Chapter 757

"Wuguo, Heaven Martial City, northwest corner of the Imperial City, Imperial Secret Prison."

Translation: "Wuguo, Heaven Martial City, northwest corner of the Imperial City, Imperial Secret Prison."

"Check: Wuguo -> Wuguo (glossary). Heaven Martial City -> Heaven Martial City. northwest corner of the Imperial City -> northwest corner of the Imperial City. Imperial Secret Prison -> Imperial Secret Prison."

"Here, it is a secret prison inherited from the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, specifically serving the imperial family."

Translation: "Here, it is a secret prison inherited from the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, specifically serving the imperial family."

"We need to keep "secret prison" as "secret prison". "a secret prison specifically serving the imperial family" -> "a secret prison specifically serving the imperial family". So translation: "Here, it is a secret prison inherited from the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, specifically serving the imperial family."

"Many people enter this place for no apparent reason, then vanish completely and silently. The various arrangements here are enough to ensure that those who disappear will not even have a hair reappear."

Translation: "Many people enter this place for no apparent reason, then vanish completely without a sound. The various installations here are enough to guarantee that those who disappear will never have even a hair reappear."

"We need to keep meaning. "they will not even have a hair reappear" -> "they will not even have a hair reappear". We'll phrase: "they will not even have a hair reappear." Might be awkward. Better: "they will not even have a hair reappear." We'll keep."

"Wu Zhao and Xi Yu mother and son are now imprisoned here."

Translation: "Nü Zhao and Xi Yao, mother and son, are now imprisoned here."

【19】

Translation: "The secret prison has three levels above and below; the lowest level extends thirty thousand zhang underground, and the only exit is a vertical shaft three zhang wide and long, like a well, connecting to the second level."

Note about numbers.

Translate: "In this vertical shaft, restrictions are strict, countless vicious formations and curses are densely laid, combined with numerous mechanism ambushes; even a strong expert of the seventh or eighth layer of the Divine Manifestation Realm who intrudes will have their soul scattered if they are not careful."

Translation: "In this vertical channel, prohibitions are strict, countless vicious formations and curses are densely laid, combined with numerous mechanism ambushes; even a strong expert of the seventh or eighth layer of the Divine Manifestation Realm who barges in will accidentally have their soul and spirit scattered."

【29】

Translate: "The third level of the secret prison has only thirty-six cells; each cell is extremely spacious, all being a hundred zhang long and wide and tens of zhang high, huge prison chambers."

Translation: "The third level of the secret prison contains only thirty-six cells, each extremely spacious, each a massive prison measuring a hundred zhang in length and width and tens of zhang in height."

Translate: "Wu Zhao and Xi Yao, mother and son, are in one of these cells; both have had their cultivation sealed, their wrists, ankles, necks, and waists bound with thick iron chains, which pass through six links as thick as a small bowl's mouth and over a hundred zhang long, connecting to six large metal rings on the wall."

Translation: "Nü Zhao and Xi Yao, mother and son, are held in one of these cells; both have had their cultivation sealed, and thick chains bind their wrists, ankles, necks, and waists, linking via six metal chains as thick as a small bowl's mouth and over a hundred zhang long to six large metal rings set into the wall."

Note.

Translate: "These days, the mother and son have been imprisoned here, drinking unboiled cold well water and eating plain, oil-less, salt-less coarse wheat buns mixed with some rice bran and husk to 'aid digestion'."

Translation: "These days, the mother and son imprisoned here drink unboiled cold well water and eat plain steamed buns made of coarse flour, mixed with some 'digestive aid' rice bran and husks."

Translate: "Such treatment is something even Xi Yu never endured during the years he was imprisoned by the Ling Hu clan."

Translation: "Such treatment, even compared to the years Xi Yao was imprisoned by the Linghu Clan, he has never endured such hardship."

Translate: "Moreover, living in luxury in the Fu Xi Divine Kingdom, where every meal had no less than one hundred and eight dishes, Wu Zhao basically never lifted her chopsticks."

Translation: "Moreover, Nü Zhao, who had lived in luxury in the Fuxi Divine Kingdom, enjoying meals of at least 108 dishes and hardly ever lifting her chopsticks."

【41】

Translate: "Every day, Wu Zhao screams and curses, cursing Wu Tie, cursing Xi Bai, cursing the Four Ferocious Clans; even her heartless and unjust divine emperor husband is scolded by her until drenched in dog's blood. If the curses she has uttered these days were effective, the entire Fu Xi Divine Kingdom, top to bottom, would have been annihilated eighteen times over."

Translation: "Every day, Nü Zhao screams and curses, cursing Wu Tie, cursing Xi Bu Bai, cursing the Four Ferocious Clans; even her heartless and unjust Divine Emperor husband is cursed by her until he's drenched in dog's blood. If the curses she has uttered these days were effective, the entire Fuxi Divine Kingdom, top to bottom, would have been wiped out eighteen times over."

Note.

Translate: "Xi Yu, meanwhile, sits grim-faced in the corner of the cell, silent and motionless."

Translation: "Xi Yao, meanwhile, sits cross-legged in the corner of the cell with a grim face, silent and motionless."

Translate: "Before him sits a jar of cold water, with some withered twigs and leaves floating on top; beside the jar are several large banana leaves, not thoroughly washed, on which are piled a dozen or so misshapen coarse wheat buns."

Translation: "Before him sits a jar of ice-cold cool water, with some withered twigs and fallen leaves floating on top. Beside the jar are several large banana leaves; on the unclean leaves are stacked a dozen or so misshapen coarse-flour steamed buns."

Translate: "These past few days, Xi Yu has not drunk a drop of water nor eaten a bun."

Translation: "These past few days, Xi Yao hasn't drunk a sip of water or eaten a bite of the bun."

Translate: "He sits cross-legged like that, letting the anger and resentment in his heart, like venomous snakes, madly gnaw at his already twisted heart; day by day passes, and even a wisp of black energy continually rises from his body."

Translation: "He just sits cross-legged here, letting the anger and resentment in his heart, like vicious snakes, frantically gnaw at his already twisted heart. Day by day passes, and even a wisp of black energy continually seeps from his body."

Translate: "Deviation into demonic possession, soul demonification—Xi Yu is already on the brink of extreme danger."

Translation: "Suffering from deviation into demonic possession and soul demonification, Xi Yao is already on the brink of extreme danger."

【57】

Translate: "Wu Zhao continues to curse wildly everyone she can recall; now she is cursing the clanswoman who, when she was five, snatched a piece of dried fruit from her hand; she hysterically greets that married-off clanswoman, cursing that her entire family be killed by lingering death."

Translation: "Nü Zhao continues her frenzied cursing of everyone she can recall; now she is cursing the clanswoman who, when she was five, snatched a piece of dried fruit from her hand. She hysterically greets that married-off clanswoman, cursing her entire family to be sliced to death by a thousand cuts."

Note.

Translate: "Xi Yu suddenly erupts in a hysterical scream: 'Enough! Shut up!! Shrew!!!'"

Translation: "Xi Yao suddenly shrieked hysterically: 'Enough! Shut up!! Shrew!!!'"

【67】

Translate: "Just six simple words, three terms; Xi Yu puts all his strength into each character, shouting each with all his might."

Translation: "Just six simple words, three terms, Xi Yao poured all his strength into each character, bellowing each with all his might."

Translate: "In the silent cell, a 'hum' echoes; suddenly a thick crystal round mirror lights up on the ceiling. The prison guard, looking through the crystal round mirror, observes the movement inside the cell, sees that mother and son are still firmly bound by the chains, and the crystal round mirror then gradually dims."

Translation: "In the silent cell, a 'humming' echo reverberated; immediately a thick crystal round mirror on the ceiling lit up. The prison guard, looking through the crystal round mirror, saw the mother and son still firmly bound by their chains, and the mirror then gradually dimmed."

Note.

Translate: "Wu Zhao is startled by Xi Yu's shouting and shivers."

Translation: "Nü Zhao was startled into a flinch by Xi Yao's angry shouting."

Translate: "She looks at Xi Yu in disbelief; after a long while, she points to her own nose and murmurs, 'Shrew? You mean me?'"

Translation: "She stared at Xi Yao in disbelief; after a long while, she pointed at her own nose and murmured, 'Shrew? You mean me?'"

Translate: "Xi Yu lifts his head; the whites of his eyes turn pitch black, while the red becomes an eerie crimson. He stares fixedly at Wu Zhao and says coldly, 'Isn't that right? You foolish woman, besides cursing here, what use are you?'"

Translation: "Xi Yao lifted his head; the whites of his eyes turned pitch black, while the red parts became an eerie crimson. He glared fixedly at Nü Zhao and said coldly, 'Isn't that so? You foolish woman, besides cursing here, what use are you?'"

Translate: "Wu Zhao draws a long breath of cold air, but cannot catch her breath; her lungs feel a sudden gasp, pain making her cough violently."

Translation: "Nü Zhao sucked in a long breath of cold air, but she couldn't smooth it out; a sudden pain in her lungs made her cough violently."

Translate: "She coughs while angrily pointing at Xi Yu, wanting to say something but unable to speak."

Translation: "She coughed while angrily pointing at Xi Yao, wanting to say something but unable to speak."

Translate: "Xi Yu coldly says: 'You are indeed a waste. I hear your name, this character "Zhao", you took it yourself after adulthood? Heh, I recall that in the secret archives of the Xi clan there are some ancient fragments recording the deeds of the ancient empress Wu Zhao.'"

Translation: "Xi Yao said coldly, 'You are indeed a good-for-nothing. I heard that the character "Zhao" in your name was chosen by you after you came of age? Heh, I recall that in the Xi Clan's secret archive there are some ancient fragmented texts recording the deeds of the ancient empress Wu Zhao.'"

【87】

Translate: "'You want to become empress? Heh, but after all these years, what have you accomplished?'"

Translation: "'You want to become an empress? Heh, but after all these years, what have you accomplished?'"

Translate: "'Besides being unable to pull yourself away from the fawning of Gan Xiao, that worthless pale face, you are like a defeated stray dog, curled up in the Little Fragrant Snow Sea; what else have you done?'"

Translation: "'Besides being unable to pull yourself out of the fawning of the worthless Gan Xiao and Old Bai Lian, you're like a defeated wild dog curled up in the Little Fragrant Snow Sea—what else have you done?'"

Note.

Translate: "'If you have the ability, you should usurp the Xi clan's great power; if you have the ability, you should seize the throne of the Fu Xi Divine Kingdom; if you have the ability, you should court the elders of the Xi clan and the civil and military officials of the Fu Xi Divine Kingdom, to sideline your useless husband whom you call incapable.'"

Translation: "'If you have the ability, you should seize the Xi Clan's authority; if you have the ability, you should usurp the Fuxi Divine Kingdom's imperial power; if you have the ability, you should court the Xi Clan's Elders and the Fuxi Divine Kingdom's civil and military officials, to sideline your useless husband.'"

【99】

Translate: "'Have you accomplished anything at all? Do you have? Have you done it?'"

Translation: "'Have you accomplished anything at all? Do you have? Have you done it?'"

Translate: "Xi Yu's words are like knives, viciously attacking his own birth mother."

Translation: "Xi Yao's words were like knives, viciously attacking his own birth mother."

Translate: "Wu Zhao coughs violently, listening to Xi Yu's frenzied attacks, her coughing grows worse; after a while, the similarly red-eyed Wu Zhao finally lifts her head with difficulty and points fiercely at Xi Yu: 'You heartless little bastard… the Xi clan has no good thing!'"

Translation: "Nü Zhao coughed violently as she listened to Xi Yao's frenzied attack, her coughing growing worse. After a while, likewise with crimson eyes, Nü Zhao painfully lifted her head and pointed fiercely at Xi Yao: 'You heartless little bastard… the Xi Clan has no good thing at all!'"

Note.

Translate: "'You, you, you… you didn't say you took Xi Yao to the surface, pitfalling your sister, causing your old mother to be mocked and attacked by countless Xi clan elders and the civil and military officials of the Fu Xi Divine Kingdom… you, you, you, you still have the nerve to blame your old mother for being useless?'"

Translation: "'You, you, you… you didn't say you took Xi Yao to the surface, killed your own sister, causing the old mother to be mocked and attacked by countless Elders of the Xi Clan and countless civil and military officials of the Fuxi Divine Kingdom… you, you, you, you actually have the nerve to blame the old mother for being useless?'"

【109】

Translate: "'Old mother, I'll fight you to the death!'"

Translation: "'Old mother, I'll fight you to the death!'"

Translate: "Wu Zhao screams hysterically, her hair disheveled like a madwoman, waving her hands; her sharp nails, about an inch long, produce a piercing screech as she lunges at Xi Yu, scratching his handsome pale face."

Translation: "Nü Zhao screamed hysterically, her hair disheveled like a madwoman's, waving her hands; her sharp fingernails produced a piercing tearing sound as she lunged at Xi Yao, scratching and clawing at his handsome pale face."

Note.

Translate: "After all, he is a master of the Divine Manifestation Realm; though his magical cultivation is sealed, his physical body remains immensely strong, at least far stronger than a peak body cultivator of the Embryonic Treasury Realm."

Translation: "After all, he is a master of the Divine Manifestation Realm; though his cultivation is sealed, his flesh remains extraordinarily strong, at least far stronger than a peak body cultivator of the Fetal Storage Realm."

【114】

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Nü Zhao waved her hands; her fingernails, about an inch long and sharp as ten small blades, flashed with cold light and emitted a whistling sound, striking Xi Yao off guard."

【118】

Translation: "Xi Yao cried out in misery; his handsome pale face was torn to shreds in a few swipes, and an eyeball nearly got gouged out of its socket by Nü Zhao."

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Unable to bear the pain, Xi Yao finally screamed: 'Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, child, I was wrong, wrong… just now the child was possessed; those words were not what the child wanted to say, and have nothing to do with me!'"

【122】

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "'Wrong? Wrong? Wrong?' Nü Zhao fiercely tore at Xi Yao's body, extracting dozens of deep bloody marks down to the bone, then stood up and gave his head a furious stomp."

【127】

Translation: "'Once we get out of here, this palace will settle accounts with you… hurry up and think of a way; we can't be trapped here.'"

Note.

【131】

Translation: "Nü Zhao gritted her teeth and said, 'That old fogey Xi Bu Bai, if the Xi Clan's bunch of old fogeys learn what we mother and son have done… we, we…'"

Note.

【134】

Translation: "Nü Zhao's complexion alternated between bluish and pale."

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "What the mother and son have done, strictly speaking, can be regarded as treason and rebellion, an attempt to usurp the orthodox imperial authority of the Fuxi Divine Kingdom."

【138】

Translation: "Even if the Xi Clan's Elders had them sliced to death by a thousand cuts, it would be reasonable and proper."

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Even more, the Xi Clan's Elders could send Nü Zhao back to her mother's clan, letting the Nü Clan's Elders personally handle her."

【142】

Translation: "The Nü Clan…… is a miraculous people."

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "The Nü Clan…… is moreover a people with strict laws, harsh clan rules, and extremely conservative traditional morals."

【147】

Translation: "Given what Nü Zhao has done…… she even led people to attack Wu Tie's maternal clan's home in the Nü Valley, rashly sparking war within the Nü Clan."

Note.

【150】

Translation: "This is a capital crime."

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Moreover, they would suffer an extremely horrible punishment."

【155】

Translation: "Thinking of the strange and bizarre punishments said to have been passed down since ancient times within the Nü Clan, Nü Zhao couldn't help but tremble all over; cold sweat trickled out, soon soaking her underclothes."

Note.

【159】

Translation: "'I know you little brat are sly and deceitful; hurry up and think of a way, we must definitely escape, we must… stop Xi Bu Bai and Wu Tie and their lot.' Nü Zhao crouched beside Xi Yao, her right hand's five fingers tightly pinching his ear, twisting it hard as if picking a mushroom."

Note.

【162】

Translation: "'Did you hear? Idiot, hurry up and think of a way; we must definitely escape from here.'"

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "Xi Yao's ear was pulled until it made a 'creak'; he winced in pain, and the anger in his heart flared up again for no reason. If at this moment Xi Yao held a weapon, he would not hesitate to slash Nü Zhao with a single blow."

【166】

Chinese sentence.

Translation: "At this moment, in the pitch‑black endless void."

【171】

Translation: "A mass of black mist with a diameter of hundreds of millions of li spins at high speed; within the mist, faint, elusive sounds that pierce the soul can be heard."

Note.

【175】

Translation: "Within this black mist floats a hazy continent, neither solid nor mist, where countless gray‑white trees emit a dim white light. Like the land beneath them, these trees are also neither solid nor mist; on their gray‑white trunks lie large patches of strangely shaped gray‑white leaves, each leaf bearing a faint, twisted human face."

Note.

In the dense forest, one after another strange-shaped black palaces full of exotic charm lay quietly crouched there.

The black palace was utterly dark; the gray-white light emitted by the trees was directly swallowed by the palace walls, leaving no reflection. Were it not for the nearby gray-white trunks serving as a backdrop, the palace would hardly be visible to the naked eye.

Countless figures drifted about, clad in tattered black and gray robes, wielding strange sickles—members of the Dark Soul Divine Clan—gliding to and fro in the forest, vigilantly patrolling.

In the central hall of the largest black palace, the current leader of the Dark Soul Divine Clan, Xu Po, who had descended from the ancestral land, sat cross‑legged in the middle of the hall. Fist‑sized soul spirit crystals hovered around him, constantly leaking threads of pure light that continually seeped into his body.

Xu Po occasionally uttered moans of extreme pleasure, while violent soul surges rose around him, and sharp ghostly wails and wolf howls echoed from time to time within the hall.

Compared to when he first descended, Xu Po's strength had increased more than tenfold.

Such a terrifying cultivation speed—if left to their ancestral land, relying solely on Xu Po's own cultivation and waiting for his bloodline's power to gradually unfold, without a wait of tens of thousands of years he could never have attained his present strength.

"Mu Dalu… the Pangu Remnant Clan… truly a supreme treasure."

Xu Po murmured in a low voice: "Following my father's will, Mu Dalu—we must find a way to bring it under our control… the Pangu Remnant Clan should become livestock raised by our Dark Soul Divine Clan… Hmm, action is needed; we must act."

"Taking advantage of the Secluded Clan, they're all in closed‑door cultivation… heh heh."

"Your physical bodies are your greatest obstacle; if you wish to descend to Mu Dalu, it will be extremely difficult."

"But we Dark Soul Divine Clan, heh heh, don't face such trouble… as long as we have enough human souls to mask my aura, plus a slight pull of soul energy."

"In ancient times, the Dark Soul Divine Clan was called by the Pangu Remnant Clan the 'Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon'—heh heh, and that's quite fitting!"

"Formless and traceless, descending at will!"

"Heh heh."

"Well, let's start with this easiest breeding ground… once the land of the Three Kingdoms, now the chaotic Wuguo. Taking advantage of their war and slaughter, we can harvest many sweet souls… there's nothing better than that."

"Let me feel it—soul fluctuations brimming with negative energy, with the seven emotions and six desires, with every dark aura… let me search, let me search."

A jet‑black skull crown, twisted and ferocious in shape, materialized out of thin air above Xu Po's head.

Beside it, a ferocious‑looking sickle, its blade nearly as long as its handle, also appeared.

Behind the crown and sickle, within a faint black mist, a mirror a little over a foot in diameter, entirely black, its surface swirling like a vortex, its frame made of countless twisted skull faces, flickered with a dim light.

Three supreme divine artifacts of the Dark Soul Divine Clan!

Three whole supreme divine artifacts!

Xu Po seized the skull crown and firmly placed it on his head.

His aura instantly became erratic and completely elusive.

He gripped the sickle in his left hand, lightly slashed at the void before him, and tore a small rift in it.

With his right hand he seized the magic mirror; Xu Po blew a mouthful of black qi onto it, then brought it to the tiny rift. He murmured lowly: "Baby, baby, find the soul that matches my need… heh heh, find him, find him quickly, then grab him—don't let him escape."

"You won't disappoint me… you won't disappoint my father… you won't disappoint the Dark Soul Divine Clan…"

"Isn't that so?"

Time passed bit by bit; after about a quarter of an hour, Xu Po suddenly let out a earth‑shattering shriek.

"Hahaha, I found you, I found you, you can't run… Ah, a soul filled with anger and resentment—oh, baby, dear little treasure, I've found you."

"Ah, keep raging, keep hating, keep exuding negative energy… I'm coming, I'm coming… obedient little treasure, let me merge with you!"

Dozens of soul spirit crystals shattered.

Countless shards of crystal powder enveloped Xu Po; his aura instantly became blazing, vast and majestic, indistinguishable from that of a human soul.

"I'm here!"

Bearing the three supreme divine artifacts, Xu Po slipped into the tiny rift.

The next moment, in the Imperial Clan Secret Prison, Xi Yao's gaze shifted abruptly.