Step by Step Lotus Blooms

"Go in!"

Two guards escorted Yi Yun, opened a secret room in the Prince Chu's Estate, pushed Yi Yun, and then chained his hands and feet.

Yi Yun fell onto the cold ground, lying on his back. With each breath, the cold air he exhaled caused the moisture in the air to condense.

This secret chamber, including its doors and windows, is made of special metal and engraved with arrays. Even if Human Race Hegemon were imprisoned here, he would not be able to break into the chamber.

Moreover, outside the main gate, there were guards from the Prince Chu's Estate's mansion patrolling, and further away, there were prominent figures from the Shentu Family. Trying to escape was nothing short of a pipe dream.

However, no matter what, he did survive, but... he is only temporarily alive because of Shentu Nantian's obsession with Jiang Xiaorou's bloodline.

If Shentu Nantian didn't harbor such deep hatred for the Desolate Clan, and if he hadn't been looking for an opportunity to capture Jiang Xiaorou again, then Yi Yun would have lost his usefulness, and he would be a dead man now.

This was hard for Yi Yun to accept; he didn't want his life or death to be based on so many "what ifs."

Today was the closest he ever came to death, and he almost lost the most important person in his life.

In comparison, the attacks by Lian Chengyu in Yunhuang and the pursuit by the Golden Crow Remnant at the Gate of Fallen Stars were much less severe.

Death... Yi Yun didn't know what that felt like. The cold, dark underground, the endless loneliness, the decaying flesh turning to dust...

In his previous life, Yi Yun was a modern person. Unlike the martial artists of this world, he did not easily risk his life for certain things.

Yi Yun cherishes life. As long as his bottom line as a human being is not violated, Yi Yun will do everything in his power to survive.

If he survives this ordeal... then he never wants his life to be in someone else's hands again, to depend on other people's decisions for survival.

No matter who it is, it won't work!

Yi Yun remained motionless. In the completely quiet environment of this secret chamber, he connected his spiritual power with Purple Crystal, using its power to gradually refine the cold poison within his body.

Even when faced with dire circumstances, he would not give up hope, but would do everything in his power to gain a better chance of survival.

He knew that he was safe for the time being.

Shentu Nantian intends to use him to lure out the high-ranking members of the Desolate Clan, so he won't treat him too badly, at least not by crippling his limbs or turning him into a complete cripple.

Otherwise, when the high-ranking members of the Desolate Clan arrive and use their divine sense to locate Yi Yun, they will likely give up upon seeing that Yi Yun is no longer human. In that state, there would be no point in rescuing him; it would Yi Yun suffering.

This is probably why Shentu Nantian used a Seven Fiends Heavenly Yin Pill to cripple Yi Yun's cultivation. In this way, as long as the news of Yi Yun is kept secret, it will appear on the surface that Yi Yun is merely exhausted and extremely weak. The higher-ups of the Desolate Clan will not know that they are actually saving a cripple.

This was also Shentu Nantian's plan.

Yi Yun naturally wouldn't let himself be manipulated.

Time passed, and the secret chamber remained dark and gloomy. Yi Yun lay on the ground, not moving a finger. However, within Yi Yun's body, the Purple Crystal had already stirred up a small vortex. This vortex gathered energy and subtly absorbed the cold poison within Yi Yun's body, bit by bit.

Inside the Purple Crystal, the originally tiny blue Ice Crystal grew larger and larger.

Although its quality was inferior to that of Pure Yang Spirit, it inadvertently left a seed of Yin-cold attribute within the Purple Crystal...

One day, two days, three days...

Yi Yun looked up at the sky, his eyes open, motionless. From the outside, he looked as if he were dead.

In reality, Yi Yun's injuries were slowly healing, and his strength was rapidly recovering.

Within his dantian, the Radiant Sun True Qi had begun to circulate vigorously again, but... Yi Yun used Purple Crystal to lock this pure yang energy.

As long as the energy is absorbed and sealed by the Purple Crystal, even sages cannot detect it.

At the same time, Yi Yun released the cold energy that had been sealed in the Purple Crystal and spread it throughout his body. As a result, from the outside, Yi Yun still appeared to be suffering from cold poison and his cultivation was nearly ruined.

Inside the secret chamber, day and night were unknown. Every morning, the guards of the Prince Chu's Estate would bring a pill and force-feed it to Yi Yun. This pill was a life-extending pill, and they did it to prevent Yi Yun from dying from exhaustion.

The deadline is in a few days. No matter what, they have to make sure Yi Yun looks good, otherwise they won't be able to attract the Wild Clan at all.

"Tsk tsk! Poor thing, it's been seven days and Yi Yun hasn't even blinked. If it weren't for the fact that he still has a heartbeat, I would have thought he was dead."

"One of the guards said, with a hint of schadenfreude in his voice."

As guards of the Prince Chu's Estate's mansion, their status was not low, but compared to a prodigy like Yi Yun, they were insignificant.

Deep down, they inevitably harbored some resentment and jealousy. Seeing Yi Yun fall from grace, their feelings were similar to those of ordinary people seeing a high-ranking official fall from power.

"Nothing is more tragic than a broken heart. If your cultivation is destroyed, you'll be subjected to the Lingchi Devouring Heart in Empress, and that'll be the same for you." Another guard said, feeding Yi Yun the pill.

"Haha! If it were me, I'd probably commit suicide right now!"

"Suicide? Don't even dream about it. Young Master Nantian won't let him die like that. He's poisoned by the cold, he doesn't even have the ability to sever his own meridians. His hands and feet are bound by chains, so he can forget about taking his own life. He'll be given a life-extending pill every day, so dying is impossible. Alas! Life is unpredictable. Who could have imagined that just a few days ago he was at the height of his power, and now he's become the most miserable death row inmate, falling from the Heavenly Palace to hell!"

One of the guards shook his head as he spoke. They knew that two unfathomable elders had arrived from the Shentu Family these past few days. The two of them had joined forces to set up a terrifying array, waiting to catch a big fish.

In a few days, a high-ranking member of the Wilderness Clan might come to break this almost unbreakable formation and rescue a person who has been completely crippled.

Thinking about this, both guards felt that they were in for a good show.

They were eager to know what the expressions of the Wilderness Clan's higher-ups would be after they rescued Yi Yun and discovered he was already a cripple.

It's the ninth day.

Shentu Nantian glanced at the sky. The sun was about to set, and tomorrow was the last day. If the high-ranking members of the Desolate Clan did not come, then Yi Yun would be executed.

"Young Master Nantian, the Desolate Clan may not return. Setting up this Heaven and Earth Jue Luo Great Formation was no cheap..."

Beside Shentu Nantian, an old man in White Robe spoke. His eyebrows were exceptionally long, hanging down like two white snakes.

The Heaven and Earth Jue Luo Great Formation requires the essence and blood of Ancient Remnant Species to draw the array patterns, and also requires the use of 108 desolate bones to refine the Formation Flag.

Creating such a set of Formation Flag is very expensive, and these Formation Flag are not for permanent use; each use will reduce their lifespan.

Shentu Nantian, "Elder Su, Elder Mo, please don't let your guard down. That demoness has a transcendent status in the Desolate Clan, and they will take her wishes seriously. Although the Heaven and Earth Jue Luo Great Formation is expensive, if we can capture a high-ranking member of the Desolate Clan and break this Beast Tide, we can even take the opportunity to capture that demoness again. Then this little bit of effort will be negligible."

The two old men stopped talking and returned to their respective spots to meditate and rest, conserving their energy to reach their peak condition.

Although the two elders believed that such an obvious trap was almost certainly a one-way trip, and that no high-level wild race would come to their deaths.

As the moon rose high in the sky, a night wind swept through Chuzhou City.

On a high mountain on the outskirts of the city, under the silvery full moon, a lone silver wolf howled.

A lone wolf howls at the moon.

Beside the silver wolf, a boy stood alone, holding a bamboo flute less than a foot long.

His eyes, like the deepest black gems, shone with a light brighter than the starry sky, and behind the boy was a vast galaxy, with silver ribbons of light cascading down from the sky like a waterfall, creating a dreamlike scene.

The Youth in Green looked towards the distant Chuzhou City, the night wind blowing his blue hair ribbon, which danced in the wind.

Under the cover of night, Chuzhou City resembled a colossal black Giant Beast with its jaws wide open, awaiting its arrival.

The Youth in Green rose up on the wind...

"Um!?"

While meditating, Elder Su and Elder Mo suddenly opened their eyes, simultaneously sensing the approach of a powerful aura.

That was not the primordial energy possessed by humans, but rather the surging Savage Power!

The Savage Power... the Wild Clan!?

It's really here!?

A glint flashed in the eyes of the two old men, and they soared into the air. They stepped on golden light, one holding a golden sword and the other a bronze mirror. They were like two God of War, flying high into the sky.

Unexpectedly, with the two of them in charge, plus the Heaven and Earth Jue Luo Great Formation, there were still Desolate Clan members who dared to come and die!

To venture deep into enemy territory alone is a cardinal sin in warfare, especially since they have been waiting in ambush and laid a trap. Have these barbarian tribes gone mad?!

At this moment, Shentu Nantian also flew out from a palace. He was excited to see the arrival of the Wild Clan.

Only then would his plan make sense.

Otherwise, if the Desolate Clan didn't intervene in Yi Yun's affairs, even if he were to torture Yi Yun to Lingchi Devouring Heart in another day, what difference would it make? It would just be the execution of a cripple, no different from crushing an ant.

But even if we still can't capture Jiang Xiaorou, killing a high-level member of the Wilderness Clan is a great achievement!

"I wonder what the lineup will be like. I hope it won't disappoint me."

Shentu Nantian thought to himself that the Wilderness Clan would send at least seven or eight experts to help each other and reduce the risk.

However, Shentu Nantian was stunned when he saw who it was.

A Youth in Green robes walked slowly through the void.

His movements were calm and elegant. With each step he took, starlight gathered in the void, transforming into a blue lotus flower that quietly bloomed.

With each graceful step, Step by Step Lotus Blooms in the air!

His steps seemed slow, yet with each step he took, it was as if the void beneath his feet was shrinking. A few breaths ago he was still on the horizon, but a few breaths later, he had already arrived above the Prince Chu's Estate's mansion with such ease.

"Shepherd Boy!"

A sharp, cold glint flashed in Shentu Nantian's eyes!

...(To be continued~^~)