Chapter 860: Profound and Unforgettable

The screams were continuous from the moment they began. The burly man, who had just been yelling incessantly, showed no trace of his previous bravado, causing Lu Ye's eyes to twitch as he watched.

The elderly man who had led him in explained, "This Executing Dragon Thorn used for punishment is a Spirit Treasure. It strikes not only the physical body but also the soul. Many cultivators who don't understand its true nature have suffered greatly here. Young friend, you must endure later."

Although Qian Wudang had given instructions not to be lethal, it couldn't be too obvious. The formalities still had to be observed.

While screams echoed from this side, many imprisoned cultivators in nearby cells began to jeer and shout."Old Cyclops, hit him harder! This guy still has the energy to scream. Are you going easy on him?""Old Bug, what's wrong with you? You're hitting him so lightly, is it just to tickle him?""That's right, that's right, beat him to death!"They clearly enjoyed the spectacle, adding to the commotion.

Lu Ye stood by, observing coldly, watching the long whip, a Spirit Treasure covered in barbs, repeatedly strike the bald man's body, turning it into a bloody mess. The long whip was called the Executing Dragon Thorn. The cultivator performing the execution was a disheveled man with a cultivation level that indicated he was likely the "Old Cyclops" mentioned by the surrounding cultivators.

Old Cyclops lived up to his name; he had only one eye. His other eye socket was empty, likely due to some disaster. Even his remaining eye glowed with a haunting, ghostly light that made people uneasy.

He was the executioner of the prison. Everyone who entered the prison for punishment had to pass through his hands, and none left without being thoroughly flayed. Consequently, he was a notorious figure throughout Bingzhou Guard, making many cultivators who had experienced the prison blanch at the mention of his name.

The bald strongman had committed an unknown offense. Despite his True Lake Realm cultivation and formidable physical body, the Executing Dragon Thorn not only attacked the flesh but also the soul. After five hard lashes, the strongman was already severely injured.

Seeing the once imposing figure now hanging there like a dead dog, Lu Ye felt a pang of sadness.

This demonstrated the foresight of the prison authorities; if the strongman hadn't been hoisted up, he would have collapsed, making the execution difficult.

While he was unconscious, he received four more lashes before the prison cultivators unfastened the bald strongman and took him away.

Old Cyclops, the executioner, walked to the side, sat on a blood-stained chair, casually picked up a nearby wine flask, and took a long swig.

"Young friend, it's your turn," the elderly man said.

Lu Ye took a deep breath, gently removed Amber from his shoulder, placed his Steadfast Mountain Saber in its mouth for it to hold, and stepped forward resolutely.

"A kid is here!"Someone in a nearby cell saw Lu Ye and chuckled, "And he's just a Cloud River Realm little fellow.""Kid, what did you do to get caught and brought here?""You didn't desert, did you, becoming a runaway soldier?""Kid, let me tell you something: don't ever use your spirit energy to resist. Relax completely, and you'll pass out after one whip, then you won't feel anything after that.""Brother Zhuang is speaking from experience, kid, don't be ungrateful!"

Amidst the shouts from all directions, Lu Ye walked to the execution area. Prison cultivators stepped forward to bind his hands and feet. The ropes used for binding were clearly not ordinary; they could restrain even a True Lake Realm cultivator, indicating they were at least Spirit Treasure-grade. Lu Ye didn't resist, as there was no need. He allowed them to bind him and hoist him up. Not far away, Amber, holding the Steadfast Mountain Saber in its mouth, watched him with tearful eyes...

The elderly man approached Old Cyclops and whispered a few words.Old Cyclops didn't lift his head. "You know my rules."The elderly man replied, "This is the司主's instruction; the person was personally sent by the司主."Old Cyclops, who had been about to drink, paused, looking earnestly at the elderly man, who subtly nodded, confirming he wasn't deceiving him. Only then did Old Cyclops turn his head and glance at the hanging Lu Ye."Don't ask me, I don't know anything!" Before Old Cyclops could speak, the elderly man preempted his questions."Understood!" Old Cyclops put down his wine flask, stood up, grabbed the Executing Dragon Thorn again, and walked behind Lu Ye.

The moment spirit energy was activated, a whooshing sound filled the air. Lu Ye felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his back; his protective spirit energy shattered instantly. Intense pain surged throughout his body, but the pain in his soul was far more severe than that of his physical body.

He had experienced soul pain countless times. When his soul wasn't very strong, every time he used the Mirage Stone for tempering, he would feel an instant surge of pain as he 'died' and exited. Similarly, examining the information on the Talent Tree leaves was excruciating. However, compared to what he was enduring now, those pains were merely a gentle breeze compared to a raging hurricane.

He finally understood why even True Lake Realm cultivators couldn't withstand such a whipping. This was simply unbearable for an ordinary person. An involuntary scream escaped Lu Ye's lips, veins bulged on his forehead, and his entire body trembled violently.

"Hmm?" Old Cyclops frowned. Executions had their intricacies. The purpose was to make the recipient remember the lesson and deter future offenses. To ensure the lesson was learned, they had to experience pain, which meant the executor had to ensure they wouldn't pass out. Controlling the force was a skilled art. Old Cyclops had overseen punishments here for decades; it was safe to say he could make anyone faint precisely when he wanted them to.

Lu Ye had been brought personally by司主 Qian Wudang, and with specific instructions, Old Cyclops naturally had to show him some consideration. He could disregard others' dignity, but he couldn't ignore the司主's.

His original plan was to knock Lu Ye unconscious with a single whip. For a mere Cloud River Realm cultivator, only one percent of the Executing Dragon Thorn's power would suffice. In this way, Lu Ye wouldn't feel any pain from the subsequent two lashes, and Old Cyclops would subtly reduce his force, so no one would notice anything amiss.

However, to his surprise, despite Lu Ye's miserable screams, there was no sign of him losing consciousness! "Such a strong soul!" Old Cyclops immediately understood the problem. The Executing Dragon Thorn struck both the physical body and the soul. An ordinary ninth-level Cloud River Realm cultivator would faint instantly after one lash, without even screaming. But this person was clearly different; his soul was much stronger than expected, allowing him to withstand the Executing Dragon Thorn's first strike.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but Old Cyclops's hands didn't stop. *Thwack, thwack* went two more lashes, turning Lu Ye's back into a bloody, mangled mess.

After the three lashes, the elderly man immediately had someone release Lu Ye and supported him by the arm. Lu Ye was trembling uncontrollably, gasping in cold air. This encounter was truly unforgettable! He swore he would never set foot in this prison again!

"Young friend, can you still bear it?" the elderly man asked.Lu Ye gritted his teeth and nodded silently."Remarkable!" the elderly man praised. He had clearly witnessed the power of Old Cyclops's strikes. By rights, a Cloud River Realm cultivator should not have been able to withstand that first lash. Old Cyclops had indeed held back on the subsequent two lashes; though they looked impressive, their actual power was less than twenty percent of the first.

"Quickly take any healing items you have. Once you enter the Dragon Confinement Gate, you won't be able to use your spirit energy," the elderly man whispered as a reminder.

The "Dragon Confinement Gate" referred to the cages used to imprison cultivators. Cultivators were different from mortals, so their cages were specially crafted treasures, often covered by powerful formations. Once inside the Dragon Confinement Gate, all their spirit energy would be suppressed and immobilized within their bodies.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye's hands trembled as he took out some healing pills and swallowed them. After a moment's thought, he took out a jade bottle and tucked it close to his body.

Soon after, guided by the elderly man, Lu Ye arrived before an empty Dragon Confinement Gate. After he was settled inside, the elderly man said, "Young friend, rest well. You will be free in ten days.""Alright!" Lu Ye nodded.The elderly man departed, and prison cultivators closed the Dragon Confinement Gate, activating its restrictions.

In an instant, Lu Ye felt as if an invisible hand had clamped down on the spirit energy flowing through his body, making it stagnant and impossible to circulate. Only then did he truly grasp the power of the Dragon Confinement Gate. If such a treasure were used to capture someone, it would undoubtedly be unfailing. However, getting an enemy into it in the first place would be the tricky part.

The greatest difference between cultivators and mortals was the possession of spirit energy. With spirit energy suppressed, a cultivator's only remaining advantage was the powerful physique gained through cultivation. Body cultivators certainly had a significant advantage here, while spell cultivators would be unlucky. Although their physiques were far stronger than mortals, they were at the bottom among all cultivator factions. Thus, without the ability to use spirit energy, their recovery speed would be greatly affected.

Lu Ye, however, wasn't concerned about this. While his physique might not be as extraordinarily gifted as Ju Jia's, it was no worse than that of other body cultivators at the same realm. Moreover, he had obtained the fragmented origin of the Dragon Ascent Realm, which meant his body possessed immense vitality. Even with his spirit energy confined, his recovery speed was far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.

He silently sat down cross-legged, reaching out to stroke Amber, who had entered with him. "It's nothing!" This was meant to reassure both Amber and Yi Yi. In such an environment, Yi Yi couldn't reveal herself and was undoubtedly worried sick.

The injuries on his back were minor, but the pain in his soul was difficult to alleviate immediately. However, Lu Ye had a solution. He had encountered such situations many times before. Glancing around, he saw no one was paying attention. He took out the jade bottle he had kept close to him, opened it, dipped a finger, and put a little into his mouth. Soul Cleansing Water. For the current situation, this was undoubtedly the most suitable treasure. A warm sensation spread through his soul, as if invisible small hands were gently stroking it. The pain vanished, and Lu Ye even felt somewhat refreshed. Exhaling softly, Lu Ye relaxed his mind. He had passed this ordeal.