In the Heavenly Prison, as long as one harbored no thoughts of escape and obediently stayed within the secure chambers, they would merely be imprisoned, not killed—no different from ordinary incarceration. But the moment one conceived the idea of escaping, death could come at any time. Traveling from one chamber to another, death traps could appear at any moment. What exactly would happen, no one could predict.
And this was only the current situation. Without finding a sliver of hope, any attempt to escape would be tantamount to courting death.
Moreover, unless the entire Xuanhuang Town was destroyed, no one could break into the Heavenly Prison from the outside or force their way into the Dimensional Cube.
"With the Heavenly Prison in place, it will serve as a deterrent for certain individuals. Even if someone harbors malicious intent, knowing of the prison's existence would make them hesitate and eventually dispel such thoughts. This, too, is an act of great merit,"Huang Chengyan nodded slowly, stroking his beard as he spoke.
The existence of law serves primarily to regulate behavior and impose invisible shackles upon the heart. Before acting, people must weigh the consequences. Thus, even though crimes exist in dynasties and modern societies alike, on the surface, no one dares cross the line lightly, allowing order to persist.
Only then could the hearts of the people remain stable.Only then could society function without falling into chaos.
Now, the appearance of the Heavenly Prison served as similar shackles on many people's hearts—restraining their desires, ensuring they did not overstep certain bounds or allow their hearts to run wild without restraint.
"Indeed. Fear breeds caution. Without rules, there can be no order. Sooner or later, we'll also need a comprehensive legal system in town,"Master Lu nodded in agreement.
In any established force, a comprehensive system of laws is indispensable. It embodies the force's authority and foundation.
"Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Legalists specialize in law and governance. Unfortunately, we don't have any Legalist disciples in town yet. If only one would come to Xuanhuang Town,"Yi Tianxing sighed deeply and shook his head.
They were desperately short of talent.Critically short.
"In addition to the defensive towers and the Heavenly Prison, combined with the town's own strength, ordinary external cultivators shouldn't pose a problem. At this stage, most outside threats would still be at the Divine Sea Realm at most. Even if someone has advanced to the Life Aperture Realm, the fundamental difference is merely the awakening of a Life Aperture Divine Ability.Divine Sea cultivators can also awaken Life Apertures; the gap isn't unbridgeable.With our army, even if trouble arises, we can suppress it,"Yi Tianxing nodded again and continued.
He didn't say much more. They soon dispersed.
Inside the barracks, soldiers were diligently training, loud and forceful shouts echoing through the air.
Spear formations, arrow formations, shield formations.
On the city walls, squads of soldiers moved swiftly into position. Blades and spears were drawn; piles of talisman arrows were stacked along the ramparts, ready to be used at any moment. Sharp gazes gleamed coldly under their helmets.
Xuanhuang Town's army had already swelled to over ten thousand strong.
Gathered together, they were an elite force of terrifying strength.
Against an organized army composed entirely of cultivators, the destructive power of individuals—even powerful ones—was extremely limited. No one could simply disregard the might of the army.
"What a formidable aura of iron and blood.The army here is no longer a mundane force,"Young Lord Kongxu stared at the barracks in shock.
This wasn't the first time he had been stunned by the town.
Once Xuanhuang Town fully grew, it would become a force beyond imagination—absolutely terrifying in strength.
"This young lord is curious: who will be the first to be thrown into the Heavenly Prison?Just for that alone, it's worth staying around a while longer.Besides, even if some heavy treasure is about to emerge, it won't disappear overnight.No need to rush—great treasures are never that easily seized,"Kongxu laughed heartily, waving his jade fan leisurely.
…
Yi Tianxing had already returned to his residence and entered his quiet cultivation room.
He had decided: tomorrow morning, he would depart for the site of the treasure.The affairs of the town had already been entrusted to capable hands.Moreover, returning to town wouldn't be difficult for him if necessary.How could he leave without ensuring he had trump cards in place?
Besides, reaching the treasure site might be difficult for others, but for him, it was no trouble.
"Heroes are gathering, powerful cultivators are assembling.My cultivation must rise as much as possible.My body refinement is nearly at the Eighth Howl realm.As for my Immortal Dao cultivation, I'm at the sixth level of the Divine Sea Realm.The first stage of the Divine Spring is already completely perfected.Next step: the First Stage of the Sea Transformation."
"Transforming the Divine Spring into a Sea is a major breakthrough.Opening the Divine Sea requires condensing the Sea Transformation Pool."
True Qi must transform into True Essence by condensing the Sea Transformation Pool.True Qi is gaseous; True Essence is liquid.This is the essential transformation of Qi into liquid.Thus, condensing the Sea Transformation Pool is the most crucial step of the first Sea Transformation Stage.
Without this step, the breakthrough is impossible.
Every cultivation technique includes a method to form the Sea Transformation Pool. If it's missing or incomplete, advancement to Sea Transformation would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Each Sea Transformation Pool varies depending on the technique.The strength and difficulty of condensation also vary.
There's even a basic Sea Transformation Pool visualization diagram compatible with any technique—but naturally, it cannot unleash the full power of specialized methods.
Only perfectly matching techniques and Sea Pools can bring out the greatest strength.
For instance, in the True Dragon Imperial Scripture, the Sea Pool was the Chaotic Dragon Transformation Pool.
Condensing it required a total of 129,600 runes—the number of one great cycle.To do this, one needed not only powerful spiritual willpower but also immense reserves of True Qi, merging the two together to visualize and condense the runes.
The process was typically divided into three stages:
First, condense a phantom Sea Pool.
Second, achieve a semi-solid form.
Third, perfect it into a fully solid Sea Pool, capable of drawing upon primal energies.
Although it ultimately required 129,600 runes, the first phase—creating the phantom pool—only required 12,960 runes.
In comparison, ordinary Sea Pools might only require 108, 365, 490, or 720 runes—greatly differing by the technique's grade.
Even so, it was clear how terrifying the Chaotic Dragon Transformation Pool was.
The sheer number of runes required was staggering.
Although the runes were often identical, the amount of True Qi and spiritual willpower consumed was enormous. Without a sufficiently large Divine Sea and strong Divine Spring, supporting the rune condensation would be impossible.
This was a slow, grinding process—akin to water shaping stone.
It was nearly impossible to condense all the runes at once.Each rune could be visualized separately and inscribed upon the Divine Spring.They would accumulate gradually until they reached the required number.
There were no time limits.
The real challenge lay in the exhaustion.Each time a rune was visualized, True Qi would be permanently consumed—irrecoverably.
Thus, condensing runes was, in a way, shaving away one's own cultivation.The greater the number of runes needed, the more terrifying the loss.Therefore, many cultivators took months, even years, to complete the process—slowly accumulating True Qi before visualizing the runes.
Furthermore, each Sea Pool had its own unique rune patterns.
For instance, in the True Dragon Imperial Scripture, the Chaotic Dragon Transformation Pool was built upon the Chaotic Dragon Rune.
The runes varied in complexity.Simpler ones were easier to condense.More complex ones, like the Chaotic Dragon Rune, demanded immense effort and strength.
"Chaotic Dragon Transformation Pool!!"Yi Tianxing focused his mind.
Immediately, a profound visualization appeared in his mind.
An ancient, mysterious Dragon Transformation Pool, surrounded by swirling chaos and glowing with chaotic divine light.Endless phenomena manifested within the mist.
Dragons of all kinds—Fire Dragons, Water Dragons, Metal Dragons, Azure Dragons, Yellow Dragons, White Dragons, Flying Dragons, Ying Dragons, Coiling Dragons—could be seen swimming through the mists.
A surge of primordial energy gathered into chaotic mist.It devoured and assimilated all types of ambient energy.
It seemed capable of nurturing ten thousand true dragons.
The chaotic divine light flowed continuously.
One glance, and it was clear—this was no ordinary object.
Swish!
Within the chaos, a single gray rune emerged within the Dragon Transformation Pool.
The rune was extraordinary—alive, like a real dragon soaring through the void, roaring and dancing.Its divine aura was overwhelming.
Visualizing its true essence demanded immense focus and willpower.
The rune itself resembled a true dragon.
"Visualize the Chaotic Dragon Rune."
Yi Tianxing willed it, and at once, only the single rune existed within his mind.His spirit and willpower fused with it, becoming one with the Chaotic Dragon Rune.He clearly felt the divine nature of the true dragon, as though he had become a dragon himself.