Clearing the Demon Prison

Gu Qingfeng lay in bed, growing increasingly frustrated, unable to fall asleep.

A faint sense of crisis also lingered in his heart.

It’s hard for anyone to remain calm knowing there’s a life-and-death calamity awaiting them in two years.

After much deliberation, Gu Qingfeng decided to let off some steam and calm himself down first.

He opened his alternate dimension, stepped inside, and gave all the demons and monsters within another thorough beating.

When he returned to bed, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

What’s more, his inner energy had slightly increased.

Feeling the surge in his power, Gu Qingfeng came to a realization about breaking through the impending crisis: strength! It all came down to sheer strength!

In the end, the core issue was that his strength was insufficient. Gods may have been forced into hiding, but what if his power surpassed that of the gods by far?

When that time comes, let’s see who has the audacity to challenge him!

Tomorrow, once he visited the Demon Suppression Bureau, he’d make sure to sweep through the Demon Suppression Prison thoroughly. After brushing through the prison, he'd move on to the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. With so many demons and monsters available to hone his skills, it’s absurd to think he couldn’t ensure his survival two years from now.

Damn it. Sleep! Starting tomorrow, he’d put in real effort!

...

The next day.

Gu Qingfeng, surrounded by a cadre of maids, went through his routine: washing, dining, and morning exercises.

It wasn’t until nearly noon that he instructed his attendants to prepare a palanquin and headed to the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

He didn’t bring an extravagant entourage, just several dozen attendants to clear the way.

When he arrived at the headquarters, his people sent word of his arrival, prompting a swarm of high-ranking officials from the Bureau, led by Acting Commissioner Lin Mubai, to rush out to greet him.

Every single one of them bore smiles of politeness; none dared to stir up trouble. Thus, no cliché slapstick scenes ensued.

This was mainly because Gu Qingfeng’s displays at court the previous day had been too intimidating. Sharing seats, shoulder-to-shoulder, with the Emperor? Unless they lacked common sense entirely, no one would dare provoke him.

In fact, they didn’t just avoid offending him—they actively sought to curry favor with him. After all, Gu Qingfeng wasn’t just the disciple of a god; he was also the successor to the elixir of eternal youth.

But Gu Qingfeng, preoccupied with the looming calamity two years down the road, had little patience for pretentious pleasantries. As soon as he entered the main hall of the Demon Suppression Bureau to converse with Lin Mubai, he stated directly that he wanted authority over the Demon Suppression Prison.

His reasoning? He needed the demons and monsters imprisoned there to train himself—an assignment given to him by his master. By engaging in actual combat with these creatures, he would strengthen his skills and might even need some of the materials sourced from the monsters to forge treasures.

This caught Lin Mubai completely off guard. He had initially devised numerous schemes to prevent Gu Qingfeng from seizing control and meticulously planned to delegate him to nominal roles of limited significance.

Who could’ve guessed that Gu Qingfeng would volunteer to take charge of the Demon Suppression Prison instead?

The Demon Suppression Prison was practically the most inconsequential corner of the entire Bureau.

Lin Mubai couldn’t have been more pleased with the arrangement.

However, based on his understanding of Gu Qingfeng’s personality and the intelligence reports he had meticulously reviewed last night, Lin Mubai suspected that Gu Qingfeng’s real motive wasn’t honing himself—it was likely tied to the valuable materials obtainable from the monsters and demons.

Indeed, Lin Mubai believed Gu Qingfeng most probably intended to sell the materials for profit!

Still, none of that mattered. As long as Gu Qingfeng could be placated, even if he wiped out every demon locked up in the prison, so be it.

Half an hour later.

Gu Qingfeng finally completed the series of formalities and was granted authority over the Demon Suppression Prison, just as he wished.

The Demon Suppression Bureau's demon suppression prison is quite intriguing. It is actually a towering black spire, standing a hundred meters tall, encased entirely in pitch darkness, with countless chilling chains coiling around it. The tower and the chains are intricately etched with countless mysterious runes.

The name of the tower is the Demon Subduing Tower.

The Demon Subduing Tower consists of six layers, holding demons and monsters categorized by their strength: Internal Qi Realm, True Qi Realm, Tough Qi Realm, Master Realm, and Dragon Transformation Realm.

As for the sixth layer, it is reserved for special kinds of demons.

Just how "special" are they? Gu Qingfeng didn’t bother asking due to his tight schedule—after all, he would find out once he went up to see for himself.

The Demon Subduing Tower does not house demons from the Qi Gathering Realm, as they are too weak and hold no value.

Holding the commander's token, Gu Qingfeng stepped directly into the Demon Subduing Tower.

The commander's token grants the highest access privileges, enabling him to freely enter and exit all floors.

Lin Mubai did not assign anyone to accompany Gu Qingfeng, nor did he show the slightest concern for Gu Qingfeng’s safety. After all, Gu Qingfeng’s reputation for overcoming Dragon Transformation Realm-level foes had already spread widely.

Everyone knew he was equipped with divine protection, and since all the demons inside the Demon Subduing Tower were already subdued, the danger was minimal.

The Tower's sixth layer.

A flash of white light cut through, and Gu Qingfeng's figure appeared within.

Using the commander’s token, he had directly teleported to the sixth layer.

Since he had resolved to train seriously, it was only natural to seek out the strongest demons. Without wasting time, he headed straight for the sixth level.

As soon as Gu Qingfeng entered the sixth layer, his attention was drawn to the sight before him.

The entire sixth layer was vast and empty, save for a statue placed in the center. The statue rested atop a complex spell array filled with glowing seals, emanating beams of light connecting the ground to the tower’s apex.

The statue was firmly sealed within this magical configuration.

“Is this statue also a demon?” Gu Qingfeng furrowed his brows. At first glance, it seemed like just an object—hardly something alive.

Curious, Gu Qingfeng stepped closer to examine the statue closely.

It was a Buddha figure slightly over three meters tall, adorned with a black pearl crown. One hand rested elegantly on its chest in a pose of prayer, while the other held a jade purification vase. The statue was seated atop a pristine lotus throne, radiating a sacred aura with an air of grandeur.

“Hey, can you talk? Make a sound!” Gu Qingfeng tapped on the beam of light surrounding the statue.

Suddenly, the statue began to transform. Its stony features softened, morphing slowly into a humanoid visage. The Buddha form quivered gently, taking on the body of a human.

The statue leisurely opened its eyes, and in that moment, an infinite radiance of holy light ascended from its form—an aura akin to the descent of an authentic Buddha.

With eyes full of compassion, it gazed at Gu Qingfeng and spoke slowly, “Virtuous indeed, virtuous indeed. What brings the esteemed seeker to this place?”

Gu Qingfeng was startled by the sudden change, particularly by the solemn and dignified demeanor of the being before him, leaving him uncertain of its true nature.

Without hesitation, he asked, “Are you a Buddha or a demon?”

The statue smiled warmly, its expression kind. “Does it matter if I am Buddha or demon? Both are but illusions.”

“Stop spewing nonsense!” Gu Qingfeng grew irritated. He detested when others spoke in cryptic riddles or danced around the truth.

The old man in white he had dealt with yesterday had already tested his patience. Now, not even a training session spared him from interacting with such cryptic individuals.

Cutting to the chase, Gu Qingfeng activated his "Eyes of Breaking Illusions" to scrutinize the true essence of the entity before him.

With that single stare, he saw through the nature of the statue completely.

At this moment, what he saw before him was no longer a solemn and compassionate Buddha with a benevolent visage. Instead, it was a sinister-looking creature, its face resembling that of a malevolent ghost, shrouded in black mist, entangled in boundless karmic sins—a fiendish Buddha!

Witnessing this scene, Gu Qingfeng laughed.

"Heh heh heh... You sly bastard! Quite the act, huh? Graduated from a drama academy, did you?"

The fiendish Buddha seemed to pay no heed to Gu Qingfeng's offensive remarks and continued speaking with a smile, "Ah, dear benefactor, you are being deluded. All things in this world are but..."

Before the fiendish Buddha could finish his words, the compassionate smile on his face froze in place.

He stared dumbfoundedly at the formation seal that had imprisoned him for countless years, now slowly dissipating.

He then glanced, equally bewildered, at Gu Qingfeng, who was grinning wickedly, and an expression of confusion crept onto his face.