Time carries a silent power.

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The moment the person at the front stepped in, they were terrified to the point of screaming, faced with a sudden appearance of a gigantic face. The face slammed into an invisible wire mesh, bouncing off slightly. What they saw was a bizarre creature—a bird with a human-like face. Its entire body was covered in thick, jet-black feathers. Though the face resembled a human’s, it was only vaguely similar in its features: bulging eyes, nostrils that covered nearly the entire face, and foul green breath exhaled from them. The sight alone was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.

It let out a sharp, ear-piercing screech, seemingly displeased with how easily this new batch of arrivals was frightened. Its eyes were filled with disdain.

This strange bird was absolutely doing this on purpose, both to attract the attention of the other inmates and to intimidate the newcomers.

The guards standing on either side pretended not to hear, making no effort to intervene. Long Ming understood instantly—it was tacit approval. They allowed the inmates to haze the new arrivals as part of a tradition.

Beyond the bird, Long Ming saw a plaza stretching out, just barely within sight. The plaza was filled with beings of all sorts—some humanoid, others in their original forms. However, it was clear that the bird’s actions had drawn everyone’s attention to this area.

Long Ming had good eyesight and could make out the wicked smiles on some faces, as if they were used to this kind of spectacle. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened—it had become part of the prison’s culture.

Their ritual for welcoming newcomers.

As the future warden of this place, Long Ming thought that such traditions… should definitely be preserved!

Good traditions need to be encouraged, right? He prided himself on being an open-minded leader.

The prisoners’ steps were neither fast nor orderly, and the setting sun only emphasized this leisurely pace. Two words popped into Long Ming’s mind: Free Time.

Even the Dimensional Prison believed in balancing work and rest. In addition to the combat ranking matches, which let prisoners burn off excess fighting spirit, they also had this free time. After all, you couldn’t keep even those with fixed sentences on too tight a leash, or the escape rates would only skyrocket. This free time was just one of many ways to let them relax.

Long Ming even suspected that the newcomers were deliberately arranged to enter during the prisoners’ free time, setting them up for a “grand welcome.”

He quickly estimated the size of his group—not too many, not too few, exactly forty people. Looking ahead at the endless corridor lined with black iron fences, which enclosed the entire plaza, with a wire net above preventing any aerial escape, he realized this was going to be a long walk.

As he walked, Long Ming didn’t forget to observe the Dimensional Prison. From what he could tell, the reason so many inmates managed to escape was due to the lax management, subpar equipment, and the general lack of inmate education. There were loopholes everywhere. If he were the one trying to escape, it wouldn’t be an impossible task.

Even if there weren’t any issues now, trouble was bound to arise sooner or later.

There were a few people in the group who caught Long Ming’s attention, two of whom stood out the most, while the rest were still within his observation range.

One of them wore a long, snow-white robe. From the back, all that could be seen was their golden hair, flowing gracefully down their back. Their face was obscured, but Long Ming felt certain it wouldn’t be disappointing—anyone who took this much care with their appearance must have a fair amount of confidence in their looks.

Even with chains on, they managed to maintain an air of grace. Their aura was somewhat similar to Long Ming’s own, though Long Ming was confident that, when it came to style, no one else could compare to him.

If this person’s strength matched their appearance, they might be worth something. If not… well, that would be a different story.

After all, many inmates had a particular fondness for slowly destroying beautiful things right in front of their eyes, tainting and tearing them apart.

Besides this mysterious figure, another person who stood out was someone walking three places ahead—a person who was somehow still asleep while walking. Their spiritual waves were long and stable, clearly showing that they were genuinely asleep. Long Ming couldn’t help but glance over a few times, intrigued by how they managed to walk while asleep.

Perhaps sensing Long Ming’s probing spirit, the sleeper suddenly woke up, turning their head and locking eyes with him.

A pair of golden-brown eyes, like those of a fierce predator tearing into its prey, stared him down. Muscles rippled beneath their simple clothes, and their brown hair fluttered wildly in the wind. Though the faint killing intent in their gaze quickly dissipated when they saw Long Ming’s unflinching gaze, it was clear this was someone who could explode with power at any moment.

That one look came with a highly skilled mental attack, so refined that even Long Ming, who had studied spiritual waves extensively, had to give silent praise.

It was a warning.

Feigning nervousness, Long Ming quickly lowered his head, just like a child caught doing something wrong.

At this moment, he wasn’t the all-powerful Long Ming but just another ordinary prisoner. Playing the weakling was also a skillful art.

He reined in his curiosity. It was still unclear how many people in this group were like that, so it was best not to stir up trouble.

Who knew if any of the forty people here were planted spies?

As the group continued moving forward, some of the others, dressed similarly to Long Ming, weren’t as lucky. They were immediately targeted by the surrounding criminals.

The mockery came in the form of insults, whistles, and jeers. Those unfamiliar with the prison world would likely be terrified by this kind of situation.

The rowdy voices and mocking stares surrounded them, as if undressing them with their eyes. The person walking ahead of Long Ming was already trembling so hard they could barely walk. Long Ming sighed in exasperation.

Quickly, Long Ming removed his hood. Being too low-profile had made him stand out, and he immediately corrected his mistake—one of his greatest strengths.

The face beneath the hood was plain, gaunt, and expressionless, with hollow eyes and a haggard appearance.

A face like that would blend into a crowd with ease, drawing no attention. Long Ming prided himself on his Long-style Disguise.

However, while he noticed his own disguise, he hadn’t accounted for others who might drag him down.

For example, the trembling person in front of him. When Long Ming saw the stream of hot yellow liquid dripping from their pants, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of sorrow.

Damn, have some dignity!

Pissing yourself out of fear—of course, they’ll target you!

And given how many prisoners were highly sensitive to smell, this severe loss of control surely hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Being right behind them, Long Ming knew he wouldn’t be spared either.

As the group continued moving forward, sure enough, those with a keen sense of smell began eyeing him like wolves.

“A little piggy wet himself! Come on, lick up your brother’s piss, and we’ll take care of you tonight!”

“A virgin, huh? I’m taking his first time!”

“Get lost! I saw him first! Much easier than that icy beauty up front!”

The “icy beauty” in white stiffened at these words, clearly enduring the lewd taunts in silence. Judging by the clenched fists hidden under their sleeves, it was evident how much restraint they were exercising. It seemed they’d never encountered such crude behavior outside the prison.

Long Ming shook his head. Hiding so poorly—did they really think these seasoned inmates wouldn’t notice?

Someone like that wouldn’t survive in this prison.

Suddenly, one of the loud-mouthed hecklers turned into a skeleton before their eyes, their greenish eyes gradually dimming, creating an eerie sight in the plaza. It was a group of necromancers, with their bodies replaced by skeletons.

Long Ming thought to himself, That’s one hell of an intimidation tactic.

The trembling person in front of him finally collapsed in a faint, prompting another round of mocking laughter. A few wolf warriors quickly dragged the unconscious body away, to who knows where.

This little incident didn’t slow the group’s march, and Long Ming resumed his discreet observation of the onlookers in the plaza, carefully memorizing their traits and abilities for future use.

Seeing someone from different angles could always create new impressions.

In this, Sha Yu wasn’t wrong. Once Long Ming became the warden, there was no way he would get such a firsthand experience.

Fortunately, his current appearance as a nondescript extra helped him go unnoticed.

Since the inmates couldn’t physically touch him yet, Long Ming continued forward without any trouble.

Suddenly.

The noise around him vanished.

It disappeared too abruptly, without any warning.

Long Ming looked up to see that the once-rowdy prisoners had all fallen silent. Some were trembling like leaves in the wind, and even the massive bird had stopped flapping its wings, staring at the approaching figure as if it had seen a ghost.

The older prisoners were all thinking the same thing:

Oh no, is this for real?!

Wasn’t the Demon King supposed to be on the verge of death from Qi deviation? How is he suddenly full of life again?!

Is this a resurrection?!

Bro, does your best friend, Lord Sage King, know you’re making such a grand entrance?

It’s true—disasters really do last a thousand years. His demon core was almost burnt out, but of course, Long Ming stumbled across him and brought him back to life!

Of course, these thoughts were buried deep inside, while outwardly, each prisoner gazed in awe and shock at the approaching man.

An SS-ranked demon, the only high-ranking demon beast in the Dimensional Prison.

The man’s sudden arrival was impossible to ignore.

His eyes carried a faint bestial nature, still simmering with the embers of past fury. His thinly veiled killing intent was well-concealed, a person adept at hiding his true self. His gaze was like a deep, dark pool, and the beastly markings on his powerful arms looked like flowing flames ready to scorch anyone who came near. His casual, almost indifferent stroll made it seem like he was walking through his own backyard, but in truth, he was closely observing the newcomers.

Anyone who could make these veteran inmates fall silent like this, combined with such striking features, was undoubtedly the infamous SS-ranked demon—Demon King You.

As You’s gaze swept over the newcomers, it lingered a moment longer on Long Ming.

Even Long Ming hadn’t realized that he was the only one staring directly at You. In a prison, such behavior was equivalent to a provocation.

At best, it could lead to a fight.

The older inmates glanced at Long Ming:

Damn, gutsy move! Respect!

Light a row of candles for him!

Over the years, no one had dared to defy the Demon King.

It was true—newborn calves aren’t afraid of tigers. But staring at the Demon King like that? Even the dead would feel it!

Don’t you know our Demon King has been pure and celibate for years? Someone like you is way out of his league!

Long Ming didn’t care what anyone thought, because the man in front of him looked exactly like someone he knew from a thousand years ago—the Demon Emperor You Ji, who had fallen for his sake.