Chapter 4573

“Ah, only a hundred? Uncle Qian is getting stingier by the day!” The youngest sister pouted in disappointment before turning to Kai.

“Can you lend me a purple-gold spirit coin? I want to visit my brother and bribe the guards so he’ll suffer less,” she asked hesitantly.

“How much?” Kai inquired.

The youngest sister hesitated briefly before gritting her teeth. “Five will do.”

“I’ll give you ten,” Kai said, tossing her ten purple-gold spirit coins.

Her face lit up with joy as she eagerly pocketed the coins. “Thank you!” she exclaimed, leading Kai straight toward the prison.

The prison in Beast City was located in the southwestern part of the city. Since flying was prohibited, they had to walk for over an hour to reach it.

When they arrived, Kai noticed that the area around the prison was barren, with no buildings in sight. The entire prison was enveloped in a thick white mist that obscured its interior.

The youngest sister guided Kai through the mist until they found the prison entrance.

“Stop!” a deep voice bellowed.

A tall monk clad in silver armor emerged from the mist, a long sword in his hand. The guard, standing over eight feet tall with broad shoulders and a stocky frame, looked like an immovable mountain. His face was rough and stern, and Kai could sense the faint aura of a Mahayana Realm cultivator emanating from him.

Kai was startled. Are all the prison guards Mahayana Realm cultivators? Isn’t that overkill?

“Captain Zhou, it’s me!” the youngest sister called out, waving at the guard.

The monk looked down at her and smirked. “Ah, youngest sister. Here to see your brother again?”

“Yes, I am,” she replied, pulling out the ten purple-gold spirit coins Kai had given her and offering them to Captain Zhou.

The captain glanced at the coins before shoving them back into her hand.

The youngest sister blinked in surprise, her expression shifting to one of embarrassment. “Captain Zhou, this is all I have. Please, can’t you make an exception?”

Captain Zhou’s smile faded as his expression turned icy. “The inspections have been strict lately. If you don’t have enough, don’t bother coming.”

With that, he turned and left.
Captain Zhou began to turn away, preparing to leave.

“Captain Zhou, wait! I have five more. I’ll give them to you—this is all I have left!” The youngest sister hastily produced her last five purple-gold spirit coins.

After accepting the fifteen coins, Captain Zhou glanced at them briefly and said, “Fine. Come with me.”

He led Kai and the youngest sister inside.

After passing through a long corridor, they finally entered the prison courtyard.

The first thing Kai noticed was a towering ancient tree standing at the center of the yard. The tree emanated faint waves of energy that hinted at its mysterious nature. Unable to use his spiritual sense in this place, Kai could only observe with his eyes. Judging by its appearance, the ancient tree must have been tens of thousands of years old.

“You know the drill. Go on your own and follow the rules,” Captain Zhou said to the youngest sister.

“I understand, Captain Zhou, I promise! I’ll leave before an incense stick burns out and won’t wander or cause trouble,” the youngest sister assured him, nodding quickly.

“Good,” Captain Zhou replied curtly before walking away.

The youngest sister then guided Kai to an entrance and began descending a dimly lit corridor.

The passage was damp, with walls lined with intricate, sprawling tree roots. As they walked, Kai couldn’t help but wonder why this prison was built around the ancient tree and why the tree was enclosed within its center.

After walking some distance, rows of cells came into view. Each cell was fortified with formations designed to prevent the prisoners from escaping.

“Brother…” the youngest sister called softly as she stopped in front of one of the cells.

From within, a man’s voice responded with a mixture of excitement and desperation. Pushing aside his long, disheveled hair to reveal his face, he looked at her with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Sister, you’ve finally come! Are you here to get me out? Please, take me out of here! I’ll die if I stay in this place any longer,” he cried bitterly.

Kai observed the man closely. He was emaciated, his skin sallow, and his spirit completely drained. It was clear that his spiritual power had been nearly exhausted.