Chapter 111: Brewing Incoming Storm - Part 2
In an unknown location, hidden far from the eyes of the people, stood a chamber drenched in shadows.
The place was dimly lit, its silence oppressive, as though the air itself carried the weight of unspoken secrets.
At the heart of this chamber sat a middle-aged man upon a towering throne. His features were obscured, shrouded by a veil of darkness that seemed almost alive.
Everything about him was cloaked in mystery.
Beneath the throne, a man knelt on one knee, his head bowed low.
His entire frame trembled faintly, as though the very thought of meeting his lord’s gaze was unbearable.
"What do you mean the boy invoked a heavenly blessing?" the mysterious man asked at last, his voice low yet carrying the force of thunder.
Shock colored his tone, though it was quickly buried beneath a layer of authority.
"My Lord, that is exactly what happened," the kneeling man replied quickly, almost stumbling over his own words. "Thousands of people witnessed it with their own eyes."
"The purple mist that descended from the heavens—it was not a curse, but a blessing. Those who could not cultivate before found themselves able to sense Qi the moment it touched them. And those who were already martial artists... nearly all experienced breakthroughs."
He hesitated, his throat dry.
"Right now, the news of the heavenly blessing is spreading across the region like wildfire."
The mysterious leader did not reply immediately.
Instead, silence reigned, broken only by the faint tapping of his fingers against the throne’s armrest.
His unseen expression grew dark.
The notion itself sounded absurd—mortals being blessed by heaven when the world’s spiritual energy had long thinned to near extinction.
Even in eras when spiritual energy flowed like rivers and the air itself pulsed with vitality, heaven had never directly blessed the people.
But now, when the world had grown barren and hostile, such a thing had happened.
"And you say it was all triggered... by a mere lecture?" he asked again, his tone edged with disbelief, as if needing confirmation that his ears had not deceived him.
"Yes, My Lord," the messenger confirmed, his forehead pressed even lower to the cold ground.
"It was during the lecture that it happened. Jun Wu was enveloped in a cocoon, as though chosen by heaven itself."
A heaven’s chosen...
"Interesting," the man on the throne murmured, his tone heavy with contemplation.
At first, their interest in the boy had been limited to the array plates and the secrets he might carry.
But now, his value has multiplied beyond measure.
A person who could invoke such a phenomenon... could not be left to grow freely.
"We must have him," the mysterious man decided, the words chilling in their finality. "By all possible means."
Though his face remained hidden, the temperature in the chamber plummeted, the air itself turning sharp and biting. The messenger flinched, his breath clouding in the sudden frost.
"Relay my command," the lord continued, tapping the throne in a strange, deliberate rhythm. "Three Masters are to depart immediately. The boy must be brought to me without delay."
He paused, as if weighing something. "And send one Expert Realm cultivator as well. For emergencies."
The messenger’s eyes widened.
He dared not raise his head, but his heart pounded furiously.
Such a force had never been dispatched for a single mission.
Three Masters and an Expert Realm cultivator? That was enough to crush an entire clans.
Still, the more he thought about Jun Wu’s supposed miracle, the less strange the order seemed.
"Yes, My Lord," he answered, voice steady but his soul trembling.
...
Far away, in the grand hall of the Gong Clan, news of the heavenly blessing had struck like lightning.
"A heavenly blessing..." the Gong Matriarch whispered, her eyes wide, her usually unshakable demeanor momentarily shattered.
She turned to the Elder of External Affairs who stood before her.
"Yes, Clan Leader," the elder said solemnly. "Many of our people benefited from it personally. The entire city is in an uproar. Everyone is calling it a miracle. Clan Leader, what are your orders?"
Around them, the elders of the Gong Clan sat in silence, their faces grave.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Jun Wu was not following the script.
While they schemed to abduct him for his array plates, the boy had instead ascended to an entirely new height—invoking heaven’s blessing.
The shock had not yet subsided, and already his name spread far and wide.
The uproar over the array plates had barely quieted, and now this storm arrived to dwarf it.
The great hall was as silent as a graveyard. Elders exchanged uneasy glances, but none spoke.
Previously, they target Jun Wu discreetly but everything has changed....
He was talented, yes, but his value had been within their grasp.
Now, after heaven recognized him, his worth was immeasurable. One boy was tipping the balance of power in the entire region.
At last, the First Elder broke the silence. His voice was as cold as the edge of a blade. "Clan Leader, I say we strike immediately. Kill him before his rise cannot be contained."
"I agree," said the Third Elder, a woman whose eyes burned with ruthless resolve.
"This is not the time to hesitate over appearances. We must end his life before his influence grows any further."
The Matriarch’s expression hardened, her features cold enough to chill the room.
Had Jun Wu been from an insignificant family, perhaps they would have ignored him.
But he bore the Jun name, and for that reason alone, they could not allow his existence to blossom.
"Dispatch five Masters," she commanded.
Her voice was flat, but the air itself seemed to quiver at her words. "And send one Supreme Elder in case of unforeseen events."
The hall fell even colder, as if winter had descended in an instant.
"There is no room for failure."
"Yes, Clan Leader," the elders answered in unison, their voices subdued beneath the weight of her command.
...
Meanwhile, within the Jun Clan, the atmosphere was equally tense but vastly different in tone.
Inside the main grand hall reserved for the most critical decisions, elders gathered in full attendance.
Some faces were solemn, others conflicted.
Seated at the highest seats were the three Ancestors of the Jun Clan, their expressions calm and unreadable, like still waters undisturbed by storms.
At the center, the current Clan Master, Jun Qiqang, gave a nod. "You can tell everyone the urgent news."
Though most of the elders had already learned of the event through whispers and witnesses, protocol demanded that the matter be declared officially in the Council of Elders.
The External Affairs Elder stepped forward and bowed. "Jun Wu, son of Jun Chang, received heaven’s blessing during his open lecture."
"People are calling him... the Heavenly Son."
Gasps filled the room.
Several elders sucked in sharp breaths, and a few shivered despite themselves.
Jun Qiqang exchanged glances with others, his eyes complicated.
They had targeted Jun Wu since his birth, always labelling him as trash, a stain on their clan’s prestige.
Now, heaven itself had recognized him.
How could this be?
Confusion merged with envy and fear in their hearts.
The External Affairs Elder ignored their turmoil and turned respectfully toward the Ancestors. "Ancestors, what should we do?"
The hall descended into heavy silence.
Then, at last, an aged voice broke through, resonant and steady.
"Since the heavens bless my Jun Clan, this proves we are not forgotten."
The words carried a weight that pressed upon every elder present.
"Send five Golden Falcons to bring him back."