Two figures arrived in a flash of light.
The blinding lights slowly fade and reveals Great General Kwan-Ti and Long Tian. The stationed guards at the Military Tower rush over and greet their general.
"We greet Great General Kwan-Ti!"
Kwan-Ti nodded and waves them away. He then motioned Long Tian to follow him down the corridor.
"It won't be long before you will descend into the lower realms and complete your first task."
Pushing a large door open, the duo entered a large room with a large mirror table. Several feet away from the table were circular platforms embedded into the marble floor. Kwan-Ti walks toward the mirror table and gestures around the room.
"This is the War Room." The four-armed general then points at the circular platforms, "Those are teleporting arrays. You will be using those to enter the lower realms. Once you completed your task, you will return and I will continue your training."
Long Tian nods but felt that something was amiss.
"General Kwan-Ti, if I am not fully trained, wouldn't it be best to send some of the guards down below? If my task were to suppress those who go against the Heavens, that is..."
"Hm, I understand what you mean. Let me tell you about the current situation in the Heavens. After the newly established heaven was formed, we sealed those old monsters out of all twelve realms including the Heavens. We used the bindings of Fate to seal them, for it was the only thing strong enough to seal them."
Kwan-Ti tapped on the mirror table and an image appears showcasing green auroras in the starry sky.
"However, each time someone from the lower realms goes against their fate. The seal cracks." He taps the image and the mirror displays the green auroras cracking
"The seal is starting to unravel, causing a massive disturbance among the Heavens. We were unable to fully prevent the seal from cracking despite knowing what the root of the problem is. Not even the Heavens could control fate. When we drove those old monsters out of our realm, we forcibly bound fate with the Heavens and constructed the seal. If we were to diverge the Heavens from the seal, then it would unravel."
Long Tian stood there silently. This revelation shocked him greatly.
"General Kwan-Ti, can't the Heavens simply send people down to stop those who defile their fate? If it were so dangerous, why allow cultivators to continue?"
"We punish those who go against their fate, but we will always be fair and just when doing so. Once a cultivator reaches a certain stage, the further they go against their fate, the greater the damage the seal will take. A cultivator that merely started will hardly scratch the seal, that is why we will not punish those who are 'weak'. Not only that, but Heaven believes some of them will serve the Heavens well against those old monsters just as your ancestor once did! I know well of your disdain for those who cultivate but know that even they would not want those old monsters to return."
The general pause then continues.
"The lower realms hold many dangers. Disasters that can destabilize all twelve realms. Heaven is not omnipotent or omniscient. The cultivators of the lower realm may cause upheaval, but many would rather quell the growing chaos for their selfish reasons. If Heaven acted rashly, the lower realm would be unbalanced and the Devil race would take advantage of the situation!"
Long Tian took a moment to digest this information and nodded. It seems that things are more complicated than he thought. Even though he would rather enact retribution, he can now understand why the Heavens won't mindlessly suppress all cultivators.
"That is why we rarely send those to the lower realms... We are currently at war with the Devil race and those stationed in Heaven and realms just below cannot be deployed on a whim." Kwan-Ti clenched his fist and growled. "A bastard race that was granted a mere grain of power from those old monsters. They set out in hopes of setting their 'progenitor' free, corrupting others with evil power. The fools! In the end, they'll devour the Devil race as well..."
"As for me?"
"You'll be a valuable asset to the Heavens. The Celestial Emperor has bestowed to you divinity that eludes the natural laws. We cannot send those of the divine to the lower realm because of these natural laws. If we were to send someone down, the Devil race can also send their own. The destruction from a confrontation between the divine and those evil creatures will be devastating to the lower realm!"
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Just like how a brawl between cultivators resulted in his sister and mother's death. Only this will endanger the entire lower realm...
"As of now, we require all soldiers to stay in the Heavens. The danger of both those old monsters and the Devil race is too great. We need all the experienced fighters if the worse were to occur. Hm? Finally, you arrived, Dong Xiang."
A tall, lanky man entered the room. He wore a red robe and had yellowish eyes.
"Forgive me, General. I was delayed due to my teleporting array malfunctioning. Ah, you must be Long Tian."
Long Tian salutes the lanky man.
"I greet senior."
"En, it is my pleasure as well. Now then, shall we?"
Dong Xiang extends a skeletal-like finger at the mirror and the entire table flickered to an old man with a long flowing white beard and hair. The old man sat in a lotus position on a gray stone floor.
"Your first task is simple. Descend into the lower realms and pass upon him retribution for going against the Heavens."
"You will engage him in combat. In the eyes of many in the lower realm, he is considered a god. A powerful cultivator that many cannot even dream of. You are to pass judgment upon him by combat, but your power will be sealed to his level. This is a rule among all forms of punishment inflicted on those in the lower realms."
Long Tian felt somewhat confused by the logic but chose not to question it. His father's voice echoed in the back of his head.
"The Heavens are always fair and just. We mortals cannot comprehend how the Heavens act!"
"Yes!"
"Once the tribulation begins, no one can interfere with the battle. You'll have one incense before you return to the Heavens."
"Yes!"
Dong Xiang waves his hand at Kwan-Ti. He then pointed at the old man in the mirror with a smile. "It appears that he's trying to make a breakthrough."
Kwan-Ti sighs, "Why must all beings in the lower realm be so rebellious?"
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A bright aura began to emit from the old man. Multiple imageries are formed from the old man's aura. The most frightening imagery is that of a bright yellow tiger floating around the old man. It opens its mouth and roars at the sky. The stone floor beneath the old man cracks and his hair started fluttering. His aura slowly became denser and denser till the area around him began to melt.
RUMBLE!
The clear blue skies above suddenly darken. Black clouds manifest above the old man and stretch for miles. Standing many meters away from the old man was a large group of people. Among those were five noticeable people. One was an elderly man with a gruff beard, another was a man in his mid-fifties and his three sons.
The man in his mid-fifties turns his head towards the elderly man with the gruff beard. "Grandfather... Are you certain ancestor Yan Tu will be alright?"
"En, he has been preparing for this moment for hundreds of years. The ancestor knows what he is doing."
"Father! What is great ancestor doing?"
A young boy, around the age of 11 tugs on the middle-aged man's sleeve. His curious expression made the old man laugh despite the incoming Heavenly Tribulation.
"Great ancestor is about to make a breakthrough, but first, he must face the wrath of the Heavens."
"That's right Zhao'er. Stand behind your big brother, it might be dangerous." The eldest brother gently nudges his youngest sibling behind him.
"And you three stay behind me and your grandfather! I had never seen the Heavens this mad before. It is almost pitch black!"
RUMBLE!
Flashes of blue light brighten the black clouds above, but none had struck down upon the old man called Yan Tu.
"I will not be discouraged!"
Yan Tu places his palm together and opens his eyes. Yellow lights shone out of his eyes displaying his knowledge of the universe. The yellow tiger he manifested raised its head upwards and let out a powerful roar.
"It's happening!"
BANG!
Blue lightning struck Yan Tu in the chest causing him to spew blood and suppress his manifested aura. This scene caused the middle-aged man to cry out.
"Ancestor!"
"No, do not call him! You will only distract him!"
"Hmph!" Yan Tu spat out the blood from his mouth and manifest his aura again.
This time, he did not manifest the yellow tiger. Instead, the energy around him heavily condenses to form a golden pagoda.
BANG!
Lightning struck the golden pagoda, shattering it and heavily injuring Yan Tu.
"Heh, it seems like that one was weaker than before..."
Yan Tu raised his hand and made several mudras.
WHEW WHEW WHEW!
Holy energy infused into Yan Tu's veins and soon he recovered from all the damage he took from the Heavenly Tribulation. The onlookers heaved a sigh of relief. The middle-aged man let out a small laugh.
"It seems that I was worried for nothing."
BOOM!
"?!"
A golden lightning bolt struck the ground several feet away from Yan Tu. The impact on the ground scatters dust everywhere. Yan Tu's heart seizes up. Countless years of death and life battles had sharpened his instinct against danger.
WHOOM!
A powerful gust of wind blew away all the dust in the air revealing a figure in golden armor wielding an azure guandao. The onlookers draw out their weapons, ready to defend their ancestors.
"Who is that?! Where did he come from?!"
The area around Yan Tu suddenly felt heavy. He quickly got up and was on guard.
"Who are you?!"
The figure stares directly at Yan Tu.
"... Those who go against the Heavens must be punished!"