Chapter 630: Chapter 630: 631 Hand over the Luminous Pearl

“Of course, it would be you, sir. With your arrival, any bull, ghost, or snake god will have to step aside!”

Dao Zu said with a full face of smiles, a fawning expression on his face.

“And who was it before I came?”

“It was a man named Long Tian. Rumors say he has some connections to the Eastern Sea royal family, apparently possessing royal blood. His identity is secretive; he himself is a cultivator at the Great Crossing Realm, a powerful figure who controls a large territory within the Dungeon World,”

Dao Zu explained.

“I see. How many prisoners are there in this dungeon?”

“No more, no less—exactly five thousand.”

Five thousand prisoners meant there were also five thousand caves, and each cave had twenty-three Luminous Pearls. By that count, the number of Luminous Pearls had already exceeded one hundred thousand.

With such a number of Luminous Pearls, they should be able to bring Hellfire to new heights, right?

“How many are Great Crossing Realm Cultivators?”

“There shouldn’t be more than ten.”

Dao Zu said uncertainly, in his memory, only Great Crossing Realm Cultivators were qualified to don the exclusive red prisoner uniforms of death row inmates. Such powerful individuals were scarce, even within the depths of the dungeon.

Less than ten? Li Xiaobai’s eyes, which burned with fervent light, dimmed considerably. A mere ten at the Great Crossing Realm wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. Throwing them all into the Hellfire probably wouldn’t make much of a splash.

Better to collect the Luminous Pearls and then go door to door in search of the fragments.

“Not bad at all.”

With a flick of his hand, Li Xiaobai tossed out a small bag of top-grade Spirit Stones. No one had confiscated his Space Ring on arrival, likely due to the Old Dragon King’s influence.

Seeing the Spirit Stones, Dao Zu’s eyes gleamed. In this isolated prison, such items were rare and precious. Even he didn’t have many left, and he hadn’t expected his newly recognized boss to be so generous. This bag alone had to contain at least a hundred stones. If used sparingly, it could last a month.

“If there’s anything else you wish to ask, please feel free to command me!”

Dao Zu looked obsequious, having tasted the sweetness of the reward. It wasn’t so much that a hundred or so Spirit Stones would be of much use to his cultivation—it was just that years of cultivating had made cultivators accustomed to using Spirit Stones, and suddenly being cut off from them and unable to attract Spiritual Energy would be quite uncomfortable.

With these reserves, he could live very comfortably in the days ahead.

“I hear you’re an expert from the Evil Sect?”

Li Xiaobai cut straight to the point and asked.

“I wouldn’t say an expert, but I did indeed come from the Evil Sect,”

Dao Zu admitted.

“Have you heard of the Blood Sacrifice Fragment?”

Li Xiaobai continued.

“Never heard of it, but I do know a little about blood sacrifices. It’s a ritual that involves sacrificing living beings to enhance one’s own skills; it’s a very sinister ritual. The Spiritual Power obtained is very mixed and unless someone is sure they can’t advance their cultivation level, they wouldn’t resort to it,”

Dao Zu said, frowning as if trying to recall something.

“I’ll take note of that.”

Li Xiaobai nodded, remembering what Dao Zu had said. The Blood Sacrifice Fragment likely dealt with a much more powerful domain, not as simple and straightforward as a blood sacrifice. The mastermind behind it must be an exceptionally formidable cultivator, not someone who could be dealt with in a short amount of time.

Two hours later.

The cave was once again as bright as daytime, with a mountain of Luminous Pearls before Li Xiaobai’s eyes.

One hundred and ten subordinates had dismantled all the Luminous Pearls from their respective caves, all in the hopes of making a good impression on Li Xiaobai.

Li Xiaobai certainly didn’t disappoint everyone’s expectations. With a casual wave of his hand, a dark inky flame, like pitch, climbed up the small mountain of Luminous Pearls, slowly spreading and eroding them.

In just the time it took to breathe, the light in the cave dimmed visibly at a rapid pace. As Hellfire blazed, it burned every last Luminous Pearl to ash without sparing a single one.

The line of prisoners was so shocked that they unwittingly took a few steps back; the eerie strength of the flames made their blood run cold, and the barely perceptible aura of danger made their Primordial Spirits feel as if they were being scorched.

[Hellfire (Divine Level skill) Current initial coverage area: 9.9 kilometers (Great Crossing Realm).]

It was the same old story; even after devouring a mountain of Luminous Pearls, there was not the slightest change. Li Xiaobai had a feeling that perhaps the leap from 9.9 to 10 was a transformation.

This final 0.1 would be a qualitative change.

“My lord is mighty!”

“My lord’s mana is boundless!”

“This dungeon shall be my lord’s world!”

As the others came to their senses, they began to furiously flatter and fawn, their faces full of ingratiating smiles.

“My lord, what are your orders next? Just say the word!”

“Next, do this and that, spread my name far and wide…”

Li Xiaobai detailed his plan.

It was at this moment that a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the cave dwelling.

“Who is it?”

Zhang Dabao opened the door impatiently and asked.

Standing outside was a hunchbacked old man, the same old turtle who had brought Li Xiaobai here. The old turtle now had a pained expression on his face and shakily said, “Young Master Li, the prison warden would like to see you.”

“Hmm, the day isn’t even over yet. What does she want with me?”

Li Xiaobai asked in surprise.

“According to the prison guards, the inmates in this area have handed over all the Luminous Pearls from their respective dwellings to Young Master Li. To casually steal Luminous Pearls is a grave crime, and to take such an amount, the crime is even greater. The warden is very angry and wishes to talk to you,”

said the old turtle.

“I understand. Why the panic? I’ve got this. As for you all, just follow the plan we discussed earlier. I hope by the time I return, you will have taken care of things.”

Li Xiaobai spoke to the people inside the room, who looked somewhat panicked, in a stern voice.

“Yes!”

“Old Turtle, after you, please!”

A few minutes later.

In the dimly lit small room, Li Xiaobai confronted the merspider, the atmosphere tense and heavy.

“Young Master Li, are you aware of what you’ve done?”

Madam Hua Dan asked coldly.

“I have put a stop to wasteful extravagance and promptly recycled and made use of resources,”

said Li Xiaobai.

“Who gave you permission to take the Luminous Pearls? In the Eastern Sea, no one has ever dared to be so brazen!”

“Luminous Pearls are an important resource for cultivation, but you merely leave them by the roadside, a blatant waste, the very epitome of extravagance. I could not stand idly by, so I took action, transforming them all into a part of my own strength, thus realizing their value.”

Li Xiaobai said calmly.

“Nonsense, none but fallacies from your mouth. Still unrepentant within these dungeons, now even daring to steal Luminous Pearls outright—what punishment do you deserve?”

“I have already been sentenced to death; does the warden intend to have me die twice?”

Li Xiaobai sneered with a hint of coldness in his eyes, and leaning in, he said softly, “Moreover, do you know who I am? The Old Dragon King personally imprisoned me here; surely you must understand what that implies?”