Chapter 401: He Is Hell

At this moment, Xu Qing stood outside the eighty-ninth floor, looking at the jailer waiting for him.

The scar-faced jailer had evidently received his orders regarding Xu Qing's upcoming appointment. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and thoroughly scrutinized Xu Qing.

Though he had observed Xu Qing previously, that was from an outsider's perspective. Now, the situation was different. After a quick scan, his gaze lingered on Xu Qing's exceptionally handsome face.

"Kid, you're too good-looking. You'll be at a disadvantage here. To these heinous criminals, your appearance lacks deterrence; you'll just become their source of amusement and ridicule."

The middle-aged jailer maintained his mirthless smile.

Xu Qing remained silent, looking up at the jailer.

Meeting Xu Qing's gaze, the middle-aged jailer noted the calmness in his eyes and smiled once more.

"Interesting," he said. "Follow me."

The jailer pushed off the wall with his back, stood up, and began ascending the circular staircase in the dim Judicial Office.

As they passed the dark, greenish-black cell doors, he occasionally glanced inside, muttering curses.

Regardless of how noisy the criminals were, they would instantly fall silent after the jailer's curses.

Xu Qing looked thoughtful, observing that the vast space of the first cell contained hundreds of smaller cages, housing a diverse array of criminals from various ethnic groups.

Many had bizarre appearances, often non-humanoid. As Xu Qing's gaze swept through several cells, he even spotted members of the Sea Corpse Race.

After observing the cells, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze and looked down the steps at the pitch-black abyss below.

Chilling air rose from below, accompanied by distant growls.

"Don't bother looking," the jailer ahead said casually. "Below the eighty-ninth floor is Zone C. You're not permitted there; even I don't have the clearance."

"Was this once a ghost cavern?" Xu Qing suddenly asked.

"You're well-informed," the jailer replied. "Yes, this place was indeed a ghost cavern once. It was suppressed by people from the Imperial Capital when the Judicial Office was constructed."

As the jailer was speaking, his expression suddenly darkened. He kicked the nearby cell door, forcing it open, entered, and slammed it shut behind him.

The door instantly blurred, making it impossible to see inside.

Xu Qing stood there, waiting calmly.

A moment later, the cell door reopened. The middle-aged jailer emerged, a cruel grin on his face, wiping the criminal's blood from his cheek.

"There's a criminal from the Horned Merchant Clan in there," he explained. "It once massacred my former minor sect. After I became a jailer, I took leave to go out and capture it. It's always disobedient. Every time I see it, I can't resist going in to 'discipline' it, but I have to be careful not to kill it. Otherwise, there won't be any more fun later."

Unlike before, the jailer was noticeably more relaxed now. After speaking to Xu Qing, he even began whistling as he continued forward.

Xu Qing glanced at the cell. It was now eerily silent, a thick mist of blood permeating the air. Clearly, what the jailer had done was far more than just 'disciplining' the prisoner.

However, such occurrences were commonplace back in the Criminal Capture Department, so Xu Qing paid little attention and continued to follow the jailer.

Along the way, Xu Qing saw many jailers. Most were inside their cells, evidently guarding their assigned areas; few were outside.

However, unlike on the way down, this time the middle-aged jailer introduced Xu Qing to every colleague he encountered, announcing, "We have a newcomer."

Each time they heard this, the jailers, reeking of blood and malice, would show keen interest. After scrutinizing Xu Qing, some even began to follow behind.

After a while, with over thirty jailers trailing behind, someone called out, "Old Li, that's enough. We're already in District Seventeen; it gets boring further up. Everyone has duties to attend to; there's no need to prolong this spectacle."

Hearing this, the middle-aged jailer grinned, stopping before a cell. "Alright, this spot will do."

With that, he kicked open the cell door with a bang, beckoned to Xu Qing, and stepped inside.

Xu Qing turned to glance at the thirty-odd jailers behind him.

Their eyes gleamed like a pack of wolves in the night, all fixed on him.

Xu Qing suddenly spoke. "Are you gambling?"

As he spoke, the jailers outside burst into laughter.

"I'll bet on myself," Xu Qing declared.

With that, Xu Qing pulled out a pouch containing roughly a hundred spirit stones and placed it aside.

He then turned and stepped into the cell.

"Interesting," muttered the jailers.

The dozens of jailers outside exchanged glances, their interest piqued, and they all followed him inside.

The moment Xu Qing stepped into the cell, his vision blurred. It felt as though he had entered another dimension, finding himself in an open area surrounded by hundreds of massive cages.

The criminals within varied: some were ferocious, some sullen, some grinning broadly, others with strange glints in their eyes. Yet, none spoke; they all stared intently at Xu Qing and his companions from their cages.

The first jailer who had entered now surveyed the surroundings.

"Your new entertainment has arrived," he announced. "You're fortunate this time."

"Now, let's see your performance. The old rules apply: whoever tears a piece of flesh from him will earn the privilege of having their cage door open for the next month, allowing them to move freely within Cell D17 without fear of retaliation. This is the rule."

As the jailer finished speaking, heavy breathing echoed from all the surrounding cages. Glares filled with cruelty and madness collectively fixed on Xu Qing, as if intending to tear him apart with their very gaze.

To them, the tender-skinned Xu Qing was like a delectable treat, igniting a deep-seated savagery within them. After all, a month with an open cage door—such relative freedom—was something they desperately craved.

Even though they knew that anyone capable of serving as a jailer here was no ordinary person, their courage swelled with the strength of their numbers.

Furthermore, these deeply sinful individuals, each of whom had brutally slaughtered many humans, had endured torment day and night in confinement. Their malevolence had not been completely extinguished.

Xu Qing's handsome appearance particularly heightened their excitement, and combined with their deep-seated hatred for Sword Holders, the atmosphere of malice in the chamber instantly erupted, accompanied by increasingly frantic breathing.

Observing this, the middle-aged jailer smiled at Xu Qing. "Kid, this is a rule in our Judicial Office: every new guard must subdue an area. If you fail, you'll only serve as an assistant, unfit for the duties of a guard."

"Only those who succeed are qualified to guard a cell. Have fun, and let's see how many you can kill."

With that, the middle-aged jailer moved to the cell door, joining the other guards. He raised his right hand and gave a sweep, and with a resounding series of clicks and clanks, all the cages within the cell simultaneously sprang open.

Along with the cages, the shackles suppressing the criminals' cultivation were also released.

One by one, the auras of Golden Core cultivators erupted.

Most of those confined in Zone D were Golden Core cultivators.

Although years of sealing had weakened their spiritual energy, their sheer numbers—hundreds strong—combined with their diverse abilities and the brutal aura they exuded, meant that at this moment, only a high-ranking Sword Holder with unwavering resolve could avoid being intimidated by their ferocity.

Particularly, with various races present, many excelling in physical combat, this battle would be exceptionally difficult by conventional standards.

At this moment, the criminals, one by one, either grinned cruelly, looked sullen, or roared, as they surged out of their cages.

Some were swift, others slow; some charged recklessly, while others were adept at observation. Some possessed terrifying physical bodies, others wielded astonishing spells.

Like a chaotic host of demons, they erupted from their confinement, surging directly towards Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, standing in the center of the square, appeared like a defenseless lamb, as if he might be torn apart and mutilated at any moment.

This scene caused expressions of amusement to surface on the faces of the jailers by the cell door.

Each of them had gone through this initiation, so they eagerly anticipated watching the newcomer experience the same. Naturally, if Xu Qing faced a genuine life-or-death situation, they would intervene.

This was merely a tradition, not an act of bullying or malicious slaughter among the guards. "Kid," the middle-aged jailer called out, "remember to beg for mercy if you're outmatched. Wait too long, and we might not be able to save you."

The middle-aged jailer said with a smile. Xu Qing nodded, then surged forward, directly charging the first armored alien who reached him.

He reached the alien in an instant. As the creature grinned ferociously, Xu Qing slammed into it with brute force.

With a deafening crash, the alien's grin froze. A violent force slammed into it, and its body convulsed as blood spurted from its mouth. Before its expression of horror could fully register, a dagger materialized in Xu Qing's hand and savagely slashed across its neck.

The force was so immense that the head flew off, and blood erupted like a fountain.

The next moment, Xu Qing's body suddenly recoiled, directly slamming into another alien. Before the creature could react, Xu Qing's dagger repeatedly stabbed backward.

He then slashed upward, tearing a gash from its abdomen to its brow.

Next, he crouched, evading a spell whistling overhead, then darted low to the third alien. With bent knees, he leaped up, slamming directly into its face.

Amidst the creature's horrific screams, its skull shattered.

The gurgling of gushing blood and the thudding of falling corpses echoed through the air. All these sounds seemed to pry open the gates of Asura, unleashing the demon of slaughter.

Xu Qing's prior attacks had been blindingly fast. Now, before anyone could fully react, his speed suddenly surged, and he appeared before a four-armed alien with a crystal embedded in its forehead.

The alien, fists clenched, was about to strike Xu Qing.

But Xu Qing was faster. He seized one of the alien's arms, and with a burst of overwhelming physical strength, he yanked it with such force that the creature's own arm slammed directly into its body, its expression contorting in shock.

Blood spurted out. In the instant of the alien's horror, Xu Qing's right hand became semi-transparent, plunging into the large creature's chest and tearing through its four Heavenly Palaces.

Under the watchful eyes of all around, four dim Golden Cores, still attached to flesh and blood, were brutally ripped out by Xu Qing, crushed, and absorbed into his body.

As the massive alien let out a horrific scream, Xu Qing swung its body and flung it aside. Then, with astonishing speed, he charged toward another alien.

His hand, like a needle, pierced directly into the opponent's throat, creating a gaping hole.

Simultaneously, its Golden Core was likewise extracted, crushed, and absorbed by Xu Qing.

Then came the eighth, the twelfth, and the seventeenth.

The surrounding criminals, having witnessed Xu Qing's terror and realizing his formidable nature, began to cooperate, their expressions grim. Some engaged in close combat, while others cast spells from a distance.

They formed a complex trap, intending to deliver a decisive blow.

However, Xu Qing's speed was too great, and his physical body was incredibly strong. As spells rained down from all sides, the Golden Crow manifested behind him, its roars echoing as it countered the spells from dozens of criminals.

His body, amidst the kaleidoscopic glow of spells, surged forward, appearing before another alien.

This alien was one of the spell-casting cultivators. It possessed wings but resembled a crow-man rather than a near-immortal race.

Noticing Xu Qing's approach, the crow-man's eyes narrowed, and it continued to retreat. But it was too late. Xu Qing seized its neck, pushed its body, and slammed it directly into the nearby wall.

As the wall roared, the crow-man's neck exploded, its skull shattered, and its lifeless body slumped to the ground.

"What a pity," Xu Qing thought.

Xu Qing felt a pang of regret; he hadn't managed to extract the creature's Golden Core.

With a swift flick, he sent the crow-man's corpse hurtling into the distance.

Gazing at the surrounding alien criminals, still ferocious, Xu Qing licked his lips and charged out once more.

He refrained from using poison, deeming such a killer move unwarranted in this city. He even used spells sparingly. In a flash, he appeared behind a criminal. The creature's expression drastically changed as it tried to dodge forward, but it was too late.

Xu Qing's right hand pierced directly through the criminal's back, seizing its heart and violently crushing it. His hand then delved into its Heavenly Palaces, tearing through them to grasp four dim Golden Cores.

And so, horrific screams continuously echoed throughout Cell D17.

From beginning to end, the screams were unceasing, growing ever sharper and more agonizing.

The thirtieth, the fortieth, the fiftieth...

The more Xu Qing killed, the faster he became, and the sheer brutality of his attacks was horrifying to witness. His movements were incredibly agile; he moved like a bloody phantom, directly seizing an alien's neck and tearing out its Golden Core amidst its desperate wails.

When a criminal attacked from behind, Xu Qing's shadow flickered the instant they closed in. The very next moment, half of the attacking alien's body vanished, as if swallowed whole by an invisible, gaping maw.

The slaughter continued unabated.

In mere moments—the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn—the cage was permeated with the stench of blood. The ground was littered with corpses, most of them with shattered Heavenly Palaces, their Golden Cores ripped out, and their bodies withered into husks as their vital energy was devoured by Xu Qing's Golden Crow. Their demise was utterly gruesome.

Others had their heads shattered or their bodies severed, meeting incredibly brutal ends.

Additionally, several unique racial specimens had been literally scraped bare by Xu Qing, leaving trails of blood across the floor.

By this point, the remaining dozens of alien criminals, despite their innate ferocity, could no longer suppress their burgeoning terror.

Though Xu Qing's expression remained utterly unchanged from start to finish, the criminals' perception of him had completely transformed.

The Xu Qing they had initially perceived as a delectable treat, a lamb to the slaughter, was now a vicious wolf that had shed its sheep's skin. Even that description felt inadequate; he was a walking hell.

All of this sent tumultuous waves through their minds; their bodies trembled as terror consumed their every thought. "He's definitely not a guard from Zone D!"

"Zone D guards always show emotional fluctuations when they act. But he... he has none!"

"This is a malevolent star! He's clearly injured, yet he hasn't even flinched once from beginning to end. This kind of person... I give up, Guard Sir, we surrender!"

Xu Qing was not unharmed. Under the combined assault of so many criminals, and without resorting to his ultimate killer moves, he naturally sustained injuries.

Yet, the more injured he became, the more brutal he grew. As the criminals scattered in terror, he pursued one, headbutting it with such force that its skull was utterly shattered.

This sight sent chills down the spines of the remaining criminals. These once-vicious individuals now looked at Xu Qing with extreme terror, their fear growing with each passing moment. In their eyes, Xu Qing's brutality far surpassed their own.

In particular, a few criminals whose spirits had been utterly shattered by Xu Qing's slaughter now saw his blood-splattered face. Their eyes met, and their willpower uncontrollably collapsed. Trembling uncontrollably, they frantically ran towards the jailers by the cell door.

Equally stunned were the jailers standing at the cell door. The scene unfolding before them would be etched in their memories forever.

They observed the scattered corpses, the viscous blood pooling on the ground, the criminals fleeing in sheer terror, and the utterly calm Xu Qing.

Everyone gasped, their minds reeling, their expressions now deeply solemn.

They had witnessed countless killings and were themselves individuals accustomed to violence. Thus, what truly shook them was not the act of slaughter itself, but Xu Qing's unwavering expression throughout it.

Even fierce as they were, they could not maintain an expression as unperturbed as Xu Qing's, whose face remained as still as an ancient well from start to finish, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

After all, whether one is inflicting or receiving death, emotions are notoriously difficult to control, and fluctuations naturally arise.

The fear and despair of the victims, the excitement and enjoyment of the killers—these are nearly impossible to fake.

Subtle expressions will always surface.

Every guard in Zone D was like this.

Only those who had perfected the art of killing, or who had endured hell on earth and had transformed slaughter into an instinct, could maintain such complete emotional control without the slightest ripple.

And they had encountered such individuals before.

Those were the guards serving in Zone C, below the eighty-ninth floor—guards of a significantly higher caliber than themselves.

Every single guard down there was just such a person!

"Zone C!"

The jailers instinctively exchanged glances. In that moment of solemn realization, their gaze towards Xu Qing was no longer filled with amusement. Instead, it was replaced by profound respect, shining brightly in their eyes.