Mu Chen had decided to settle within the Canglan Imperial City for a short duration.
Through the arrangements made by Ning Wang, a luxurious mansion had been placed at his disposal, complete with sprawling gardens and servants who moved like shadows.
A full month passed in tranquil leisure.
During this time, Mu Chen and Xiao Diao indulged in the finest snacks and vintage wines, delicacies usually strictly reserved for the consumption of the imperial family.
On this particular morning, the air was still, and Mu Chen sat in an open pavilion, focused on the art of calligraphy. His brush moved with a fluid, rhythmic grace, the black ink forming elegant characters on the rice paper.
However, the peace was shattered without warning.
A vigorous earthquake tore through the silence, the ground bucking with a violence that made the heavy stone table rattle. The tremors were short but intense, lasting only a few seconds before subsiding. People throughout the city were startled, pausing in their tracks as a second, even stronger shockwave rippled through the earth.
The earth heaved five or six more times with terrifying strength before the vibrations finally ceased.
Silence returned, but it was an eerie, heavy quiet. Then, on the distant horizon, a burst of blinding, burning flames erupted out of nowhere. It wasn't a fire on the ground, but a celestial phenomenon.
Fiery ember shadows cast a crimson hue across the entire sky, and a staggering wave of scorching heat began to roll outward in all four directions like a series of invisible tidal waves. The citizens of the Canglan Kingdom looked up in astonishment, watching the sky turn into a roiling sea of fire.
As the first wave of heat reached the Royal City, the temperature skyrocketed. The cooling breeze of the morning was incinerated, replaced by air so hot it felt like a furnace blast. Sweat began to bead on the brows of every living soul in the city, and the very air seemed to shimmer and distort under the intensity of the flames in the distance.
Mu Chen laid down his brush, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Within his robes, the Origin Stone, which usually remained as silent as a pebble, began to tremble. A moment later, the Origin Spirit, Shi, manifested beside Mu Chen and Xiao Diao, his translucent form flickering with a solemn light.
"Master," Shi spoke, his voice resonating with a gravity that demanded attention. "This is the sign. A Heavenly Seal is appearing in this world."
Xiao Diao, perched on a nearby stone pillar, squinted at the sky. "How do you know that its Heavenly Seal, you old geezer? Can't it be any divine artifect?"
Shi turned his calm gaze toward the mink. "You have resided within the Origin Stone for thousands of years, but you only understand its surface. You know its secondary uses, but you do not know why it was truly forged. My previous master, Hong Zun, created the Origin Stone for a singular, vital purpose: to balance the power of the Heavenly Seals."
Shi paused for a moment, to settle down the gravity of secret before he continued. "These seals are born from the pure essence of heaven and earth, and their power is absolute. Without the Origin Stone to act as a stabilizing core, if a cultivator attempts to inherit more than one Heavenly Seal, the conflicting primordial energies will tear their body and soul apart in an instant. I was created to be the anchor that makes the impossible possible."
Xiao Diao's jaw dropped, his tiny paws freezing in mid-air. He had spent a millennium inside the stone, yet he had never known that its primary function was to act as a cosmic balance for the most powerful treasures in existence.
The name Hong Zun once again echoed in Mu Chen's mind. This man was becoming the most mysterious figure in his world—a creator of divine artifacts and the master of the very seals that governed reality.
Mu Chen looked at the fiery sky, his curiosity finally piqued. "What are the names of these seals, Shi?"
"Master," Shi replied, "the Heavenly Seals are primordial forces. There are four in total: the Punishment Seal, the Life-Death Heavenly Seal, the Five Element Seal, and lastly, the Void Heavenly Seal."
"And what exactly can they do?" Xiao Diao asked, his voice trembling slightly with a mix of fear and excitement.
"Each seal grants authority over a fundamental aspect of existence," Shi explained. "The Punishment Seal allows its master to act on behalf of the Heavens themselves, delivering absolute judgment upon any existence. The Life-Death Seal provides authority over the cycle of reincarnation, commanding the boundary between being and nothingness. The Five Element Seal grants its master total ownership over the forces of nature—fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. Lastly, the Void Heavenly Seal grants dominion over space itself. Distance, position, separation, and the very boundaries of existence become subject to the master's whim."
Xiao Diao felt his fur stand on end. "Doesn't that mean whoever possesses them is invincible in battle? Who could possibly fight someone who commands space and judgment?"
Shi shook his head slowly. "If they were truly invincible, my previous master would not have needed to sacrifice his life. You must understand, for every light, there is a shadow. The Demons are born from the primordial darkness; they too are a natural force of the universe. The Demon Emperor was so formidable that even my master, using the full power of the seals and artifacts, could only manage to injure him at the cost of his own existence."
Mu Chen stood up, smoothing his robes. The calligraphy he had been working on was completed. "Amusing, we needed to have a look at this."
Just as he spoke, Ning Wang strode into the yard, his armor clanking. His expression was urgent as he gave a quick report. "Young Lord! The King has just issued a royal decree. The entire city is on immediate lockdown! No one is permitted to enter or leave until further notice!"
"A city lockdown?" Xiao Diao hopped onto Mu Chen's shoulder, his eyes wide. "That's extreme. Usually, kingdoms only do that when they're about to be invaded."
Ning Wang looked toward the fiery horizon and wiped sweat from his brow. "It is because of the vision, Diao. It originated near the Enlightenment Lake, roughly a hundred miles from here. The King fears the chaos that such a phenomenon will draw."
Xiao Diao nodded it was true.
According to the ancient records Shi possessed, it would take roughly forty to fifty days for a Heavenly Seal to fully manifest and stabilize in the world after the initial vision appeared. They had time.
...
The lockdown did little to stifle the flow of information. Soon, rumours regarding a "Great Treasure" appearing at the Enlightenment Lake spread through the Royal City and the surrounding territories like a wildfire. The vision in the sky was a beacon that couldn't be hidden, and every power-hungry expert of nearby kingdoms took notice.
Many rogue experts and disciples from smaller sects tried to rush toward the lake immediately, but King Lu's army was prepared. Patrolling soldiers intercepted the trespassers, and violent skirmishes broke out across the countryside.
The Canglan military was merciless; other than a few late-stage Foundation Realm experts who managed to use their spiritual treasure to escape, the majority of those who tried to cross the military lines were cut down on the spot.
However, as the days passed, the news only grew louder. The entire region was in an uproar. Experts from the Great Xia Dynasty were pouring into the Canglan Kingdom. The pressure on the border guards was becoming a mountain they could no longer hold back.
A month passed, and the situation reached a boiling point. Within the Royal Palace, King Lu paced his private chambers, listening to a report from his Army Marshal. The furrows on the King's brow were so deep they looked like scars.
"Your Majesty," the Marshal reported, his voice tight with stress. "The situation is spiraling out of control. It isn't just rogue cultivators anymore. The Big Sword Sect from the Xia Kingdom has arrived. The Nine Phoenix Valley has set up camp to the west. Even the Clear Cloud Pavilion has sent an elder! And just now...!"
The Marshal hesitated, looking at his feet.
"Speak!" King Lu demanded, his voice a solemn growl. "Just now, what?"
"Just now, the envoys from the Xia Kingdom, the Cloud Sea Kingdom, the Ling Xiao Kingdom, the You Ming Kingdom and other few kingdoms have formed an alliance," the Marshal reported honestly. "They delivered an ultimatum: if we do not withdraw our army from the Enlightenment Lake and allow free passage, the seven kingdoms will join hands and launch a coordinated invasion of the Canglan Kingdom immediately!"
"What?! They dare?!" Prince Lu Ming, who had been sitting on the sub-throne, slammed his fist onto the armrest. "These small kingdoms used to be our vassals! They wouldn't dare breathe too loudly in our presence, and now they want to reverse the sky?"
King Lu's eyes flashed with a sharp, majestic light. The invisible pressure of a ruler filled the room,
"Continue to have the army guard the lake," King Lu said after a long, tense silence. "However... retreat from the full perimeter. Guard only one strategic direction and rescind the military ban."
"Rescind the ban?" The Marshal was flabbergasted.
Although the army wasn't technically being withdrawn, removing the ban meant that any sect or force could now enter the Enlightenment Lake territory at their own risk. It was a calculated compromise—a way to pacify the seven kingdoms while still keeping a foot in the race.
"Royal Father, we cannot!" Prince Lu Ming objected, his face flushed with anger. "The treasure in the lake... it is very likely a...!"
"Enough! Say no more!" King Lu raised his hand, silencing his son. He turned back to the Marshal. "I will send three of our hidden late Golden Core experts from the palace to reinforce your position. No matter what happens, that treasure must not fall into the hands of an outsider."
The Marshal bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty! I will do my utmost to win the treasure for our kingdom!"
King Lu paused then, his gaze drifting toward the window. "And what of Mu Chen? Has he said anything? Has he made a move toward the lake?"
King Lu was a shrewd man. He knew that if a heavenly treasure was being born, someone as unfathomably strong as Mu Chen would surely want it. He found it deeply unsettling that the boy had remained in his mansion, seemingly indifferent to the cosmic event taking place.
"No, Your Majesty," the Marshal replied. "He has shown zero interest. He spends his days eating, napping, and occasionally painting. He hasn't left the mansion once since the tremors started."
King Lu narrowed his eyes, a look of suspicion crossing his face, but there was nothing he could do. "En. Go now."
Not long after the meeting, the Canglan army pulled back. The news of the rescinded military ban spread across the continent within hours, and the floodgates were officially opened.
The Enlightenment Lake was no longer a forbidden zone; it was a battlefield.