“Water…
I need water…
I’m about to wither away completely…”
The tree looked half gone in the head, not even acknowledging Cassian’s words.
Cassian didn’t overthink it.
He reached for his waterskin and poured the water straight at the shriveled roots.
The moment the water hit, it vanished into the cracked ground, sucked in by the broken tree in an instant.
“Got more?”
A moment later, the voice came again-clearer this time.
Cassian could feel it communicating with him.
“Plenty,” he replied with a grin.
“But mind telling me who you are?
When were you born?
And why are you locked up in here?”
“I remember being called the Willow Emperor by mortals,” the tree spirit said.
“As for why I was imprisoned…
I don’t recall.”
“You don’t remember your own crimes?
Sounds off.”
Cassian frowned.
Was this tree just too ashamed to admit what it did?
He glanced over at Bloodfiend and Crimsonlotus.
One thing he’d always been curious about-how exactly had these freaks ended up in this place?
“Don’t look at me, boss,” Bloodfiend said, hands raised.
“Zero clue why I’m locked in here.”
“Same here,” Crimsonlotus added, his tone steady.
“Feels like part of my memory got wiped clean, like someone did it on purpose.
But I do know this-everyone in this place must’ve committed some huge crime…
myself included.”
Cassian’s eyes narrowed.
Even emperor-level beings could have their memories erased and be thrown in here?
That took power on a whole different level.
“We were all severely injured,” Bloodfiend chimed in again.
“Our cultivation’s gone.
Even as Emperors, we couldn’t escape the erosion of time.
Only our minds remain.
If you hadn’t shown up, fed me that pound of essence blood, I’d be dust by now.”
Cassian glanced at the golden bone finger fused into his hand.
His brows furrowed.
“You two recognize the guy who owned this finger before me?”
Crimsonlotus shook his head.
“Before you took over, the old man barely ever stepped inside.
If he did, he ignored us completely.
No way we’d know him.”
Cassian’s face darkened.
He remembered what the old man had said before disappearing and leaving behind the golden finger-
“This place lies outside the five elements and six paths.
Not hell, not heaven…”
“It’s all the will of Heaven.
What’s locked up doesn’t matter.
What matters is that you…
are in charge here.
You are the Warden.
If you fall, the Forbidden Prison falls.
And the world will fall into chaos…”
And then the old man vanished.
Just like that.
Leaving only the finger now embedded in Cassian’s hand…
“Could there really be some deeper secret buried in this prison?”
Cassian shook his head.
No point in guessing blindly.
Strength-that’s what mattered.
So long as he kept getting stronger, the truth would reveal itself.
Still, he couldn’t help wondering-what else was locked up here?
Could there be something-or someone-even more terrifying than Bloodfiend or Crimsonlotus?
“You the new guard here?” came a curt voice.
Just then, a voice came from the tree-clear and soothing, hinting that she’d regained some clarity.
“To put it simply, I’m the one in charge of this Forbidden Prison,” Cassian stated, sounding quite sure of himself.
“Young man, would you mind helping me again?
I could use more water.”
“Getting water’s no issue, but…
well…” Cassian hesitated, a bit embarrassed to say what was on his mind.
Even if she was just a withered old stump, she was still a lady.
“I’ve got nothing to repay you with right now,” Willow Emperor said gently, her tone calm and pleasant to the ear, “But once my branches bloom again, I’ll make it up to you.”
To Cassian, she seemed far more trustworthy than Bloodfiend-at least she acted normal.
“Sure, I’m good with that,” Cassian agreed without a second thought.
“That’s just favoritism, treating women better than us,” Bloodfiend mumbled from behind his bars in mock dismay.
“I’m in a generous mood today.
Here, take it.” Cassian tossed over the sack without another word.
It landed with a hefty thud beside Bloodfiend, packed with at least twenty kilograms of spirit beast blood.
“Damn!
That much?
Hahaha, I’ve hit the jackpot!” Bloodfiend was overjoyed, breaking into wild laughter.
“Hey, buddy, next time you come in here, how about bringing a few better spirit materials for me?” Crimsonlotus asked, eyeing Bloodfiend’s good luck with a hint of jealousy.
“No problem,” Cassian replied, “But what’s in it for me?”
“You give me some materials-don’t have to be the best, even leftovers are fine-and I’ll give you a full Chaos Alchemical Codex, from first-rank all the way up to ninth,” said Crimsonlotus.
“Deal!”
Cassian accepted on the spot.
A complete codex?
That was a steal.
Crimsonlotus’s terms couldn’t be better.
“Bring your forehead closer to the gate.
I’ll pass the codex to you now,” Crimsonlotus said.
Cassian knew well how risky that was-after all, the soul core sat at the center of the forehead-but he didn’t flinch.
No one here could scare him.
If he died, they’d all get buried with him.
Crimsonlotus extended a finger and pressed it to Cassian’s brow.
In an instant, a torrent of knowledge surged into his mind: millions of combinations, materials, furnace controls, flame intensity techniques-it all fused together like instinct, searing itself into his memory.
At that moment, it all just…
clicked.
“Holy shit, I’ve made it!”
Cassian was both stunned and fired up.
In just ten breaths, he had become a ninth-rank alchemist.
How could he not be thrilled?
On the continent of Luminara, even a seventh-rank alchemist was a living legend.
Ninth-rank?
That was beyond rare.
His future looked dazzling now!
“Hey, you three done with your little chat yet?
Got a minute, kid?”
A voice echoed from cell number four.
Cassian turned toward the sound.
In the corner of that cage crouched a tall, ragged man with black hair.
Though his frame was thin as bones, he looked outright decent compared to Bloodfiend and Crimsonlotus.
At least his skin wasn’t missing.