Chapter 123: Merely a Puppet

The man in black paused at these words, but did not retract his pressure, instead turning his gaze toward Liu Pan. Obscured by the veil of elemental energy, the man’s expression remained invisible, leaving his thoughts entirely unreadable.

A moment later, without any discernible movement from the man, Liu Pan felt a sharp pain in his forehead. A single drop of blood seeped from between his brows, lifted by an unseen force, and hovered before the man in black. A strange aura rippled outward as a mysterious rune, formed from spiritual power, emerged from the man’s forehead and pressed against the droplet. The blood then seemed to "writhe"; half of it evaporated, while the remainder rapidly solidified into a blood-red, snowflake-shaped crystal.

Silence. The pavilion plunged into a deathly stillness.

An unknown amount of time passed until a flash of light streaked across the sky outside, followed by a thunderous boom. Yet, while the lightning was visible, no sound of thunder or rain penetrated the pavilion—evidently, such things were barred by the great array protecting the island.

After the lightning faded, the man in black withdrew his pressure. He remained silent for a while longer before speaking: "The one you brought this time is quite impressive."

Hearing this, the anxiety that had been gnawing at Li Tu vanished, replaced by a surge of delight. However, he still harbored doubts about Liu Pan’s bone age. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to keep it to himself; without absolute certainty, voicing a suspicion that might prove false would only jeopardize his upcoming "negotiations."

"May I ask, Senior, what compensation you can offer this time?" Li Tu asked, his tone relaxing slightly, though tinged with clear expectation.

The man in black remained silent for a moment before producing a storage ring from somewhere and tossing it to Li Tu. "What do you make of this?"

Li Tu swept his spiritual sense through the ring, and a look of joy flashed across his face. He quickly suppressed it, shook his head, and said, "To be honest, Senior, I feel this is not enough."

The man in black stiffened. Although his face was hidden, the surprise in his reaction was palpable. He did not speak, and Li Tu, not waiting for a response, turned to Liu Pan. "There is another unique condition he possesses that proves his Extreme Cold Physique is far from ordinary."

As he spoke, Li Tu withdrew the still-slumbering Fire Sun Sparrow from his robes. After a brief pause, he retrieved a cage from his storage ring, placed the bird inside, and set it upon the stone table.

"I trust you are well aware, Senior, that the Fire Sun Sparrow can perceive both malevolent energy and the aura of extreme yin," Li Tu said, gesturing toward Liu Pan. "You should be able to sense that he carries no trace of malevolence. But what I must tell you is that the sparrow can perceive the aura he radiates."

"An ordinary Extreme Cold Physique is beyond the sparrow's detection, but the fact that it can sense him proves his physique is no simple matter—it is an existence of the Extreme Yin attribute. An Extreme Cold Physique with an Extreme Yin attribute is absolutely unprecedented in the history of the cultivation world!"

"A unique, one-of-a-kind physique... therefore, I feel that what you have offered is not enough."

As Li Tu’s words hung in the air, the pavilion fell silent once more. Liu Pan felt a probe of spiritual power and a divine sense scanning him intensely—the former belonging to the man in black, the latter to the unnatural-looking middle-aged man.

Liu Pan remained silent—truly, profoundly silent. He no longer knew what to think. Never before had he felt like this. He felt less like a human being and more like a puppet, toyed with, stripped of all dignity and freedom. Especially when the man in black had plucked that drop of blood from his brow without warning, Liu Pan truly felt like nothing more than a doll.

Strength? He wanted to laugh, but the sound died in his throat. He vowed that if he ever gained freedom and sufficient power, he would make these three men wish for death. If not for the raging storm outside, he would have shattered his own elemental core to trigger the Martial King lightning tribulation, dragging them all into a violent end.

Yet, Liu Pan knew that if he triggered the tribulation now, even if he survived, he would surely die. The array protecting the island could never withstand the wrath of the heavens. Even if the array drew its power from the sea, the Heavens’ Will was fundamentally different from ordinary natural forces. Furthermore, it had long been proven that hiding underground offered no sanctuary from the lightning. What must come, would come. If the array shattered, he would be swept away by the hurricanes and buried in the depths of the sea.

Liu Pan did not want to die. At least, not yet.

A moment later, when the command to release his aura reached his ears, Liu Pan’s lips curled involuntarily. He complied, channeling his technique to unleash his energy. Watching the previously dormant Fire Sun Sparrow wake abruptly, shrieking and bleeding as it slammed frantically against the cage, a strange, dark satisfaction stirred in Liu Pan’s heart. He decided he would not suppress his aura as he usually did. He would watch the sparrow go mad until it died.

Without realizing it, Liu Pan pushed his aura to its limit. He needed this release.

"Boom!"

A deafening crack of thunder shook the sky. The rain intensified, merging heaven and earth into a single veil. The gale, the downpour, and the massive, surging waves created an apocalyptic scene that rocked the entire sea. Yet, within the island, protected by the array, there was only stillness—not even a whisper of the chaos outside reached them.

Inside the cage, the Fire Sun Sparrow was stained with blood, its wing visibly broken. Liu Pan knew it would soon lose the strength to struggle and would bleed to death under the stimulation of his aura. He felt a sense of grim satisfaction. But in the next second, a flash of lightning pierced the pavilion, causing him to instinctively close his eyes.

His heart fluttered. When he opened his eyes again, looking at the sparrow—helpless, still coughing up blood—Liu Pan’s heart gradually calmed. He retracted his aura. He realized he was wrong; he should not vent his emotions on the bird, for they were the same—both victims of a lack of power, both manipulated at the whims of others.

He let out a soft breath, adjusting his state of mind, only to suddenly freeze. The Fire Sun Sparrow in the cage was still trembling and coughing blood, even though he had completely withdrawn his aura!

How could this be?