Chapter 89: The Underworld Prison (2)

Jiang Feng breathed out a boundless, ceaseless flow of Nether energy. He poured into the effort every ounce of the refined Nether energy he had comprehended during the Nine Rocks Grand Competition, even drawing upon the reserves he had initially used to suppress the Nether arts within his Jiangshan Bottle.

Under this infusion, the half-step Nether Core grew increasingly brilliant. It radiated like a scorching sun, emitting infinite light and heat. Its intense essence instantly melted the mountain range of Nether energy conjured by the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron, absorbing all the power contained within the vessel into the vast array of Nether arts housed within the core.

"You are being far too reckless! It is only by sheer luck that you have managed to turn this crisis into an opportunity," Jue remarked with a hint of reproach. Yet, he was immediately stunned by the sight before him. Jiang Feng’s half-step Nether Core was growing ever more radiant, its power surging, its presence becoming increasingly majestic. Any force that touched it was devoured, dragged into the core—which had now expanded to the size of a vat—where countless Nether arts surged and flourished in this continuous refining process.

The immense power exerted by the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron posed no threat to him at all.

"Hurry and condense the core! Do not be greedy; now is the optimal moment. If you miss it, you risk losing everything!" Jue had been closely monitoring the core’s progression. Finally, catching the perfect window of opportunity, he spoke with a tone of authority.

Almost subconsciously, Jiang Feng obeyed. This was thanks to Jue’s vast spiritual strength; having existed as an ancient entity for over a thousand years, Jue had cultivated a spirit as deep and boundless as the ocean.

"By my own will, let this core condense!" Under Jue’s influence, Jiang Feng’s voice grew equally commanding.

At that moment, heaven and earth seemed to tremble. Because they were inside the cold, bronze walls of the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron, his booming, infinite voice echoed repeatedly, as if trying to pierce through the void and extend into the distant depths, letting all existence know that he was forging a half-step Nether Core—a core imbued with myriad Nether arts, nearing completion.

Both the inherent power of the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron and the residual energy left behind by Xuan Xingzi were forced into retreat. The pressure from Jiang Feng’s half-step Nether Core bore down upon them, driving them toward the ground, compelling them to crawl and bow in submission.

"Hurry and condense!" Jiang Feng roared. His nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Despite his god-like appearance, he was inwardly more terrified than Jue. This was his first time attempting such a refining process, and he lacked any experience.

At this critical juncture, a cold, chilling voice suddenly resonated from the deepest recesses of his mind.

"Preparation for ten years... begin... capture... more of these souls..."

It was the nightmare that had haunted his childhood, the culprit that had forced him onto the path of seeking the title of Nether King!

Jiang Feng froze. He had not expected this nightmarish phrase to surface at such a moment. The pain of his mind being torn apart tortured his fragile nerves. He had no choice but to continuously circulate the twenty-five forms of the Shadow Dance Soul-Severing Step. A cool energy rippled through his body, seeping in through his pores to nourish his entire being.

In his mind, flames seemed to rage. The Nether energy that had been merging in the void suddenly blurred. The echoing voice made his consciousness increasingly fragile.

Falling unconscious, waking in agony, falling unconscious, waking in agony again!

This time, the pain was exceptionally profound. After being torn apart dozens of times, he could only grit his teeth and persist. If he failed, the half-step Nether Core, now half-formed, would collapse. But his greater fear was that if the Nether arts within the core were to erupt simultaneously while he was trapped in this confined space, he would have nowhere to hide—that would truly be the end.

"Pain is the most delicious thing in this world. You must savor it, enjoy it. It is thanks to the Nether Prison in your mind that I was able to break the seal of this Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron. Ha! The feeling of freedom is truly wonderful!" A new, ancient voice emerged from within the cauldron. "I am so curious—who exactly set this Nether Prison within you?"

Nether Prison!

Jiang Feng muttered the words, his eyes wide and vacant like those of a dead fish. He had not expected another living entity to be sealed within the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron, and one that had been awakened by sensing the Nether Prison in his mind—a prison he had struggled to suppress with the Shadow Dance Soul-Severing Step.

He knew the agony that was to follow. It was a pain he had experienced since childhood, one to which he could never adapt. No matter how many times he had been subjected to that tearing sensation, he still felt incomparable terror whenever he faced that sinister voice. When he was lucid, he dared not recall it, fearing that even a sliver of memory would cause his fragile mental defenses to collapse.

He could only use the title "Nether King" to spur himself on, to lash himself toward the day he could shed this torment!

Living as Jiang Feng for two lifetimes had matured his temperament, but it had also rendered him more fragile and vulnerable. His heart was like a crystal ball wrapped in a thick, hard shell. He appeared fierce and resolute, but once the terrifying voice from the Nether Prison surfaced, he would inevitably fall into a state of helplessness.

His small, trembling frame was like a blade of grass swaying in a midnight storm, ready to snap at any moment. Yet, his eyes remained fixed steadily ahead!

He focused on the rotation of the half-step Nether Core. In the face of immense pain, his focus remained on the very thing that could threaten his life. Having endured the tempering of death through the Sandfall, the Blood Fiend Tree, the Nine Rocks Grand Competition, and Fang Yichen, he had learned to cherish his life above all else.

Suddenly, within the heavy darkness of his mind, a streak of snow-white light appeared. It was as brilliant as a waterfall cascading from the heavens!

Jiang Feng strained his eyes. At that moment, his body ceased its trembling, and his murmurs faded. The entire world was filled with a vast, blinding white. He needed to search desperately within this whiteness for the essence of that light.

He had very little time—not even the duration of a blink.

Yet, in that fleeting instant, he heard Jue’s voice: "The entity within the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron is a Nether Beast that guards the map to the Nether Prison, the Nether Prison Starfish. Kill it, and you can suppress the Nether Prison within you once more!"

Jiang Feng had no choice; there was no turning back.

The pupils of his eyes expanded suddenly, unable to recover in time.

*Swish!* The snow-white light sliced Jiang Feng’s consciousness in two.

I know not how much time had passed, but it was the searing pain that finally roused him. Jiang Feng opened his eyes, wanting to laugh toward the sky, but it emerged only as a groaning wail.

Amidst the relentless stalemate, his precarious half-step Nether Core had quietly finished forging itself!

"Ah! So painful!"

Struggling to rise and enduring the agony, he circulated the Shadow Dance Soul-Severing Step.

Cool energy dissipated throughout his body, and the pain diminished significantly. When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with ecstatic joy!

Jiang Feng had finally found the threshold!

Although that streak of light had appeared like a simple snowy ribbon, he had caught glimpses of countless, finer threads of Nether energy within it. These ice-crystal-like threads were vast and dense, merging and flowing in layers like the tides of an ocean.

This was the Nether art of the Nether Prison Starfish!

For the first time, he forgot the pain of his mind being severed.

The scene had been brief, but what he had seen lingered in his mind. The dazzling, crystalline fragments of Nether energy flowing like tides possessed a strange, majestic beauty. Even he, who usually felt little for the aesthetics of Nether arts, could not help but marvel.

He suddenly realized that every Nether art was constructed from countless such minute threads of energy.

In a trance, he drew a sliver of energy from his half-step Nether Core. He did not seek quantity, but used his keen insight and guidance to shape it. Suddenly, a tiny, miniature *Samsara of All Things* appeared!

Though small, it contained everything!

Within this miniature *Samsara*, there were only demonic statues; there were no kingdoms or islands. The dense swarms of celestial demons manifested expressions of utmost piety as they sat in the *Samsara*, chanting various scriptures before beginning to immolate themselves.

It was the first time he had seen such a refined *Samsara of All Things*!

As these demon kings burned and were extinguished, they released a tremendous amount of power—a force that was neither destruction nor rebirth, but something terrifying beyond description.

"How... how is this possible!"

At this moment, the bleak voice of the Nether Prison Starfish suddenly carried an incredulous tone. It seemed afraid. All the Nether energy within its ray of light was exhausted. Jiang Feng realized that the Starfish’s energy had been drained by the power of the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron; it was at its final breath!

"Nether Prison Starfish, explode for me!"

Jiang Feng commanded in a low voice. The terrifying power generated by the annihilation of the thousands of demons within the *Samsara* ceased its brewing and detonated. The blood and essence of the demon kings were extracted and poured into that white ribbon of light.

*Sizzle!*

It was as if a lake of oil had been poured onto a mountain of fire!

The brilliant light from Jiang Feng’s half-step Nether Core turned into a tangible essence. The interior of the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron was flooded with blinding radiance; nothing could be seen!

"Aaaah!" The agonizing screams of the Nether Prison Starfish echoed from the cauldron!

At this moment, Jiang Feng did not hesitate to channel the power of his half-step Nether Core, surging all its energy into the white light.

The light finally vanished into the half-step Nether Core. This energy was tempered once more by Jiang Feng before sliding into his Jiangshan Bottle, becoming a wondrous presence.

His physical body, prior to merging with the half-step Nether Core, had become terrifyingly strong. Every inch of skin, muscle, and bone had undergone a miraculous transformation. He could now use Nether energy with such finesse that every strand of hair on his body could be used to channel power; if he wished, he could even forge them into lethal weapons like flying needles!

His body, his Nether energy, and his treasures had all fused into one. He felt his life force surging wildly. He had successfully suppressed the Nether Prison within his body once more, and he sensed that he finally had the opportunity to uncover its secrets.

For the Nether Prison Starfish possessed a strange resonance with the prison inside him!

"Not bad, not bad. Your grasp of timing is becoming increasingly perfect." Jue did not skimp on his praise, but his gaze fell upon a map that had suddenly appeared within the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron!

A moment later, Jiang Feng noticed it too. The map was dark yellow and dim, emitting an ancient aura, with faint creases and tears on the paper—clearly a relic of extreme antiquity.

Jiang Feng’s heart stirred. He sucked the half-step Nether Core into his Jiangshan Bottle, let out a long breath of stale air, and took the map into his hands.

The moment his gaze met the map, he was shocked. "The Nether Prison?"

"Ha! Precisely the Nether Prison!" Jue laughed loudly. "Although I cannot discern the origin of the prison within your body, I can sense something about the one on this map. It is clearly a Nether Prison that has yet to be inherited. If you can find it, you will surely be able to advance your cultivation even further!"

Jue’s words made Jiang Feng’s eyes flash with excitement, his heart burning with anticipation.

But just then, the aura of another person appeared within the sealed Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron. Jiang Feng was startled. He felt a continuous, mountain-like, hazy power radiating from this presence. He strained his vision to the limit, yet he could not discern the form this presence had taken.

"Jiang Feng, your methods truly exceed my imagination. Rest assured, I have no intention of harming you. To be honest, since I obtained this Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron, I have never been able to trigger this Nether Prison map. Yet, the very first day you take it, you uncover its secret. Since you already have a Nether Prison within your body, you should leave this map to me."

The voice was ethereal, like smoke and water, as distant as the stars in the sky—impossible to capture or see clearly.

Jiang Feng’s heart raced; he had already guessed the identity of this person.

Xuan Xingzi!

Among those who wielded Nether energy, many were not human, but born from the essence of heaven and earth. Xuan Xingzi was not born of human parents; he had cultivated into a human form from the endless moonlight and the power of a star in the firmament.

To put it plainly, Xuan Xingzi was a powerful existence born from the essence of heaven and earth over countless aeons. While he still had a heaven-and-earth gap between himself and the four divine beasts—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise—he was far more terrifying and naturally gifted than the average human!

That was why the Langya Chamber of Commerce had chosen Xuan Xingzi as its leader!

Such natural deities, despite their human forms, possessed talents comparable to the reincarnations of gods, with cultivation speeds that were incomprehensible. This was why Xuan Xingzi was so desperate to obtain the Nether Prison map.

"The Nether Prison map is a source of infinite power, and this one leads to an uninherited prison. Whoever gains this inheritance will surely attain immense power. No wonder someone like you, who sits atop the vast Langya Chamber of Commerce, would want it. However, I do not wish to give it to you." Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes into slits. "First, we have no grudges. If I were to die at your hands, your reputation in Nine Rocks Town would surely plummet. Although you saved Yingying for me, this Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron is a treasure I won in the competition; I cannot give it to you. Second, since you know about the Nether Prison within me, you must know how important this map is to me. It is highly likely that the two prisons are linked. Therefore, no matter what, I will not give this map to you!"

"Heh heh, Jiang Feng, I have underestimated you. I did not expect you to have so many thoughts and reasons in such a short time. But today, no matter what you say, I must obtain this Nether Prison map!"

Xuan Xingzi’s voice remained ethereal, his star-like face devoid of expression—not cold, but light and breezy, like mist over water. No one could guess what he was thinking.

"Furthermore, the Jiang family has already been invited to a banquet at the Langya Chamber of Commerce. Do not imagine that your grandfather will come to save you."

Jiang Feng’s body trembled, but he stood tall within the cauldron like a hunting leopard, baring his sharp fangs. "Senior Xuan Xingzi, I once respected you greatly, but it seems you are merely a petty man who values profit over loyalty. Hmph, so the so-called natural deities are all cunning and deceitful!"

"Natural deities?" Xuan Xingzi shook his head, showing neither mockery nor arrogance, as if stating a simple fact. "I possess the Indestructible Dharma Form, but so what? Nether energy is the most important source of power. Only by constantly improving one's Nether energy and learning various destructive Nether arts can one stand in this world! A thousand years ago, there were those who possessed Nether Soul Power; they were the only ones who could truly be called divine! Heh, I have said too much. Make your decision quickly: hand over the map, and I shall spare you this once."

As he spoke, a small blue sword appeared at Xuan Xingzi’s fingertips. A wisp of blue clouds rose from the blade, condensing into a graceful young woman—the spirit of the sword.

"You possess the Jiangshan Bottle, a supreme treasure, and you seek to use it to master the Eight Sword Diagrams of Jiangshan. Who in this world wouldn't want such a supreme formation? This blue sword, named Star Radiance, is a top-tier dark-attribute Nether weapon. I know it would be of great use to you. This, combined with the Azure Emperor Glazed Cauldron, is enough to exchange for the Nether Prison map."

"Hmph, that is indeed a tempting offer. If I were the old Jiang Feng, I might have agreed. But I now have my own ambitions, and a mere top-tier dark Nether weapon is not enough to catch my eye." Jiang Feng spoke calmly. "I have other conditions. If you agree to them one by one, I will hand over the map."

"What conditions? Speak."

"First, my Jiang family has a blood feud with the Fang family. Although Fang Yichen is dead, Fang Chuhan is no better. If you continue to let the four great families coexist and check each other’s power, the Langya Chamber of Commerce is the only one that truly benefits. I hold a grudge against you for this. My first condition is that you eliminate the Fang family for me!"

"Eliminate the Fang family? That is not impossible." Xuan Xingzi was noncommittal, seemingly indifferent. "The Langya Chamber of Commerce has no business dealings with the Fang family, and it is even less likely in the future. On the contrary, their arrogance has been a headache for me. Eliminating them would, to some extent, benefit me. However, since you have a 'first' condition, there must be a 'second.' You might as well say it."

"Second, you must transfer one-third of the Langya Chamber of Commerce’s business to the Jiang family."

Jiang Feng’s words were astonishing!