Chapter 380: The Prison

The fearsome Song Kong Xianzhu was instantly killed by Xiu Wen’s Bell.
Those who die beneath the Seven Treasures of the Dao can never be revived, for Song Kong’s life imprint had been shattered to pieces. Without this foundation of existence, even controlling reincarnation is futile.
“Who else among you dares to lay eyes on Mo Xian?” Xiu Wen’s figure appeared already. He raised his delicately arched eyebrows, staring maliciously at the five trembling Xianzhus.
“Heh, you sure know how to enjoy things… This city was formed from fragments of my second brother’s City of All Living Beings. Being here… means you’re fatefully connected to us seven siblings.”
Xiu Wen ignored the expressions of the five Xianzhus and continued speaking on his own.
“Come out all of you. In this City of Chaos, you’ll be protected from perishing at the end of reincarnation.”
Xiu Wen waved his hand, and instantly, a huge hole opened in the chaos, from which eight thousand Xianzhus descended.
The moment these eight thousand Xianzhus landed, black lightning flashed in the void, striking all of them, including Xiu Wen.
“Black lightning? How clever of you. Do you think you’re the Dao? That you can create rules? Even if you’re attached to Tian Hen, it doesn’t matter.”
Xiu Wen waved his hand again, and the Bell of Silence flew up, spinning slightly in the void before devouring all the lightning.
“Hehe, if it were earlier, you might have detected something and forced your true form to appear. But now that this handsome guy has regained himself, it’s still possible to use a few tricks to deceive you.”
Xiu Wen stretched out his jade-like hands and formed a seal in the void. Instantly, the black lightning consumed by the Bell of Silence exploded, and life imprints flew out involuntarily, merging back into the chaos.
Xiu Wen had created the illusion of killing all the Xianzhus with lightning! Likely, only a Dao Lord like him could pull off such a trick.
“Alright, this handsome guy has other things to do. Stay here obediently… And during this time, it’s best for you to choose one or several leaders through a fistfight. Well, I’m out of here.”
With that, Xiu Wen vanished from the City of Chaos.
The remaining eight thousand Xianzhus who understood the laws of life and death looked at each other in confusion. Of course, these people weren’t as reckless as Xiu Wen. After all, it was a matter of life and death, so they would choose leaders—but certainly not through fistfighting.
After all, those who could become Xianzhus were by no means fools. As for how someone like Xiu Wen could exist, one would have to ask his brothers and sisters.
And though there were eight thousand Xianzhus, the number wasn’t exaggerated at all.
The chaos was boundless, and the realm of chaos was endless. Even if just one Xianzhu emerged from each chaos realm, there would still be hundreds of millions in total. The eight thousand Xianzhus brought by Xiu Wen were pitifully few compared to the overall number.
…
“Song Kong and Ling Yue are both dead…”

In a blood-red space, a man with blood-colored hair suddenly opened his eyes. There were no pupils in his eyes—only pure bloodlight, filled with the essence of slaughter, dominance, possessiveness, and selfishness.

In this space, there were countless beings like this man with blood-colored hair. Each of them possessed the strength of a divine lord, having naturally understood the laws of slaughter. Even stronger beings, such as heavenly lords or supreme beings, were not rare.

If these beings were to emerge, they would likely wreak havoc in countless chaotic realms.

“Slaughter Path Lord, I’ve long advised you to join forces with me. If you had done so earlier, those two beings born from the spirit of Slaughter might not have perished.”

In the void, a pair of blood-red eyes watched the man with blood-colored hair—Slaughter Path Lord—with amusement.

“Join forces with you?” Slaughter Path Lord sneered. “You’re entangled in too many karmic ties. Anyone associated with you will meet a terrible end. And my Blood Slaughter Prison can’t accommodate such a powerful being like you.”

“Karma? Hahaha! With the Dao trampled under my feet, where does karma come from?” Those giant eyes let out a thunderous laugh.

“The Dao? My concept of karma has nothing to do with the Dao… I am one who defies the Dao.” Slaughter Path Lord glanced at him thoughtfully. “What you’ve done in the chaos has already spread throughout the prison… Do you know how many descendants and even clones of the prison’s strong ones you’ve killed in your quest to collect life seals and refine the celestial paths?”

“Hmph, being killed by me means they’re incompetent. No one else is to blame.” The blood-red eyes flashed, transforming into those of a middle-aged man. This man had no features, no facial structure, not even any patterns on his body. He seemed to be wrapped in an opaque shell.

“Fine, if they’re incompetent, then so be it. But those people must get revenge from you… Your burden is too heavy. If I joined forces with you, I couldn’t afford to offend these powerful figures in the prison.”

“What if I said I have a way to break free from this prison and let you enter the chaos?” the middle-aged man said slowly.

“The chaos? What’s the point of going there? To occupy the chaotic realms only to be destroyed by you and have your life seals taken?” Slaughter Path Lord looked at him with a mocking smile.

“I no longer need soul seals. The celestial paths will be refined soon.” The middle-aged man pondered for a moment before saying, “Do you still remember him?”

“Him?” Slaughter Path Lord paused briefly, then a hint of memory appeared on his face. “You mean… him?”

“That’s right, him… the one who once held the position of Heavenly Dao Master… It seems he’s back.” The middle-aged man had no facial features, so his expression was unreadable, but his tone was extremely serious.

“What if he’s back? Without him, how could we exist? Do you still remember what the last Heavenly Dao Master did?” Slaughter Path Lord sighed.

“Our existence stems from the unshed evil thoughts, resentments, malice, and negative emotions of beings after their deaths… But I am a different kind of being.” The middle-aged man seemed reluctant to reveal his true nature.

“That’s right. We were born from sentient beings, but we won’t perish when they do. Since ancient times, the Way has never been able to do anything to us; it could only confine us in this prison. But the previous ruler of the Way directly sent us back to our origin, returning us to the sentient beings, causing wars among them to serve his own interests… Hehe, it’s fortunate that this current ruler appeared; otherwise, I would still be nothing but the thoughts of killing, tyranny, selfishness, and possession among sentient beings, unable to form a complete form of life.”
A trace of gratitude appeared in the eyes of the Asura Path Lord.
“Yes, this prison is already filled with chaotic thoughts. Even if we weren’t sent back to our origin, we would still be mere conscious thoughts, unable to become true life.”
The middle-aged man sighed. “I would rather bear a bad reputation to preserve his existence… Do you know? Only after losing something do we realize its value… But I would rather lose my own life than let his existence be destroyed.”
“Your bad reputation… You…” The Asura Path Lord was stunned. Then, hesitantly, he asked, “Have you… realized something?”
The beings in this prison were all formed from the evil thoughts of sentient beings, yet this middle-aged man spoke of bearing a bad reputation for them… What did that mean? This terrifying existence, which caused repeated destruction and calamities in chaos, considered the source of all evil, was willing to bear a bad reputation?
“My origin… is different from yours…” The middle-aged man shook his head. A hint of melancholy flashed across his face without features. “I am the embodiment of sentient beings’ desire for immortality. As long as there is one being who longs for immortality, I will exist forever and be everywhere.”
“You…” The Asura Path Lord was utterly shocked.
“And my other name—perhaps you’ve heard of it—is one of the Seven Great Dao Lords of the original world in chaos… the Dao Lord of Immortality, who is now the Immortal Lord of the Heavenly Realm.”
The formless middle-aged man spoke with a sigh. Formlessness is the ultimate form—the form of all beings!
The Asura Path Lord was beyond shock. That Dao Lord, who cared for all beings, created cities for them, and protected them, was actually this supreme evil one who had initiated the chaos and calamities?
This situation became increasingly absurd.
“Asura Path Lord, do you know? Every sentient being has the right to seek immortality, but according to the laws of the Way’s cycle, it is not allowed. That’s why I have been confined in this prison all along, until he appeared and freed me. He said that it’s not wrong for sentient beings to seek immortality; there should be a glimmer of hope within the Way… So, he redefined the rules of the Way, releasing that glimmer of hope hidden by previous rulers. And I follow his teachings, caring for all beings and helping them achieve immortality.”
The Dao Lord of Immortality spoke slowly, each word filled with reverence.
“Are those who defy the Way truly defying it? He said that everything that exists has its reason for existing, including you and me, as well as all the thoughts and emotions of sentient beings.”

“You know, I have destroyed the Chaos Realm countless times and rebuilt it countless times, yet I have always kept a fragment of the starry sky, allowing this fragment to exist within chaos without ever destroying it. Do you know why?” asked the Eternal Dao Lord.

The Asura Path Lord had completely lost his words; he didn’t know what to use to express himself at this moment.

“That starry sky is his hometown. Though he rules on behalf of heaven, he still has a human heart—longing for his homeland…” sighed the Eternal Dao Lord.

“Then why did you abandon all beings to refine the Heavenly Track?” The Asura Path Lord finally spoke again.

“Because… he cannot lose… The current Dao has developed its own will, seeking its own representative. And I am meant to restrain that will, constantly shattering the Chaos Realm and disrupting the cycle of the Dao.” There was a hint of ruthlessness in the Eternal Dao Lord’s tone.

“Moreover, my existence is also used as a bait to lure his appearance…”

“And so what? Who else in existence can harm him?” The Asura Path Lord was puzzled.

“Heaven, earth, and humanity have each established their own Dao. The Heavenly Dao and the Earthly Dao have truly taken shape, and the Human Dao was established not long ago. With these three Daos separated, they aim to seize his power and weaken his strength!”

“What?!”

The Asura Path Lord jumped up abruptly. Not only him, but also other powerful beings listening in this prison jumped up, filled with anger.

“When the Heavenly Dao was established, he had already gone to another existence in nothingness. I didn’t care about that. But when the Earthly Dao was established, I sensed the intense desire for immortality in two powerful beings, which had almost turned into greed and murderous intent! That’s when I erupted.”

“And those two existences, the Heavenly Dao and the Earthly Dao, also saw me as bait, forcing life-and-death rules into my body, turning me into a being willing to do anything for immortality. Heh, it’s a pity they don’t know my true nature…”

“So, I played along, deliberately causing a great destruction, annihilating all beings and worlds in chaos, then attaching myself to the towering Heavenly Track. With the Heavenly Track under my control, heaven and earth could not function. I wanted to see how those two would establish their own Dao, how they would compete with him for power, how they would scheme against him. As for that Heavenly Track, I never refined it. Even the mark of life was merged into the City of All Beings, waiting for his return to restore heaven and earth.”

Saying this, the Eternal Dao Lord smiled triumphantly.

“You did well…” At that moment, all the beings in the prison cheered.

“But I realized I was too naive.” The Eternal Dao Lord shook his head. “There are too many hidden existences in chaos—so many that it leaves me helpless. Some ancient powers are even older than the previous ones who ruled on behalf of heaven. Once the Heavenly Dao and Earthly Dao were established, they began to manipulate the establishment of the Human Dao… Once these three Daos collide, it means a ruler on behalf of heaven can fully rival him!”

“Among all existences, there can only be one ruler on behalf of heaven!”

“Ling Yue was killed by that boy who established the Way of Humanity… By killing that boy who established the Way of Humanity, the Way of Humanity became leaderless…” The Sarva Path Lord’s eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
“We cannot kill him…” The Immortal Longevity Path Lord shook his head. Suddenly, joy appeared on his face. “His fate, the Way of Humanity destined for him, was meant to take the form of a being of reincarnation. But due to his interactions with his two daughters, it has changed.”
“Hehehehe… Immortal Longevity, you speak nicely, always putting the Path Lord first. But lately, haven’t you been at odds with that Chen Xiao?”
A man covered in darkness, radiating greedy thoughts, jumped forward and sneered.
All beings here originated from the negative emotions of living creatures. Any living being who harbors negative emotions will be accepted by these beings here and will also inherit the memories from when those negative emotions arose.
“Not oppose him? Do you expect me to watch helplessly as he attains the Way of Humanity, completely seizes the Path Lord’s power, and then plots against the Earthly Way and the Heavenly Way along with him? There are things we know, but they don’t… And I can only speak of these things here in this prison, a place where only pure emotions can enter. In the chaos, I remain that supreme demon who creates endless calamities.”
“You’re…”
“That’s right, I’m pretending! The celestial realm I left in the starry sky of the Path Lord’s homeland is actually my true form! Whenever needed, that supreme demon will vanish completely, replaced by me, the Immortal Longevity Path Lord! Now, I need your help…”
“If you truly plan for the Path Lord and are willing to sacrifice your life, so be it… But if you’re acting for your own gain, then all the demons in this prison will erase you completely, even if it means abandoning all traces of our existence!”
Demons—those legendary evil beings who inherit all the evil thoughts and destruction of living creatures. Yet, demons also have another trait: utmost passion and sincerity!
“Good!”
The Immortal Longevity Path Lord grabbed something with one hand, pulling out a rune. “This is my life mark. Entrust it to you. If I act out of selfishness in any way, my life is in your hands!”
“We are the destruction of living creatures, their evil thoughts, selfish desires, all kinds of sins. How can you possibly trust us?” The Sarva Path Lord growled, his face turning red.
“I trust the Path Lord. Existence is truth… I want to see if our existence is truly as worthless as the Way dictates, and if this prison is indeed a trash heap ordained by the Way… I just want to prove that the Path Lord is right, and that our existence isn’t completely useless!”
Boom!
In an instant, the entire prison became chaotic.
“What should we do?” asked the Sarva Path Lord.
“I will create a passage between this prison and the World of the Way, and conquer the World of the Way!” The Immortal Longevity Lord’s face was covered in blood-red eyes, glowing with cold light.
“The World of the Way?”
The others were stunned.
“It’s the world created together by the Heavenly Way and the Earthly Way, using the Heavenly Way as the celestial mark and the Earthly Way as the celestial path to evolve the world and steal the power of the Way,” said the Immortal Longevity Path Lord through gritted teeth.

“In that Chaos Realm, those evil thoughts and malice you sent over…” The Asura Path Lord was somewhat uncertain.
“Those things were created by beings from the Dao Realm; they have nothing to do with the Lord of the Dao… nor with me. The culprit ravaging that starry sky right now is someone from the Dao Realm. I believe that Chen Xiao can handle them. Asura Path Lord, since Chen Xiao has already killed two of your key pawns, you still need to put on an act…”
……
In this Chaos, perhaps only one person knows everything that’s going on—no one else is aware, not even the Lord of the Dao who has fled with his family into nothingness.
At this moment, Chen Xiao looked at the strikingly handsome man before him, a cruel smile appearing on his lips.
“Miss Mo Xian, today this handsome guy is here to formally marry you… Um, ah… Good heavens, Chaos Thunderstorm!!!”
The once polite Xiu Wen suddenly jumped up like a cat with its tail stepped on.
“You even dare scheme against my wife? This is the second time. Just obediently let me beat you up and it’ll be over… If it happens a third time, you’ll wish you were dead!”
Chen Xiao transformed almost entirely into streaks of black lightning. These black lightning bolts were completely different from those created by the Immortal Dao Lord—they were genuine Chaos Thunderstorms!