Chapter 860: The Credit Belongs to Everyone

Despite all the commotion, the mysterious Deputy Commissioner Zuo never appeared. It was said he was in closed-door cultivation somewhere within the Celestial Northern Prison.

However, he didn't need to show up in person. As long as his Great Dao remained connected to the prison, its power was enough to suppress all the evil entities trapped inside.

The imperial court chose to imprison these dangerous beings rather than execute them because most of them still held value.

Those who had reached such a high level of cultivation often knew rare divine techniques and powerful cultivation methods and might even have hidden realms filled with treasure. All of these were valuable resources that could be taken. In addition, many of them held information on other evil entities, which could sometimes prove crucial.

That didn't mean prisoners in the Celestial Northern Prison wouldn't die. In fact, many perished quietly every month. Some died from brutal torture. Others were killed during failed escape attempts, and a few chose to take their own lives...

In addition, the corpses of powerful evil entities were considered valuable. Take the Rock Devil Beast, for example—its body would soon be hauled away by specialists. They would skin it, break down its bones, extract its core, and follow a series of procedures to turn it into something worth a great deal.

After offering Chu Liang his praise, the Guardian Ruler returned to the upper level of the prison to attend to his own matters. Meanwhile, Chu Liang quietly made his way back to Tuntun's cell.

There were no doors or keys in this place. Every cell could only be opened with a talisman seal issued by the Deputy Commissioner Zuo, and each seal carried a different level of access.

Chu Liang's seal granted him access only to the prison's main gate and this particular cell. He had no way to open any others.

He sat down cross-legged and sent his divine sense back into the White Pagoda.

The Rock Devil Beast he had killed earlier had already turned into a large golden seal, and it was now hovering inside the iron cell.

Chu Liang stepped forward and pressed the refine button, and a loud boom of thunder echoed through the White Pagoda.

Boom! Whoosh!

A white light burst out and landed in his hands. When it settled, he found it had taken the form of a porcelain bottle.

[Rock Devil Body-Tempering Balm: Apply this spirit balm directly to the skin. Once fully absorbed, it grants a layer of the Rock Devil Beast's outer hide. When foundational qi is activated, the hide becomes as hard as stone and carries the strength of a mountain. Note: The balm is limited in quantity. For larger bodies, apply only to areas that truly need protection.]

"Hmm..." Chu Liang stared at the balm, thinking it over.

The effects of the balm sounded simple and straightforward. Basically, it granted the same level of defense as the hide of that massive Rock Devil Beast.

Of course, that beast had still been cut cleanly in half by the combined power of his three Great Daos of Sword. But not everyone had that kind of overwhelming offensive strength. Besides, when it came to defense, a little extra was never a bad thing.

He already possessed the dragon-blooded physique and the Jiuli Soul Armor. If he added a layer of the Rock Devil Hide on top of that, his defense might even surpass that of the Rock Devil Beast itself. Of course, he would only know for sure after testing it.

Chu Liang began by applying a layer of the balm to the back of his hand. Instantly, he felt a surge of spiritual energy being drawn into his skin.

Upon reaching the Dao Attainment Realm, a cultivator's understanding of the world would deepen. Even the most complex things would feel simple. Divine techniques and skills, cultivation arts, enchanted tools, and spirit herbs were, at their core, all different expressions of spiritual energy.

What cultivators called "refining" was nothing more than transforming spiritual energy from one form into another to achieve a desired result, and the Great Dao was considered powerful because it was the most refined and effective way to manipulate spiritual energy.

After the energy was fully infused into the skin on the back of his hand, Chu Liang waited a moment for it to settle. Once it calmed, he assumed it had been completely absorbed.

He clenched his fist and activated his foundational qi. A series of cracking sounds followed as a dense, stone-like luster spread across the back of his hand.

He could feel a solid sense of power, yet it didn't make his movements stiff or sluggish.

Boom!

He punched the wall, and the resulting boom was almost as loud as when the Rock Devil Beast had crashed into the prison gate.

Then he turned around and slashed his hand with the Demon-Slaying Sword, but the blade couldn't even cut the surface of his skin.

Even without its enhanced demon-slaying effect activated, the Demon-Slaying Sword was still a legendary weapon. Yet, the sword wasn't sharp enough on its own to leave a mark on his skin.

Using the combined power of the three Great Daos of Sword, he slashed himself once more. This time, he finally managed to open a small wound, and a thin trickle of blood seeped out.

He circulated his dragon blood, and the wound quickly healed.

The toughness of the Rock Devil Hide was greater than he had expected.

He had assumed that a refined item would never match the original beast, but now it seemed that when combined with his own defenses, the defense became even sturdier than the skin of the Rock Devil Beast.

Feeling eager, Chu Liang was about to coat himself in the balm from head to toe.

But when he looked at the small bottle, he realized that even though his frame wasn't large, it still probably wouldn't be enough to cover his entire body. He would have to focus on the most critical areas first.

Just as he was about to begin applying it, he noticed that little Tuntun had woken up and was drowsily watching him.

Chu Liang quickly stuffed her back into the White Pagoda.

She definitely couldn't be allowed to witness the application process.

...

By nightfall, Chu Liang quietly slipped out of the cell once again.

Using Spirit Cat's Tiny Steps, he moved without a sound toward a distant cell. With a lift of his right hand, he raised the sleepy little Tuntun.

"Come on, take a bite." Chu Liang held her up, guiding her small teeth toward the copper wall.

Tuntun was very obedient. She began gnawing without protest, letting out soft grunts and chews as she carved out a hole just the right size. Once the work was done, Chu Liang gently tucked her away again.

These walls weren't made of any rare spiritual material. Their toughness came solely from the Dao essence infused by the Deputy Commissioner Zuo. Letting Tuntun nibble on them a little wouldn't cause any real harm.

Chu Liang tucked her away and left as if nothing had happened.

Moments later, a shadowy figure darted past in the darkness.

Suddenly, cries rang out once again through the Celestial Northern Prison.

"The Sharp-Clawed Monkey Demon has escaped! Report to the Guardian Ruler at once!"

"Stay back! That monkey demon is ferocious and has taken countless lives! Don't let it get close!"

"..."

The armored guards advanced with heavy shields, trying to surround and block the shadowy figure. But it moved effortlessly through their formation, weaving between them with lightning speed and leaving behind sharp streaks of destruction. Even their sturdiest treasure-grade shields couldn't hold up against its attacks.

Clanggggg!

Wherever the shadowy figure passed, black gashes were left behind. No one dared to face it head-on!

The monkey demon was vicious and fast, but its raw strength was still a level below that of the Rock Devil Beast. It couldn't break through the reinforced gates of the Celestial Northern Prison. All it could do was dart through the corridors in a wild frenzy. For now, the patrolling guards had no way to bring it under control.

Just as the stalemate continued, another figure appeared, arriving even before the Guardian Ruler. A gust of wind swept through the corridor, and a young man stepped forward.

He used his bare body to block the demon monkey's charge!

Clang!

The demon monkey's razor-sharp claws struck the young man, producing a metallic clang as loud as hitting a heavy shield, maybe even louder. The young man's body was incredibly tough.

In the next instant, the young man swung his sword, releasing a slash of chaotic rainbow light.

The monkey demon was fast, but after its attack was blocked head-on, it slowed just a little. That brief pause was enough. The young man swung his sword and sliced the monkey demon cleanly through the waist, leaving it no chance to fight back.

In an instant, the monkey demon's vicious life came to an end, its blood splattering across the corridor.

Amid the chaos, the figure landed gracefully once more, revealing a calm smile. "Apologies, everyone. I came a bit late."

"This..." The guards stared at the familiar face, momentarily at a loss for words.

The man who had descended like a divine weapon to stop the monkey demon was none other than Chu Liang.

Before long, the Guardian Ruler arrived, his presence radiating oppressive might.

"Two jailbreaks in one day? Have these demonic creatures lost their minds?" he said, clearly displeased. But when he saw that Chu Liang had already brought the situation under control, his expression softened slightly. "You again? Earning another merit?"

Chu Liang responded with humility, "The guards of the Celestial Northern Prison had already secured the situation. I just happened to be passing by and lent a hand with a single sword strike. The credit belongs to everyone."

His modest words brought visible relief to everyone around him.

"Very good," the Guardian Ruler nodded in satisfaction, then added with a sigh, "If the Celestial Northern Prison had a subordinate like you, I could rest easy."

None of those present noticed the golden imprint slowly rising and merging with Chu Liang.

The credit could be shared, but the imprint was his alone. Staying quiet while reaping the greatest rewards was the best thing to do.