When the heaven trembled
1122 Words
"The script... it's gone."
The elder's trembling voice shattered the suffocating silence hanging over the Yan Family's ancestral grounds. His weathered hands shook as he stared at the empty stone altar where the ancient sealing scripture had rested for thousands of years.
"It disappeared."
The surrounding elders exchanged horrified glances. Their faces drained of color.
The Grand Elder slowly closed his eyes before releasing a long, heavy breath.
"So..." he muttered. "The prophecy was true after all."
His sharp gaze settled on the unconscious youth lying in the distance.
Yan Hua.
The ragged young man who had lived quietly within the Yan Family.
The boy they had mistaken for an ordinary servant.
"There is no other way," the Grand Elder declared, his voice echoing through the courtyard. "We must give everything we have to annihilate this dangerous boy before he becomes a calamity to the cultivation world."
Every elder nodded.
Even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.
The fate of the world outweighed the fate of one boy.
Without another word, the elders formed a massive circle around the ancestral platform. Their sleeves fluttered violently as streams of spiritual energy poured from their bodies.
Golden runes rose from the ancient ground.
The mountains trembled.
The sky darkened.
An enormous formation that had remained dormant since the Yan Family's founding slowly awakened.
This was the legacy left behind by their founding ancestor after obtaining the Essence of the True Fire Dragon.
A formation powerful enough to suppress even heaven-defying beings.
Flames shaped like crimson dragons coiled around the heavens, letting out earth-shaking roars.
The pressure alone caused the earth to split apart.
Dust and broken stones floated into the air.
Then...
The unconscious Yan Hua slowly raised one hand.
His closed eyes remained shut.
Yet the heavens responded.
A gigantic palm materialized above the clouds, blotting out the sun.
Its shadow swallowed the entire mountain.
Boundless spiritual pressure crashed downward like an endless ocean.
Boom!
The awakened formation cracked.
The crimson dragons wailed before shattering into countless fragments of light.
The elders' knees slammed into the ground one after another.
Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths.
Even breathing became a painful struggle.
A majestic voice echoed from every direction.
"You insects..."
The voice carried no anger.
Only absolute indifference.
"You dare challenge me?"
The sky rumbled violently.
"You are seeking death."
The enormous palm slowly descended.
Its power was enough to erase mountains and rivers.
Death loomed over everyone.
Fear spread across every elder's face.
Some closed their eyes in despair.
Others clenched their fists, refusing to kneel despite the overwhelming pressure.
Just as the heavenly palm was about to descend—
A soft sigh echoed through the battlefield.
Xue Mei quietly removed the white headband tied around her forehead.
The moment it slipped from her fingers...
Everything changed.
A dazzling pillar of pure white light burst into the heavens.
Boom!
The terrifying pressure surrounding the mountain disappeared as if swept away by an invisible hand.
The wind fell silent.
The clouds parted.
Time itself seemed to pause.
The plain white robe Xue Mei wore began to shimmer like moonlight dancing across calm water.
Her youthful appearance returned.
Although her face remained the same, every trace of age vanished.
Her black hair transformed into flowing silver strands that reached her waist, glowing with a gentle celestial radiance.
An incomparably pure aura surrounded her.
It was calm.
Gentle.
Yet infinitely powerful.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed toward her as if welcoming their rightful ruler.
The elders stared with wide eyes.
No one dared speak.
No one dared breathe.
Without drawing her weapon, Xue Mei stepped into the sky.
One step.
Then another.
She appeared before the descending giant palm.
Her delicate fingers lightly touched the air.
Crack.
The monstrous palm froze.
Another gentle movement.
Shatter!
The heavenly palm exploded into countless motes of golden light that drifted across the sky like falling stars.
At the same time, Xue Mei extended one finger toward Yan Hua.
A beam of soft white light entered his body.
In an instant, every violent spiritual meridian within him became completely sealed.
The terrifying aura vanished.
His silver hair faded back into black.
The overwhelming presence disappeared.
Once again, he looked like nothing more than a young man dressed in worn, patched clothing.
He collapsed into unconsciousness.
Only then did the crushing pressure disappear.
The elders gasped desperately for air.
Several collapsed onto the broken ground, coughing blood.
The Grand Elder slowly stood, his expression filled with disbelief.
His eyes never left the mysterious woman floating before him.
"Who... are you?"
His voice trembled despite his efforts to remain calm.
"What is your purpose for infiltrating the Yan Family?"
His eyes narrowed.
"What are you trying to accomplish by protecting that monster... and hiding within our family all these years?"
Silence answered him.
Xue Mei gently descended to the ground.
Her movements were graceful, almost unreal.
She carefully lifted the unconscious Yan Hua and carried him toward the ancient Oracle Stone standing at the center of the ancestral grounds.
The moment his head touched the stone...
Ancient symbols carved into its surface began glowing with brilliant golden light.
Xue Mei raised one hand.
A translucent barrier surrounded both of them.
No one could approach.
She looked down at Yan Hua, her usually cold eyes filled with sadness.
"I only wished..." she whispered softly, "...for this child to live an ordinary life."
Her fingers brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
"A life free from bloodshed."
"A life untouched by destiny."
"But fate has never been kind to him."
She slowly turned toward the elders.
The warmth in her eyes disappeared.
Only icy resolve remained.
"You have forced my hand."
Her voice became as cold as winter itself.
"If you seek death so desperately..."
She stretched out her hand.
"...then I shall grant your wish."
A brilliant beam of heavenly light erupted from the sky.
The clouds split apart.
An elegant sword slowly descended into her waiting hand.
Its blade was crystal clear, shining like flowing moonlight.
Every inch of the weapon radiated ancient authority.
The moment it appeared...
Every sword carried by the elders trembled violently before bowing toward it.
Even the heavens seemed to acknowledge its existence.
The Grand Elder's pupils shrank.
His entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
"No..."
His lips quivered.
"That sword..."
He stumbled backward.
"It can't be..."
He stared at the divine weapon as if looking upon a legend.
"The Heavenly Whisper..."
"The sword of the Sovereign of the Spirit Realm..."
His breathing became uneven.
His face turned deathly pale.
Slowly...
He raised his shaking finger toward Xue Mei.
"You..."
His voice cracked.
"You are..."
"The Spirit Lord Sovereign."
- Writer
