'The hope I'm looking for?' Yue Songli's facial expression froze, thoroughly shaken by those words. Her eyes unconsciously shifted to the paintings that she poured her heart, soul, and creativity into. She had envisioned many possibilities to break her current circumstances, but meeting a fellow prisoner, and a mere mortal at that, was not one of them. 

Unable to reconcile with this situation, she deeply inhaled and released a stifled exhale that contained all her unnecessary thoughts. When she finished, her expression became firm, steady, and she turned to Wei Wuyin. Her situation wasn't something a mortal who had been captured could solve, there was no hope for her. 

With those thoughts lodged into her mind, a byproduct of being suppressed, restrained, and snuffed of hope for several hundred years, she sought to continue the status quo lest it produce uncertain changes to her life. 

Her slender fingers surged with pink light like liquid energy, slowly becoming pink mist. Yue Songli had decided.

She was about to act when her expression changed. This man…

Wei Wuyin was at the outer edge of her limit, smiling at her with both lips and eyes. While handsome, there was a hint of teasing within his expression. "So you decided to kill me in the end?" Wei Wuyin softly laughed, however he wasn't angered. "The life of the imprisoned. I understand. If an ant entered my cell, speaking words of freedom and hope, I'd be in disbelief too." 

Wei Wuyin understood her perspective. He wasn't idiotic enough to remain at her mercy nearby. While his cultivation might be outrageous for a mortal, he was still that in the end—a mortal. Before a genuine Ascended, he was still a little too lacking. For now. 

Yue Songli was startled. She felt as if she was naked before this young man, thoroughly violated by his gaze. Her mind and body weren't safe. She even folded her hands across her chest subconsciously after his words, trying to shield him away. She bore a slight smile, feigning her calmness. "Why would I kill my only hope?" While those were her words, her heart did not match it. 

"Only hope?" Wei Wuyin shook his head. "Even your words are leaking your intentions now." If Yue Songli truly believed she had a chance at escaping her circumstances in her heart, carried that firm hope that couldn't be abolished, then he wouldn't be her 'only' hope. 

He looked towards the painting again, "You must've painted these when you first arrived here. Now, your heart has sunken into a chillingly depriving belief. A belief that escape is impossible. Was it the absence of the arrival of a lover? A parent? A source of certainty crumbling to dust in your mouth? Or numerous other attempts ending in failure?" 

Yue Songli's entire body shook. Her arms tightened up, causing her buxom figure, especially those mountainous peaks of flesh, to be firmly brought to bare. She looked downwards, feeling seen and defeated. She clenched her teeth soon after, lifting her gaze and affixed it to Wei Wuyin. "You don't know anything about me! Who are you to say you're my hope?! YOU'RE JUST A PRISONER! Your death, by my hands or theirs, it doesn't matter. It'll happen regardless."

Her temper flared. What right did Wei Wuyin have to speak words to her? He was just an insignificant insect. Even if he had potent yang energies, the strongest she'd ever seen, it only meant he was just a richer bag of resources for these people. He was just a mortal man. No amount of attractiveness will change that. 

"You can stay there. They'll come in to bring your corpse away, and if you aren't one, they'll kill you themselves. It's all the same to me. You can choose though: die painfully by their hands or allow me to do it peacefully," Yue Songli offered.

Wei Wuyin turned his gaze away from the painting, looking at the gorgeous woman that could tempt gods and ghosts alike. He shook his head, his eyes losing their light of interest, "I'm interested in the one who painted these; that's who I want. You?" He gave her a pitied look, staring into her eyes, "You're worthless." 

"...!" Yue Songli experienced a frighteningly explosive jolt to her heart, even to her mind. But she bore her fangs, shouting out with extreme disdain: "Worthless? I'll enjoy watching them when they either kill you or bring you to me! Then we'll see who's really worthless!" Her anger had been stoked, but her heart was sinking into a river of raging waves. She couldn't even stand without faintly trembling. 

Those words of Wei Wuyin struck in places she had repressed in the deepest part of her heart, that portion that contained her hope. It was buried. And it was banging on the casket to be let out, but she refused. She wouldn't allow it to suffer more damage than it already has. She much rather it not show up than to let it suffer again. 

Wei Wuyin no longer bothered with Yue Songli. As she was, she was no different than a soulless puppet who's given up, unable to see any other path before her. He inspected the room again, using his Celestial Eyes to view the various formations embedded within it. There were quite a few larger, grander formations that he wouldn't see with his Celestial Eyes—Mystic-level Formations. 

He didn't use the Alchemic Stars of Spiritual Transcendence, because it wouldn't give him any insight into the structure, just the fact he already knew: it was fueled by mystic-level spiritual energies. If only his Celestial Eyes could perceive it clearly, he could try to find the array that controlled everything and directly seize control. While it wasn't certain he could, at least he could try. 

He kept thinking things through.

Yue Songli was pacing beside her bed, fuming and mumbling out words: "I'm worthless? You're worthless. I'm an Ascended, so I'm not worthless. I'm gorgeous and powerful, all-natural. Everything from my face to these twin beauties. I'm not worthless." Her mumbled words were trying to settle her displeasure, dislodge Wei Wuyin's words from her heart. She hefted her breasts with her hands. Even her hands weren't able to grasp it all. Yet it didn't help. 

After a while, she realized that Wei Wuyin wasn't doing anything. "Oh? Is the 'hope' a little 'hopeless'? Can't figure out how to escape, huh? Need my help? Haha." She laughed, as if a mortal would have means to escape here. A High-Lord would find it difficult to even find this place, and its fortified to the teeth. 

Wei Wuyin directly ignored her. 

However, Yue Songli wasn't finished. "You're really working your little brain there, huh? Well, don't hurt it. This place is guarded by at least four genuine Ascended at all times. And the protective array is strong enough to defend against High-Lord seniors, and briefly resist an Earthly Saint. It's futile. Futile, F-U-T-I-L-E, I say." 

Wei Wuyin continued to ignore her. He waved his right index finger in the air, silently mouthing out some words with furrowed brows. 

Yue Songli harrumphed, "Fool. There is no escape. Do you not under-" 

"You were a lot cuter when you were silent. Why don't you try to do that again?" Wei Wuyin indifferently interjected, giving her a brief glare. He returned back to his mumbling and waving, tracing the air.

Yue Songli was taken aback. Cute? Silent? This little…

"What are you doing?" After another minute, Yue Songli grew curious. For the last two minutes, Wei Wuyin has been doing something that her eyes and senses couldn't see. Could it be a profound secret that he possessed? Why else has he been so calm lately? 

Wei Wuyin stopped. With a sidelong glance, he said: "What does it matter to you? I'm not your hope, so escape is impossible. I'm just counting the seconds till my death." Afterwards, he resumed.

"..." She was stifled by his words. Her earlier words and her current curiosity truly clashed. She wanted to harrumph, but she held back. Her fingers clenched into two firm fists, and after a moment of trembling, she mustered the courage to say: "You said earlier that I'm not the one you're looking for? Who are you looking for? Did you get captured on purpose?" 

While she hadn't noticed, that light buried in the depths of her heart was slowly reviving. 

Wei Wuyin stopped again, but this time, he put his finger down and formed an excited grin. 

Seeing this, Yue Songli's heart throbbed intensely. "What is it? What did you find? A way out?" Her words were low, as if whispering so others couldn't hear. The light in her eyes wasn't just curiosity, but that hope that had been hidden away. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Wei Wuyin wasn't just here to be killed. He must have some play, right? Someone that handsome can't just die, right?

Wei Wuyin turned to her, his smile incredibly bright: "So you're not worthless after all. I've decided then: When you're free, I'll court you properly."

"...What?" Yue Songli was confused. Court? Properly?

"I mean, I'm not going to get you to agree to be my woman in your current circumstance. I once did that before, forced by the situation and survival. It didn't feel right then, so I won't do it again in this life," Wei Wuyin answered. The image of a grey-eyed beauty flashed in his memory. 

"That's not...what?" Yue Songli's confusion increased. 

Wei Wuyin added, "As for those things I was doing? It wasn't much, just a show to see if you still had hope in your heart. It seems the woman who painted these isn't lost. That's enough for me." 

"..." Yue Songli started to understand now. Was he doing all this to see if she would ask questions, to see if she still had the desire to escape? The willpower to risk it once again if presented with the opportunity? She settled down. She felt as if she was being schemed against in every exchange. 

Wei Wuyin laughed, "See. Cuter. Drop-dead gorgeous, in fact." After that, he turned away and looked at the door that sealed them. Yue Songli blushed slightly. She had never been seen through and softly manipulated in such a thorough way. Her heart was pounding. Especially after digesting all of his words. Court her properly when she's free? This meant he was certain of escaping! 

As for being his woman? He was a mere mortal. Even if one has an astounding foundation, enough to sweep the ages, reaching the Mystic Ascendant Realm wasn't about resources or backing, but talent and comprehension. Too many cultivators failed, even outstanding Chosen of certain elite forces. Even children of Earthly Saints. It was not an easy feat.

If she knew Wei Wuyin's mind wasn't even on the Mystic Ascendant Realm, but thinking that he might die during his Realm World Astral Tribulation due to his Astral Souls shenanigans, she might become mute with disbelief. 

"...Fine. But how do you plan to escape?" Yue Songli decided to learn a little about his thoughts. If it was completely ridiculous, then she wouldn't settle her eggs in his baskets. Her current treatment might be forfeited, and her life might tank if things went sideways.

Wei Wuyin kept his gaze to the door. "Plan? I had a plan, but what you said made me realize I can't just stay as a prisoner. I was sent here to have my yang energies extracted, my corpse would then be disposed of. I can't feign my death, and if I did, I don't know if they'll just use fire force to incinerate my corpse, not toss me aside to be dealt with later."

"..." Yue Songli frowned. 

"So," Wei Wuyin continued, "I'll go with plan A." 

"Plan A? Isn't that the first plan?" Yue Songli immediately replied, the strangeness in his statement baffled her.

"Plan A? Yes, it's the first plan. The plan is very simple really, which is why it's the first." Wei Wuyin nodded.

"And that is?"

Wei Wuyin took a step towards the door, the shackles that bound him trembled. With a clink, they fell from his limbs and he pressed his right hand upon the door. From his fingertips, spiritual light flowed. The fluctuation was exactly the same as the spiritual fluctuation from the middle-aged man who threw him in. 

"The key!" Yue Songli exclaimed in disbelief. 

Creeeeek!

The double-doors started to open, revealing the light of the outside world. Wei Wuyin revealed a faint smile, turning to look at the beautiful countenance of Yue Songli, "As I said before, simple: Kill until I find him."

"Bai Lin, now's the time. UNLEASH HELL!" 

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