Chapter 221

The cold wind did not stop, and that nauseating stench of rot grew stronger, almost wrapping him up entirely. Fear entwined around his heart like a poisonous snake, making him almost unable to breathe. In the darkness, he heard the sound of chains being dragged, the harsh sound echoing in the silent space, hitting his nerves one by one.

"Don't... don't come over..." he trembled, his voice so small he could barely hear it himself.

A cold hand grabbed his arm, roughly pulling him up from the ground and dragging him forward. Zhang Cheng stumbled, falling and bumping, before his eyes still endless darkness; he couldn't see anything, only able to feel that cold hand firmly confining him like iron pincers.

I don't know how long he walked, he was thrown heavily to the ground, the cold and hard ground making him recover a bit of consciousness.

"Take to the Blood Prison." A deep voice sounded above his head, carrying unquestionable majesty.

Blood Prison! Zhang Cheng's heart trembled; he had seen this name in the classics of the Demon Clan before. It was the place where the Blood Night Demon Family used to imprison and torture enemies; it was said that no one who went in could ever come out alive.

The door of the cell was opened, and an even stronger stench of rot rushed toward his face, mixed with the smell of blood and nauseating stench. Zhang Cheng endured the nausea churning in his stomach and was roughly pushed in.

With a "Bang!" sound, the cell door was closed heavily, and darkness swallowed him again.

"Zhang Cheng, we meet again." An old and cold voice sounded in the cell.

In the darkness, Zhang Cheng tried hard to see the appearance of the speaker, but could only vaguely see a hunched figure sitting on a stone chair, holding a black cane in his hand, the top of the cane inlaid with a blood-red gem, exuding a strange light.

"You are..."

"I am the Elder of the Blood Night Demon Family." The voice was full of arrogance and contempt. "You should know, we have been looking for you for a long time."

Zhang Cheng remained silent; he knew what the other party wanted to get from his mouth, but he would never betray Kelinda, even at the cost of his life.

"It seems you don't shed tears until you see the coffin." The Elder sneered, slowly standing up and walking to Zhang Cheng's side. "I have many ways to make you open your mouth, I hope you can persist until the end."

He waved his hand, and two burly demons walked out from the darkness behind him, holding various strange-shaped torture instruments, exuding a cold chill.

"Speak, where is Kelinda?" The Elder's voice sounded in his ear like a death warrant.

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth, saying nothing, his gaze fixed firmly on the other party, as if saying: I will never surrender!

A flash of anger crossed the Elder's face; he grabbed Zhang Cheng's hair, forcing him to lift his head, pressing the cane in his hand against his throat, his voice cold: "This is your last chance, speak, or don't speak!"

Zhang Cheng's Adam's apple rolled, and he spat out one word with difficulty: "No..."

The Elder's eyes narrowed into a slit, the cane in his hand exerting a slight force, and a bloodstain instantly appeared on Zhang Cheng's neck, blood slowly flowing down.

"It seems you don't shed tears until you see the coffin." The Blood Night Demon Family envoy on the side laughed coldly. He licked his lips, his eyes full of bloodthirsty excitement. "Elder, let me do it, I have many ways to make him open his mouth."

The Elder nodded and stepped aside, his cold gaze never leaving Zhang Cheng.

The Blood Night Demon Family envoy walked slowly toward Zhang Cheng, a ball of black flames suddenly appearing in his hand, the flames jumping, emitting a sizzling sound, as if it were the karmic fire from hell, wanting to burn everything to ashes...

The black flames tossed in the envoy's hand, like a poisonous snake, spitting out its tongue, exuding a terrifying aura. It had no temperature, but carried a coldness that went deep into the bone marrow; wherever it passed, the air seemed to have solidified.

"Let me see, how long you can keep your mouth shut!" The envoy grinned, slowly bringing the flames close to Zhang Cheng's chest.

"Ah!" Zhang Cheng let out a painful roar, as if an ice blade had pierced his heart, and then wantonly stirred in his body, freezing his blood, bones, and soul into ice. He felt his consciousness gradually blurring, the world before his eyes also becoming distorted, leaving only endless darkness and coldness.

"Speak, as long as you speak, I will let you be free." The envoy leaned into Zhang Cheng's ear and whispered, his tone carrying a hint of temptation.

Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth, trying hard to maintain the last bit of sobriety; he couldn't speak, once he spoke, Kelinda would be finished, and there were those Demon Clan members who trusted him and looked forward to him saving them...

"It seems you don't shed tears until you see the coffin." The envoy sneered, the flames in his hand suddenly surging, turning into countless tiny black fire seedlings, drilling into Zhang Cheng's body.

"Ah!" Even more intense pain attacked, Zhang Cheng feeling as if his body was about to be torn apart, every nerve wailing, every cell trembling. He wanted to faint, but could never escape this boundless pain.

I don't know how long it had passed, the torture finally stopped. Zhang Cheng lay powerlessly on the ground, like mud, only his weak breathing proving he was still alive.

"How about it? Have you thought clearly?" The envoy looked down at him, his tone cold.

Zhang Cheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze full of hatred and anger, but he was powerless to resist, could only watch the other party helplessly, using his last bit of strength to spit out one word: "Kill... me..."

"Hmph, want to die? Not that easy!" The envoy sneered. "I will make you wish you were dead until you tell me what I want."

Just at this moment, a weak voice came from outside the cell: "Zhang Cheng, are you okay?"

Zhang Cheng's heart trembled, trying hard to turn his head to look in the direction from which the voice came, only to see a Demon Clan member covered in blood being escorted by two Blood Night Demon Family soldiers, walking toward this side with difficulty.

"I am Kelinda's clansman, we heard you were caught, so we wanted to come to save you, but..." The Demon Clan member said, a look of pain and despair appearing on his face. "We were too weak, not their opponents at all..."

"You..." A warm current surged in Zhang Cheng's heart, but he was also even more desperate; even the last hope of the Demon Clan had been extinguished, what other way did he have to save Kelinda, to escape this hell?

"Hahaha, it seems you still don't know your current situation." The envoy laughed and said, "I have already sent people to hunt down Kelinda, I believe there will be good news soon, and then, let's see how you can still keep your mouth shut!"

Zhang Cheng's pupils shrank suddenly, a deep despair swallowing him completely...

Suddenly, a strange fluctuation came from outside the cell, and a deep and majestic voice sounded in the cell: "Stop."

Everyone couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the cell door, only to see a figure dressed in a black robe, wearing a mask, unable to see his face, slowly walking in...

The arrival of the black-robed figure was like a cold wind, instantly making the originally noisy cell quiet. The people of the Blood Night Demon Family looked at each other, not understanding the identity of this uninvited guest, and even less clear about his intentions.

"Who are you?" The envoy asked vigilantly, black flames jumping in his hand, as if ready to launch an attack at any moment.

The black-robed man ignored the envoy; he walked straight to the cell, his gaze falling on Zhang Cheng, that look deep and calm, as if able to see through everything.

"Duo Yun!" Zhang Cheng, who was on the verge of death from torture, recognized the newcomer the moment he saw the black-robed man; that was the arbiter of the Galactic War, a powerful existence possessing mysterious power.

Duo Yun nodded slightly, counting as a response to Zhang Cheng's recognition. He turned around, facing the people of the Blood Night Demon Family, his voice deep and majestic: "Your affairs, I already know."

"What do you want?" The envoy tried to remain calm, but couldn't hide a hint of panic in his tone.

Duo Yun didn't answer the envoy's questioning, instead looking at Zhang Cheng again, saying slowly: "With your current condition, wanting to escape, the hope is slim." He paused and continued: "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Zhang Cheng struggled to ask, a glimmer of weak hope igniting in his heart.

"Unless you are willing to give up your belief and cooperate with them." Duo Yun's voice was still calm, but it hit Zhang Cheng's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Impossible!" Zhang Cheng refused decisively, almost without any hesitation. He could die, but he could never betray his belief, and even less could he betray Kelinda and those Demon Clan members who trusted him.

Duo Yun seemed to have expected Zhang Cheng's choice long ago; he didn't feel surprised, just looked at Zhang Cheng deeply, then turned and left, leaving only one sentence echoing in the silent cell: "I hope you can persist until the end..."

With Duo Yun's departure, the cell fell into deathly silence again. Zhang Cheng lay powerlessly on the ground, despair drowning him like a tide. He knew he might really have to stay in this dark place forever.

He remembered his life on Lan Xing, remembered the days of fighting side-by-side with his companions, remembered the bits and pieces of meeting, knowing, and loving Kelinda... Those once beautiful memories were now like sharp blades, cutting his heart one by one.

"Kelinda, are you okay? I might... never be able to return to see you again..." Zhang Cheng recited silently in his heart, tears falling silently, leaving clear traces on his face full of blood and dirt.

And at this time, Kelinda, who was thousands of miles away, suddenly felt a strange palpitation in her heart, as if she had sensed something. She struggled to get up, only to fall powerlessly again because of her heavy injuries.

"Zhang Cheng, is it you? Where are you?" Kelinda's tears flowed uncontrollably, her heart filled with worry and fear. "You must wait for me, I will definitely find you..."

A blurred figure appeared in Kelinda's mind; that figure gradually became clear, it was Duo Yun, who shook his head at Kelinda, his lips moving slightly, seemingly saying something, but it couldn't be heard clearly...

Kelinda's tears fell like broken pearls, each carrying heavy worry and fear. She could feel Zhang Cheng's despair, a kind of bone-chilling coldness that seemed to want to swallow her whole. She struggled to get up, wanting to go to Zhang Cheng's side, even if just to look at him from afar, to confirm he was still alive.

However, her body was as heavy as if filled with lead water, the intense pain of her wounds making her unable to move. She could only watch helplessly as Duo Yun's blurred figure gradually disappeared in her mind; that silent shake of the head, that sentence that couldn't be heard clearly, were all like sharp blades, stabbing her heart fiercely.

"No, I cannot give up just like this!" Kelinda bit her lip tightly, not letting herself cry out. She endured the intense pain of her body, trying to condense her power again. She wanted to stand up, she wanted to find Zhang Cheng, she could never let him face this endless darkness alone!

However, reality was cruel. No matter how hard Kelinda tried, her body could no longer support her to stand up. Despair surged like a tide, drowning her in endless darkness.

"Could it be... are we really going to be defeated by fate like this?" Kelinda closed her eyes powerlessly, tears falling again.

At the same time, in the distant interstellar prison, Zhang Cheng was also being swallowed by despair. Duo Yun's words echoed in his mind over and over like a curse. He knew that with his current power, wanting to escape was simply a fantasy.

"Could it be... am I really going to be imprisoned in this ghost place forever?" Zhang Cheng leaned powerlessly against the cold wall, his heart filled with bitterness and despair.

Just at this moment, a strange energy fluctuation suddenly appeared in the cell. Zhang Cheng opened his eyes suddenly, only to see an old man dressed in a gray robe appearing before him at some unknown time.

The old man smiled, looking at Zhang Cheng, and said slowly: "Child, don't worry, I have been watching you..."