Chapter 1736: Dead Sea Energy Storage Views the Eccentric, Whispering the Otherworldly Ghost Face Flower

"Lord Cangsheng, he's stopped..."

The Transmission Mirror's feed from the Southern Region unexpectedly cut out for a moment. When it reconnected, everyone saw Ai Cangsheng seated upright in his cassia wood wheelchair, his upper body erect.

He seemed to be sitting in the Southern Region as if he were on a beautiful, sunny morning on Mount Guizhe, in front of the Holy Palace. His face showed no sorrow or joy, and his eyes were devoid of ripples.

"He's changed!"

Everyone could sense that Ai Cangsheng was different. Was it his mindset? His aura? Or something else? They didn't know. But something significant must have happened to transform him from the furious rage he exhibited moments after being utterly humiliated, into this calm, unperturbed state.

Was it "endurance"? If so, he was incredibly resilient!

No one had the answer. Even Zhong Yuanzi, the Elemental Divine Emissary in the Transmission Mirror, was no longer expressing extreme grief or joy, instead appearing remarkably composed. Something must have happened to both of them, making them feel strange. Where was the strangeness? It was unclear.

"Lord Shou! Lord Shou! Lord Shou!"

In stark contrast to the Five Domains' speculation and calm, the Dead Sea was anything but tranquil at this moment. Hoarse, frantic calls echoed throughout the Black Stone Prison, creating a din louder than gongs and drums. The prisoners in their cells yearned for a glance from Lord Shou, wishing they could stick out their heads or even cut open their hearts to be seen.

"Lord Shou, look at me, look at me!"

"I'm Taixu, I'm humanoid, we're the same kind of people!"

"I have a semi-saint level physical body, just one semi-saint status away from becoming a true semi-saint. Let me out, and I'll deal with all the semi-saints here for you..."

As Xu Xiaoshou walked past the cells with his group, someone suddenly sliced off their own head. Yet, astonishingly, they didn't die. The detached head, with its mouth opening and closing, could still speak, clearly indicating it wasn't human.

"You're formidable," Xu Xiaoshou said, nodding slightly, and pushed the head back, politely declining the offer. "What you're saying makes no difference. Do you think I can't handle the semi-saints here without you? If you could deal with Ai Cangsheng once you're out, then I'd save you."

"Roar—"

Just a few steps further, a beast's roar erupted from the tallest black stone prison cell, followed by a slightly stammering, struggling human voice from within:

"Roar! Lord Shou..."

"I, the Dikui clan... powerful, majestic... a mount, impressive..."

"You, save me."

"I, protect you! Roar!"

Beibei flinched, startled by the foul breath. Looking over, she saw a black stone cell about thirty zhang (100 feet) tall, from which a protruding eyeball pressed against the sealed bars. Its true form was indiscernible; the self-proclaimed Dikui looked like a giant crammed into a bottle, with extremely limited movement.

Xu Xiaoshou glanced at it, feeling uncomfortable on its behalf. "What crime did you commit?" he asked.

"I, massacred a city!"

"Massacred a city? A human city?"

"You humans have a good saying... 'Killing one is a sin, slaughtering ten thousand makes a hero.' I massacred a city, so I am a hero! A hero of the Dikui clan!"

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened. "Where did this idiot come from? Truly all brawn and no brain?" he thought. "It's a wonder you were only imprisoned in the Dead Sea. If I were the enforcer, a single sword strike, severing your body, spirit, and will, wouldn't be enough to satisfy my wrath!" Ignoring the "hero" of the Dikui clan, he walked straight towards the far end of the Dead Sea.

"Lord Shou! Lord Shou!"

"Look at me! Save me!"

Many were calling out frantically along the way, their shouts fervent. Initially, no one truly respected the man called "Lord Shou." There was a hierarchy in the Dead Sea, and humans, except for those who practiced physical cultivation, were at the very bottom.

But Lord Shou was undeniable! This fellow wasn't a prisoner. He had come to the Dead Sea to retrieve people, accompanied by a group of semi-saints.

How strong was Semi-Saint Pei Yuan? He wielded the Sky-Tower Pillar and the Great Brahma Dragon Roar. Every prisoner in the Black Stone Prison had thoroughly memorized his name. Yet, before Lord Shou... he was defeated with a single finger! This man not only possessed immense combat power but was also unbelievably good at toying with people.

The prisoners of the Black Stone Prison had been confined for too long and were out of touch with the outside world of the Five Domains. Nonetheless, through the images and sounds from the Transmission Mirror, and Feng Zhongzui's commentary, they heard of current supreme figures like Patriarch Willow, the Ancestral Tree God, and Ai Cangsheng, the Three Emperors. And Lord Shou? He was battling these supreme beings, making a mockery of them! What incredible luck did Zhu Yike have to encounter such a master?

Lord Shou had only taken one semi-saint status from Pei Yuan... From his actions strolling through the Dead Sea, it was clear he intended to scout for more subordinates and distribute the remaining semi-saint statuses within the Holy Mountain Refuge Group. If he were to favor them, wouldn't they also be able to leap over the dragon's gate and gain new freedom?

"Lord Shou, oh Lord Shou!"

"Look at me, save me! Whatever you want to do, I can definitely help you!"

"Lord Shou, over here... Three thousand years ago, I died protecting you, and you told me to wait for you through reincarnation. Now I'm waiting for you here in the Dead Sea, I've waited for you for 365 years, why won't you look at me? If you just looked at me, I wouldn't believe you... Oh, don't go, Lord Shou! Lord Shou!"

These individuals likely didn't even know Lord Shou's real name, yet each was more extravagant than the last, eventually even claiming past reincarnations. Feng Zhongzui followed Lord Shou on a tour of the Dead Sea's first level, his eyes wide with amazement. He then followed Lord Shou on another tour of the Dead Sea; the same person could tell two different stories, it was absurd! He followed Lord Shou on yet another tour, and then... Another tour? Again!

Feng Zhongzui was utterly bewildered by all the walking. The first level of the Dead Sea was vast; a leisurely stroll around it would take several hours. Lord Shou, however, seemed to be there to sketch, to firmly commit these people to memory, every detail. Yet, he didn't pull out a paintbrush...

"Lord Shou, aren't you tired?"

When they passed the cell of the "reincarnated" individual for the sixth time, there were no more stories, only a resentful voice. "Good question!" This voiced Feng Zhongzui's unspoken thought. In fact, not only his, but the Holy Mountain Refuge Group's, and the world's people in the Five Domains, were all thinking the same thing.

Was Lord Shou stalling for time? He didn't want to fight Emperor Cangsheng, but what was he waiting for? They spent an entire day strolling, and the Dead Sea boiled with activity all day long, the prisoners shouting themselves hoarse and gulping down unclean purified water.

The Dead Sea grew quiet. Everyone was too exhausted to shout anymore. All the prisoners realized that this Lord Shou either had a serious problem or was merely toying with them. "We're just prisoners," they thought. "We're not fools! If you're not going to save us, then don't act like this, peering around as if you're picking out pets, okay?!"

"I'm curious about your story," Xu Xiaoshou said, tapping the cell and speaking to the "reincarnated" prisoner. "To be honest, I'm also a reincarnated individual, and I'd like to hear if you have any other versions."

[Received Curse, Passive Value +1.]

The "reincarnated" prisoner's face fell; there was no doubt, Lord Shou was definitely toying with him! "If you're not saving... then forget it!" He desperately wanted to erupt, but the thought that this man could freely use his power in the Dead Sea kept anyone from daring to do so. Everyone dared to be angry but not to speak, able only to turn their resentment into curses, fiercely cursing this damned human.

[Received Resentment, Passive Value +532.]

[Received Curse, Passive Value +220.]

In truth, not many people in the Dead Sea were still lucid; they constituted less than one percent of the tens of thousands of prisoners. However, these individuals were all spiritual cultivators or similar. Even if the Dead Sea had imprisoned their highest combat power, their nourished bodies still possessed spiritual energy and could contribute passive value.

After dealing with Pei Yuan and then stepping on Ai Cangsheng, the emotions of these people were undeniably stirred up. Xu Xiaoshou simply led the Holy Mountain Refuge Group around for an entire day. Even in the final few rounds, everyone was dispirited and low on energy. Yet, the total increase in passive value was not small.

"Passive Value: 68,125,549."

Subtracting the "leeks" in Jade Capital City who were nearly depleted and could no longer yield much, this wave of excitement from the prisoners on the first level of the Dead Sea alone contributed at least twenty to thirty million passive value.

"That's enough!"

Sixty-eight million, almost seventy million passive value—this was a new historical high. With this, he could try almost anything for his next stat allocations, right? Xu Xiaoshou didn't sit down immediately. He led the Transmission Mirror and the Holy Mountain Refuge Group to the purified water vortex at the end of the level, waving goodbye to this group of "adorable leeks."

"Goodbye."

Save them? Impossible! Xu Xiaoshou didn't consider himself a good person, but he also understood the depths to which truly evil people could sink. The Five Great Sacred Imperial Families might have done a poor job with the "cage" aspect. It capped the potential of all geniuses, forcing out the last Ten Venerated Ones and the Holy Slaves. However, their governance of the Sacred God Continent was clear for all to see.

Most of those imprisoned in the Dead Sea had committed capital offenses, with only a few exceptions, perhaps like Zhu Yike or Elder Sang, who might be pardonable. Yet, killing them might only lead to some form of revival appearing elsewhere. Thus, Xu Xiaoshou neither killed nor saved any of them. He left them as he found them; he simply didn't have the time or energy to discern the pasts of these prisoners. He only wanted to find the few people he intended to save.

"Aunt Xiang is on the sixth level..."

Passing through the purified water vortex, the group reached a deeper part of the Dead Sea. The second level. Compared to the fervent atmosphere of the first level, the second was a stagnant, lifeless pool. Even the appearance of so many "newcomers" failed to elicit a single whistle.

"Not even a curious glance..."

Xu Xiaoshou was astonished; how long had these people been imprisoned to lose even their curiosity? He felt the suppression within him grow heavier.

The Dead Sea did have its uses; for instance, abilities like Divine Sense Penetration and Saint Power were unusable. However, the world wouldn't know this. Xu Xiaoshou commanded too many types of power, often using only one or two in a single battle. This led outsiders to believe he wasn't unable to use other powers, but simply chose not to favor them at that moment. For example, on the first level, he was only forced to use the Heart Sword Art from the Ancient Sword Art, and merely a manifestation of its first intention. This power, stemming from Sword Proficiency and the Sword Dao Plate, was not among the abilities prohibited by the Dead Sea.

But in others' eyes... Those aware of the Sacred Imperial Edict knew it had six decrees, one of which prohibited Ancient Sword Arts. Yet Xu Xiaoshou could use Ancient Sword Arts. This meant the Dead Sea had no effect on him, and neither did the Sacred Imperial Edict. It implied he could, in fact, use any other power, but simply chose not to.

The silence was somewhat terrifying. Feng Zhongzui's commentary gradually became softer. The second level of the Dead Sea was overwhelmingly oppressive, truly embodying the feeling of the Dead Sea itself. Only Beibei remained unfazed, casually explaining:

"The Dead Sea has eighteen levels. The further down you go, the greater the crimes committed or the stronger the abilities, and naturally, the deeper the restrictions."

"Of course, in most cases, prisoners on lower levels have been confined longer than those on upper levels."

"This is just the beginning of the Dead Sea's 'death.' If you go further down, you'll witness even greater despair."

She cast a deep glance at Xu Xiaoshou, as if warning him that he might not be able to return if he went down.

"Aunt Xiang is on the sixth level..." Xu Xiaoshou pondered for a moment before asking, "Is the sixth level where the Ten Venerated Ones are imprisoned?"

Beibei choked slightly, opening her mouth but suddenly unable to speak.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xiaoshou asked, puzzled. "Is my question difficult to understand?"

Beibei hesitated, then said, "The sixth level begins to impose the strictest prohibitions on all types of soul possession, soul substitution, saint effigies, mind transference, proxies, summons, and communication techniques..."

"Oh, so it prohibits Illusory Deity Techniques," Xu Xiaoshou understood immediately. "Let's go, continue downwards."

There was nothing to linger over on the second level. It wasn't impossible to slay another semi-saint here and harvest another wave of passive value. But with sixty million passive value accumulated so far, it was enough to max out all second awakenings and upgrade most commonly used Dao Plates to the Super-Daoized level. At this power level, whether he could defeat Ai Cangsheng was debatable, but at least he had confidence. And if sixty million wasn't enough, even six hundred million more would, Xu Xiaoshou felt, merely be the icing on the cake, rather than a game-changer.

Breakthrough! He had made up his mind. After rescuing Aunt Xiang, he would undergo a satisfying breakthrough.

"I will assume my strongest form, kill Jinren, and bring Elder Sang back!"

As for what would happen next... He would leave it to fate! By then, things would be chaotic enough. The players in this game might no longer be him, but someone else entirely.

"Continue downwards."

The third level.

The fourth level.

The fifth level.

The first five levels of the Dead Sea were visually similar, all black stone prisons, with only the restrictions gradually deepening. However, the people of the Five Domains, following the Transmission Mirror, which in turn followed Lord Shou, toured every corner of these first five levels of the Dead Sea, witnessing many strange individuals and exotic beasts. They were like monkeys confined in cages, having lost interest in everything, even food and freedom, regardless of visitors.

Perhaps even now, if Xu Xiaoshou were to shout, "I will bring you bananas and freedom!" In fact, Xu Xiaoshou did shout it. The Five Domains were baffled, but the prisoners in the Black Stone Prison didn't even bat an eyelid. Perhaps similar performances had been attempted many, many years ago.

"Amusing," Ai Cangsheng commented, remaining unperturbed. Was Ai Cangsheng also a monkey? What had he experienced?

Without much thought, Xu Xiaoshou eventually didn't care even if the Dead Sea remained stagnant and generated no passive value. The "leeks" in Jade Capital City were still continuously providing sustenance. He was simply strolling to satisfy his own curiosity. The Semi-Saint Refuge Group, finally able to relax for a few days, briefly enjoyed a sense of ease. They weren't causing trouble anymore? This was very un-Lord Shou-like! They had initially thought that with the "Refuge Group" traversing several levels of the Dead Sea, at least one person would be lost on each level, until eventually everyone was dead.

"Such rare quiet days..."

The Five Domains had watched the Dead Sea for several days, sensing only the calm before a storm, even though a storm had just recently passed. When the group in the image reached the purified water vortex on the fifth level of the Dead Sea, everyone's eyes lit up simultaneously, and they leaned in closer. Zhu Yike had said it. Aunt Xiang was on the sixth level!

"Here they come."

"The calm before the storm might be ending."

The purified water vortex. This was the necessary passage to leave the current level and descend to the next in the Dead Sea. In the feed, Lord Shou waved his hand, and the group, familiar with the route, swam into the vortex like fish, flowing down to the next level.

The Transmission Mirror's image once again blurred and distorted. After days of utter silence, only Feng Zhongzui's hushed commentary had provided company. This time, before the Transmission Mirror could reveal the true appearance of the Dead Sea's sixth level, the people of the Five Domains collectively heard a hoarse, ancient voice that definitely did not belong to anyone in the Holy Mountain Refuge Group.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."

It sounded like a laugh, as cold and venomous as a snake's.

When the Transmission Mirror brightened and the image came into focus, a golden sunflower abruptly overshadowed everything, pressing against the faces of the Five Domains' curious onlookers like a grotesque mask. Its seeds, like magnified eyes, stared, making everyone recoil in horror, their skin crawling.

The serpentine laughter ceased. The hearts of the world sank. Then, a chilling voice rustled from behind the grotesque sunflower:

"You've finally arrived, outsider..."