"It's the Foundation Establishment stage…"
"Damn it, the ritual isn't finished yet — we're doomed!!"
The remaining Longevity Cult members froze in horror.
But before any of them could react, countless sword beams rained down — cold, merciless, and blinding — harvesting them like wheat beneath a farmer's blade.
Their screams didn't even last a heartbeat.
"Roooar—!!"
Faint beastly roars rumbled from deep beneath the earth.
Liang Xiao's brows furrowed. What was that…?
And then — three terrifying figures appeared out of the air.
They didn't stop. They didn't speak.
They simply rushed straight past him, vanishing down toward the lower levels of the prison in a blur so fast his eyes couldn't even track them.
A chill rippled down Liang Xiao's spine.
Foundation Establishment cultivators… so strong!
Even from afar, their presence alone crushed the air around him, pressing down like invisible mountains.
But that roar… that sound of beasts in the depths — what was it?
A strange unease flickered in his chest.
There's… something sealed beneath this prison.
He exhaled slowly, forcing his mind to steady.
Thankfully, I've already used up all my Qi-Gathering Pills. If no one had come soon, I'd have been the next corpse on this floor.
Still, the thought nagged at him — had he killed anyone innocent in that frenzy?
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Liang Xiao!"
Captain Huang appeared amid the wreckage. His eyes swept the ruined floor, instantly locking onto Liang Xiao in the crowd.
Seeing the young man unharmed, he exhaled in relief.
Then his gaze fell upon the carnage — and his pupils contracted sharply.
The metallic stench of blood was suffocating.
Bodies — mangled, dismembered, vaporized — littered the shattered cafeteria.
How many people… died here?
Other law enforcement officers arrived seconds later. The moment they stepped inside —
"Holy crap… is this hell?"
"It looks like a frontline battlefield!"
"How many— how many people died here?!"
Their faces turned pale as they scanned the room.
What truly unsettled them wasn't just the number of corpses… but their state.
Limbs torn apart. Heads missing. Organs splattered.
Some corpses were nothing but crimson pulp.
It looked like a meat grinder of demons.
Captain Huang barked out crisp orders:
"Clean up the area. Record every casualty and damage report. No mistakes."
Then he turned toward Liang Xiao, his tone lowering.
"It seems you're not badly hurt. You've got bad luck, kid. I wanted to bring you in for refuge, and you ended up walking into a battlefield instead."
He sighed. "Still, that's my oversight. You're alive — that's what matters."
The surrounding prisoners glanced at each other, whispering in disbelief.
Liang Xiao scratched his head awkwardly, speechless.
The thrill of his earlier slaughter had cooled — replaced by the awkward weight of consequence.
What will the Federation think?
Sure, he'd fought in self-defense. Sure, most of those he'd killed were likely Longevity Cult members.
But… there were so many of them.
Could that really all be justified?
Captain Huang frowned, sensing something deeper.
Just then, a surviving jailer stumbled over, his face pale.
"Captain Huang! Those members of the Longevity Cult… they initiated the 'Minor Longevity' ritual on him! Almost every prisoner on this floor was killed by him!"
"What?!"
Captain Huang's voice cracked — genuine shock flashing across his face.
Even the law enforcement officers behind him stared at Liang Xiao like they were seeing a ghost.
A first-level Qi Refining cultivator… killed all of them?
"Captain," the jailer added quickly, "most of the surveillance equipment's still working — you can verify it yourself!"
Liang Xiao looked uneasy.
"Captain Huang, what I did… that should count as self-defense, right?"
Captain Huang drew in a slow, deep breath, studying him — and couldn't hide the disbelief in his eyes.
"If the footage is real… then, kid — you're about to make a fortune."
"...Huh?"
Liang Xiao blinked.
He had no idea that killing Longevity Cult members carried huge rewards.
Of course — it all depended on proving that those slaughtered were cultists.
Captain Huang suddenly smiled faintly and handed something over.
A sleek ID card, embossed with an emblem of hands lifting the earth.
"This is your Glory Citizen ID card."
"From this moment on, you are a Citizen of Honor. Remember — this card is both a right and an obligation."
Liang Xiao's heart skipped a beat.
He hurriedly accepted the card with both hands, his voice trembling slightly.
"Thank you, Captain Huang! I… I understand."
"Good."
Captain Huang nodded.
"Come with me. You'll be released from the prison, but for now, stay inside the Law Enforcement Department until everything's settled."
"Alright."
Minutes later, Liang Xiao emerged from the underground darkness.
He was taken to a luxury suite within the Enforcement building — a place worlds apart from the squalid cell he'd just left.
Captain Huang gestured around the room.
"Everything here's top-grade. Phones are new, unopened — yours to keep. Spiritual energy's rich here too; it won't hinder your cultivation."
He added calmly, "Don't worry about the Longevity Cult. Unless they can break through the city's defensive formation, they'll never dare step into this department."
"Got it," Liang Xiao replied, nodding.
When Captain Huang left, Liang Xiao finally exhaled — deeply.
The silence felt almost sacred.
He glanced around the extravagant suite, the soft bed, the glowing spiritual lamps.
Compared to his old home, this was an emperor's palace.
But he didn't linger. He went straight to the bathroom.
Steam rose around him as he washed away the blood.
That's when he noticed it.
"My wound… it's almost healed?"
He stared at his shoulder — the gash had already scabbed over.
"No wonder it doesn't hurt anymore. I'd almost forgotten I was injured…"
He grinned faintly.
"It seems my physique's stronger than I thought."
Scrubbing himself clean, he stepped out, collapsed onto the soft bed, and held up the Glory Citizen ID card to the light.
His heart pounded.
"So this is… the Honor Citizen ID card."
He whispered it aloud — as if testing whether it was real.
"After ten years in this world… I finally made it."
This wasn't just a card.
It was a ticket to the upper class — a climb from the slums straight into the light.
He smiled to himself — and before long, exhaustion overtook him.
For the first time in years, Liang Xiao fell asleep without fear.
Three Hours Later
The three Foundation Establishment experts returned from the depths, their robes torn, expressions grim.
Whatever they had faced below had drained them.
At the same time, Captain Huang received the casualty report from his subordinates.
He skimmed the tablet — and suddenly froze.
His chair screeched as he stood.
"Are you sure this data is correct?"
The officer opposite him swallowed hard.
"Captain, yes. It's unbelievable, but it's verified. We recovered all surveillance footage from the first floor."
Captain Huang said nothing.
He took the tablet and personally reviewed the video.
For a long time, he stood there — silent — as the screen replayed the massacre.
When it ended, he drew in a long breath.
This can't be hidden anymore.
Liang Xiao's talent… was terrifying.
Even the Longevity Cult had deemed him worthy of a Minor Longevity ritual — the greatest acknowledgment of potential there could be.
This kind of genius couldn't be left without a powerful protector.
Captain Huang turned on his heel and hurried upstairs.
He had to find someone higher — someone who could shield this youth from what was coming.
Moments later, he stood outside a door.
Before he could knock—
"Little Huang? Come in."
A weary voice echoed from inside.
Captain Huang stepped in quickly and saluted.
At the desk sat Yan Lun, one of the two deputy ministers of the Changlin City Law Enforcement Department — a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Yan Lun glanced up.
"You look anxious. Has something happened again?"
Without a word, Captain Huang handed him the tablet.
Yan Lun accepted it casually — expecting routine paperwork.
But after a few seconds of watching, his eyes widened.
He abruptly stood up, disbelief etched across his face.
"The 'Minor Immortality' ritual? And… this data — is it genuine?!"
Captain Huang nodded.
"Over ninety percent verified, sir. The remaining ten is just… disbelief. Even my subordinates couldn't believe what they saw."
Yan Lun took a slow, heavy breath. His eyes gleamed faintly.
"Come on," he said at last. "Let's go see the minister."