The stormy sky revealed strips of purple thunder pythons in the dark clouds, followed by low rumbling thunder.

Waves continuously crashed against the steep cliffs, sending up countless white splashes. In the flickering light, a secret stone gate appeared before them.

"This damn weather!"

On either side of the small stone gate stood two figures, both with a single horn protruding from their heads, belonging to an alien race. One appeared youthful, while the other had already stepped into middle age.

The young alien was completely soaked, seeing the thunderstorm approaching and the heavy rain imminent, he couldn't help but curse under his breath.

The other alien was indifferent to his companion's complaints, clearly used to it.

"I'm going to get something to eat first."

After a huge wave crashed, the middle-aged alien said.

"Hurry back, I'm hungry too."

The younger alien continued to complain, wishing only to end this painful work as soon as possible.

The middle-aged alien didn't respond, pulling out a stone key from his damp clothes, inserted it into the stone gate, and gave it a slight twist. The heavy stone gate slowly opened.

The dim tunnel was narrow, barely allowing two people to walk through side by side, and all along the way, there were seventeen forks. Taking the wrong fork would lead to losing one's way; some even contained traps, and choosing incorrectly meant death.

Therefore, even after hundreds or thousands of journeys, the middle-aged alien dared not act carelessly.

Following the dim tunnel for ten minutes, suddenly a brightness emerged, revealing a vast cavern.

The cavern held rows of bookshelves, and the stone walls were similarly lined with books, estimated to be over ten thousand volumes.

The damp air gave the books a somewhat pungent smell.

In the grand hall, an elder in a brocade robe sat on a stone chair covered with soft demon beast fur, flipping through a book in his hand.

The elder was gaunt, with messy gray-white hair spilling casually down his back. His hands were veined, like wriggling worms, and his weather-beaten face was carved with wrinkles, exuding a somber aura, carrying only a hint of vitality.

Yet even so, as he sat in the stone chair, he maintained a scholarly demeanor, his sunken eyes concealing a wise, bright gaze.

Within the hall, besides the elder, eighteen aliens were dispersed around, armed. Their task was to guard the elder.

Some of them had been on duty for thirty years, well accustomed to such work and life.

Though the job was dull, it was also quite easy.

Because this place was so hidden, built on the edge of the cliff, ordinary people simply couldn't find it.

Even if they did, it would be challenging to cross the dangerous ocean to reach this place.

Even if they found it, the numerous forks in the path often spelled death. No one could come here unnoticed.

Even if they did manage to come, they could instantly control and kill the elder.

Over the past thirty-seven years, five groups attempted to rescue the elder, three of which didn't even get to see him, suffering heavy losses and fleeing outright.

The other two groups managed to see him, but ultimately, all were annihilated.

Now, it had been 12 years since anyone attempted a rescue.

Footsteps echoed as a figure appeared at one of the forks, an alien in a yellow robe entered the cavern.

Behind him followed 21 figures.

Their hands and feet were shackled with iron chains, all humans, including men, women, young, and old, even two five or six-year-old children.

Some wore expressions of resignation, others bore faces full of fear, their bodies trembling, and one child began to cry from sheer terror.

The crying reverberated in the cavern, seeming harsh and grating, causing several aliens to frown, their eyes flashing with murderous intent.

"Shut up."

A roar halted the crying. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

At that moment, a young girl covered the mouth of the child forcefully, fearing to make a sound.

Along the way, they had witnessed the ruthlessness of the aliens and knew the consequences of angering them.

With the crying stopped, the alien man holding two books walked toward the elder, the clinking of iron chains behind him as the others followed closely.

Reaching the elder, the alien tossed the books in front of him, saying, "These are your Human Race's techniques 'Fire Burning' and the Alien Race's technique 'Celestial Fire Technique'. The master says there are similarities. You know what to do; finish in a week."

Zhou Chengfeng looked at the two paper books before him, his eyes unusually calm.

He wanted to refuse, but couldn't.

If he refused, the 21 people in front of him would be brutally slaughtered.

All in front of him.

He had once refused, ignoring the pleas and screams, but eventually chose to compromise.

If he failed, or exceeded the time limit, people would die.

21 lives, each day over meant one more dead. If they ran out of people, new ones would be brought in until the task was completed.

If he could choose, he would choose suicide without hesitation, but he couldn't even do that now.

Even if he died, they would replace him with another shell.

He had seen such methods.

Evil and disgusting, so disgusting that he didn't even dare to kill himself.

"Be honest, don't ask for trouble."

Seeing Zhou Chengfeng remain silent, the alien paid no mind, throwing out a sentence before leaving.

"Get yourself into the cage quietly."

After the alien left, the 21 humans were herded into a five-meter diameter iron cage by two aliens, as though they were caged animals.

And this iron cage was positioned just ten meters in front of the elder.

Looking up, they could see it.

Inside the cage, aside from the young children, everyone else stared intently at the elder, their eyes filled with longing and hope.

They knew that their survival depended entirely on the elder before them.

Faced with these eyes, Zhou Chengfeng's gaze wavered, and he sighed softly.

When would these days of suffering end?

In the past thirty-seven years, he had deciphered hundreds of human cultivation techniques and martial skills for the aliens; how could he atone for such sins?

He was a criminal!

He didn't know how many humans had died because of the techniques he deciphered.

He looked down at his hands, hands that, although holding books, were stained with endless blood.

Over the years, he had also deciphered many alien techniques but had found no escape, rendering his efforts useless.

Zhou Chengfeng glanced at the 21 humans in the cage, his gaze lingering slightly on the two young children.

After a moment, he closed his eyes, his Soul Sea slightly undulating with soul power.

In the next instant, his eyes glowed, seemingly flickering with endless stars, while a transparent film emerged from his neck, enveloping his brain, and transparent tendrils connecting to Zhou Chengfeng's head. It seemed as though something transparent was pouring energy into Zhou Chengfeng's brain.

"Light Brain Beast!"

Inside the cage, a man exclaimed upon seeing Zhou Chengfeng.

It turned out to be the Light Brain Beast, ranked third on the Exotic Beast Chart.

This Demon Spirit, though lacking attack power, was even more precious than Earth Chart Demon Spirits.

It was said that those who refined this Demon Spirit would possess the most powerful brain in the world, with terrifying intelligence.

At this moment, they understood why this old man was so valued by the aliens.

And why the alien race would use their lives to threaten this old man.

"Stop! Do you know how many people your actions could harm? What's the point of clinging to life like this?"

The man grasped the bars of the cage, angrily questioning.

He was afraid of death, but he also didn't want to live in disgrace.

As a Martial Artist, he knew that a wise man capable of deciphering techniques was far more fearsome than an Emperor, and more dangerous too.

Zhou Chengfeng slightly opened his eyes, the light in them as solid as stone. With the aid of the Demon Spirit's support, all of the man's details appeared in his mind.

"Age between 40 to 43, left-handed, Sword Cultivator, Seventh Grade Flying Realm martial arts strength, no refined Demon Spirit....."

Zhou Chengfeng didn't argue or explain, only silently endured the middle-aged man's questioning and even insults.

"Yeah, if we die, it'll be over. Don't do work for the aliens."

"Old man, you've lived so long, aren't you done yet? How can you have the face to live on? I want to spit in your face."

"Shut up, if you want to die, do it yourself, don't drag us down!"

"I don't want to die yet, my parents are still waiting for me to return."

"There's no way the aliens will easily let us go. If we die, then so be it."

Faced with death, everyone's thoughts and feelings differed; some thought death brought relief, others preferred to live in disgrace.

Faced with the begging and the insults, Zhou Chengfeng remained calm, choosing to ignore them. His gaze returned to the cultivation technique, which, now with the aid of the super brain, began to be deciphered....