Shen Tianxu tried to speak the moment they entered the pocket world.
"..."
His mouth wouldn't move at all.
His lips were frozen in place as if turned to stone. His jaw refused to respond to his mental commands. Even his tongue lay dead and unmoving.
Yue Lianxing had sealed him the instant they crossed into this hidden dimension. She had done it so smoothly that he barely noticed the moment it happened.
One second he could move normally. The next second he was completely immobilized.
Not just his mouth and voice. His entire body was locked in place. He couldn't move his arms or legs.
Couldn't turn his head or shift his weight.
He was absolutely helpless before her overwhelming power. A cultivator at her level could seal him as easily as a human could catch an ant.
Yet his mind remained active. His consciousness was untouched.
Shen Tianxu's Supreme Comprehension continued working at full capacity despite his physical helplessness.
[Supreme Comprehension System Activated]
[Analyzing target...]
[Target: Female Immortal Cultivator]
[Estimated Power Level: Beyond Current Analysis Capability]
[Cultivation Realm: Unknown - Exceeds System Database]
[Threat Assessment: Absolute]
[Technique Observed: Spatial Manipulation - Supreme Grade]
[Technique Observed: Body Sealing Method - Supreme Grade]
[Technique Observed: Pocket World Creation - Supreme Grade]
[Note: All observed techniques require cultivation foundation to utilize]
[Current Host Status: Unable to replicate any observed techniques]
Information flooded through Shen Tianxu's consciousness as his system analyzed everything it could detect. Names and classifications appeared for techniques he had just witnessed.
His Supreme Comprehension was breaking down her methods and storing the knowledge even though he couldn't use any of it himself.
The curse prevented him from cultivating. Without a cultivation foundation, even perfect understanding of these techniques was useless.
It was like having detailed blueprints for building a spaceship while stranded on a deserted island with no tools or materials.
Still, knowledge was never wasted. He filed everything away for future use.
Yue Lianxing studied him with those cold eyes while he processed internally.
She seemed completely unaware or unconcerned that he was analyzing her. Her divine sense swept through his entire body without hesitation or mercy.
It was an invasive feeling. Like being stripped naked and examined under harsh light.
Every cell was laid bare. Every meridian was mapped. Every aspect of his physical existence was inspected in detail by her consciousness.
Shen Tianxu would have gritted his teeth if he could move. Instead he remained frozen while she violated his privacy completely.
Then she stopped suddenly. Her movements halted mid-gesture.
Her eyes widened slightly behind the veil. It was the first genuine emotion Shen Tianxu had seen from her since this encounter began.
Surprise.
Real surprise that broke through her cold exterior.
"The Curse of Eternal Binding," she said quietly. Her voice held a note of shock. "I recognize this technique."
Her hand reached out slowly. She touched his forehead with two fingers.
The contact was gentle despite the power she could command. More information must have flooded into her consciousness through that direct touch.
[Supreme Comprehension System Activated]
[Analyzing technique...]
[Technique Observed: Divine Sense Scanning - Supreme Grade]
[Function: Complete examination of target's physical and spiritual condition]
[Note: Requires a high enough soul cultivation base to perform]
The system notifications continued appearing but Shen Tianxu kept his focus on the immortal woman before him.
She was learning things about his condition. About the curse. Her expression was shifting from surprise to something else.
"From the Thousand Poison Sect," she continued after a moment. Her voice now carried genuine shock that she didn't bother hiding. "An evil sect from the Middle Immortal Realms. This is one of their signature curse techniques."
She pulled her hand back and seemed to be thinking deeply. Her cold mask had cracked slightly. Real emotion showed through now.
She was truly shocked. This wasn't some random curse created by a local cultivator experimenting with dark arts.
This was a supreme technique from a powerful sect that existed in the Middle Immortal Realms. One of the realms above this mortal plane but below the upper realms she came from.
Even someone at her level would have serious difficulty breaking this curse. The Thousand Poison Sect's techniques were famous throughout the cultivation worlds for being nearly impossible to counter.
But more than that, this technique is from another sect in the upper realms.
A sect that the Thousand Poison Sect is a subordinate of.
Why would such a powerful sect target elves in a forgotten mortal plane? What could they possibly gain from cursing an entire race into powerlessness?
Yue Lianxing's divine sense extended outward from the pocket world. She sent her consciousness across the entire Crimson Leaf Mortal Plane in seconds.
Information gathered from every corner of this world. She learned about the Elf Clan's history here. The curse that fell five hundred years ago.
The seven remaining tribes barely surviving in hidden locations. The constant hunting by humans who saw them as valuable slaves.
Understanding formed in her mind as the pieces connected. She saw the full scope of what had been done to these people.
A smile appeared on her face. The expression looked completely out of place on her cold features. Like seeing ice suddenly decide to smile.
She waved her hand in another casual gesture. The seal on Shen Tianxu's voice released. He could speak again now, though his body remained completely immobilized. Only his mouth and voice were freed.
"You're quite lucky, young elf," she said. Her tone was conversational now but still carried that underlying coldness.
"I have an enmity with the person who created this curse. His name is Poison Master Wan Du. A despicable man who enjoys watching others suffer for his own amusement."
Shen Tianxu immediately filed away that name. Poison Master Wan Du. The creator of the curse. A person from the Middle Immortal Realms who this woman had conflict with.
"Why are you telling me this?" Shen Tianxu asked. His voice came out steady despite his situation. Curious but not desperate.
"Because it benefits me to tell you," Yue Lianxing replied simply.
"I've heard about the vow he made," she continued without directly answering his implied question.
"If anyone from the Elf Clan can comprehend his curse technique completely and break it through their own power, he swore not to trouble your people further. He considers it a challenge. A way to prove his technique's absolute superiority over all who attempt to break it."
She paused. Her smile faded back into that cold neutral expression.
"Although I believe it's completely impossible for your people to succeed. The curse is far too sophisticated. Too deeply woven into your very bloodline at the most fundamental level. And even if you somehow managed the impossible and broke it, his sect would never let you go afterward."
"They would hunt down and destroy every last elf to preserve their reputation. After all, you're just ants to beings at that level. Ants don't get to defeat powerful sects and walk away alive."