Warning! A hidden dragon has emerged!

Above the sea.

Qin Quan stepped through the air and landed steadily beside Zhang Qingshun.

His divine sense covered the entire Penglai Three Islands, and he clearly saw the whole process of the demon being devoured and escaped by the eight-headed serpent in the palace.

"The Yamata no Orochi has swallowed the demon and escaped by sea to a place a hundred miles away."

Qin Quan spoke in a deep voice, his tone tinged with regret.

The distance was too great for him to intercept, and he could only watch helplessly as the other party escaped.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingshun's eyes widened in astonishment.

"They actually let it escape?"

"It's alright."

Qin Quan shook his head, his gaze fixed on the gloomy Penglai Immortal Island.

"Put the pursuit on hold for now; saving lives is the priority."

Yingzhou, Penglai, and Fangzhang, three fairy islands, stand in the East China Sea in a triangular shape. Their terrain is mysterious and their spiritual energy is unique, making them secluded fairylands since ancient times.

But ever since it was taken over by the demons, this place has become a hell on earth where the sun never shines.

Especially on Yingzhou Island, a broken and abandoned dragon vein lies dormant beneath the ground.

For a thousand years, the Demon Lord has been obsessed with this place, forcibly controlling all the disciples of the Penglai Immortal Sect, abducting countless mortals, and mining day and night, attempting to draw power from the broken dragon vein to restore his cultivation.

After a thousand years of digging, nothing was found.

Later, he discovered that the spiritual energy of Longhu Mountain was recovering and there were faint signs of the dragon vein awakening. He then joined forces with the Hidden Immortal Sect to forcefully ascend the mountain and severely injure Zhang Linghe. However, he found that the dragon vein was not yet mature and could only return disappointed. He planned to lie low for a while and wait for the dragon vein to mature before seizing it.

Unexpectedly, plans changed. Qin Quan arrived at Penglai ahead of schedule, shattered the Demon's clone, and forced him to the brink of death, ultimately becoming food for the Yamata no Orochi.

A demon from beyond the realm, who had lain dormant for a thousand years and plotted for half his life, ultimately met such an end.

Sad, sigh.

A moment later, Qin Quan and Zhang Qingshun set foot on Yingzhou Island.

The once lush and verdant island, shrouded in ethereal mist, is now unrecognizable.

The entire land was riddled with holes and pits, like an open-air coal yard abandoned for a hundred years. Not a blade of grass grew, and the air was deathly still. Dust filled the sky, carrying a sinister and demonic aura that made it hard to breathe.

Deep underground, thousands of people were crammed into a mine pit.

Regardless of age, they were all ragged and emaciated, like tireless puppets, gripping rusty hoes and shovels, digging frantically day and night without daring to stop for a moment.

Deep inside the mine, violent coughing sounds rang out one after another.

Jiang Boyue, his elderly body hunched over, coughed violently, his chest heaving.

Living in a harsh environment filled with dust and demonic energy year-round, his already weak lung disease worsened completely. Every movement caused excruciating pain, and his hands, gripping the hoe, trembled uncontrollably.

"Shanzi... I can't hold on any longer..."

He was breathing heavily, his voice weak and hoarse.

"If you ever have the chance, you must escape this hellhole..."

Jiang Shan, standing beside him, was covered in coal dust. He had long lost the refined and dignified demeanor of the former patriarch of a wealthy family. His body was covered in mud and grime, making him look like a lowly laborer.

The woman beside him was thin, with red eyes, silently shedding tears, not daring to make a sound.

These two people are Jiang Yao's parents, and the frail old man is Jiang Yao's grandfather, Jiang Boyue.

Once a family of high status and living a life of comfort and ease, they are now trapped here and are no different from slaves.

Let alone escaping this isolated island, even a full meal and a sip of clean water are unattainable luxuries.

"Escape? Easier said than done."

Upon hearing this, an elderly man in tattered clothes nearby let out a bitter, desperate laugh.

"The three islands of Penglai are surrounded by the sea, making it impossible to escape. My Penglai Immortal Sect has more than nine hundred disciples, each with cultivation far exceeding that of ordinary people, yet in the end, aren't they still trapped here generation after generation, mining until they die?"

He raised his hand and pointed to an elderly man with white hair not far away, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"See that white-haired old man? He's our sect leader, a Golden Core cultivator, how glorious he was! Now his cultivation has been completely sealed by evil spirits, he can only bury himself in digging and suffer bullying!"

"Old man, you sure know how to talk a lot!"

Suddenly, a sharp rebuke came from behind!

Before anyone could react, a long leather whip studded with sharp barbs lashed the old man's back!

Snapped!

The crisp crack of the whip rang out with the sound of flesh tearing apart. Blood instantly soaked through the tattered clothes, flesh turned inside out, blood splattered everywhere. The excruciating pain made the old man tremble violently, but he gritted his teeth and dared not make a sound.

"I've repeatedly told you: less talk, more work!"

The young supervisor had a sinister look in his eyes and shouted harshly.

"Anyone who dares to delay the Demon King's important matters will be captured and served as his blood sacrifice tonight!"

Upon hearing the words "blood food," everyone trembled.

Jiang Boyue, Jiang Shan, and the others turned pale instantly. They quickly lowered their heads, gripped their tools tightly, and buried themselves in mining, not even daring to look up at each other.

The old man, enduring excruciating pain, immediately turned around, forced a fawning smile onto his face, and quickly stepped forward, bowing and scraping.

"My disciple, please forgive me. It was my rudeness and indiscretion. I beg you to be magnanimous and forgive me this time."

The white-haired old man was a former elder of the Penglai Immortal Sect, and the young supervisor who took action was his disciple, Ge Hong.

Ge Hong, his face contorted with rage, looked down at his former master, his eyes filled with the satisfaction of revenge.

"If it weren't for our past relationship as master and disciple, that whip strike would have been enough to shatter your remaining soul and leave you with no place to bury your body!"

"Yes, yes, thank you for showing mercy, disciple. I am kind-hearted."

The old man nodded humbly and quickly stepped forward to massage Ge Hong's shoulders and back, his posture extremely humble.

The moment he turned around, his back was covered with a dense, layered array of shocking whip marks.

They appeared to be master and disciple, but in reality, he was a thorn in Ge Hong's side, a nail in his flesh.

Today alone, he was whipped by Ge Hong no less than ten times.

Ge Hong was originally a member of the Ge family in Lanchuan. In his youth, he was ambitious. By chance, he met an old man who was out recruiting apprentices. He mistakenly thought that he had met a reclusive master and believed that once he learned the magic of the heavens, he could return home in glory and live a carefree life.

Little did I know that the moment I set foot on Penglai Island would be the beginning of a nightmare.

The endless years of grueling mining labor in the dark and the torment of not having enough to eat completely wore down his original heart and gave rise to boundless resentment.

Once he gained power, he was chosen by the Demon King to become the overseer, and he vented all the suffering, grievances and resentment he had endured over the years on his former master.

When he was in a bad mood, he would whip his master and humiliate his master whenever he didn't like someone. Among the thousands of people in the entire mine, only the old man became his daily plaything for venting his anger.

Ge Hong glanced sideways at the obsequious old man, his tone cold and sarcastic.

"You old codger, you better live a good life and don't die easily. If you die, all my daily pleasures will be gone."

"I'm alive, and I will live well..."

The old man echoed his sentiments repeatedly, his figure so humble it seemed to be in the dust.

Ge Hong, however, let out an angry rebuke.

"Stop talking nonsense! Get back to work! If you delay the project, I'll skin you alive!"