Guarding the Prison for 100 Years, I Emerge to Overwhelm the Demon Venerable

After obliterating the Divine Thoughts that had suddenly appeared, Su Bai stood high in the clouds, watching the Immortal Ship vanish over the horizon.

The Dayu Immortal Dynasty's Immortal Ship clearly had numerous countermeasures prepared.

By now, the Immortal Ship had already retrieved the three artifacts. It swiftly shrank into a golden speck of starlight, fleeing for countless miles.

It vanished without a trace.

Su Bai paid it no mind. Instead, he turned his gaze to the surrounding Demon Sect ancestors.

RUMBLE—

Su Bai unleashed his Dharma Tripod Prison.

Before the utterly horrified eyes of the Black Lotus Sect's Vice Sect Leader, a majestic tripod rose into the air, swiftly obscuring the entire sky. A blood-red character for "Sin" hung high amongst the clouds, like a crimson sun blazing across the heavens.

Streaks of scarlet Karmic Fire, roaring like great dragons, coiled and danced around the tripod, their oppressive might radiating in all directions.

Then, Su Bai's voice thundered across the sky.

"My fellow Daoists, since you've all gathered here, why not enter the tripod for a visit?"

"The Karmic Fire burns brightly now. Fellow Daoists, won't you hasten into your prison?"

The moment his voice fell.

The great tripod ascended once more, its form swelling to a size far greater than before.

It blotted out the sun and sky, like the colossal form of a divine demon standing between heaven and earth.

The blood-red "Sin" character, suspended high in the sky, grew ever more brilliant, like the eye of heaven itself scrutinizing all of creation.

Countless shimmering silver specks of starlight appeared on the great tripod, twinkling in unison!

From the mouth of the tripod, a torrent of Karmic Fire surged forth like a crashing wave.

The moment the Dharma Tripod Prison appeared, an icy, bone-chilling aura flooded the world.

Su Bai's Cultivation had previously broken through to the Ninth Level of the Dragon Mansion Realm, reaching the very pinnacle of that realm.

Unbeknownst to him, his Dharma Tripod Prison had also evolved to a degree that even he found surprising.

An ancient, majestic aura continuously radiated from the great tripod, spreading outwards as if it had existed since time immemorial.

Suppressing everything in the world.

And at the very moment the Dharma Tripod Prison appeared...

The surviving Demon Sect experts immediately felt a powerful pull emanating from the mouth of the Black Tripod, drawing them in.

In a daze, their lives flashed before their eyes in a series of rapid-fire images.

Every scene depicted a crime they had once committed. Even the faces of some experts from the Righteous Sects paled slightly, their eyes revealing a look of horror.

As for the Demon Sect experts, their faces contorted in terror!

Only now did they truly comprehend the meaning behind the eight words: "Lord of Heavenly Punishment, administering punishment on behalf of heaven."

"Ah!"

An ancestor in a black robe from the Soul-devouring Demon Sect, despite his Dao Palace Realm Cultivation, was utterly unable to resist the terrifying pull. He suddenly shot into the air, his body flying uncontrollably toward the great tripod.

As he flew through the air, a tendril of Karmic Fire shot out to meet him, engulfing his entire body. A blood-curdling scream, like the shriek of a Fierce Ghost, echoed in all directions!

Then came the second, the third…

Another great purge of the Demon Sect ancestors had begun.

The battlefield, calm for only a brief moment, was once again thrown into a panic.

"This kind of power…"

The Sect Leader of the Celestial Sound Sect watched a fragmented memory flash before his eyes, and his expression shifted.

He was seeing transgressions he himself had forgotten with the passage of time, now reappearing one by one before him.

Watching these fragmented scenes, his expression grew complex. He lowered his head and lamented, "Such power is far beyond our own. It transcends the mortal realm, like a technique of the Immortal Gods themselves."

"How did such a senior's power ever appear in the mortal realm?"

The Sect Master of the Celestial Net Sword Sect, whose white eyebrows trembled, replied in a daze, "It is only natural that it far surpasses us."

"That is true…"

The Sect Leader of the Celestial Sound Sect paused, stunned for a moment, before blinking and letting out a soft sigh.

By this point, the experts of the Five Demonic Sects had been all but suppressed by the black tripod.

The remaining experts from the Righteous Sects, however, mostly had low Sin Values—around One-Star—and were able to just barely resist the Karmic Fire's pull.

Just then, the Sword Saint Ancestor of the Celestial Sword Sect—the one among the three who had remained silent—suddenly flashed forward, voluntarily heading toward the black tripod!

"Senior Sword Saint!"

The Celestial Sound Sect Master and the Celestial Net Sect Master cried out in alarm, instinctively wanting to rush forward and stop him.

But they saw the Sword Saint Ancestor stop just outside the tripod, his body enveloped by a roaring, blazing mass of Karmic Fire.

A moment later, a clear, melodious sword hum suddenly rang out from within the flames.

A Sword Intent several times more refined than before erupted from the Karmic Fire.

It was so dazzling it seemed to pierce the very heavens!

A vast amount of the world's ambient energy, drawn in by this Sword Intent, surged and converged upon the Sword Saint Ancestor.

The other two could clearly sense the Sword Saint Ancestor's aura climbing higher and higher.

"What… what is happening?"

The Celestial Sound Sect Master and the Celestial Net Sect Master were stunned by this scene.

Their gazes were fixed, unblinking, on the scarlet Karmic Fire coiling around the Sword Saint Ancestor.

Suddenly, as if they had realized something, looks of profound shock and awe spread across their faces.

"The Karmic Fire of the Dharma Tripod Prison can burn away sin and distracting thoughts! It can temper one's sword-heart and refine Martial Intent!"

"With such an Extraordinary ability… if you told me the Lord of Heavenly Punishment wasn't one of the Immortal Gods descended to the mortal plane, I'd never believe you!"

…

Meanwhile, high in the sky, Su Bai turned his gaze toward the Black Lotus Sect's Vice Sect Leader.

The man shuddered, large beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. He tried to use an escape technique, but in a flash, Su Bai seized him and threw him into the Dharma Tripod Prison.

"Oh?"

Su Bai was puzzled when he looked back at the members of the Righteous Dao.

He saw that even though their Sin Value was far from the threshold for imprisonment, these people from the Righteous Sects were now scrambling over one another to fly toward his Dharma Tripod Prison.

They willingly let the deep red tendrils of Karmic Fire envelop them.

Their flesh and Divine Spirits were seared crimson, emitting a CRACKLING sound, yet their faces were filled with expressions of ecstasy and joy.

'What a bunch of guys!'

'If anyone who didn't know what was going on saw this...'

'They'd probably think these people were all masochists, that there was something seriously wrong with them!'

But Su Bai just chuckled.

'These people are pretty sharp to have figured this out.'

Karmic Fire fed on sin. To be burned by it was to endure endless pain, but it was also a way to wash away sin and eliminate karmic burdens.

It purged karmic obstacles, sin, Heart Demons, and distracting thoughts.

If one could withstand the burning of the Karmic Fire, the benefits to their Martial Dao cultivation were immense.

The pain inflicted by the Karmic Fire was also directly related to the level of one's Sin Value.

The Sword Saint Ancestor from the Celestial Sword Sect was the best example of this.

His Sword Intent was so powerful and immense it was impossible to ignore.

Even his Cultivation had improved significantly.

"Fellow Daoist Tian Fa!"

Sensing Su Bai's gaze, the Sword Saint Ancestor, who had been regulating his energy, immediately brightened and hurried over.

He drew near.

After a moment of hesitation, he bowed with clasped hands.

"I have a presumptuous request, and I hope Fellow Daoist Tian Fa will grant it!"

Su Bai smiled faintly. "Please, speak freely."

A look of clear delight was on the Sword Saint Ancestor's face. "I wish to enter your Dharma Tripod Prison to cultivate for a time. I hope to use the Karmic Fire within to temper my Sword Intent."

"Fellow Daoist Tian Fa! The same goes for me!"

The Celestial Sound Sect Master and the Celestial Net Sect Master hurried over as well, chiming in eagerly.

"My three fellow Daoists, you are too polite. This is a simple matter!"

"Never mind a short visit to my Dharma Tripod Prison. Even staying for eight or ten years would be no problem at all."

Su Bai waved a hand, and the Karmic Fire spewing from the Black Tripod behind him surged violently, instantly turning half the sky red.

"Please, rest assured. Once the three of you are inside, I guarantee I'll turn up the Karmic Fire to its highest setting."

"I will ensure this trip is worthwhile, so you can thoroughly refine your Martial Intent!"

The Sword Saint Ancestor and the other two stared at the terrifying, surging Karmic Fire, their expressions stiffening slightly.

Then they bowed with clasped hands. "Fellow Daoist Tian Fa is too kind!"

"We are all fellow Daoists on the same path. It is a trivial matter."

"What are you three waiting for? Hurry on inside!"

"And don't stand on ceremony with me. Make yourselves at home. Stay as long as you like."

The expressions of the Sword Saint Ancestor and the other two grew somewhat strained.

The three of them looked up at the blazing Karmic Fire, which burned ever more fiercely, as if it would sear a great hole through the sky itself.

Their Heart Spirits couldn't help but tremble.

They had the distinct feeling that with this request, they had just walked right into a trap.

At that moment, Su Bai spread his Divine Thoughts, his voice echoing out, "All experts of Great Xia's Righteous Dao may enter the Dharma Tripod Prison to temper your Martial Intent and increase your Cultivation in the Karmic Fire!"

"Furthermore, your stay is unlimited!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the nearby Righteous Sect members, who had been cautiously using the Karmic Fire to cultivate, lit up with joy.

They had already experienced the profound benefits of the Karmic Fire firsthand.

They had only been holding back out of deference to Su Bai, not daring to be blatant about it and only secretly drawing small wisps of Karmic Fire onto themselves.

Now that Su Bai had personally invited them, opening wide the gates of Karmic Fire, how could they not be overjoyed?

Immediately, the experts from the Righteous Sects all cheered, their faces beaming with delight.

"Thank you, Lord of Heavenly Punishment!"

"Lord of Heavenly Punishment, this is a most righteous act!"

"For Great Xia to be presided over by a senior like the Lord of Heavenly Punishment is truly a blessing not seen in ten thousand years!"

Su Bai listened to these flattering words with a placid expression.

In truth, he almost laughed out loud.

If people wanted to voluntarily enter his prison, he was more than happy to welcome them.

For every day these people spent inside, he would harvest another batch of Experience Points.

This way, he gained both fame and tangible benefits.

What a wonderful way to kill two birds with one stone!