I Can See Your Combat Power-Chapter 1660 - Ninety-Nine: Prison Break

True gold will eventually shine; often these words are a consolation for friends and loved ones who have not achieved their ambitions.

It presupposes that relatives and friends possess remarkable talents and firmly believes they will stand out one day.

However, in reality, such excellence, based on subjective judgment, usually fails to reach a level where it can shine.

And many times, this kind of excellence does not even exist.

Just like how parents may consider their child outstanding and sensible simply for being able to eat, drink, and call people.

The world of martial arts is the same, with one’s own clan members often hailed as rare talents; but when compared to the grand environment of Xiehe’s martial arts, they are merely satisfactory.

Once the Xiang Family of Chaochang, who seized the legacy of the Yun Clan and won the support of the nobles of Zhongzhou, produced several Grandmasters, they thought themselves unparalleled.

After their tragic defeat in Chaochang, although they fled to Zhongzhou, they still carried the pride of leading their martial arts lineage.

But in fact, besides Yanyun Grandmaster and Xiang Family’s Ancestor, most of the Xiang Family’s martial arts prowess can only be considered above average in Zhongzhou.

After the ancient Hundred Saints emerged to expel the demons and established the Human Race’s dominance, most remained in Zhongzhou to spread their lineage. Many low-profile noble families, when showing their true strength, can even make sects give way.

With noble families standing tall for millennia, the Xiang Family newcomers could not fathom the depths and made huge investments to build a small town, meanwhile seeking to cling to the coattails of Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol.

However, the acting steward An Yushu did not appreciate the Xiang Family, a fallen house, and did not offer any conveniences. In the end, they only gained a few positions of patrol envoys.

Although a patrol envoy can already be considered as middle management within the king’s patrol, the Xiang Family was certainly not satisfied since, in support of Hanging Sky City’s development, they had funneled countless resources through the Chaochang port to Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol over the years.

Even though there’s a new chief in charge of the king’s patrol, these contributions shouldn’t just vanish into thin air.

Dissatisfied, a Xiang Family Martial Ancestor who assumed the responsibilities of a patrol envoy often voiced their displeasure, and these complaints soon reached the ears of the acting master.

What followed were several internal martial contests within the king’s patrol, where the Xiang Family’s patrol envoys were rather unlucky to be matched against top figures from demonic paths.

These warriors, nurtured by the system of noble families, might surpass loose cultivators in vitality, roots, and the intricacies of martial arts, but in a one-on-one fight against truly fierce loose practitioners from evil paths, they were somewhat inadequate.

Ultimately, not only did they fail to retain their positions as envoys, but they were also assigned the blame for the loss of Chaochang City due to alleged incompetence.

When fortune favors, all forces align; but when fortune fades, even heroes are constrained.

After the Xiang Family fell out of favor with Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol, misfortunes followed one after another.

Firstly, the Xiang Family’s Ancestor Xiang Qian passed away as his spirit dimmed, and then they encountered a noble family with old grudges. Just as that family had been miserably off in Chaochang, now the Xiang Family was facing great hardships in Zhongzhou.

Without the backing of a Grandmaster, the Xiang Family faced obstructions at every turn, and their progress became extremely difficult.

In just two short years, the Xiang Family, once dominant in Chaochang, had lost all their arrogance and was behaving in a low-key manner.

They became just like the other hidden dragon noble families in the depths of Zhongzhou.

But it is always easier to go from simplicity to luxury than from luxury to simplicity.

The Xiang Family, who once held power over the stormy times, could not accept such an oblivion and sent out young family members to wander between sects, seeking a new master to serve under a mighty force.

After much searching, it turned out that Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol was the one to extend an olive branch to the Xiang Family.

The Xiang Family treasured this hard-won opportunity more than anything, mustering the strength of the entire clan.

Based on the intelligence provided by the noble families and the organized Fierce Realm squads, apprehending some scattered cultivators who had just entered the Fierce Realm was a piece of cake.

However, unlike the arrest-focused combat style of others in the Wind Department, the warriors from the Xiang Family clearly vented years of pent-up resentment on these disciples from Unparalleled City.

Yancang Luyang City

The actions of the Dutian Heavenly King in recent months have made this inconspicuous little city known to all.

It’s hard to imagine that a city with a population of less than two hundred thousand could have a luxurious prison capable of housing a million prisoners.

The prisoners held here are all deemed desperately vile by Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol, yet still valuable.

There are fallen family heads, defectors from sects, magic path giants who have slipped up, and those identified by the Divine Court as heretical...

These people were kept in dark prisons, surviving through the sheer resilience of their fighter’s bodies, though few could last more than three to five years. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Even so, this prison named after Luyang still held over two hundred thousand prisoners, earning the title of the number one prison in Xiehe.

Contrary to its reputation, however, was the prison’s defensive force.

Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol had not stationed heavy troops, nor had they arranged even one master-level expert; there were only a few Martial Ancestor-led patrol squads and a group of permanent jailers and executors.

The open gate seemed like an invitation for external forces to attack and abduct prisoners.

Yet for many years, Luyang had never experienced a prison break, but today, a bold group of jailbreakers was conspiring in the mountains just outside Luyang City.

"The map of Luyang City has already been surveyed by me, gentlemen, please take a look," said a man.

Skinny and efficient, with narrow but bright eyes, if Tang Luo were here, he would surely recognize this ordinary-looking man as one of the leaders of the Unparalleled Alumni Association, and the foremost among the three leaders—the second batch of graduates—Shi Sanke.

Although his appearance was ordinary, Shi Sanke had great ambitions. After graduation, he contacted the graduates from Yancang, using the bonds of alumni to form a watchful alliance, seeking development under the oppression of the nobility.

However, later on, Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol declared the Alumni Association the source of trouble and sent troops to apprehend them during a major battle, causing heavy casualties within the Association.

Only about a quarter managed to escape, and in the end, only seven or eight were willing to participate in the prison break.

"I have secretly observed that the place where our comrades are held is in the tower at the northeast corner. The patrol team only passes by every four hours. We will act on schedule, break into the city, breach the tower, fling open the prison doors, and then leave straight away," Shi Sanke explained.

Shi Sanke pointed at the hand-drawn map, describing the plan to several of his comrades nearby.

"President Shi, the warriors of King’s patrol were very heavy-handed when apprehending our comrades, wounding dozens severely in the final battle alone. Breaking into Luyang City is not difficult, nor is opening the tower, but the real challenge is how to carry the severely wounded comrades away," said Lu Zhongyan, also a graduate of the administrative department, apprehensively pointing to the tower drawn on the map.

"With our limited abilities, the rabid dogs from the Xiang Family went out today, and who knows when they will be back. There is only this one chance for the jailbreak," Shi Sanke spoke gravely: "We must fight quickly and decisively, do not linger or attempt to save wounded comrades. After opening the prison doors, we should split up and leave, heading straight for the open sea or hiding inland. Given the defense force of Luyang City, they surely won’t be able to track everyone."

"President Shi, there is something I don’t understand!" said Fu Yuanshan, frowning: "Since we are breaking into the prison to rescue people, why not gather more forces? Relying on just the few of us is too risky."

"Fu brother is correct; it was clearly the noble families who struck first, yet the Dutian Heavenly King’s patrol blamed the Alumni Association. Why don’t we report this matter back to the Academy? I believe the King’s patrol would certainly release our people out of respect for the Dean. Why engage in such a dangerous act as a jailbreak?"