Chapter Twenty-Two: The Lyril Crystal Lock

After a moment, suddenly there was a sharp sound as the wooden plank on the small door was pulled away, revealing a small window. Peering through it was the face of a bull, wrinkled and rough, radiating an air of harshness. It demanded, “Who goes there? State your name!”

The young lord Tai Shang pressed forward and said, “Warden, I am the young lord Tai Shang.”

The bull-faced warden scrutinized both Hua Sheng and young lord Tai Shang up and down through the window. “Who is this young lord Tai Shang? Do you even know where you are? What business brings you here?”

Tai Shang replied patiently and politely, “Please, Warden, help me convey a message to Lord Erlang. Tell him that the grandson of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord is passing through your esteemed domain today and wishes to pay respects. We humbly request Lord Erlang to find time in his busy schedule for a meeting.”

“Grand Supreme Elder Lord?” The bull-faced warden’s tone softened slightly.

His eyes rolled around, then he glanced at the heavy bundle placed on the ground by Hua Sheng. With a sarcastic tone, he said, “A sudden visit? Do you have a letter or official document for Lord Erlang? I don’t know if he has time.”

Seeing the warden’s attitude, Tai Shang said, “We are also paying a sudden visit to the Honorable Qingyuan Mysterious Dao Lord. Warden, please help us convey our request. I believe Lord Erlang, out of respect for Grand Supreme Elder Lord, will surely agree to see us. Thank you very much.”

With that, he reached into the bundle and immediately produced a finely crafted small Ruyi scepter, which he passed through the window.

“Ah, hahaha! The Grand Supreme Elder Lord is also a Celestial Immortal of the Heavenly Court; no trouble needed. Hmm… who is that person beside you?”

Tai Shang explained, “He is Hua Sheng, my fellow disciple. We came together today to pay our respects.”

“Wait a moment!” The bull-faced warden promptly pocketed the Ruyi and closed the plank.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang waited outside the door. After a long while, the warden did not return to open it.

Hua Sheng asked, “Young lord, didn’t you say you were going to buy dog food and toys for the Howling Celestial Dog? How come you bought such an expensive Ruyi?”

“Well, dog food also has its grades,” Tai Shang replied quietly. “When dealing with the powerful, if you have no connections, you inevitably face guard dogs on the way. We seek only unhindered passage for our convenience. Whether buying dog food or a Ruyi, what difference does it make?”

Clearly, there was more behind his words.

At that moment, the small black door creaked open. The bull-faced warden stood behind it and said, “Both of you, come in!”

Tai Shang quickly slipped inside, Hua Sheng close behind.

Hua Sheng finally saw clearly that the bull-faced warden was broad-shouldered and towering, at least two heads taller than himself. In his hand, he carried a trident, and his footsteps thudded heavily on the ground.

The delicate Ruyi handed to him earlier had vanished, likely tucked away in his bosom.

As he led the way, the warden said, “Lord Erlang still has some documents to review. I’ll take you both to the main hall to wait a moment.”

“Thank you, Warden!”

Tai Shang kept the warden engaged while glancing around to observe the surroundings.

The bull-faced warden glanced at the bundle in Tai Shang’s hand and said, “You must have come to present gifts to the general, right?”

Tai Shang laughed heartily, “Not at all. Just some provisions and snacks for the general’s Howling Celestial Dog. Nothing of value.”

The warden chuckled, “I thought so. Nowadays, gifts don’t come in big bundles, especially openly at the office. If it were something valuable, who would dare accept it? That would be a joke.”

Tai Shang responded, “Warden, you speak rightly. One would never do anything that would embarrass the general or cause trouble.”

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang followed the bull-faced warden down a narrow corridor.

After some distance, the corridor suddenly widened dramatically.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps approached, and a small dog came running ahead.

Looking closer, it was a corgi weighing about ten pounds, its body covered in short golden fur.

“Huh? They keep a corgi here? Pets in a prison?”

Seeing the corgi’s comical short legs, Hua Sheng couldn’t resist reaching out to pet it.

Unexpectedly, the corgi snarled and barked fiercely at Hua Sheng.

Startled, Hua Sheng quickly withdrew his hand. “Why is this corgi so aggressive?”

The bull-faced warden stepped between Hua Sheng and the dog, saying, “Why are you running around again?”

But the corgi showed no intention of backing down, barking louder and baring its sharp teeth as if ready to bite.

The warden frowned and said, “Strange, this dog is usually gentle. Even with strangers, it’s never been so fierce. It’s like it senses some demon.”

Hua Sheng stepped back cautiously, his heart pounding. He wondered if the dog’s keen sense of smell had detected the hidden presence of Mie Ying on himself.

If discovered, and someone had snuck in along, the warden might think them conspirators. That would ruin everything today.

As Hua Sheng pondered how to retreat away from the aggressive corgi, Tai Shang hurriedly pulled out a woven hemp ball from his bag and rolled it to the dog.

The corgi immediately focused on the ball and began playing.

Taking advantage, Tai Shang petted the dog’s head and said, “Howling, Howling! Don’t you recognize me? I know it’s you!”

Hua Sheng hurriedly asked, “You call it Howling? Could this be... the Howling Celestial Dog?”

Tai Shang petted the corgi and said, “Didn’t you notice?”

“How could anyone guess? The Howling Celestial Dog should be a big dog, but this is a pet dog!”

“A corgi can herd cattle; don’t underestimate it!” Tai Shang seemed quite interested.

Mentioning herding cattle made the warden frown.

But Tai Shang continued playing with the dog, who seemed very happy, rolling over and exposing its belly.

Lost in amusement, Tai Shang turned to Hua Sheng and said, “Didn’t expect the Howling Celestial Dog to be so adorable, haha. Want to pet it together?”

“Pet the Howling Celestial Dog? But it looks fierce.”

Though hesitant, Hua Sheng thought this was a rare chance and reached out.

Unexpectedly, the dog leapt suddenly and bit fiercely at Hua Sheng’s hand!

Fortunately, Hua Sheng pulled back quickly, and the dog bit the air with a snap. Still, he broke out in a cold sweat. If bitten, he might lose fingers or worse, damage Mie Ying’s watch on his hand.

The dog remained extremely alert, barking furiously and seeming ready to attack again.

Tai Shang quickly stood in front of Hua Sheng, stroking the dog’s head. “Howling, Howling! He’s human, not a demon. Stop barking.”

Hua Sheng thought, if he continued petting, he’d be courting death. He waved his hand, “Forget it! Seems like I’m not on this divine dog’s wavelength. Maybe next time.”

He cautiously turned his back to the dog, hugging the wall as he moved away.

Seeing Hua Sheng and the warden move forward, Tai Shang reluctantly said farewell to Howling.

They passed through the long corridor, which suddenly opened into a vast space.

The area was so wide open that Hua Sheng almost thought they were outside again. But his intuition told him they were still inside the Heavenly Prison structure.

Looking around, he saw the vast space was enclosed by deep red walls with no windows in sight.

Although still inside the Heavenly Prison, the view extended tens of miles in every direction.

Looking upward, no sky or stars could be seen, suggesting the top was sealed.

Though there was a ceiling, it was so high it defied description. Hua Sheng could even faintly see clouds inside the room, no wonder the building pierced into the clouds when viewed from outside.

Within this vast space enclosed by the deep red walls, neat rows of tall stone pillars stretched from front to back, left to right.

Each pillar stood about one or two miles apart, arranged in a precise and orderly fashion.

Surprisingly, each stone pillar rose directly from the ground up to the unreachable ceiling, as if connecting heaven and earth.

Yet they did not appear to be supporting beams.

Because the space was so vast, these massive pillars, which would require dozens of people to encircle, looked from a distance like slender threads linking earth and sky.

At the center of each “thread” was a glowing “space.”

These lights varied in hue and depth, resembling colorful, shining gemstones strung along each thread from afar.

The once dim space was illuminated by these glowing “gems,” serving as a form of lighting.

These “gems” resembled fireflies fluttering in the night, but unlike fireflies, these lights did not move; they floated silently in midair.

Hua Sheng and Tai Shang were both mesmerized by this wondrous and beautiful sight.

Hua Sheng stepped forward to get a closer look but suddenly bumped his forehead hard against an invisible wall.

At the same time, an orange glow appeared before him, spreading out in all directions.

“An immortal formation?”

Rubbing his forehead with his right hand, Hua Sheng reached forward with his left and touched something cold and smooth, like the insulated glass of a refrigerator.

The bull-faced warden said sternly, “Don’t look around. Beyond here is the prison area with an immortal formation. Unauthorized persons keep out.”

He pointed to the red wall behind him and said, “Stick close to the wall.”

Hua Sheng asked, “And what are those glowing lights in midair?”

“That’s the prison cells. Each pillar has one.”

“What do the different colors mean?”

“Each cell is formed by a different immortal formation depending on the prisoner held inside. The darker the color, the heavier the prisoner’s crimes.”

Seizing the moment, Tai Shang casually asked, “I heard that recently the Dao Spirit Star Lord of the Seven Saints of the Realm was imprisoned here. For such a high-level immortal saint, what kind of formation would be used to hold him?”

The bull-faced warden, clearly proud, said, “That star lord is no small matter. I heard he was personally escorted here by the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing.”

He pointed into the distance, “He’s locked in the Liuli Crystal Chain Formation.”