Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Because the restriction was placed on an important vein in the arm to refine the cultivator into a puppet, it was meant to gradually erode the cultivator's body. By the time those black lines cover the entire body, the person is done for.

After discovering this, Lily had a brainwave. Since the restriction starts from this vein to lock the body's mana and isn't directly applied to the cultivator's dantian, and the refinement array is just beginning to activate, the black lines haven't even reached the forearm.

Why not just cut off this arm to break the restriction?

[Solve the problem from its root - "Lily's Wisdom Proverbs"]

After hearing Lily's explanation, Zhang Ze asked a very serious question.

"Why don't you cut off your own?"

"I'm afraid of pain," Lily replied frankly.

"Then why don't you cut hers?" Zhang Ze pointed at Bai Tao.

"She's also afraid of pain," Lily said.

Zhang Ze looked at Lin Feng, and before he could speak, Brother Feng said.

"I'm not afraid of pain, but I need to keep watch now."

In short, everyone had very valid reasons.

It seemed that cutting his own was indeed the most fitting solution.

Besides, come to think of it, Li was the one controlling his body now.

The pain wouldn't affect Zhang Ze anyway.

Maybe, just give it a try?

As Zhang Ze was about to volunteer Li's body, looking at Lily eagerly holding a chipped vegetable knife, a realization struck him.

None of them could retrieve magical treasures from their storage bag since they entered the Jade Book Illusion Realm with new accounts, and the Jade Book Tower didn't provide a starting backpack.

Even if Lily had some special ability, she wouldn't have brought along such a dilapidated tetanus-inducing vegetable knife, would she?

"Wait, where did you get that knife?" Zhang Ze pointed at the knife and asked.

Lily pointed to the haystack behind her, "Found it there, don't worry about it, come on, brother, let me try cutting."

"Hold on," Zhang Ze and Li were in sync this time, working perfectly together as Li controlled the body to push Lily aside and started rummaging by the haystack.

However, even though they worked well together, their goals were different.

The knife edge was severely damaged and even had some mud on it. Zhang Ze thought someone might be attempting an escape.

Li, however, was naive, sensing Zhang Ze's willingness to sacrifice for him. Li was simply looking for another knife.

If Lily forcibly tried to cut, he'd be ready to duel her with knives.

Who would lose to Lily anyway?

Soon, the haystack was completely moved, revealing the planks beneath.

They pushed aside a board, exposing an opening just big enough for a person to crawl through.

As Zhang Ze had suspected, the previous inmate in this cell probably planned a Shawshank Redemption-style escape, crude and straightforward, almost successful.

And they were using that battered old knife.

Zhang Ze let Li reach in and feel around, and without any wind blowing from the hole, it indicated the escape tunnel hadn't been completed.

But the tunnel was new, recently dug.

So where did this person go?

If they were found by the guards, why was the tunnel still there? If they managed to escape but the tunnel was incomplete, where did they flee to?

And the guards at this prison were inexplicably lax; how did they not notice?

Just as Lily began goading Zhang Ze to go down and check it out, Lin Feng, who was on the lookout, suddenly said, "Someone's coming."

How Brother Feng discovered it, nobody knew, as the footsteps were heard even before they reached the corner.

The four of them hastily covered the haystack back up.

As for the kitchen knife.

Thinking quickly, Lily tore a piece of fabric from her clothes, wrapped the knife in it, and tucked it into the gap at the front of her chest.

Because when Lily customized her character, she chose the largest size, the knife just vanished...

Soon, a rush of footsteps approached, and as their owners rounded the hallway corner, everyone's expressions relaxed.

Even Brother Feng was the same.

Because the ones arriving weren't anyone else, but a group of demon race.

And the demon race, everyone knew, were all jokers.

Bai Tao even considered talking philosophy with them, perhaps they might be released...

However, these demon race cultivators from the past were not as easy-going as Bai Tao imagined.

The few demon race cultivators in front had blank expressions. After confirming the correct number of prisoners in the cell, they stepped aside.

A bald figure emerged from the crowd.

Zhang Ze and the others couldn't immediately identify which demon race this cultivator belonged to.

Aside from the color and shape of his pupils indicating he was non-human, he had none of the features of the demon race.

They weren't hidden, but rather chopped off.

Ears, even half of his head were chopped away, eyebrows were singed off, nose was gouged out, his bald head and face covered in scars of all sizes, resembling a hungry ghost.

The bald figure stared at them, licking his lips, his voice hoarse, "Take them all away, we're eating them today!"

He turned and left, seemingly repelled by the air in the cell.

But as he reached the corner, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and pointed at Lin Feng.

"Strip that pretty boy in the fancy clothes first!"

Upon hearing this, Brother Feng's face turned even paler.