Chapter 1252: Heavenly Prophecy

Faced with the Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s “question” and the tightly focused gazes of the entire assembly, Yun Che’s expression was not one of the fear and tension everyone had expected. Instead, he looked bewildered, frowning slightly as he said, “Reporting to the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, that lightning tribulation just now… is actually no secret. In truth, this junior himself doesn't know what happened.”

“Oh? You don’t know?” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Yun Che nodded. “This junior was previously heavily wounded and disoriented after his battle with Luo Changsheng. I had no idea why I suddenly broke through and attracted a lightning tribulation. I dare not conceal this from the Brahma Heaven God Emperor and all seniors, but when the lightning tribulation descended, I was already semi-conscious and didn't know what was happening. When I regained my senses, my injuries had healed, my profound energy and spirit were fully restored, and my profound strength had directly entered the mid-level Divine Spirit Realm. Then the lightning tribulation vanished. As for what exactly happened… I am still completely bewildered, and I was just about to ask for guidance from all you seniors.”

Yun Che frowned deeply, feigning surprise. “This junior has never experienced a lightning tribulation before and only has a slight understanding of it from my master’s teachings. But the tribulation just now was vastly different from what my master described. This junior is still young and inexperienced, so it's only natural that I cannot comprehend the reasons behind it. Could it be… that even you seniors do not know?”

With a few nonchalant words, Yun Che managed to turn the “interrogation” back onto the various God Emperors.

In other words, his words implied: If even esteemed God Emperors like yourselves don’t know, how could I?

Yun Che’s words caused many strong practitioners from the Eastern Divine Region to frown, their faces showing either confusion or, more often, deep thought.

Yun Che was less than thirty years old, so his experience was indeed extremely limited. Furthermore, everyone had witnessed him being crushed and severely wounded, to the point of near-death, during his battle with Luo Changsheng. If he truly possessed some great secret that could withstand Heavenly Dao Tribulation Lightning, how could he not have withstood Luo Changsheng’s Divine King power?

A nine-stage lightning tribulation was unprecedented in the history of the God Realm, so Yun Che naturally could not have experienced it. Therefore, his claim of not knowing why it happened seemed perfectly logical upon a moment’s thought.

However, the fact that he emerged unscathed from the nine-stage tribulation, healed from his injuries, restored his profound energy, and even advanced to the mid-level Divine Spirit Realm, was something that even the God Masters and God Emperors could not comprehend…

“You… truly have no idea at all?” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor looked directly into Yun Che’s eyes, his tone placid, his expression a half-smile.

The intense gaze of a God Emperor would be difficult for even a King Realm expert to bear, let alone a mere young profound practitioner. Yun Che’s spirit was visibly suppressed by an invisible force, and he showed a hint of timidity, but his words held no trace of struggle or hesitation. “Yes, this junior is foolish and still doesn't know what happened. I hope all seniors can enlighten me.”

Mu Xuanyin had strictly warned him that when he broke through to the Divine Tribulation Realm, his lightning tribulation would certainly be extraordinary, and he must not break through without her present.

He had not expected to suddenly break through while heavily wounded during his battle with Luo Changsheng, nor had he imagined that he would attract an unprecedented nine-stage lightning tribulation…

Years ago, in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, the Golden Crow soul spirit had told him, upon bestowing the Heretic God’s Lightning Seed, that with the Heretic God’s lightning power, not even Divine Punishment Tribulation Lightning could harm him. The nine-stage tribulation indeed failed to harm him. Instead, the impact of the Heavenly Dao’s power caused both his Great Void Buddha Art and profound energy to break through, but it also had a huge side effect…

It had terrified everyone.

Given the situation, he had repeatedly pondered during the tribulation, and the best method he could devise was to adamantly insist on his own “complete ignorance.”

“...” Qianye Ying’er’s lips curved slightly, letting out a soft hum, but she did not speak.

At that moment, an extremely excited, aged voice rang out: “As for why Yun Che was not harmed by the lightning tribulation… this old man might know the reason!”

This aged voice instantly drew everyone’s gaze… It was none other than Mo Yu, the leader of the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery!

The Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery were usually very taciturn, for their words were “words of the Heavenly Dao,” each one incredibly weighty. If anyone else had said the same thing, the various God Emperors might have dismissed it, but no one would lightly disregard or question Mo Yu’s words.

“Is that true?!” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor exclaimed.

“...” Yun Che’s brows tightened, and his heart skipped a beat.

The Heavenly Mystery Realm was a high-ranking star realm, yet it could sit equally with the King Realms, indicating its status in the Eastern Divine Region. Some legends Yun Che had heard about the Heavenly Mystery Realm were almost mythical…

Could it be that they had truly seen something?

Mo Yu slowly nodded, and the excitement he displayed at that moment profoundly shocked the Eternal Heaven God Emperor and the others. Not just Mo Yu, but Mo Zhi and Mo Wen also showed the same reaction.

The Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery, who had spent their lives observing heavenly mysteries and viewed even life and death with indifference, usually found that worldly affairs barely stirred a ripple in their hearts. Yet, at this moment, they were clearly as agitated as if they had truly witnessed a god.

All three Elders of Heavenly Mystery looked at Yun Che, their eyes trembling unceasingly. Mo Yu slowly stated, “Because this child is very likely… a Child of the Heavenly Way!”

Yun Che: “...?”

“What?!” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s expression froze.

“A… Child of the Heavenly Way?” These four words, this astonishing designation, left many profound practitioners dumbfounded.

“How could a Child of the Heavenly Way be harmed by the power of the Heavenly Way!” Mo Yu continued, “The world-shrouding dark clouds and the nine-stage lightning tribulation just now were not the lightning tribulation we know at all, but the Heavenly Way proclaiming to all realms that the Child of the Heavenly Way had descended!”

These words could be said to be utterly absurd. Yet, coming from the mouths of the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery, every word was a thunderclap.

“Hahahaha!” Cang Shitian threw his head back and laughed. “What utter nonsense. This King has lived for tens of thousands of years and has never heard of any ‘Child of the Heavenly Way.’ Such ridiculous and laughable words, I can’t believe you’d say them.”

The Eastern Divine Region highly respected the Heavenly Mystery Realm, but that didn’t mean the Southern Divine Region did as well.

“I, the Dragon Monarch, have also never heard of a ‘Child of the Heavenly Way,’” the Dragon Monarch said indifferently. “However, I also know well that the Heavenly Mystery Realm never speaks falsely. I hope the three of you will enlighten us: what is a ‘Child of the Heavenly Way’? And why do you believe Yun Che is this ‘Child of the Heavenly Way’?”

Mo Yu, however, shook his head. “We three also do not know the exact meaning of ‘Child of the Heavenly Way.’”

“Heh,” Cang Shitian curled his lip in disdain. “Are you perhaps toying with us then?”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor raised a hand, his expression solemn. “Master Mo Yu, please continue.”

Mo Yu briefly closed his eyes, let out a long, slow breath, and slowly said, “The four words ‘Child of the Heavenly Way’ come from an ancestral prophecy from a distant era. Furthermore… it was the last heavenly mystery glimpsed by our sect’s Grand Ancestor Huantian before his demise.”

“What? Grand Ancestor Huantian?!” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s body visibly trembled, and the other God Emperors’ expressions also changed slightly.

“Grand Ancestor Huantian? Who is that?” Huo Poyun quietly asked.

“He was the founding ancestor of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, and also the first remarkable individual in the God Realm who could glimpse the Heavenly Way,” Huo Rulie whispered. “Back then, he had a profound friendship with Grand Ancestor Eternal Heaven. His very first prophecy was that Eternal Heaven would certainly become a King Realm.”

“Ah!” Huo Poyun gasped softly.

At the mention of “Grand Ancestor Huantian,” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s face clearly showed deep reverence, and even his tone lost some of its placid authority. “What exactly does Grand Ancestor Huantian’s final prophecy of the ‘Child of the Heavenly Way’ mean? And why do you believe this ‘Child of the Heavenly Way’ is Yun Che?”

“The Grand Ancestor prophesied that one day, our Eastern Divine Region would give birth to a ‘Child of the Heavenly Way,’ who would be born bathed in a nine-stage lightning tribulation, and would ultimately…” Mo Yu’s chest heaved, every word filled with a devotion akin to faith, “become… a… True… God.”

Eternal Heaven God Emperor: “…”

Qianye Ying’er: “…”

Yun Che: “…………”

The two words “True God” sounded like a world-shaking thunderclap in everyone’s ears and hearts. Following that, the entire world fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone’s expression changed, as if they had suddenly been plunged into a hazy illusion. But the most dramatic changes in expression belonged to the various God Emperors. The Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, and Moon God Emperor were frozen as if struck and paralyzed by divine lightning; their bodies, features, and eyes all remained stiff for a long time. The Dragon Monarch suddenly turned around, and even the Divine Emperor Shitian, who had been lazily leaning there, looking half-asleep, instantly stood upright, his eyes wide.

For profound practitioners, especially for those who had reached the pinnacle of human achievement, nothing could be more impactful than the words “True God.”

From the Mortal Origin Realm to the Sovereign Profound Realm, these were the nine stages of the Mortal Dao, the profound path of mortals.

From the Divine Origin Realm to the Divine Master Realm, these were the seven stages of the Divine Profound, the divine path by which humans broke through the limits of humanity… But, this was ultimately just the divine path of humans. It surpassed human limits, striving to approach the divine, but was destined to never truly reach the realm of gods.

A True God, on the other hand, was an existence completely transcending the human plane, possessing supreme divine power, a race and power that had been annihilated in ancient times.

The era of True Gods had ended. Under the increasingly turbid chaotic aura, humans, beasts, demons, spirits… all living beings were destined to be unable to become True Gods. In the profound way, this had become common knowledge or truth.

The words “True God” were now merely a distant myth.

Yet, those profound practitioners standing at the pinnacle of the profound way, while believing that humans were perhaps destined never to become gods and True Gods were destined never to reappear, secretly yearned for and pursued the elusive “True God Dao,” even stopping at nothing for it.

Because once the myth was realized, they would possess a lifespan comparable to the heavens and the power to control all realms and look down upon all.

But a myth, after all, was just a myth. Although all the King Realms pursued it, no one had ever truly achieved it.

And now, they actually heard “True God” from the mouths of the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery, from the prophecy of their Grand Ancestor.

And specifically, “to become a True God!”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor took several steps forward before finally speaking, “Are these words… truly… Grand Ancestor Huantian’s prophecy?”

Only the King Realms were qualified to pursue that elusive True God Dao. Therefore, below the King Realms, anyone speaking of “becoming a True God” would simply be dismissed with disdain.

But the Heavenly Mystery Realm was different, and figures like the Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery would never utter a single word of falsehood or absurdity… not to mention, it came from the Grand Ancestor of Heavenly Mystery.

“Heh, what a joke.” Cang Shitian wore a look of disdain. “First, some so-called ‘Child of the Heavenly Way,’ and now even ‘True God’ has popped out. Is this what you call ‘heavenly mystery prophecy’ in the Eastern Divine Region? The era of gods ended long ago; humans are destined never to become gods, and there will never be True Gods born in this world again. This is something even a three-year-old child knows.”

“This King also once sought the divine path, but after tens of thousands of years, gained absolutely nothing. And yet you old fellows, with your mere Divine King cultivation, actually dare to utter such absurd words as ‘becoming a True God’… Heh, this King has never heard such a ridiculous joke in his life, hahahahaha!”

Although Cang Shitian was scoffing and laughing wildly, deep within his eyes, an unparalleled fervor clearly surged.

Though he did not believe it, or rather, no one believed it, even a tiny possibility was enough to drive them mad.

Mo Yu took a deep breath and slowly said, “We indeed have no qualification to idly discuss the True God Dao. A Child of the Heavenly Way, a nine-stage lightning tribulation, a True God descending into the world… Although this old man has never dared to forget or question the ancestor’s prophecy, in truth, I had never believed it would actually happen. For a six-stage lightning tribulation was already a lost myth, so how could there be a nine-stage tribulation?!”

“But just now, the impossible nine-stage lightning tribulation was right before our eyes!”

“The ancestor’s prophecy is right before our eyes!”

“If you still do not believe…” Mo Yu’s expression suddenly solemned. He extended both hands, and a massive white tome appeared, shimmering with profound light in front of him.

The tome was several feet tall, surrounded by a peaceful profound glow. Though merely a book, it emanated an ancient and sacred aura.

“The Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome!” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor murmured softly.

Mo Yu slowly said, “This Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome is our Heavenly Mystery Realm’s supreme sacred object. It is inscribed with the names of our historical ancestors, along with the heavenly mysteries they glimpsed and the prophecies they left behind. All the God Emperors present have consulted the Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome before, and all have asked the same question: Why is the first page of the Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome blank?”

The Dragon Monarch, Divine Emperor Shitian, Eternal Heaven God Emperor, Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Star God Emperor, and Moon God Emperor all fixed their gazes intently, their heartstrings tightly stretched.

“With the prophecy now manifest, it is time for this old man to resolve the God Emperors’ confusion.”

Mo Yu waved his palm, and the Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome opened before everyone’s eyes, turning to its first page.

It was completely blank, without a single mark or inscribed word.

The Three Elders of Heavenly Mystery exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously. The three extended their right arms, and as their thoughts converged, their palms glowed with the Heavenly Mystery Realm’s unique profound light.

Under the profound light’s illumination, two lines of golden inscriptions clearly appeared on the blank Heavenly Mystery Divine Tome:

Nine-stage Heavenly Tribulation appears,True God descends to the world.