"Brother Zilin, everything is handled. Come and witness it."
Zhao Feng said.
At that, Baili Zilin followed Zhao Feng into the prison palace.
They ventured deeper and deeper, arriving at the innermost section, where an enormous iron gate stood.
When the gate was opened, an extremely wretched sight was revealed.
Inside the prison, there was an enormous iron cage forged from supreme treasures.
Within the cage were tens of thousands of heaven and earth oddities — some still in humanoid form, others already reverted to their original shapes.
Without exception, every single one of them was covered in wounds, as though they had been subjected to horrific torture.
But their torment was not limited to their bodies — their souls were being tortured as well.
This was the result of serving as cultivation mediums for the people of the Prison Sect.
If this continued, their fate would be singular and certain: to be tortured to death while still alive.
And yet, inside that very iron cage, two more supreme treasures were radiating their power.
One emitted a formidable controlling force, binding their bodies.
It did not merely prevent them from escaping — it also prevented them from ending their own lives when the pain became too much to bear.
The other, remarkably, was actually healing them.
But when had the people of the Prison Sect ever shown such benevolence?
This was clearly meant to slow their deaths, to extract every last drop of value from them.
So this healing power, far from being a mercy, had become the most terrifying instrument of torture for these heaven and earth oddities.
However, Baili Zilin had long grown accustomed to such scenes.
He showed not the slightest reaction, merely casting a cursory glance before his gaze settled on the center of the prison.
There, there was no iron cage.
But there was a formation — one that had been freshly constructed.
At the center of the formation, a person was bound.
That person was Feng Ling.
Zhao Feng walked up to the formation and looked at Feng Ling.
"Feng Ling, you were reckless beyond measure, daring to make a move against my brother Zilin. By my own judgment, your crime warrants nothing less than death."
"But my brother Zilin is magnanimous. He is willing to give you one chance."
"I am asking you now."
"Do you want this chance, or not?"
Zhao Feng asked in a stern voice.
Feng Ling smiled faintly. "This lady wants—"
At those words, both Zhao Feng and Baili Zilin reacted.
Zhao Feng even let out a cold sneer, thinking to himself that when faced with death, she was no different from anyone else after all.
Had he known this, he wouldn't have treated her so courteously before — he would have simply threatened her with death outright.
But Feng Ling continued: "This lady wants you all to die horribly."
The contemptuous look on Zhao Feng's face was instantly replaced by fury.
"You're looking for death."
Through gritted teeth, he gripped his token and reached out with his palm toward Feng Ling from a distance.
Boom— The next instant, the formation activated.
The power of the Sacred Artifact surged from the formation into Feng Ling's body, then flowed out from her face and into Zhao Feng's palm.
In just an instant, Feng Ling's face turned deathly pale, her fists clenched tight — not only were her muscles taut, but the veins on her body stood out in sharp relief.
Feng Ling was enduring excruciating pain.
This formation was directly siphoning Feng Ling's power, converting it into cultivation energy that was being channeled into Zhao Feng's palm.
Before long, the roots of Feng Ling's hair began turning white, the change spreading outward gradually.
Her once-full skin started growing dry and withered, wrinkles even beginning to appear.
She was aging at a rapid pace.
And yet, despite all of this, Feng Ling kept her teeth clenched tight.
Not only did she not utter a single word of pleading, she didn't even let out a single cry of agony.
She merely stared at Zhao Feng with venomous hatred.
"Let's see how long you can keep up that stubborn act."
Seeing Feng Ling like this, the fury in Zhao Feng's eyes intensified, and he couldn't help but increase her suffering.
"Ah, brother, there's no need for this."
"If you truly fancy this Feng Ling, just take her as your wife. There's no need to take her life on my account, let alone torture her like this."
However, to everyone's surprise, it was Baili Zilin who spoke up to plead on Feng Ling's behalf.
Hearing this, Zhao Feng was momentarily stunned.
Why would Baili Zilin plead for Feng Ling?
Wasn't he the one who wanted Feng Ling dead?