Chapter 1572: The War God Bound in Shackles

How terrifying is Huang? Even shackled, he nearly strangled an Imperial Clan member—utterly shocking.

A clamor erupted as the crowd cried out in disbelief.

Moments ago, many had been deeply concerned. At that instant, even the proudest of Noble Clan members felt their hearts leap into their throats. If Huang had actually killed an Imperial Clan member, the disgrace would have been unimaginable.

Even though the worst didn’t happen, the incident left many speechless.

As for the victim, Yu Yu, his expression turned icy. He had been careless—far too careless. A mere moment of proximity had allowed Huang to seize his throat in a death grip.

Everyone shuddered at the thought. Had Huang not been sealed, he might have truly torn off an Imperial Clan member’s head.

“Hahaha!” Wu Kun burst into laughter, his towering frame shaking with mirth. “Yu Yu, how could you be so careless? Huang was bound in chains, yet he nearly killed you. This whetstone might just shatter your dull blade.”

Qing Kun joined in the mockery. “Indeed. A disgraceful display.”

At this point, only fellow Imperial Clan members dared to ridicule Yu Yu so openly.

Yu Yu’s face darkened with fury.

This time, he advanced again, joined by Wu Kun, He Zi Ming, and Qing Kun, all eager to probe Shi Hao’s divine consciousness.

This was the true reason they had come—to uncover the secrets that had drawn the attention of their higher-ups.

**“Cease your actions. His brow is laced with prohibitions. Probing may trigger self-destruction.”** A cold voice echoed from the city.

The group frowned. A warning from a Supreme Being forced them to halt. Despite their exalted status, they dared not defy such authority.

**“Pity. None dare to face me in battle.”** Shi Hao’s voice rang out, indifferent as ever.

Yu Yu’s veins bulged in fury. Had the Supreme Being intervened because they doubted his ability to defeat Huang?

**“Since you crave battle, I shall grant your wish.”** The same cold voice declared.

Soon after, the city’s Supreme announced a decision—Huang would be sent to the War God Academy as a **“Combatant”**, aiding others in enlightenment.

The news sent shockwaves through the crowd, igniting excitement and anticipation.

Yet, some were disappointed. They had hoped to witness an Imperial Clan member crush Shi Hao in a grand duel, asserting their world’s dominance.

**“The War God Academy… Will we have a chance to enter?”** Many murmured, eyes alight with desire.

This institution was one of the ten great academies of the Otherworld. Its graduates were known as War Gods—unstoppable forces on the battlefield.

Few ever earned the title, for it was not lightly bestowed.

The War God Academy stood as one of the most revered legacies in the vast lands surrounding Blackwater City.

Its origins were ancient, once belonging to an Immortal King—Luo Mo—who had perished in the war against the Nine Heavens. His former domain had since become the academy.

**“The fallen Immortal King… Luo Mo?”** Shi Hao’s heart clenched at the name.

He had heard of Luo Mo’s demise at the borders of the Great Scarlet Heaven during the final days of the Immortal Ancient Era.

**“Know this: The War God Academy admits only a thousand disciples each year. Supreme Beings will lecture, and even an Immortal may appear. This year is no exception.”**

In a realm teeming with countless souls, such limited slots were a rare privilege.

**“Interesting. If Huang is sent there, I might as well join the fun.”** Qing Kun mused.

**“I’ll go too.”** Yu Yu nodded coldly.

Mo Xian, He Zi Ming, and Wu Kun also agreed without hesitation. Their sole reason? Huang would be there as a Combatant.

Otherwise, as Imperial Clan scions, their ancestral lands far surpassed even the legacy of a fallen Immortal King. Why bother?

The announcement sent tremors across the land.

Not only did Blackwater City buzz with excitement, but cultivators from all corners of the Otherworld were stunned.

This year was extraordinary—not only would Huang serve as a Combatant, but several young Imperial Clan elites would also gather there.

For many, the temptation was irresistible. Countless experts set out to vie for the limited slots.

After all, how many Imperial Clans existed?

For the rest, the ten great academies were sacred grounds worth striving for—let alone the War God Academy in such a unique year.

The academy lay not within the city, but amidst distant mountain ranges.

From afar, the terrain resembled ten thousand dormant true dragons. Up close, the ridges were uncannily lifelike.

Some areas seethed with ominous black mist, others glowed with auspicious purple energy, while crimson rays pierced the heavens like bloodied spears.

The land’s complexity defied comprehension.

Once the cultivation grounds of Immortal King Luo Mo, this place was extraordinary.

Though his descendants had taken the core regions, what remained was still sacred.

Students in the War God Academy were tiered by age and cultivation level.

Only the elite remained year after year.

During annual reopenings, existing students faced challenges from newcomers of matching tiers. Losers left; victors stayed.

Thus, the academy maintained its thousand disciples without fail.

The grand gates shimmered with mist, the grounds vast beyond measure.

Shi Hao arrived—not as a contender for the slots, but as a Combatant, destined to aid others in enlightenment.

While the academy’s selection battles raged, he was taken ahead and confined in a dark prison.

There, he froze.

Hundreds of shackled beings, just like him, stood as prisoners.

**“Another one? What crime brought you here, boy?”** one asked.

**“A human? No wonder. The descendants of failures are born to serve.”**

Shi Hao’s eyes turned icy.

Then, his heart clenched. Among the prisoners were dozens of humans—broken, numb, and silent.

**“Are you… from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?”** he asked urgently.

The middle-aged man didn’t even glance at him, his spirit long dead.

**“Why won’t you speak?!”** Shi Hao demanded.

**“They’re doomed to die here, born as battle slaves. Hope died long ago.”** An elderly voice answered.

It was an ancient ox spirit—not human, but unmistakably from the Nine Heavens, though it now spoke the Otherworld’s tongue.

**“You… came from the Imperial Pass?”** Shi Hao asked.

**“My ancestors were captured and forced into servitude under a Noble Clan.”**

The ox stared curiously. Though it grasped Shi Hao’s meaning, his words were foreign. Was that… the tongue of the Nine Heavens?

**“After so long, you still speak it?”**

**“I just arrived from the Imperial Pass.”**

**“What?!”** Even the numb prisoners jolted, staring in shock.

**“Has war begun again? Did we lose?!”**

**“Not yet.”** Shi Hao shook his head, then asked for their stories.

**“See? A third of us are descendants of the Nine Heavens, sent here as Combatants—destined to die.”**

Generations of captives had been enslaved, their offspring serving academies and great clans.

Here, they were forced to spar, honing the talents of the Otherworld’s elite through bloody combat.

The rest were local criminals, irredeemable and condemned.

Shi Hao’s heart ached. After all these years, the Nine Heavens’ descendants still suffered.

He burned with rage and sorrow. Those who had surrendered thrived, while the descendants of the defiant lived in misery.

Days later, the academy’s slots were finalized.

The very next day, the dark prison opened.

**“It begins. Our wretched fate unfolds.”** The old ox sighed.

**“We fight to nurture their War Gods?”** Shi Hao’s voice turned glacial. **“If they dare humiliate us, they’ll learn—true War Gods wear shackles.”**

His killing intent surged, eyes like frozen steel.