Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 646: Crown Prince Yu!

A prince as pure as white jade!

Were it not for Yun Xiao, he might have been deemed the most ethereal and refined man within the Great Dao Celestial Realm, embodying a regal aura unmatched, transcending the ordinary, peerless in his era.

Both the Crown Prince and White Emperor were of an ageless kind, legends eternal in the Celestial Court. Though he appeared a youthful admirer of the sun, in truth, his years surpassed even those of the venerable Empress Zhao.

Throughout the vast stretches of time, the Crown Prince had always been the object of admiration among the celestial maidens, his allure a legend inscribed across all scriptures of the realm.

There were even numerous fantasy novels penned by women, casting the prince as their protagonist, weaving tales of romantic escapades through seasons of flowers and snow.

Beneath one Emperor, above 10,000 Immortals!

Even the Nine Thunders Sovereign had to regard the Crown Prince with utmost reverence.

Yet at this moment, the Nine Thunders Sovereign looked as if heart had been pierced by 1,000 swords. His face was a storm of lightning serpents, his eyes thunderous, had no time to spare for the Crown Prince.

BOOM! He fell upon the battlefield of the Nine Thunders Arena and, with a swoosh, split into nine, scattering to different positions, witnessing the aftermath of destruction.

Seeing with his own eyes, he was thunderstruck!

At this moment, the Nine Thunders Sovereign's heart was shattered into 1,000,000 pieces, his eyes entwined with scarlet lightning snakes, staring blankly at it all!

"Sovereign..." Gu Suwan called out tremblingly, empathizing with the Nine Thunders Sovereign.

"Everyone else is dead, except for you?" the Nine Thunders Sovereign suddenly appeared before Gu Suwan, glaring at her, his eyes sparking with lightning upon her.

"Yes," Gu Suwan wept and bowed her head.

Her words spoke the stark truth!

Yet the Nine Thunders Sovereign still found it unbearable, suddenly grasping Gu Suwan's hand, his voice fierce, "How did you survive?"

Gu Suwan cried out in panic, "It must have been the three Supreme Generals, they suffered the backlash of the Thunder Immortal Formation, and we..."

She said, looking down at Yun Xiao in her arms, murmuring, "At that moment, the three of us were close, Lu Yao with his Platinum Champion Set bore the brunt of the attack, and it ended up getting destroyed."

Yun Xiao was still unconscious when the Nine Thunders Sovereign glanced down at him and commanded, “Wake him up!”

“He just took a Thunder Containment Pill, his condition is improving, it should be soon,” Gu Suwan hurriedly replied.

At that moment, the Moon Sword Goddess produced several Projection Orbs. "These contain the complete records of the incident… I’ve only had a brief look, there might be more around.”

The Nine Thunders Sovereign took the Projection Orbs and instructed the others, “Search for more.”

“Yes.”

Afterwards, the Nine Thunders Sovereign approached the Crown Prince, holding the Projection Orbs.

This celebration feast and the Thunder Immortal Execution had been their demand; the Sixth Prince had just perished, yet the Crown Prince did not fear gossip, intent on making an example to awe the entire Celestial Court.

But something had gone terribly wrong!

Still, Crown Prince Yu appeared remarkably composed.

They activated a few orbs and silently watched. The orbs, from various angles, recorded the sequence of events.

From the joyful celebrations at the feast's start, to when Cao Shuo was brought in, all seemed normal.

Then came Cao Shuo and Yun Xiao’s monkey argument.

Following this was the execution, which suddenly went awry as the Thunder Immortal Formation spiraled out of control, first striking Cao Sheng, then sweeping through the crowd… Indeed, even Lu Yao at the center was not spared!

Several orbs captured him pleading with the Supreme Generals for help, then Gu Suwan and the Moon Sword Goddess shielding him, and his use of the Platinum Champion Set to survive.

The columns of lightning above their heads were nearly the largest seen so far!

And the Platinum Champion Set was the strongest defensive celestial treasure present!

At this point in the footage, smoke billowed, blurring everything, until the last three massive columns of lightning unleashed the formation’s ultimate destructive power, annihilating the three Supreme Generals involved!

After this moment, the lower levels of the Nine Thunders Arena were engulfed in smoke, obscuring all from view.

After viewing, the Crown Prince expressed his surprise, “Seems like it was truly an accident? How unfortunate.”

“Impossible!” the Nine Thunders Sovereign replied sternly, shaking his head coldly, “The Thunder Immortal Formation has never malfunctioned before, and even if it did, it shouldn’t kill with such precision, concentrating its force on the Nine Thunders Arena.”

“Are you suggesting someone manipulated it? Who might that be?” the Crown Prince asked calmly.

The Nine Thunders Sovereign paused, then closed his eyes.

After a moment, he opened them and glanced at Yun Xiao in Gu Suwan’s arms.

Just then, Yun Xiao coughed up a mouthful of black blood and awoke, his body covered in cold sweat.

His eyes wide, he struggled to lift his head, looking around in bewilderment.

"Just now…" Yun Xiao's voice was hoarse, his throat burning.

"The Thunder Immortal Formation lost control, many perished," Gu Suwan said through tears.

"This is Crown Prince Yu," the Moon Sword Goddess, more composed, introduced him to Yun Xiao.

"A humble Immortal, at your service, Your Highness, Sovereign," Yun Xiao greeted, his face still clouded with confusion.

"Is this the Champion of the Immortal Tournament?" The Crown Prince cracked a slight smile. "Though marred by injuries, one can still see he is a man of distinction just by his outline."

"Thank you, Your Highness…" Yun Xiao responded flatly, his attention scattered as he tremulously asked Gu Suwan, "The three Supreme Generals?"

Gu Suwan, tears streaming like rain, was lost for words.

"How could this be?" Yun Xiao shook his head, glancing around, his gaze finally resting on the fragments of the Platinum Champion Set.

"Right." The Crown Prince turned to the Nine Thunders Sovereign. "You mentioned earlier that the Thunder Immortal Formation might have been tampered with?"

"It seems unlikely," the Moon Sword Goddess interjected, "This is the greatest celestial formation of the Celestial Court, a symbol of celestial order, perfected over generations. How could an outsider easily control it?"

The Nine Thunders Sovereign examined the Projection Orbs a few times.

He finally closed his eyes, clenched his fist, and said, "I'll go check the structure of the formation."

With that, he spoke no further and ascended into the clouds, towards the Thunder Immortal Formation.

"The Thunder Department was struck by such a disaster. All the officials have fallen, and their lineages suffer too. The backbone of the Celestial Court's Immortal enforcers has been lost in a single day—a pain unprecedented in the annals of the Celestial Court." The Crown Prince sighed deeply.

Turning to Yun Xiao, he continued, "Fortunately, you survived the mishap. With you, the Thunder Department still has a future, a hope for reconstruction. That's perhaps the only good news today."

"Your Highness…" Yun Xiao sighed too, gritting his teeth, "This tragedy is too grievous, in such a short time…"

He was speechless, choked up, unable to say more.

Before long, the Nine Thunders Sovereign descended from the formation.

"How was it?" asked the Crown Prince.

"The structure of the Thunder Immortal Formation is unchanged, everything as it was originally," the Nine Thunders Sovereign replied.

"Is that so?" The Crown Prince clapped the Nine Thunders Sovereign on the shoulder, "No worries, take your time to investigate. If someone's causing mischief, you'll root them out. With things as they are, the Celestial Court can only do its utmost to support the rebuilding of the Thunder Department. Let me know if you need anything."

"The immediate priority is to clear the rubble, honor the spirits of the deceased, and soothe the populace. Should more needs arise, I'll trouble you then, Your Highness," the Nine Thunders Sovereign said.

"Go on, then!" the Crown Prince said.

After speaking, he transformed into a beam of golden light, ascending higher into the sky.

He did not depart right away but instead looked down upon Yun Xiao and said, "I hear my Father granted you the prayers of a thousand stars?"

"Yes…" Yun Xiao nodded.

"You seem injured; the incense is nourishing, so take your time with it, and hurry only when you must. Once healed, return to rebuild the Thunder Department," the Crown Prince earnestly advised.

"By your command, thank you, Your Highness!" Yun Xiao replied.

The Crown Prince smiled warmly. "You possess a grand spirit, and your discussion between monkeys and humans was insightful. If an Immortal clings too tightly to human nature, they shall not advance an inch on the path of cultivation. Therefore, I am somewhat eager to see how you transform after receiving the incense offerings."

Since he mentioned it, he clearly remembered quite well Yun Xiao's public discourse with Cao Shuo.

"I shall do my best," Yun Xiao responded.

With a final laugh, the Crown Prince turned into a streak of golden light, vanishing from sight.

"Heed the Crown Prince; return to Cao Immortal Manor to recuperate," the Nine Thunders Sovereign said, looking down at Yun Xiao.

Yun Xiao nodded.

After that, the Nine Thunders Sovereign turned, summoning an envoy brought by the Celestial Court, "The Projection Orbs only show a lightning pillar striking Cao Shuo, but we can't ascertain her fate, and no body was found at the scene. Spread the word to continue searching for this person. A hefty reward for any leads."

His words rang out clearly, naturally audible to Yun Xiao.

"It seems the Nine Thunders Sovereign still suspects that the disruption of the Thunder Immortal Formation was someone’s doing," the Moon Sword Goddess said softly, supporting Yun Xiao on one side.

"How could that be possible... That's too frightening," Gu Suwan murmured, a trace of fear in her voice.

"With so many defying the heavens lately, who knows what's possible?" the Moon Sword Goddess remarked coolly.

Then, the two women escorted Yun Xiao back to the Cao Immortal Manor.

By the time they were nearly there, Yun Xiao had almost fully regained his ability to move.

"A bit more rest, and then we’ll head for the Divine Gateway. We'll accompany you," the Moon Sword Goddess proposed.

"My spirit's been injured; my mind feels muddled. I might need a day," Yun Xiao replied.

"Alright, rest then," the Moon Sword Goddess said before leaving the room.

Gu Suwan stayed, sitting in a wooden chair, her gaze wandering around the room, lost in thought, her tears flowing freely.

From this angle, her delicate sorrow was all the more poignant.

"See, 800,000 True Immortal Jades for sparing your life was a good deal," Yun Xiao thought to himself. Then, he said aloud, "Foster mother, I’d like to be alone for a bit, to collect myself."

"Mmm…"

She needed care herself now, obviously unable to tend to another, so she left.

After she was gone, Yun Xiao sprang from the bed, stretching his limbs.

"The Nine Thunders Sovereign suspects me, the Crown Prince and the Moon Sword Goddess are uncertain, while Gu Suwan and the rest are convinced it was an accident," Yun Xiao assessed.

"So?" Blue Star piped up.

"Never mind them. The money's in hand, and since they didn’t directly target me, I'll continue to lay low and level up," Yun Xiao declared.

After speaking, he quietly got up and left the Cao Immortal Manor.

As he stepped out, darkness began to envelop the sky, and the Thunder Department was soon to be shrouded in night.

"Where to?" Blue Star asked.

With a cough, Red Moon reminded Yun Xiao. "Hey, hey. It's dark out now, and the ground is slippery. You should find some jade lanterns to light the way. Make sure they're extra large and round!"

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