Re-Overlord: I Can Acquire Anything!-Chapter 150: Prison Valley

Shirley lifted her head slightly, revealing a small, troubled smile.

"I’m fine... just thinking," she said softly, trying to brush it off.

But Igaris narrowed his eyes, not buying the excuse. "You’ve never been good at hiding your emotions. What’s wrong?"

Shirley hesitated, then stopped walking. She looked around briefly, making sure they had a bit of privacy before speaking.

"I just... I keep thinking about earlier. Those people. Dao Child Mu Chen, Fairy Hua... all of them. They acted like we were nobodies. As if we didn’t belong here," she said, her voice low. "And I couldn’t even say anything back. I felt so useless beside you."

Her voice trembled near the end, but she quickly bit her lip and forced herself to stay composed.

"I know you’re not just Igaris anymore. You’re the Overlord now, the one building a new empire. But I... I don’t want to be someone who always hides behind you."

Igaris listened quietly, and his expression softened.

"You’re not useless, Shirley. You’ve come all this way with me. And everything you’ve done has mattered. I didn’t bring you here to protect you... I brought you because I trust you."

He stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. You’re already strong. But if you want to get stronger... I’ll help you. We’ll walk this path together."

Shirley’s eyes widened a little, glimmering with unshed tears. She nodded firmly, gripping his sleeve tightly.

"Then I won’t hold back. I’ll become strong enough to stand beside you... as your equal."

Igaris smiled faintly.

"Good. That’s what I want."

Behind them, Jian quietly smiled as well, his hands clasped behind his back. "Young love sure has its fire. This reminds of my old days.."

Very quickly, they found their way to the medical hall where Elder Hao was recuperating.

His old skin was now tainted with green poison, his lips turned purple and swollen, and his eyes were red with pain. But as soon as he saw Yuhan, his expression lit up with hope.

"Yu-han, you’re... here," he spoke between ragged breaths.

Igaris came forward and gently held Elder Hao’s hand.

"How are you feeling, Elder?"

"I am... fine. They said I will be fixed in one week," Elder Hao replied.

Igaris felt guilty. "I am sorry, Elder Hao. Because of me, they targeted you. But I promise, one day I will wipe the Poison Sect from the face of the world."

"Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Yuhan. I will be fine. You don’t need to feel guilty. No one’s at fault except the Poison Sect."

Elder Hao thought Igaris was just speaking out of emotion, but it warmed his heart to see that Yuhan still remembered him.

He had been on his way to retire peacefully in his village, so being ambushed was unexpected. No one would have thought the Poison Sect would target him of all people.

Igaris suddenly placed his hand on the elderly man’s chest and muttered,

"Let the sickness be the source of happiness."

As soon as he said that, a radiant green energy surged from his palm, spreading throughout Elder Hao’s body.

Under the astonished and amazed eyes of everyone present, the poison began to dissipate. The old man’s skin regained its healthy hue. Not only that, his once aged body, weathered by time, began to radiate vitality, as though he had consumed a Divine Rejuvenation Pill.

But it was not a pill. It was Igaris, the young man from his village, who had performed this miracle. His hands were like the hands of a god.

Words alone could not convey the depth of Elder Hao’s gratitude and pride.

---

Next, Igaris and Old Jian finally departed for the prison, while Shirley remained behind to train further.

She had made a decision for consulting her master Serenity, seeking a way to become stronger.

Serenity’s tranquil garden lay high on a cliff, overlooking a valley bathed in the glow of twilight. Wind chimes sang in the breeze, and the soft clink of porcelain filled the air as Serenity poured tea.

Shirley approached quietly, her face conflicted.

Serenity looked up and smiled. "You’ve come, disciple. I felt the storm in your heart from afar."

Shirley nodded. "Master... I don’t know what to do anymore. I feel like I’m falling behind. No, I am falling behind. Yuhan is already so far ahead. I try to keep up... but it feels impossible."

"Ah, comparison. One of the oldest poison in a Martial Warrior’s mind," Serenity replied. "You walk a different path, Shirley. You are not meant to follow someone’s footsteps but to carve your own."

"But I want to be strong enough to fight beside him. Not just to be protected, but to protect him. And everyone else too."

"Mmm... A noble desire. One that burns true in your eyes. That’s why I have not stopped you from becoming dao companion with him.."

"Then help me, Master. Tell me what I need to do. I’ll take any risk, bear any pain."

Serenity’s gaze deepened. "There is a realm, hidden by the oldest arrays of our world. Few know of it. Fewer survive it. It is called the Trial of Thousand Reflections."

"Trial of Reflections?"

"Yes. In that place, you face not beasts nor blades, but yourself. Every wound of your past, every regret, every failure. Your darkest thoughts, your deepest fears. All take form. If your heart wavers, you may never return."

"And if I succeed?"

"Then you will emerge tempered, reborn in soul and strength. With that trial conquered, you will no longer chase Dao Child Yuhan. You will walk beside him."

Shirley’s eyes burned with resolve. "When can I begin, Master?"

"Tomorrow, when the moon reaches its peak. I will open the gate for you. But remember, child... strength lies not only in sword or skill. It lies in will. And love."

Shirley bowed deeply. "Thank you, Master. I won’t fail you."

Serenity gently brushed a strand of hair from Shirley’s cheek. "You never have, my youngest disciple."

----

The wind howled softly through the narrow forest path as Igaris and Founder Jian rode forward atop two sleek White Tigers, their paws silent upon the moss-covered earth. A faint mist curled along the treetops, filtering the sun’s light into pale beams. The route they took was old and long abandoned, snaking between hills and stone ridges as if deliberately hidden from the eyes of ordinary men.

"This path was once used by rebels fleeing the wrath of the Ancient Empire. Few know it still exists." Jian said while adjusting his robes.

Igaris nodded. His blue eyes flickered beneath the hood of his travel cloak, ever watchful. "How far until we reach the prison?"

"Another two hours. But once we cross the Emerald Gorge, we’ll have to proceed with caution. The Empire left traps and seals to discourage wandering souls."

Igaris smiled faintly. "Let them try. None of those traps were meant for someone like me."

Jian chuckled under his breath. "Your confidence reminds me of my younger days. Brash and bold. But remember, this place is cursed with more than imperial deterrents. Rumors say some prisoners were not just criminals, but failed experiments. Mutated beings left to rot in imprisonment."

"Good. They might prove useful."

"You plan to subdue them?" Jian raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways.

"If they can be of use, yes. If not, they’ll be put to rest. I don’t enjoy wasting potential," Igaris replied, his tone cold yet composed.

Soon, the narrow path opened into a steep descent. Far below, carved into the rocky gut of the mountain, lay the ruins of Prison Valley. Black Towers, now shattered, jutted out like the bones of some long-dead beast. Stone walls, once impossible to breach, lay crumbled under the weight of time. The air hung heavy with decay and something else—an oppressive silence that pressed on their ears.

"This place feels still accursed after all those eras," Jian whispered, dismounting his White Tiger.

"It should. The pain of the past lingers here."

They moved forward on foot, their steps echoing faintly as they entered the outer ward of the prison complex. Rusted gates hung loose on their hinges, swinging slightly even though there was no wind. Carvings of screaming faces lined the cracked walls, faded but haunting.

Suddenly, a whisper echoed from deeper within.

"Another one... Another one has come..."

Jian froze. "That wasn’t just the wind, My Lord."

"No. That was a soul," Igaris said, walking ahead unflinchingly. He extended his hand and activated The Architect’s Eyes, letting ancient blue lines scan through the stone and iron layers.

"I see twelve entities... not spirits, not alive either... something in between."

"Then we best prepare ourselves."

"Let them come to me," Igaris said, stepping into the courtyard.

At once, shadows shifted in the corners of the ruins. Out crawled malformed humanoids, their limbs twisted, faces half-covered in iron masks, and their eyes glowing with hate. They moved erratically, yet the pressure they exuded was that of old warriors, once powerful, now corrupted.

Jian unsheathed his blade. "Should I assist, Lord?"

"If you’re confident, them of course. But don’t be a burden to me"

Igaris stepped forward and raised his hand.

"Submit, or be erased."

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