The emperors raised their hands, their golden Qi converging, forming a blinding, sacred prison around Ye Cangtian. He looked up at them, his face etched with grim defiance, his eyes burning with an unyielding flame. He knew his fate. He accepted it. But he would not surrender.
The walls of the corridor shimmered, the light intensifying, freezing the moment in time. Xiaochen saw Ye Cangtian, surrounded, trapped, utterly alone against a world that had chosen to betray him. His heart ached, a sharp, human ache that pierced through the cold resolve of his Hell Core.
He stood against them all, Xiaochen thought, even when everyone else chose the chains.
"What happened next?" Xiaochen asked, his voice raw, desperate for the continuation of this tragic tale.
The walls remained frozen, the imag
