Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Chapter 636: Chapter 636: Three Floors in a Row
 

The middle-aged cultivator looked at Wang Chen pensively and asked, “What’s your relationship with True Person Lu?”

His tone was very calm, sounding as if he were casually chatting with Wang Chen.

Wang Chen replied with a bitter smile, “No relation whatsoever.”

The middle-aged cultivator believed him.

When Wang Chen was first brought to Bing Six District by Lu Peng, he had thought Wang Chen was an offspring of True Person Lu’s clan, placed in his own territory to accumulate experience and earn merits.

But after three months passed, Wang Chen was still an apprentice jailer and showed no signs of leaving the dungeon.

He definitely wasn’t there to accrue experience.

Without making any mistakes, which family’s offspring would suffer here for such a long time?

So when Wang Chen now said he had no relation with True Person Lu, the middle-aged cultivator felt somewhat disappointed, but it was within expectations.

He pondered for a moment and then said, “You’ve performed well over these three months, never missing a shift. According to the rules of the Forbidden Prison Department, you can now be promoted to official jailer.”

Wang Chen’s eyes lit up, “Thank you, sir!”

There’s a significant difference in treatment between an apprentice jailer and an official jailer, but what’s most important is that only an official jailer can accrue experience. After serving for three years, one can apply for the Immortal Register of Yongle Immortal City.

If one remains an apprentice jailer, they’ll never have the same qualification for their entire life.

Temporary workers don’t have celestial rights!

“Don’t be hasty,”

the middle-aged cultivator waved his hand and continued, “But you can’t stay in Bing Six District any longer. Right now, Area Ji-9 is extremely short-staffed and needs a batch of jailers to fill in the vacancies. Once you become an official jailer, you must comply with the reassignment.”

He stared at Wang Chen, “Otherwise, just leave.”

Wang Chen felt his heart sink.

Yongle Dungeon has nine levels; with each level, the conditions worsen substantially.

Bing Six District was already an unpleasant place; being suddenly dropped three levels down to Area Ji-9 meant he would undoubtedly face much more dreadful circumstances.@@novelbin@@

But if he gave up this opportunity, Wang Chen would have to leave the Forbidden Prison Department.

And he wouldn’t even be able to stay in Yongle Immortal City anymore.

Because the Gold Ticket Pill Book he held, which was essentially a temporary residence permit for Yongle Immortal City, was valid for only three months!

Wang Chen suspected the other party was aware of this; hence his certainty.

He truly had no choice.

“The junior is willing to comply with the reassignment.”

“Good,”

the middle-aged cultivator showed a trace of a smile, reaching out to hand a piece of silk paper to Wang Chen, “Sign this Taoist Contract.”

Though it was called a Taoist Contract, it was in fact a life-death contract!

Being a jailer in Yongle Dungeon was undeniably a dangerous job with a considerable chance of accidental death.

The lower the level, the higher the danger!

Area Ji-9, where Wang Chen was being reassigned, was at the end of the middle three levels, just one level away from the most perilous lower three levels.

That contract was also his death warrant.

Wang Chen took the contract, hesitating not a bit before imprinting his Dharma Seal upon it.

The middle-aged cultivator took the contract, nodded, and said, “Rest tonight. Tomorrow someone will take you to Area Ji-9 to report for duty.”

Wang Chen rose and bowed, “Thank you, sir.”

“No need for thanks,”

the middle-aged cultivator gestured with his hand, “Go on.”

As he watched Wang Chen’s departing figure, he felt a touch of regret.

It was a pity that with Wang Chen’s age and talent, had he been born in an Immortal Clan of the Immortal City, he would definitely be nurtured as a Golden Core seedling or a Nascent Soul prospect.

However, Wang Chen came from humble beginnings and was somewhat of an enigma, lacking backing and connections.

Offering him a chance for promotion by throwing him into the lower levels to undergo hardship, whether he could survive depended on his fate and fortune!

In truth, the middle-aged cultivator had seen many people like Wang Chen before.

Those who truly made it out were rarer than phoenix feathers and unicorn horns!

He took up a pen and circled the spot on the Taoist Contract that Wang Chen had just signed.

His name was circled afterward.

Just as Wang Chen had returned to his quarters and sat down to catch his breath, someone knocked on his door.

Wang Chen knew who it was by the sound, “Please come in.”

Dan Lingfeng, the veteran prison guard, cautiously peered inside and slipped in.

He cut right to the chase, “I hear you were summoned by our Warden, are you going to be made official?”

Wang Chen nodded, “Yes.”

It wasn’t surprising that the other party was so well-informed because here, any slight rustle of leaves spreads extremely fast.

Dan Lingfeng asked again, “Then will you stay in Bing Six District?”

Wang Chen replied, “No, I am being reassigned to Area Ji-9.”

“Area Ji-9?”

Dan Lingfeng’s eyes went wide, he could hardly believe his ears, “You’re not joking, right?”

A bitter smile appeared on Wang Chen’s face, “No joke.”

“Insane!”

Dan Lingfeng suddenly raised his voice, then quickly subdued it, “You just got made official and now you’re being sent off to Area Ji-9, did you offend someone higher up?”

Normally, for someone like Wang Chen, even if there would be a transfer, at most it would be down one level.

But dropping three levels was definitely not normal!

“No.”

Wang Chen calmly replied, “Do I look like the kind of person who enjoys stirring up trouble?”

Dan Lingfeng had to admit, “Indeed, you are not.”

Nowadays, very few young cultivators can maintain a low profile and the patience that Wang Chen does.

The outside world speaks of the Forbidden Prison Department as a horrifying and ferocious place, turning pale at the mere mention of it.

But this old prison guard knew very well that as long as you mastered the art of survival here, you could still live luxuriously and at ease.

Considering the fact that Wang Chen often brought him wine and meat, Dan Lingfeng wanted to pass on his lifetime of guard experience to him.

He hadn’t expected Wang Chen would be transferred directly to Area Ji-9!

Separated by three levels, the spirit mechanisms issued to the prison guards couldn’t even communicate.

The chances of the two of them meeting in the future were slim.

“Take care of yourself.”

That’s all Dan Lingfeng could say, “Once you’re in Area Ji-9, only you can take care of yourself. Don’t expect help from others. In matters big and small, if you can avoid, avoid; if you can bear, bear…”

He rambled on with many words filled with his own experiences.

Although Wang Chen disagreed with much of what the old prison guard said, it was a rare occasion to see him reveal his true feelings, so he just quietly listened, without interrupting him.

There are no feasts that last forever under the heavens.

The next morning, Wang Chen followed a Warden down from Bing Six District to Area Ji-9.

He descended through a Teleportation Array.

It was said that each layer of the three middle and three lower layers was independent, without fixed passages connecting them; ascending or descending required the use of a Teleportation Array.

The purpose was obviously for security, to prevent prisoners from escaping.

Upon entering Area Ji, Wang Chen immediately felt the difference from Bing Six District.

Bing Six District was already uncomfortable enough, but in comparison to Area Ji-9, it was like a minor sorcerer meeting a Great Sorcerer.

The concentration of Yin Sha Energy here was not much higher, but nature’s spiritual energy was much more sparse, and it even contained hints of evil power.

Thus, to make it in Area Ji-9, one’s Divine Soul and will also had to withstand the test.

Otherwise, a breakdown was just a matter of time.

Wang Chen was first led to the Supervisory Hall of Area Ji-9.

There, he received his official prison guard stipulations and benefits!

They were quite generous.

———-

The second update is here.