「Immortal Grass Forest.」
「The highest level of Everlasting City.」
「In the Medicine Garden.」
The moment the Ageless Celestial Emperor appeared, Luo Xiu and Black Fatty were already dumbstruck. It dawned on them that the invisibility potion had worn off long ago! However, Lao Ba was so engrossed in staring at the girl that he acted like a total fool, completely unaware that he was in big trouble.
In the silence, Luo Xiu was about to remind Lao Ba when the Ageless Celestial Emperor spoke. "What are you doing?"
Feeling the subtle yet potent aura emanating from the Ageless Celestial Emperor, Luo Xiu's heart went cold. He was currently under the influence of the Decrepitation Curse and unable to use his Cultivation. Even if he could, he didn't think he could cause much of a stir.
This profound aura… It's on the same level as Bai Mo's. This person must be the Ageless Celestial Emperor, Luo Xiu thought, pondering his next move.
But in the next moment, Lao Ba did something Luo Xiu could never have imagined—the fool actually kicked the Ageless Celestial Emperor and shoved her aside!
"Go away! Where did this idiot come from? Don't disturb your Eighth Master while he's looking at girls."
Luo Xiu was dumbstruck once again. For a moment, he actually felt a flicker of admiration for Lao Ba. But his heart, already half-cold, now turned completely to ice.
The Ageless Celestial Emperor's face turned frosty. She suddenly waved her magic wand, and with a sharp CRACK, struck Lao Ba's leg.
Lao Ba cried out in pain, hopping on the spot. "Who the hell are you?" he roared. "Have you no manners? Why are you hitting your Eighth Master? Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a woman!"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor said indifferently, "I am the High Priest of the Ageless Tribe."
"What?" Lao Ba froze for a moment. "Which Technician? Speak clearly."
Luo Xiu was speechless. At that moment, he felt as if he could see the Death God waving at him.
If I get a next life, I hope there are fewer fools like Lao Ba in it.
Then Lao Ba suddenly turned to Luo Xiu with a sharp gaze. "Crown Prince, since we've been discovered, there's nothing for it. How about the three of us take care of her?"
Luo Xiu sighed. He looked at the Ageless Celestial Emperor and said with a smile, "His name is Lao Ba. You can just hit him."
Black Fatty nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! We don't know this guy at all! We only followed him because we saw him sneaking into the Medicine Garden. We were planning to capture this petty thief and hand him over to you, Senior, for punishment. We just didn't expect you to arrive before we could act!"
Luo Xiu nodded repeatedly. "That's exactly right! We hope for your keen judgment, Senior!"
Lao Ba stared at Luo Xiu and Black Fatty in bewilderment, then his face filled with righteous indignation. "Well, well, you two! Today, Lao Ba has finally seen your true colors!" he roared.
"One of you refuses to be a man and insists on being a dog! The other is already a dog, but one that's worse than any dog! I, Lao Ba, was blind to have met the likes of you!"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor slowly ascended into the air, her sharp gaze sweeping over the trio. "A bunch of petty thieves. Do you really think I would believe you?"
"I never imagined you had the skill to sneak into my Medicine Garden and ruin so many of my Spiritual Medicines," she said, her voice dripping with ice. "You. Are. Finished."
「A long time later.」
In a spacious area resembling a colosseum, Luo Xiu, Lao Ba, and Black Fatty were tightly bound with vines, each hung from an ancient, rune-covered stone pillar. Worse still, they had been stripped bare. Not a single shred of clothing remained on Luo Xiu. As for Black Fatty and Lao Ba, all their fur had been removed, leaving them just as exposed.
The once-mighty Youming Ghost Wolf was now just a bald dog. The once-majestic Divine Beast Golden Crow was now a featherless chicken.
The trio wanted to cry but had no tears left. If they had simply been killed or subjected to cruel torture, perhaps their hearts would be more at ease. But the Ageless Celestial Emperor's methods were simply too vicious—to be stripped bare for public display!
"Oh, heavens..." Lao Ba wailed. "I, Lao Ba, have been honorable my whole life! A true hero! What sins did I commit in a past life to deserve such humiliation? Who was it that said the Elf Race was naturally kind-hearted? Show yourself! I, Lao Ba, promise not to beat you to death! This is too damn brutal!"
"Boo hoo hoo… my fur… What's the point of anything now!"
Luo Xiu let out a long, impatient sigh. "Alright, Lao Ba, stop your wailing. Is there any obstacle in this world that can't be overcome?"
Lao Ba held back tears, his voice choked with emotion. "Well, this is one obstacle I can't get over!"
A vein throbbed on Luo Xiu's forehead. "This is all your damn fault for peeping in the first place!"
The colosseum was now surrounded by young Elf girls, each with wide, watery eyes. They stared at Luo Xiu and his companions as if they were exotic animals, whispering amongst themselves and pointing.
Luo Xiu ignored Lao Ba and calmed his mind, focusing on how to resolve their current predicament. He noticed many similar pillars throughout the colosseum, each with someone hanging from it. Many of them had been reduced to desiccated corpses, as if they had been sucked dry of all life.
Could this be some kind of sacrificial ritual?
As Luo Xiu was lost in thought, a shadow fell over him. The Ageless Celestial Emperor had flown down to hover directly in front of him.
Lao Ba glared at her. "Technician Number One, this is so unfair!"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor snorted. "How is it unfair?"
Lao Ba said, "There are so many people here, so why are only the three of us stripped bare? Look at that beautiful Fairy next to me; she hasn't been stripped! If you strip her too, I, Lao Ba, will die without any regrets!"
Hearing Lao Ba's beastly remark, the Fairy hanging nearby became infuriated. With cracked lips, she cursed, "You damn bald chicken! Did I do anything to you?! I have no grudge against you, so why are you trying to drag me into this?!"
Lao Ba let out a strange laugh. "Heh heh, getting nervous, are we, little sis? And watch your mouth. Bald chicken? You should know that when your Eighth Master still had his feathers, he was valiant and handsome. If you'd seen me then, you might have fallen in love."
"PTOOEY! You disgusting, stinky, bald chicken! I'm begging you, just die already!"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor looked coldly at Lao Ba, a vein throbbing on her forehead. She abruptly waved her magic wand, striking Lao Ba's featherless legs. Her voice was like ice. "Since you all love peeping so much, then I, the High Priest, will let you experience what it feels like to be stripped bare for all to see."
Lao Ba let out a strange cry. "Well in that case, I really must thank you!"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor's expression was indifferent. "Now then, you three will stay right here."
With that, she vanished in a flash, landing on a protruding platform overlooking the colosseum.
Luo Xiu looked up. What is the Ageless Celestial Emperor planning? As the thought crossed his mind, his gaze suddenly froze. He saw a familiar face on that platform. Su Fox?
「On the platform.」
The Ageless Celestial Emperor looked down at the colosseum below, her expression thoughtful. Suddenly, she said, "In an hour, I will activate the Holy Spirit Great Array and awaken the Wordless Stele. You lot, go and prepare."
"Yes, High Priest!" A few of the young Elf girls turned and departed.
Just then, Su Shenyun walked up beside the Ageless Celestial Emperor, the sound of her high heels clicking on the stone. She looked down at Luo Xiu, stripped and hanging from his pillar, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"What on earth did these three do to make the High Priest so angry? She's actually stripping them for public display."
The Ageless Celestial Emperor replied coolly, "They are merely some petty thieves. Not worth mentioning."
Su Shenyun asked, "Now that you have them, the Holy Spirit Great Array can be activated, right?"
The Ageless Celestial Emperor replied, "That Youming Ghost Wolf and that Black Gold Crow are likely Divine Beasts from Ghost Valley."
"As for the human youth, his Cultivation has already reached the level of a White Emperor. If the Holy Spirit Great Array absorbs him, it should be enough for a full activation."
Su Shenyun's brow furrowed slightly. "It's just such a waste. For a cute young man like him to be sucked dry… it's a real pity."
The Ageless Celestial Emperor said, "There is no other way. Only by activating the Wordless Stele will the youth with the Divine Eye be drawn to our people. Only then will he see the divine oracle on the stele and help us find Her Highness the Princess.
"So, I alone shall bear the karma for this slaughter," she continued. "I have spent years gathering these Emperor Realm Cultivators. This is my only chance!"