sword of the human race. We have to be prepared to die for the human race at all times."
The Palace Master's voice was deep and powerful, containing dignity as it spread in all directions. It also echoed in Xu Qing's mind, exploding inside like lightning.
"Although there are differences in cultivation levels and positions among Sword Holders, regardless of whether it's you or me, we are in essence one of the swords that protect the human race!"
"I originally didn't want to give special treatment to anyone, but you were appointed by the Great Emperor and outsiders are watching. Hence, I passed down a decree and asked you to be my follower."
"However, this is for outsiders to see and also to respect the emperor. It's not because you, Xu Qing, a new Sword Holder who hasn't done anything, are really worth it."
"In my opinion, you're no different from the other new Sword Holders, let alone those who have made great contributions."
The Palace Master slowly spoke. As his words echoed, the pressure became even more intense. The entire 89th floor trembled under these words.
"Do you understand this?"
Xu Qing nodded. He felt that what the Palace Master said made sense. In reality, he didn't like this edict bearer post that much.
"The Sword Holding Palace isn't a place to nurture flowers. If you think that you can rest easy here with the emperor's personal appointment, you might as well scram back to the Yinghuang Province and enjoy the glory of your 100,000 feet light there."
The Palace Master continued.
Xu Qing fell silent for a few breaths. He endured the pressure and discomfort and lifted his head to speak in a low voice.
"Palace Master, is there a place in this world where you can rest in peace?"
The Palace Master looked at Xu Qing.
"I don't know if there's really a place where one can rest in peace, but I think some people can rest in peace because others have endured the storm for them."
"There's also another type of peace of mind. It's to kill all the enemies who can disturb you. Naturally, you'll have nothing to worry about."
"I don't want to owe others, so I can't be the former."
"I want to be the latter and have always been the latter." Xu Qing rarely spoke so much. After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply and didn't speak anymore.
The Palace Master looked at Xu Qing and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. After a long silence, he spoke.
"The position of the edict bearer can be hung on you, but I don't need you to do anything related now. Go and serve as a Pawn of the Prison Department first. Let me see how you can become the second type of person who can rest in peace."
Xu Qing agreed. After bowing, he left the floor under the Palace Master's gaze.
After watching Xu Qing's figure disappear, the Palace Master calmly spoke.
"How is this kid?"
"Every word he said was sincere." A buzzing sound echoed through the 89th floor, like the low roar of a behemoth. It also stirred up waves of storms that spread out on the floor.
The huge wyverns coiled on the 21 pillars lowered their heads and trembled.
"I think so too." The Palace Master calmly spoke. When he lifted his right hand, a jade slip appeared in it.
This jade slip was sent by the Yinghuang Province's Sword Holding Court. It recorded the information about Xu Qing in detail.
However, the starting point was Peerless City. It was when that place disappeared when the god opened its eyes.
"He experienced the god opening its eyes twice, but didn't die. He stumbled and rose from the slaughter. Such a person is worthy of being nurtured by me." The Palace Master closed his eyes.
* * *
