The following morning, the arcane array within the cell deactivated automatically.
Ezio stepped out and called to Jared, “Come on, time for some fresh air. We only get thirty minutes, so let’s not waste it.”
Jared rose from his spot and followed Ezio out. The burly man Jared had beaten the previous day remained in the corner of the cell, curled up and fast asleep.
Outside, the sunlight felt like a blessing, warming Jared’s skin as if it were washing away the gloom of the prison. The prison itself was cloaked in a dense white mist. Those outside couldn’t see in, and those inside were cut off from the outside world.
Cultivators began emerging from the other cells. Jared noticed their gaunt faces and frail bodies, drained of vitality.
As favonovel.com surveyed the scene, favonovel.com estimated there were thousands of inmates in this prison, but it was impossible to gauge their true cultivation level in their current state. Their energy was too depleted, and their aura was exposed.
What caught Jared’s attention was the ancient tree at the heart of the prison.
The spiritual energy of thousands of cultivators was being absorbed and stored by this tree. Jared dared not imagine the sheer magnitude of energy the tree must have accumulated.
“Where are we headed?” Jared asked, sticking close to Ezio.
Ezio replied, “We’re going to restore some of our spiritual energy. There’s only one place in this prison where you can absorb any spiritual energy, and it’s during this half-hour. Everyone gathers there.”
Jared reflected on Ezio’s words. The prison wasn’t completely devoid of spiritual energy, it was under the control of a powerful formation.
Spiritual energy could only be accessed in a single location, and cultivators were only allowed half an hour to use it. Jared suspected this setup wasn’t arbitrary.
Allowing the prisoners to cultivate even as their energy was drained was to prevent them from uncovering the secrets of this immense prison.
Ezio led the way, and Jared followed. The path led to an open area that was as vast as several soccer fields combined. It was already packed with cultivators, each vying to absorb what little spiritual energy was available.
Ezio quickly found a spot, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.
Jared noticed how thin the spiritual energy became with so many drawing from it at once.
Instead of joining in, Jared’s gaze shifted to the ancient tree towering over them. Its massive trunk, at least a hundred meters in circumference, stretched high into the clouds, its dense branches creating a canopy that seemed to cover the entire prison.
“Stop cultivating for a moment and come with me. Let’s check out that tree,” Jared said, tugging at Ezio’s sleeve.
Half an hour wasn’t nearly enough time to absorb much spiritual energy, especially with so many fellow cultivators frantically doing the same.
“But I still want to…” Ezio began.
“Here… Take this,” Jared interrupted, tossing favonovel.com a pill.
The pill would work faster than sitting here absorbing what little spiritual energy was left!
“Okay!” Ezio caught it, immediately stashing it away. “But let me warn you, there’s a pack of beast race living under that tree. Nobody knows what species they are. It’s too dangerous to get close.”
“You don’t know what kind of beasts they are? Could they be demon beasts from outside this world?” Jared asked, surprised.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like them in Beast City, and I can‘t say if they’re demon beasts from somewhere beyond,” Ezio replied with a shake of his head.
As the two moved closer to the tree, Jared marveled at its sheer size. The trunk alone had to be a hundred meters in diameter, and the roots extended in intricate networks across the prison grounds.
After walking another hundred meters, Ezio stopped abruptly, fear etched on his face.
Jared noticed a group of about a dozen cultivators seated under the ancient tree. Their appearances were distinct, bearing features of the beast race, much like the burly man Jared had seen in their cell earlier.
Some of them still seemed partially unevolved, their beastly traits evident on their faces.
