“The hearts of men are made of flesh, but what of yours, Celestial Clan?” Shi Hao shouted angrily.
A surge of resentment churned within him, impossible to dispel. He had escorted Yun Xi for hundreds of thousands of miles, fighting countless battles along the way, nearly dying in the process—only to be treated like this by the Celestial Clan.
He knew he could never do such a thing. If someone had shown him kindness, he would repay them with everything he had. Yet here they were, capturing him, slandering him, all to seize his precious techniques.
Bei Yu, with his lustrous purple hair and clear eyes, exuded an otherworldly aura, his body faintly shimmering with glyphs. He spoke calmly, “The hearts of men are treacherous—this is the truest reflection of your kind. Since you know Yun Xi, why hide your true self? What schemes lie in your heart?”
“Ridiculous! Shameful!” Shi Hao scoffed. “There are only a few of us here. Why bother with pretenses? Just tear off the mask and admit your shamelessness!”
The Celestial Deities stood like towering mountains, their cold gazes suffocating, their figures shrouded in mist.
“Take him away. Interrogation will reveal the truth,” Qi Tuo, one of the Celestial Deities, commanded indifferently.
“What feeble excuses. You have nothing left to say,” Shi Hao replied calmly, his anger subsiding into resignation.
“Ancestor, please reconsider,” Yun Xi pleaded.
Shi Hao had saved her life, both in the lower realm and the upper realm. She couldn’t stand by and watch him suffer.
“Yun Xi, you think he saved you, but his true aim was to harm our Celestial Clan. Do not act on impulse,” Qi Tuo said sternly.
“But—” Before she could continue, another Celestial Deity silenced her.
“Leave,” an elder waved his sleeve, summoning a gust of wind that carried Yun Xi and Bei Yu away, their robes fluttering as they vanished into the distance.
“Bei Yu, accompany Yun Xi. It’s best if she enters seclusion. Leave this troublemaker to us,” another Celestial Deity said.
At the horizon, Yun Xi turned back, but Bei Yu held her wrist. “Let’s go. Do not grieve for such a man. The clan will deliver justice.”
Meanwhile, an old man appeared, steering a bone vessel wreathed in glyphs, escorting them to a secluded retreat.
“Young friend, have you anything left to say?” a Celestial Deity asked.
Shi Hao remained silent, refusing to even look at them.
“Nothing in this world is absolute. We do not seek your destruction. Cooperate, and we will release you,” Qi Tuo said.
Shi Hao ignored him, his gaze fixed on the distant sky.
An elder gestured, and they ascended with Shi Hao to an ancient hall, heavily guarded and impenetrable to outsiders.
“You are young. Why torment yourself? Spare yourself suffering and choose the right path,” a high-ranking Celestial Clan member intoned from his meditation cushion.
“You want my techniques? Just say it,” Shi Hao sneered.
Qi Tuo and the others remained unperturbed, their expressions serene.
“You are intelligent. With your talent, you could rise to greatness. Why resist?” one sighed.
“Enough talk. If you want my techniques, take them by force,” Shi Hao retorted.
A frown crossed their faces. Through their clan’s bone mirror, they knew Shi Hao had placed a self-destruct seal on his soul. Any attempt to forcibly extract his memories would trigger it.
“Take him away!” Qi Tuo ordered, his smile vanishing as Shi Hao was dragged off.
The hall fell silent. They needed to act quickly—many powerful factions were watching.
“Several methods exist to extract his soul imprints, but they require preparation,” one suggested.
“The safest way is to awaken the ancestor. His divine will and supreme Six Heavens technique could easily bypass the seal,” another proposed.
They knew Shi Hao had reinforced his mind with the Thunder Emperor’s Law and Kun Peng’s Technique—supreme arts that made brute force too risky.
“Construct a soul array. With our clan’s treasures, we can extract his memories without damage,” a third added.
The method was ruthless—once placed inside, the body would be obliterated, leaving only the desired imprints.
“Good. Use our incomplete Six Paths Law to force his soul into ‘rebirth’ within the array,” one said coldly.
“Agreed.”
Preparations began—these were not just methods but tortures, requiring rare treasures and formations.
“Interrogate him first. He might confess,” someone suggested.
The others agreed, and silence reclaimed the hall.
Beneath the sacred temple lay a black prison, housing the Celestial Clan’s most heinous criminals—each a figure of great infamy.
Today, a young prisoner arrived, drawing the attention of the imprisoned horrors. A mere boy, worthy of this place?
“Young man, reconsider. Speak now, or face dire consequences,” the jailer hissed.
Shi Hao ignored him.
“Defiant, are you? See that cell?” The jailer pointed to a dark cavern, barred with chains of order, exuding a sinister aura.
“That one holds a quasi-Celestial Deity, trapped for millennia. He has… particular tastes. Defy me, and you’ll join him.”
“Scram!” Shi Hao spat.
“You dare challenge me?” The jailer, a True God, glared coldly.
“Fresh meat?” A booming voice echoed from the dark cell, a towering shadow appearing at the bars.
A cruel, ancient fiend who favored young men.
“Foolish boy!” The jailer seized Shi Hao’s collar, dragging him toward the cell.
“I like tender flesh. Jailer, you’re not bad yourself. Join us, and I’ll teach you supreme arts,” the fiend laughed.
“Go learn from him,” Shi Hao mocked.
“You’re digging your own grave,” the jailer snarled, stopping at the cell’s entrance.
Shi Hao remained unshaken. “Humiliate me? I’ll die first. And if your Celestial Deities find out, you’ll wish you were dead.”
The jailer hesitated, recalling his orders.
“You’ll regret this,” he hissed, dragging Shi Hao away.
“Bring him back!” the fiend roared, triggering howls from other cells—even a Celestial Deity among them.
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed. He sent a mental message:
“Listen! I possess the Thunder Emperor’s Scripture! The Celestial Clan seeks to steal it! Help me escape, and I’ll share it with you!”
The prison trembled as roars shook the foundations. The jailer paled—yet the prison held firm.
“You’re causing trouble,” he growled, shoving Shi Hao into a stone chamber.
Shi Hao’s disdain infuriated him. Drawing a blade, he stabbed Shi Hao’s chest. Blood sprayed.
“You think I won’t hurt you? Torture is allowed. Speak, or you’ll regret living!”
The chamber reeked of blood.
Meanwhile, in the Celestial City, honored guests arrived.
A majestic man, face like jade, eyes deep with age, stood at their head. Cloaked in chaos and five-colored light, he seemed beyond the mortal realm.
The Celestial Deities bowed deeply.
“Greetings, Peacock Divine Lord,” Qi Tuo said nervously.
Beside the Divine Lord stood a familiar face—one Shi Hao would recognize instantly—his eyes darting around like a thief’s.
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