Whatever happened outside could not affect Chu He in the slightest.
The temple priest had clearly come prepared. He ordered the others to tie Chu He to a wooden stake, binding his hands and feet tightly without leaving the slightest gap.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Chu He was still trapped within the illusion. He possessed none of the immense strength he had outside; right now, he was merely an ordinary mortal.
His fierce struggling made his wrists and the places bound by rope ache with pain. As his strength slowly drained away, a sense of helplessness surged into his heart.
Chu He loathed this feeling beyond measure.
It was like being shackled, his wings bound before they could spread.
Clack, clack...
The wooden stake scraped over the ground as the group carried Chu He into the Mountain God Temple.
Everything before his eyes was dim. Two scarlet candle flames swayed wildly, casting layer upon layer of shadows that looked like a swarm of ghosts.
"Come here..."
That irritating, repetitive voice surged forth again.
Chu He, bound to the wooden stake, suddenly raised his head and stared ahead.
On the altar stood a three-foot clay figure. Its body was grayish-black, its shape plain, its face round and its features blurred beyond recognition.
"You may leave."
With a light wave of the temple priest's hand, several burly men tossed down the bound Chu He and hurried away without looking back.
"Where's Yumei? What did you do to Yumei?!"
Chu He glared furiously at the temple priest as memories began to flicker through his mind.
Ever since entering the temple, an inexplicable sense of detachment had arisen in his mind, making everything he had experienced before feel unreal.
"Who is Yumei?"
The temple priest's gaze fell upon Chu He. Suddenly, he