The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

On the training ground, as the last spiritual plant cultivator finished testing his spiritual roots, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.

Ye Sheng was escorted by several disciples of the Enforcement Hall, passing through many corridors, and finally arrived at the edge of a cliff on the back mountain of Tianjian Peak.

Below the cliff was a bottomless darkness, with only gusts of cold wind howling up from the abyss, carrying a biting chill and dampness.

This is the water dungeon where the Qingyun Sword Sect imprisons serious criminals.

"Go in!"

A disciple of the Enforcement Hall roughly shoved Ye Sheng, pushing him into a huge iron cage suspended in mid-air.

"Clang!"

The cage door was locked tightly shut.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of the winch turning rang out, and the iron cage began to slowly descend, plunging into that thick black abyss.

Ye Sheng did not struggle, but simply leaned against the cold iron railing, letting his body continue to fall.

His dantian and meridians had been sealed by Wu Fei using a special method when he was captured. At this moment, his body was completely empty, and he couldn't even mobilize a trace of true qi, making him no different from an ordinary mortal.

After an unknown amount of time, the iron cage finally came to a stop with a loud bang.

Ye Sheng looked around and found himself in a huge underground cave. Countless strangely shaped stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and cold water droplets dripped down from time to time.

Below the cave lies a pitch-black pool, with indistinguishable aquatic plants and rotten wood floating on the surface, emitting a nauseating stench.

Throughout the cave, dozens of iron cages similar to the one he was in were hanging. Most of the cages were empty, with only a few containing disheveled, emaciated prisoners.

Some of the prisoners were whimpering softly, some were screaming wildly, and others were curled up in a corner, motionless, like dead objects.

The air here is thick with the scent of despair and death.

Ye Sheng ignored them, found a relatively clean corner in the cage, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

He needed to calm down. From champion of the selection competition to prisoner, it had only taken half an hour. Such a dramatic fall was enough to break the will of the weak.

But Ye Sheng was not. His heart was calmer than ever before.

Because he knew that anger and despair would not solve anything.

What he needs to do now is figure out how to break out of this predicament. Because he is now a lamb in a cage waiting to be slaughtered.

Ye Sheng didn't blame Liu Qing for not insisting on using her family's influence to protect him.

In that situation, the fact that she stood up and said those few words was already an act of utmost kindness and righteousness.

Therefore, Ye Sheng knew very well that he could no longer rely on anyone else to save him. Only he himself could save him.

Afterwards, Ye Sheng calmed down and began to regulate his breathing, attempting to break through the seal within his body.

However, the seal Wu Fei planted was extremely vicious. That cold spiritual power was like countless fine needles, firmly nailed to his meridians and dantian. Every time he mobilized a trace of qi and blood, it would cause excruciating pain.

After several attempts, the seal remained unmoved, instead causing his blood to churn and a trickle of blood to seep from the corner of his mouth.

"it's useless."

Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the iron cage next to them.

Ye Sheng turned his head and saw an old man with white hair and beard, thin and emaciated, huddled in a corner, looking at him with a pair of cloudy eyes.

"Wu Fei's old dog's 'Frost Locking Meridian Curse' is a special secret technique of the Enforcement Hall. Once locked, no one can break it unless a cultivator at the late Golden Core stage or above intervenes."

The old man's voice was filled with despair and death.

Ye Sheng didn't reply and silently withdrew his gaze. He guessed that what the old man said was true, but he didn't intend to give up so easily.

Just then, footsteps came from above the cave; it was two outer disciples responsible for guarding the water prison.

They walked up to Ye Sheng's iron cage, one of whom was the disciple who had been terrified by the "demonic energy" in the training ground earlier.

"Hmph, you traitorous spy from the Demonic Sect, how dare you glare at me?"

When the disciple saw Ye Sheng, he remembered his previous embarrassment and became furious. He grabbed his spear and stabbed Ye Sheng hard.

Ye Sheng's strength was sealed, and he had no time to dodge. The spear tip pierced his shoulder, and blood immediately soaked his clothes.

He frowned slightly, let out a muffled groan, and raised his eyes to quietly look at the disciple.

His eyes were dark and cold, yet they sent a chill down the disciple's spine, and he dared not meet his gaze again.

"Alright, stop causing trouble."

Another disciple pulled the man aside, pulled a dark, grimy cornbread from his pocket, threw it into the cage, and said coldly, "Boy, this is your ration for today."

After saying that, the two turned and left.

Ye Sheng glanced at the stained cornbread on the ground but didn't pick it up.

His biggest worry right now isn't himself, but Ye Kai.

Now that he's imprisoned in the water dungeon, only his younger brother remains at Willow Garden. Given his innocent nature, if someone were to discover the secret of his "Celestial Body of Calamity"...

Ye Sheng dared not think any further. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, a strong sense of powerlessness and anxiety welling up inside him.

Meanwhile, inside the courtroom.

Wu Fei sat upright in the armchair, slowly sipping the spiritual tea.

Pang Fu stood respectfully to the side, his face full of satisfaction.

"Master, your tactic of 'framing someone and using someone else to do the dirty work' is truly brilliant!"

Pang Fu fawned, "That brat Ye Sheng has now been branded a spy for the Demonic Sect. Even if Liu Qing wanted to protect him, she couldn't do anything about it."

"Hmph, a mere brat like you dared to put on airs in front of this old man?"

Wu Fei sneered, put down his teacup, and said in a deep voice, "Does she think she can suppress me just because she's the sect leader's personal disciple and a member of the Liu family's aristocratic lineage?"

"However..." he changed the subject, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes, "It would be too easy on him to just lock that kid up in the water dungeon like that."

Wu Fei glanced at Pang Fu's severed wrist and said in a chilling voice, "This debt is owed to you by him, so you have to collect it yourself."

Upon hearing this, Pang Fu trembled, and a venomous light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"What does Master mean?"

"The sect leader has been away for many days and has not yet returned. The other four chief elders are also busy in seclusion, trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and have no time to attend to the sect's affairs."

Wu Fei said calmly, "As for Liu Qing, I guess she will secretly protect that boy in the time before the sect leader returns. However, I have my own way to lure her away."

"At midnight tonight, the disciples guarding the water dungeon will have a shift change. At that time, find an opportunity to sneak in. Remember, be clean and don't leave any trace."

"After we're done, we'll say that the kid committed suicide out of guilt, or that he was killed by the other prisoners in the cell."

"Yes! This disciple understands!" Pang Fu nodded emphatically, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

Late at night.

The water dungeon was deathly silent. Only the occasional suppressed groan and the soft sound of water droplets dripping from the stalactites could be heard.

At this moment, Ye Sheng leaned against the iron railing, his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. But his ears remained alert, constantly listening to any movement around him.

Suddenly, a very faint sound of footsteps came from above.

Ye Sheng suddenly opened his eyes and saw a fat figure, like a giant bat, silently sliding down from the darkness and landing steadily on top of his iron cage.

It was Pang Fu; he had actually come.

Ye Sheng's heart sank, and he quietly clenched his fist.

Pang Fu squatted on top of the cage, peering through the gaps in the bars, and looked at Ye Sheng in the cage with a teasing gaze, like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Kid, didn't expect that, did you? We've met again so soon." His voice was gloomy and full of pleasure.

"Are you here to kill me?" Ye Sheng asked calmly.

"Heh! What else? Did you think I came here to bring you food?" Pang Fu grinned maliciously.

"You mere mortal, yet you managed to break one of my palms, causing me to lose face in the sect. Killing you directly would be too lenient."

"Today, I'll show you what it means to wish for death but be unable to live!"

"Speak," he said, taking out the key with his intact hand and unlocking the iron cage.

Pang Fu did not use magic to break the lock directly because he could not leave any trace of an intruder, and the key was a replica he made through special means.

After entering the iron cage, he took out an extremely short flying sword and held it in his hand, then approached Ye Sheng step by step.

Ye Sheng looked at Pang Fu, slowly straightened up, leaned against the iron railing, and stared coldly.

Am I really going to die here tonight?