Chapter 1769: Severing Memories

Though he had long suspected it, the confirmation that the so-called “lower realm prison” actually referred to the Dark Celestial Prison within the Void God Realm still sent a chill down Shi Hao’s spine.

This was an earth-shattering secret!

If word got out, the consequences would be unimaginable—it had to be sealed tight.

Shi Hao glanced around. Only he, Bird Grandpa, Fine Jade Elder, and the Crimson Flood Dragon Ge Gu were present.

“Ahem, I think… we should sever your memories,” Bird Grandpa said, his aged face twisting awkwardly before hardening with resolve.

Severing memories was no small matter, but now, it had to be done. And truth be told, it was partly his own fault—he was the one who had led Shi Hao here.

“We’ve forgotten too much. We were so focused on giving you the True Phoenix Treasure Technique that we overlooked such a massive karmic entanglement,” Fine Jade Elder added.

Shi Hao was speechless. Just how scatterbrained were these two, only realizing it now?

Even Ge Gu, the Crimson Flood Dragon, grumbled inwardly. To forget something this monumental—these old men were utterly unreliable.

“Disciple, go on. Let these two elders perform the technique and sever some of those painful memories for you, to free your mind,” Shi Hao said with a smile, addressing the Crimson Flood Dragon.

Ge Gu rolled his eyes. Though he had “acknowledged the thief as his father” and taken Shi Hao as his master, he still harbored some resentment—after all, he was the only true dragon of this era. And hearing his master’s teasing only reinforced how unreliable this so-called teacher was.

As Ge Gu hesitated, *thud thud thud*—the other three moved in unison, seizing him before he could resist!

“Ah! Why not start with you first?!” Ge Gu struggled, glaring at Shi Hao.

“Ungrateful disciple! Don’t you know that a disciple should bear his master’s burdens?” Shi Hao retorted sternly, pinning him down without mercy.

“I don’t want to forget this place! I want to come back someday—” Ge Gu howled, but it was futile. The two old men swiftly severed his memories and tossed him out of the realm.

Dazed and confused, Ge Gu found himself in another part of the Void God Realm, utterly clueless about what had just happened. After a long while of bewildered silence, he had no choice but to leave and return to Stone Village.

“Your turn,” the two old men said, fixing their gazes on Shi Hao beside the black palace.

“You really have the nerve to act? You two are barely lucid yourselves, forgetting everything—who knows what messes you’ll make later? You’ll need *me* to clean up after you!” Shi Hao declared shamelessly, putting on a grave expression that left the two elders momentarily stunned.

“Enough nonsense. Hurry up—you must sever those memories too!” Bird Grandpa snapped back, reaching out.

“You should worry about that bird on your shoulder. If I were you, I’d stew it and eat it—silence it for good,” Shi Hao teased.

Fine Jade Elder also moved to restrain him.

“Very well, elders. Let’s spar a bit—show me your true skills. I’ve been meaning to learn from you,” Shi Hao laughed.

*BOOM!*

The world seemed to flip upside down as the three clashed.

But it didn’t last. After just a few exchanges, the two old men withdrew, hesitating.

“Fine. But you must keep this secret. The stakes are too high—this could become the greatest calamity!”

Their warnings were uncharacteristically severe.

There was no question—they couldn’t let Xu Hui and Yi Luo go. Those individuals were sealed here, never to see the light of day again.

The three then interrogated the two once more, demanding answers.

At the same time, Shi Hao pressed the elders, hoping to jog their memories of ancient secrets.

To some effect—he uncovered hidden truths!

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, all spiritual realms like the Spirit Realm and Void God Realm, had long possessed a “skeleton,” remnants from the Immortal Ancient Era.

At the dawn of this epoch, countless deities had expanded them.

As the elders explained, many deities, upon their deaths, had unknowingly had their immense divine consciousnesses drawn into these realms, sustaining them.

“But the Void God Realm is unique. Even in the Immortal Ancient Era, it was a mystery—a spiritual prison unlike any other.”

This was the secret Yi Luo and Xu Hui had revealed.

Naturally, they hadn’t known it themselves—it was their young king who had informed them.

As Shi Hao left the dark prison, his heart was turbulent. Though he had laughed and joked earlier, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him.

If the foreign realm learned of this, they would storm the lower world after breaching the border, bringing utter devastation.

And the ambitious young king of the Immortal Realm, having learned ancient secrets from his forebears, had already reached here—a disaster in the making.

Shi Hao frowned and sighed softly. “I must grow stronger. Otherwise, I won’t be able to handle what’s coming.”

“Where are you going? Into the Spirit Realm?” Bird Grandpa asked, watching as Shi Hao had them open the realm gate, ascending the stone steps.

“I need to eliminate a threat,” Shi Hao said.

Yi Luo’s elder brother was still in the Three Thousand Provinces—likely another agent of that young king. Best to capture him too, lest complications arise.

With his subordinates vanishing, the young king would surely grow cautious, deterring further interference—a warning in itself.

“Leaving him in the upper realm is risky. If the forbidden zones catch wind of this, it’ll be disastrous. Only a handful in the Immortal Realm know of this—out of necessity,” Bird Grandpa agreed.

The Nine Heavens housed forbidden zones with complex ties to the foreign realm.

Shi Hao ascended swiftly, no longer the hesitant climber of the past.

“Hm?” At the Spirit Realm’s gate, he paused. Strange formations were in place—though the gate was ajar, an overwhelming sense of danger loomed.

“Blocking those from the lower realm?” Shi Hao smirked. This was likely meant for *him*—a trap. Stepping inside would invite slaughter.

Everyone knew he was unrivaled in the Spirit and Void God Realms. This was to stop him from wreaking havoc.

And everyone also knew—he had been struck by the Immortal-Severing Curse. Within a month, he’d be crippled.

“Afraid I’ll go on a rampage in this last month? You underestimate me,” Shi Hao mused, standing still in contemplation.

Though he said that, he inwardly scolded himself—had he known, he should’ve feigned madness earlier and turned the Spirit Realm upside down.

Suddenly, voices drifted from beyond the gate—guards stationed nearby.

“What do you think? Has the Wasteland been crippled yet?”

“Of course. By the calculations, the month is up—he’s surely a cripple now.”

“Just wait half a day. Lords Yi Luo and Xu Hui went down—they’ll bring back confirmation.”

“Tsk, poor Wasteland, falling so low. Ah, and his brother Qin Hao was badly injured—beaten bloody by Yi Luo’s elder brother.”