Zhang Fu had long heard whispers of the Nether Prison's horrors.
And during the cruel round of torture he had just endured, he had learned firsthand the terrible nature of its punishments.
After listening to Kou Hong's words and witnessing with his own eyes several cultivators driven mad and reduced to hollow wrecks by the torment, he knew with absolute certainty that he could never endure the tortures here. He therefore agreed to Kou Hong's proposal without hesitation.
"If things truly go south, the worst I can do is go back on my word and sell him out," Zhang Fu thought to himself.
Yet all of his petty schemes turned to ash the moment he recited an oath alongside Kou Hong.
"Compassionate True Immortal?" At first, Zhang Fu had paid no heed to this so-called True Immortal. But afterward, whenever the thought of betrayal crossed his mind, an inexplicable sense of impending doom welled up within him.
Only then did Zhang Fu realize with absolute certainty that he was well and truly trapped aboard this rogue vessel.
From then on, Kou Hong and Zhang Fu gradually began their plan to infiltrate the Nether Prison.
Whenever a newly arrived prisoner was subjected to inhuman torture and brought to the brink of mental collapse, Kou Hong would seize the perfect moment to make contact.
Bathed in the divine power of the Compassionate True Immortal, these prisoners clung to him like a drowning man to a straw, joining their prison-break organization without the slightest hesitation.
Meanwhile, the prisoners who had been confined for ages yet still retained a basic sense of self became Kou Hong's primary targets for recruitment.
However, having been locked away for so long, these cultivators were paranoid and reluctant to trust anyone. Persuading each of them demanded an enormous amount of time and effort.
Fortunately, the new members joining the organization all threw themselves into the effort as well.
Thus, the infiltration of the Nether Prison proceeded at a respectable pace.
Three years later.
Amidst the undulating wails and screams echoing throughout the Nether Prison, members of the prison-break organization conversed in secret.
"Brother Kou, how much longer must we wait?"
"Indeed. Aside from the Nether Prison's deepest depths, almost every other sector has been brought under our brothers' sway. On the surface, the place still appears under the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals' control. But in truth, with just a single word from you, Brother Kou, the Nether Prison would change hands in an instant."
"Over these years, blessed by the divine power of the Compassionate True Immortal, every one of us has fully recovered our strength. Some brothers have even climbed further. One Dao Integration, sixteen Soul Formations, over a hundred Nascent Souls... By comparison, the garrison guarding the Nether Prison is completely vulnerable."
"Heh heh heh, it's not just our cultivation that's restored. Through the Compassionate True Immortal's divine power, all kinds of supplies from the outside world have been smuggled in without making a sound. All those delicacies I craved for so long—I've eaten so much of them lately I'm almost sick of them."
...
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, brimming with confidence about staging a mass breakout from the Nether Prison.
In those three years, having witnessed countless demonstrations of the Compassionate True Immortal's divine power, they had long since become faithful believers of the True Immortal.
Only after the discussion had gone on for a long time did Kou Hong finally speak up. "Revolting is the easy part. What comes after we break out is far more critical. Once the Nether Prison is breached, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals will react immediately and mobilize an army to hunt us down.
"They won't leave us much time to respond. That is why our future arrangements must be planned out before we escape."
At Kou Hong's words, everyone froze in surprise.
"Future arrangements?"
"Could it be... a holy decree from the Compassionate True Immortal?"
Though they had been part of the organization for three years, they only knew of the Compassionate True Immortal's existence.
As for the organization's true name and its real purpose, they remained completely in the dark.
Thus, all eyes turned toward Kou Hong in eager anticipation.
"Indeed. It is a trial from the Compassionate True Immortal. Only by completing this trial can you truly become believers of the True Immortal and full members of our organization." Kou Hong's tone was suffused with a sacred sense of mission.
He then transmitted a rather magnificent formation diagram along with a map to everyone.
"Grand Formation of Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits?" The moment they saw the formation's name, the cultivators throughout the Nether Prison felt a slight tremor in their hearts.
According to the description, this formation possessed the power to envelop heaven and earth and connect myriad worlds.
The group then turned their attention to the map.
The map depicted the provinces and territories under the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, marked with over a hundred tiny dots.
Focusing their divine sense onto these points of light, they discovered to their shock that each of them represented a pocket world.
Kou Hong spoke up at that moment. "The True Immortal's trial is not difficult, in truth. It merely requires some time.
"Go to each pocket world and lay down this Grand Formation of Heaven and Earth Myriad Spirits. Each time one is completed, it will automatically link with the others to form a formation network. Thus, the moment one is finished, all of us will know..."
Kou Hong gave his instructions with solemn precision.
Perceiving the doubts held by some cultivators in the organization, he explained, "Do not worry. The pocket worlds chosen are all populated entirely by mortals. With your strength, you can easily suppress them in a short time. The Compassionate True Immortal has also bestowed divine artifacts—the Furnaces of Heaven and Earth—to aid you in transforming these pocket worlds...
"You could say that the greatest trial this time is simply your perseverance and faith."
Looking at the specific requirements of the trial, the cultivators fell into contemplation.
However, they had long been imperceptibly influenced by the Compassionate True Immortal's power. Furthermore, considering that breaking out would inevitably draw the pursuit of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, hiding away in a mortal pocket world might not be a bad idea after all.
Thus, without further hesitation, they readily accepted and began to ponder the finer details of the plan.
Once the assignments for each pocket world were settled, they thoroughly discussed every contingency they might face upon breaking out of the Nether Prison down to the smallest detail.
Three months later, when an Alliance warden escorted another fugitive into the prison and prepared to lock him into a towering pillar cage to suppress and torment him,
he watched in sheer terror as thousands upon thousands of pillars within the Nether Prison shattered one after another.
Countless vicious, savage prisoners, their eyes glinting with murderous light, locked onto him simultaneously.
Engulfed in a torrential surge of baleful aura, he was scared out of his wits on the spot.
The misty wardens and Alliance cultivators who reacted in time and rushed over to suppress the uprising were all torn to shreds in an instant.
"Break out! Do not linger!"
Kou Hong barked a low command, and like ferocious beasts unleashed from their cages, the crowd surged out of the Nether Prison.
All the defensive formations proved utterly useless.
Seeing daylight once more, the prisoners roared to vent the surging excitement in their hearts. Yet none lingered; after quickly getting their bearings, they shot off toward their respective target pocket worlds.
In almost the blink of an eye, the dense swarm of vicious felons had scattered without a trace.
Shortly thereafter, an envoy from the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was alerted and led a team to investigate.
Seeing the protective formations bearing no signs of being forced open, the envoy's face contorted with rage.
Team after team of black-robed cultivators took off, tracking the footprints left behind by the escaped felons in pursuit of their quarry.
Chapter 1122