Lu Hengsan dropped straight to his knees on the cold stone tiles, his back rigidly upright, then bowed heavily, prostrating himself fully.
The shoulders of this decisive, ruthless city lord who guarded an entire city trembled uncontrollably. The harsh breaths he had suppressed for so long rang especially clearly in the stillness before the temple.
Only someone who had experienced it once could understand the ecstasy of regaining freedom.
Su Qinghan stood at the edge of the crowd, his clear eyes fixed on the kneeling Lu Hengsan, his heart full of bewilderment.
Grand Perfection of the Divine Bridge Realm, half a step into the Other Shore Realm.
In the Upper Realm's Realm Patrol Bureau, he would indeed be only a bottom-rung cultivator, hardly worth mentioning. But in the Lower Realm, where laws were chaotic and spiritual energy scarce, he was already a supreme expert capable of cowing the sinister entities of an entire region.
Even grievously wounded, someone like him should have retained an expert's proud backbone. Why had he lost his composure to this extent, his reverence bordering on abject humility?
The evening breeze stirred his plain robes. He turned toward Qin He, who stood calmly beside him, and asked quietly, "What exactly happened? It's only been a moment. Why does he look as though he's gotten his life back?"
Qin He's gaze swept over the kneeling crowd toward the distant outline of Qingwu Mountain, sinking into darkness. His voice remained calm and even.
"The one on Qingwu Mountain will most likely come out tonight."
Su Qinghan's gaze sharpened, and he immediately understood. "Because Lu Hengsan broke free of its Death Imprint? That old thing is getting desperate?"
"Yes." Qin He nodded lightly.
The skeleton beneath the ground had lain hidden for years, advancing its plans step by calculated