Si Xia

At the same time, a swab of dark clouds dispersed, revealing an island located on the northern side of the Independent State, seemingly secluded from the rest of the world. It silently towered there like a gigantic, torrential beast that wanted to devour every living being that passed. The gales were the roars of the beast, striking terror in its listeners' hearts.

The enormous island stretched as far as the eye could see. There were many intersecting dirt roads and an enormous prison in the center sealed off by specially-made iron fences. No one could enter; no one could leave.

Currently, a young man was using a hoe to dig away the dirt on the exterior, as though he wanted to excavate a tunnel out of the prison with the might of one.

"Hahaha, lad, you haven't been here for too long. When you've been here longer, you'll get used to it."

"That's right. If we could get out by digging like you, we would've left ages ago. Why would we have waited until now?"

On the side, a few middle-aged men looked at the young man and spoke up in exasperation.

Hearing that, the young man smashed his hoe into the ground with tinges of despair.

"Lad, what's your name?" the leader of the middle-aged men inquired.

The young man was silent for a moment before slowly looking up. "Si Xia."

"Si Xia?"

The men looked at each other. His surname was Si…

"Don't tell me you're a member of the Si clan?!"

The only people in the Independent State with the surname Si originated from the Si clan.

"Heh, how am I considered a member of the Si clan?"

Si Xia's lips curled up in a bitter smile.

"Brother Si Xia, just what happened? How did you get captured here?" the lead man asked Si Xia with a furrow of his brows.

This place was the land of despair.

Everyone thought the Martial Arts Union possessed an underground prison and the deepest level held the most vicious, evil, and serious criminals. However… this place—this was the true location of the Martial Arts Union's scariest prison.

"My father's name in the Independent State is probably Si Wutian," Si Xia uttered after some time.

"Si Wutian? Isn't he the egregious traitor from the Si clan…? You're his son?"

The middle-aged men all looked surprised.

Si Wutian had some degree of fame in the Independent State back then. His fame increased especially after he was expelled from the Si clan.

However, in recent years, Si Wutian seemed to have left the Independent State and vanished without a trace.

"Originally, I came to the Independent State to find my father and followed the clues to the Si clan. However, they claimed I was a son of a sinner and instructed the Martial Arts Union to lock me into this wretched place." Si Xia's eyes shone coldly.

After learning his story, the middle-aged men sighed. If that was the case, it was already an incredible fortune that the Si clan didn't kill Si Xia on the spot. There wasn't much to complain about.

…

Suddenly, a boiling cauldron of voices invaded the island.

There was news released that someone saw Ji Xiuran—Emperor Ji—on the island earlier.

"Even Emperor Ji got captured to this deplorable place? How's that possible?!"

"I can't believe it. Even a figure like Ji Xiuran was…"

"It wasn't only Emperor Ji! There's also the leader of Heavenly Owl, Haitang1!'

"Heavenly Owl?! The Fearless Alliance's elder brother?! Even Haitang got captured…?"

"Both Emperor Ji and Heavenly Owl are the most superior powers in the Independent State! How could that be?!"

"Heh, it appears the Independent State will really have a change of weather."

…

In a shabby, dim jail where the smell of mold permeated the air:

A man's good-looking face was ghastly pale without a trace of blood.

A woman stared at the man, her brows locked together.