The two looked at each other, their inner thoughts unknown.
After a moment of silence, Liu Erlong looked at the woman and said indifferently, "Bibi Dong, shall we go sit in that teahouse over there?"
Bibi Dong was slightly startled, then a faint smile played on her lips as she nodded gently. "Fine."
The two walked side by side toward the nearby teahouse.
Along the way, pedestrians cast curious glances; after all, both women possessed extraordinary temperaments and powerful auras.
Liu Erlong's steps were steady, her body exuding a powerful breath.
Bibi Dong, on the other hand, moved with an elegant posture, her entire being radiating an elusive, mysterious aura.
They entered the teahouse, where the fragrance of tea filled the air and the soft sound of a Guzheng flowed through the space.
Liu Erlong chose a window seat on the second floor, and the two sat facing each other.
The waiter quickly served the tea, and the curling steam rose up, blurring their faces.
Liu Erlong was the first to break the silence. She picked up her teacup, took a light sip, and said slowly, "Bibi Dong, after so many years, I didn't expect us to have an opportunity to sit down and chat like this."
They had met several times in secret before, a fact known to no one but the two of them.
Bibi Dong nodded slightly without saying anything, instead sizing up Liu Erlong.
She felt that Liu Erlong was full of vitality, like a young girl in love, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Today, on a whim, she had decided to come out for a stroll alone, never expecting to run into Liu Erlong.
Bibi Dong looked at Liu Erlong and asked, "Are you and Xiaogang back together?"
Liu Erlong's face showed disdain. "Together? How is that possible? How could I possibly be with that disgusting fellow?"
Hearing this, a flash of interest appeared in Bibi Dong's eyes. The curve of her lips tilted up slightly as she asked with great interest, "Oh? Is that so? But from your state, you don't look like someone who has no feelings for him. Liu Erlong, don't try to be stubborn in front of me."
Liu Erlong dismissed it with contempt. "Why would I lie to you? What's the point? I already have someone else I like."
A flash of surprise crossed Bibi Dong's eyes. She scrutinized Liu Erlong with interest, a faint smile on her lips. "Oh? Tell me about it. Which family's young talent has caught your eye?"
Liu Erlong didn't say; she wouldn't tell Bibi Dong.
Liu Erlong curled her lip and deliberately changed the subject. "Hmph, why should I tell you? But speaking of Yu Xiaogang, after all these years, he's still a failure. All he knows is to spend all day researching those Spirit theories without any major achievements. He's truly a waste!"
Bibi Dong crossed her hands on the table and looked at Liu Erlong with a half-smile. "Liu Erlong, you're clearly letting love turn into hatred. You were so in love back then, and now you're belittling him as worthless. If he heard these words, who knows how heartbroken he would be."
Liu Erlong slapped the table in anger, causing some tea to splash out. "Who loves him? I'm just telling the truth. He abandoned me back then because of a few words. Such a cowardly person isn't fit to be a man at all. After all these years, if he really had any ability, he would have made a name for himself long ago instead of hiding in an academy as a teacher."
Bibi Dong shook her head gently. "Liu Erlong, don't be too extreme. Although Xiaogang has been cowardly in matters of the heart, his research on Spirit theory indeed has its unique merits. Many Spirit Masters have benefited from his theories, so he has made a certain contribution to the Spirit Master's world."
Liu Erlong snorted coldly. "Contribution? His so-called contributions are just armchair talk. When it comes to actual combat, that bit of skill of his is completely useless. Besides, many of those theories of his are just impractical fantasies."
Looking at the agitated Liu Erlong, Bibi Dong couldn't help but find it amusing. "You, you still have such a fiery temper. After all these years, you haven't changed a bit. If you truly had no feelings for him, why would you care so much about his affairs?"
Liu Erlong was left somewhat speechless by Bibi Dong's words. She was silent for a moment, then picked up her teacup and took a large gulp of tea.
"Xiaogang, don't be like this."
The two were about to continue their conversation when Flender's voice drifted up from the street.
Hearing the voice, Liu Erlong and Bibi Dong looked down and saw a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
They saw Yu Xiaogang tightly clutching Flender's arm, his entire body practically pressed against Flender, his face plastered with an almost fawning smile.
Flender, meanwhile, was full of disdain and helplessness. He tried hard to break free from Yu Xiaogang's entanglement, his body twisting constantly, his eyes filled with loathing.
Yet Yu Xiaogang was like a piece of inescapable dog-skin plaster, sticking deathly close to Flender, his mouth never stopping as he said something.
His hair was a bit messy and his clothes were wrinkled, completely lacking the profound air he usually feigned at the academy.
Flender was on the verge of a breakdown at this moment; he truly didn't understand how Yu Xiaogang had become like this.
Ever since the events of that day, Yu Xiaogang had become increasingly strange, and the way he looked at Flender was becoming more and more off.
Liu Erlong: "????"
Bibi Dong: "?????"
Wait, what happened after not seeing each other for over a decade?
Liu Erlong was completely dazed, not quite understanding what was wrong with Yu Xiaogang.
"This... what on earth is going on? How could Yu Xiaogang become like this?" Liu Erlong murmured to herself, her voice trembling slightly with disbelief at the sight before her.
Bibi Dong was equally shocked. Her originally playful gaze instantly became serious, her brows furrowed slightly, and a flash of contemplation crossed her eyes.
She watched the farce downstairs, her heart filled with doubt, unable to understand how the usually self-important Yu Xiaogang could lose his composure so completely.
"It seems that over these years, many things we don't know about have happened to Yu Xiaogang," Bibi Dong spoke slowly, her voice low and calm, forming a sharp contrast to Liu Erlong's shock.
Bibi Dong appeared calm, but her heart was already in a state of upheaval.
She had loved Yu Xiaogang so much, yet she never expected that Yu Xiaogang actually liked men.
Bibi Dong's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the cool rim of her cup. The tea inside had long since gone cold, just like the chill currently surging in the depths of her heart.
The killing intent in her heart spread through her veins like vines, bearing poisoned thorns that almost pierced the surface of her rationality.
She once thought Yu Xiaogang's cowardice was the greatest betrayal of their feelings, but she never imagined that after years of not meeting, he would tear away the last shred of dignity in her memory with such an absurd display.
The figure that once made her toss and turn in the deep of night, the man she thought would only retreat when it came to the love between a man and a woman, was now clinging to another man like a piece of rotten mud.
"Hmph." A soft, derisive snort escaped her lips, laced with an icy chill.
She looked up at Liu Erlong, who was still frozen in place, mouth slightly agape, eyes filled with shock and confusion, as if her very backbone had been snatched away.
"What? Now you realize your earlier words weren't harsh enough?" Bibi Dong's voice betrayed no emotion.
Liu Erlong chuckled lightly, "It doesn't matter. I've let it go. But seeing you like this, I guess you haven't, have you?"
Bibi Dong's gaze instantly turned frosty, as if someone had just poked her most hidden wound.
She stared intently at Liu Erlong, her eyes sharp as blades, seeming to pierce right through her.
"Whether I've let go or not, what concern is it of yours?" Bibi Dong said coldly, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
Unfazed, Liu Erlong just shrugged with a smile, "I was just speaking my mind. I just never expected that Yu Xiaogang, the one you were once so obsessed with, would end up like this."
"Hmph, whatever he's become has nothing to do with me anymore." Bibi Dong averted her gaze and spoke coldly.
Yet her slightly clenched fist betrayed the turmoil within.
Unbidden, memories of those past events surfaced: her attempt to elope for Yu Xiaogang's sake, only to be violently assaulted by her own teacher.
Those were days of utter darkness. Every night, she struggled in agony and despair. The physical pain was bearable, but the psychological wounds clung to her like a shadow.
Relying on her love for Yu Xiaogang, she muddled through those hazy, miserable days, believing that perseverance would eventually bring their love into the light.
However, fate played a cruel joke on her.
When she saw Yu Xiaogang again, he had someone else by his side.
In that moment, her heart felt as if it had been torn into countless pieces. The love and hope she once held vanished instantly.
Looking down at Flender and Yu Xiaogang below, Bibi Dong wanted nothing more than to kill the adulterous pair right then and there.
Her breathing grew ragged, a maddened glint of killing intent flashing in her eyes.
All these years, she had climbed ever higher on the path of power, thinking she could use strength to bury the pain in her heart.
But now, that deeply buried agony surged forth like a violent tide, nearly robbing her of her senses.
Bibi Dong stood up abruptly, taking a fierce step forward. Her spirit power erupted instantly, the surrounding air seeming to freeze with a hissing sound.
Her figure shot past the teahouse railing, the gust she stirred up whipping the dust below into a sudden swirl.
Flender had just freed himself from Yu Xiaogang's clinging and was about to catch his breath when an icy chill shot down the back of his neck.
Immediately after, an invisible force seized his entire body. The moment his feet left the ground, he could even hear the creaking of his own bones.
Yu Xiaogang was still staring blankly at Flender's retreating back when a cold hand suddenly clamped around his wrist with bone-crushing force.
He looked up in terror, meeting Bibi Dong's blazing eyes, and was scared Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering: "Bi...Bibi Dong? How..."
Before he could finish, a tremendous force hurled him violently into the air.
With one man in each hand, Bibi Dong transformed into a streak of purplish-black light, piercing through the clouds and shooting toward the direction of Spirit Hall's dungeons.
The wind howled past their ears. Flender and Yu Xiaogang were terrified Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, yet lacked even the strength to struggle.
The spirit power restraining them felt like steel shackles, carrying a sense of despairing oppression.
Moments later, the dungeon, buried deep within Spirit City and perpetually shrouded in darkness, came into view.
The heavy black iron gates swung open automatically under Bibi Dong's imposing aura. A cold, damp breath rushed out, mingled with a faint scent of blood and decay.
"Supreme Pontiff!" The two jailers guarding the entrance, seeing this, hurriedly knelt in salute.
Their foreheads pressed against the cold floor, they dared not even look up.
They could sense that Bibi Dong was in an extremely foul mood, and they needed to be cautious.
Bibi Dong's voice was as cold as poisoned ice: "Lock these two up separately."
With a casual flick of her wrist, Flender and Yu Xiaogang were sent tumbling to the ground like kites with severed strings, crashing heavily onto the cold stone with muffled groans of pain.
"Yes!" The jailers didn't dare hesitate for a second, scrambling forward.
Each grabbed a man, dragging them deeper into the dungeon.
The clanking of dragging chains echoed through the empty corridor, making the place seem even more sinister and terrifying.
Struggling, Yu Xiaogang looked up at Bibi Dong's lofty purple figure and let out a hoarse shout: "Bibi Dong! By what right do you arrest me? What have I even done wrong?"
His face was a mask of bewilderment and fear, unable to comprehend why Bibi Dong was acting this way.
Bibi Dong didn't even bat an eyelid. Only her fingers, hidden beneath her sleeves in a corner no one could see, curled tightly, nails almost digging into her palms.
She feared that if she looked at him one more time, the killing intent she had barely suppressed would spiral out of control, grinding that face she once dreamed of into dust.
Flender was somewhat clearer-headed than Yu Xiaogang. He knew arguing with the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall was futile.
He could only keep his mouth firmly shut, letting the jailers drag him, though a flicker of doubt quickly passed through his shrewd eyes.
Damp, sticky moisture seeped from the stone walls deep in the dungeon. The torchlight flickered in the narrow space, stretching Bibi Dong's shadow long and thin, casting it over Yu Xiaogang's huddled form.
As the jailers retreated, the heavy iron door slammed shut with a deafening clang, shaking dust from the walls in a shower.
Huddled in the corner, Yu Xiaogang watched the approaching purple figure, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Blood from his scraped knees during the dragging seeped out, staining a small patch of dark red on the cold floor.
Bibi Dong stopped before him. Her gaze, looking down from above, was like knives tempered in ice, scraping inch by inch across his fear-stricken face.
The air was thick with the smell of rust and mildew, yet it couldn't overpower the cold, sharp fragrance she carried—a scent that once haunted Yu Xiaogang's dreams, but now only made him feel suffocated.
"Yu Xiaogang." Bibi Dong spoke, her voice colder and harder than the dungeon's stone walls. "I ask you, do the words you said back then still hold true?"
Yu Xiaogang jerked his head up, eyes full of confusion: "Wh...what words?"
"You said you loved me." Bibi Dong's voice trembled slightly.
Not from nervousness, but because uttering those three words tore open an old, festering wound with searing pain.
She stared fixedly into his eyes, as if trying to dig out some remnant of sincerity from that Chaos.
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed crimson instantly. He hurriedly averted his gaze, his tone actually carrying a hint of anger: "What nonsense are you spouting! I... I never... said anything like that. I love Flender
"Flender?" Bibi Dong sounded as if she had just heard the biggest joke in the world.
A low laugh escaped her, echoing in the empty dungeon, carrying an indescribable sense of desolation and ruthless cruelty.
Bibi Dong slowly crouched down, meeting Yu Xiaogang at eye level. Those eyes, once brimming with adoration, now held only a frozen chill: "You love him? You love that good-for-nothing who only knows how to joke around with you and can barely keep his own academy afloat?"
Yu Xiaogang flinched back, frightened by the madness in Bibi Dong's eyes, but he still stuck his neck out and shouted, "He's not a good-for-nothing! He's better than you! At least he doesn't use power to bully people or violence to intimidate like you do! With him, I feel like a person!"
"A person?" Bibi Dong suddenly grabbed his chin, her grip so strong it felt like she might shatter his bone, "You dare talk about being a person? Who was it that knelt before me back then, swearing to protect me for a lifetime?"
Her nails dug deep into Yu Xiaogang's flesh, making him grimace in pain.
Yet, a kind of 'nothing-left-to-lose' light erupted in Yu Xiaogang's eyes: "Yes! I'm cowardly! I'm useless! But at least I dare admit who I love! Not like you, full of schemes, obsessed with power—you don't understand love at all!"
"I don't understand?" Bibi Dong's voice suddenly rose sharply, the murderous intent churning in her eyes almost swallowing her whole, "For you, I was willing to do anything. I clung to those broken memories, endured Hell for over a decade, and now you tell me I don't understand love?"
Bibi Dong abruptly released her hand. Yu Xiaogang collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, gasping for air.
Bibi Dong stood up, looking down at him as if he were a piece of garbage covered in dust.
"Yu Xiaogang," Bibi Dong's voice suddenly became calm, terrifyingly calm, "You say you love Flender? Fine."
"I'll let you see with your own eyes what the face of this man you love looks like in the face of absolute power."
With that, she turned and walked towards the cell door. Her purple robes swept across the floor, stirring up a cold wind.
The heavy iron door closed again, completely sealing Yu Xiaogang's roars and curses inside the darkness.
Outside the dungeon, Bibi Dong stood in the center of the passageway, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
The wounds torn open earlier were still throbbing with pain, but the last remnants of obsession in her heart had turned completely to ashes upon hearing Yu Xiaogang's words 'I love Flender.'
Fine.
She opened her eyes. Only cold, resolute determination remained in her gaze.
If it can't be kept, then let it be destroyed.
Whether it's him, or that damned past.
Bibi Dong waved a hand. Her subordinates immediately sprang into action, carrying all kinds of torture instruments into Yu Xiaogang's cell.
Leather whips, branding irons, bamboo splints...
Each instrument gleamed with a cold light, as if whispering of the pain to come.
Then, Bibi Dong ordered: "Bring Flender in to me."
Shortly after, Flender was brought in under guard.
When he saw Yu Xiaogang, a flicker of heartache passed through his eyes. He struggled to get closer to Yu Xiaogang but was held firmly in place by the jailers.
Bibi Dong slowly walked into the cell. Her gaze was as cold as an icy lake on a winter night.
She looked at Yu Xiaogang, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her mouth: "Yu Xiaogang, watch closely. This is the man you love."
After saying this, she picked up a leather whip and lashed it fiercely towards Flender.
The whip cut through the air with a sharp arc, landing heavily on Flender's back. Instantly, a bloody welt appeared.
Flender grunted, his body trembling slightly, but he clenched his teeth tightly, not letting out a single cry of pain.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, filled with terror and fury.
He struggled to stand up, to stop Bibi Dong, but was restrained by the iron chains, unable to move.
"Bibi Dong! You lunatic! Stop!" Yu Xiaogang shouted hoarsely.
But Bibi Dong paid him no heed. She continued to swing the whip, striking Flender's body again and again.
Flender's back was soon covered in bloody welts. His body swayed unsteadily, but he still forced himself to hold on.
"Didn't you say he was better than me? Didn't you say you feel like a person with him?" Bibi Dong sneered coldly as she lashed him, "Now look at him. Before me, he doesn't even have the ability to resist."
Tears welled up in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. He hated his own incompetence, hated his inability to protect Flender.
"Bibi Dong, you win! Does torturing him make you happy? You vicious woman!" Yu Xiaogang roared in anger.
Bibi Dong stopped her movements. She looked at Yu Xiaogang, her eyes filled with madness and distortion.
"Happy? I've never been happy. All these years, the pain I've endured, can you even comprehend it? Today, I'm going to let you taste the flavor of loss too."
After saying this, she put down the whip, picked up a red-hot branding iron, and slowly walked towards Flender.
Flender felt like he'd gotten the world's worst deal, not understanding why Bibi Dong was torturing him.
He didn't like Yu Xiaogang that way!!!
If she wants to torture someone, go torture Yu Xiaogang.
"No! Don't!" Yu Xiaogang cried out in despair, his voice echoing in the cell.
Bibi Dong gave a cold laugh and pressed the branding iron against Flender's chest.
Flender's scream reverberated through the dark, damp cell, sharp and wretched, as if it could tear through the thick walls.
His body trembled violently out of control. His facial features contorted into a grimace from the intense pain. Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead, rolling down in large drops.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, the horror and despair in them almost overflowing.
His hands clenched the iron chains tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. The chains rattled noisily as he pulled on them.
"No! Please, Bibi Dong, let him go!" Yu Xiaogang cried out hoarsely, his voice already growing ragged.
Watching Flender's agonized state, a cruel smile curled at the corner of Bibi Dong's mouth.
She slowly increased the pressure of the branding iron in her hand. Where the red-hot iron met the skin of Flender's chest, a sizzling sound erupted, and the pungent smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"Yu Xiaogang, watch closely. This is what you call love," Bibi Dong said coldly, not a trace of pity in her eyes.
Flender's heart was full of anger and helplessness. He screamed inwardly.
What the Hell is going on! His relationship with Yu Xiaogang was just friendship; he didn't have those kinds of romantic feelings for Yu Xiaogang.
Yet now, he was suffering this inhuman torture for no reason.
Gritting his teeth, enduring the intense pain, Flender shouted at Bibi Dong: "You're insane! Yu Xiaogang and I are just friends! If you want to torture someone, go after him! Don't take your anger out on me!"
Hearing Flender's words, Yu Xiaogang's heart jolted. He suddenly realized that his earlier words might have brought this immense disaster upon Flender.
Yu Xiaogang was filled with guilt, tears streaming down his face continuously. "I'm sorry, Flender, it's my fault you're suffering
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, the fury in Bibi Dong's eyes instantly burned even more fiercely. Her face twisted with rage, making her look like a malevolent ghost crawling out of Hell.
"Fine, you're still protecting him even now? You still think you're the one who harmed him?" Bibi Dong laughed out of extreme anger.
She forcefully twisted the Branding Iron against Flender's chest. The sizzling sound grew more piercing, and the smell of burning flesh became even heavier.
She was jealous of Flender for actually being able to receive Yu Xiaogang's love.
Flender's miserable screams echoed through the cell once more. His body writhed violently on the ground, his hands clawing tightly at the floor.
His consciousness began to blur, and white light flashed repeatedly before his eyes, but the anger and resentment in his heart kept him going.
"You crazy woman, you'll get what's coming to you!" Flender shouted with his last shred of strength.
Flender swore that if he could do it all over again, he would never have met this Prick, Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong sneered and threw the Branding Iron hard onto the ground. It struck the floor, sending up a shower of sparks.
She turned toward the rack of torture implements and picked up a barbed Bamboo Skewer.
"Retribution? I'd like to see who has the ability. Yu Xiaogang, don't you love him? I'm going to make you watch as he is tortured to death bit by bit."
Bibi Dong slowly walked over to Flender, squatted down, and pressed the tip of the Bamboo Skewer into the crevice beneath Flender's fingernail.
"Speak! Do you love Yu Xiaogang or not?" Bibi Dong asked viciously.
Flender gritted his teeth, his eyes full of stubbornness. "I'll say it again, Yu Xiaogang and I are just friends. Stop doing these crazy things!"
"Quite the stubborn mouth." Bibi Dong applied pressure, and the Bamboo Skewer slowly pierced into the space under Flender's nail. Blood trickled down the skewer.
Flender's body jerked violently, the veins on his forehead bulging. He let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Flender's curses echoed in the cell. "Yu Xiaogang, you idiot, you brought this crazy woman here! Bibi Dong, you insane demon, you'll die a horrible death!"
His voice grew hoarse from the pain, every word squeezed out from between his teeth.
Bibi Dong's face darkened further. Her eyes seemed to burn with two balls of fire as she stared fixedly at Flender.
"Stubborn, keep being stubborn then!" Bibi Dong shoved the Bamboo Skewer in even harder. Flender's screams almost burst through the walls of the cell.
Yu Xiaogang stood to the side, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness. He wanted to rush over and stop Bibi Dong, but he couldn't move because of the iron chains on his body.
"Bibi Dong, have you gone mad enough?! He is my lover! Why must you torture him like this?!" Yu Xiaogang roared at the top of his lungs, the iron chains clattering as he struggled.
Bibi Dong turned a deaf ear. She suddenly pulled out the Bamboo Skewer, and Flender's fingernail was ripped away along with his flesh, blood gushing out.
Flender nearly blacked out from the pain, but his hatred forced him to remain conscious.
"Yu Xiaogang, you're a complete coward! You can't even protect your own friend! Bibi Dong, you will be condemned by everyone and die without a place to be buried!" Flender cursed them again with his remaining strength.
Enraged, Bibi Dong slammed the Bamboo Skewer into the ground and grabbed a Dagger from the Torture Rack.
"You reckless fool, I'll make you regret ever coming into this world." Bibi Dong approached Flender step by step, the cold blade gleaming in the dim cell.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened. He shouted in terror, "Bibi Dong, if you dare kill him, I will never forgive you in this life!"
Bibi Dong sneered. "Forgive? What right do you have to talk to me about forgiveness!"
Flender had already closed his eyes, feeling like he was about to leave this Hell.
Death was now the best option for him.
...
"Strange, it's already been two days. Where have Teacher and the Dean gone?" Tang San asked Dai Mubai beside him, filled with confusion.
Dai Mubai frowned and said with a worried face, "I'm not sure either. Teacher and the Dean usually don't go missing for this long without reason. Could something have happened?"
Oscar bit his finger nearby and said anxiously, "Could they have run into some danger? We need to find them quickly."
Shi Mo clenched his fists, his gaze firm. "Right, we can't just wait. Let's head out now to find Teacher and the Dean."
Teacher Zhao waved his hand and said, "Don't worry. This is Spirit City, the safest place in the world. Nothing could possibly happen to those two."
Wang Hao, standing nearby, spoke up, "Teacher Zhao, it's better to be safe than sorry. Since Teacher and the Dean have been missing for so long, it's better to look for them just to be sure."
Ma Hongjun chimed in as well, "Yeah, yeah, I think we should go check too. What if there really is some danger?"
Looking at everyone's determined eyes, Teacher Zhao sighed helplessly. "Alright then, let's go look for them together. Everyone, be careful. Even though we're in Spirit City, we can't let our guard down."
Ning Rongrong looked indifferent, but since they had been together for so long, she chose to join the search.
Thus, everyone quickly sprang into action. They split into several groups and searched every corner of Spirit City.
Teacher Zhao turned into a quiet alley alone. Deep in the alley, piles of junk rose half a person high, the wall plaster was peeling off, and the air smelled of sour waste.
"Flender? Yu Xiaogang?" Teacher Zhao called out loudly twice, but only echoes resonated through the alley.
Just as he was about to turn and try another place, a sudden gust of wind struck the back of his neck!
Teacher Zhao reacted extremely fast, twisting his body sharply, but he was still grazed on the neck and shoulder by an attack.
The force didn't seem heavy, but it carried a strange numbing sensation that spread rapidly through his Meridians.
Teacher Zhao's heart sank. Just as he was about to condense his spirit power to counterattack, his vision went black. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, completely losing consciousness.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a bone-chilling cold woke him up.
Teacher Zhao snapped his eyes open. He saw damp stone walls and flickering torches; his nose was filled with the smell of blood and rust.
He struggled to sit up, only to find his hands and feet locked to a stone bed by heavy iron chains. The chains clanked dully against the stone wall.
"Awake?" A raspy voice sounded not far away.
Teacher Zhao looked toward the sound, and the blood in his entire body froze instantly.
In the corner diagonally opposite him, Yu Xiaogang was suspended in mid-air by iron chains. His clothes were in tatters, and his exposed skin was covered in scars of varying depths—some had scabbed over, while others were still seeping blood.
His head hung low, hair messily covering his face. Only his faint breathing proved he was still alive.
In the center of the cell, Flender lay prone on the ground. His back was a bloody mess, with several deep wounds exposing the bone. His once neatly combed hair was stuck to his sweat-drenched forehead, and he had become emaciated beyond recognition.
He seemed to sense the movement and raised his head with difficulty. When he saw Teacher Zhao, a flash of surprise crossed his clouded eyes, which then turned into deep despair