Chapter Thirty-Three: A More Formidable Long Xiaoqing!

“One hundred meters ahead, turn left… right at the next intersection…”

Long Xiaoqing drove the car as if she were flying, while Yang Ye, seated in the passenger seat, kept his phone’s navigation open, constantly giving her directions.

Half an hour later, Long Xiaoqing performed a sharp drift, bringing the car to a screeching halt before a sprawling compound that looked like a factory, covering dozens of acres.

Above the arched entrance, four large characters were welded: “Xiajing Prison.”

“Husband, we’re here!”

After parking, Long Xiaoqing exclaimed with excitement. Driving in a villa district was nothing compared to the thrill of speeding through the open roads.

A pair of prison guards in blue uniforms approached the gate. One of them was about to shout for the car to leave when the doors opened and two people in red uniforms stepped out.

Agents from the Star Martial Administration.

The guards immediately backed off.

After Yang Ye presented his credentials at the gate, they were allowed inside.

“I didn’t expect this Inspector’s identity to be so useful! Even in prison, we go wherever we please,” Yang Ye remarked with a smile as they passed through the main gate.

“Husband, you said there’s someone really formidable inside, right? I’m curious to see just how strong that person is!” Long Xiaoqing replied with eager anticipation.

Yang Ye grinned. “Don’t worry! We’ll meet them very soon.”

…

From the outside, Xiajing Prison didn’t seem that large, but its main structure was buried a hundred meters underground. The entire subterranean facility was wrapped in several layers of alloy steel, each dozens of centimeters thick. The only way in or out was by elevator. Prisoners held underground couldn’t escape, nor could they absorb any star force.

Thuds resounded from a training room deep within the underground prison.

In the center of the room stood a massive brass column, two meters thick and three meters tall. A burly man, bare-chested and in his early forties, was relentlessly pounding it with his fists and lashing out with his legs. With every blow, the brass seemed as malleable as clay, each strike leaving a deep dent.

Amazingly, the man was not using any star force—just the raw power of his body.

Suddenly, the alloy door swung open. A beautiful woman in a blue uniform entered and addressed the man. “Warden, the Star Martial Administration is here.”

Zhu Xiong replied coolly, “Bring them here.”

He resumed smashing the column.

A few minutes later, Yang Ye and Long Xiaoqing entered the training room. Even before stepping inside, Yang Ye had heard the resounding blows. Seeing Zhu Xiong battering the brass pillar, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

Zhu Xiong paused, grabbed a towel from nearby, and wiped the sweat from his body.

“Speak. What brings you here?” he asked, settling into a chair.

“I want some of your prisoners,” Yang Ye stated bluntly.

“No!” Zhu Xiong replied. “This place is under my control. If their sentences aren’t up, I won’t release them.”

Yang Ye smiled. “Well, Warden Zhu, just consider it a special pardon from the Star Martial Administration.”

Zhu Xiong glanced at Yang Ye and Long Xiaoqing, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes. “Inspector Ye, you can take them—if you can follow my rules.”

“Agreed,” Yang Ye nodded.

Zhu Xiong’s rule was simple: defeat him with nothing but physical strength—no star force allowed.

Zhu Xiong was at the mid-Stellar level, not a low realm, and his body was formidable. Without star force, beating him was nearly impossible unless one was a practitioner at the Supra-Stellar level.

That was why, over the years, no one had ever managed to take a prisoner out ahead of time.

To many cultivators, Xiajing Prison was a terrifying place.

Seeing Yang Ye agree so readily, Zhu Xiong grinned, stood up, and gestured invitingly. “Inspector Ye, rest assured, it’s just a spar. I won’t kill you.”

Yang Ye clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. “I think you’ve misunderstood, Warden Zhu.”

Zhu Xiong’s eyebrows knitted together.

At that moment, Long Xiaoqing stepped forward with a bright smile. “Warden Zhu, your opponent is me!”

This little girl?

Zhu Xiong was stunned. By any measure, Long Xiaoqing didn’t look like someone with a powerful physique.

Just as he hesitated, Long Xiaoqing darted forward and unleashed a whip kick at him.

Zhu Xiong reacted swiftly, raising his arm to block.

There was a deep thud.

To his astonishment, his body—well over a hundred kilograms—was sent flying by Long Xiaoqing’s kick.

He managed to twist in midair and barely landed on his feet, but his blocking arm was already numb.

Long Xiaoqing didn’t press the attack. Instead, she mimicked Yang Ye, placing her hands behind her back and thrusting out her youthful, full chest with unshakable pride as she stared Zhu Xiong down.

Zhu Xiong was shocked. From a single blow, he could tell her strength was at least his equal. And she hadn’t used star force.

His body’s toughness was the result of decades of training. How had this young girl achieved such power?

In his mind, there was only one explanation: she merely looked young, but in fact was some ancient monster far older than himself.

Seeing the astonishment in Zhu Xiong’s eyes, Yang Ye quietly chuckled to himself. Comparing physical strength with a divine dragon was sheer folly. Had Zhu Xiong used star force, defeating him would have taken some effort. But as things stood… well.

Recovering himself, Zhu Xiong said in a low voice, “My turn!”

He leapt into the air, spinning, and brought his leg down at Long Xiaoqing with a whistling force—the most powerful kick he could muster.

Long Xiaoqing stood her ground, raising her right arm.

With a thunderous crack, Zhu Xiong’s shin slammed into what looked like a slender, delicate forearm.

The impact sent Long Xiaoqing back a single step, but Zhu Xiong’s heavy body went flying once more.

He crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, his right leg so numb he couldn’t summon any strength.

Looking at Long Xiaoqing, still standing tall, Zhu Xiong took a deep breath and gritted out, “I’ve lost. You may select some prisoners to take with you. But let me warn you: these people are all vicious and dangerous. If you let them escape, the consequences will be dire.”

Yang Ye smiled. “Thank you for the warning, Warden Zhu.”

With that, he left the training room, Long Xiaoqing following behind, her face full of pride.