77: Chapter 76 Heavenly Thunder

Great Yan Imperial Calendar, May 22nd. The fourth day after the first star of the Heavenly Realm lit up.

The commoners of Huadu noticed that a new star had appeared in the sky. It was invisible during the day, but at night, it shone with a piercing brilliance, brighter than all the other stars. The elders said it was a calamity star, while the youths called it an auspicious star. No one could say for certain what it was, but everyone knew that something had happened in the heavens.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan knew as well. He had not closed his eyes for four days. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, but that he didn't dare to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see that star. It was watching him like an eye, piercing through the roof, through his body, and staring straight into his Soul.

The first underground floor of the Crown Princes Mansion. Crown Prince Xiao Xuan sat in the main seat with the heavenly emperor seal spread out before him. The seal emitted a faint golden light that pulsed like a heartbeat, responding to that star.

"Your Highness," Zhang Liang stood beside him, his expression grave. "The celestial phenomenon has changed, and the people are uneasy. I suggest Your Highness attend the court session to reassure them."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "I cannot reassure them. What they fear is not the celestial phenomenon, but the unknown. No matter what I say, they will remain skeptical. Once the people from the Heavenly Realm arrive, they will understand what is happening."

Zhang Liang fell silent. He knew Crown Prince Xiao Xuan was right. The gods of the Heavenly Realm could not be held back by words alone.

Jiang Ziya suddenly spoke, "Your Highness, he is here."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan looked up. "Who?"

Jiang Ziya gazed out the window. "Lei Zhenzi."

Above Huadu, the sky was clear for thousands of miles. Suddenly, a bolt of thunder descended from the heavens, striking the roof of the Imperial Palace. There was no fire or explosion; it simply struck and remained there. The thunder transformed into a person—his face was indigo, his hair like cinnabar, his eyes bulged, and his teeth protruded. Behind him, a pair of wind-thunder wings flapped slowly. It was Lei Zhenzi.

He stood upon the palace roof, looking down at this brand-new capital with a cold gaze. His aura was as vast as the abyss and the sea, stronger than a Heavenly God. He was at the Heavenly God Realm Perfection, even touching the threshold of the Heavenly Emperor Realm.

"Crown Prince Xiao Xuan," his voice rumbled like muffled thunder, "come out."

The commoners of Huadu knelt on the ground, thinking it was a divine punishment. The guards of the Imperial Palace gripped their blades, their legs trembling, yet not one of them fled. This was because their Crown Prince was still inside.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan walked out of the Crown Princes Mansion and looked up at the fanged monster on the roof. He held the heavenly emperor seal in his hand, and the seal emitted a dazzling golden light that illuminated the entire street.

"Lei Zhenzi," he spoke, "what have you come for?"

Lei Zhenzi looked at him and remained silent for a moment before suddenly laughing. His laughter was cold, like the cracking of ice. "This seat has come to see what the successor of the Heavenly Emperor looks like."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan said, "And have you seen enough?"

Lei Zhenzi nodded. "I have. You are nothing special."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan did not speak. He simply tightened his grip on the heavenly emperor seal. The golden light flared, and a vast power surged into his body. His cultivation began to climb—True God Middle Stage, True God Middle Stage Peak, True God Late Stage. Then, it stopped. True God Late Stage.

Lei Zhenzi's smile froze on his face. He hadn't expected that Crown Prince Xiao Xuan could achieve a Breakthrough under his pressure. The power of the heavenly emperor seal was even stronger than he had imagined.

"Interesting," he muttered, "but still not enough."

He raised his hand, and a bolt of thunder condensed in his palm. A full-strength blow from a Heavenly God Realm Perfection was enough to destroy half of Huadu. Jiang Ziya stepped in front of Crown Prince Xiao Xuan, holding his fishing rod horizontally before him. Two cultivators at the Heavenly God Realm Perfection faced off.

Lei Zhenzi looked at Jiang Ziya, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Jiang Ziya? You are still alive?"

Jiang Ziya said indifferently, "Thanks to you, I am still alive."

Lei Zhenzi was silent for a moment before suddenly withdrawing the thunder. "This seat is not here to fight."

Jiang Ziya asked, "Then what have you come for?"

Lei Zhenzi said, "To deliver a message. The gods of the Heavenly Realm have spoken: the heavenly emperor seal can remain in the mortal realm. However, the successor of the Heavenly Emperor must go to the Heavenly Realm to undergo a trial. If you pass, you will be the new Heavenly Emperor. If you fail—" he paused, "the heavenly emperor seal will be taken back by the Heavenly Realm."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan looked at him. "When?"

Lei Zhenzi replied, "In three years. When the Gate of the Heavenly Realm open."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan fell silent. Three years was not too long, yet not too short. It was enough for him to accomplish many things and prepare many resources.

"Fine," Crown Prince Xiao Xuan nodded. "In three years, I will go."

Lei Zhenzi looked at him and suddenly laughed. "Are you not afraid?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "I am. But I must go regardless."

Lei Zhenzi said no more. He turned around, and with a flap of his wind-thunder wings, he transformed into a bolt of thunder and vanished into the horizon. Above Huadu, the sky remained clear, as if nothing had happened.

In the first underground floor of the Crown Princes Mansion, everyone had gathered. Crown Prince Xiao Xuan sat in the main seat with the heavenly emperor seal spread out before him. The golden light of the seal had faded considerably, as if its power had been exhausted. The Breakthrough a moment ago had consumed most of the energy it had stored.

"Your Highness," Zhang Liang spoke, "in three years, are you truly going?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan nodded. "I am. If I do not go, the gods of the Heavenly Realm will come. If they come, Great Hua will be gone."

Strategist Guo Jia frowned. "Your Highness, why do the gods of the Heavenly Realm want to test you? Can they not become the Heavenly Emperor themselves?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head. "They cannot. The heavenly emperor seal chose Your Highness, and only Your Highness can inherit the power of the Heavenly Emperor. The gods of the Heavenly Realm cannot kill Your Highness, nor can they take away the heavenly emperor seal. They can only wait, wait for Your Highness to go there yourself."

Strategist Jia Xu stroked his beard and asked, "Then what if Your Highness does not go?"

Jiang Ziya said, "If he does not go, the gods of the Heavenly Realm will come. They will not kill Your Highness, but they will destroy Great Hua to force Your Highness out."

A silence fell over the hall. Everyone knew that Crown Prince Xiao Xuan had no choice. He had to go.

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the sun was bright and the sky was cloudless. But in three years, the Gate of the Heavenly Realm would open. He had to leave.

"Three years," he murmured to himself, "that is enough."

He turned around and looked at everyone. "From this day forward, I entrust the affairs of Great Hua to all of you."

Zhang Liang cupped his hands. "Rest assured, Your Highness. We shall not fail your trust."

Everyone cupped their hands in unison. "We shall not fail your trust!"

That night, Crown Prince Xiao Xuan stood alone on the city walls of the Imperial Palace, gazing at that star in the sky. Lei Zhenzi was gone, but the star remained. It was still watching him.

"Your Highness," Jiang Ziya walked to his side, "are you not afraid?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan shook his head. "I am not afraid."

Jiang Ziya asked, "Why?"

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan turned around and looked at him. "Because I am not alone. I have all of you."

Jiang Ziya was silent for a moment before suddenly smiling. "Your Highness, you have truly grown up."

Crown Prince Xiao Xuan also laughed. "Master Jiang, you have truly said those words many times now."

The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time. Moonlight spilled over the city walls, stretching their shadows long.

In the distance, that star flickered once, as if it were blinking.