BOOM!!!
A thunderous explosion rang out!
"How… how is this possible…?"
Shi Dong spat blood as he was kicked flying, smashing straight through the massive gate that led deeper into the prison.
Bang!
As Shi Dong collapsed to the ground, many of the guards inside the prison were completely stunned.
"Who is this guy?!"
"How can he be this strong? Shi Dong is the strongest guard of the first level!"
"A Sixth-Order Sacred Body at the minor completion stage—he couldn't even block a single kick?!"
…
The guards froze in place.
For a moment, no one dared to step forward.
Whoosh!
Without wasting a second, Handsome Sanji shot forward and charged straight inside!
"Hm?"
The instant he entered deeper into the prison, Handsome Sanji couldn't help but feel shocked.
This prison…
It was ridiculously huge!
Deep within Ten Thousand Beasts Prison lay a colossal vertical abyss!
Along the walls of this abyss were layer upon layer of circular corridors, each level imprisoning hundreds—if not thousands—of inmates.
Suspended in midair at the center of the abyss were enormous cages, each containing massive non-human creatures!
"My intent… tell me!"
"Where is the little princess who needs rescuing?"
Handsome Sanji murmured softly as his gaze swept the surroundings.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
In the next instant, within Handsome Sanji's field of vision, AWSL[1] Intent transformed into dozens of heart-shaped arrows, all pointing straight down toward the very bottom of the abyss.
"I get it!"
"I'm coming!!!"
Without hesitation, Handsome Sanji leapt into the void, repeatedly using Moon Step in midair to accelerate downward!
After descending nearly three thousand meters, Handsome Sanji finally saw the bottom of the abyss.
At its deepest point lay a terrifying, enormous vortex.
The vortex was formed by countless dark green chains, spiraling endlessly!
Looking closer, every single chain was actually made up of entangled dark-green tentacle-like appendages!
Sinister beyond belief!
At the very center of this massive vortex sat a square-shaped box.
The box was covered in black spikes, grotesque and menacing.
Within Handsome Sanji's vision, all ninety-nine heart-shaped arrows pointed directly at this black square box.
"Inside there?"
"You sick bastard… locking a fragile little girl in a place like this?!"
Handsome Sanji's anger exploded as he charged straight toward the box!
"!"
But at that exact moment—
A sudden attack struck!
A blow descended from the air, slamming into Handsome Sanji and blasting him straight into the ground!
"Pugh—!"
Even while wearing the Divine Artifact: Neptune Armor, Handsome Sanji spat blood.
Lowering his head, he saw—
a massive crack had formed on the Neptune Armor.
"Hm?"
"He's still alive?"
A voice sounded, clearly surprised that Handsome Sanji had survived.
"So…"
Handsome Sanji's expression darkened as he looked up.
"You're the boss here?"
The aura emanating from the figure before him was terrifying beyond measure!
"That's right!"
"I am the Warden of Ten Thousand Beasts Prison!"
"One of the Four Heavenly Kings under Human Emperor Gu Aotian!"
"Thousand-Bone Bolun!"
As the figure revealed himself, even Handsome Sanji was taken aback.
Half of this being's body was composed almost entirely of bones!
And those bones clearly did not belong to a single species—
they were formed from the skeletal remains of nearly a thousand different beasts, forcibly fused together!
"You're wearing some very interesting armor,"
Thousand-Bone Bolun said coldly.
"This is the first time I've ever seen craftsmanship like that."
"Little darling, this Neptune Armor has already been modified by me. It can perfectly unleash your full strength.
However—while this armor is extraordinarily tough, forged through ten thousand years of crushing pressure in the deep sea…"
"To put it simply, ordinary Nascent Soul–level cultivators cannot damage it in the slightest!"
"But if one day you encounter someone who can actually crack this Neptune Armor… then, little darling, you must run!"
"Because such an existence is someone you can never defeat."
…
Those words from the Siren Queen suddenly echoed in Handsome Sanji's mind.
"..."
Handsome Sanji knew it clearly—
if he ran now, he still had time.
The Neptune Armor was a true Divine Artifact.
Even with a crack, it could still be repaired.
But if he continued fighting…
He might lose everything.
However, Handsome Sanji's gaze shifted.
He glanced once more at the square black box, then slowly stood up.
He skillfully lit a cigarette.
"I will defeat you…"
"And I will save her."
Handsome Sanji spoke each word clearly.
"Heh."
"My strength is already enough to contend for the title of Human Emperor,"
Thousand-Bone Bolun sneered.
"The power of a Seventh-Order Sacred Body at great completion is something a junior like you will never comprehend in your entire life!"
"..."
A brief silence followed.
The next instant—
Both sides struck at the same time!
"Ultimate Demon Wind Kick!!!"
Handsome Sanji didn't hesitate for even a moment.
He unleashed every explosive technique he had, his kick slamming directly into Thousand-Bone Bolun's face!
"Completely meaningless resistance!"
Thousand-Bone Bolun's body merely trembled slightly.
He then counterattacked with a casual backhand strike, smashing straight into Handsome Sanji's torso!
BANG!
The Divine Artifact: Neptune Armor shattered instantly!
Handsome Sanji's bones cracked throughout his entire body.
He spat out a massive mouthful of blood and was violently slammed into the ground.
"Guards!"
"Use Soul-Seizing Hooks to pierce his meridians—both hands and both feet! Lock him up!"
"Yes!"
Soon, several guards clad in black thorned battle armor, their auras completely different from the upper-level guards, stepped forward and dragged Handsome Sanji away.
"Hm?"
After Handsome Sanji was taken, Thousand-Bone Bolun suddenly felt his vision blur.
A faint sweetness rose in his throat.
"!"
He reached up and touched his mouth—
On his finger appeared a trace of dark green blood.
"…He actually injured me?"
Thousand-Bone Bolun was genuinely shocked.
That strange human youth…
He had managed to hurt him?
Was it because of that armor?
No.
The armor's power was indeed formidable—but it could not possibly injure him.
That was a limitation inherent to the armor itself.
The maximum power of that armor was only equivalent to a Sixth-Order Sacred Body at great completion.
Which meant—
"That strange brat… possesses some kind of power capable of piercing the defenses of a Seventh-Order Sacred Body?"
Even Thousand-Bone Bolun was shaken.
"Hmph. No matter."
"He's already crippled. There's no chance he can cause any more trouble."
With a cold snort, Thousand-Bone Bolun slowly turned his gaze toward the square black box.
"Only three days remain until the final phase of the plan begins."
"The descent of our god is inevitable!"
"The Purgatory Immortal Emperor, who has been exiled beyond this world, cannot stop it!"
"The slumbering Longevity Immortal Emperor cannot stop it either!"
"Before the other Immortal Emperors even realize what's happening, our god will descend first!"
"By then, the tide will be irreversible!
This world will belong to our god!"
"And you…"
"You are the most crucial piece of this entire plan."
"You are the vessel for our god."
"After all…"
"You are the one who inherited both the Longevity and Purgatory bloodlines."
"Hehehehe…"
Thousand-Bone Bolun's pupils began to swirl with a deep green vortex, sinister and eerie.
And unseen by anyone—
His shadow was no longer human in shape.
It writhed and twisted unnaturally,
as five crimson eyes slowly emerged within it…
TL Note:
[1]: AWSL (啊我死了) is a online slang, it literally mean "Ah, I'm dead." It's used to express overwhelming excitement, adoration, or emotional overload.