Speedrunning the Demon Lock Tower

The Demon Sealing Tower was located in a basin, shielded by surrounding mountains—a rather remote place.

Ten floors were visible above ground, but there were twenty more hidden beneath.

The upper ten floors were merely for show; the real demons and beasts were imprisoned below.

The deeper one descended, the more powerful the creatures locked away.

However, after enduring endless torment, even the mightiest among them could no longer break free from the tower.

The Shadow Sect would never give them the chance.

Su Luo arrived with the New Heavenly Demon Sect.

Standing atop a high mountain, he pointed at the Demon Sealing Tower and declared, "Our target is there. Release all the imprisoned beasts."

"Understood."

The members of the New Heavenly Demon Sect had mostly recovered from their injuries—they were ready.

At Su Luo's command, they charged forward and launched their assault.

The Shadow Sect reacted swiftly, activating defensive formations and mobilizing their forces.

The two sides clashed.

Su Luo, however, strolled leisurely forward, his path cleared by his subordinates—no need for him to lift a finger.

Little Yu stood guard in front of him, while Nangong Xiyun and Jiang Ningshu, both cloaked in black robes, flanked him from behind.

This was the kind of entourage befitting a Demon Lord.

The Shadow Sect soon buckled under the pressure, and the Heavenly Demon Sect broke into the tower.

Having cultivated the Demon God Scripture, these warriors had grown far stronger—this insignificant tower was nothing to them.

Had the entire Shadow Sect mobilized, things might have been trickier.

Su Luo and his group entered the tower, though they had no need to intervene—their followers handled everything.

Inside, the Heavenly Demon Sect slaughtered Shadow Sect members, unlocked the cages, and pressed deeper into the lower levels.

Su Luo waited on the first floor.

Nangong Xiyun teased, "These black robes of ours are practically turning us into Left and Right Protectors."

"Can we pick a different title? That one doesn’t sound great," Jiang Ningshu muttered, recalling unpleasant associations.

"Not much choice. We haven’t revealed our identities or names."

Since they often stood by Su Luo’s side and wielded formidable power, the others naturally revered them—and bestowed titles accordingly.

"If they must call us something, just 'Black-Cloaked Lords' will do," Jiang Ningshu suggested.

Su Luo chuckled. "But there are two of you."

"Then we’ll just kick out this righteous cultivator here."

"Hmph, I’ll leave when I want to. Or I could just switch to a red robe." With that, Nangong Xiyun actually conjured a crimson cloak.

As they bantered, a spell blasted several Heavenly Demon Sect members aside.

A man stepped forward to confront Su Luo.

Wang Duanqiao—the highest-ranking overseer of the Shadow Sect’s Demon Sealing Tower.

At first, he was baffled. Why would the New Heavenly Demon Sect attack them?

They had never provoked these people.

But one thing was certain—he couldn’t let them run amok.

So here he stood.

His opening words were sharp.

"You’ve got some nerve. We’re the Shadow Sect—why are you attacking us?"

The Shadow Sect was a renowned assassination organization. He saw no reason to grovel before some upstart demonic faction.

If it were the original Heavenly Demon Sect, maybe he’d show some deference.

"I’m releasing all the beasts here."

"Impossible! We went to great lengths to capture them. You think we’ll just hand them over because you said so?"

Wang Duanqiao refused without hesitation.

Besides, what reason did Su Luo have to free these creatures?

Negotiations failed. Su Luo wasted no more words and ordered his sect to proceed.

"You think you can just ignore us?!"

Wang Duanqiao erupted, his demonic energy surging violently. He was a mid-stage Void Refinement expert.

Oh. Just mid-stage Void Refinement.

"Who’s taking him?" Jiang Ningshu asked.

"Can I just obliterate him?" Nangong Xiyun said casually.

"I’ll do it," Little Yu volunteered.

"Or me," Su Luo offered. It would take no effort.

Not a single one of them regarded Wang Duanqiao as a threat.

His face darkened. "I’m a Void Refinement cultivator! Show some respect!"

He attacked instantly, hurling a dozen black spikes—forged from rare materials, these projectiles could pierce anything.

Once, he had ambushed and killed a fellow Void Refinement expert with a single strike.

A feat he bragged about endlessly.

But before the spikes reached their targets, they twisted, warped, and clattered uselessly to the ground.

In the end, Little Yu stepped forward.

She couldn’t one-shot him, but she suppressed Wang Duanqiao effortlessly.

Soon, he lay dead.

Su Luo and the others resumed their idle chatter while waiting for their subordinates to finish the job.

Beasts fled the tower in droves, though some turned on their liberators.

The Heavenly Demon Sect, however, was no pushover.

They offered freedom—if the beasts refused and attacked, death was the answer.

Deep underground, the remaining Shadow Sect forces made a desperate last stand.

They knew their enemies were strong, but they had one final card to play.

"Behold our latest creation—Demon Qi Pills!"

Dozens of Shadow Sect members swallowed the pills, transforming into frenzied, half-beast monstrosities.

But to the Heavenly Demon Sect, this was child’s play. Their overall strength far surpassed the Shadow Sect’s.

Soon, the entire Demon Sealing Tower was liberated.

Su Luo had barely lifted a finger.

This place wasn’t even a challenge.

The freed beasts scattered—some rampaged against humans, others fled outright. The Heavenly Demon Sect didn’t stop them.

The most powerful prisoner, the Water Ape King, had been locked in the deepest level.

A late-stage Void Refinement beast, he was also the one who had devised the Demon Qi Pills.

Tortured beyond recognition, his eyes still burned with fury.

He stormed up to the first floor, seeking the man he hated most.

Only to find Wang Duanqiao already dead.

He roared—whether in satisfaction or rage, no one could tell.

Then he turned his wrath on Su Luo.

He wanted all humans dead.

"Scram."

Su Luo kicked him flying.

With that, the Demon Sealing Tower affair concluded.

Next, they would head to the Earthly Fiend Sect to retrieve someone.

The Water Ape King crashed outside, too battered to rise.

Other freed beasts carried him away.

But they didn’t get far.

Li Siyi and her Seven Stars Sword Sect disciples surrounded them.

Few of the escaped beasts managed to slip past.

"You’re not leaving yet," Li Siyi said.

The creatures, already grievously wounded, resisted—but to no avail. The Seven Stars Sword Sect’s forces were formidable.

They subdued the beasts swiftly.

Li Siyi wanted to prevent them from harming innocents, but she also didn’t wish to disrupt Su Luo’s plans.

So, she took control of the situation.

A compromise that left no one entirely dissatisfied.