Zi Tianya knelt in the middle of the square, his hands braced painfully against the ground, his entire body trembling violently.
He tried to mobilize the spiritual power remaining in his body to break through the Spirit-Locking Seal's restraints.
But every attempt was like crashing into an invisible wall.
The instant his spiritual power touched the edge of the Spirit-Locking Seal, it rebounded.
The impact made his chest tighten and tugged even harder at his painful wounds.
He raised his head, his gaze shifting from Zi Yuner to Lin Shisan, then from Lin Shisan to the dissolving grayish-white membrane of light over the Life-and-Death Platform. Confusion, unwillingness, and the lingering bewilderment of someone utterly hollowed out churned in his deep blue eyes.
The truth was out. He had been outmaneuvered.
From the very beginning, that harmless-looking, dark-skinned human boy and the young niece he had considered insignificant had plotted against him together.
Yet no matter what, he refused to accept this fact, and could not accept it.
All his life, he had been the one plotting against others. When had anyone ever plotted against him, let alone two young juniors?
"How could... how could this happen..."
"I spent three hundred years setting this up... the Teleportation Array in the Blackwater River... the Python Demon's covert involvement... the Second Grand Elder's cooperation..."
"I accounted for every link. I know I accounted for them all..."
Bewilderment mingled with the shock in Zi Tianya's voice.
He seemed to be questioning others, yet also questioning himself, his purplish face looking utterly hideous.
His gaze finally settled on Zi Yuner, an almost obstinate incomprehension churning in his eyes.
He simply could not accept it.
The plan he had believed seamless as a heavenly robe had been easily unraveled by the two most inconspicuous juniors.
His