Drawing a Prison

Seeing the disgusting black maggot that had already sunk into Zhang Long's forehead actually try to burrow into his own brow—

"Fuck!"

Yang Xiao flew into a rage. By instinct, he started to raise his hand, about to slap the black maggot dead.

Yet right then...

An extremely dangerous, terrifying feeling suddenly surfaced in Yang Xiao's heart.

Though he did not look up, Yang Xiao could still "see" that above the high platform, a pair of cold eyes was looking down from above, overlooking this place.

If I kill this black maggot, won't I expose the secret that I can see it?

This place is the Peace Sect's Sacred Pool. Only by riding a crocodile can one leave. Where could I even run?

Yang Xiao's mind spun rapidly, and he calmed down in an instant.

Never mind escaping—the strange old man on the high platform alone was someone Yang Xiao absolutely could not defeat!

The phantom of the Myriad Phenomena Heaven-Swallowing Art is inside my dantian.

The phantom is born able to purify filth and dirty things. With my current ultimate realm of Iron Skin, I refuse to believe it can't purify this disgusting worm.

Yang Xiao stopped resisting and allowed the black maggot to sink into his brow.

Almost in the very same instant...

The phantom that had been "asleep" inside Yang Xiao's dantian ever since devouring the Blood Oath Giant Beast's "flesh and blood" suddenly opened its eyes.

Splash~

Black and white qi crisscrossed all over the phantom's body, unexpectedly transforming into a Tai Chi hand. With a casual grab, it seized the black maggot in its palm.

The black maggot, which had posed a tremendous threat to Yang Xiao and had originally come in with fierce momentum, instantly lowered its banners and stilled its drums. It stopped thrashing, its whole body exuding terror.

Expressionless, the phantom picked up the black maggot as if plucking up an ant, about to swallow it in one gulp.

"Stop!"

Yang Xiao's expression changed slightly, and he decisively gave an order.

The phantom was only a byproduct of Yang Xiao cultivating the Myriad Phenomena Heaven-Swallowing Art. It was not a living being and had no intelligence; all its actions were instinct. It instantly stopped the act of devouring.

"Preserve this black maggot properly. Keep a close eye on it for me, but don't touch it, so as not to beat the grass and startle the snake, drawing attention!"

Yang Xiao issued another order.

At once, the phantom grabbed with its bare hand and drew over a wisp of faint azure airflow.

Huh? Isn't this the azure true qi condensed from my cultivation of the Azure Cloud Mental Method?

Yang Xiao was instantly stunned.

This azure true qi could stabilize the mind and, imperceptibly and silently, strengthen Yang Xiao's fleshly body and meridians. Though the speed was slow, its strength lay in its stability.

And now, the phantom had turned the azure true qi into a cage, imprisoning the black maggot in its palm?

What kind of divine operation was this?

Yang Xiao was dumbfounded.

But Yang Xiao had no time to think further. He immediately sensed a vast and majestic power of blood qi, brilliant as a blazing sun, rushing swiftly toward him.

Yang Xiao jolted awake at once and subconsciously raised the jade box in his hand.

"Boom!"

A massive stream of light sank into the jade box. Its force was so great that it shook Yang Xiao's entire body, nearly making him lose his footing.

"Old Zhao, what are you still standing there for?"

"Hurry and put the lid on the jade box!"

Zhang Long's anxious, urgent voice rang beside Yang Xiao's ear.

Yang Xiao hurriedly closed the jade box.

That vast power that had made Yang Xiao's heart tremble vanished in an instant, as if it had never appeared.

So this is the secret medicine needed for blood exchange? So strong!

Yang Xiao's heart chilled, shock beyond words.

This was only the secret medicine needed for the first blood exchange. What about the second blood exchange, the third?

How majestic would the flesh-and-blood power contained in the secret medicines needed for two-blood and three-blood be?

Only at this moment did Yang Xiao finally understand why, though the youths who came today were clearly diehard loyalists of the Peace Sect, the old Daoist still used black maggots to control them.

It was truly because the value of this secret medicine was something no one could feel at ease about!

No matter how loyal you claimed to be, it was never as direct and effective as using this eerie black maggot to control your dantian!

"D-number sixteen!"

Along with the high-pitched voice ringing out again, another youth stood up and, bringing his Dao Protector with him, walked excitedly all the way toward the high platform.

Zhang Long led Yang Xiao away in a hurry through the passage behind the high platform.

Throughout the entire process, Yang Xiao kept his head lowered the whole time, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Fortunately, the old Daoist on the high platform only swept his gaze briefly over Yang Xiao, then paid him no further attention.

"Looks like the old Daoist doesn't know about that black maggot accidentally sinking into the space between my brows."

Whew!

Only after leaving the Sacred Pool did Yang Xiao finally let out a breath of relief.

"Old Zhao, I keep feeling something isn't right."

On the road, Zhang Long suddenly frowned. "Why is it that after the Great Sage Teacher bestowed his blessing, I have no reaction at all, unlike the others?"

Big brother, what you said is wrong!

Yang Xiao put on a solemn expression. "In my eyes, big brother's bones are extraordinary, and your heavenly court is full and complete. One look tells me that compared to before the blessing, your bearing has undergone an earth-shaking transformation."

"If your little brother's guess is correct, big brother's talent is so high that you should be even stronger than those fourteen young heavenly prodigies who were blessed before you. That's why you don't feel any discomfort."

So that was how it was?

Zhang Long immediately froze, vaguely feeling that it made sense, yet also feeling as though something was not quite right somewhere.

"Big brother, you mustn't overthink it. The plan for now is to find a safe place and immediately enter seclusion to exchange your blood."

Yang Xiao hurriedly changed the subject, lest Zhang Long let his imagination run wild.

"True."

Zhang Long nodded and said no more.

As they spoke, the two arrived at a riverbank.

Splash—

The stinking, nauseating black river water suddenly burst apart.

A massive crocodile slowly swam to the bank.

After Zhang Long showed the token at his waist, the crocodile opened its huge mouth, allowing Zhang Long and Yang Xiao to step inside.

No words were spoken along the way.

Before long, the crocodile surfaced again and slowly opened its mouth.

Long-lost light appeared once more.

Yang Xiao followed Zhang Long to the bank, then hurried along the entire way, soon returning to the bottom of that familiar well.

Yang Xiao circulated Spirit Cicada Transformation, and every blade of grass and every tree within a hundred zhang instantly appeared clearly in his mind.

The cellar hidden beneath the back courtyard of the cloth shop was completely empty.

On the wooden couch, a woman lay mangled beyond recognition, her clothes scattered all over the floor.

Clearly, during the time Yang Xiao had been gone, that poor woman who had been violated by the strange old man and left crying had already been killed!

Fortunately, Old Liu's granddaughter Xiao He seemed not to have been killed because the strange old man had left in a hurry. She was still unconscious and knew nothing of the outside world.

"There were a total of three hundred youths in the Sacred Pool, and the strange old man is blessing them one by one. He shouldn't be back in a short time."

"But to guard against long nights breeding many dreams, I have to rescue Xiao He as quickly as possible and leave this place."

Yang Xiao's mind spun rapidly, but on the surface, he remained calm and collected, silently following behind Zhang Long as they climbed the vine ladder up from the ancient well.

"Senior Li San? Senior?"

Zhang Long stood in the back courtyard of the cloth shop and called out softly.

All around them was deathly quiet, with no one responding at all.

Through Spirit Cicada Transformation, however, Yang Xiao "saw" that within the wall's hidden layer in the cellar beneath his feet, a skeleton without flesh or skin was hanging there.

The skeleton was nine chi tall, and judging from its build and skull, it was shockingly—Li San!

"No wonder when I went down the well, the first group of saber-wielding guards I encountered always felt familiar to me."

"So the flesh and blood hanging on those two skeletons belonged to Li San!"

Yang Xiao's heart stirred, and he vaguely understood the truth.

In other words, the two saber-wielding guards beneath this ancient well, as well as Li San—the three of them all shared the same flesh and blood. Only their skeletons were different from one another.

"Before the strange old man returns, the flesh and blood probably can't return to Li San's skeleton. And here, I don't sense any danger either."

"In that case..."

Yang Xiao's heart settled completely. He looked toward Zhang Long not far away, and a cold glint immediately rose in his eyes.

Yet at that very moment, Zhang Long, who had no idea danger was descending upon him, suddenly said something.

One sentence that made Yang Xiao's entire body tremble, leaving his mouth dry and his tongue parched...