Chapter Seventeen: The Escape Plan and the Rescue Plan

“The temperature is dropping.”

After training for a while at the bottom of the poison pool, Li Jie sensed the pool’s heat gradually diminishing, and he could feel the boost to his cultivation slowly fading away.

Li Jie thought for a moment, then decided not to continue cultivating. He simply lay flat on the bottom of the pool, feigning death.

Beep.

The very next instant, as soon as Li Jie entered his deathlike state, a figure slipped into the poison pool and fished him out.

“Eh, this kid actually survived the second poison tempering.”

The shadowy figure checked Li Jie’s breathing, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“This is good news. Out of this batch, four have survived the second round. If we gain another Vajra Guardian in the end, we’ll earn another reward from the sect.”

Another person chimed in.

With that, the Poison Brothers stuffed Li Jie into a black sack and handed him over to a squad from the demon cult, who carted him back to his cell.

Clank.

Once again, Li Jie’s wrists and ankles were locked in heavy chains.

Throughout the ordeal, Li Jie kept up his act, never moving or making a sound, eyes shut, as if truly unconscious. Only after the cult members left did he open his eyes, deep in thought.

“This trip to the poison pool has pushed my Ghost Bat Technique to the verge of breaking through to the next level. After the third poison tempering, I’ll probably reach the second layer of the Ghost Bat Technique. By then, I’ll have completed the Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, able to rival even an inner mastery expert…”

“Perhaps it’s time to consider how to escape from this demon cult prison.”

Li Jie pondered in silence.

“Hey, kid, you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

At that moment, Du Tianyou’s voice interrupted Li Jie’s thoughts.

“Elder, I barely pulled through…” Li Jie replied in a deliberately weak tone.

“That’s not bad,” Du Tianyou said, falling silent again.

Du Tianyou was caught in a tangle of emotions. As a former friend of the Flying Sword Sect, he didn’t want to see its last few sparks extinguished here. On the other hand, if Li Jie really survived the third poison tempering, the cult would gain another Vajra Guardian, making them even stronger.

“Elder, do you know which prison they’re holding us in?” Li Jie didn’t care what Du Tianyou was thinking; he simply asked his question.

“This is the demon cult’s Inner Prison, where they keep their most dangerous offenders. There are always about three inner mastery elders on guard, and it’s close to the cult’s main stronghold. If anything happens here, the monsters from the headquarters will arrive in an instant.”

Before Du Tianyou could answer, Lian Tao’s cold voice came from the next cell.

“Once you’re in here, even an inner mastery expert can’t escape. Save yourself the trouble, boy.”

As if he’d guessed Li Jie’s intentions, Lian Tao’s words were tinged with mockery.

Three inner mastery experts…

Li Jie ignored the sarcasm, calculating quietly in his mind.

…

Meanwhile, at one of the demon cult’s outposts in Lingnan—

Slash!

Sword light flashed, blood sprayed, and bodies fell all around.

“Speak! Where did your people take my junior brother?”

Wang Lu pressed his sword to a man’s throat, his expression icy and cold.

“Cough, cough…”

The man under Wang Lu’s sword coughed up blood. This was Wu E, one of the cult’s four chief disciples.

But now, compared to his first, high-spirited appearance before Wang Lu and Li Jie, Wu E was a wreck—both arms broken, his body covered in sword wounds.

“For a worthless junior, you’d dare wipe out one of our cult’s outposts? You’re certainly loyal, I’ll give you that,” Wu E looked at Wang Lu with a complicated gaze.

Wu E was utterly shocked by Wang Lu’s growth. When they first fought, Wu E had easily suppressed him; if not for a timely rescue, Wang Lu would never have escaped.

Yet now, after barely half a month, Wang Lu’s skills had soared past Wu E’s, overwhelming him in battle and leaving him gravely wounded. With strength like this, Wang Lu was now invincible among external mastery fighters and close to breaking through to inner mastery.

Wu E could not fathom how Wang Lu’s martial arts had advanced so quickly.

If this man is allowed to grow, he’ll surely become a deadly enemy of our sacred cult!

A look of final resolve appeared in Wu E’s eyes.

“Speak!” Wang Lu’s voice was as cold as ice. The sword in his hand sliced through Wu E’s throat, its tip stained red.

“Your junior brother… your junior brother has been sent to the cult’s Inner Prison. If you’ve got the guts, try breaking him out! Hahahaha!”

Wu E laughed madly, then threw himself upon Wang Lu’s blade.

Spurt!

The longsword pierced Wu E’s throat. Blood gushed forth. Wu E gave Wang Lu one last deep look before collapsing lifeless to the ground.

Without a flicker of emotion, Wang Lu drew his sword from Wu E’s neck and shook the blood from its blade before sheathing it.

“Brother Lu, do you really mean to storm the demon cult’s Inner Prison?”

A woman of striking beauty and bearing stepped out from behind him.

“Li and I are the last disciples of the Flying Sword Sect. The burden of its legacy rests on us both. Raised by the sect since childhood, after our elders and brethren were slaughtered by the cult, Li became my closest kin.

“Now he’s trapped in the Inner Prison, suffering who knows what torments. As his senior, I must rescue him!”

Wang Lu spoke with unwavering resolve.

“But the Inner Prison is perilous, right beside the cult’s lair. Even inner mastery experts would be marching to their deaths. If anything happened to you, Brother Lu…”

The woman walked up behind Wang Lu, gently wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Yuan’er, I know well how dangerous the Inner Prison is. But as swordsmen, can we let fear and danger stop us in our tracks? We must never betray our hearts. Only then can we grasp the true essence of swordsmanship!”

Wang Lu’s words rang with conviction.

“Brother Lu…”

The woman gazed at him in open admiration.

“Shall I go ask my father for help?”

She spoke softly and tenderly.

“If possible, with your father’s support, I’ll have a much better chance of saving Junior Brother Li.”

Wang Lu hesitated, then nodded.

He might now be invincible among external mastery fighters, but he had not yet broken through to inner mastery. Attempting a prison break now would be suicide.

In this situation, gaining powerful allies would greatly increase their chances of success.

“Very well, Brother Lu. I’ll go ask my father for help right away!”