CHAPTER 1596: CHAPTER 340: THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFENSE SYSTEM OF BLACK PRISON

The corridor had reached its end.

A towering dark red wooden door slowly creaked open, revealing the pitch-black world outside.

Su Shijun tightened her cloak and, following behind Gongsun Bing, stepped through the door and ascended to the highest point of the Black Prison Castle encircled by battlements—the outer tower.

Looking out, the skies were dim and the horizon vast. Above, an empty and desolate world stretched out, occasionally punctuated by twisted arcs of lightning that flickered fleetingly in midair, faintly exposing the oppressive aura of the Guardian Arrays suspended there.

Beneath their feet lay dense Rune Arrays interlinked with each other. Far off in the Base Castles stood several towering figures, reaching heights of hundreds of meters. Their broad backs faced the tower, and from where Su Shijun stood atop the tower, she could only see the glowing halos encircling the backs of their heads.

They were the Big Wizards stationed at the Base Castles.

From time to time, teams of Hunting members climbed along the arms and robes of the Big Wizards, patrolling and handling what seemed as trivial maladies, like rhinoceros birds picking off parasites.

This was Black Prison Castle.

The largest stronghold of Wizards within the Black Prison.

The home of the Xuanhuang Wood.

And soon to become the main battlefield of the impending war.

To protect the ancient and mystical plant, the First University had constructed a complex and massive three-layered defensive system around Black Prison Castle. The entire system was structured outward to inward, divided into three layers.

The outermost layer, called the ’Outer Fortress,’ was made up of three Base Castles and one tower. The Base Castles encircled Black Prison Castle in a triangular formation, with the three points of the triangle occupied by the Base Castles, while the tower was perched directly above Black Prison Castle at its highest point.

In more vivid terms, the entire ’Outer Fortress’ resembled a vast transparent Pyramid, where the tower was the Pyramid’s apex, and the Base Castles formed its base.

Between the tower and the Base Castles were laid various powerful Formations, like a thick shell enveloping the entirety of Black Prison Castle. Guarding the tower and the Base Castles were five Upper House Members of the Moon Council and nine Big Wizards dispatched by the Research Institute of the First University.

The nine Big Wizards operated in groups of three, stationed at the Base Castles. Around the Base Castles were numerous well-armed teams of Hunting members patrolling and providing security.

The five Upper House Members of the Moon Council oversaw the tower. As reinforcements summoned for aid, the Upper House Members were granted flexibility in guarding, whether to intercept enemies attacking from the air or to assist Base Castles subjected to concentrated assaults.

Within the defenses of the Outer Fortress lay the ’Main Fortress.’

The Main Fortress was the central stronghold of Black Prison Castle, surrounded by four somewhat shorter towers. Responsibility for these towers was given to the deans and vice-deans of the four academies of the First University along with several High-Tier Hunting teams.

Inside the Main Fortress lay the innermost layer of defense: the Inner Fortress.

At the heart of the Inner Fortress sat the Xuanhuang Wood. Managing the entrance and exit of the Inner Fortress were two vice principals of the First University—Lady Shi Hui and Mr. Ruo Yu.

...

"This tower cannot withstand our True Forms."

Su Shijun glanced around and shook her head. Indeed, given her current state, the wide rooftop, which resembled a compact plaza, seemed spacious. Yet, should they unleash their True Forms, like the Big Wizards stationed at the Base Castles, the tower would undoubtedly crumble under the pressure of containing the five Upper House Members of the Moon Council.

"This place was never intended for battle," came the gentle voice of Silent Souls from behind the Witch. "If we need to act, we’ll have to step outward... However, I don’t believe the University placed us here expecting a few Big Wizards to influence the entire battlefield."

With that, the Ghostly figure pointed downward at one of the Base Castles.

"Even within those three Base Castles alone, there are nine seasoned Big Wizards stationed," he remarked effortlessly, though his expression remained stern. "Any one of our group acting individually, perhaps only Gongsun could rival those Big Wizards... Yet the University deliberately placed us at the nexus of the outer defensive layer."

Implicitly, the University acknowledged that the five Upper House Members of the Moon Council possessed power surpassing those nine Big Wizards.

Su Shijun immediately grasped the unspoken meaning behind Silent Souls’ observation.

"I haven’t studied that Formation in quite some time," she sighed deeply, directing her gaze back toward the Inner Fortress, her expression complex. "The University’s resourcefulness truly knows no bounds."

The combined power of the five Upper House Members of the Moon Council could manifest a force as formidable as a Legend. This unparalleled strength was not only the foundation for why the Clans of the Moon, despite lacking Forbidden Curses, were among the three major forces of the Alliance, but also the reason Milton and William, two Members who had yet to ascend to Big Wizard status, were considered some of the Wizard faction’s strongest combatants.

"We might not need to intervene."

Standing at the edge of the tower, Gongsun Bing suddenly spoke, his voice low and gruff. "Behind us are four deans and two vice principals... Our purpose here is merely to symbolize respect for the University and our duty as representatives of the Moon Council in the Alliance."

His words had barely settled.

A shift rippled through the oppressive aura enveloping Black Prison Castle.

It was as though a long-slumbering Giant Dragon had abruptly opened its eyes, or as if a dormant volcano, buried by the sands of time, suddenly emitted a wisp of smoke from its crater.

A torrent formed from countless pinpricks of light surged from the Inner Fortress into the heavens, scattering outward like brilliant fireworks, splashing starlight across the inky night sky.

In mere moments, those tiny points of light swelled rapidly, transforming into colossal sky lanterns, each about a meter high. They spun in midair, interlinking with one another, coalescing into an immense Formation, radiating boundless brilliance, illuminating Black Prison Castle and the surrounding area for hundreds of kilometers.

In an instant, the once silent and somber fortress became sharp and unrelenting.

"It has begun," the Witch murmured, her four fox tails swaying gently without any breeze.

Beyond the reach of the light.

Su Shijun could distinctly sense the prisoners confined to this lifeless purgatory stirring from every direction, converging silently like a midnight tide, swallowing one jagged reef after another.

The night wind brushed by, causing the Witch’s fox tails to sway more prominently.

Su Shijun took a deep breath as an alluring aura began flowing around her with the night wind, spreading outward in all directions.

Instinct told her this was the scent of the Xuanhuang Fruit.

A peerless treasure capable of purifying Demon bloodlines and aiding Wizards in their advancement.

The prisoners, who had previously avoided Wizard strongholds, now brazenly approached, driven by the lure of the Xuanhuang Fruit, prowling in the darkness, hesitating just at the edge of the light.

"Appetizers before the main course," Duke Milton muttered, slouched against the battlements. He fiddled with his ruby cufflinks while gazing into the distance through the crenellations, his tone languid. "But the appetizers shouldn’t be bland... That would leave no appetite for the main dish."

"The Demons imprisoned in the Black Prison aren’t ordinary riffraff," Silent Souls chuckled. "You can rest assured about that."