The sword immortal, Li Yuanbai, whose original duties involved the judiciary and the Heavenly Prison, possessed a disposition starkly different from his current self. The former Li Yuanbai was stern and rigid. Yet, a person's nature is subject to change; after experiencing certain events, particularly as his own lifespan drew near its close, Li Yuanbai’s disposition shifted considerably, settling into the easygoing nature of the elder he is now.

Lu Yuan was fortunate in being apprenticed to Li Yuanbai after this transformation in character.

Had Lu Yuan’s inherent indolence been placed under the tutelage of the ancient, severe master he once was, his path would have been genuinely difficult.

And now, he too was heading to the Heavenly Prison on the North Peak, the very place that had been his master’s charge.

The snow had lessened considerably that day. White flakes drifted down like tiny silver beads, like fine rain, like willow catkins and poplar fluff, hanging in the air to form a vast, shimmering curtain of white. Through the sparse veil of snow, the other peaks of Mount Hua were vaguely visible, as if submerged in clouds or mist.

Putting on a wide straw hat, he trod the damp forest path, following the location marked on the map directly toward the Heavenly Prison.

The Heavenly Prison was normally kept secret even from true disciples; its exact location was unknown. However, someone had delivered a map the day before, marking the prison’s position. The North Peak was not so vast that finding the prison by map would be difficult. Lu Yuan walked on, his wide hat shielding him.

Soon, he found the location halfway up the back slope of the North Peak.

The Heavenly Prison was built into the belly of the mountain.

It was rumored that the Heavenly Prison comprised ten levels, with different tiers of inmates detained on each. Yesterday, his master had provided him with a rather detailed explanation: the first level was said to hold prisoners ranging from the first to the seventh stage of Qi Condensation, while the second level housed those from the eighth to the tenth stage of Qi Condensation.

The third level detained prisoners from the first to the third stage of Body Tempering; the fourth level held those from the fourth to the seventh stage of Body Tempering; and the fifth level imprisoned those from the eighth to the tenth stage of Body Tempering.

As for the remaining five levels, Li Yuanbai had offered no further introduction as to what manner of inmates were confined there.

Evidently, however, the prisoners in the lower levels would be far more terrifying.

According to his master, Lu Yuan would be assigned to guard the inmates of the Heavenly Prison’s second level—figures at the eighth to tenth stage of Qi Condensation. This was deemed suitable for him to practice his swordplay. While the cultivation base of these inmates (Eighth to Tenth Stage Qi Condensation) was not exceptionally high, they were a varied lot, each possessing a unique specialty. Dealing with them one-on-one might be manageable, but facing several at once would be exceedingly difficult.

Snapping back to the present, he found himself outside the Heavenly Prison, which was already guarded by numerous sentinels.

Lu Yuan approached and presented his identification. Just then, a somewhat elegant middle-aged man, the Flying Sword Immortal Chu Fei, emerged.

Flying Sword Immortal Chu Fei had already taken over most of Li Yuanbai’s former responsibilities; thus, it was natural that the Heavenly Prison now fell under his purview.

“Greetings, Martial Uncle Chu,” Lu Yuan said respectfully.

“You’ve arrived,” Chu Fei nodded. Among the Ten Great True Disciples, he found his own student, Ye Fei, the most pleasing to the eye. The second most pleasing was Lu Yuan—and the reason Lu Yuan ranked second was unavoidable: one’s own disciple is always preferred, a sentiment common among nearly all renowned Ninth Generation Sword Immortals.

“News of your intention to train at the Heavenly Prison arrived a few days ago,” Chu Fei said, hands clasped behind his back as he nodded. “Very well, given your current cultivation, training on the second level of the Heavenly Prison should be quite suitable.” This was precisely what Li Yuanbai had predicted.

Chu Fei led Lu Yuan into the Heavenly Prison.

Upon entering, the atmosphere within the prison was intensely guarded.

The prison was not gloomy; the walls were adorned with Hundred-Year Oil Lamps. The oil in these lamps could burn for about a century, keeping the interior of the Heavenly Prison brightly illuminated. Lu Yuan looked up and observed that the mountain walls surrounding the prison were overlaid with layers of restrictive formations. After proceeding some distance, they swiftly arrived at the first level of the Heavenly Prison.

The first level consisted entirely of individual interrogation cells, forged from Nine Nether Cold Iron and further overlaid with various restrictive enchantments, rendering them virtually unbreakable.

Chu Fei led the way: “Every level of the Heavenly Prison is like this, with each inmate confined to a separate cell, and each prisoner subjected to numerous seals that suppress their spiritual power. To challenge these inmates, you must enter their individual cells and temporarily lift their seals to engage them in combat.”

“These prisoners were mostly captured by our Mount Hua Immortal Sect, and they harbor a deep-seated hatred for our people. Once their seals are lifted and they can exert their power, they attack like madmen possessed. When fighting them, you must be exceedingly careful, lest you lose your life to an inmate—a truly unworthy end,” Chu Fei advised.

“Understood,” Lu Yuan acknowledged.

To reach the second level, they naturally had to pass through the first. While traversing the first tier, Lu Yuan noticed something unexpected: his Third Martial Sister, Ling Yuzhu, was engaged in combat with an inmate in one of the cells. Her Jade Crimson Sword light shimmered like powder and jade, projecting multiple colorful rays within the small cell.

However, the inmate was formidable, attacking with a ferocity bordering on madness.

Still, Ling Yuzhu seemed to hold a slight advantage.

Chu Fei remarked, “The Heavenly Prison is inherently a place for our training, allowing us to engage with all sorts of individuals. Ling Yuzhu arrived earlier than you, but her strength only allows her to train on the first level, and even there, it is quite challenging.” It seemed exactly as Martial Uncle Chu had described; Ling Yuzhu was too occupied to speak.

After passing through a powerful barrier of restrictive formations,

they finally reached the second level of the Heavenly Prison. —————— The environment of the second level resembled that of the first.

However, the prisoners here were clearly far more formidable.

Chu Fei had already departed; his escort duty was essentially concluded. He had taught Lu Yuan the spell required to temporarily nullify the inmates’ seals—temporary, lasting only about half an hour. The spell for permanently disabling the seals was known only to a very select few, and even true disciples were not privy to it.

Standing on the ground of the second level, the surrounding walls were brightly lit by the omnipresent Hundred-Year Oil Lamps.

Lu Yuan was actually quite perplexed. He had heard the saying that the atmosphere within the Heavenly Prison naturally makes people tense, yet here he was, on the second level, feeling no tension whatsoever. This was peculiar—what could be the reason?

With a slight movement, he retrieved the pale-yellow wine gourd from his Asura Pouch and took a sip. Even in the winter chill of the Heavenly Prison, the drink warmed him considerably.

The second level was usually subject to regular patrols by jailers, but this was not the scheduled time, and Lu Yuan was not dressed as a jailer. Suddenly, the inmates on the second level became restless.

“Oh, someone new is here?”

“Look how young they look.”

“So young, probably a True Disciple of this generation. They likely came to spar with us.”

“To seek sparring with us while so young—they truly don’t know their place. By the way, Yun Yi, the Tenth Generation’s First True Disciple here, came to spar with us back then. He thought he could train on us, but we ended up training him instead. He fled in disgrace after just a few days.”

“Ha! Right, right.” These prisoners on the second level were utterly arrogant, loudly mocking him. They had all been captured by the Mount Hua Immortal Sect, and their attitude towards true disciples was far from friendly. Hearing that another true disciple had arrived sent them into a frenzy.

Lu Yuan paid them no mind, continuing to survey the prisoners.

At that moment, someone among the inmates shouted, “You are mistaken. This one is not just a True Disciple, but the Sixth True Disciple.”

Someone in the prison recognized him. Lu Yuan was slightly surprised and looked up, spotting a very tall middle-aged man who looked familiar, but he couldn't place him immediately. “And who might you be?”

The hulking prisoner flew into a rage: “You don’t remember me? I remember you day in and day out! My name is Jiang Boran.”

Lu Yuan nodded. “You seem vaguely familiar.”

The large prisoner was nearly moved to tears. He had stated himself so clearly, yet Lu Yuan couldn’t recall him? Did he truly lack presence? He decided to prove himself again: “My name is Jiang Boran, and I am the leader of the Three Great Swords of Xizhou.”

Lu Yuan finally remembered. It couldn’t be helped; the Three Great Swords of Xizhou had attempted to assassinate him years ago, and he had subdued them in the end. Following that incident, a storm had swept through the North Peak, and it was rumored these three had ended up in the Mount Hua North Peak Heavenly Prison. He hadn't paid much attention, and it was normal to forget someone’s appearance after a year or two. “Oh, I remember you now—you are the Three Great Swords of Xizhou.”

Jiang Boran was on the verge of tears, finally recognized. It had been difficult, but he did have some presence after all. Just as Jiang Boran was about to weep with relief, he noticed the surroundings had fallen silent. Jiang Boran realized the atmosphere had shifted completely; it had become intensely cold and solemn.

Almost instantaneously, the expressions of all the prisoners on the second level transformed. Finally, a prisoner chuckled hideously: “The Sixth True Disciple, Li Yuanbai’s apprentice.”

“Li Yuanbai’s brat of an apprentice.”

“Hahaha, Li Yuanbai controlled us for so many years. We finally have his apprentice! This time, we must treat him well. You rat.”

“Of course! If we don't treat Li Yuanbai’s apprentice properly, how can we honor Li Yuanbai? Understood, Old Ox.”

“He’s finally here—Li Yuanbai’s apprentice, walking straight into his doom! Let Silver Beard crush you to death!” Waves of chilling words echoed through the second level. These men were agitated. Li Yuanbai’s former duties included justice and the Heavenly Prison; these men had been controlled by him back then, and their hatred for him was deeper than for anyone else, far surpassing their feelings towards Chu Fei now.

They could do nothing to Li Yuanbai himself, but now that they heard his apprentice dared to come to the second level, they were all sharpening their claws and grinding their teeth.

(Uh oh, the Heavenly Prison arc begins. The setup for this arc was brief, and it will be even more exhilarating than the previous arc, I predict! Cast your monthly votes here. If the votes are numerous, I will add an extra update.) [.16U