22 The Immortal Prison!

"Ugh, finally, I can leave this place!" Yan Shun's voice rang out with a sigh of relief, accompanied by a satisfying stretch of his neck.

Over the past few hours, he had been on the lookout for opportunities, though he knew they would never match the convenience of the system's rewards.

There were still a few things he needed, particularly the Fire-Rooted Fruit.

With his new cultivation technique and a bloodline closely tied to fire, his Fire Qi needed a boost.

It shouldn't be a problem once he consumed the Bone Chilling Fire, but he required at least a small reserve of Fire Qi to integrate it effectively.

"Mhm~"

Meanwhile, Gu Youwei accompanied him with a joyful demeanor.

She hummed a tune, her smile radiating happiness.

It had been the best night of her life, cuddling with her Senior Brother, wrapped in his comforting scent.

His arms were undoubtedly a place where she wished to linger for a long time.

As they approached the portal, they encountered a group of disciples engaged in animated conversation, which was unusual considering most would have left by now out of sheer boredom.

What puzzled Yan Shun even more was the presence of Yao Meili at the center of the group.

However, a sudden realization struck him like lightning.

'I forgot to incinerate Ye Chen's body!' he exclaimed inwardly.

The oversight had completely slipped his mind.

Now, the news of Ye Chen's death, the First Ancestor's Disciple, would inevitably spread among the disciples.

'Well, not that it bothers me. If needed, I can always leave the se—'

It was what he thought, but then, the image of his beautiful Master appeared in his mind.

Could he really leave her?

Yan Shun's heart would speed up just by thinking about her, so, could he really think about leaving Luo Xueying?

And not just that...

Yao Meili, Gu Youwei... there were still a few people he cared about in the Sect.

'I have an idea!'

'If they really intend to kill me, I'll take "that" path to pass the punishment.'

What Yan Shun was talking about was called the 'Immortal Prison'.

This Immortal Prison is mostly the cultivator's biggest nightmare and the only place with some affiliation with the Upper World.

It's basically a huge tower that connects both worlds and on them, only the worst kind of cultivators are put there.

But, there are some anomalies, like people going there to train... which most of them end up dying.

However, for Yan Shun, if they really threw him there, it would be a good idea, because he'd probably met the Immortal Prison Goddess.

She's the owner of the 'Immortal Prison' and people can even say that she's the one that protects the limit between the Upper and Lower World.

Basically, some kind of guardian.

If he could raise her affection for a bit... it would be great!

With this thought in mind, Yan Shun made his way towards the gathering crowd.

It didn't take long before he heard the stern voice of Yao Meili.

She didn't waste any time in making her announcement.

"Today, during our exploration of this Simulation, we stumbled upon the lifeless body of Ye Chen."

Her words carried a chilling edge, and her presence exuded an air of authority that sent shivers down the spines of the disciples.

However, despite the fear that gripped them, none dared to speak or raise a hand.

They remained silent spectators.

Even his Junior Sisters didn't dare to say anything, the only thing they were doing, was actually stealing glances at him.

'Hey...I was expecting some drama...' He sighed inwardly, a bit disappointed.

He nonchalantly raised his hand, breaking the silence.

"!!!" Yao Meili's eyes widened, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

The other disciples turned their heads to see Yan Shun with his hand raised, wearing an emotionless expression.

He didn't give a single fuck about it...

However, he still remained cautious, he could exert his aura at any moment.

Yao Meili fixed her gaze on Yan Shun briefly before letting out a soft, resigned sigh.

"Disciple Yan," she called with an icy edge to her voice.

"Accompany me to the Punishment Hall," she reprimanded, her usual warmth replaced by cold authority.

For the very first time, Yao Meili had shown such coldness to Yan Shun.

Yan Shun simply nodded.

However, as he moved to comply, Gu Youwei reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Senior Brother..." She spoke softly, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

Yan Shun gently tapped her hand and reassured her with a warm smile, "It's going to be alright. Don't worry."

'I'll just take a bit of time to get back...'

With that, he approached Yao Meili, whose expression remained as frigid as ice.

Together, they entered the portal, leaving the group of disciples in a state of shock and awe.

They were shocked because Yan Shun's power had surpassed Ye Chen's.

And they were amazed by his audacity to actually kill Ye Chen, especially given his status as the First Ancestor's Disciple.

Meanwhile, the three Junior Sisters approached Gu Youwei, their expressions a mix of sadness and anticipation.

However, her countenance swiftly transformed from a frown to a cold, unwelcoming demeanor.

"What do you want?" She uttered with an icy tone.

"I'm sorry..." Gao Yue was the first to speak, taking Gu Youwei by surprise.

Normally, she would have expected Wan Meixiang, the polite and innocent one, to speak first.

Gao Yue, as a princess, typically carried herself with an air of superiority.

She was born in a gold spoon after all.

"Leave!" Gu Youwei reprimanded sharply before the others had a chance to say a word.

Her forgiveness was uncertain, and her stance remained cold.

She knew that deep down, despite everything, they were still her Junior Sisters.

But, as she contemplated the situation, she couldn't help but think, 'Senior Brother Yan probably won't be as forgiving as I am...'

—

—

—

At this moment, Yan Shun found himself with cuffs around his wrists, being led towards the Main Hall.

He could only imagine that the elders were gathering to discuss his punishment.

In his mind, the worst-case scenario would be death, but he was confident that even if they did reject his offer to go to the Immortal Prison, he would be able to escape.

As he approached the Main Hall, he was met with a multitude of cold gazes from the elders.

It was clear that they harbored a deep hate towards him.

Oddly, Yan Shun found a strange satisfaction in their animosity.

'But where's Master?' he wondered inwardly, scanning the room for her presence.

'Ah, right... she went to deal with the Demonic Beasts on the frontier,' he remembered suddenly.

Higher-level Demonic Beasts had been appearing, and his Master had decided to address the issue.

Upon reaching the center of the hall, Yao Meili moved toward her seat and directed her icy gaze at Yan Shun.

Yet, he could see through the facade; she was clearly struggling to conceal her emotions.

'She clenched her fist... Does she not know how to hide her feelings?' Yan Shun sighed softly, a wry smile forming on his lips.

"So, I assume you are aware of the reason you're here!" the Sect Leader stated coldly, exerting his pressure in an attempt to suffocate Yan Shun.

However, to everyone's surprise, Yan Shun remained unmoved, as if the pressure had no effect on him.

[Hahah~ This guy is really weak! Even your killing intent is stronger than his pressure, hahah~~!]

The system's words echoed in Yan Shun's mind, eliciting a light chuckle from him, which went unnoticed by the Elder Council, further infuriating them.

"Disciple Yan!"

"Mhm?" Yan Shun's attention returned to the Sect Leader, though his wry smile remained.

"What? Are you mourning over your self-proclaimed 'Holy Son,' who was defeated by someone so mediocre?" Yan Shun burst into laughter, unable to contain himself this time.

The system had conjured an image of Ye Chen proclaiming himself as the Holy Son in his mind, and he couldn't help but find it funny!

"Outrageous!!!!!" The Sect Leader's pressure intensified, causing Yan Shun's foot to sink slowly into the ground.

Yet, he appeared unfazed.

Instead, his gaze shifted towards Yao Meili, confident that she could handle the situation.

But then, as their eyes met, she subtly shook her head and pointed behind the Sect Leader's seat.

'Ah...the Ancestor must have awakened after Ye Chen's death... How annoying, even while dead, he still bothers me,' Yan Shun thought, his irritation evident.

"Now, will the Elders decide my punishment or not?" Yan Shun let out a weary sigh, his tone laced with resignation.

The Sect Leader shot him a stern glare before speaking, "No. Your punishment will be determined by another authority."

At that very moment, a spectral figure in white materialized before the Sect Leader. Instantly, all the elders bowed in reverence.

"I greet the First Ancestor!" Their voices chimed in unison as they paid their respects.

Yan Shun, on the other hand, could only muster a mocking sneer, an act that didn't go unnoticed.

He was fairly certain that if it had been Ye Chen, they wouldn't have even blinked at such insolence.

"Out—" The Sect Leader was about to shout, but the First Ancestor swiftly raised his hand, causing the Sect Leader to step back obediently.

The First Ancestor then approached Yan Shun, gazing intently at him, an action that struck Yan Shun as peculiar.

The First Ancestor stroked his beard, lost in thought for a few moments before delivering a cold decree.

"Cripple him."

In that instant, Yao Meili's fists clenched even tighter, her frustration evident.

However, she didn't have a chance to voice her objections.

As the words left the Ancestor's lips, Yan Shun's eyes... remained the same.

"I have an offer." Yan Shun opened his mouth and said directly.

The First Ancestor's eyebrows raised in amusement.

"What's your offer?"

"The Immortal Prison."

"Instead of crippling me, how about sending me there?" 

"!!!" The Elder's eyes widened upon hearing his words.

Nobody would want to go to the 'Immortal Prison', to actually survive that place, you'll need to survive 99 catastrophes!

And they get more than 10 times stronger each time!

"You... are sure about that?" The First Ancestor looked at him for a brief moment and uttered.

"Completely sure... Or are you just scared that I survive?" Yan Shun's lips curved into a teasing smile.

At that moment, most of the elder's aura erupted and was immediately sent toward Yan Shun, however, they suddenly dissipated as the Ancestor waved his hand.

"Here." He threw a token at Yan Shun

On it, two words appeared.

Immortal Prison.

"You'll be sent tomorrow." He announced, disappearing from everyone's sight.

Upon disappearing, Yan Shun smiled at Yao Meili, and she shook her head with a wry smile.

'This kid...'

'I'm worried about him...'

[Ding~~! Yao Meili's affection has risen to "Best Friends"!]

[Ding~~! Zi Yi's affection has reached "Friends"!]

'Oh... I almost forgot about this 'Supreme Elder'...' He looked at Zi Yi for a moment.

'Mhm...'

'Insight...!'