"Crippled cultivation?"
Upon hearing Ye Ling's words, Xu Gui and the Great Roc Demon Saint's expressions changed drastically, their faces turning panicked.
One an eighth-grade异士 (yì shì) and the other a ninth-grade demon beast, their cultivation was the result of painstaking effort, cultivated bit by bit.
Now, Ye Ling's threat to cripple their cultivation was akin to taking their lives!
Xu Gui immediately pleaded in a panic, "I beg Senior to spare me! Once my cultivation is crippled, falling into the hands of Shu Mountain, I will surely die!"
The Great Roc Demon Saint was also full of alarm, "My lord, I am innocent. After I came out, I haven't killed anyone. I am truly innocent!"
The two begged desperately, but Ye Ling, having made his decision, no longer listened to their explanations. He directly flicked out two streams of demonic energy, injecting them into their bodies, destroying their meridians, and erasing their cultivation.
"Strength, strength..." Upon discovering their complete loss of power, Xu Gui and the Great Roc Demon Saint's faces turned ashen, their eyes losing their luster.
For them, losing their cultivation was equivalent to losing all hope of turning the tables.
Now, everything was over.
After crippling the cultivation of the two and handing them over to the current负责人 (fù zé rén) of Shu Mountain, Ye Ling found Xu Xiao Qing and asked her to lead them to the Demon Locking Tower to rescue Xu Ling Zhi and Xu Chang Sheng first.
Since they were looking for a key to Shu Mountain, the sect leader Xu Ling Zhi and the great elder Xu Chang Sheng, as the highest authorities of Shu Mountain, might know something.
"Senior, the interior of the Demon Locking Tower is an independent space. You can only enter through this teleportation gate," Xu Xiao Qing said to Ye Ling and Ye Ye as she led them to a teleportation array in front of the Demon Locking Tower.
"Hmm... this Demon Locking Tower is indeed a world of its own," Ye Ling chuckled. He scanned the interior of the Demon Locking Tower with his divine soul and found it completely hollow, empty of anything.
Shu Mountain's Demon Locking Tower was merely a base point connected to another space. All the great demons imprisoned in the Demon Locking Tower were suppressed in that other space.
Xu Xiao Qing smiled and explained, "I heard from my senior brothers that the Demon Locking Tower was actually used to suppress great demons before. At that time, those great demons were all confined within the Demon Locking Tower."
"However, confining a group of great demons in one tower often led to them fighting each other, easily causing riots. Moreover, a large number of great demons gathered in a confined space would also cause demonic energy to leak out, frequently attracting a horde of demons."
"Later, to avoid this problem, the ancient sages joined forces to open up a space specifically for suppressing great demons captured from various places."
"Since those great demons are suppressed in another space, as long as there is no specific incantation, even if they can tear through space, they will only get lost in the spatial turbulence."
"With an independent space as a prison, no matter how strong those great demons are, once they are locked in, they cannot escape. It is precisely because of this that the safety of the Demon Locking Tower has greatly increased, and Shu Mountain has maintained that space ever since."
Hearing Xu Xiao Qing's explanation, Ye Ling nodded with a serious expression, then asked, "Indeed, opening up a dedicated space to imprison demons can ensure safety."
"But the resources required to maintain such a space are immeasurable. With Shu Mountain's current capacity, where do you get the resources?"
Xu Xiao Qing was stunned, stumped by Ye Ling's question.
She had never thought about this matter and could only say, "I, I don't know..."
Seeing Xu Xiao Qing's bewildered look, Ye Ling also chuckled, "I doubt a little girl like you would know about such matters. Lead us in to take a look and assess the situation first."
As Shu Mountain's most important forbidden area, the Demon Locking Tower must hide the information Ye Ling sought.
Ye Ling was confident of this.
"Oh, oh... I will activate the teleportation array for you two seniors!"
Hearing Ye Ling's command, Xu Xiao Qing nodded repeatedly, not daring to say anything else. She quickly recited an incantation, activating the teleportation array.
Soon, the teleportation array beneath Xu Xiao Qing's feet lit up, and a trace of peculiar spiritual energy flashed through Xu Xiao Qing's body.
"Brother..."
Ye Ye noticed the anomaly in Xu Xiao Qing's body and looked at Ye Ling, a hint of a strange meaning flashing in her eyes.
Ye Ling calmly said, "I know. Let's go in and see first."
Xu Xiao Qing, standing in front, was unaware that Ye Ling and Ye Ye had focused their attention on her. After activating the teleportation array, she turned and said to Ye Ling and Ye Ye, "Alright seniors, we can depart now."
"Yes, let's go in."
Ye Ling smiled and nodded, as if nothing had happened, and walked into the teleportation array with Ye Ye, teleporting to another space.
...
Demon Locking Tower, Inner Space.
The surroundings were extremely gloomy and pitch black, with frequent roars of demonic beasts.
Xu Xiao Qing led Ye Ling and Ye Ye to a teleportation platform, facing a corridor that stretched out of sight.
On both sides of the corridor were prison cells, housing various great demons. Their oppressive aura was chilling, making one feel uncomfortable all over.
Upon arriving in this space and seeing the surroundings, a trace of fear involuntarily flashed in Xu Xiao Qing's eyes.
Seeing Xu Xiao Qing's expression, Ye Ling couldn't help but ask, "You haven't been here before?"
Xu Xiao Qing shook her head fearfully, "This place imprisons extremely wicked demons, including great demons with thousands or even tens of thousands of years of cultivation. My senior brothers never let me near here."
"Generally, only elders are qualified to enter the Demon Locking Tower. This is my first time coming in."
Ye Ling said, "That's really putting you in a difficult spot."
Xu Xiao Qing repeatedly shook her head, "No, no, no! It's not difficult for me! It's my honor to guide you two seniors! How can you say it's difficult?"
"You two seniors saved Shu Mountain... I am already very happy to be able to do something for you two seniors."
Seeing Xu Xiao Qing's adorable appearance, Ye Ye's maternal instincts surged, and she immediately hugged Xu Xiao Qing into her arms, "Alright, silly girl, my brother was just teasing you! Don't mind him, follow me next!"
"With your sister Ye Ye protecting you, no great demon here can harm you!"
"Pre, senior..."
Xu Xiao Qing smelled the fragrance from Ye Ye and heard her words, her pretty face blushed, and her mind went blank.
For some reason, Xu Xiao Qing felt a strange attraction from Ye Ye. That temperament was different from Ye Ling's dignity, and it was quite attractive.
After being hugged by Ye Ye, Xu Xiao Qing's affection for Ye Ye suddenly grew!
"Xiao Ye, that's enough."
Ye Ling said to Ye Ye with some helplessness, surprised that Ye Ye, already at the True Martial realm, was still trying to seduce a young girl in her teens.
With Ye Ye's charm techniques, how could Xu Xiao Qing resist?
"I know, brother!" Ye Ye stuck out her tongue at Ye Ling, then pushed Ye Ling with her hands, walking down the teleportation platform, "Brother, you go ahead and clear the path, I'll follow with Xiao Qing!"
"In this Demon Locking Tower, I can sense a not-weak aura!"