章節 23: Prisoners
March 16, 1152. Sunday.
The wind howls through the cold, dark room, its dilapidated walls and metal bars suggesting it was unfit for holding prisoners, let alone a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. However, the cell is special, with treasures in each corner that continuously rob a cultivator of their Spiritual Qi.
Jin Boqin's severely wounded body strained against the chains, stretching his only one arm and legs to their limits.
The chain was designed to prevent him from using cultivation techniques and to disrupt his ability to condense his Spiritual Qi.
With his eyes closed, Jin Boqin reminisced about his thrilling life, feeling as though his time was running out.
A part of his brain condemned the coincidence of meeting the Dungeon Master.
Ever since their encounter, his experience had become miserable, his life constantly on the brink of death. However, his heart urged him to keep the faith, believing that someone might save him.
Furthermore, the disciples of his sect had a place to take shelter, ensuring that his sect's legacy would continue.
Jin Boqin's reminiscence halted when he heard a footstep approaching his location.
How many days and hours had it been since he was last tortured? The emotional toll was becoming unbearable.
He grimaced at the thought of how they had carried out the torture. They hadn't directly attacked his physical body, but rather his soul.
It felt as though they were decapitating a part of his very being.
His mind could endure the physical pain but he wasn't sure how much longer he could bear the torment on his soul.
"Hey, Sect Master of Selfless Sect, are you still alive? Make sure you can endure longer. Our Sect Master won't appreciate it if you die under the torture."
"Shut up! Show some respect for the Sect Master, his unselfishness deserves admiration and respect. He willingly allowed himself to be captured so that his woman could escape unharmed."
"Oh? Unharmed?" With a sneer.
"Yes, but she was seen fleeing half-naked though!"
His torturers taunted and insulted him.
Jin Boqin ignored the taunts, saving his mental strength from the impending torture.
When he didn't react, the torture began.
Three hours had passed.
The cultivators torturing Jin Boqin with a special treasure finally halted when he passed out.
"He's too stubborn to reveal any information. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't last even five minutes." He paused and stared at the torture devices and continued, "You have to admire the Templars for their creativity in making torture devices."
Outside the rundown prison cell, Great Elder Xi Guru and Grand Elder Gu were waiting.
The two cultivators politely informed them that Jin Boqin had passed out and failed to reveal information about the whereabouts of Sect Master Yu Yuria and her disciples.
Great Elder Xi Guru, gasping for air, gritted his teeth and his eyes sharpened with killing intent.
The two cultivators had to lower their heads, not to avoid the killing intent, but because Great Elder Xi Guru's situation was quite comical, it was funny to see him struggling to breathe while fuming with anger.
Grand Elder Gu could sense the intense resentment radiating from Great Elder Xi Guru.
Grand Elder Gu reminded them not to take their eyes off the prisoner, as he was still a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
Thirty days ago, they followed their Sect Master's orders to attack the Three Head Snake. They were surprised to find Sect Master Jin Boqin assisting Sect Master Yu Yuria.
The battle, expected to last two days, ended on the first light of the fifth day, thanks to Sect Master Jin Boqin's presence.
Their sect emerged victorious, with their healing techniques and the decisive blow from the three Great Elders playing crucial roles.
Grand Elder Gu was present as a spectator and only offered assistance if necessary.
After the battle, they pursued the fleeing disciples, Jin Boqin and Yu Yuria. Knowing where they were headed, they took their time to regroup their disciples for the upcoming confrontation with the Sky Heaven Piercing Sect.
The Three Great Elders were confident in their ability to defeat them.
And they did. The battle was both destructive and majestic.
During the daylight, smoke, and dirt covered the sun's light, and a scar of bright light broke through the dark sky during nighttime.
The starless sky was dark and brooding, but when the treasures glimmered under the Spiritual Qi, the clouds cleared. Moonlight spilled onto the broken treasures and shattered bodies of the fallen cultivators.
The battle against the Sky Heaven Piercing Sect ended in victory on the eleventh day, but there were no celebrations.
The sect lost many disciples and three Great Elders in the fight against the two Sect Masters
The mountains, once filled with dense Spiritual Qi and rich history, were now destroyed.
The cold wind howled through the valley, chilling the souls of all cultivators who survived the battle.
The casualties weighed heavily on his mind. Hundreds of ordinary people and thousands of cultivators died, and the spiritual qi they left behind dissipated forever, never to fill the Earth.
This left Grand Elder Gu wondering if this was the future of their Sect. Always leaving destruction in their wake.
He questioned whether their motivation to seek alternative methods for immortality was a mistake driven by greed.
In the end, they captured Sect Master Jin Boqin and Sect Master Yu Yuria was nowhere to be found.
He was interrupted from recalling the recent battle by a sudden fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.
Grand Elder Gu sighed and shook his head. "Getting angry won't help your situation. Do you want to trouble the Sect Master again to help with the repercussions of your illness if you let your emotions get the best of you?"
Upon hearing this, Great Elder Xi Guru stopped.
He found it hard to believe that even their powerful and benevolent Sect Master couldn't cure the illness inflicted upon him by Yu Yuria.
The only suggested solution was to kill her and absorb her soul. If Yu Yuria were immune to her own technique, perhaps absorbing her soul would be the key to removing his affliction.
"I'm leaving now. I need to report to the Tower about why our Sect attacked and destroyed the Three Head Snake and Sky Heaven Piercing Sect. Make sure you don't go too far in torturing Sect Master Jin Boqin. He's too valuable for us to lose. Also, inform the Sect Master immediately if our forces find the enemies' disciple."
After giving his reminder, Grand Elder Gu rises into the sky and heads towards the Tower.
The sudden eruption of battle between the three sects has caught the attention of the Tower, which is known for its neutrality.
Despite their Sect Master's power, the Tower is the one entity he doesn't want to confront.
Their influence and power, established long before the Great Catastrophe, are so formidable that even the ascetic and conservative Urea continent is hesitant to challenge them.
Grand Elder Gu sighs, knowing that his mission is to defend the innocence of their Sect and justify their retaliation.
Meanwhile,
A lively and mischievous young girl raised her arms and shouted, "I'm here!" Her voice echoed in the sky, but no one heard her as she stood at the peak of the Tower.
The peak was a grandiose simulated rooftop garden with a lush, romantic landscape of colorful flowers cascading down from the sky.
The feeling of gazing upon this magnificence was unparalleled, but the girl was already accustomed to this environment, having been locked there for as long as she could remember.
She saw her reflection in the water.
She saw a vibrant teenage girl with silky black hair in the front and pure silver hair on top, adorned with moonlit hair ornaments wearing a combination of light and dark Hanfu.
Her Hanfu features light-colored upper garments and sleeves adorned with a combination of thin and thick gold embroidery on the cuffs and lapels, as well as a red braid. The sash and skirt are a deep dark color, complemented by a jade ornament at her waist.
She wears white gloves with purple accents, which she only wears outside of her chamber.
She forced a smile before sadly looking away, her gaze falling to the ground, and beheld the entirety of the Tower's dominion.
The Tower City, enclosed by twenty miles of walls, was a bustling metropolis. A large moat provided an additional layer of protection from unpleasant intruders, encircling the city.
The water from the moat was channeled into the lush gardens that surrounded the houses, merchant structures, and, finally, the Tower itself.
At the heart of the city stood the formidable and colossal Tower, renowned as a beacon of light, both neutral and unrivaled.
The Tower is further enhanced by the presence of the tallest mountain in the Silica continent rising behind it and numerous mountain ranges in the backdrop.
As she daydreamed about one day escaping her cramped cage and freely exploring the city, her eyes caught sight of something in the distance.
She couldn't quite determine if it was a large bird or some kind of winged beast with snowflake-like wings and a hint of a crimson stripe, due to its size.
Suddenly, she sharpened her gaze and exclaimed, "It's a lady cultivator! A wounded, partially clothed cultivator!" Her eyes met the lady cultivator's, and she could see the struggle to stay awake in midair.
The vibrant girl quickly scanned the area for any nearby guards, but finding none, she raised her hand and gestured for the lady cultivator to descend into the tower.
With a slow descent, the lady cultivator stood before her.
Her skin, resembling delicate snowflakes, was covered in dirt and wounds. Her once silky hair was drenched and disheveled.
Her beautiful face was marred with dried blood, and her rich bosom was exposed, with only her right arm providing some coverage.
In a hoarse voice, she pleaded, "H-Help... Help us..." and then passed out.
The young girl immediately catches the lady cultivator before she falls to the ground.
She knew the risk if a cultivator was caught flying over the Tower's dominion.
Uncertain if it was merely an adrenaline rush or if the lady's cultivator body was like a feather, almost weightless, she managed to carry her to her chamber.
The young girl sprang into action, feeling her pulse, "She's fading."
She hurried out of her chamber and into a laboratory-like room in the same garden.
On her way, knights clad in platinum full-body armor with gauntlets adorned with flickering crimson crystals approached her.
They asked her, "My Lady, have you seen a cultivator flying overhead?"
The girl responded in her usual calm tone, concealing her nervousness.
"Oh? Do you mean Snow Amber? The snowflake-winged beast with a hint of a crimson stripe? It flew higher when it saw me... I think I unintentionally made it flee," she said, her voice cracked at the end.
The Knights exchanged glances and appeared convinced. They were used to the young girl's habit of naming things, wild animals, and beasts.
"Is that so? Anyway, what are you going to do, My Lady? Why are you in a rush?"
"I will start my work. I was inspired to create something similar to those snowflake-like wings and a hint of a crimson stripe."
The knights were excited.
"Then we won't disturb you." They bid farewell and left the garden.
The young girl sighed in relief and entered the laboratory, her target being the Spirit Stones and a translucent device that could harness Spiritual Qi.
She quickly returned to her chamber and began working on the device.
She cleared her tea table of books and a flower pot, placing the device on top. Opening the lid, she carefully placed the three Earth Grade Spirit Stones into the chamber.
After closing the lid, she pressed a green button, and the device emitted a mist, causing the Spirit Stones to flicker and produce a mysterious crystal-like substance until they dimmed and cracked.
The Spiritual Qi, which is not supposed to be visible to the naked eye, flows fluidly inside the translucent chamber and the young girl smiles as she sees it.
She took off the glove from her left hand and ignored the mysterious mark on her palm. Then, she opened the lid of the device and directed her palm towards it, causing the Spiritual Qi to rise and was absorbed by the mark on her palm.
Next, she rolled up her Hanfu sleeves and cut her skin with a small knife, collecting the blood in a teacup.
Afterward, she placed the teacup on the lady cultivator's lips and had her drink the blood. As she drank, the lady cultivator's wounded and injured body began to heal visibly.
The female cultivator is still unconscious, which worries her. "This is unusual," she murmurs as she checks the lady's pulse.
She sighs in relief when she finds that her pulse is strong, unlike before. "It seems she was severely wounded internally, which may have affected her Spiritual Roots. I don't know when she will wake up, even if I continue the healing process."
Ten days quickly passed. March 26, 1152. Wednesday.
"Where am I?" she asked, confused, looking at a vibrant young girl.
Before the girl could respond, she remembered something and quickly moved away from her. "Who are you?! Are you one of them?! What kind of liquid did you make me drink?!"
The young lady was not surprised by her sudden action. Instead, she put her finger to her mouth and hushed her.
"Shh! Lower your voice, the guard might hear you," the young girl whispered.
Noticing the lady cultivator's vigilance, she added, "You were delirious earlier before passing out, so it's no surprise to your action. But lower your voice if you do not want to alert Grandpa!"
"Grandpa? Is your grandpa a demonic cultivator?! Does he belong to the Snake Devouring Sect?!" the lady cultivator asked, confused and angry.
The young girl timidly laughed, adding to the lady cultivator's confusion. "Silly. My grandpa is not a demonic cultivator, he is the Grand Maester."
The lady cultivator forgot her situation and dropped her arms. "Huh?"
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