The continuous unrest on the Luofu had ultimately affected the Shackling Prison. With manpower stretched thin across the Xianzhou, a portion of the Shackling Prison's personnel had been redeployed. Although the remaining guards were still formidable, that was only relative to others.
Before Dan Heng, who was intimately familiar with the prison's layout and protected by the Cloud-Hymn art, the prison, while not freely accessible, couldn't hold him.
Easily passing through layers of defenses, disabling one mechanism after another... Dan Heng's steps barely paused, heading straight down. Occasionally encountering one or two guards difficult to avoid, he struck with lightning speed, directly subduing and knocking them unconscious, tossing them into deserted corners.
His companions were outside buying him time. If his actions here were too slow, leading to the Xianzhou army bearing down, then even if he successfully revived Twilight, the Express crew would likely struggle to escape the Xianzhou unscathed. Under the dual pressure of responsibility and urgency, Dan Heng unleashed unprecedented prowess.
Before long, he easily reached the bottom level of the Shackling Prison, arguably one of the most heavily guarded prisons in the galaxy.
Surprisingly, upon stepping into this place, which should have been the darkest and most silent part of the Xianzhou, Dan Heng not only felt no discomfort but instead felt his body lighten considerably, sensing a rich aura of life.
This certainly wasn't Dan Heng going mad. Although he had indeed committed an unforgivable sin against the Xianzhou, he was perfectly lucid—at least in his own view. The reason for the vibrant life here was simple...
Dan Heng's gaze fixed deadly upon the casket sealed by countless chains and talismans. Undoubtedly, that contained the remnant body of Shuhu, the Emanator of Abundance, the culprit who had nearly destroyed the Xianzhou in the past.
Even under such heavy seals, the unique aura of Abundance still seeped out endlessly... Just the dead flesh possessed such power. If the seals were broken, perhaps that Abundance monster could truly make a comeback...?
Though his goal was right before him, a flicker of hesitation and struggle crossed Dan Heng's eyes—but it was quickly overridden by determination.
No choice. Even if failure might lead to devastating consequences, he had to try! Trying might lead to failure, but not trying would surely lead to lifelong regret!
Taking a deep breath, Dan Heng hesitated no longer, retrieving all the necessary materials for the Transmutation Arcanum and Twilight's body from his portable storage—this was only possible because Twilight was dead, leaving only her body; living beings couldn't be transported so conveniently.
Sealing the entrance to this final level, Dan Heng's eyes sharpened, unhesitatingly undoing the final seals. In this moment, he felt somewhat grateful for his past life. Although Dan Feng had left him endless trouble, enmity, and even sin, at this moment, his memories were indeed a great help.
Without them, he wouldn't know the Transmutation Arcanum, nor the layout of the Shackling Prison and the method to undo the seals.
At least for this brief instant, he felt somewhat reconciled with his past self.
But there was no time for sentimentality. Dan Heng focused all his attention on the casket containing Shuhu's flesh, about to open. If this monster was truly still alive, he would have to kill it first before using it as material...
Perhaps it was a turn of fortune after experiencing so much misfortune recently. Dan Heng finally encountered something lucky—the damned flesh of Shuhu, though still writhing, didn't instantly transform into a planet-devouring monster like the Emanator once did... It was truly dead, leaving only a mass of flesh still brimming with power.
Perfect for his use.
Dan Heng breathed a sigh of relief, calmed his mind, thought no further, and poured all his energy into performing the Transmutation Arcanum.
Emanator's flesh, Borisin's heart, Arbor's branch... Twilight's body, and the Vidyadhara's secret art.
The original Transmutation Arcanum could revive the dead as Vidyadhara. But now, with Herta's modifications and the addition of so many new ingredients, what exactly would be created in the end?
Dan Heng didn't know... But he had discussed these changes with Herta before, and she indicated there shouldn't be major issues.
That was enough. As long as Twilight could be revived, that was enough!
"Bring back my companion... Transmutation Arcanum, I command you!"
Eyes filled with fierce determination, the power of the immortal High Elder within Dan Heng fully unleashed, its terrifying aura vibrating throughout the entire Shackling Prison!
But soon, this power belonging to the High Elder was easily suppressed by another, even more terrifying aura.
The former Dan Feng, in reviving Baiheng, had also used a portion of Shuhu's flesh. Its combination with the blood of Baiheng, an ordinary Foxian, was enough to create an abominable dragon that shook the Xianzhou. But the materials Dan Heng utilized now were hundreds of times more terrifying than Dan Feng's!
Not only did he add the Ambrosial Arbor branch and the Borisin Warleader's heart on top of Shuhu's flesh, but the body used for resurrection was Twilight, stronger even than ordinary Emanators. Any one of these components alone would be enough to force Dan Heng at his peak into a bitter struggle, let alone fusing them all together now?
As Dan Heng felt the increasingly terrifying aura before him, he realized things had finally spiraled beyond his control—not because of the Transmutation Arcanum, but because of himself!
Indeed, unlike Baiheng's time, the Transmutation Arcanum was running extremely smoothly now... but his own power couldn't hold up! The High Elder was strong, but before the existence he now sought to revive, it was like an ant versus a whale; completely incomparable.
Even though he was merely guiding the process now, he was already overwhelmed.
What to do? Was it going to fail...? Despair flashed in Dan Heng's eyes.
Things had already come this far; all his companions had cleared the obstacles for him. Was it all going to be ruined because of his insufficient strength?!
But what could he do? In this situation, perhaps even shouting about bonds and friendship wouldn't help—
Just as Dan Heng felt like he was suffocating, he seemed to see a streak of light leave his body and merge into the Transmutation Arcanum formation before him. But the light was too fast, making him think it was his hallucination. Yet, the pressure abruptly easing the next moment allowed him to see the dawn of success once more.
Thus, Dan Heng cast aside all other thoughts, focusing entirely on controlling the Transmutation Arcanum, afraid of missing this final chance.
Within his anticipation, the light orb, originally resembling a green sun, began to contract continuously, finally forming a Vidyadhara egg that looked carved from jade. Then, the eggshell cracked, revealing a woman with pale white hair inside, her eyes tightly closed.
It was a face Dan Heng would never mistake... It was Twilight! Though inexplicably lacking horns, his Transmutation Arcanum had succeeded!
Seemingly sensing Dan Heng's tense and excited gaze, the woman within the eggshell's eyelashes fluttered slightly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of confusion... and joy within them.
"I... Wasn't I dead?" Twilight looked towards Dan Heng, her eyes filled with affection and gratitude. "Dan Heng, was it you... who saved me?"
"No time to explain, let's get out quickly! Everyone's waiting for us!"
Ignoring the need to explain further to the resurrected Twilight, despite knowing she was likely full of questions, Dan Heng pulled her up, slung her over his shoulder, used the Cloud-Hymn art to conceal their forms, and rushed back towards the outside with maximum speed.
"Dan Heng, you're so good... You're truly the best person to me. Caelus ignored me all day, but you came to save me... You're my great hero, my great savior—ah no, you're my benefactor~"
Even being carried uncomfortably over his shoulder, Twilight's mouth didn't stop moving. Her gratitude and affection for Dan Heng were practically overflowing, making Dan Heng blush slightly, but also feel a... subtle strangeness.
A strangeness he couldn't quite pinpoint.
Perhaps it was a side effect of the Transmutation Arcanum's consciousness aspect. Dan Heng didn't have the energy to dwell on it now. His current task was to break out of the Shackling Prison with all his might—though strangely, unlike the way in, Dan Heng didn't see a single guard on the way out. It seemed the entire Shackling Prison had become empty in the blink of an eye.
This made him feel somewhat uneasy, fearing he had walked into some trap. But only after stepping out of the Shackling Prison's main gate and greeting the sunlight again, seeing his Express companions still waiting vigilantly outside, did he realize... he had actually succeeded.
He really brought Twilight back!
No time to think about anything else, Dan Heng quickly shouted, "Himeko, summon the Express! Let's leave—"
"Unfortunately, none of you are going anywhere right now. You might have to be guests in the Shackling Prison for a while first."
A calm and cold voice snapped Dan Heng back from his excitement. Only then did he finally see clearly what the Express crew was facing.
It was the Cloud Knights, arrayed in formation, and standing before them, Jing Yuan with a complex expression.
"You still did it..."
Jing Yuan sighed softly.
He should have expected it... Ever since the Express arrived at the Luofu, nothing had gone smoothly. How could things possibly go his way just this once regarding Dan Feng?