The oppressive silence of the dungeon was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Lu Tianran's gaze shifted toward the dim light at the end of the corridor, his senses sharpening. The faint jingling of keys accompanied the heavy thud of boots, drawing closer with every passing second.
The jailer emerged from the shadows, his scarred face twisted into a smirk as he stopped in front of the cell. His gaze lingered on Tianran, who sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, his hands resting calmly on his knees.
"Well, heretic," the jailer said, his tone dripping with mockery. "It's almost time. The gallows are ready, and the righteous sects are eager to see you swing. Any last words before we drag you to your execution?"
Tianran tilted his head, his piercing gaze locking onto the man. "Last words?" he murmured, his tone calm and deliberate.
The jailer chuckled. "What, nothing clever to say? You seemed so smug earlier."
Tianran slowly stood, the faint energy he had awakened earlier flickering to life within him. The air around him grew heavy, charged with an unseen tension that made the jailer pause.
"You think me helpless," Tianran said softly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "You think these chains, this cell, can contain me. You have no idea what you're dealing with."
The jailer's smirk faltered, replaced by a frown. "What's with that look? You're just a crippled heretic—"
Before he could finish, Tianran moved. His hand shot forward, gripping the chains around his wrist. With a surge of energy, he pulled, the rusted iron snapping with a deafening crack.
The jailer staggered back, his eyes wide. "What the—how—"
Tianran didn't give him time to react. He lunged forward, his movements a blur despite the weakness of his body. His hand shot through the bars, seizing the jailer by the collar.
"You talk too much," Tianran said coldly, pulling the man forward until his face was pressed against the iron bars.
The jailer struggled, his hands clawing at Tianran's grip, but it was futile. Tianran's strength, though limited, was still far beyond what the jailer could match.
"Do you know what I despise most?" Tianran asked, his voice calm despite the storm of rage brewing within him. "Men who think themselves powerful when they are nothing but insects."
With a flick of his wrist, Tianran slammed the jailer's head against the bars. The man cried out in pain, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead.
"You enjoyed watching me in chains, didn't you?" Tianran continued, his tone dark and venomous. "You mocked me, laughed at me, thinking I was weak. Let me show you what weakness truly feels like."
The jailer's eyes filled with terror as Tianran reached through the bars, his fingers tightening around the man's throat. He gasped and clawed at Tianran's arm, his struggles growing more desperate as the air was forced from his lungs.
But Tianran didn't stop. He channeled his energy into his grip, sending a searing pain coursing through the jailer's body. The man screamed, his voice raw and hoarse, as his veins bulged and his skin blistered.
"This is mercy compared to what I could do," Tianran said, his voice low and menacing. "But mercy isn't something I give freely."
With one final surge of energy, Tianran twisted his hand, snapping the jailer's neck with a sickening crack. The man's body went limp, his lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead.
Tianran released him, letting the corpse slump to the ground. The keys jingled as they fell from the jailer's belt, and Tianran reached through the bars to retrieve them.
He unlocked the cell door, stepping out into the corridor. The faint light of dawn seeped through the cracks in the stone walls, casting long shadows across the bloodstained floor.
Tianran paused, glancing down at the jailer's body. "You should have been more careful," he muttered, his voice cold and devoid of pity.
With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing through the dungeon. The faint pulse of energy within him flickered like a dying ember, but it was enough.
Freedom was his once more, and the world would soon remember why the Devil Sovereign had been feared.
End of Chapter