Chapter 20 – The Storm of Heaven's Judgment
The skies above Qinghe trembled.Clouds twisted into spirals, their centers glowing faintly with streaks of gold and crimson. Every cultivator across the continent felt it — the pull of something ancient, raw, and defiant.
In the mountain below, Ren Yu stood in silence. The air around him vibrated with the resonance of the Divine Vein now sealed within his body. His aura no longer felt like human qi; it was something deeper, older — a rhythm that mirrored the pulse of the world itself.
Lira looked up nervously. "Ren Yu… that storm. It's not natural."
He nodded slowly. "No. It's divine retribution."
The Descent of the Heavenly Envoy
The storm split open.
From the heart of the clouds, a beam of light pierced the sky, carving a path directly to where Ren Yu stood. Within it descended a figure — cloaked in pale silver robes, their form radiant and indistinct, like light wrapped in human shape.
When they landed, the mountain shook. The air bent around them, thick with celestial might.
Lira instinctively stepped back. "A celestial envoy…"
Ren Yu faced the figure squarely, his golden-silver aura flaring in response. "You're not human, are you?"
The envoy's voice was melodic, calm — yet it carried the weight of thunder behind every word.
"Mortal of the Twin Suns. You have trespassed upon the Divine Vein — the root of heaven's balance."
Ren Yu's gaze hardened. "The heavens abandoned that balance long ago."
The envoy tilted their head slightly. "You misunderstand. Balance exists because the heavens will it so. Your defiance disrupts the eternal order."
"Then maybe it's time that order changed," Ren Yu said coldly.
A faint sigh escaped the envoy's lips. "Then you have chosen the path of heresy."
The First Strike
Without warning, the envoy's hand rose.
The sky cracked open, unleashing a spear of lightning the size of a mountain. It crashed toward Ren Yu with unstoppable force — but he didn't retreat.
His body glowed. The golden qi of the human path and the silver qi of the dragon path swirled together, forming a luminous barrier.
The lightning struck — and shattered against the barrier with an explosion that lit the horizon.
Ren Yu staggered back, boots digging into the ground. "If this is heaven's will… then heaven will bleed before I bow."
He raised his hand. The twin energies surged outward, spiraling into a vortex above him. "Twin Suns Art — Horizon Reversal!"
The air itself screamed as the attack formed — a fusion of golden flame and silver frost twisting together in perfect opposition. When he released it, the force collided with the envoy's descending palm.
The explosion was silent but blinding. Mountains crumbled. Rivers turned to steam. For miles, nothing could be heard but the echo of creation itself.
When the light faded, Ren Yu stood bloodied but unbroken. The envoy's robe was torn, their face visible for the first time — a serene expression, unmarred by pain.
They spoke softly. "So, you bear his will after all. The will of Ren Tianlong."
Ren Yu's expression didn't change. "I bear my own."
Test of the Horizon
The envoy stepped forward. The world dimmed around them, as though reality itself bowed.
"You are not yet ready to challenge the heavens," they said. "But neither are you unworthy."
They extended their hand, and a sphere of light appeared — within it, countless threads of qi woven like constellations. "This is the Seal of Observation. Pass it, and the heavens will recognize your existence."
Lira tensed. "Ren, don't! It could be a trap!"
He glanced at her, smiling faintly. "If I run from their judgment, I'll never break their chains."
He reached out — and the world vanished.
Trial of the Heavens
Ren Yu found himself floating in an endless sky filled with shifting stars. His body felt weightless; every breath sent ripples of light across the void. Before him appeared three paths — golden, silver, and black — each radiating power.
A voice echoed from all directions.
"Choose your truth. The path you walk shall define what kind of god you defy."
Ren Yu closed his eyes.
The golden path pulsed warmly — power, justice, the legacy of mortals.The silver path shimmered — wisdom, restraint, divine control.The black path whispered — freedom through chaos.
He smiled faintly. "I choose none."
He stepped forward — between them.
Instantly, the stars flared. The three paths converged, collapsing into a blinding horizon that split the void. Pain tore through his body as his spirit was crushed and remade.
But he didn't yield.
From the light, a new energy surged — calm, radiant, limitless.
When Ren Yu opened his eyes, he was no longer surrounded by stars. The envoy stood before him again, eyes wide.
"You… created a fourth path."
Ren Yu's voice was quiet, but steady. "Not created. Remembered."
He raised his hand, and light gathered — neither golden nor silver, but pure horizon light, shimmering with dawn and dusk.
"This is the Path of Equilibrium," he said softly. "The way where opposites coexist — not to rule, but to understand."
The envoy bowed slightly. "Then the heavens have met their equal."
They turned into light and vanished, leaving behind a single phrase echoing in Ren Yu's mind:
"When the two suns rise together, the sky will either shatter — or be reborn."
Aftermath
The storm above Qinghe began to fade.
Ren Yu collapsed to one knee, panting. Lira rushed forward, catching him before he fell.
"You idiot," she muttered, her voice shaking with relief. "You fought heaven itself."
Ren Yu gave a weak smile. "Only its messenger."
She looked up at the fading clouds. "Then what now?"
Ren Yu's gaze turned toward the distant horizon. "Now… we prepare. Because the heavens won't stop at one envoy."
He clenched his fist, feeling the pulse of the Divine Vein within him — steady, alive, endless.
"The next storm won't be sent to test me," he said. "It'll be sent to destroy me."
And above, unseen by mortal eyes, the celestial constellations began to move — aligning into the pattern of two suns and a broken horizon.