Chapter 1513: The Arrival

The Prison Tower has seven floors, each distinct.Its architectural style is naturally beautiful, towering over all other structures in the city, clearly showcasing its uniqueness and grandeur.It has also stood in the heart of this city for many years.Yet, it still feels distant and unsettling.Standing within, one feels not within.Those above watch, while those below live their lives.This meeting in the City of Non-Redemption was unexpected by both Jiang Wang and Xiao Shu.Meeting by chance, they met.When Xiao Shu felt the gaze and looked up, he saw a pair of calm eyes, a contour growing ever clearer, and a resilience forged by the passage of time and hardship.He was certainly not a flawless beauty of a man.But he possessed a unique charm of his own.He sat there.You could feel his youth, his vibrant vitality, his courage burning like a fierce fire.You could also feel his certainty, his composure.Having experienced much, having overcome much, he could be composed.He bore his heavy burden and never looked back, thus he was so certain. You knew he would always move forward, and other than life and death, nothing and no one could obstruct him.Xiao Shu would naturally not forget this person!Although they only met briefly in the Mountain Sea Realm.But among those who participated in the Yellow River Meeting, who could forget such a person, such a face?At the gathering of prodigies, he claimed the first rank.Among the shining stars, he was the most dazzling.Now.The loser who stopped at the top sixteen of the Yellow River Meeting, alone, on a bustling street, looked up at the hero who claimed the top rank in the Yellow River Meeting.Now.The mediocre talent who overreached in the Mountain Sea Realm and returned without merit, looked up at the final victor of the Mountain Sea Realm.At this moment, he looked up, the sunlight blinding. That person sat in the highest place in the entire City of Non-Redemption, and even in this place outside the law, this extremely chaotic city, he was an honored guest of the highest authority.And he was merely a passerby on the street.People are so different.The experience of competing on the same stage felt like a harsh slap across his life.Xiao Shu instinctively covered his face, instinctively quickened his steps, wanting to leave.But then he stopped again.And put his hand down.Then he smiled.He had nothing left to lose.Including his defiance.Including his unwillingness.Including his sense of shame.Jiang Wang certainly remembered Xiao Shu, but their brief encounters at the Yellow River Meeting had not left a deep impression on him.When the prodigies of the various nations gathered, there were too many dazzling figures, and the brilliance of some was overshadowed by others.What truly left a deep impression on him was what Chu Yuzhi said at the Seeing Me Tower.It was then that he learned of the injustices suffered by this number one talent of the Inner Mansion level in the Dan Kingdom.Speaking of Xiao Shu's performance at the Yellow River Meeting, it was indeed not particularly outstanding, but for the Dan Kingdom, reaching the main competition of the Yellow River Meeting was already a victory. Not to mention that the one who eliminated Xiao Shu was Qin Zhizhen, who was one of the only two Heavenly Mansion cultivators at the Yellow River Meeting, a strong contender for the Yellow River魁首 (Quelie, leader).Among the prodigies who competed on the View River Platform at that time, who could guarantee that they could pass Qin Zhizhen's challenge?According to Chu Yuzhi, due to another setback in the Mountain Sea Realm, with a large amount of borrowed resources difficult to repay and his soul weakened, Xiao Shu had been completely stripped of his qualifications for the Primordial Dan Society…Such an experience was indeed lamentable.But neither Chu Yuzhi himself, nor Jiang Wang and the others who heard the news, believed that Xiao Shu would be completely defeated by this.Regardless, Xiao Shu was the strongest genius at the Inner Mansion level in the Dan Kingdom.As long as he overcame this hurdle, his future was still promising.But why would he be in the City of Non-Redemption at this time?Jiang Wang was a little curious, but then he thought that such curiosity might be an offense to the other party, so he merely nodded kindly and withdrew his gaze.The City of Non-Redemption today seemed busier than ever before.This busyness was not because there were more people; there had been cases of entire villages of thousands of people fleeing to the City of Non-Redemption before.This busyness was because among the people entering the city, there were more people of a unique kind.For example, one who was reluctant to pay even a single coin of life gold, another who couldn't wait to take off their shoes and socks to hand them over, and now this one who walked in without a word, head down..."Hey, hey, hey, why are you in such a hurry?" the guarding sin-guard shouted. "Do you know the rules?"This newcomer was well-dressed and had a determined face.With every step, he was like a tiger walking through a mountain, possessing an intimidating aura."Move aside," he simply said.His voice was not loud, but it carried the authority of someone who had long been in a high position.Although the entire City of Non-Redemption supported him from behind, this guarding sin-guard seemed to have no temper, shrugging his shoulders and actually moving aside.Under the gaze of those near the city gate who were watching the spectacle, this newcomer strode in.He was likely displeased with the order of this place, and one could even say he intensely disliked it, and he made no attempt to hide his dislike, his brows visibly furrowed.But he had, after all, entered the city.In this world, no one can always have things go their way. No matter who it is, there are always times in life when they must interact with people they dislike, do things they dislike, and go to places they dislike.Some people even live their entire lives this way.He understood this principle and taught himself to endure.Buddhism considers this one of the Eight Sufferings, known as "meeting with the disliked." It means that one meets with people or things one resents and dislikes due to karmic缘 (yuan, fate).This is a hardship difficult to escape in life.He did not think he should be an exception.At this moment, he stood on the street behind the city gate, within the gazes filled with various kinds of malice. Looking around, he saw various messy, irregular buildings, and various messy, undignified people.The City of Non-Redemption was not a particularly large city, but desperate people from the three nations of Zhuang, Yong, and Luo, and even the entire Western Continent, had flocked here. The area was a mix of all kinds of people, a tangled web of dragons and snakes.Finding someone here was not easy.He soared into the air.As divine power erupted suddenly, his powerful divine sense left his body like mercury spreading across the ground, unfolding rapidly in all directions with utter disregard!He could not, of course, cover the entire City of Non-Redemption with his divine sense.But with this divine sense spreading like this, searching the entire City of Non-Redemption would not take more than thirty breaths.His posture as he soared into the air, his unconcealed powerful aura, and the surging divine sense that could make one feel oppressed... all indicated his identity as a Divine Arrival realm cultivator.A Divine Arrival realm powerhouse who looked so young!Everyone who could survive in the City of Non-Redemption was a sensible person.For a moment, centered around this person's location, everyone who could see him scattered like startled birds, spreading out further.Only one person moved against the tide of people.Lian Heng, with a small braid, emerged lazily from who knew where.His blood-colored tight-fitting attire indeed carried the harshness of fresh blood.He drew out a narrow, slightly curved waist saber with a backhand, and with a gentle flick, a cold glint filled the street: "A reminder. You can do anything in the City of Non-Redemption, but if you want to kill someone, you must first pay a ransom of ten thousand times that person's life gold... otherwise, you are an enemy of my City of Non-Redemption."The Divine Arrival realm powerhouse who had just entered the city said nothing, only took a step into the air and landed in front of a man with empty hands, alone, three blocks away.It was only then that he said, "Oh? Is that so?"He casually asked the question, but his eyes were looking at the person in front of him... Xiao Shu."Damn it, I feel like I have no face here at all."Behind this person, Lian Heng in his blood-colored tight-fitting attire pursued him, leaping into the air, saber in hand, flying down, facing the back of this person's head, and in a combat stance said, "I warn you one last time. This is the City of Non-Redemption, and here you must follow the rules!"The Divine Arrival realm powerhouse, who was clearly here for Xiao Shu, was silent for a moment, seemingly not expecting this mere Inner Mansion cultivator to be so brave."Rules..." He nodded: "It seems they should be followed."He turned his head to look at Lian Heng, and said in a relaxed tone, "You just said the ransom needs to be ten thousand times the life gold, right? How much life gold did Xiao Shu pay?"Lian Heng held the waist saber in one hand. With the other hand, he flipped out the entry slip, quickly glanced at it, and said with extreme seriousness and clear enunciation: "Forty-one thousand and twenty-seven Dao Origin Stones, twenty taels of red gold, thirteen taels of snowflake silver, twenty-six ring coins... for forty days of life."He added: "Today is the first day."The Divine Arrival man with a determined face was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "I, Zhang Xun, have my own rules!"Everyone was astonished.This person was actually the number one person under thirty in the Dan Kingdom, the Divine Arrival realm prodigy Zhang Xun!"..." Lian Heng was also astonished, of course, his point of surprise was different. He put away the entry slip: "Does that mean you don't want to pay?"Zhang Xun coldly withdrew his gaze and walked towards Xiao Shu again. He said, "You can have your understanding."He said this to Lian Heng, and also seemed to be saying it to Xiao Shu.Indeed, everyone can have their own understanding, and none of this can change the outcome.From beginning to end, Xiao Shu watched all of this very calmly.He said nothing.There was even no posture of resistance.That he could escape here was already having put forth all his effort.Placing his life in the hands of others, hanging in the rules of others... This was not a choice a strong person should make. But it was the only way he had, a path where the mountains were exhausted and the road was blocked.What other path was there for him to take?And Lian Heng was furious!He held his waist saber, and his whole person exuded a chilling killing intent, making people feel that he would cleave the saber onto Zhang Xun's forehead in the next moment.Then he turned his head without hesitation and shouted towards the Prison Tower: "Good brother, come out quickly! Someone is causing trouble!!"At this moment, sitting by the window on the fourth floor of the Prison Tower was Jiang Wang: ...Jiang Wang remembered Xiao Shu.Naturally, he also remembered Zhang Xun.On the View River Platform, in the unlimited match for those under thirty, Zhang Xun was the only one eager to try and take Li Yi's sword strike.Whether you say he was overly confident.Whether you say he was overreaching.His determination to fight for the Dan Kingdom was undeniable.Such a person as he, now traveled thousands of miles to personally kill another genius of the Dan Kingdom.Such a thing was truly hard to comment on.But what left Jiang Wang most speechless was Lian Heng's shout.This brother, I was just passing by.What concern of mine are the affairs of your City of Non-Redemption? I didn't collect anyone's life gold!But His Lordship Jiang was after all an honest person.Thinking of senior brother Zhu who had already joined the City of Non-Redemption, thinking of Xiao Shu's bumpy experiences, thinking of the Sin Lord Huang Jinmo, who was also sitting in the tower but was silent, wondering what he was thinking...He guessed that Huang Jinmo might also not want to fall out with the Dan Kingdom, and was there a definite reason for Zhang Xun to capture and kill Xiao Shu? If he could step forward to mediate a little, perhaps this conflict could be avoided.As his thoughts shifted, he casually put on his cloak, and his person was already like a startled swan soaring across the sky, landing in front of Xiao Shu!Under the gaze of many eyes, his appearance at this moment was extremely潇洒 (xiaosa, dashing, elegant).He was upright, tall, and his posture was refined. His slender and beautiful figure could not be concealed by the linen robe. Although his head was covered by the cloak, holding his sword and facing a Divine Arrival realm powerhouse, he possessed an aura that could not be ignored: "Zhang Xun, Brother Zhang! May a passerby speak a word?"Zhang Xun looked up at him, his brow furrowed: "Jiang Wang, this has nothing to do with you! Qi's hand cannot reach the Western Continent!"The residents of the City of Non-Redemption watching from afar were in an uproar.Among the cultivators of the world, there were many who had not seen Jiang Wang, but few who had not heard of his name.First, he had the first rank of the Yellow River, then he was wanted throughout the world for suppressing demons, and then Yu Beidou and the Three Punishment Palaces cleared his name and recorded him as the first Inner Mansion in history. For a long time, it was difficult for people in the present world not to hear the name Jiang Wang!And Jiang Wang himself...Fell into a kind of unspeakable, awkward silence.Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?His original intention was to hide his identity, pretend to be an insider of the City of Non-Redemption, show strength, and prevent the conflict from escalating further. After the matter was done, he would leave and hide his achievements and fame.Considering that he was wearing a cloak and a linen robe, that he had always disguised himself well, and that he had the Calamity Hound Seal to conceal him, and that Zhang Xun had not covered himself with divine sense at this moment... he thought he could perhaps speak a few words while pretending to be mysterious.But this Zhang Xun was not cooperating at all.Not only did he recognize him, he also called out his name!Making the "fully armed, mysterious" Lord Jiang quite awkward!But at this time, Lord Jiang could never have imagined...Being recognized by Zhang Xun through his cloak was not the most awkward scene he would face today.Because immediately afterwards, Lian Heng, who was wearing a small braid, said blankly, "Brother, I wasn't calling you."Although the rest of the words were not spoken, his expression already clearly conveyed his meaning—you're not his opponent either. Why are you jumping out?At this moment, Jiang Wang really wanted to draw his sword, of course, not to cut Zhang Xun.However, this awkwardness did not last too long.Because soon people knew who Lian Heng was shouting for!Just as Zhang Xun continued forward without hesitation, he stopped.He had to stop.He had to look up at the sky—he had been pierced!By a thread of sharp energy that seemed to pierce through heaven and earth, aimed at his brow.He had to react!In the high sky.There was a great sun hanging.In the infinite light and heat, there was a point of light that was especially blazing and dazzling.It flashed, and then extinguished.It extinguished, and then reappeared.On the horizon, only a streak of red clouds was seen.The sun's halo moved within the clouds.A long spear first entered the field of vision, followed by that boundless, sharp person!------Off-topic------"On the horizon, only a streak of red clouds was seen, the sun's halo moved within the clouds."This is a scene I saw while running a few days ago, sharing it with you.