"If you don't want to be trapped here forever, come find me. I can help you break free from your shackles, you young man cursed by The Heart of Heaven's Punishment."

The voice fell once more, laden with a hint of weariness.

"Who are you!?" Guan Ren called out loudly, but the only response was a lasting silence.

Was there actually someone else aware that he was cursed by The Heart of Heaven's Punishment?

Guan Ren's brows furrowed tightly, and he sighed deeply.

At this moment, though unaware of the identity of the other party, as they had mentioned, if he wished not to be forever confined to Sunward Town, seeking their help was imperative!

Perhaps, this could even grant him more insights about The Heart of Heaven's Punishment. To him, this might not be a bad occurrence after all!

Furthermore, from the conversation, it wasn't hard for him to deduce that his current situation of being locked at level 9, 99% was probably caused by The Heart of Heaven's Punishment!

Let come what may.

He was determined to uncover the truth behind all this!

With a resolute glint flashing through his eyes, Guan Ren turned and walked towards the direction of Sunward Town.

…

"Heh heh, young man, you've finally arrived."

Just as Guan Ren stepped into Sunward Town, a mysterious figure in a black cloak standing beside the old well at the town's entrance suddenly stood up. With a wave of his hand, a mysterious energy surged skywards, enshrouding the entirety of Sunward Town in an instant.

"This is..."

Guan Ren glanced around in surprise, noticing the space around him twist under the sway of this mysterious force. A multicolored spiral pattern filled the surroundings, seemingly freezing time itself. He could clearly see that all players around him had entered into a state of complete immobility.

"Do not be alarmed; I have merely reverted Sunward Town to its original state," the mysterious figure in the black cloak stated calmly. "This place was always meant to be a City of Time Confinement!"

"Who are you? What business do you have bringing me here?"

Guan Ren's brow furrowed even deeper, his mind on high alert.

"Who am I? It's been so many years; even I have forgotten..."

The mysterious figure slowly shook his head and continued, "But a million years ago, I remember people called me the Heavenly Emperor!"

The Heavenly Emperor!?

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Guan Ren inhaled sharply. In his previous life, the name of the Heavenly Emperor was enormously revered. The new expansion pack that came with the third update of Heaven's Arrival, revolving around the Catastrophe of Havoc, had this figure at its core!

A million years ago, when the Demon Clan invaded the human realm, the Heavenly Gods Clan lent their aid. The ensuing battle between gods and demons lasted over a century, leaving both sides greatly weakened and eventually retreating from the world of Heaven's Arrival, hence bestowing a million years of peace upon it.

And the Heavenly Emperor had been the leader of the divine forces!

Unbelievably, this NPC from his last life, once scorned by countless players as 'useless and misleading,' bore such an unknown identity!

"Now's not the time for introductions."

The Heavenly Emperor spoke solemnly. "That you've been cursed by The Heart of Heaven's Punishment shows a deep connection between us."

With that, he extended his palm.

Hum—

A bizarre wave of energy surged, and a lightning-shaped mark radiating red light appeared in his hand.

"Is this... The Heart of Heaven's Punishment?"

Guan Ren was astounded.

The lightning mark in the Heavenly Emperor's hand was identical to The Heart of Heaven's Punishment fused into his own heart!

The only difference lay in the mysterious runes on The Heart of Heaven's Punishment; the Heavenly Emperor's possessed seven differently colored, lightning-shaped mystical runes, unlike his own, which had spaces for just seven lightning bolts and sun, moon, and star-shaped crevices but no implanted runes.

"You guessed right. Like you, I too am cursed by The Heart of Heaven's Punishment," the Heavenly Emperor declared solemnly. "However, unlike you, I have already fully refined The Heart of Heaven's Punishment. Thus, for me now, it is no longer a shackle but a weapon."

"...How can it be refined?"

"Good question!"

A hint of a smile flitted across the Heavenly Emperor's eyes as he explained, "The Heart of Heaven's Punishment restricts your power growth, preventing you from cultivating like ordinary people. But, as you progressively refine it, its limitations on your power will change. And when you have wholly refined it, your strength will be transformed."

"The only way to refine The Heart of Heaven's Punishment is to seek the Heavenly Mysterious Energy to condense Heavenly Mysterious Runes, forming the soul of The Heart of Heaven's Punishment."

He continued, "If you complete it with a soul formed of Heavenly Mysterious Runes, you can ultimately fully refine The Heart of Heaven's Punishment and gain control over its power."

"However, as simple as it sounds, performing it is exceptionally challenging."

He added, "You see, my Heart of Heaven's Punishment has seven marks, each embedded with the Heavenly Mysterious Runes of seven colors: yellow, orange, red, green, cyan, blue, and purple. The yellow requires one Heavenly Mysterious Energy to condense, the orange ten, the red one hundred, and so on. Since Heavenly Mysterious Energy is a rare existence between heaven and earth, fully refining The Heart of Heaven's Punishment is not a simple task!"

Guan Ren nodded, understanding now that his level was restricted due to the influence of The Heart of Heaven's Punishment.

To break through this limitation, he needed to find a piece of Heavenly Mysterious Energy, condense it into a yellow Heavenly Mysterious Rune, and then implant it into the groove on The Heart of Heaven's Punishment.

Of course, that was just for breaching the level 10 restriction. To break through level 20, he would need the orange Heavenly Mysterious Rune, for level 30, the red Rune, and so on.

According to the Heavenly Emperor, it was after level 70 that he had fully refined The Heart of Heaven's Punishment and embarked on a journey toward the pinnacle of power.

But for Guan Ren, besides the seven Heavenly Mysterious Rune lightning bolts crevices, his Heart of Heaven's Punishment had three more crevices shaped like the sun, moon, and stars. So even past level 70, he would still be unable to fully refine The Heart of Heaven's Punishment.

As for how to condense the sun, moon, and stars' marks, he did not know, nor did he ask.

For him at this moment, knowing this much was sufficient. Ambition beyond his reach was unnecessary; solidly improving his strength step by step was the true path to power.