After briefly obtaining the light screen only to fall back into endless darkness, Zhao Doudou felt only slightly dejected before quickly perking up again.

That’s right.

I got out of prison, then went back in!

But not as a prisoner—as the deputy warden!

“Tap!”

Zhao Doudou straightened his attire, walked into the prison with his head held high and chest thrust out, his brows radiating pride.

“My former fellow inmates!”

“From today on, I will take good care of you all!”

“Crack!”

Suddenly, a cold, sharp whipping sound rang out.

Zhao Doudou was caught off guard and struck on the back. Soul-piercing pain immediately surged through him, making him unable to help but howl in agony.

“The prison is a restricted area—no shouting!” Er Ya raised her whip and struck him ruthlessly.

“Crack crack crack!”

“Ahhh!”

…

In the monitoring room.

Er Ya stood in the corner like a child who had done something wrong, head lowered, rubbing the hem of her clothes with both hands, saying softly: “Master, but he never said he was the deputy warden.”

“…”

Zhao Doudou, who had been whipped into misery, lay paralyzed on the ground wanting to vomit blood.

Big sister!

You came at me with a barrage of whip strikes, and that soul-wounding pain only allowed me to howl in agony—I had no chance to introduce myself!

Jun Changxiao sat in a chair and said: “This prison is now under the management of you two. From now on, you must help each other and not disappoint this master.”

“Yes!”

Zhao Doudou endured the pain and responded.

Er Ya muttered in her heart: “Can such a rookie really handle being deputy warden?”

With Zhao Doudou’s strength, managing imprisoned Wudis and Wushengs would indeed be difficult, but don’t forget he understood deception techniques and had a mouth that could spout inspirational chicken soup at any time.

…

“Hahaha.”

In the Heaven-grade cell, Dai Lu covered his face and laughed.

That guy who was as annoying as a fly had finally gotten out of prison—this was definitely something worth celebrating!

“Creak.”

Suddenly, the cell door opened again.

Xiao Zuiji and Su Xiaomo walked in, then without explanation lifted Dai Lu up and brought him out of the cell.

“Going to torment me again?”

“Hmph! If this lord furrows his brow even once, I’ll take your surname!”

During this time, Dai Lu had been bullied by disciples many times and had long grown accustomed to it, with absolutely no fear whatsoever.

After leaving the cell, the intense sunlight made him instinctively close his eyes. When he gradually adapted and prepared to open them, he suddenly felt the environment darken again.

“Creak!”

Li Qingyang and Xiao Zuiji closed the door and left.

Dai Lu steadied himself, opened his eyes somewhat bewildered, and found himself in an environment even darker than the Heaven-grade cell. The ground was paved with stone slabs, appearing exceptionally neat.

Where… is this place?

“You’re here, little brother.”

Suddenly, a voice sounded in his ear.

The muscles on Dai Lu’s face immediately stiffened.

This voice was not only familiar but deeply unforgettable!

After a moment, Dai Lu turned his head with difficulty and saw Zhao Doudou standing before him with a brilliant smile on his face.

He… is here!

He… wasn’t he already released from prison?!

Zhao Doudou smiled and said: “This is the Tianyuan Prison Suppression Tower, an underground luxury prison. I’m the deputy warden, and you, little brother, are now one of the prisoners under my management. Surprised? Unexpected?”

“Pff!”

Dai Lu immediately spat blood.

He thought he had finally gotten rid of the annoying fly, but not only did he encounter him again—their relationship had changed!

“Tsk tsk.”

Er Ya sat in the distance, surprised: “Didn’t expect my deputy warden had some ability—one smile made the newly arrived prisoner spit blood.”

“Stop the nonsense.”

She shouted: “Hurry up and take this guy down to the first level prison.”

“Yes!”

Zhao Doudou was after all the deputy, so he obeyed her without question, quickly escorting Dai Lu toward the lowest level prison.

“Little brother, you’re really impressive.”

On the way, he said with great admiration: “Everyone imprisoned on the first level are all Wudi-class. The sect master putting you there shows you have great potential.”

Although Zhao Doudou had only just taken up the position of deputy warden, he already had sufficient understanding of the Tianyuan Prison Suppression Tower, especially knowing that imprisoned prisoners were all assigned prison levels based on their strength.

“…”

Dai Lu remained silent.

If I had great potential, how would I have ended up as a prisoner?

…

“Sect Master.”

In the study, Li Qingyang asked puzzled: “This Dai Lu has only just stepped into Wuhuang, so why must he be imprisoned on the first level?”

Jun Changxiao said: “Because he’s very dangerous.”

“Very dangerous?”

Li Qingyang was very confused.

Jun Changxiao stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked toward the heavens with his hands behind his back, saying: “This boy has been imprisoned for a long time, but still hasn’t submitted to this master, which shows he has great willpower. As long as he obtains an opportunity, he can accomplish great things.”

“If that’s the case, why keep him?” Li Qingyang asked.

“Because…”

Jun Changxiao considered briefly and said: “Successfully dealing with a tough bone is more challenging than subduing a Wudi.”

“Isn’t the host afraid of raising a tiger to invite disaster?” the system asked.

Jun Changxiao said: “Do you think with the author’s habits they would stage such a melodramatic plot?”

“This…”

The system was silent for a moment, then said: “Unless their brain was kicked by a donkey.”

Jun Changxiao said: “So no matter what, I will bring that guy into my sect. If he truly doesn’t submit, he can spend the rest of his life on the first level prison. Maybe in the future he can happily pick up soap with the Wudi bosses.”

…

In the first level prison.

Dai Lu was placed in an independent cell.

The internal environment was really nice—there was a soft bed, a bathroom, and many books available for reading.

“Whew!”

Dai Lu sat cross-legged on the bed and exhaled deeply.

His qi channels were unblocked, his Wuhuang cultivation completely restored, but he wasn’t happy at all.

Because the soul that assisted in strengthening was gone. Even though there were still powerful heaven and earth attributes here, with his own qualifications it would be very difficult to improve further.

“Alas.”

Dai Lu shook his head and said: “Imprisoned in this prison unable to escape, even if I possessed Wudi cultivation, I could only live out my life alone.”

“So.”

Zhao Doudou leaned his head over and said: “Joining my Eternal Sect is your wise choice.”

Dai Lu roared: “How did you get in here!”

“Naturally I walked in.”

Zhao Doudou plopped down on the bed and said: “You’ve been imprisoned at the Eternal Sect for a long time. You should know that becoming a member can make you stronger. Why must you persist? Why not compromise?”

“Because…”

Dai Lu clenched his fists and said: “These are my principles!”

“Bullshit principles.” Zhao Doudou said: “You’re just stubborn. You’re just too proud to suffer.”

These words hit the nail on the head.

From being possessed by a soul and forcibly instigated to break through rapidly, yet still persisting in his principles not to harm innocents, this showed Dai Lu had a conscience. The villain label wouldn’t fall on him even if it fell on Jun Changxiao.

The conflict between him and Gou Sheng originated from nothing more than the first chapter and the subsequent involvement of Lingquan Sect.

Just because he was too stubborn, just because he was too rigid, he couldn’t get past the hurdle in his heart, and continued to regard Jun Changxiao and the Eternal Sect as enemies.

Submit to the enemy?

Someone with principles like himself couldn’t do something that would carry eternal infamy.

“I’ve heard about your situation from the senior brothers.” Zhao Doudou said: “It’s nothing more than the sect master destroying your sect.”

“Crack!”

Dai Lu clenched his fist in rage and said: “The hatred of sect destruction is no different from the hatred of killing one’s father!”

“Alas.”

Zhao Doudou shook his head, then took out a token and said: “Do you recognize this?”

Dai Lu glanced at it and exclaimed in surprise: “This is my Lingquan Sect disciple identity token! You… are also a Lingquan Sect disciple?”

“That’s right.”

Zhao Doudou’s eyes rose with a gleam of reminiscence, then he slowly said: “If we go by time of entering the sect, you should call me senior brother.”

“…”

Dai Lu looked at him.

“You might think I’m deceiving you.”

“But in fact, I really was once a Lingquan Sect disciple. Later I defected for certain reasons.”

Zhao Doudou’s face was sincere.

“What reasons?”

“You should have heard of Black Wind Stronghold, right?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

“You’ve heard of over a thousand people from Xiaolin Village and Dongyang Village being massacred overnight ten years ago, right?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

“Black Wind Stronghold did it.”

“What’s your point in telling me all this?”

“Black Wind Stronghold committed such unconscionable acts with Lingquan Sect directing them from behind. The two were nothing but birds of a feather.”

“Hahaha!”

Dai Lu suddenly laughed loudly and said: “I understand now. You’re telling me all this to make me know that Lingquan Sect was actually a thoroughly evil sect, to make me let go of my resentment toward the Eternal Sect!”

Although ruthlessly exposed, Zhao Doudou wasn’t flustered.

A true master of deception must first deceive himself when deceiving others.

“You’re wrong!”

Zhao Doudou stood up and roared: “I just want you to know that even if a sect guilty of heinous crimes hadn’t been destroyed by the sect master, sooner or later it would have been taken by heaven. A man of iron bones like you shouldn’t seek justice for Lingquan Sect, because—”

“It! Doesn’t! Deserve! It!”

The last three words splattered Dai Lu’s face with saliva.

“As a disciple you can seek revenge, so let me ask you.”

Zhao Doudou pointed toward the heavens, emotions rendered to the extreme, and roared: “Those thousand dead villagers, those violated women, those children buried alive—who should avenge them!”

“…”

“My sect master destroying Lingquan Sect was eliminating evil for the people, was enforcing the heavenly way!”

“…”

“But you, Dai Lu, a seven-foot tall man not only aided the wicked but also want to seek justice for a sect deserving of ten thousand deaths. Is this what you call your principles!”

“I spit on it!”

“To hell with your bullshit principles!”

By the end, Zhao Doudou’s voice was almost hoarse from roaring, his entire face had turned red and contorted, with veins bulging on his forehead.

This textbook-level acting would make Su Xiaomo feel ashamed.

Dai Lu remained silent throughout being berated.

Every sentence he heard seemed to transform into sharp swords, madly impacting his heart, impacting the seemingly indestructible beliefs.

Er Ya standing outside opened her small mouth wide, her face showing disbelief.

He clearly didn’t have powerful cultivation, so why, when roaring in anger, did he radiate a very special aura, why was it so infectious?

In this moment.

Er Ya’s attitude toward Zhao Doudou changed, truly recognizing the deputy warden her master had assigned to her!

Jun Changxiao sat in the monitoring room. Having witnessed the scene just now through the imaging formation, he couldn’t help but sigh: “With this boy here, who can’t be persuaded to surrender and serve my Eternal Sect?”

…

—