The grand hall pulsed with oppressive silence. Incense smoke coiled lazily toward the rafters, broken only by the flickering of ancient lanterns. Elders stood in solemn arcs, their robes heavy with authority, while disciples crowded the periphery, eyes wide and throats dry.
Chen Wu knelt at the center of the jade platform, shackled not by chains, but by expectation. To them, he was a moth already circling the flame.
Yet within those calm eyes, Mo Tianxie gazed back at the world.
Whispers from the disciples spread like wildfire.
"Chen Wu? The cripple? He'll be burned to ash."
"Hmph, if Heaven itself judges him, it will expose the filth behind his sudden change!"
"…But didn't Zhang Rulan say she saw something? What if…"
"Quiet! Do you want to be punished for doubting the elders?"
Some voices dripped with scorn, others with fear. But a rarer few carried something unexpected—curiosity, even awe.
Another, secretly nursing resentment toward the sect's golden sons, smirked darkly. If this cripple truly has risen, maybe the high and mighty will finally stumble.
The elders exchanged sharp glances.
Elder Han's voice cracked like a whip. "Chen Wu, disciple of Azure Heaven Sect, you stand accused of concealing demonic power and sowing discord within the sect."
Elder Li, his rival, sneered. "Such audacity! Even his own aura reeks of corruption. What other proof is needed?"
Yet a third elder, softer spoken but shrewder, remained silent. His narrow eyes lingered on Chen Wu's calm face. This boy… no, this aura… It is neither wholly mortal nor wholly demonic. Dangerous. If he survives, he must be leashed—or eliminated.
The rivals pounced.
Zhao Feng, still nursing bruised pride from his defeat, smirked from the crowd. "Trash like him thinks he can walk the same halls as us? Let him face Heaven. When he's reduced to dust, the sect will be cleansed."
His lackeys snickered in chorus, their voices loud enough to sting. Their mockery carried to the crowd, feeding the flame.
Yet, hidden among them, Zhang Rulan bit her lip. She remembered the shadowed figure from the forest.
Her heart thudded unevenly. Was it truly him? Or just my fear playing tricks?
At last, the sect master's voice cut through the hall like thunder.
"Enough. The truth shall be laid bare."
He raised his hand, and the Trial of Heaven's Oath descended.
From the heavens above the dome, a golden array flared to life. Lines of celestial script spun outward, burning into the air. Disciples gasped, some kneeling instinctively, as divine authority pressed down upon them all.
The array's light pooled onto Chen Wu. Heat shimmered, as if Heaven itself leaned close, eager to taste his soul.
"Chen Wu," the sect master intoned, voice deep with ritual weight, "if your heart holds no falsehood, you shall pass unharmed. If you harbor corruption, Heaven's fire will scourge you to nothing."
The hall trembled. Sparks danced around Chen Wu's frame, crackling hungrily.
The crowd fractured into factions of belief.
"This is the end. No one can deceive Heaven!"
"Finally, we'll see the trash's arrogance destroyed!"
"But… what if he really endures? What does that mean for us?"
"Impossible. Even true geniuses fear Heaven's Oath. He's a cripple—he won't last a breath!"
Elders folded their hands behind their backs, stern, but their eyes betrayed anticipation.
Mo Tianxie's lips curved faintly. The murmur of Heaven's flames was not judgment to him—it was a challenge. A test unworthy of dread.
Inwardly, he laughed. These insects think Heaven's fire can touch me? I am the Demonic Sky Tyrant. I have bathed in the blood of gods. Let Heaven try. I will devour its judgment as I devoured its stars.
The golden flames surged higher, ready to fall.
The hall held its breath.
Would Chen Wu, the cripple… or Mo Tianxie, the tyrant… stand or be consumed?
The answer burned.
*******
The silvery glow of the Heaven's Oath formation deepened, filling the grand hall with a pressure that made disciples' hearts tremble. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for — the judgment.
Would Chen Wu be burned to ash for lying? Or would Heaven vindicate him?
Elder Han's beard shook as he sneered, his eyes locked on the youth standing so calmly in the center of the array.
"Let's see if Heaven tolerates your arrogance, boy. Any moment now, your soul will be seared away!"
Even Zhao Feng, pale and broken at the edge of the dais, summoned a flicker of hope. His fists clenched. Yes… this is it. He'll be struck down, and my humiliation will be erased. Heaven will not side with filth.
The watching disciples leaned forward, breaths caught in their throats.
And then—
Boom.
A shaft of heavenly light descended, pure and overwhelming, enveloping Chen Wu from head to toe. The pressure tightened around his body like invisible chains, as if the heavens themselves were measuring his soul.
The ground trembled. The crowd held its breath.
Seconds passed.
Zhao Feng's heart pounded wildly. Why isn't he burning?!
Instead of smiting him down, the heavenly light shifted color. What should have been blazing white — a sign of destruction — turned into a faint golden radiance that shimmered around Chen Wu like a divine halo.
The disciples gasped.
"Golden… light?"
"That's the sign of truth!"
"Heaven recognized his words as righteous?!"
The silence broke into an uproar.
Chen Wu slowly raised his head, his expression calm, almost serene. The golden glow reflected in his eyes, making him appear like a holy figure descended to the mortal realm. He pressed his fists together and bowed deeply toward the heavens.
"Heaven is impartial. Heaven does not shield liars." His voice rolled across the chamber, steady and clear. "If my words were false, I would have perished beneath its judgment. Yet Heaven itself has seen through to the truth."
The disciples trembled. Even elders exchanged uneasy glances.
"This… this can't be!" Elder Han's voice cracked. "The formation must be flawed!"
But the array lines still pulsed with pristine light, flawless and unbroken. The golden aura around Chen Wu remained, unyielding.
Zhao Feng's mouth fell open. His eyes were wide with disbelief, bloodshot with rage. "No… no, impossible! You schemed, you twisted something—! You can't fool Heaven!"
His voice broke into a hoarse scream. But no lightning fell. No heavenly wrath came.
The hall's mood shifted instantly.
"Heaven doesn't make mistakes."
"If he was lying, his soul would've been torn apart already."
"Then… does this mean Senior Brother Zhao truly knelt before him? Did he really beg?"
The disciples' whispers swelled, growing bolder with each passing second. They glanced between Zhao Feng's twitching, broken form and the glowing Chen Wu who stood like a righteous deity.
The contrast could not be sharper.
Chen Wu turned, his gaze sweeping across the hall. His tone was calm, humble even, yet every word dripped with venomous dominance.
"I am but a humble disciple. I do not seek to harm my fellow brothers. But when falsehoods are hurled at me, when honor is trampled, should I not defend myself?"
He lowered his head slightly, but the smirk hidden in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.
Fools. None of you realize… Heaven judged only the wording of my vow, not the intent behind it. Zhao Feng did kneel. He did beg. And I did not lie. That is all the oath requires.
The rest? That is mine to twist.
The golden glow lingered for another breath before fading, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Sect Master Qiu finally stirred on his elevated throne. His expression was unreadable, yet the weight in his voice made the entire hall bow their heads.
"The Heaven's Oath has spoken," he said slowly. "Chen Wu's testimony stands as truth. From this day forward, no disciple may call it into question."
The decree struck like thunder.
Elder Han's face turned ashen, his body trembling with frustration. He opened his mouth, but the Sect Master's eyes silenced him instantly. Even he dared not defy Heaven's verdict.
Zhao Feng collapsed to his knees, the last ember of his dignity extinguished. His lips quivered as he stared at Chen Wu, hatred blazing in his eyes.
"You… you… this isn't over! I'll never—"
"Enough." The Sect Master's voice cut through his cries like a blade. "You have lost, Zhao Feng. Do not shame yourself further."
The disciples' whispers now turned to open murmurs.
"So it was true all along…"
"Chen Wu isn't a weakling — Heaven itself vindicated him!"
"Maybe… maybe we all underestimated him."
Some even looked at him with awe, others with fear. A few ambitious disciples already began calculating whether befriending him now could bring future benefits.
Chen Wu bowed low before the Sect Master, voice dripping with false humility.
"This disciple thanks Sect Master and the honored elders for granting him justice. Chen Wu bears no grudges. I only wish to cultivate diligently and honor our sect's name."
His words were perfect, humble, loyal.
But in his heart, Mo Tianxie chuckled darkly.
Cultivate diligently? Honor the sect? Heh. What I honor is my own will. And this sect will kneel, just like Zhao Feng.
The Sect Master studied him for a long moment. For the briefest instant, his sharp eyes flickered with something — wariness, perhaps even intrigue.
"Very well," Sect Master Qiu said at last. "Chen Wu, from this day forth, you will not be ignored. You shall be observed closely. Make sure your actions are as pure as Heaven's light."
"Yes, Sect Master." Chen Wu bowed again, his smile modest, his heart triumphant.
The verdict was sealed. The rumors would spread like wildfire. His name, once trampled in mud, was now etched into the minds of every disciple present — backed by Heaven's own judgment.
As the hall slowly emptied, whispers chased after him like shadows.
"Heaven's Chosen…"
"Golden light… did you see? Heaven acknowledged him!"
"Who dares to bully him now?"
Even those who hated him the most dared not say so openly.
Zhao Feng was carried out in disgrace, his body trembling, his eyes burning with tears of fury. His reputation, his pride, his entire future — shattered by that golden light.
Chen Wu walked calmly through the dispersing crowd, his back straight, his steps unhurried.
Every whisper, every fearful glance, every awed murmur was like music to his ears.
Inwardly, his lips curved into a cruel smile.
So begins my ascent. One step at a time. Wrapped in Heaven's radiance, cloaked in false righteousness. Let them all kneel — willingly or otherwise.