Chapter 175 – The Dragon King in Prison Laughs at Heaven (Part One)

Under the watchful eyes of the Elders, Ye Kuang stepped deeper into the lion’s den.

One could say that from the moment he set foot in the Xingyi Sect, he had already regarded Life-Death with indifference.

If there was anything still worth caring about, it was likely only his lingering attachment to his parents and family.

Upon arriving at the Underground Prison, it appeared ordinary at first glance, but its interior was unimaginably vast.

Clearly, during its construction, to prevent prisoners from communicating, each cell had been designed with no escape routes—neither to the heavens nor through the earth.

In an instant, Ye Kuang could distinctly smell waves of sour and foul odors assaulting his senses.

Despite his extraordinary composure, he found it slightly unbearable.

Moreover, he secretly discovered no fewer than a dozen people imprisoned here.

Upon seeing someone enter, they erupted into hysterical curses one after another. Though they seemed well-fed and clothed, they were no different from livestock, having evidently endured enough of this inhuman torment.

Hearing the noise, Ma Jiaying roared furiously, “Shut up! Do you believe I’ll have you experience what it means to live a fate worse than death?”

In response, a torrent of curses followed, each person seemingly embracing a death wish.

Noticing Ye Kuang’s shocked expression, Yuan Jiaxiong deliberately explained, “Don’t be fooled by their wretched state—each of them is utterly vicious. The person you’re looking for is inside. Don’t worry, that kid’s living conditions are far better than theirs.”

Hearing this, Ye Kuang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But he said nothing more, keeping his inner thoughts to himself.

Ma Jiaying then led the group to the deepest part of the prison.

Surprisingly, no one was imprisoned in the surrounding cells, yet the furnishings inside were worlds apart from those outside.

Ye Kuang had no choice but to follow behind them, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Only when they reached a spacious prison cell did Ma Jiaying speak, “That kid is inside. I’ll give you only two hours to catch up.”

As he said this, Ma Jiaying seemed disgusted by the stench and turned to instruct Ma Wei, “Elder Ma, please guard this place and ensure he doesn’t wander around.”

Ma Wei: “Yes, Family Head.”

Ye Kuang paid no mind to this and turned to open the door, stepping inside.

Witnessing this, Ma Wei couldn’t help but curl his lips in disdain, clearly unimpressed by the young man.

Inside the room.

A figure with disheveled hair and limbs bound by iron chains lay there, barely breathing.

Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Ye Kuang’s eyes.

If not for the familiar aura he sensed, he would hardly have recognized the person before him as the once-elegant top disciple of the Xiao Yin Sect.

“Senior Brother Ling…”

The figure stirred slightly, evidently overwhelmed with excitement at hearing Ye Kuang’s voice.

“Ye… Kuang?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Kuang struggled to suppress his emotions. He stepped forward, supporting the figure, and began examining Ling Yun’s injuries.

But in no time, his expression turned as grim as could be.

“Senior Brother Ling, I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”

“What’s the use of saying that now? I… cough… am already a cripple, heh…”Ye Kuang, hearing such despondent words, finally broke through his composure and couldn’t help but speak bitterly, “Senior Brother Ling, rest assured, I will definitely avenge you. But first, we must leave this place.”

Having said that, he grabbed the iron chains binding them and exerted his strength forcefully.

“Leave?” Ling Yun sighed upon seeing this and explained, “Don’t waste your energy. These chains are forged from Deep-Sea Dark Iron and cannot be broken so easily.”

From his tone, it was clear that Ling Yun had already resigned himself to his fate.

Hearing this, Ye Kuang’s expression shifted inexplicably, and he comforted, “Senior Brother Ling, your Honored Master and elders must have arrived by now. You must not lose hope like this.”

Ling Yun: “Has my Honored Master come?”

As soon as he spoke, Ling Yun lifted his head, revealing a pair of longing eyes.

Seeing this, Ye Kuang nodded affirmatively and recounted everything he had seen and heard earlier.

Upon hearing the explanation, a glimmer of light suddenly sparked in Ling Yun’s eyes, and he trembled uncontrollably with excitement.

Ye Kuang: “Senior Brother Ling, but we must leave this place first. Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain.”

“Alas…” Ling Yun sighed, the brief spark in his eyes fading once more as he smiled bitterly, “But it’s too late now. I am already a cripple. You shouldn’t have risked yourselves for me. You shouldn’t have come…”

As the saying goes, men seldom shed tears.

At this moment, though Ling Yun remained iron-willed, he could no longer suppress the innate emotions surging within him.

Seeing this, Ye Kuang’s eyes also reddened.

No matter how he imagined it, he never expected Ling Yun to cry at this moment.

“Senior Brother Ling, don’t worry. Even if your Dantian is destroyed, I still have the ability to restore you to life!”

“Hmm?” Ling Yun’s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope, and he urgently asked, “Junior Brother Ye, what did you just say?”

“I said, I have a way to restore your strength.” Seeing the earnest look in Ling Yun’s eyes, Ye Kuang felt a stir in his heart, as if he had made a firm resolution.

“What method?”

“Let’s not discuss that for now. We should focus on escaping first.”

“Right! Escape, yes, we must escape first.”

For a moment, Ye Kuang sensed Ling Yun’s rekindled will to live and finally felt the heavy weight in his heart lift.

The two then exchanged everything they knew, laying out all the information they had.

It was then that Ye Kuang learned that this prison held another figure—the Dragon King.

Though he might not know exactly who this person was, anyone who dared call themselves “Dragon King” could not be an ordinary individual.

Thinking this, he immediately asked eagerly, “Who is this Dragon King? If he’s called the Dragon King, how could the Xingyi Sect imprison him here?”

Ling Yun struggled to recall what he had learned a decade ago and began recounting a past event.

“The Dragon King’s name is Xiao Cangtian. Thirty years ago, for reasons unknown, he suddenly stormed into the Xingyi Sect, causing an uproar in the martial world at the time. It took a joint effort from multiple factions to capture him, and he has been imprisoned here ever since. If we can harness his power, our chances of escaping will greatly increase…”

“Regardless of his character, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I must go and meet him.”

This was what Ye Kuang resolved in his heart.