Chapter 1122: Deploying the Great Array Across the Realms
Chapter 1122: Deploying the Great Array Across the Realms
Zhang Fu had long heard tales of the horrors of the Alliance's Deepest Prison.
And in the round of brutal torment he had just endured, he had come to understand the ghastly nature of this place’s punishments all too well.
After hearing Kou Hong’s words and witnessing several other cultivators driven mad, mere shells of their former selves, he knew with absolute certainty that he could never withstand such torture. Thus, he decisively agreed to Kou Hong's proposition.
"If it truly becomes impossible, I can always go back on my word and sell this man out," Zhang Fu reasoned silently.
However, all his clever calculations evaporated into thin air after he followed Kou Hong in reciting an oath.
"The Benevolent True Immortal?" At first, Zhang Fu paid little mind to this so-called True Immortal. But later, whenever the thought of betrayal flickered in his mind, an inexplicable sense of impending doom would wash over him.
Only then did Zhang Fu finally accept that he was in too deep, with no way out.
From then on, Kou Hong and Zhang Fu slowly began their plan of infiltration within the Deepest Prison.
Bathed in the divine light of the Benevolent True Immortal, these prisoners clutched at him like drowning men to a final straw, joining the prison break organization without a moment's hesitation.
Meanwhile, the inmates who had been imprisoned for a long time but had managed to retain a basic sense of self became Kou Hong's primary targets for recruitment.
But these cultivators, having been locked away for so long, had grown paranoid and refused to trust anyone easily. Persuading each one required a great deal of time and effort.
Fortunately, the newly recruited members all pitched in to help.
As a result, the infiltration of the Deepest Prison progressed at a respectable pace.
Three years later.
The ceaseless, rising and falling wails within the Deepest Prison served as a screen for the private communications among the members of the escape organization.
"Brother Kou, how much longer must we wait?"
"That's right. Aside from the very depths of the prison, our brothers have taken over nearly every other area. On the surface, it seems the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is still in control, but in reality, with a single command from you, Brother Kou, this place would change hands in an instant."
"Over these years, blessed by the power of the Benevolent True Immortal, we've all fully recovered our strength. Some brothers have even advanced further. One Dao Integration cultivator, sixteen at Soul Transformation, and over a hundred at Nascent Soul... In comparison, the guards in this prison are utterly insignificant."
"Hehehe, and it's not just our cultivation that's been restored. With the Benevolent True Immortal's power, we've even been able to smuggle in all sorts of goods from the outside. I've almost had my fill of all the delicacies I used to dream about."
...
A flurry of discussion broke out, but every member was brimming with confidence about a mass escape from the Deepest Prison.
In these three years, they had witnessed the divine power of the Benevolent True Immortal so many times that they had long since become his faithful followers.
The debate continued for a long while before Kou Hong finally spoke. "Starting the uprising is easy, but what comes after we get out is what truly matters. The moment the Deepest Prison is breached, the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance will undoubtedly react immediately and dispatch a grand army to hunt us down."
"They won't give us much time to react. Therefore, we must have a plan for the future before we even make our escape."
Kou Hong's words stunned the crowd into silence.
"A plan for the future?"
"Could it be a decree from the Benevolent True Immortal?"
Although they had been part of the organization for three years, they only knew of the Benevolent True Immortal's existence.
The true name of their organization, and its ultimate purpose, remained a complete mystery to them.
Thus, they all looked at Kou Hong with eager anticipation.
"Correct. It is indeed a trial from the Benevolent True Immortal. Only by completing this trial can you truly become followers of the True Immortal and full members of our organization," Kou Hong declared, his voice filled with a sense of divine purpose.
Then, he passed on the plans for a rather magnificent array, along with a map, to the others.
"The Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits Array?" The moment they saw the name of the formation, the hearts of every cultivator in the Deepest Prison trembled.
According to its description, this array possessed the power to envelop the heavens and the earth, connecting all realms.
The cultivators then turned their attention to the map.
The map depicted the prefectures within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance's territory, but it was marked with over a hundred small dots.
Focusing their spiritual sense on these points of light, they were shocked to discover that each one represented a small world.
At that moment, Kou Hong spoke again. "The True Immortal's trial isn't difficult. It will simply require some time."
"You are to go to these various small worlds and deploy this Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits Array. As each array is completed, it will automatically connect to the others, forming a network. So, the moment one is finished, we will all know..." Kou Hong explained earnestly.
Sensing the apprehension among some members, he clarified, "You need not worry. The chosen small worlds are all inhabited solely by mortals. With your strength, you can undoubtedly subjugate them in a short time. The Benevolent True Immortal has also bestowed upon us the divine artifact, the Heaven and Earth Furnace, to aid you in transforming these small worlds..."
"You could say that the greatest test this time is your perseverance and your faith."
Looking at the specific requirements of the trial, the cultivators all sank into their own thoughts.
However, they had already been subtly influenced by the power of the Benevolent True Immortal. Furthermore, considering that once they broke out, they would inevitably face pursuit from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, hiding within a mortal world didn't seem like such a bad idea.
And so, without hesitation, they quickly accepted the task and began to contemplate the finer details of the plan.
They assigned the various small worlds among themselves and meticulously discussed every possible contingency they might face after their escape from the Deepest Prison.
Three months later, as an Alliance guard escorted another fugitive to the prison, preparing to cast him into a high-pillared cage for suppression and torture, he witnessed a horrifying sight.
He watched, aghast, as thousands upon thousands of pillars throughout the Deepest Prison shattered one after another.
Countless vicious and depraved prisoners, their eyes glinting with malice, locked onto him in unison.
A monstrous wave of baleful energy washed over him, and his very soul seemed to shatter from terror.
The mist-like guards and Alliance cultivators who reacted and rushed over to suppress the uprising were instantly torn to shreds.
"Charge! Don't linger!"
With a low roar from Kou Hong, the crowd surged out of the Deepest Prison like a pack of beasts unleashed.
All the defensive arrays proved to be as flimsy as paper.
The prisoners, seeing the sky once more, roared to vent the ecstasy in their hearts. But they didn't stop there. After quickly getting their bearings, they shot off in every direction, racing toward their designated small worlds.
In the blink of an eye, the dark horde of criminals had vanished without a trace.
Not long after, an emissary from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance was alerted and led a team to investigate.
Seeing the protective formations, which showed no signs of being forcefully breached, his face contorted in fury.
Squads of black-robed cultivators were dispatched, following the trails left by the escaped convicts, to begin the hunt.
(End of this chapter)
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