The Seventeen World Prison

Ji Ning looked at the two figures prostrating themselves before him, his heart tightening. It seems I’ve blundered into being mistaken for a warden. I need to be careful, and first, figure out exactly what a ‘warden’ does… I absolutely can’t be exposed and fall into danger. He recalled the overwhelming force that had pulled him into the darkness, a stark reminder of his own weakness before the stele.

Judging by their attitude, they hold me in great respect. My status should be higher than theirs.

Ning pondered for a moment before speaking. “The two of you. State your names.”

“This lowly one is named Dong Qiu.” The taller, burlier man spoke with immediate deference, his voice deeper, giving an impression of honest simplicity.

“This lowly one is named Xi Fu.” The slightly plumper one quickly added. “We two have been waiting for you, Lord Warden, for a full three Chaos Cycles. Ever since we were forged and given life, we have served diligently within this Seventeen World Prison. Without a Lord Warden, we two have felt anxious and uneasy, constantly fearing some unforeseen变故 within the prison.”

Ji Ning’s mind stirred. Three Chaos Cycles? ‘Chaos Cycle’ must be a unit of time. It sounds incredibly long. Forged and given life? Does that mean they aren’t living beings? Seventeen World Prison… a prison. And I, the warden, am the keeper of this prison?

“Has there been any unrest in the prison?” Ning asked, following the thread of their words to gather more information.

“By your grace, my Lord, there have been no incidents in these three Chaos Cycles. Those prisoners locked away here, trying to turn the world upside down? It’s not so easy!” the plump jailer, Xi Fu, quickly replied. “We also know you are a busy man, my Lord. We two can handle all the trivial matters of the prison. Should any true变故 occur, we will inform you immediately, and you need only report it to the Lord of the Kingdom. In normal times, you can tour the prison, or devote yourself to cultivation. If there is anything at all, just command us.”

“Report to the Lord of the Kingdom…” Ji Ning murmured, nodding slowly.

A kingdom? What kingdom? Does this stele belong to that kingdom?

“Tell me about all the affairs within the Seventeen World Prison over these three Chaos Cycles,” Ning commanded.

The tall jailer, Dong Qiu, blinked at Ji Ning. All the trivial matters of three entire Chaos Cycles? How long would that take? Is he really that bored?

The plump jailer, Xi Fu, however, was excited. “My Lord, please listen,” he began eagerly. “Should I start from when the previous Lord Warden departed, or…?”

“Tell me the main things about the previous warden first, and then cover these three Chaos Cycles,” Ning said. He was still starved for information and wary of revealing his identity. He had to tread carefully, questioning without arousing suspicion. Though the two were utterly respectful, Ning sensed something…

Ever since his Pure Yang magic power had seeped into the divine runes, he felt a vague control over this chaotic space. He could even leave it with ease. Yet he had no authority over these two jailers. They were clearly creations of a mysterious kingdom, bound by its decrees. If they discovered he was an enemy, they would likely attack him.

“Ah, yes. The previous warden once mentioned in idle chat—though he might have been bragging, who knows—that he was the son of some Elder God,” Xi Fu said, recalling. “He was sent here on punishment to serve one Chaos Cycle as a warden because of some trouble he caused.” He paused to add his own assessment. “Whether he was boasting is hard to say, but based on my experience, I doubt he was lying. Usually, those sent to be wardens are core members of our ‘Ninefate Chaos Kingdom’. Though it’s a punishment, spending an entire Chaos Cycle in utter solitude, they still get to learn the seven ultimate techniques. And they receive a single bottle of the ‘Chaos Nectar’ extracted from this very prison. That’s a considerable benefit. Many immortals and gods would gladly endure an eon of solitude for the chance to learn seven techniques and obtain a bottle of Chaos Nectar, but they don’t have the chance.”

“Chaos Nectar?” Ji Ning’s eyes lit up.

The Tao Wu Eighteen Fiendgod Method had three layers. The first layer was easy to enter. The second layer, however, was thousands of times harder, requiring the transformation into eighteen separate bodies, each with the exact same power and soul. While divine power and magic power were easy to cultivate, splitting one soul into eighteen identical and equally powerful souls was extremely difficult. External treasures were needed. Chaos Nectar was one such precious treasure; a single bottle was enough to master the second layer of the Tao Wu Eighteen Fiendgod Method.

“Yes, Chaos Nectar,” Xi Fu confirmed. “A single bottle. According to records of previous wardens, one bottle is enough to master the second layer of the Tao Wu Eighteen Fiendgod Method, one of the seven techniques.”

“Where is the Chaos Nectar?” Ji Ning demanded.

“The last batch was taken away by the previous warden back to the Lord of the Kingdom. However, over these three Chaos Cycles, the Seventeen World Prison has been continuously extracting from the Chaos, and we two brothers have been collecting it. Since there hasn’t been any tribute for three Chaos Cycles, we now have eighteen full bottles. The nineteenth is not yet full, still slowly being collected,” Xi Fu said.

“Give them to me,” Ji Ning ordered.

The plump jailer, Xi Fu, was taken aback. He hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand.

With a swoosh, eighteen black bottles appeared, suspended in midair. They were ancient-looking bottles with primitive divine runes, seeming almost like mortal objects.

“My Lord,” Xi Fu quickly said. “You will be here for at least one Chaos Cycle. You are permitted to use one bottle. Please, on no account use more. The Lord of the Kingdom knows exactly how much we can produce here. If you overuse it, there will be trouble. This Chaos Nectar is exceptionally precious… usually, it’s only given to the warden when their term is complete and they are about to leave.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not seeking my own death,” Ning said with a smile, waving his hand to store the eighteen bottles away.

Xi Fu laughed in relief. “Of course, of course. Your status is noble, my Lord. You wouldn’t act recklessly.”

“So, are there any other treasures in this Seventeen World Prison?” Ning asked, his eyes gleaming with feigned avarice.

“No more,” Xi Fu shook his head. He had served many wardens and knew they all held special status, being core members of the ‘Ninefate Chaos Kingdom’, to be sent to such a key location. Calling it a punishment, it was also a great opportunity. Once they obtained the Chaos Nectar, greedily seeking other benefits was common.

“Truly, there is none. This is just a world prison, a place to hold many prisoners,” Xi Fu said. “If you have the ability, my Lord, you could try to get some benefits from the prisoners themselves. That would be your skill. But those prisoners are all filled with hatred, and many have astonishing power. They would likely try to kill you rather than give you anything. If you truly wish to interact with the prisoners, my Lord, it would be best to first cultivate the Tao Wu Eighteen Fiendgod Method. With eighteen bodies, at least your life won’t be in danger.”

“Mm.” Ning nodded. Prisoners?

“Continue. Tell me about the previous warden and all the trivial matters of these past three Chaos Cycles. I am utterly bored. An entire Chaos Cycle… it’s too long,” Ning said with a sigh.

“Please, my Lord, listen,” Xi Fu said, brimming with excitement. He loved to talk, while the taciturn Dong Qiu was a bore. He would even mutter to the prisoners, which made many of them want to kill him—though he was always safely behind the prison’s restrictions.

Over half the prisoners in the Seventeen World Prison hated this garrulous, fat jailer.

“The previous warden had a vile temper. I believe he was indeed spoiled by his Elder God father. When he first arrived…” Xi Fu began his long-winded tale.

Ji Ning listened with a smile on his face, adopting a leisurely air.

Leisurely? Not at all. But he knew this ‘stele’ was a tremendous stroke of luck, a great opportunity. And the more careful he had to be at such a time, lest his good fortune slip through his fingers.

Listening, Ji Ning’s understanding grew.

Inside the stele was an expansive world, vast and wide. It was a prison holding convicts of the ‘Ninefate Chaos Kingdom’.

The Ninefate Chaos Kingdom was a powerful nation. Its strongest being was ‘Ninefate Lord of the Kingdom’, an entity of immense, extraordinary might. The ‘stele’ with its internal world was one of thirty-six such steles he had refined. These thirty-six prison steles naturally formed a ‘Ninefold Locking Heavens Formation’, a formation of terrifying power that was difficult for enemies to penetrate; only their own people could enter.

On each of the thirty-six steles were seven techniques. In total, there were two hundred and fifty-two techniques left by the Ninefate Lord of the Kingdom. Though not his most supreme skills, they were among his top-tier secret arts. Each warden could learn the seven techniques on their own stele, but had no right to learn those on the others.

…

“Hmph, the Ninefate Chaos Kingdom? Sounds like some nation within the endless Chaos,” Ning mused to himself. “The Chaos is truly wondrous. We’ve already had numerous invasions by Chaos aliens into our Three Realms. The Chaos is boundless, even capable of birthing True Gods and Elder Gods on its own, or even beings like Pangu. It’s not surprising a nation like the ‘Ninefate Chaos Kingdom’ exists.”

“But the jailer says the thirty-six steles form a ‘Ninefold Locking Heavens Formation’. That’s a joke.”

“This stele fell into Shao Yanchou’s hands in the primordial era, and now it’s come to me. After such a long time, and with this stele existing alone, that formation was probably broken long ago, and the steles scattered. I wonder what this stele experienced before ending up in the Three Realms.”

Though overjoyed, Ji Ning was prudent. The Three Realms had clashed with Chaos aliens many times, slaying beings like Luohou and even the more powerful Lord of All Demons. It was likely the Three Realms had already acquired many treasures and techniques from these Chaos aliens. He had only obtained one portion. It seemed his portion was a rather good one.

Ning sat back, listening leisurely. Finally, he spoke. “Alright, you can stop.”

He had listened for three full days and nights. He had heard just about enough.