Divine Firmament Thunder Seed

The dark clouds in the sky parted, while white auspicious clouds converged from every direction, encircling a round patch of blue sky.

Above the auspicious clouds, translucent phantoms flickered. Banners snapped in the wind, armor gleamed, and Heavenly Soldiers descended.

Li Qingxian looked up at the sky and vaguely made out words on the banners: "White Emperor Thunder Duke General," "Water-Thunder Lightning General," "Thunderbolt Black General," and more.

Thunder drums boomed throughout the sky, battle music rang out, and densely packed lightning and Heavenly Fire descended, attacking the four Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators without end.

Jiang Youfei stood amid swirling thunder and fire, her white dress fluttering and her black hair flowing like water, like an immortal maiden looking down upon the world.

Though the four Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators had been brimming with savage flames, they retreated again and again at this moment, hurriedly using magical artifacts and spells to defend themselves.

Heavenly thunder and Heavenly Fire were supremely hard and supremely yang. Demon Sect artifacts shattered at a touch, while their spells melted away upon contact.

Only Gong Wu maintained his footing with Outer Realm Devilfire. The other three looked like drowned dogs.

All the horses in the convoy fainted, and the carriages landed at a slant.

Li Qingxian stood atop the tilted carriage, staring intently at Jiang Youfei. She seemed to be struggling somewhat, but she did not look as though she would be injured.

While controlling the Thunderlight Fire Seal, Jiang Youfei said, "Open the demon formation and let them go!"

The four Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators said nothing, exhausting every means to resist the thunder and fire falling from the sky.

Zhou Hen's excited voice transmission arrived. "I never expected the Thunderlight Fire Seal to be this powerful, nor did I expect Jiang Youfei to unleash all its power. We will certainly win this battle."

Li Qingxian always felt that something was wrong.

An instant later, Li Qingxian suddenly understood. The Thunderlight Fire Seal was so powerful that the enemy could never possibly injure Jiang Youfei head-on.

Yet Ye Han's fortune reading had shown Jiang Youfei suffering severe wounds, even vomiting blood.

There was only one possibility: a sneak attack!

Li Qingxian shouted, "Watch out..."

Almost at the same instant Li Qingxian cried out, an ordinary soldier among the Night Guard troops suddenly sprang into the air, transforming into a streak of black light that shot skyward.

Bang!

An iron hand flew out from the black light and struck Jiang Youfei solidly between the shoulder blades.

Pfft...

Jiang Youfei spat blood and fell. The Thunderlight Fire Seal lost control and dropped with her, releasing a faintly visible barrier of light that protected Jiang Youfei and blocked the sneak attacker's second strike.

Li Qingxian disregarded all else and raised the purple crystal.

Nothing happened.

The four Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators and the Third Rank Demon Sect cultivator who had succeeded in the sneak attack gathered together and burst into loud laughter.

At this moment, their auras were like mountains and seas. Their earlier weakness had merely been an act.

Despair rose in everyone's hearts.

"Come out!" Gong Wu said.

Outside the thin black mist, hundreds of Demon Sect disciples and Ministry of Justice officials walked forward.

Zhou Hen had originally wanted to take Li Qingxian away, but when he saw Li Qingxian standing motionless with the purple crystal raised, he froze.

"You..."

Li Qingxian instantly understood the reason. His hand holding the purple crystal dropped, and he whispered to Zhou Hen, "Don't panic. I have a way."

After all, he was not Ye Han. He probably lacked the Fortune or Destiny Mold needed to activate this purple crystal.

Heaven's Mandate Instrument! Li Qingxian shouted inwardly.

Rumble...

The sound of the Heaven's Mandate Instrument turning rang out. An invisible burst of Fortune exploded and fell upon the purple crystal.

The purple crystal seemed to be protected by some force. The Fortune would need some time before it could activate it.

The five Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators slowly approached, their demonic flames reaching the heavens. Their terrifying auras became a wild gale that swept forth, gradually driving even the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals away.

Jiang Youfei sat sideways on the ground, her right arm braced against the earth,

Jiang Youfei turned to glance at Li Qingxian, guilt flashing through her eyes. Then she turned toward the five Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators and said, "Let them go. Otherwise, I will sacrifice myself and force the Thunderlight Fire Seal to activate!"

"You won't be letting a single one of them go!" Gong Wu waved his right hand, and vast demonic qi surged like a black river toward Jiang Youfei.

Boom...

Jiang Youfei and the Thunderlight Fire Seal were sent flying high backward, crashing heavily down before the carriage.

Jiang Youfei vomited a great mouthful of blood, staining her white dress red.

Her soft voice entered Li Qingxian's ears. "Little monkey, run. I have wronged you..."

Li Qingxian merely smiled and said, "Jiang stubborn mule, will you still be this stubborn in the future?"

Jiang Youfei sighed, gripping the Thunderlight Fire Seal tightly as she watched the five Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators approach.

Gong Wu raised his right arm high, and countless demonic heads rose behind him like a city wall.

Zhou Hen sighed. Jiang Youfei possessed heaven-gifted talent. Had she not been ambushed, she could have resisted four Third Rank cultivators with the Thunderlight Fire Seal. But in the end, she had underestimated the Demon Sect's determination and viciousness.

Li Qingxian raised the purple crystal again and sighed. "I had not wished to act, but for Sister Youfei's sake, I can only risk my life."

Jiang Youfei's eyes widened. Within them was reflected a towering figure, connecting heaven and earth.

Divine light swirled chaotically around the purple crystal, and lightning crackled.

Boom!

A sphere of lightning expanded outward from Li Qingxian in all directions, instantly covering an area of more than ten miles. It raised wild winds and shockwaves, sending everyone staggering.

Buzz...

The auspicious clouds in the sky had originally been about to disperse, while the shadows of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals had already dimmed nearly to the point of vanishing.

At this moment, more auspicious clouds came rolling in from every direction, three layers in all, encircling a new expanse of azure sky.

Each layer of auspicious clouds was filled with densely packed Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

The banners of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on the highest layer differed from before, bearing additional words such as "Northern Black Emperor Thunder Lord," "Wind-Fire Primordial Lord," and "Celestial Thunder True Ruler."

Those beneath those banners stood ten times taller than ordinary Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

The round patch of azure sky encircled by the auspicious clouds suddenly transformed into a star-filled sky.

In the depths of that starry sky, one corner of a majestic city appeared.

Only golden bricks, jade belts, and encircling lightning could be seen; nothing else was visible. It seemed to be merely a section of city wall, yet it exuded a vast and majestic aura that crushed the stars and destroyed the world.

"Divine Firmament Thunder City, residence of the Heavenly Emperor..." Jiang Youfei raised her head to the sky and murmured.

The Sky Firmament Sect disciples all dropped to their knees, chanting, "Supreme Divine Firmament Jade Clarity True King, Great Emperor of Longevity, Unifier of Heaven, Primordial Sage Heavenly Venerable."

As soon as the Thunder City appeared, its vast aura pressed down. The five Third Rank Demon Sect cultivators smashed their knees heavily into the mud, their backs bent under the pressure and their foreheads pressed to the ground. Even using all their magical power, they could not move in the slightest.

The younger Demon Sect members were crushed into the earth by invisible divine might, sprawled out in the shape of the character "big."

"Jiang Youfei, how dare you humiliate a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice? This old man..." Gong Wu believed Jiang Youfei was responsible and cursed loudly, but halfway through, his voice abruptly stopped.

High in the sky, divine drums thundered, and the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals shouted in unison.

The enormous circle formed by the three layers of auspicious clouds was suddenly filled with endless pure-white lightning.

From afar, it looked as though a massive pillar of lightning more than ten miles in diameter descended from the starry sky, piercing the heavens and striking directly where Li Qingxian stood.

The earth of Qi Kingdom seemed as though a god had descended and driven a spear of lightning into it.

Scholars in Jiangnan, fishermen in the East Sea, farmers in the western lands, soldiers along the northern border, and even the Demon Race north of the Great River all raised their heads to gaze skyward.

All beings wore all expressions; the whole world watched the thunder.

Destiny Arts Masters everywhere erupted into fervor.

One powerful consciousness after another soared into the air, looking toward a place more than a hundred miles south of the Divine Capital of Qi Kingdom.

Within Destiny Mountain.

An Old Man gazed at the lightning pillar from afar, stroking his long beard with a smile. "It must be that Ye Han's Destiny Pattern has taken shape, his Fortune entering Taking Office. With this, he can ascend the Dragon Court and strengthen our Heaven's Mandate Sect."

The Divine Capital, Imperial Palace.

The old man in a bright yellow robe had sagging skin, drooping bags beneath his eyes, and a face covered in brown spots.

He paused his review of memorials and glanced outside.

His eyes instantly transformed into clear azure skies. From the Ninth Heaven, they looked down and surveyed the mortal world.

After only one glance, he lowered his head. As he continued reviewing memorials, he said, "Investigate it."

"As you command, Your Majesty." A red-clad eunuch in a python robe transformed into a wisp of black wind and vanished.