The patterns on the figure vaguely resembled beast heads, constantly shifting between dispersion and aggregation, feeling completely incompatible with the Taotie Method.
Additionally, Ren Qing spotted the characters for "jailer" deep within its pupils, seemingly representing its identity within Avici Hell.
Ren Qing's first thought recalled the twelve eerie medicinal herbs that grew under the Disaster-Dispelling Forbidden Zone's influence on Twin Peaks Mountain.
There was an inexplicable similarity between the two.
He couldn't help but wonder:
Could it be that when the Taotie Method advanced to Avici Hell, the stomach space developed characteristics of a forbidden zone?
ROAR!!!
The ape jailer interrupted Ren Qing's thoughts, breaking free from the wall and pouncing with terrifying speed.
But to Ren Qing's eyes, this ape jailer barely qualified as initial Half-Corpse Realm, not even matching the severely injured, dying Song Rong.
The great Miao blade unsheathed, its blade perfectly deflecting the ape jailer.
Ren Qing retreated half a step, slightly surprised the jailer was stronger than expected.
Seeing its attacks ineffective, the ape jailer grew increasingly frantic, wildly swinging its arms at Ren Qing.
Ren Qing dodged with agile footwork while pushing his double pupils to their limits, trying to determine the jailer's true nature.
During this skirmish, a rat's head emerged from the cell bars' corner, an opossum the size of a cat.
Malice filled its eyes as a slender tongue licked its nose.
Ren Qing noticed this through peripheral vision.
Living creatures within Avici Hell shocked him, how could ordinary lifeforms survive a Yang God Realm's internal space?
Then realization struck.
This likely came from one of the cultivators, controlling the opossum to bypass the vessel bars.
Uncertain of its purpose but assuming ill intent, Ren Qing decided to finish the jailer quickly.
His double pupils rotated, revealing countless weaknesses.
The current Ren Qing could effortlessly exploit these flaws without even activating his werewolf form.
First strike.
Blood sprayed from the ape jailer's knee joints as it collapsed, though its claws remained poised to attack.
Before its arms could reach Ren Qing, the long blade already barred the way.
Whoosh...
The blade flashed upward, cleanly severing the ape jailer's arm at the shoulder. Agonized howls followed as blood rained down.
Ren Qing even had leisure to deflect droplets with his blade tip, avoiding any stains.
The opossum held a blood-red pearl in its mouth. Witnessing Ren Qing dispatch the jailer like chopping vegetables, it hesitated.
Then it remembered Ren Qing's exceptional status upon entering the Restraint Officers' Hall, its heart twisting with resentment.
Why should you avoid life-risking cultivation and monstrous transformations? DIE DIE DIE!!!
The opossum spat the pearl into the cell.
The shattered pearl released yellowish gas.
Grinning maliciously, the opossum hid in a corridor corner, anticipating Ren Qing's death throes.
But reality differed drastically.
Avoiding the gas, Ren Qing cleanly beheaded the ape.
The corpse collapsed, then dissolved into the fleshy walls, truly resembling a Supernatural Remnant.
Wiping his blade, Ren Qing tested the vessel bars, finding them much weaker.
"Should be able to leave now."
Thud. Thud.. Thud...
Faint tremors came from outside.
Ren Qing's limbs showed subtle wolf-like traits, enhancing his strength as he firmly gripped the hilt.
The slash came too fast to see.
A white line appeared on the vessels before they split cleanly.
Stepping out, Ren Qing was assaulted by overwhelming blood and rot stench.
The opossum shuddered, expression darkening.
It never imagined Ren Qing could escape so easily, now regretting its actions.
This might backfire terribly.
At least the scent had dispersed, surely enough to attract jailers.
The tremors intensified.
A spherical jailer rolled forward, sensing the scent and merging into walls toward Ren Qing's cell.
Hiding in shadows, the opossum waited for either Ren Qing or the jailer to die, avoiding collateral damage.
Though just an avatar, its death would still affect the main body, possibly causing qi backlash.
Despite considerable commotion, the conflict lasted mere moments, unlike the prolonged earlier battle.
Could the new jailer not even last briefly?
Regardless, it needed to inform the main body.
After waiting, the opossum crept from hiding.
But before advancing meters, a shadow loomed over it, murderous intent permeating the air.
Looking up stiffly, it saw Ren Qing observing it with an inscrutable smile, blade in hand.
The spherical jailer's bisected corpse lay nearby, the cut surface impossibly smooth.
"Impossible..."
The opossum froze as Ren Qing's right hand crushed it, eyes bulging from pressure.
Ren Qing activated the information stream.
[Wang San'er]
[Age: 36]
[Lifespan: 11 years]
[Technique: Rat Plague Art (Rat Mother)]
[Created by the Plague Taoist. Practitioners must consume specially crafted plague toxins for sixteen consecutive days until surviving the poisoning to achieve mastery.]
Ren Qing pondered, he vaguely recalled an eastern city gang specializing in petty theft.
It was probably called something like "Mud River Gang."
If cultivators died in Avici Hell, wouldn't they also produce Supernatural Remnants?
Wow!!!
Couldn't he then select suitable techniques...
Withholding his full strength, Ren Qing allowed the opossum to emit one final shriek before becoming minced meat.
Simultaneously, rustling came from down the corridor.
Over a dozen opossums emerged from a cell, attempting escape.
"Hah, with no branching paths, where could you go?"
Ren Qing's legs propelled him forward, each slash precisely eliminating an opossum.
Screams echoed relentlessly.
Within minutes, opossum corpses littered the ground before being absorbed by the fleshy walls.
Following the trail, Ren Qing reached their origin cell where an emaciated man gasped his final breaths.
The man's terrified eyes met Ren Qing's.
Then his jaw unhinged as a two-kilogram opossum crawled up his esophagus toward freedom.