I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

"I..." Lei Yi was speechless, his mind spinning rapidly, thinking of a response. He knew that if he was not careful at this moment, he would be doomed.

"What? Are you mute? Tell me, what is your purpose in sneaking into the Black Tiger Village?!" The old man took a step closer, his hawk-like eyes seemed to be able to see through all disguises.

Lei Yi forced himself to remain calm, lowered his head in a panic, and whispered, "Elder, please understand. I'm just a newcomer and don't know anything..."

"Newcomer? How could a newcomer appear near the conference hall? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?" The old man obviously didn't believe it and increased the strength of his hands. Lei Yi felt as if his shoulder was about to be crushed.

"Elder, please spare my life! I am really new here. I got lost and ended up here..." Lei Yi gritted his teeth and insisted, but he was extremely anxious in his heart.

Seeing that the old man was still pressing for more information, Lei Yi suddenly had an idea and pointed to the distance and shouted, "Oh no! Someone's escaping from prison!"

The old man was stunned and turned his head subconsciously. Lei Yi took the opportunity to break free from his grip and turned to run.

"Stop!" the old man shouted angrily, and his figure flashed and he chased after him like a ghost.

Lei Yi ran as fast as he could, but the old man was too strong and the distance between them kept getting closer. Just as the old man was about to catch up, there was a sudden noise from the front, as if something had happened.

The old man paused, hesitated for a moment, and finally gave up chasing Lei Yi and turned to rush in the direction of the noise.

Lei Yi had a narrow escape, but he didn't dare to stay. He hid in a secluded corner, gasping for breath. He knew that his escape this time was pure luck, and he might not be so lucky next time.

He must find out the truth as soon as possible and expose the mastermind behind the scenes, otherwise he will be stuck in a passive position forever.

Imprisoned in a stone cell, Lei Yi sat cross-legged, his mind replaying every moment he had spent with Xiao Jian. Back then, they had shared life and death together, a bond as close as a brother. Why had Xiao Jian betrayed him? Was it really, as he claimed, that he was being manipulated?

But who on earth had such great power to bribe Xiao Jian and arrange everything so perfectly? Lei Yi was puzzled.

Meanwhile, Dongfang Liuli was secretly observing the Black Tiger Village. She noticed that Elder Leng Shuang had been acting strangely since Lei Yi was captured. Far from taking advantage of the situation, he repeatedly urged the Black Tiger Village leader not to kill Lei Yi.

"What is this Elder Leng Shuang up to?" Dongfang Liuli was puzzled, vaguely feeling that things might not be as simple as they seemed.

Outside the cell, the patrol's footsteps gradually faded away. Lei Yi took a deep breath, a gleam of light in his eyes. He deliberately made some noise, hoping to attract the guard's attention...

Heavy footsteps echoed through the silent stone prison corridor. Lei Yi held his breath and listened attentively. He deliberately kicked a piece of gravel against the cell door, making a soft "dong" sound. A moment later, the footsteps stopped outside the cell, and a rough voice rang out: "What's going on in there?"

This was the iron-faced constable of the Black Tiger Camp, known as "Iron Hand" Zhang San, renowned for his ruthlessness. Lei Yi silently cried, "Here it comes!" He feigned panic, climbed from the ground, and shouted at the prison door, "Sir, Sir! My stomach aches terribly. Please, give me some water..."

"Stop pretending! Stay still!" Zhang San scolded impatiently, ignoring Lei Yi's request. He peered inside cautiously through the small window on the cell door, and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he turned and left.

Lei Yi sighed in disappointment. He had deliberately approached the prison door just now, hoping to take the opportunity to observe Zhang San for any clues related to Xiao Jian, but unfortunately, he found nothing. After Xiao Jian betrayed him, it was as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth, with no news of him since.

"Has he really completely turned to the Black Tiger Camp?" Lei Yi's heart was filled with doubts and pain. He really couldn't believe that the brother who had been through life and death with him would become like this.

At the same time, Elder Leng Shuang was also pondering another question. He sat in his study, his brow furrowed, holding a jade pendant in his hand. This jade pendant was exactly what he had found on Lei Yi.

"Strange, why is Black Tiger so concerned about this jade pendant?" Elder Leng Shuang was puzzled. Ever since Lei Yi was captured, Black Tiger had treasured the jade pendant and kept it with him all the time. He even studied it in a secret room for several days without telling her, and no one knew what he was up to.

"Is there any secret in this jade pendant?" Elder Leng Shuang was full of doubts. He decided to find an opportunity to test Hei Hu's attitude and see what he was hiding.

In the dead of night, Lei Yi sat cross-legged on the cold stone bed, channeling the feeble spiritual energy within him. Ever since he had been severely injured by the Black Tiger Village leader, his cultivation had stagnated, and now he couldn't even break through the confines of this small cell.

"No, I can't just sit there and wait for death!" A gleam of determination flashed in Lei Yi's eyes. He took a deep breath, mobilized all his spiritual power, and suddenly rushed towards the cell's restrictions...

"boom!"

After a loud bang, Lei Yi was thrown back by a powerful force and fell heavily to the ground, spitting blood from his mouth. He struggled to stand up, but found that he was seriously injured and couldn't even move a finger.

"Am I really going to die here?" Lei Yi closed his eyes in despair. At this moment, he suddenly heard a familiar voice in his ear:

"Brother Lei, hold on, I'm here to save you..."

Lei Yi's body was flung away like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily against the cold wall before sliding down helplessly. He groaned, a trace of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth, but the light of the forbidden power remained intact, becoming even more dazzling.

"Brother Lei!" Dongfang Liuli whispered anxiously, looking at the scene before her with concern. Lei Yi, in order to preserve a glimmer of hope, had not told her about his sealed spiritual veins. It was obvious that in his current state, trying to break this restriction with brute force was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

"I'm fine." Lei Yi took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood and energy in his body. He smiled at her, indicating that he was fine. He couldn't let Liuli worry about him. His only hope now was with her.

Dongfang Liuli was of course aware of the danger. She bit her lip, a look of determination flashing in her eyes. She had to find a way to break the restriction as soon as possible, otherwise, if the people from the Black Tiger Village discovered it, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Brother Lei, wait for me, I will definitely find a way to rescue you!" Dongfang Liuli left a word, turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

Lei Yi watched her disappearing figure, his heart filled with worry and anticipation. He knew Liuli was resourceful and would definitely find a way. Now, the only thing he could do was trust her and try to delay.

Dongfang Liuli, relying on his familiarity with the terrain, avoided the patrolling guards and sneaked into the Black Tiger Village's supply storage area. There were all kinds of weapons, food, and cultivation resources piled up here, and perhaps he could find something useful.

She carefully moved among the goods, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, hoping to find something related to the formation restriction. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she found a familiar wooden box among the pile of miscellaneous items.

The wooden box looked very ancient, with intricate carvings on it, emitting a faint spiritual energy. Dongfang Liuli's heart moved, and he hurried forward and gently opened the box.

Inside the box lay a jade slip and a sheepskin scroll. Dongfang Liuli picked up the jade slip and inserted her spiritual sense into it. Suddenly, a huge amount of information flooded into her mind.

What is recorded in this jade slip is actually the knowledge about formation restrictions!

Dongfang Liuli was delighted and quickly put the jade slip away before opening the parchment scroll. On the scroll was a map showing the important locations of the Black Tiger Village. One of these locations was the stone prison where Lei Yi was imprisoned!

Next to the map, there were some text annotations, one of which read: "This cell's barrier is made from the bones of the ancient ferocious beast 'Sky-Swallowing Python'. It is indestructible, except..."

Seeing this, Dongfang Liuli's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She held her breath and continued to look down. However, at this moment, a chaotic sound of footsteps came from a distance, accompanied by a rough voice: "Search carefully, don't let a fly go!"

Dongfang Liuli's expression changed. She knew she couldn't delay any longer, so she quickly put the parchment scroll into her arms and turned to run in another direction...

After Dongfang Liuli left, Lei Yi's heartbeat gradually calmed. The stone prison was completely silent, with only his faint breathing echoing. The forbidden light still bound him tightly, but he knew Liuli would find a way.

Time passed minute by minute, but Lei Yi felt it was as long as a century. He began to feel uneasy, not entirely because of the current predicament, but because of a hunch - Xiao Jian's betrayal was not simple, and there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it.

"Why did Xiao Jian betray? Who did he join? Black Tiger Camp? Or someone else?" Lei Yi's brain was working rapidly, trying to find the answer from past clues.

He closed his eyes, trying to recall every moment he had spent with Xiao Jian. Xiao Jian had been his most trusted brother, and the two had been through countless trials and tribulations together. But as Lei Yi thought carefully, he realized he knew very little about Xiao Jian's past, not even his hometown or his family.

"Could it be that I have been wrong about you all along? Xiao Jian..." Lei Yi muttered to himself in a low voice, his tone full of bitterness and disbelief.

At this moment, heavy footsteps were heard outside the stone prison. Lei Yi suddenly opened his eyes and saw Elder Leng Shuang walking in with two Black Tiger Village disciples, a grim smile on his face.

"Young Leader Lei, how are you?" Elder Leng Shuang said sarcastically, with a cunning glint in his eyes.

Lei Yi snorted coldly, ignoring his ridicule and instead fixed his gaze on the two disciples behind him. These two disciples were holding trays filled with exquisite food and wine, emitting an enticing aroma.

"What? You want to bribe me with delicious food?" Lei Yi sneered, his tone full of disdain.

"Young Master Lei, you're joking. Our leader said that since you're a distinguished guest, we must treat you well." Elder Leng Shuang said with a forced smile, "Don't worry, these dishes and wine are not poisonous. You can enjoy them with peace of mind."

Lei Yi sneered inwardly. He knew all too well what kind of person the Black Tiger Village leader was. He knew that anyone who showed kindness without any reason was either a traitor or a thief. He didn't believe the other party would be so kind as to send him food and wine as a treat.

He calmly observed the expressions of Elder Lengshuang and the two disciples, trying to find some flaws from their subtle movements. Suddenly, he noticed that the fingers of one of the disciples holding the wine jug were trembling slightly, as if he was trying hard to hide something.

Lei Yi's heart stirred, and a bold plan gradually formed in his mind. He pretended to be casual and asked, "By the way, I heard that the Black Tiger Village recently got a treasure. I wonder what it is?"

"Young Master Lei is quite well-informed." A hint of vigilance flashed across Elder Leng Shuang's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "However, this is just a rumor, don't take it seriously."

"Oh? Really?" Lei Yi looked at him with a half-smile, his eyes fixed on the disciple with trembling fingers. "I heard that the treasure seemed to be a..."

He deliberately dragged out his voice and did not say the last two words, but stared at the disciple closely.

The disciple trembled noticeably when he heard the word "treasure," and the wine jug in his hand nearly fell to the ground. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Lei Yi's gaze.

Elder Leng Shuang's face darkened upon seeing this. He turned around abruptly and shouted, "How dare you! Who told you to talk so much?!"

The disciple was so frightened that he trembled all over and quickly knelt on the ground, begging for mercy: "Elder, spare my life! I deserve to die! I..."

"Hmph! Drag him out and beat him to death!" Elder Leng Shuang ordered without mercy.

The two Black Tiger Village disciples did not dare to disobey and quickly dragged the disciple out.

Lei Yi saw all of this, and his suspicions became more certain. He knew he had found a breakthrough...

"Elder Leng, it seems that you are hiding something from me?" Lei Yi said slowly with a playful smile on his lips.

Elder Leng Shuang had a gloomy expression on his face. He didn't say anything, but just looked at him coldly.

Lei Yi ignored his reaction and continued, "I heard..." He lowered his voice again, and said in a tone that only the two of them could hear, "The leader of the Black Tiger Village seems to be plotting something big, and this matter seems to be related to me?"

Elder Leng Shuang's pupils shrank slightly, and a flash of panic flashed across his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He snorted coldly and said, "Young Master Lei, you're worrying too much. Our master just wants to..."

"He wants to use me to deal with my real enemy, right?" Lei Yi interrupted him and said word by word.

Elder Leng Shuang's expression changed drastically, and his eyes finally revealed an unconcealable look of fear. He had never imagined that Lei Yi had already known all this...

Lei Yi ignored him and turned his gaze to the inconspicuous drain in the corner of the cell. He pretended to move his body casually, blocking Elder Leng Shuang's sight.

Then, he took a deep breath and whispered in a voice that only he could hear: "Xiao Jian, I know it's you. What are you struggling with?"

As he spoke, he tapped his fingers on the ground, making a strange rhythm.

This is... the secret code they agreed upon on the battlefield!