Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

"If it weren't for his 'all-out help,' how could I have succeeded so smoothly?"
This 'friendship' is truly touching! It seems that in all the realms, there is no better 'friend' than Gu Yang!

He decided that he must cherish this hard-won "deep friendship" from now on.

On the way back to the Heavenly Court, Lin Zhu calmed down for once and carefully examined his own condition.

His consciousness sank into his body, and he clearly sensed that his realm had been stabilized at the Great Luo Golden Immortal Perfection level, his magical power was as vast as the sea, and his primordial spirit was as solid as a substance.

However, there seemed to be a thin but resilient membrane separating him from the mysterious and profound realm of a half-step quasi-saint. With a slight thought, he realized the key point—he still needed about 300,000 units of merit and vows to trigger an opportunity to try and break through that threshold.

His gaze shifted to the magical treasure he possessed, and even he himself couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. The Heavenly Treasure [God-Slaying Spear] was naturally his trump card, its murderous aura soaring to the heavens, enough to make even gods and Buddhas tremble.

In addition, the Xuanyuan Sword, the Hetu Luoshu, the Twelve-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, the Qingyun Golden Lamp, and the Dou Ri Luo Net, among other top-grade innate spiritual treasures, shone brightly, each with its own unique uses.

There are also acquired treasures and spiritual treasures such as the Seven Treasures Tree and the Immortal-Slaying and God-Slaying Sword, a variety that would make any powerful being envious.

The core cultivation technique he practices is the [Nine Revolutions Pangu True Body Technique], which points directly to the Great Dao. He has now cultivated it to the fifth revolution, making his physical body incomparably strong, and ordinary magic weapons can hardly harm him.

As for magical arts and supernatural powers, they are numerous, including [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm], [Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends], [Rainbow Transformation Technique], [Five-Colored Divine Light], [Universe in the Sleeve], and so on, which can be used at will.

Thinking of magical treasures, the scene of Gu Yang fighting bloody battles with the two fire dragons on Fire Ling Mountain involuntarily appeared in his mind.

Lin Zhu stroked his chin and muttered to himself.

"Speaking of which... those two fire dragons were indeed powerful, but if I were to use the Xuanyuan Sword, upholding the righteous spirit of humanity and suppressing the fire demons, it shouldn't be too difficult to defeat them... Alas, it's a pity that Fellow Daoist Gu Yang fought so hard, even losing his hair and being covered in injuries..."

He thought about it again and found another reason for himself.

"But judging from his frenzied state at the time, he seemed to really enjoy the feeling of punches landing and bloodshed in battle? Perhaps this is the combat aesthetics of their demon race? Oh well, since he's finished fighting, I don't need to think about it anymore."

Putting this minor "regret" behind her back, Lin Zhu began to happily tally up the biggest gains of the trip—the massive amount of pills that Gu Yang had "worked hard for."

He first tried using a jade bucket that looked quite large to hold the pills, but when he poured the pills in, it filled up instantly and even overflowed.

He had no choice but to switch to a white jade bathtub that he usually used for bathing and which was engraved with a spatial array, which was barely enough to hold all the pills.

Inside the bathtub, various pills shimmered with light and were filled with medicinal vapors, almost transforming into a tangible spiritual mist.

The vast majority of them are of the highest quality, exuding an alluring luster and a refreshing fragrance.

There are many varieties.

There are [Divine Spirit Pills] and [Spirit-Strengthening Pills] that can enhance an immortal's cultivation and solidify their foundation;
There is a [Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill] that can revive the dead and heal the wounded, and it is also effective for mortals;
There is a [Nine-Turn Great Luo Golden Pill] that can help Taiyi Golden Immortals break through bottlenecks and advance to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm in one fell swoop;
There is a [Nine-Turn Taiyi Golden Pill] that can greatly enhance the magical power of a Taiyi Golden Immortal;
There's also the [Mortal Berserk Pill], whose effects are unknown but sounds incredibly exciting;
The [Demon King Pill] can enlighten demonic beasts and help them awaken their intelligence and advance to the level of Demon King;
And the most abundant of all, the [Ten Thousand Year Cultivation Pill], which can directly increase an immortal's cultivation by ten thousand years!
The variety is astonishing, the quantity is staggering, and the value is immeasurable.

"Oh, right," Lin Zhu suddenly remembered.

"There's only one failed product left, that [Five Poisons of Good and Evil]..."

A strange smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"It has already been eaten by Fellow Daoist Gu Yang without even waiting."

I wonder how his mental recovery is going? Sigh, let me mourn for my good friend who may have gone mad.

He observed a moment of silence for 0.01 seconds without any sincerity.

Carrying this vast resource of medicinal pills, enough to shake the entire Heavenly Court, Lin Zhu quietly returned to his lair—the Star Palace.

He had just piled the pills up in the side hall like beans when Fairy Ni Chang arrived. When she saw the countless pills piled up like a mountain, radiating light and exuding a fragrance that seemed to condense into clouds, she was completely stunned. Her rosy lips gaped open, and she was speechless for a long time.

Especially when she saw those few [Nine-Turn Great Luo Golden Pills] that exuded a unique Dao rhythm and shone with golden light, a hint of understanding flashed in her beautiful eyes. She raised her slender jade finger, pointed at those golden pills, and spoke with a tone that was both certain and reproachful.

"Lord Prison God...you, did you go to the South China Sea again? Or to a place related to the South China Sea...?"

She clearly remembered that Lin Zhu had also "reaped a great harvest" when he returned from the South China Sea last time.

Lin Zhu chuckled, offering no explanation, but instead cast a charming wink at Fairy Ni Chang, his eyes filled with a certain hint.

Having spent so much time with him, how could the Fairy of Rainbow Robes not understand the meaning behind that look?
Her pretty face flushed instantly, her heart pounded like a deer's, and she instinctively wanted to turn around and escape from this "dangerous" place.

"I...I'll go make tea for you, sir!"

However, today is different.

Lin Zhu is now at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and his strength is more than a hundred times greater than before.
With a slight movement, he appeared behind Fairy Ni Chang as if by teleportation, and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

"What are you running for?"

Lin Zhu's deep, magnetic voice rang in her ear, tinged with a hint of teasing.

"I have gone through countless hardships to return. Doesn't the fairy want to reward me properly?"

The fairy in the rainbow robes trembled slightly as she felt the intense heat and the vast, abyss-like aura emanating from the solid chest behind her. Although she possessed the cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal, she was powerless to resist at this moment.

Moreover, faced with Lin Zhu's unparalleled handsome face and his domineering yet gentle attitude, her defenses were rapidly crumbling.

"You...you let me go...you bad guy..."

The Fairy in Rainbow Robes struggled symbolically for a few moments, but her voice grew softer and softer, carrying a hint of coquettishness. In the end, she nestled softly in Lin Zhu's arms, losing all her resistance.

Lin Zhu laughed loudly, picked up Fairy Ni Chang around the waist, and strode towards the inner hall.

For the next few days and nights, the arrays inside and outside the Star Palace were activated, cutting off all prying eyes. Only the faint sounds of celestial music and enchanting atmosphere indicated what was happening inside the palace.

With his strength a hundred times greater than when he was in Beiju Luzhou, Lin Zhu thoroughly "bullied" the fairy who cared for him day and night.

I don’t know how long it took before the clouds and rain stopped.

Lin Zhu held the fairy Ni Chang, whose skin was flushed pink and whose eyes were sparkling, in his arms, but his face showed a sorrowful expression. "Ni Chang, I am guilty, I need to repent."

Lin Zhu's tone was filled with deep remorse.

The fairy in the rainbow robes leaned lazily against him, and upon hearing this, she raised her eyes and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Why do you say this, sir?"

"Whenever I think of my dearest friend, Fellow Daoist Guyang..."

Lin Zhu said with great distress.

"To help me, he risked his life, poured his heart and soul into it, and even nearly perished! Look, he gave me so many precious elixirs. This kindness is as high as the mountains and as deep as the sea. How can I not feel guilty? My conscience is tormented!"

Although Fairy Ni Chang felt that Lin Zhu's "guilt" came a bit suddenly and strangely, she still gently comforted him.

"Since you feel guilty, then you can make it up to him properly when the opportunity arises. I suppose that fellow Daoist Gu Yang truly considers you a friend, which is why he has gone to such lengths to help you."

"Compensation? Yes! The fairy is right!"

Lin Zhu's eyes lit up, as if he had found a way out.

"I have to make it up to him! Next time I see him, I'll definitely give him more... job opportunities! Yes! I'll give him more opportunities to shine for me... uh, for our shared cause, so that I can repay his deep affection!"

As he was plotting how to "compensate" for Gu Yang's "good fortune" in the future—

"Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!"

Outside the Star Palace, a series of extremely urgent, even somewhat anxious, knocks came from the door, like a sudden rain pounding on a banana leaf, instantly breaking the tranquility and enchanting atmosphere inside the palace, and interrupting Lin Zhu's subsequent thoughts.

Lin Zhu's brows furrowed instantly, and the hint of "guilt" on her face was replaced by displeasure.

He was immersed in the joy of his harvest and the struggle of his conscience, enjoying the tenderness with the beauty. How pleasant it was! Who was the blind fool who dared to disturb his peace at this time?

He was very displeased, convinced that someone was being tactless and had come to bother him.

The fairy in the rainbow dress was also startled by the urgent knocking. She gently nudged Lin Zhu and said softly.

"Sir, there seems to be an urgent matter outside. You should go and take a look."

Lin Zhu curled her lip, looking disdainful, and said lazily.

"What urgent matter could there be? It's probably just some trivial matter from the Heavenly Prison, or some ignorant celestial official has broken another heavenly rule. Is it worth all this panic?"

Although he said that, under the gentle urging gaze of Fairy Ni Chang, he reluctantly let go of the arm around the beauty, slowly got up, casually put on an outer robe, and walked towards the gate of Star Palace with the displeasure of being interrupted.

As soon as I stepped out of the palace gate, I saw a scene of reprimanding.

Bifang, the loyal subordinate, was seen glaring angrily at two enormous, fierce-looking demons who were now cowering like quails, and he shouted at them.

Those two great demons were none other than the Primordial Great Demon Kings, the Ancient Sky Eagle and the Abyss Golden Turtle, who were subdued by Lin Zhu and stationed to guard the Nine-Layer Heavenly Prison!

The sharp eyes of the Primordial Sky Eagle were now filled with suppressed humiliation and resentment, yet it dared not refute, and could only stare intently at the ground. The Abyss Golden Turtle had its head completely retracted into its massive shell, leaving only a small edge sticking out, and dared not even breathe.

"what happened?!"

Lin Zhu frowned and asked in a deep voice.

His initial displeasure at being disturbed quickly transformed into a sense of foreboding upon seeing this scene. Unless something truly terrible had happened, Bifang would never have been so enraged, and these two unruly demon kings would never have acted this way.

When Bi Fang saw Lin Zhu come out, he quickly turned around, his face filled with shame and anxiety, and bowed to report.

"Master! You've finally come out! Something terrible has happened! The Heavenly Prison... the most dangerous prisoner in the Heavenly Prison, Tantuo Dizang, he... he's escaped!"

"what?!"

Even though Lin Zhu was somewhat prepared, she was still shocked when she heard the news, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face!

Nine-story prison!

That's a top-tier prison recognized throughout the Three Realms!

Based on the power of the twenty-sixth heaven where it resides, it sets up layers of restrictions and gathers the majesty of the Heavenly Court to suppress!

Ordinary immortals would find it difficult to even move if they were imprisoned there. True immortals and golden immortals would have their cultivation suppressed so severely that they would be just like mortals!

Even a Taiyi Golden Immortal can only barely maintain their own immortality!
Even if a Great Luo Golden Immortal were imprisoned there, it would be extremely difficult to escape without special means or external assistance, and over time, it could even endanger their life!

Although Natanga Dizang was a late-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal and a prominent figure under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, according to common sense, being imprisoned deep within the Nine Heavens Prison and suppressed by the power of the Twenty-Six Heavens, it was absolutely impossible for him to break free from his restraints and escape through layers of restrictions on his own!

Unless... there is energy far exceeding that of an ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal, which can be received from the outside and precisely seize the extremely brief, almost negligible "lifting" gap when the power of the Twenty-Sixth Heaven is in operation, and work together from the inside and outside, there is no chance of creating a glimmer of hope!
Those who can accurately grasp that fleeting opportunity and have the ability to shake the Heavenly Prison's restrictions from the outside must be at least at the level of a half-step Quasi-Saint!
Just as Lin Zhu was analyzing the various possibilities, the Ancient Sky Eagle, which had been looking down with its head full of humiliation, suddenly raised its head and his voice was filled with resentment and a trace of fear as it hissed.

"Lord Prison God! Not long ago, the messenger of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Treasure Goddess, came to the Heavenly Prison under the pretext of visiting!"
Shortly after she left, an extremely powerful aura suddenly erupted from Natantaka Ksitigarbha, and he actually... he actually broke through to the half-step Quasi-Saint realm! Then... then he forcibly tore apart the prison's restrictions, injured the guards, and escaped!

A celestial maiden from the Treasure Realm visits? Dantuo Ksitigarbha suddenly advances to the level of a half-step Quasi-Saint?

A cold glint flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes. The timing of these two events was so close that it could not be a coincidence!

He could be fairly certain that the Treasure Goddess had brought some kind of heaven-defying treasure or secret technique that could allow someone to instantly break through their bottleneck, and had given it to Dantuo Dizang under the guise of visiting him!

However, within the Heavenly Prison, spiritual energy is blocked, and the rules of Heaven are isolated and distorted, making it completely unsuitable for cultivation, let alone breaking through realms!
Under such circumstances, it would have been absolutely impossible for Dantuo Dizang to achieve any success in his cultivation, let alone break through to the half-step quasi-saint realm, which even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would find difficult to reach!

"Forced initiation? Or the use of some forbidden inherited secret technique?"

Lin Zhu sneered inwardly. (End of Chapter)