The sky split open with a deafening roar. Divine light poured from the heavens, illuminating the Blackstone Keep with an ethereal glow. The presence of Envoy Lu Tian sent waves of pressure across the land, forcing even the most seasoned cultivators to their knees.
Yet, in the face of such overwhelming might, Shao Xian stood unmoved.
Golden eyes gleamed with cold amusement as he observed the so-called emissary of the Heavenly Council. Lu Tian's presence was formidable—his robes radiated celestial energy, and his aura carried the weight of divine judgment. But to Shao Xian, it was nothing more than an overplayed spectacle.
"You stand before the will of the Heavens," Lu Tian declared, his voice echoing across the realm. "Your defiance disturbs the cosmic balance. Submit now, or be erased."
Shao Xian tilted his head slightly. "Erase me?" He let out a low chuckle. "Is that the best the Heavenly Council can muster? A mere messenger sent to bark orders?"
Lu Tian's expression darkened. "Blasphemy."
With a flick of his hand, divine sigils materialized in the air. Each symbol pulsed with sacred energy, forming an intricate celestial array. The sky rumbled as the formation activated, summoning chains of pure law to bind Shao Xian where he stood.
The moment the chains descended, space itself distorted. The laws of heaven sought to suppress his existence, sealing his movements, restricting his power. It was an execution technique designed to erase a being from reality itself.
A method meant only for those deemed too dangerous to exist.
Yet, as the golden chains wrapped around him, Shao Xian merely exhaled. The pressure that would have crushed emperors and shattered realms failed to so much as ruffle his robes.
Then, with the simplest of gestures, he moved.
A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield as the first chain shattered. The second followed an instant later. By the time the third broke, Lu Tian's expression had twisted into disbelief.
"Impossible—"
Shao Xian lifted his gaze, a chilling smirk forming on his lips. "You think mere divine chains can restrain me?"
With a single step forward, the air itself trembled. The shattered remains of the divine sigils disintegrated into nothingness, their sacred power reduced to dust.
Lu Tian reacted instantly, summoning a celestial spear forged from pure law. With divine speed, he lunged forward, aiming to pierce Shao Xian's heart.
A move meant to end the battle in a single strike.
But Shao Xian did not evade.
He raised his bare hand and caught the spear mid-thrust. The weapon, crafted from the essence of the heavens, came to a sudden stop. Divine energy crackled along its length, fighting against an unseen force—until, with a sickening snap, the spear shattered into countless fragments.
Silence fell.
Lu Tian staggered back, disbelief flashing across his features. "You—"
Before he could react, Shao Xian moved.
A mere flick of his fingers sent an invisible force surging through the air. It struck Lu Tian square in the chest, and in the next instant, the celestial envoy was sent hurtling through the sky, crashing into the distant mountains with a deafening explosion.
The land trembled. The heavens groaned.
Yet Shao Xian remained as he was, standing beneath the shattered sky, his expression indifferent.
Zhou Fan, who had been watching from a distance, struggled to contain his awe. He had known his lord was powerful beyond comprehension—but this? This was something else entirely.
To shatter divine restraints. To crush a celestial envoy with a mere gesture.
Shao Xian was no mere cultivator. He was a force beyond mortal comprehension.
A being that even the heavens feared.
As the dust settled, Lu Tian's broken figure emerged from the wreckage. His divine robes were tattered, his aura weakened. Yet, despite his injuries, he forced himself to stand.
His eyes, once filled with righteous fury, now held something else entirely.
Fear.
"You… you are an abomination…" he whispered. "A being that should not exist…"
Shao Xian stepped forward, his gaze cold. "And yet, here I stand."
Lu Tian gritted his teeth. His divine body was already regenerating, but he knew—he could not win.
Not against this.
With a sharp motion, he formed a hand seal. "The Council will not allow this heresy to continue. You have sealed your fate, Shao Xian."
A pillar of golden light erupted from his form, piercing the heavens. In an instant, his presence vanished—retreating back to the divine realms.
Shao Xian did not stop him.
He merely watched as the envoy disappeared, leaving behind only silence.
Zhou Fan hesitated before stepping forward. "My Lord… he will return with reinforcements."
Shao Xian smirked. "Let them come."
His voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of an undeniable truth.
For even the heavens could not dictate his fate.