Chapter 370 Shackles Upon the Heart

With a smile on his face, Chen Xiliang said,

“Immortal Sirs, I am the village chief of Da Chen Village.”

One of the immortals, face stern and expression cold, gave him a glance and barked,

“Where is he? Hand him over!”

Chen Xiliang feigned confusion,

“Immortal Sirs, all of our villagers are right here. You can see for yourselves.”

The immortal narrowed his eyes, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Very well. It’s been a long time since anyone dared to lie to my face.”

With a casual lift of his hand, his qi force wrapped around Chen Xiliang’s neck, lifting him into the air.

Just then, Chen Pipi woke up, and upon seeing this scene, he dashed forward and bit the immortal’s hand fiercely.

“Bad man! Let go of my father!”

“You little brat—scram!”

The immortal roared, shaking his arm and sending Chen Pipi flying like a rag doll.

“Pipi!”

From some unknown strength, Chen Xiliang broke free from the immortal’s grip and sprinted toward his son.

The immortal, still holding the bite mark on his hand, sneered with amusement.

“Touching father-son affection. How quaint.”

He flicked his finger — a broken tree branch rose into the air.

Whoosh!

With a sharp whistling sound, the branch pierced through Chen Xiliang’s chest, pinning him and Chen Pipi together in a cruel, tragic embrace.

“Bunch of worthless dogs.”

The immortal’s eyes glinted with disdain, as though he’d merely squashed two ants.

“Where is the man we seek? If no one speaks, you’ll all share the same fate!”

He hovered in the air, casting a shadow over Da Chen Village. Silence followed. No one responded.

Just then, the immortal caught sight of a dark figure fleeing the village. He didn’t act immediately — instead, he exchanged a look with his partner.

The partner raised a finger, sending qi to attach itself to the escaping figure.

—

Meanwhile, Chen Fei sat in a daze, expression vacant.

“Big Brother Chen Fei! Hurry… run!”

A young girl’s voice rang out, waking him from his stupor. He turned and saw Chen Huahua, her cheeks streaked with tears.

He just started to rise when — thud!

A sharp spike pierced through Chen Huahua’s chest.

Flames engulfed the village.

Chen Fei’s pupils contracted violently. He knew this was all just a fabricated dream inside a cage — yet his heart ached like never before.

Grief and fury surged like a flood, causing him to tremble.

Chen Huahua, enduring the pain, looked up at him and whispered two words:

“Run… please…”

Chen Fei rushed forward, cradling her in his arms. He pressed his hand over her wound — but he was powerless. Without any cultivation qi, he was just a strong man.

That sense of helplessness was unbearable.

Through the flames, the two cold immortals approached.

“Outsider, all of this happened because of you.”

“Because of me…”

Chen Fei murmured. Images flashed in his mind — so real, so vivid. That single phrase shook him to his core.

“Karma! That’s it — this is karma!”

Suddenly, he raised his head.

“No… none of this should have happened!”

“Foolish ignorance.”

One of the immortals scoffed and reached out to grab him.

Chen Fei didn’t hesitate — he punched.

Even without qi, the force behind his fist shattered the immortal’s attack. The immortal’s face darkened in shock.

“You bastard!”

Chains of spiritual energy appeared from his body, wrapping around Chen Fei and digging into his flesh. Despite all his strength, he couldn’t break free.

But his eyes — they were burning with madness.

“Struggle all you like. It’s meaningless. Come with me.”

The immortal sneered and gestured — the chains lifted Chen Fei into the air.

Still, Chen Fei didn’t give in. Even as the chains sliced into his skin, he stared downward — at the lifeless Chen Huahua, at the burning Da Chen Village, at the wheat fields he once planted now consumed by fire.

Then, a sentence thundered through his mind:

“Escape fate, evade karma — and the true self is imprisoned.

Follow fate, embrace karma — and one day, you shall realize: I am truly myself!”

A bolt of lightning exploded inside his consciousness.

“Damn you fake immortals! Break!”

His familiar cultivation energy returned. The Void Heaven Cauldron had awakened!

With a roar, Chen Fei shook his arms — the chains shattered instantly.

The immortal who had bound him froze in shock.

Chen Fei summoned his Wufeng Greatsword.

“You arrogant fools dare call yourselves immortals? Die!”

The heavens trembled. Mountains quaked.

His strike, filled with uncontainable rage, ripped the skies apart. The two immortals were swallowed by the sword light, obliterated in an instant.

With space itself torn open before him, Chen Fei saw a massive chain that sealed the entire dream realm.

But before reaching it, he saw a palace floating in the air — luxurious and radiant, glowing faintly with holy gold.

His expression turned cold.

He remembered his conversation with Chen Pipi the day before.

Pipi had asked, “Do immortals live there?”

Chen Fei had denied it.

“That’s not where immortals live… but parasites. Vampires who feed not on blood, but on the world’s destiny and the blessings of the people!”

Mists swirled once more. Chen Fei closed his eyes briefly, then descended, gently picking up Chen Huahua from the scorched ground and began walking away from Da Chen Village.

At that moment, he finally understood his path forward.

Even if all of this was a lie, the pain he felt was real.

“Maybe… it’s because I know it’s a lie… that the feelings feel so real.”

He gave a bitter laugh.

But when he arrived at the familiar courtyard, he froze.

Chen Xiliang lay sprawled over Chen Pipi — a branch pierced through his body. His hand still reached weakly toward his son, but that once playful, mischievous child had closed his eyes… forever.

“Damn it all!”

Chen Fei looked up toward the palace in the mist.

“Even if this is fake — one day, I’ll tear your palace to pieces!”

His rage surged, and the entire Caged Dream Realm began to tremble violently.

The Wufeng Greatsword let out a deafening shriek, tearing the dream apart…