The Demon-Subduing Prison is a part of the Demon-Subduing Division. To tell the truth, as a place for suppressing and sealing Demon Evils and Strange Monsters, the Demon-Subduing Prison was already considered a vital area within the Demon-Subduing Division.
From the outside, the Demon-Subduing Prison looked like an ancient fortress. The surrounding wall was made of greenish bricks and stones piled high, covered with mottled bloodstains, permeating a sense of bloodiness, solemnity, and antiquity. A rectangular gap existed at the bottom of the wall, with two stone lions standing guard on either side.
That gap, Shen Changqing understood, was in fact the entrance to the Demon-Subduing Prison. The entire Demon-Subduing Prison also had only one entrance and exit.
From appearances, the entrance and exit of the Demon-Subduing Prison seemed to lack heavily armed guards, not showing the strictness one would expect for such a significant place. In reality, the Demon-Subduing Prison didn't need many troops to guard it. It was simple: because the Demon-Subduing Prison was located within the Demon-Subduing Division, and the Demon-Subduing Division itself was an indestructible cage. With Demon Hunters at the front and Defender Envoys at the rear, should any Demon Evil or Strange Monster walk out of the Demon-Subduing Prison, they would be detected by the powerful individuals within the Demon-Subduing Division in the very next second. There was absolutely no chance for them to leave the Demon-Subduing Division alive.
Shen Changqing had also heard these things through hearsay. However, in his mind, the possibility was still very high.
After standing in place for a few seconds, Shen Changqing took a deep breath and stepped towards the interior of the Demon-Subduing Prison.
However, he had barely stepped past the stone lions when an intense and terrible stench of blood assaulted him. It nearly suffocated him, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar under its impact.
Fortunately, when the bloody impact came, a powerful surge of qi and blood rose from Shen Changqing's body, dispersing the bloody chill.
The Thirteen Tai Bao Horizontal Training Technique!
His footsteps paused slightly, then Shen Changqing continued walking forward.
It wasn't his first time coming to the Demon-Subduing Prison, and he had experienced its bloody impact once before. The last time he entered, he had not yet mastered the Thirteen Tai Bao Horizontal Training Technique and had stood still for almost half an hour before gradually adapting. In contrast to the last time, he was able to recover after only a brief pause this time. Therefore, he felt even more assured of his own strength.
The entrance to the Demon-Subduing Prison was a long corridor. With no wall lamps on either side, it was eerily dark. An ordinary person walking down such a corridor would inevitably feel a sense of dread. But for the experienced Shen Changqing, the dark corridor did not stir much emotion within him. This was true not only for Shen Changqing; every Demon Hunter was a person of strong mind. Without sufficient mental fortitude, one was not qualified to enter the Demon-Subduing Division. Every powerful individual in the Demon-Subduing Division would have to face Demon Evils and Strange Monsters in the future. Many horrifying scenes were inevitable, thus requiring a strong mind for support. Otherwise, it would be a dead end sooner or later.
Even though the corridor was dark, Shen Changqing's steps did not pause at all.
Soon, at the end of the dark corridor, a faint light appeared. In a short while, the light gradually became clearer. By the time he entirely left the darkness, the scene had completely changed.
Oil lamps burned all around, dispelling all the darkness. Several people dressed in iron armor, wearing iron helmets with masks that obscured their faces, and carrying swords at their waists, stood guard there.
Upon seeing Shen Changqing emerge, one of them stepped forward, blocking his path.
"Who goes there? Please show your proof of identity!"
"I am Shen Changqing of the Huang Department, a Demon Hunter, ordered to inspect the Demon-Subduing Prison. This is the manual!" Shen Changqing stopped and presented the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual given to him by Liu Chang.
Anyone assigned to inspect the Demon-Subduing Prison would receive a Demon-Subduing Prison Manual. The Demon-Subduing Prison Manual not only recorded some precautions for inside the Demon-Subduing Prison but also served as a pass to enter it. After each mission was completed, the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual had to be returned.
Seeing the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual in Shen Changqing's hand, the person moved aside to clear the way.
At this, Shen Changqing put away the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual, cupped his hands in salute to the guards, and walked in.
Outside the Demon-Subduing Prison, there were no heavily armed troops. But inside, there were some soldiers on guard. He wasn't very clear about the origin of these soldiers, but anyone who could stay in the Demon-Subduing Prison year-round was no ordinary person.
The last time he came, Shen Changqing hadn't felt much from the soldiers guarding the Demon-Subduing Prison. But this time, he had a different feeling. His Thirteen Tai Bao Horizontal Training Technique had achieved some success, making his senses much more acute. Consequently, Shen Changqing could distinctly sense that powerful qi and blood surged behind those iron armors. Even having mastered the third layer of the Thirteen Tai Bao Horizontal Training Technique, he was very likely no match for these soldiers.
The Demon-Subduing Prison was divided into five levels. The top level held no Demon Evils or Strange Monsters; only soldiers served as defenders there. Shen Changqing was now on this topmost level.
Just after descending to the second level, a bone-chilling coldness immediately surged forth. However, although the coldness was intense, it did not affect him much. After all, any ordinary Demon Hunter could move freely on the second level, let alone Shen Changqing.
Having descended to the second level, Shen Changqing immediately opened his panel to check. The section regarding Slaughter Value showed no change for the time being.
It seems I need to conduct a patrol first!
The first appearance of Slaughter Value had been triggered inside the Demon-Subduing Prison. Ever since then, Shen Changqing had seriously studied it and finally reached a conclusion. So, Demon Evils and Strange Monsters possessed Slaughter Value. However, it wasn't necessary to kill them; one only had to be in a place where they were present to obtain it.As for the specifics, he still needed to do more research.
He opened the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual, directly skipped the initial warnings, and turned to the main content.
Before his eyes was a portrait of a woman. The woman in the painting looked alluring and seductive, as if she could captivate souls. He took a brief glance, then flipped to the back. Instead of a painting, there was a written record:
Name: Meinv
Classification: Resentment Level Monster
Description: Skilled in psychic attacks, commonly seduces souls with feminine charms. Previously drained the essence blood of nearly ten thousand people from five villages. Later subdued by the Demon-Subduing Division and imprisoned within the Demon-Subduing Prison.
Shen Changqing closed the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual and walked towards the first cell of the second level. The layout of the Demon-Subduing Prison didn't differ much from the prisons he remembered from his previous life; individual cells housed entities that needed to be isolated.
When he reached the first cell, Shen Changqing's perception of his surroundings suddenly changed. The cell, which should have been cold and stark, appeared to his eyes as a warm and intimate boudoir. Inside, a long-haired woman sat in front of a dressing table, her back to him. Through the reflection in the bronze mirror on the table, Shen Changqing could see her captivatingly beautiful face.
Suddenly, the woman stopped combing her hair and turned to smile at him, her eyes full of charm.
Shen Changqing remained expressionless.
Seeing this, Meinv rose from the dressing table and walked towards him, her lotus steps light. As her red lips slightly parted, a fragrant breeze wafted towards him.
"I wonder if this humble woman's beauty pleases your eyes?"
Shen Changqing did not respond, merely standing there.
"Why does Sir stand unmoving outside? Why not come in and sit for a while...?" she said, giving him a flirty look. The clothing on her shoulder slid down a bit, revealing her snowy white shoulder.
Shen Changqing turned and walked away, leaving the woman's expression to suddenly become stagnant.
It seems there's no way to get Slaughter Value from her! Shen Changqing shook his head inwardly as he walked away. He had stood outside the cell for a long time, yet had received no Slaughter Value. It was clear to see. The likelihood of obtaining Slaughter Value from Meinv was now quite slim.
Therefore, Shen Changqing didn't want to waste any more time on her. After all, there were so many Demon Evils and Strange Monsters suppressed within the Demon-Subduing Prison; there was no need to focus on just one.
As for Meinv's appearance, honestly, he had absolutely no interest in it. Despite her seemingly enticing appearance, typical Strange Monsters did not possess actual physical forms and would appear to people as illusions. What one person saw as a charming woman might appear entirely different to another observer. These things had been explained on his first day at the Demon-Subduing Division. The Demon-Subduing Prison Manual also included similar warnings. Therefore, no matter how Meinv changed her appearance, it was all futile for Shen Changqing.
If there's no issue with Meinv, then I'll check the next cell.
Shen Changqing turned to the next page of the Demon-Subduing Prison Manual, read the information recorded there, and then proceeded towards the next cell.
The Demon-Subduing Prison Manual detailed which Demon Evils or Strange Monsters were imprisoned in every cell. The requirement of the inspection mission was that the entities present in the cells had to match those listed in the manual. If something was recorded in the manual as being imprisoned but the cell was empty, that would demand attention. In such cases, it was highly possible that the entity imprisoned inside had escaped for some reason.
Before long, Shen Changqing arrived in front of the second cell. It also held a Resentment Level Monster, but unlike Meinv, this Strange Monster took the form of something else.
After a brief pause, there was no change in the Slaughter Value.
Shen Changqing briskly moved on to the next cell.
As expected, the next cell also contained a Resentment Level Monster. Strange Monsters were classified into several categories, with Ghostly Level and Resentment Level being the most prominent. The Ghostly Level was the weakest; such entities were generally executed directly by the Demon-Subduing Division, while only Strange Monsters of Resentment Level and above were eligible for imprisonment.
Soon, the inspection of the second level reached the last cell. Shen Changqing's footsteps paused.