151] – [Vessel of Heaven]

Looking up, the three men noticed the dark sky from the seal to be breaking apart.

"Will we be doomed?" Asking in anguish, Ivan heard a relaxed answer from Elder Rong.

"Hmph! The Heavens have a lot of face, will they truly chase us for something so minor? If the Heavens don't want to respect their own rules, then we can't do anything about it. But will they do so? If they do, what about their face? They need at least this much presence and awe to inspire the future generations. There is no evidence of our crime, everything is circumstantial at best. Everything is just a coincidence, nothing more, nothing less."

"Who asked the Heavens to be so arrogant?"

Seeing him stroke his beard so casually, both Elder Pha and Ivan were struck with disbelief.

'Truly worthy of someone practicing the Dao of Supremacy. Even the mighty Heavens can't enter his eyes!' Shaking his head, Ivan stood up.

"What do we do now? Do we act or just wait?"

Coughing blood, Elder Pha felt thousands of lightning bolts to be striking his arrays. And just now, the rest of his energy reserves had been depleted.

"We just wait." Looking up, Elder Rong's silver eyes leisurely awaited the fall of the sky.

Cracks forming everywhere, Elder Pha collapsed on his bottom as the black sky, illuminated by seven colors from the earth, was sent to oblivion. The real sky was now bare to see, ominous grey clouds spanning countless acres. The horizon was covered, wrathful sparks of blue up in the clouds, glimmering like the stars at night.

The wind blew and rain began to form. Even in this sealed world, the Heavens held the entire world in the palm of their hand.

"I… was just doing experiments…" Scratching the back of his head, Elder Pha shivered, cold sweats chilling his back.

The rain pouring down, the mighty wind created tornadoes of water, waterspouts electrified by its heavenly lightning.

"It knows how to put on a front. Good show I guess." Elder Rong was not impressed. Pushing his hand upward, a palm of silver rumbled across the now chaotic sect.

The scene soon unfolded for all of the sect world to admire for generations to come.

The teal sky an incredible distance upward, now covered with clouds of tribulation, was facing along its storm a giant palm of silver light. From the clouds, a blue palm of condensed lightning struck down as well.

The collision of the two sent the sect world spinning. The Lured Cloud Sect, right below it, was panicking. The wind was almost sending them flying while the rain drenched them.

The shockwave from the palms connecting sent earthquakes rampaging across the lands, mountains elevated a notch further.

Even the random disciples of all three sects could see it, they could hear it.

The thunderous roar of the maddened Heavens dueling with the great immortal sinner. A dance between two domains, quivering the souls of countless.

Reality trembled, lives were destroyed, creations uprooted.

"Do you want-"

"Don't!" Stopping Ivan, Elder Rong's face fell. The Heavens actually sent an full fledged blow. However, as a Supreme Candidate, Elder Rong had enough status to keep his life. If Ivan tried to do the same, the Heavens would not let him go.

'I always took this book to heart.' Flashes of a distant memory resurfacing, Elder Rong remembered an old book he always preached about.

'The Heavens will never dare to offend the Supreme Candidates. To offend them is the same as offending the Supreme One. Even the Heavens cannot keep their heads high in front of its existence. The fear of its future presence will always be enough to deter their

bold ambition.

'

'This author truly did not disappoint this old man! From the looks of it, even the Heavens won't dare to kill me for this!'

'After all, aren't I just defending myself?'

A wide grin exposed to the sky, Elder Rong pushed his palm further. This forced the standstill to be broken, shards of blue light sent flying everywhere, as if the blue palm was being grinded to dust.

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"The Heavens are ambitious! This old man is not about to be snuffed out of existence for a simple and baseless accusation! [Silver Palm]!"

The blue hand destroyed with a large sound, like breaking glass, his own silver one collapsed as well. Kicking the ground, Elder Rong's small figure when compared with the entire sky shot toward it.

A black shadow could now be seen from all sects, Elder Rong's bold attitude earning him quite the reputation.

His left hand turning metallic, as if coated with silver, it struck upward. Blue lightning bolts descending upon him, he endured the damage, his hand still in motion.

As his arm extended fully, a large shockwave erupted, deafening the sect world, splitting the chaotic rain and water tornadoes in half. The farthest the target, the more precision he would need. His [Silver Palm] did not stop, smaller shockwaves forming like falling dominos, a straight line of them.

When near the clouds, a very small one connected with the Heavens' wrath. The insignificant shockwave covered barely a millionth of their splendor, yet its might was not as such.

The clouds pushed aside, a giant hole in the cloudy sky formed.

"Elder Rong! Careful!!" Shouting in anguish, Ivan tried his best to warn his senior.

"?!" Looking to his right, while still mid-air, Elder Rong saw a humanoid made out of clouds send a left punch to his ribs.

'I can't dodge it!' Without even realizing what happened, his figure was sent flying away, crashing into some of the Lured Cloud Sect's structures.

Trembling eyes and quivering hearts ogling at the cloudy being, their faces turned pale.

Even the sect masters and most powerful elders of the sect world turned gloomy. The first to break the silence was Ivan, his black robes fluttering along his fear.

"Vessel of Heaven..!" Gawking at the sight, numerous light beams shot in direction of their sect. Soon arriving, said light beams turned into people, now floating in the air.

They were the sect masters and elders of the other two sects.

The one to speak to the vessel first was the Diamond Sect's sect master, Tempered Goddess Marguerite. Her velvet eyes shone while her purple robes felt unbound by gravity.

"Vessel of Heaven! I, Marguerite, greets you!" Cupping her fists, all others followed. Her words woke them up from their stupor, granting them the ability to recover enough as to avoid disrespecting it further.

To answer her, the Vessel of Heaven did not hesitate to speak. His strange voice rumbled across the minds of all, sharp winds and echoes of bells ringing.

"Do not interfere if you value your lives! Today, the Heavens seek compensation! To obscure my vision is to betray my trust!" Even without eyes, it looked like it directly glared at Elder Pha.

"To try and diffuse my blows, this is also a sin!" This time, it seemed to glare at Elder Rong amidst the rubbles.

"Unless you have a good excuse, none of you will leave unscathed!!"

These words were almost a death sentence. The Vessel of Heaven, something they never saw themselves, actually appeared now. Somehow, Ivan felt like having jinxed himself.

Between the Eye of Heaven and the Vessel of Heaven was a difference of countless magnitudes. The last time it appeared in Limbo, multiple epochs ago, none of the offenders survived. And, among them, some claim there to have been people comparable to sages.

The Vessel of Heaven was not as strong as the Heavens per say, but a much stronger version of the eye. The Eye of Heaven would compromise its strength and, while difficult to pass, it was not impossible to survive if one had the means.

On the other hand, the Vessel of Heaven lacked the will to restrain itself. Its strength was completely unknown.

"But, since I indeed did not see what you fools did, I can let that slide. However! Punishments to the crimes I have previously listed must be given."

"We understand!" In unison, all people in the sect world, mortals from countless kilometers away as well, bowed.

"Here is the verdict. You two will have the chance to live, and the risk to perish. If you can survive a tribulation each, then I will let this matter be forgotten."

"Thank you for your incredible generosity!" Sweating profusely, both Elder Rong and Elder Pha were in a dangerous spot. Elder Rong especially, already injured in his heart and now physically as well.

"Good." Raising its finger, the Vessel of Heaven caused small blue sparks to form on it. Following his move, the entire world dimmed considerably. The clouds above turned pitch black, the blue lightning in them becoming countless times more beautiful. Their glow overshadowed a glamorous starry sky by a longshot.

"Now, endure." Its body dissipating, the Vessel of Heaven left. Yet, none of the people present dared to even breathe.

Elder Rong closing in on Elder Pha, he sat cross-legged.

"Sect master, please take care of my disciple."

Closing their eyes, the two seated elders were being watched by the most important figures of the sect world.

A spark the beginning to the calamity, a pillar of blue lightning shot down, striking Elder Rong first.

Grunting and almost screaming, he convulsed like a fish out of water. Blood seeped out of his seven orifices while the aura of the pillar alone caused even the three sect masters and three most powerful elders of this world to shiver in awe.

If it were them, they would be able to survive with ease. But the problem came from the target. If the target was them, would they survive? The pillar on Elder Rong would even cause a peak first stage Heaven Surpassing Realm monster to plead in mercy.

"Don't look down..!" Through gritted teeth and tightly closed eyes, Elder Rong was not ready to give up.

"On this old man!!!!" Shouting, he roared aloud, a silver light contending with the pillar of lightning.

The ground shattering, countless waves of chaotic wind attempted to blow away all spectators.

Tears trickling down his face, Elder Rong was on the verge of collapse when the oppression diminished greatly. A mere moment later, the blue pillar of tribulation dissipated.

Left gasping for breath, Elder Rong laid down on the harsh ground. The sky was still filled with clouds darker than the void, yet showed signs of movement. For the wind to be able to push them away, it meant the tribulation to be over.

Then, what about Elder Pha?

Turning his head around, thinking of this exact question, Elder Rong saw a gloomy Ivan. On his right, a charred figure was in a similar position to him.

Gulping, Elder Rong heard the ragged breath of the charred man slowly vanish, soul fluctuations disappearing.

The sect became silent.

"Brother… Pha…" Shocked beyond belief, Elder Rong saw his fond memories flash by. Elder Pha was a true brother to him, sticking through thick and thin.

"I…" Ivan trying to form a sentence, he dared not to.

For the Vessel of Heaven to leave without victims, it was too good to be true.