bookbashuk Chapter 75 Breaking the Shackles! The First Cry of the Azure Lotus
Chapter 75 Breaking the Shackles! The First Cry of the Azure Lotus
Li Bai's body, leaning against the rock wall, tensed slightly. Below, the sound of sharp claws scraping against the rock grew clearer, debris falling continuously into the underground river with soft plops. He opened his eyes, his pupils struggling to focus in the absolute darkness. The two eerie green lights were slowly and steadily moving upwards on the rock wall, accompanied by heavy breathing and the grating sound of bone armor rubbing against the rock. Another bone-armored lizard had also begun to climb, the two ferocious beasts blocking any possible escape routes on either side of the rock ledge. Li Bai slowly inhaled, the cold air carrying the smell of blood and the dampness unique to the underground river filling his lungs. He lowered his eyelids, looking at the tiny crack on his wrist, his fingertips lightly brushing against the cold iron surface. The next breath might be a matter of life and death.
We can't wait any longer.
This thought cleaved through the chaos of consciousness like a lightning bolt.
The rock ledge was only three feet wide and ten feet long, with a vertical, slippery stone wall behind him, leaving him nowhere to retreat. If the two ferocious beasts were to climb up, his severely injured leg would be unable to dodge in this narrow space, and he would only become a victim of their claws.
We must take the initiative.
We must make one last push before they fully climb up.
What they're fighting for is the shackles on their wrists.
Li Bai closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on his body. His dantian remained parched, and the illusory image of the Azure Lotus Sword was dim and lifeless, but the nascent sword intent between his brows burned intensely under the pressure of life and death. He mobilized the last wisp of spiritual energy that had just recovered within him—truly only a wisp, as weak as a candle flickering in the wind. This wisp of spiritual energy struggled to flow along his meridians, each inch it advanced bringing a tearing, piercing pain. His meridians, atrophied from long-term suppression, were now being forcibly activated, like forcibly opening a dam to release water from a parched, cracked riverbed.
The excruciating pain caused the veins on Li Bai's forehead to bulge, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his tattered clothes.
But he didn't stop.
He gathered this spiritual energy, along with the fierce sword intent between his brows—an unyielding, unwilling, and rebellious spirit—and transformed it into an invisible cone, aiming it at the crack inside the shackles on his right wrist.
**Now!**
Li Bai suddenly opened his eyes, bloodshot, yet a resolute light burned deep within his pupils. He roared, not with his throat, but with the power of his entire soul, slamming the "cone" imbued with spiritual energy and sword intent fiercely against the shackles!
"boom--!"
There was no sound, but a loud bang exploded in Li Bai's mind.
An indescribable, excruciating pain shot through his wrist, as if the bones in his entire arm had shattered in that instant. The shackles vibrated violently, their cold iron surface turning scorching hot, and a series of fine, rapid cracking sounds emanated from within. The initially minute crack, under the impact of the internal and external attacks, suddenly widened!
That's not enough!
Li Bai clenched his teeth, blood seeping from his gums. He could feel the cracks widening to a critical point, but just a final bit of force was needed—a final push to break the balance.
Below, the first bony-armored lizard's forepaws had already gripped the edge of the rock ledge. Its sharp claws dug into the rock, producing a teeth-grinding sound. Its eerie green eyes gleamed menacingly in the darkness, no more than five feet from Li Bai. Its foul breath reeked of rotting flesh and underground mold.
The second skull-headed lizard also poked its head out from the other side.
A desperate situation.
A true dead end.
Li Bai stared at the ever-approaching emerald pupils, yet his mind remained unusually clear. He recalled the cold dagger on the streets of Chengdu in his past life, the deep sorrow hidden in Yang Xiaohuan's eyes; he remembered the breathtaking beauty of Yang Yuhuan when he first met her in this life, and the clear chime of the Azure Lotus Sword recognizing its master in the Shu Mountain Secret Realm.
"Through three lifetimes, how could I possibly die here?!"
An unprecedented surge of violent emotion exploded from his chest. It was not despair, but anger, a roar against the injustice of fate, and a complete rebellion against everything that prevented him from protecting what he loved!
"Open it!!!"
Li Bai roared furiously, his voice echoing through the narrow rocky ledge, even drowning out the howls of the bone-armored lizard. He no longer cared whether his meridians could withstand the attack, pouring all his remaining life force, willpower, and the obsession of his two lifetimes into that final strike!
The nascent sword intent between his brows suddenly erupted with a blinding bloody light!
Within his dantian, the illusory image of the Azure Lotus Sword, which had been dim, suddenly trembled and emitted a faint yet soul-stirring murmur!
**Snap! ! !**
The crisp cracking sound was so clear and so pleasant to hear.
On his right wrist, the specially made shackles, infused with spirit-suppressing materials and meticulously crafted by court artificers, suddenly developed spiderweb-like cracks. Then, to Li Bai's ecstatic gaze, they shattered inch by inch!
Iron filings flew everywhere, clattering as they landed on the rock ledge and rolled into the underground river.
The constraints have vanished.
**boom--!!!**
This time it's the real voice.
The moment the shackles shattered, the suppressed spiritual energy surged forth from the depths of his dantian like a flood bursting its banks! The withered and dried-up meridians were forcibly opened by the violent spiritual energy, and the excruciating pain made Li Bai's vision go black, almost causing him to faint. But he bit his tongue tightly, the taste of blood and the extreme pain keeping him conscious to the last shred of his mind.
Spiritual energy surged within his body, cleansing every inch of his meridians and nourishing his parched dantian. Although his total spiritual energy was far from its peak due to long-term suppression and severe injuries, the feeling of power flowing again, the feeling of being in control and no longer bound, made Li Bai almost want to roar to the heavens.
Almost simultaneously, the illusory image of the Azure Lotus Sword within his dantian shone brightly!
"Zheng—!"
A clear, melodious sword cry, like the roar of a dragon, rang out without warning in the darkness, piercing through the sound of flowing water and the roars of ferocious beasts, echoing endlessly in this underground space.
Li Bai felt a heat in his right palm.
A warm, azure light emerged from his palm, rapidly extending and condensing into a three-foot-long sword. The sword was slender, its surface possessing a texture somewhere between jade and metal. A naturally formed azure lotus pattern ran along the spine of the blade, extending from the hilt to the tip. At this moment, the lotus pattern emanated a soft, pure azure light, illuminating a three-zhang radius around it.
light.
The long-lost light.
Li Bai looked down at the sword in his hand, his fingertips brushing against the cold blade. The sword trembled slightly, conveying a sense of kinship and joy, as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.
The Azure Lotus Sword automatically protects its master, manifesting itself externally.
With the sword in hand, Li Bai's entire demeanor suddenly changed.
The previous weakness, dishevelment, and near-death despair were replaced by a calm yet sharp aura. He was still covered in wounds, his calves were still bleeding, and his face was pale, but his eyes—those eyes shone with an astonishing light, like two bright lamps lit in the darkness, burning with the sharpness of a sword.
"roar--!!!"
Stimulated by the sudden light and the sound of the sword, the first skeletal lizard became ferocious, leaping up and opening its blood-red maw full of sharp teeth, lunging at Li Bai! A foul stench swept over him, and the light of the Azure Lotus Sword was reflected in its eerie green pupils.
Li Bai didn't even move a step.
With a flick of his wrist, the Azure Lotus Sword traced a graceful and simple arc in the air.
There were no fancy moves, no charging process, just a casual slash.
"laugh--"
A solid, tangible azure sword energy shot out from the blade, thin as a cicada's wing, yet sharp enough to slice through the darkness. The sword energy cut through the air with a soft whistling sound, precisely grazing the neck of the bone-armored lizard.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
The bony lizard's attack froze in mid-air, its eerie green eyes still holding a hint of ferocity and bewilderment. The next moment, its head separated from its body, the cut smooth as a mirror. Black blood gushed from the severed neck like a fountain, splashing onto the rock face with a sizzling, corrosive sound. The headless corpse crashed onto the rock ledge, twitched twice, and then lay still.
The second bony-armored lizard had just climbed onto the rock ledge when it witnessed its companion being instantly killed. It let out a terrified roar and turned to jump back into the underground river.
"You want to leave now?"
Li Bai's voice was eerily calm.
He took a half step forward with his left foot—a piercing pain shot through his injured calf, but he didn't even flinch—and thrust forward with the Azure Lotus Sword.
A glint of blue light flashed from the tip of the sword.
It wasn't sword energy, but a more condensed and concentrated point of sword energy, as thin as a hair, yet as fast as lightning, instantly traversing a distance of two zhang and piercing into the back of the second bone-armored lizard's head.
The bony-armored lizard's massive body stiffened abruptly, then slumped limply, its eerie green pupils rapidly dimming. On the shell behind its head, there was only a pinhead-sized hole, from which a reddish-white liquid was gushing out.
The two ferocious beasts attacked twice, and the beasts were killed.
It was decisive and efficient, without any hesitation or delay.
Li Bai stood with his sword in hand, the azure light reflecting off his pale face and blood-stained clothes. A heavy stench of blood permeated the rocky ledge, mingled with the damp, pungent smell of the underground river, making one want to vomit. But he simply took a deep breath, feeling the smooth flow of spiritual energy within his body, and sensing the warm, gentle sword intent emanating from the Azure Lotus Sword.
power.
That is power.
It is not the rational knowledge of a geological engineer from a past life, nor the romantic talent of a poet in this life, but real, tangible martial power capable of cutting through darkness, slaying ferocious beasts, and protecting oneself.
He looked down at his wrist. The shackles had completely disappeared, leaving only a faint red mark—the mark of long-term confinement. He gently moved his wrist, the joint making a soft clicking sound; the feeling of freedom was wonderful.
Below, the bone-armored lizard, the first to be blinded by the sword intent, now lay trembling on the lower rock platform. Its remaining single eye stared in terror at the figure standing on the rock ledge with the sword, letting out a low, whimpering growl, but it dared not take another step forward.
Li Bai glanced at it but did not finish off the enemy.
Killing two to establish our authority is enough. As for the severely wounded one, let it fend for itself.
He withdrew his gaze, held the Azure Lotus Sword horizontally in front of him, and ran his left hand along the blade. A slight tremor emanated from the sword, as if in response. The azure lotus patterns on the sword shimmered, illuminating an area in front of him.
With the help of the sword's light, Li Bai was finally able to carefully observe his surroundings.
The rocky ledge is situated on one side of the underground river, more than ten feet above the water's surface, with steep, slippery rock walls on both sides. The underground river widens to about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) here, its current swift and rushing downstream. The opposite bank is also rugged rock face, offering no way out.
The only passage is to go down the underground river.
Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, Li Bai carefully moved along the edge of the rocky ledge. The light of the Azure Lotus Sword extended forward with his movement, illuminating the riverbed more than twenty feet ahead.
About thirty feet away, the underground river began to fork.
The river channel on the left was noticeably wider and the current more rapid, the rushing water echoing through the cave and leading into deeper darkness. The rock walls there were rougher, covered with sharp stalactites, and a faint smell of sulfur filled the air.
The river channel on the right was narrower, with a gentle current, and the sound of water was almost inaudible. But Li Bai keenly noticed that the wind blowing from that river channel carried a very faint scent, different from the damp smell of the underground river.
That's... the smell of fresh air.
Although it was faint, mixed with the smell of soil and decaying plants, it was indeed fresh air from the ground.
Li Bai was invigorated.
The presence of airflow implies an exit, or at least a path leading to a point closer to the surface.
He had to leave as soon as possible. The wound on his leg needed treatment, and the excessive blood loss was making him dizzy. Although his spiritual energy had resumed its flow, the total amount was still scarce, and he needed time to meditate and recover. Moreover, the pursuers from the Heavenly Prison had likely discovered the secret passage and could catch up at any moment.
But which path should you choose?
The water flow on the left is rapid and may lead to a deeper underground cave system, or even connect to a network of underground rivers. Getting lost could have disastrous consequences. Moreover, the smell of sulfur usually indicates geothermal activity, possibly hot springs or even magma, posing an extremely high risk.
There was fresh air on the right, but the water flow was gentle, which could also mean that it was a dead end, or that the exit was extremely hidden and narrow. Moreover, the smell of rotting plants in the air made Li Bai feel vaguely uneasy.
He stood on the edge of the rocky ledge, the light of the Azure Lotus Sword sweeping back and forth between the two forks in the path.
Time passed second by second.
A sharp pain shot through his calf wound, and the dizziness from blood loss grew increasingly pronounced. He knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.
Li Bai took a deep breath and made a decision.
He chose the right side.
Where there is air, there is hope. Even if the exit is narrow, with his current spiritual power and the Azure Lotus Sword, he can force his way through. The left side leads deep underground, and once you go in, turning back will be difficult.
Having made up his mind, Li Bai no longer hesitated.
He glanced at the underground river below, then at his badly injured leg. Jumping in and swimming across was impractical; the water would worsen the infection. He needed a "bridge."
My gaze fell on a few loose rocks at the edge of the rock shelf.
Li Bai walked to a rock about half a person's height, inserted the Green Lotus Sword into the gap between the rock and the cliff, and pried it open with his wrist.
"Crack—"
The rocks loosened, rolled off the ledge, and crashed into the underground river with a splash.
not enough.
He then pried open the second and third pieces.
Three rocks of different sizes fell into the water, tumbled and collided in the swift current, and eventually got stuck in the middle of the river, protruding about a foot above the water, forming a crooked "stepping stone" path.
Li Bai estimated the distance and the stability of the rocks, took a deep breath, and returned the Azure Lotus Sword to his dantian—the sword transformed into a beam of azure light and entered his palm—then he leaped into the air.
His first jump landed on the nearest rock. The rock swayed, and the icy water pounded against his ankles. The water aggravated his wound, causing him to groan in pain.
The second jump landed on the larger rock in the middle. This time it was more stable.
The third jump landed on the rock closest to the right side of the river. It was only five feet from the right bank.
Without hesitation, Li Bai lightly touched the rock with his toes, lunged forward, and grabbed a protruding rock on the opposite bank. His fingers dug into the cracks in the rock, the cold stone chafing his palms, but he held on tightly and pulled himself up with all his might.
After climbing up the riverbank, Li Bai collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Every breath aggravated his wounds, but he couldn't care less. He struggled to sit up, tore off another tattered sleeve, and re-bandaged the wound on his calf. This time, he channeled a wisp of spiritual energy to cover the wound; although it wouldn't heal immediately, it could at least temporarily stop the bleeding, relieve the pain, and inhibit infection.
After doing all this, Li Bai leaned against the rock wall and rested for a while.
The Azure Lotus Sword reappeared in his hand, its radiance illuminating the path ahead.
The river channel on the right was indeed narrow, no more than ten feet wide at its widest point, with the rock walls on both sides pressing in, creating a sense of oppression. But the freshness in the air was definitely more pronounced, although it was still mixed with the smell of humus.
Li Bai held a sword in one hand to illuminate the path, and with the other hand supporting himself against the rock face, he dragged his injured leg as he struggled along the riverbank.
The river meandered, sometimes wide, sometimes narrow. The current was so calm it was almost still, with withered branches and leaves, and the corpses of unknown insects floating on the surface. The fluorescent moss on the rock walls was dwindling, and the light was dimming again, relying entirely on the glow of the Azure Lotus Sword to illuminate the path beneath our feet.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the scenery ahead changed.
The river suddenly narrowed, becoming a narrow crevice that could only allow one person to pass through. Water gurgled out of the crevice, while fresh air blew in from the other end.
Li Bai walked to the crevice and listened intently.
A faint sound of wind came from the other end of the crevice, and... the sound of dripping water? No, it sounded more like water droplets falling into a pool from a height. Apart from that, there were no other unusual sounds.
He raised the Azure Lotus Sword, its light probing into the crevice.
The crevice was about three zhang long, slippery inside, and covered with moss. At its narrowest point, one had to turn sideways to pass through. There was a larger space at the other end, but it was not clearly visible.
Li Bai did not go in immediately.
He first activated the sword's light to its brightest point, carefully examining the interior of the crevice. The rock face showed no signs of human intervention; it was naturally formed. The thick moss indicated that the area was damp but well-ventilated. No obvious signs of dangerous creatures were observed.
Then, he squatted down, dipped his finger in the water from the crevice, and smelled it.
The water was clear and odorless, with only a faint earthy smell and the fishy odor of moss. He licked it a little more, feeling a cool sensation on his tongue; it didn't taste strange, so it should be drinkable.
After confirming that it was temporarily safe, Li Bai took a deep breath and squeezed into the gap.
The rock face was slippery and cold, clinging to his body. The moss was rubbed away, revealing the black rock beneath. With each step, his injured calf scraped against the rock face, bringing new pain. But he gritted his teeth and persevered, inching forward.
He moved three zhang (approximately 10 meters) over a period of about half a cup of tea's time.
When Li Bai finally squeezed out of the other end of the gap, everything suddenly became clear.
This is a natural cave slightly smaller than the previous stone platform cave. It is irregularly oval in shape, about two zhang high and three zhang wide. There are cracks in the cave ceiling, and faint light—not sunlight, but starlight or moonlight at night—penetrates through the cracks, forming several hazy pillars of light inside the cave.
light.
Natural light.
Although faint, it was indeed light coming from the Earth's surface.
A surge of indescribable excitement welled up in Li Bai's heart. He looked up at the pillars of light and could see tiny dust particles floating within them, like golden fireflies.
In the center of the cave is a small pool, formed by the convergence of an underground river. The pool is crystal clear, and you can see the pebbles at the bottom. Water droplets drip continuously from cracks in the cave ceiling, making a tinkling sound and creating ripples on the surface of the pool.
Fresh air flows in through the cracks in the cave ceiling.
Li Bai walked to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and first scooped up water with his hands to carefully wash the blood and sweat from his face. The cool pool water invigorated him. Then he carefully untied the strips of cloth from his calves and used the pool water to wash his wounds. The intense pain made cold sweat pour down his forehead, but he endured it and washed the mud and blood from the wounds clean.
After doing all this, he took out the soaked wound medicine bottle from his pocket. The stopper was tight, but he pulled it open forcefully and poured out the sticky ointment inside. The ointment had been soaked in water, so its effectiveness might be greatly reduced, but it was better than nothing. He applied the ointment evenly to the wound and re-bandaged it with a clean strip of cloth.
After treating his wounds, Li Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He leaned against a rock by the pool, the Azure Lotus Sword resting across his lap. The sword's brilliance had faded, leaving only a faint blue halo. The sunlight filtering through the cave ceiling and the shimmering reflection from the pool created a hazy, tranquil interplay of light and shadow within the cave.
Safe.
We're safe for now.
Li Bai closed his eyes and began to circulate his internal energy. Spiritual power flowed slowly through his body, nourishing his parched meridians and damaged internal organs. The Azure Lotus Sword emitted a warm, gentle sword intent, resonating with the nascent sword intent within him, gradually repairing his mental exhaustion.
Time passed in silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Bai opened his eyes again.
The pain in my leg has lessened considerably, and the dizziness from blood loss has mostly disappeared. My spiritual energy has recovered to about 10%, which, although still scarce, is at least enough to protect myself.
He stood up, walked to the edge of the cave, and carefully examined the cracks through which light shone.
The cracks were all very narrow, the widest being no more than a finger's width, and located two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) above the cave ceiling, making them impossible to climb without tools. However, one could vaguely see the shadows of plants swaying in the wind outside the cracks, and hear extremely faint insect chirps.
We're very close to the Earth's surface here.
Perhaps, all we need to do is find the right path to see the light of day again.
Li Bai, wielding the Green Lotus Sword, searched the cave carefully. The cave walls were slippery, covered with moss and ferns. He walked around the cave walls but found no obvious exit or passage.
The only way out seemed to be the crack he had entered through, and... the pool of water?
Li Bai turned his gaze to the pool.
The pool water was clear, but the bottom was invisible. An underground river flowed into the pool from beneath one rock wall and then flowed out from beneath the other, its destination unknown. On the side where the river flowed out of the pool, there was a dark opening at the base of the rock wall, mostly submerged underwater.
That could be another underwater passage.
Li Bai walked to the edge of the pool and probed the underwater cave entrance with his Green Lotus Sword. The sword light shone through the clear water, revealing that the inside of the cave seemed to be trending upwards, and... bubbles were rising from the depths of the cave.
Bubbles mean air.
This means that this underwater tunnel may connect to another space with air, or even lead directly to the surface.
But the underwater conditions are unclear. How long is the tunnel? Will a long dive be required? He has a leg injury; can he withstand the water pressure and cold?
Li Bai stood by the pool, momentarily lost in thought.
Light filters through a crack in the cave ceiling, but it's inaccessible. The underwater passage might offer a way out, but it could also be more dangerous.
He must make a choice as soon as possible.
The pursuers may still be behind him, and his injuries require better treatment; he cannot stay here for too long.
Li Bai looked down at the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand, its blade reflecting his pale face and resolute gaze.
He slowly exhaled and made his decision.