Chapter 138: At this rate, the Prince is bound to find out sooner or later.

The numbered cells were all filled with cultivators from the same alliance, including Ji Yue and Hu Luxue. Xu Laomo must have had a specific purpose for such an arrangement.

"Master Fu, as far as I know, these cells hold all the cultivators from the Seventy-Two Allied Tribes. What does the Mountain Master want with them? Their cultivation levels are hardly impressive," Mo Wen asked calmly.

"Oh? Brother Wang, you are quite well-informed." Master Fu looked at Mo Wen with a hint of surprise. The Demon Prison was vast, and there were so many cells; even for him, it would be impossible to know exactly who was held in which cell just by a number, unless he had been briefed beforehand.

"I have been responsible for managing the chores of the Demon Prison. If I didn't even know this, it would only mean I was neglecting my duties," Mo Wen replied with a faint smile.

"That is true. Brother Wang is diligent and dedicated. I certainly didn't misjudge you back then," Master Fu nodded slightly. He was well aware that although he was the Supervisor of the Demon Prison, he rarely involved himself in its day-to-day operations.

"Master Fu, this alliance is quite small, and there are few high-level cultivators among them. If the Mountain Master intends to use them to cultivate his dark arts, I fear they might not be enough." Xu Laomo often selected suitable cultivators from the prison to sacrifice for his evil practices. As the one responsible for managing the prison and helping the Mountain Master select these offerings, it was perfectly natural for Wang Dong to ask such a question. It was precisely because Wang Dong frequently interacted with the Mountain Master that Master Fu, despite being the Supervisor, remained so polite to him.

"Brother Wang is unaware, but while this alliance is small, its members are not simple. I happen to know that there is a young girl in that alliance whom even the Old Ancestor regards highly. He has kept her imprisoned within his own cave dwelling, under his direct supervision," Master Fu whispered, leaning in toward Mo Wen with a look of mystery.

"Oh, so that’s how it is. It is truly fortunate to have Master Fu here to enlighten me. People like us, down at the bottom, would never know about these upper-echelon affairs if no one told us," Mo Wen feigned realization, though his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

A young girl? Under the direct supervision of Old Ancestor Julie? This meant Zaguli had likely not yet been harmed. It made sense; the legacy of an ancient He-Dao realm cultivator was not something easily seized. Even Old Ancestor Julie could not accomplish it lightly; he must still be in the process of preparing.

"Wang Dong, keep up the good work. As long as you strive, you may one day reach the upper circles yourself," Master Fu said, patting Mo Wen on the shoulder with a tone of earnest encouragement, feeling quite proud of himself. He was clearly very pleased by Mo Wen’s subtle flattery.

"Why did the Mountain Master take all the people from this alliance away? Since that young girl has been taken by the Old Ancestor, these people should have no value left, right?" Mo Wen asked, feigning curiosity.

"Hmph. Naturally, they would have had no value and would have been disposed of as sacrifices at any time. But because of one person, they have found a new use," Master Fu sneered. Being in a good mood, he decided to share a bit more with Wang Dong. "Do you know about the rumors of the person in the Desolate Domain who obtained a rare treasure-hunting artifact?"

"A treasure-hunting artifact! Of course, I know. It has been the talk of the entire Desolate Domain lately. They say a young man named Mo Wen obtained it. Because of him, our Demon Fire City has been filled with high-level cultivators lurking in the shadows, waiting like hunters for prey."

Mo Wen feigned greed, his eyes burning with desire.

"That man stole the Heavenly Heart Embryo Fruit that the Old Ancestor had painstakingly cultivated, and then fled to Demon Fire City. Because the Old Ancestor spent so long nurturing that fruit, he developed a faint karmic connection with it, which allowed him to deduce through the Art of I Ching that this Mo Wen was in the city," Master Fu said coldly.

"That Mo Wen is certainly bold to dare to come to Demon Fire City. No wonder the Old Ancestor arrived in person a few days ago and ordered the city to be sealed," Mo Wen said with an expression of sudden understanding.

"The Old Ancestor had his background investigated, but there was no prior information on him. It is said he is a trial-taker from the Heavens and Myriad Worlds who had some history with the Seventy-Two Allied Tribes during his journey. The Old Ancestor guessed his purpose in coming to Demon Fire City was to rescue these people. So, he ordered me to bring them here. Since he is hiding, we will use these people to set a trap and lure him out," Master Fu sneered, confident that if the Old Ancestor’s guess was correct, Mo Wen would surely fall for it.

Mo Wen nodded upon hearing this, a strange smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"What are you smiling at?" Master Fu frowned, sensing that something was off about Wang Dong’s expression.

"A good plan, unfortunately, it is too late," Mo Wen said calmly.

"What do you mean?" Master Fu paused, and a moment later, his expression darkened sharply.

"Master! It’s bad, it’s bad! All the prisoners in the Demon Prison have escaped! They are wreaking havoc throughout Demon Fire City; the whole city is in chaos!" A prison guard rushed into the hall, shouting in alarm. He had been off-duty today and, while wandering in the city, had seen a mass of prisoners escaping, burning, killing, and looting. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he had rushed back immediately.

"What!" Master Fu’s eyes widened as his aura erupted uncontrollably. If the prisoners had escaped and the city was in chaos, as the Supervisor of the Demon Prison, he would be held squarely to blame by his superiors. "Did you do this?" Master Fu glared at Mo Wen. No wonder his expression had been so strange, and no wonder he hadn't seen a single guard on his way in today.

"It was indeed me," Mo Wen replied with a slight smile.

"Who are you exactly?" Master Fu growled. Wang Dong would never have had the nerve to stand before him so calmly, nor would he have had the power to release all the prisoners. The guards must have been killed or enslaved by him. Feeling a sudden surge of alarm, Master Fu quickly moved his wrist to draw out a communication talisman, intending to send out an alert.

"Too late!"

A flash of thunder erupted, and endless lightning raged, instantly turning the entire hall of the Demon Prison into ruins. When Master Fu’s figure emerged from the lightning, he had been reduced to charred remains; he was dead.

"A clever move by Old Ancestor Julie, truly insidious," Mo Wen said, looking up at the sky with a cold laugh. If the Old Ancestor had set the trap a few days earlier, he might have truly been caught. To be able to uncover his connection to the Seventy-Two Allied Tribes showed an impressive intelligence network.

Shortly after, the guards controlled by Mo Wen brought over the cultivators from the Seventy-Two Allied Tribes. Leading them was Ji Yue, along with Hu Luxue—the elder brother of Hu Lu-N—and several Taixuan-realm cultivators from the alliance.

The Seventy-Two Allied Tribes had been completely wiped out. Most of the ordinary tribesmen and cultivators had perished; only those with higher cultivation levels were deemed worth keeping in the Demon Prison, while the rest were discarded as useless trash and slaughtered. The cultivators remaining here were at least of the Douzhuan realm, numbering just over a thousand in total.

"Mo Wen!" Ji Yue looked at Mo Wen in astonishment. He never expected that this man would be the one to rescue him. He had once thought he would never see him again. Wasn't he a trial-taker? Why was he still in the Desolate Domain!

Hu Luxue also looked at Mo Wen with immense excitement. To be saved by him in his lifetime—choosing to befriend this man had been the wisest decision he ever made.

"How did you appear here?" Ji Yue asked, visibly moved.

"After returning to the Desolate Domain, I met Ji Tong and the others. I learned you were imprisoned here and decided to lend a hand," Mo Wen said calmly.

"Ji Tong? She is still alive?" Ji Yue asked, pleasantly surprised.

Mo Wen nodded slightly. Ji Tong should be hiding in a secret valley by now. He had told her to go into hiding, after which she had left the Demon-Slaying Alliance. Although he didn't know the exact location where she had gone, she had sent him the coordinates.

"I will place you all into one of my cave-dwelling treasures for now. I will let you out once we reach a safe location." Mo Wen waved his sleeve, and a jade light emerged, transforming into a magnificent white jade pagoda that radiated light. The cultivators in the hall were lifted into the air, their bodies shrinking rapidly until they transformed into points of light that flew into the small pagoda.

Mo Wen retracted the Shaozun Pagoda, took flight, and summoned the Heavenly Snake Spear into his hand.

"Thunder God Rain!"

Bolts of lightning descended from the heavens like raindrops, continuously bombarding the ground. The entire Demon Prison was instantly destroyed, and the earth collapsed under the impact. The most powerful prisoners were held on the eighth and ninth floors—almost all were of the Shenxu realm, with some even reaching the Great Perfection of the Shenxu realm. Since Mo Wen intended to use the prisoners to disrupt Demon Fire City, he could not leave those on the eighth and ninth floors behind.

The Demon Prison had strong defensive formations, but while they were difficult to break from the outside, they were quite simple to dismantle from within. In just a few strikes, the prison was reduced to ruins, and all its seals and formations were disabled.

Deep underground, a series of rumbles began to echo. Then, the earth cracked, and waves of terrifying power surged upward. Within moments, the ground was shattered, and figure after figure flew out from the depths. They were ragged, disheveled, and looked like beggars, but the aura emanating from them was terrifying—every one of them was at least of the Shenxu realm, and there were three or four who had reached the Great Perfection of the Shenxu realm.