Chapter 1497: The Heaven-Binding Lock

“So that’s how it is!”

Knowing this, combined with the earlier conversation between the Great Elder and Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

Not to mention that this harvesting technique would harm countless innocents, even the method itself was unacceptable.

Zhao Ya, with her pure yin constitution, was pure and chaste, possessing her own pride, and naturally was even more unwilling to go along with it.

“My mother was also unwilling back then, so she sealed her cultivation and fled the Icefield Palace!” Zhao Ya continued.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

As one of the most powerful forces on the continent, the Icefield Palace’s cultivation techniques were tailored for pure yin constitutions. As long as one released their power, they could naturally be detected and found no matter where they fled—unless they sealed their cultivation!

It was like Luo Ruoxin back then, who fled the Luo family and sealed her cultivation, which was why she wasn’t found.

Later, at Qiuwu Palace, she made a move to seal Tianye King to save him, which drew attention and forced her to take her leave...

Then, in the Qingyuan Empire, she encountered Luo Chengxin...

“This method is indeed appalling. Rest assured, if you don’t want this, no one can force you. Your teacher will rescue you right now!”

Waving his hand, Zhang Xuan’s tone carried an undeniable authority.

What if it is the Icefield Palace?

I, Zhang Xuan’s student, am unwilling to learn your methods—no one can stop that!

Not even the Heavenly King himself!

“Teacher...”

Feeling the affection in her teacher’s tone, Zhao Ya’s eyes reddened.

Her teacher, from a place millions of kilometers away, had appeared before her in less than an hour after receiving her message. This bond alone surpassed a thousand words.

“Let’s leave this folded space first!”

Reaching out with his hand, Zhang Xuan was about to grab Zhao Ya when his body suddenly sank heavily, and his soul almost fell from the air.

“What’s going on?”

Zhao Ya now had no cultivation at all. Logically, his soul could lift her with a single finger and take her away. Why was she heavier than a mountain, nearly causing him to collapse from the strain?

“Teacher, I’ve been locked by the Heaven-Binding Lock, sealing my true breath...”

Her face turning pale, Zhao Ya breathed rapidly, as if enduring intense pain, and her body went limp as she collapsed to the ground.

“Heaven-Binding Lock? Sealing true breath?”

His pupils constricting, Zhang Xuan nearly exploded: “Do you mean... that Great Elder has fused the Heaven-Binding Lock into your body, locking your meridians?”

He had heard from Elder Bai earlier that the other party might have used the Heaven-Binding Lock, but seeing nothing on her, he had relaxed. He thought they would show some regard for their relationship and not be so ruthless, but he never dreamed they would go even further... fusing it into her body!

The Heaven-Binding Lock was a torture device that even Saint Realm Nine experts feared. Normally, binding the limbs was already hard to resist, but fusing it into the body to lock the meridians meant sealing all her true breath. At the slightest misstep, her cultivation could be completely destroyed, turning her into a cripple!

“Yes...”

Lying on the ground, Zhao Ya was barely breathing. The intense pain seemed ready to overwhelm her at any moment, causing her to faint on the spot.

“Damn it, I’ll help you right now...”

His expression dark, Zhang Xuan hurried forward, wanting to touch her and use the Library to find the flaws of the Heaven-Binding Lock, only then realizing that his current form was just a soul!

A soul could read books with its gaze and record them into the Library, but being intangible and without substance, it couldn’t touch, and thus couldn’t trigger flaws to form books.

Unless... Zhao Ya stood up and performed a fist technique!

But in her current condition, she certainly couldn’t do that.

Filled with rage, Zhang Xuan knew this was not the time to lose his temper. He quickly released his grip on the other and instructed, "Don't circulate your inner energy. Don't use any power at all!"

Zhao Ya understood and stopped using her power. After a full five minutes, she finally recovered. Under the intense pain, her clothes were soaked with sweat.

"I'm fine..."

Struggling to stand up, Zhao Ya was utterly weak. "The Heaven Binding Lock has merged into my body, locking my meridians. Not only can you not use your power, but no external force can approach either, or it will immediately trigger the punishment and cause me pain!"

"Hmph!" Zhang Xuan squinted.

This Great Elder was indeed ruthless enough.

Unable to use power and unable to be rescued... With one move, he had created a dead end. Even Zhang Xuan found it hard to break.

"Punch the air for me to see!"

Knowing that the urgent task was to resolve this issue, Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes!" Zhao Ya gritted her teeth, clenched her jade fist, and lightly punched the air.

Even though she didn't use any power, it still made her break out in cold sweat and turn pale.

Hum!

A book appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.

He quickly opened it.

"Zhao Ya, Young Mistress of the Ice Plain Palace... Defects: 1. Pure Yin Constitution unlocked to the seventh level. 2. Meridians locked by the Heaven Binding Lock, unable to use power. 3..."

After quickly reading the contents, his expression grew even darker.

The book mentioned the Heaven Binding Lock, but only described Zhao Ya's current situation, without mentioning any defects of the lock itself.

In other words, having her punch only revealed her current defects and cultivation issues, unrelated to the Heaven Binding Lock. Relying on this, he couldn't solve the problem at all.

Guessing the melon's quality from the rind—even the Library couldn't do that!

"Unless I can find the exact location of the Heaven Binding Lock and find a way to touch it... or make the Great Elder remove it himself, there's no other way!"

Thoughts raced through his mind, and Zhang Xuan's face grew darker.

The other's move was equivalent to planting a bomb inside Zhao Ya, which only she could defuse. Anyone else touching it would cause an explosion...

"Teacher..."

Zhao Ya looked at him.

"Don't worry. If Teacher says I can save you, then I definitely can. Follow me!"

No longer dwelling on this, Zhang Xuan's soul led the way forward, with Zhao Ya closely following.

As long as she didn't use power, she wouldn't trigger the Heaven Binding Lock's punishment. Although Zhao Ya had no cultivation now, she could still walk on her own.

Soon they left the room and arrived at the spot where the Great Elder and the others had departed. He pointed forward, causing the surrounding space to ripple, and another book appeared in his mind.

Finding this spatial node from outside was difficult, but leaving was very easy.

After scanning the book, he quickly found a weak point. Channeling his soul power, he tapped sharply.

Crack!

The previously stable space immediately developed cracks, which grew larger, and then a huge fissure appeared.

"The crack will close soon. Move quickly!"

With that instruction, Zhang Xuan rushed toward the crack, and Zhao Ya quickly followed.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw the crack slowly converging, and the previous room seemed to vanish, nowhere to be found.

"Go to Elder Bai's place..."

Seeing that they were now outside the Qingfan Hall, Zhang Xuan looked around, didn't spot the Great Elder and his group, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he transmitted his voice.