The King of Curses

Chapter 356 Ancient Secrets
"The Heavenly Palace? Where is the Heavenly Palace?!"

That's a strange question.

The figure laughed.

"Seeing these figures hanging up there, can't you guess what's going on?"

The tone of "it" seemed sarcastic.

The soul and the ghost gazed at each other, and then a crisp sound rang in their ears, like a snap of fingers or the gnawing of teeth.

The previously dimly lit hall suddenly became bright.

The celestial palace Zhao Chengxu had dreamt of was magnificent, shrouded in golden light and auspicious clouds. Even without the sun, every palace shone brightly. In contrast, the dark and gloomy state just now was extremely abnormal, as if all the light in the space was circling around the palace.

Now, finally, light began to shine through the gaps in the hall's canopy, and the gloomy atmosphere was instantly dispelled.

But the eerie and terrifying atmosphere did not lessen with the change in the surrounding light:

The hellish scene inside the hall became even clearer in the light. Corpses, like withered vines and old trees, hung down one by one. The flowing wind brushed over the bodies of the hanged men, making them sway. The ropes binding their ankles rubbed against the beams and pillars, producing strange "creaking" sounds.

Zhao Chengxu could see it more clearly. Those grotesque, bluish-purple faces, their expressions filled with extreme pain before death, contrasted sharply with the ethereal immortal aura remaining on their corpses.

He didn't want to look anymore, as if he had reached out a finger to touch a red-hot iron. He abruptly pulled his gaze back and began to look around.

What comes into view is a vast expanse of celestial lamps suspended in mid-air, with the Milky Way hanging down and countless stars falling; towering dragon pillars supporting an open-air celestial banquet, with fragrant flowers and fine wines laid out on white jade tables.

Zhao Chengxu's eyes widened in astonishment as he realized that this was a place he had visited in his dreams. Back then, he had only seen its magnificent splendor and ethereal atmosphere, exactly like the heavenly palace he had imagined as a child, except for its slight desolation due to the absence of any human presence.

Who would have thought that when the full picture was finally seen, it would be a silent tomb frozen in time, a tomb filled with the ghosts of the hanged; a tomb that had been filled with evil spirits for thousands of years.

In his dream, if he could raise his head, would he be able to see the unseeing faces of the immortals? The thought sent chills down his spine.

Interestingly, it was in this very place that the ghost was first able to communicate with him...

"This place was once a gathering place for immortals, where they would gather to drink and make merry; or to gaze upon the heavenly countenance and discuss important matters."

Each word it uttered struck Zhao Chengxu's heart like a heavy hammer, leaving him feeling dizzy and disoriented.

Zhao Chengxu remembered that he had noticed this place as he crossed the jade bridge; it was the largest palace in the Heavenly Palace.

If the ghost wasn't lying, then it is the legendary "Lingxiao Palace," the first palace of the Miro Heavenly Palace in mythology, the palace where the Heavenly Emperor receives the homage of all the gods.

How could such a world-renowned sacred site have fallen into this state? Ultimately—

"What exactly are immortals?"

Zhao Chengxu pondered the word to himself, realizing that the myths they were familiar with were completely different from the ancient history that actually happened.

"Just like you are now."

The soul calmed down. The ghost's meaning was clear: the so-called immortals were simply ancient spellcasters... That was easy to understand.

"There have been countless rumors about them in the world, how can we distinguish between truth and falsehood?"

Unlike modern society, the abodes of immortals in mythology are high above, completely isolated from the human world...

"For the gods, the world at that time was too barren, and there was no reason for them to live with earthly creatures."

The ghost seemed to see through his thoughts and explained in a melodious voice. Zhao Chengxu nodded in a daze.

Indeed, in this era, curse masters like him also look down on ordinary people and no longer consider the weak to belong to the same race; it's just that modern society is a good thing, with convenient facilities and abundant entertainment, and the size of the curse master group has not yet fully surfaced and formed a clear class, so they have not completely broken away from it.

If one day, the curse masters collectively grow weary of the present era and wish to relocate to another world, completely separating themselves from ordinary people...

That's imitating a story.

"In ancient times, different forces formed in this world, and the Heavenly Palace was one of them, and the most powerful one at that. You understand all of this, right?"

Zhao Chengxu nodded; things were becoming increasingly familiar. The ghost didn't mind playing the role of a teacher, lifting the veil that had shrouded the river of time for him. What he was hearing now was a secret that 99% of the people in the world had never heard of.

"The difference is that the extraordinary people of that time often shared an entire 'Great Incantation' in a group, using the same method. The immortals were the most outstanding among them, but they never broke out of this pattern."

"And what about them now..."

"All dead."

The other person spoke in a low, somber tone.

"The biggest weakness of the unified system lies in this: the lack of ability to resist unknown risks. After passing the trials and being promoted, the gods who enter the Heavenly Palace will obtain different ranks, just like the dynasties on earth, where officials are in charge of different affairs and the four directions of the world. They can mobilize the power of the Heavenly Palace, and their strength seems to increase exponentially, but they are bound under the same strict and meticulous rules."

"That's why when a being finds the weakness in this system and places a heavy, targeted curse on the gods, this place will naturally face a great calamity that no one can stop."

"Do you remember what I once told you? Gods are never immortal. In this world, only change is eternal. Even celestial beings cannot escape the calamities destined for them. When things reach their peak, they decline and die. All existence is in the cycle of reincarnation... This is the 'Five Signs of Decay of Celestials'."

"The five signs of decay in the celestial beings..."

The soul murmured to itself, while the ghost chuckled softly.

"Ha, it seems the name of this curse has been passed down to later generations."

After a moment of silence, Zhao Chengxu couldn't help but ask again:

Who is the culprit behind all of this?

“A fierce god on par with the Heavenly Emperor who set the rules,” the ghost said. “After He stormed the Lingxiao Palace, He hung all the prisoners there, which is the scene you see now.”

"I have one last question. Are you perhaps one of the immortals? I always felt that your attitude was... somewhat detached."

Zhao Chengxu had calmed down by now.

Although the truth revealed by the ghost was chilling, it was, after all, an ancient secret that happened ten thousand years ago and had no impact on the present. He was more concerned about the present.

He now knows that the ghost has been wandering in this ruin for a long time; for some reason, it has chosen him, who is said to be a descendant of immortals, in this era, with the aim of putting him on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, and then freeing him and giving him freedom.

It is highly likely that it is a member of the Heavenly Palace who survived an ancient calamity. However, judging from its tone, it seems to be looking down on the tragic history of the destruction of the Heavenly Palace with a detached perspective.

"Even the greatest hatred will be washed away by time."

The ghost tacitly agreed with his guess, but said nothing more.

"Alright, you've finished asking your questions. Now it's time to get down to business."

With a flick of its finger, a transparent string appeared in the air, pulling Zhao Chengxu's soul forward.

Zhao Chengxu was startled, realizing that the other party had been manipulating him in this way all along. However, he was powerless to resist at the moment and could only let it do as it pleased.

He walked along the hall, the journey so long it was tedious, until he saw the white jade staircase leading upwards... He had no idea how high the hall was; for a moment, he felt he couldn't see the top... And at the end of that was a huge, lonely throne. Before he could see it clearly, the ghost pulled him close to the throne as if he were being dragged by a collar around a dog's neck.

A dark, hunched skeleton was resting its chin on its hand, huddled inside the throne.

Unlike the immortal who was hanged in the main hall, the skeleton's skin had peeled off, clearly indicating that it had suffered unimaginable injuries before its demise.

"What you see now is the remains of the Heavenly Emperor. His soul has been gone for thousands of years, leaving only a trace of his true spirit, which is not enough to rebuild the Heavenly Court."

"Wait, wait..." Zhao Chengxu suddenly realized why the other party had forcibly pulled out his soul.

"Simply offer your spirituality, and He will be revived."

"This is not what we agreed on!"

Zhao Chengxu hissed:

"you are right……"

"What I promised you was to make you the master of this heavenly palace."

"That's what the ghost replied."

"Don't worry, the soul is yours, and this will and self also belong to you; it's just in a different body."

"Can……!"

"Without the Heavenly Emperor's body as an intermediary, how could you possibly rule the Heavenly Realm with your strength?"

The sarcasm in the other person's tone intensified once again.

"Remember this: those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles! How can you obtain the greatest power in the world without being willing to make any sacrifices? Besides..."

The shadowy figure suddenly grinned in front of Zhao Chengxu, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"Even if you wanted to go back now, there's probably no way out."

"What?"

"Your body was crushed by an uninvited guest, and your soul has long since become homeless."

*
"found it."

Cen Dongsheng's gaze was unfocused, looking into the distance connected by that "string".

Yi Qingyan was even faster than him. After cleaving the bronze giants in half at the waist with a single blow, she easily shattered the distant gate.

Spatial Slash has no limits; distance would restrict the performance of ordinary spellcasters, but it was meaningless to her. Yi Qingyan's movements did not stop, and her figure flickered faintly.

At that very moment, "Zhao Chengxu" floating in the air suddenly made a move.

The primordial energy between heaven and earth surged. With Yi Qingyan's abilities, she should have been able to traverse tens of kilometers and ascend to heaven in one step, but now she was confined to a ring-shaped space within a few kilometers.

The host within "Zhao Chengxu" has a very secretive and profound connection with this ancient ruin, thus enabling it to interfere with the spacetime structure to a certain extent.

Yi Qingyan didn't care about a failed journey; she would kill anyone who stood in her way. She tilted her head, her gaze fixed on "Zhao Chengxu," her dark eyes gleaming with interest, and flicked her finger in that direction.

Zhao Chengxu frowned, forming hand seals. Layers of barriers bloomed in the air like lotus flowers, destroying the spatial slashes one by one. In the process, their sharpness gradually dissipated, and he barely managed to block them before they approached him.

"...Is this all there is to it?"

Yi Qingyan's expression betrayed her disappointment, and the light in her pupils dimmed, leaving only a cold killing intent.

As the palm was raised once more, a wave of sharpness gathered on its edge, and spatial slashes condensed but did not shoot out, accumulating continuously.

When it was released, all was silent, a profound stillness. It was a torrent that destroyed everything; the once vibrant tapestry of the world was abruptly erased, leaving only a blank canvas…

Zhao Chengxu attempted to block it, gathering immense energy within the ruins' space, but was instantly overwhelmed by the "Hell of No Return - Wide-Area Annihilation Mode," his physical body turning to ashes.

“It’s not the real body,” Yi Qingyan said. “I’m coming to find you. Wait for me.”

After leaving behind this nonchalant remark, she stepped through the gate and vanished without a trace.

……

Everything that happened happened in the blink of an eye. The situation changed so dramatically that it was astonishing.

"I... I didn't see wrong. The one who displayed such power was the little girl we rescued in town, right?"

Only after the girl's figure disappeared did Qiao Wan relax her tense nerves. Looking around at the fallen bronze giants, she sighed softly, finding it all unbelievable.

"No, it's not a matter of saving her or not. She was acting against us before, and now she's—"

Ban Han slapped his forehead and quickly offered a reminder.

“We have actually seen this attack method more than once in the intelligence data from various parties. Even Master Kurong warned us about it. We should be very familiar with it.”

There are only a handful of top-tier curse masters in the world, and that girl's features are so distinctive.

Upon closer reflection, she has never concealed her appearance or behavior since her debut, displaying striking beauty and an arrogance that disregards everyone except a certain man.

"Master Kurong said that her abilities are invincible and unstoppable, truly the strongest killing power in the world; her abilities also allow her to travel at will, making her the freest person in the world, therefore, in a one-on-one fight, no one can surpass her..."

Even the leader of the Kalachakra Society, a curse master of the same rank as her, gave this assessment, so they had no choice but to believe it.

Although the other party had saved them intentionally or unintentionally, and they should have expressed their gratitude, Ban Han and Qiao Wan had just felt the invisible sharpness of the intersecting spatial slashes and dared not make any rash moves. Only when they saw her drift away did they truly breathe a sigh of relief.

"So, the one who seems so close to her is..."

Ban Han stopped halfway through his sentence.

Because that person had walked up to them, nodded slightly, and greeted them.

"Mr. Cen, you've kept this from us for so long."

Ban Han bowed respectfully, and when he raised his head again, his face was full of a bitter smile.

"Let's just make the best of a bad situation."

Cen Dongsheng did not waste time on this topic.

"Leave this place to my sister and me. You can leave now or call Kurong here, it's up to you."

"Evacuate? But..."

Cen Dongsheng didn't explain, he just raised his fist.

Invisible black flames appeared in his pupils, and he let out his habitual tiger roar.

However, this is not the technique that combines wind manipulation ability with physical strength. Instead, it is a completely new technique that has been transformed from the top down, after forcibly reaching the state of complete mastery of "Otherworldly Freedom" by using "Six Paths of Reincarnation" as a catalyst.

"boom!"

In the blink of an eye, the man's arm burst forth into a torrent of black energy, erupting instantly like a dark lake expanding in the air before rapidly solidifying into an extension of his arm.

Tiger Roar was originally a technique developed by Cen Dongsheng to amplify his own power. Now, after another round of amplification, its performance has increased by more than a thousand or ten thousand times.

The majestic winged tiger shadow appeared in an instant, its enormous body stretching for several kilometers, exuding the awe-inspiring majesty of an ancient divine beast. As it ran, it stirred up a huge storm like a black sun, crashing headfirst into the space of the ruins.

(End of this chapter)