Chapter 31

Luo Yunshang said calmly, "Meng Wu, come and recount the situation at the time."

Meng Wu timidly stepped out from the crowd. With so many important figures present, she carefully recounted the events of that day, including how she was teased by Jun Liang, how Li Yunxiao intervened, and how she was eventually injured by the royal guards and captured by Long Hao. She described every detail clearly.

Jia Rong, who was among the crowd, was drenched in cold sweat. This incident was actually caused by one of his students. Moreover, Jun Liang had only attended a few of his lectures and considered himself a disciple. Later, Jia Rong didn't mind and directly accepted him as a nominal disciple. Now, he wished he could slap himself a few times, never imagining that things would turn out this way.

After Meng Wu finished, Zhang Qingfan said coldly, "Lord Long, did you hear everything? We are temporarily taking over the entire Long Manor. If we have wronged you, I will take full responsibility!" He waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately scattered to search.

The people of Long Manor were all terrified, trembling with fear, and no one dared to move rashly.

Luo Yunshang said softly, "Lord Long, if we didn't have solid evidence, we wouldn't dare to seal your manor. Given the situation, it's best if you cooperate with us."

Long Qing's entire demeanor instantly wilted. This time, he was really in big trouble, and his heart was filled with bitterness.

Zhang Qingfan stared at him and said coldly, "I'll ask you one question: Is Li Yunxiao alive or dead?"

Long Qing replied dejectedly, "I don't know. Please follow me. This was all the doing of my rebellious son. I only just found out, and you all came to my door."

Given the situation, he knew struggling would be futile. The wisest choice was to cooperate and take the blame. As long as Li Yunxiao was unharmed, there was a chance for forgiveness, but if Li Yunxiao was hurt...

The thought made his heart shudder with cold, and he hurriedly quickened his pace toward the dungeon!

Li Yunxiao had been in the dungeon for three days and three nights. Under the influence of the "Zhi Nü" technique, all his broken meridians were reconnected, and his internal true qi flowed smoothly. He was overjoyed and quickly sat up, forming hand seals, immobile as a mountain.

Although his meridians were reconnected, his body was still weak, and his true qi was faint, indicating he was just recovering from a serious illness. Streams of true qi began to flow from his dantian, circulating through his body, completing a full cycle, and returning to the dantian, restoring some of his strength.

The other prisoners in the dungeon had been staring at him for the past three days, finding him particularly strange. What was even more surprising was his incredible endurance; he hadn't eaten a single bite and stood like a statue for a long time.

Suddenly, Li Yunxiao opened his eyes and sighed, "They came a few hours too early. This is going to be troublesome."

A moment later, the sound of iron chains echoed, and the heavy door of the dungeon was slammed open. A group of people holding lanterns walked in.

The dungeon had been in darkness for a long time, and under the lanterns' light, everyone closed their eyes, feeling a sharp pain. Soon, several large candle stands were lit, and the interrogation room outside the prison was revealed.

Long Hao, with bandages and casts on his shoulders, sat on a tiger-skin armchair, his face still pale from the injury. His eyes were like hooks, staring straight at the cage, and he said fiercely, "Bring that boy out. Today, I will make him regret being born!"

"Bang!"

The prison's iron chains were unlocked, and several fully armored soldiers dragged Li Yunxiao out. Li Yunxiao quickly calculated the situation: there were thirty-five people in total, twelve of whom were warriors, and one hunched old man with dim eyes but the strength of a martial artist.

His vital energy had not yet fully recovered, making it difficult to fight his way out. Moreover, the situation outside the Long Manor was unclear, so he decided to pretend to be dead, closing his eyes and allowing them to drag him to the torture rack. His hands and feet were bound with thick, treated leather straps.

"Wake him up, but be careful not to kill him!"

Several large men poured buckets of saltwater over Li Yunxiao, smirking as they anticipated his pain. The saltwater contained special agents that would rapidly erode muscles and blood vessels upon contact with wounds, causing excruciating pain.

To their surprise, Li Yunxiao opened his eyes and smiled. His wounds had already healed, though they still looked bloody and terrifying. The saltwater only washed away the blood.

It was like waiting for a beautiful woman to undress in front of you, only to discover she was a man. The men's sadistic desires were instantly unfulfilled, and their faces turned angry, muttering threats.

Long Hao's cold voice echoed, "Boy, open your eyes and see who I am!"

"Who are you?" Li Yunxiao spat, "Do you really think you're someone important?"

"You!"

Long Hao, enraged, leaped from his chair and rushed over, delivering a powerful punch to Li Yunxiao's chest, "Let's see how tough you are now!"

"Bang!" A burst of qi struck Li Yunxiao's chest.

"Ah!~ It hurts!~"

To everyone's surprise, it was Long Hao who let out a scream of pain. He had used too much force, and his bandaged shoulder sent a wave of pain through him, nearly dislocating again. He was drenched in cold sweat, his anger reaching a boiling point.

"Spit!~"

Li Yunxiao felt a mouthful of blood rush to his throat. He took a deep breath and spat it directly at Long Hao's face. Due to the close distance, it was too late to avoid it, and Long Hao was splattered with blood and phlegm, the smell overwhelming.

"Ah!~"

Long Hao screamed in rage, quickly removing his shirt. His subordinates hurriedly handed him a towel, but the faint smell remained, impossible to remove.

Li Yunxiao laughed, "Ha, now I see who you are. You're just a stray dog. Oh, right, where's your Qingyue Treasure Sword?"

"Ah!~ Bastard, kill him, kill him!" Long Hao roared, this being his sore spot, more painful than losing his arms! That sword was a priceless treasure he had acquired at great cost!

With the sword, his strength had doubled! Now, it was all gone, and he was thoroughly enraged!

"No, Hao!" Jun Liang rushed forward, "This boy knows he's going to die, so he's deliberately provoking you to get a quick death! We haven't even started the real torture yet. We can't let him die so easily."

Long Hao instantly calmed down, staring at Li Yunxiao with a sinister look, "Good boy, you almost had me! Now, let's see you taste the real torture. Long De, start with the appetizer, give him a hundred lashes, but don't kill him!"

Li Yunxiao's eyes were full of confusion, as if he hadn't heard their conversation. When Long Hao's punch struck him, he was indeed injured internally, but the qi had entered his body and was absorbed by his flesh, converting into a faint true qi that eventually returned to his dantian.

This discovery shocked him. He instantly recalled the battle with the Overlord of the Sky, which lasted for days and nights, causing the heavens and earth to collapse, nearly destroying the entire Holy Domain. In the end, the Overlord's strong physical body allowed him to resist Li Yunxiao's true qi, giving him an advantage as the battle progressed, leading to Li Yunxiao's narrow defeat.

Now, he understood! The Overlord's physical body wasn't just resistant to true qi; it could also absorb the opponent's qi and use it!

Heaven! How could there be such a monstrous technique in the world?!

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. This technique, the Overlord's Body Cultivation Technique, was as miraculous as the Great Derivation Divine Technique!

But after a moment's thought, he also saw the flaw. While it could absorb the opponent's qi, it required the opponent to strike first, allowing the qi to enter the body for absorption.

This was a significant risk. Ordinary warriors could withstand a few blows, but at the Ninth Heaven Emperor level, who would dare to stand still and take a punch from an Emperor? Even the Overlord wouldn't risk it unless absolutely necessary.

"Phew, I was scared for a moment, thinking this technique was invincible. It has its flaws too." Li Yunxiao breathed a sigh of relief, but then a "slap" sounded, and a faint qi entered his body, quickly absorbed by his flesh.

The men who had been holding the whips, their arms bare, looked at him with excitement, their eyes saying, "You think you're tough? Watch me now!" The whips had small, sharp protrusions that caused excruciating pain, tearing through skin and flesh to the bone.

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

"..."

The men took turns, each lash causing blood to spurt from Li Yunxiao's body, splattering the ground. The pain was immense, and the whips were coated with a corrosive agent that not only caused pain but also rapidly rotted the skin.

"Zzz!~"

Li Yunxiao clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. The faint qi from the whips, though weak, was continuous, quickly absorbed into his dantian, silently restoring his true qi.

"This boy is really tough. He hasn't even made a sound after so many lashes." The hunched old man's eyes suddenly sparkled with surprise. He knew the pain of these whips; even a martial artist would cry out after a few lashes.

Jun Liang sneered, "That's what makes it fun! If he begged for mercy or died after a few lashes, what would be the point? We wouldn't have prepared all this for nothing."

The old man nodded in agreement, saying nothing.

The men, hearing their conversation, were enraged. Li Yunxiao's silence was clearly mocking them, suggesting they weren't hitting hard enough. They redoubled their efforts, each lash tearing out large chunks of flesh. After a hundred lashes, Li Yunxiao was a bloody mess, with no intact skin left on his body.

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