Volume One: The Celestial Palace of Mist Chapter 105: The Great Tribulation Prison

Chapter 105: The Great Prison Break

Inside the Alchemy Prison.

In the vast circular pit stood a massive bronze tripod cauldron, ancient and unadorned. Its surface was carved with various beast patterns. One of its two fire openings glowed with a swirling dark mist, while the other flickered with dazzling white light.

Surrounding the circular pit were towering stone walls, riddled with countless caves. Each cave entrance was blocked by a crystalline wall, each corresponding to a demon or a convicted immortal.

At this moment, Zhou Hao was seated cross-legged inside one of these caves, silently restoring his immortal energy. Although each cave was guarded by formations designed to suppress immortal power, they were essentially ineffective against Zhou Hao. The true reason lay in the yellow-skinned gourd atop his head. This gourd was a legendary treasure in the Immortal Realm, with an astonishing history. Its previous owners were mostly renowned masters, some even achieving the supreme rank of Peerless Immortal Lord. Tracing its origins would involve delving into the very epochs of the Immortal Domain.

In short, it was a priceless heirloom!

Behind Zhou Hao, the sun of the Great Day floated, bathing him in golden light. At this moment, Zhou Hao seemed like the son of the sun god descended to earth. His shoulder-length hair shimmered with a faint golden hue, and his features grew even more handsome. Most striking were his golden dual pupils, which once again emitted beams of light that pierced the crystalline wall ahead, causing it to tremble continuously.

Beside Zhou Hao, Huahuo squatted lazily, resting her chin in her hands as she watched him cultivate with a hint of boredom. The turtle, meanwhile, yawned on one side, while Qingqing curled up and fell asleep on the turtle’s back.

"Damn it, I can't take it anymore. I’ve woken up several times, and you’re still meditating? Are you serious? At this rate, I’m going into full hibernation," the turtle finally exploded after a long time, reproaching Zhou Hao for his lack of consideration.

"Aren't turtles supposed to love sleeping? Why do you wake up and then stay awake? Just go back to sleep!" Huahuo complained absentmindedly.

"I wish I could, but I’m starving. How can I sleep on an empty stomach?" The turtle said helplessly.

"You’ve become an immortal; can’t you go without eating?" Huahuo asked in surprise.

"Normally, yes. But this is a prison. It’s not normal. The formations suppress our immortal energy; we can’t sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so we can’t cultivate by relying on nature. Without cultivation, all our bodily functions deteriorate. Feeling hungry is a natural response," the turtle explained.

"Exactly, not only is our immortal energy restricted here, even self-reliant cultivation is impossible. Our immortal power is gradually waning. It’s natural to feel hungry," Qingqing agreed.

"But I’m restricted too. Why don’t I get hungry?" Huahuo blinked her big eyes, puzzled.

"You’re a plant; we’re animals. Of course, it’s different. Besides, you’re a fire lotus. You can survive in molten lava, let alone this tiny alchemy prison," the turtle explained.

Just then, Zhou Hao finished his meditation and rose to his feet. The golden sun disappeared, and his golden dual pupils reverted to normal eyes.

"Don’t worry. I’ll solve your problems now. We’re going to make a big move," Zhou Hao said with a hearty laugh.

"A big move?" The turtle, Qingqing, and Huahuo all asked simultaneously.

"A prison break!" Zhou Hao smiled.

"So crazy?" Huahuo was amused rather than shocked, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Impressive, my friend. You really dare to do this? Truly a fearless rookie!" The turtle was momentarily stunned, then expressed admiration.

"Enough talk. Let me tell you my plan. I just came up with it. It’s a brilliant scheme." Zhou Hao, energized by the power of the Great Day’s sun, was excited to surprise everyone.

"First, we break everyone out of the alchemy prison, then we all rush out together. We’ll take advantage of the chaos to leave the Southern Palace Immortal Hall," Zhou Hao explained.

"Good plan!" Huahuo nodded in agreement.

"But aren’t you going to seek revenge on the old bastard Nan Gong Xun? He killed your master!" the turtle teased.

"I’ve thought about it. With my current strength, even facing Nan Gong Xun alone is tough, let alone with a Night Envoy involved. The Night Envoy’s realm is likely late Upper Immortal; such a level isn’t something a single supreme treasure can handle," Zhou Hao glanced at the gourd on his head, biting his lip and smiling bitterly.

"Don’t be down. A real man knows when to yield. As the saying goes, ‘As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn.’ With your cultivation talent, I believe you’ll reach Upper Immortal in under five thousand years. Then revenge won’t be late. Keep it up, young man!" The turtle comforted him, gently patting his right shoulder with a small black claw.

"What? Five thousand years? You don’t believe in me? I need that long to become an Upper Immortal?" Zhou Hao was reluctant to accept the turtle’s encouragement.

"Young man, five thousand years is but a blink of an eye. Have you ever seen an immortal become Upper Immortal in less than five thousand years? Saying you need that long is already flattering you. Don’t be ungrateful!" The turtle curled its lips in a proud pout.

"Though you’re not wrong, five thousand years still feels too long. My revenge can’t wait that long. If Nan Gong Xun isn’t dead in five thousand years, I’ll die of impatience. I’ll ascend to Golden Immortal within five hundred years and personally slaughter him," Zhou Hao declared resolutely.

Boom!

The yellow-skinned gourd glowed, its mouth aimed at the crystalline wall. Instantly, an endless white light converged into a radiant giant sword. The sword’s light tore through the cave, and the crystalline wall was pierced through in an instant.

"Damn it! Finally out! The air outside feels so much fresher than in that prison!" the turtle exclaimed as it was the first to rush out of the cave.

"You all hide inside my sleeves. Now I’m going to release all the demons and monsters in this alchemy prison. They’ll attack me for sure, but with the yellow-skinned gourd’s protection, no one can truly kill me," Zhou Hao said.

Upon hearing this, Qingqing, Huahuo, and the turtle transformed into three beams of light and slipped into Zhou Hao’s left sleeve. Zhou Hao then removed the yellow-skinned gourd from above his head, preparing to unleash a thunderous strike to break open the crystalline walls at every cave entrance on the stone wall.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

With both hands holding the seven-inch tall gourd, Zhou Hao chanted an incantation passed down from the rogue Deng Tu Lang. As the spell was spoken, the gourd radiated light, its surface shifting from pale yellow to silver-white. Inside, countless symbols moved rapidly, resembling tiny swords. Each sword’s tip shimmered with piercing silver light, like dozens of little silver suns spinning and dancing within the gourd.

When Zhou Hao finished the last syllable of the incantation, the void roared, and the sound of dozens of rockets tearing through the sky filled the air. In reality, countless silver-white sword energies erupted from the gourd’s mouth, sharp and fierce, as if space itself was being sliced open. Simultaneously, the caves on the stone wall were pierced by the sword energies. The crystalline walls were no match and were effortlessly blasted open by the silver sword energies released by the yellow-skinned gourd.

Explosions, the sound of tearing air, roars of demons... The alchemy prison erupted in chaos. A great upheaval had begun!

A saber-toothed tiger howled to the sky. It was three zhang long, with a pair of snow-white saber teeth like forged steel, flashing a cold metallic gleam. Its eyes locked onto Zhou Hao in the air. Without hesitation, it charged, its furious roar shattering eardrums.

"I’ve been locked up and starving for so long. The first thing I want to do after coming out is eat. So, you’re my prey?" Zhou Hao smiled, amused. Without hesitation, he swung his black stone sword at the saber-toothed tiger.

Clang!

A sharp metallic vibration rang out as the stone sword struck the saber teeth.

Crack, crack... Teeth began breaking, collapsing like giant peaks. The saber tooth that was struck crumbled bit by bit.

The saber-toothed tiger, now missing one tooth, revealed a flicker of fear in its murky eyes. Without looking back, it dashed toward the alchemy prison’s entrance—the exit—apparently frightened of Zhou Hao and eager to leave the prison.

With all the caves completely opened, Zhou Hao finally witnessed what true chaos meant. Various demons howled and snarled; some attacked humans on sight, some rushed to escape the prison, and others even set their sights on the yellow-skinned gourd.

Headless mountain spirits, ferocious three-headed dogs, dark-winged female demons, human-faced spiders, centipede-bodied people, scorpion-bodied people... A vast array of bizarre and terrifying creatures had gathered all in one place.

As for the imprisoned immortal criminals, most wore shackles, were disheveled, with long nails and bloodshot eyes. Among them were the wrongfully accused, those framed, and some who had truly committed grave crimes.

The prisoners were a mixture of demons suppressed by the former Southern Palace Immortal Hall masters over generations, as well as rebellious disciples and elders from their own sect. Now all released, the chaos was overwhelming and unstoppable.

Immortals and demons alike needed no words to begin fighting. Many rushed toward the prison’s entrance, while a few attacked Zhou Hao, aiming for the yellow-skinned gourd. But Zhou Hao, a tough nut to crack, made their teeth shatter. With a blast from the gourd, enemies were instantly reduced to ashes.

"Yu Nan?"

After dispatching a small group of pests, Zhou Hao searched through the crowd of imprisoned immortals for Yu Nan and the others. Soon, from a distance, he spotted a familiar figure clad in red.