Chapter 517: Shadow of the Whip

Duan Rong sat cross-legged on the pile of straw in his cell, meditating. Since he was already trapped in prison, he simply set aside his worries and continued to repair the lingering internal injuries in his dantian.

As for that God-Striking Whip and the Wanxiang Cave, he could only take things one step at a time.

He could see the danger in this from Zhu He's worried expression, but likewise, Lv Yinlin's arrangement was not meant to kill him, but to temper him; Zhu He had already told him this much.

When Zhu He left, he only urged him to prepare himself mentally, but did not ask him to resist.

At this moment, the cell door suddenly opened, and a figure walked in slowly.

Duan Rong opened his eyes and saw that the person who had come was Yang Yi.

As soon as Yang Yi entered, he smiled and said, "Brother Duan, today is the day of the execution, and the time is almost upon us."

"Is that so?" Duan Rong rotated his somewhat stiff neck and said, "Brother Yang, thank you for your care these past few days, bringing me fruit to eat every day. These three days of confinement haven't been all that desolate."

Yang Yi laughed, "It's just a few pieces of fruit, no need to dwell on it. Let's go, we're heading out."

Duan Rong stood up, the iron chains and shackles on his hands clattering.

Yang Yi led Duan Rong out of the dungeon.

As soon as Duan Rong exited the dungeon, his gaze shifted; he saw that on the open ground at the dungeon entrance, Yang Sixuan was actually standing there, hands behind his back.

He had originally thought Yang Yi would take him to Wuliang Cliff to be punished, but he hadn't expected Yang Sixuan to come in person.

Duan Rong smiled, "What? For Duan to be punished, Director Yang has to make the trip himself?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Sixuan turned around and said, "Indeed, I am personally escorting you to Wuliang Cliff."

Duan Rong said, "Then that is truly a lot of trouble."

There was no lack of sarcasm in Duan Rong's tone, but Yang Sixuan only kept a cold face and said, "You have violated the Sect Iron Law. Regarding your punishment at Wuliang Cliff this time, the Sect Master has ordered my Ruling Sect Justice Division to issue a decree to the entire Sect, so that the disciples of the Sect may observe the punishment and take warning!"

Duan Rong's expression froze. Damn it, they were using him as a negative example.

Yang Sixuan said, "Furthermore, Sect Master Chu and many Elders from the Elder Council will be present. For such an occasion, I naturally must escort you myself."

Duan Rong felt black lines across his forehead. Why were these people all so idle?! They were treating him like a performance to watch.

In truth, the God-Striking Whip had not appeared in the world for several hundred years.

After Lv Yinlin repaired it, it had been kept in the Wanxiang Cave, gathering dust on a high shelf.

If not for Lv Yinlin personally ordering that Duan Rong be struck three times with the God-Striking Whip, the entire Sect would have almost forgotten the existence of this God-Striking Whip.

With the God-Striking Whip, silent for hundreds of years, now appearing in the world, who wouldn't want to witness its majesty?

Yang Yi wanted to go too!

But since Yang Sixuan was going to personally escort Duan Rong and had ordered him to remain at the Ruling Sect Justice Division, he could only obey.

Yang Sixuan glanced at the iron chains and shackles on Duan Rong's hands and suddenly said, "Take off the shackles; they will be in the way during the punishment."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi immediately took out the key and removed the shackles from Duan Rong's hands.

Yang Sixuan flicked his sleeves, swept up Duan Rong, and transformed into a black streak of light, shooting toward the depths of the cloud-rolling Endless Great Mountains. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished...

On Wuliang Cliff, there were many figures moving about at this time.

Outside Xiao Qiwu's Cave Abode was a platform that jutted out from the cliff wall.

At the end of that platform was an execution stage that had been abandoned for many years.

Two mottled stone pillars were wrapped in iron chains and shackles, and those iron chains and shackles were covered in dense, ancient, and profound runes.

Over these three days, Xiao Qiwu had already instructed the young attendant to clean this place up thoroughly.

Although the attendant had gone to great lengths to clean, the moss stains on the stone pillars could not be scrubbed away; after all the wiping, they only appeared more mottled.

At this time, two rows of stone chairs had been placed on both sides of the open space outside the Cave Abode, forming an arc centered on the Cave Abode.

A few people were already sitting sparsely on the stone chairs; Chu Qiushan, Zhu He, and Lin Youjian were all among them...

Zhu He looked toward the stone pillars on the ancient execution stage from time to time, his expression grave.

From the mountain peaks and hillsides surrounding this cliff, looking from afar, one could vaguely discern many figures there to watch the excitement; colorful clothing of various shades flickered in and out of view amidst the mountain wilderness...

The usually cold and quiet Wuliang Cliff was actually becoming quite boisterous today.

In a certain mountain hollow, Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi stood atop a tall sawtooth oak tree, the two of them adjusting their postures with the wind.

Ximen Kankan looked toward the cliff wall diagonally opposite; on the platform there, he saw what looked like a few black dots of people.

Ximen Kankan said, "Where is Duan Rong?"

Shen Mizhi watched for a moment and said, "It seems he hasn't arrived yet."

At this moment, a black streak of light darted out from the clouds and landed on the platform; it was indeed Yang Sixuan escorting Duan Rong.

Duan Rong landed and steadied himself, his gaze sweeping over the ancient execution stage and the stone chairs for observing the punishment at the entrance of the Cave Abode. Then, listening to the human voices faintly drifting from the nearby mountains behind him, he suddenly felt this was quite a grand spectacle.

As soon as Yang Sixuan landed, Xiao Qiwu walked out of the Cave Abode.

The two clasped their hands in greeting and exchanged pleasantries.

Yang Sixuan took out a document, and after Xiao Qiwu flipped through it briefly and signed it, Yang Sixuan grabbed Duan Rong and handed him over to Xiao Qiwu.

This was the first time Xiao Qiwu had seen Duan Rong, and he couldn't help but glance at him twice.

After the handover, Yang Sixuan walked away on his own and took a seat on one of the stone chairs.

Xiao Qiwu stood there, and with a wave of his hand, two men in black tight-fitting outfits immediately rushed out from the Cave Abode, the two of them escorting Duan Rong toward the execution stage.

They had only taken two steps when Xiao Qiwu's divine sense probed out, scanning Duan Rong's entire body. Suddenly, his brows knit together, and he said, "Stop!"

The two men in black tight-fitting outfits stopped immediately and turned their heads to look at Xiao Qiwu.

Xiao Qiwu stared at Duan Rong and said coldly, "Take the Yinlu Cicada off your neck!"

Zhu He said, "Brother Xiao, that Yinlu Cicada won't affect your execution, will it?"

Xiao Qiwu stood there, not looking at Zhu He, but instead turning his head to look at Yang Sixuan, questioning him, "Director Yang, a prisoner being held actually still has a Yinlu Cicada on his person. Is this not a dereliction of duty by your Ruling Sect Justice Division? If you cannot take the Yinlu Cicada off his neck, then take him back to the dungeon; come back to my Wuliang Cliff for the punishment when it has been removed!"

As Xiao Qiwu spoke, he actually made to flick his sleeves and leave.

Yang Sixuan said, "Brother Xiao, calm your anger! This is indeed the negligence of my Ruling Sect Justice Division. An item such as the Yinlu Cicada truly should not appear on a prisoner undergoing punishment."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiwu's expression softened slightly, and he stood there, remaining motionless.

Yang Sixuan stood up, walked to a spot not far from Duan Rong, and said coldly, "Duan Rong, hand over the Yinlu Cicada!"

Duan Rong gave a cold snort, glanced sideways at Yang Sixuan, and said, "This is something my Master gave me; why should I hand it to you!?"

Yang Sixuan said, "Do you want me to do it myself?"

Duan Rong said, "You can try. If you make a move, I will trigger the Yinlu Cicada immediately."

Yang Sixuan said, "You..."

Zhu He sat on the Stone Chair, his expression somewhat uncertain.

Chu Qiushan said, "Zhu He, go persuade that brat; don't let him cause trouble here."

Zhu He said, "I can't control him. If you ask me, we should just drag him back to the Dungeon."

Chu Qiushan's expression was as gloomy as water, and he said, "Zhu He, let me remind you: letting him receive three strikes of the God-Striking Whip is the Ancestor's order."

Zhu He sneered and said, "At this point, don't use the Ancestor to pressure me."

Chu Qiushan watched Zhu He sitting there, motionless, clearly having no intention of intervening. The anger in his heart surged up, and he shouted, "Yang Sixuan, seize the Yinlu Cicada from him for me!"

"Understood!" Yang Sixuan replied upon hearing this, looking as if he were about to strike.

Zhu He stood up with a sudden motion, and Xiao Qiwu's figure flickered, unexpectedly blocking directly in front of Zhu He.

"Wait a moment!" Duan Rong saw that the situation was wrong and immediately called out.

Everyone's gaze turned toward Duan Rong at once.

Duan Rong coughed lightly and said, "I can hand it over. But I can only hand it to my Master."

Upon hearing this, Yang Sixuan's eyelids twitched, and he said, "Fine!"

Yang Sixuan stepped back a few paces, clearing the way. Duan Rong then walked to the front of Zhu He and took the Yinlu Cicada from his neck. "Master, please keep this safe for me."

Zhu He sighed, swept a cold gaze over Yang Sixuan, Chu Qiushan, and the others, and reached out to take it.

Duan Rong saw the tense atmosphere; if he were to persist, there would only be two outcomes: either he would trigger the Yinlu Cicada, or the Yinlu Cicada would be seized by Yang Sixuan. Only then did he decisively call a halt and hand the Yinlu Cicada to Zhu He for safekeeping. Because neither of those two outcomes was what he wanted.

Zhu He tucked away the Yinlu Cicada and sat back down on the Stone Chair. He glanced at Xiao Qiwu, who had suddenly blocked his path earlier; for some reason, he felt the atmosphere was not quite right. Xiao Qiwu should not have reacted like that just now.

A heavy sense of worry flashed through Zhu He's eyes.

After Duan Rong handed over the Yinlu Cicada, he was dragged by the two black-clad men in tight-fitting attire to the front of two large stone pillars at the execution platform. They used the Iron Chain wrapped around the stone pillars to bind Duan Rong tightly, securing him between the two pillars.

One Iron Chain shackle was on his waist, and one was on each of his four limbs.

Once Duan Rong was secured on the execution platform, the two men retreated to the side.

During this time, several more streaks of black light landed on the platform, walked to the Stone Chair area to exchange brief pleasantries, and then took their respective seats.

Seeing that the time was nearly up, Chu Qiushan suddenly stood up. The Qi within his body surged, and he shouted like a mountain roar: "Today, the Sect's personal disciple Duan Rong has violated the Sect Iron Law. He shall be punished with three strikes of the God-Striking Whip and then imprisoned in Wanxiang Cave. I hope all Sect disciples will observe this punishment, fear the law, and take this as a warning!"

Chu Qiushan's mountain-roaring voice shook the valley like a rumble of thunder.

Bound on the execution platform, Duan Rong looked at the figures flickering on the mountains in all directions and suddenly felt as if he were being paraded through the streets for public display.

Where Chu Qiushan's voice passed, a commotion clearly erupted within the valley.

After a while, the faint whispering in the valley finally subsided.

Xiao Qiwu glanced at the sundial on the side of the Cave Abode and, seeing that the time had arrived, stood up and shouted, "Bring the God-Striking Whip!"

As his voice fell, a young attendant who had been waiting at the cave entrance walked out slowly, holding the God-Striking Whip in both hands. He tried to walk with a dignified gait, but because he was short, his way of walking only made him look somewhat comical.

The attendant walked up to Xiao Qiwu, and Xiao Qiwu reached out to take the God-Striking Whip.

He held the whip and walked a few steps, standing in front of the row of Stone Chairs, directly facing Duan Rong on the execution platform.

Duan Rong was facing away from this spot; he had originally been looking at the surrounding mountains, but now, hearing the movement behind him, he turned his head to glance behind him.

The Sect Elders sitting on the Stone Chairs were all looking at Xiao Qiwu not far away, or more accurately, they were all looking at the God-Striking Whip held in Xiao Qiwu's hand.

Many of the less senior Sect Elders, such as Yang Sixuan and Lin Youjian, were seeing the God-Striking Whip for the first time.

Xiao Qiwu stood there and raised the God-Striking Whip with an expressionless face.

The twenty-one sections of the whip body and the eighty-four talisman seals were flickering incessantly, and several intermittent talisman shadows were spinning around, emitting bursts of clear, ringing sounds.

Although this God-Striking Whip was a repaired relic, looking at its spirited appearance, it was clearly no ordinary object.

Hearing the strange, clear ringing sound behind him, Duan Rong couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.

Just then, Xiao Qiwu suddenly shouted, "First whip!"

As he spoke, he raised the whip and swung it down.

The next moment, as the God-Striking Whip in Xiao Qiwu's hand swung down, a whip shadow suddenly emerged.

That whip shadow looked as if it had solidified, and like a ghost, it lashed toward Duan Rong on the execution platform.

With a sudden flash, the whip shadow smashed directly into Duan Rong's body and vanished.

Duan Rong let out a shrill, miserable scream!

Within his clear Spirit Sea, he saw a massive whip shadow descend from the sky and strike the Gray Shadow sitting cross-legged there.

It actually caused the Gray Shadow to tremble, its form becoming even more blurred, and after the strike, the mist surrounding the Gray Shadow surged incessantly...

There was not a single scar on Duan Rong's body; the God-Striking Whip strikes your Divine Soul!

Even if it strikes you until your soul scatters, there won't be a single injury!

Although there was not a single injury on Duan Rong's body, his body was trembling uncontrollably...

That was the pain of piercing through the soul.

Before Duan Rong's body stopped trembling, the God-Striking Whip in Xiao Qiwu's hand let out another clear ringing sound.

"Second whip!"

Zhu He's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Xiao Qiwu had told him that day that he would use his own discretion. But at this moment, he could feel that Xiao Qiwu had no intention of holding back at all.

His first whip was a solid strike; not only was the angle perfectly precise, but the whip shadow he unleashed was as if solidified. More importantly, after the first whip, he gave Duan Rong absolutely no time to catch his breath and immediately struck the second whip.

"There is something wrong with this person!" Zhu He looked at Xiao Qiwu's back, and an ominous feeling flashed through his heart.

Just then, the second whip shadow had already been unleashed by Xiao Qiwu.

That whip shadow, as if solidified, arrived in a flash and pierced through Duan Rong's body at the end of the platform.

"Ah~"

That scream was like a dull blade scraping against bone! It was as if Duan Rong were howling out his own soul.

Duan Rong's Qi surged, Three Flowers Gather at the Crown condensed above his head, and his two hands yanked violently at the iron chains, but the ancient, profound runes on those chains flickered incessantly, remaining unmoved no matter how he pulled.

That sound echoed within the valley.

Many people shivered, goosebumps breaking out all over their bodies.

Ximen Kankan was so startled he nearly fell from the tree; with a mournful face, he said, "It's over, it's over!"

Shen Mizhi's expression was also unsightly; she had bitten her lips until they bled.

What kind of agony must a person endure to let out a sound like that?!

Inside Duan Rong's clear Spirit Sea, after the second whip shadow struck, the original Gray Shadow was no longer in human form, but merely a mass of gray mist with blurred edges, churning incessantly there.

Duan Rong's scream paused slightly, and he turned his head with a wolf-like gaze; his eyes were blood-red, his entire face twisted and deformed from pain, and he stared at Xiao Qiwu behind him like a malevolent ghost.

Seeing Duan Rong's terrifying gaze, Xiao Qiwu's heart skipped a beat, but he still raised the whip with a grave expression and shouted, "Third lash!"

Zhu He stood up abruptly and shouted, "Xiao Qiwu!"

As if he hadn't heard, the God-Striking Whip in Xiao Qiwu's hand spun rapidly, and a clear humming sound rang out once more.

Yang Sixuan had already flickered his figure to stand in front of Zhu He, and Chu Qiushan also looked at Zhu He with a warning gaze.

Just at this moment, the third whip shadow had already been struck!

Duan Rong, with his red eyes and wolf-like gaze, saw the whip shadow, as if solidified, whistling toward him and piercing through his body.

The moment the whip shadow entered his body, he could feel the mass of gray mist that had been churning incessantly within his clear Spirit Sea being struck by this whip shadow until it was torn asunder, as if it had exploded.

In that instant, his entire body convulsed, and he foamed at the mouth...

"I~ f*** your mother!"

Duan Rong cursed, then passed out... His head hung down, and his limbs went limp, as if he were merely being held up by those iron chains and shackles.

With the three lashes landed, Duan Rong lay unconscious on the execution platform, and the surrounding mountains and wilderness were silent.

"Duan Rong!"

Zhu He had already flown over; seemingly checking Duan Rong's breath, he had, unnoticed by the crowd, stuffed a Medicine Pill into Duan Rong's mouth.

(End of this chapter)