Cursed Shackle

**Cursed Shackles** (咒枷, *Zhòu Jiā*) are an imprint that a Heavenly Official receives once they are banished from the Heavens. The shackles are a representation of one's sins and a tool of restriction for one's spiritual powers.

## Appearance

They are deep, black shackles that resemble chains and come in the form of collars, wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs.

### Use

* **Xie Lian**: Xie Lian wears two shackles due to his repeated banishment. He wears one around his neck and one around his right ankle. Besides sealing spiritual powers, the shackle around his neck grants him immortality and the one on his ankle seals away all his good luck.
* **Yin Yu**: Yin Yu wears one around his wrist due to being banished.
* **Mu Qing**: A Cursed Shackle was also put on Mu Qing's wrist by Jun Wu; not due to banishment but out of rage as Mu Qing refused to do as he said.

## Abilities

The main purpose of Cursed Shackles is sealing away spiritual powers and be a symbol for their mistakes.

The shackles also have the ability to drain the wearer's blood and lock one's soul within by Jun Wu's command. Yin Yu became a victim to this when he tried to fight Jun Wu and flee the Heavenly Capital with Quan Yizhen, leaving his body as nothing but an empty shell afterwards. In the amnesia extra it is revealed that they were able to retrieve Yin Yu's Cursed Shackle and bring him back to life.

Certain shackles can possess unique abilities such as sealing away all good fortune or sealing age and flesh. The one wearing that shackle is thus unable to age or die due to injury.

It is also possible to break the shackles within an enormous amount of spiritual power. Hua Cheng was able to destroy both of Xie Lian's shackles by giving him all of his said spiritual power, so much so that he had to dissipate and disappear for a year before being able to come back.

## History

Cursed Shackles are formed by the wrath of heaven and as the Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu possesses absolute control over the shackles, whether it is about putting shackles on Heavenly Officials at will, removing them or give certain ones special abilities.

When Xie Lian was first banished after interfering in mortal matters, he received the Cursed Shackle on his neck. Jun Wu took mercy on him and decided to grant Xie Lian immortality, manipulating the Cursed Shackle so that it not only sealed away his spiritual powers but also didn't allow him to age or die of injury. The shackle disappeared after Xie Lian ascended anew, but he requested to be banished once more and for two shackles to be put on him. Xie Lian achieves his wish by challenging Jun Wu, getting his neck shackle back and gaining the Cursed Shackle around his ankle which sealed away all his good fortune.

Centuries later Yin Yu was banished from the Heavens due to the Brocade Immortal incident, aquiring a Cursed Shackle around his wrist.

## Trivia

* Although the shackles suppress spiritual powers, the wearer is able to use power given to them by others through physical contact.
* Deputy gods do not receive Cursed Shackles if their respective god is banished.
* A god can request for their shackle to be removed if they ascended once more after banishment.

## References

2. ↑ Novel, Book 3, Chapter 95: Mind in Disarray but Say Not the Tender Heart Is Too
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Novel, Book 1, Chapter 16: Clothes Redder Than Maple, Skin as White as Snow
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Novel, Book 5, Chapter 232: Androit Dice; Snake Eyes Rolled Alarming the Heart IV
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Novel, Book 1, Chapter 4: Discussion Between Three Fools In The Ju Yang Temple At Night
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Novel, Chapter 181: Lantern Night; Penny for a Wandering Soul
7. ↑ Novel, Book 1, Chapter 39: At the Paradise Manor; Questions of Xianle
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Novel, Book 5, Chapter 212: Unable to be Perfect; A Heart Filled with Regrets
9. ↑ Novel, Book 5, Chapter 213: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift
10. ↑ Novel, Extras, Chapter 248: The Curious Incident of His Royal Highness; the Crown Prince's Memory Having Wandered Away III
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Novel, Book 4, Chapter 198: Man in Abyss Receives a Bamboo Hat in the Rain III
12. ↑ Novel, Book 5, Chapter 239: Crack the White Armor; Fantastic Magic Shattering the Cursed Shackles
13. ↑ Novel, Book 5, Chapter 243: How My Lord Aches for the Flower, How I Ache for My Lord
14. ↑ Novel, Book 3, Chapter 149: Panic Left and Right; East and West Undecided