Including everyone living near the coast of the Douluo Continent that could see this divine sight and every Titled Douluo present, the moment the Beacon of Blood-Red Light was responded to by the deep white fissures breaking into the reality of the sky and gently but surely devoured the nearby clouds, everyone felt dread wash over them. With the clouds getting sucked away, it was revealed that the pillar of light didn't continue to grow out infinitely, technically. After a certain distance, the pillar of light phased through 'this' reality and into another as a vast... chaotic by paradoxically ethereal aura began to emanate from these fissures and they began to connect around the pillar of light, forming a strange... pattern.

Ja Sun's eyes shone with splendor as every mortal who laid eyes on the pattern below rank 90 fell unconscious. Everyone but Bibi Dong who was suddenly covered in a dark, malevolent purplish glow that made others feel even more fearful of her as they retreated. This wasn't an attack but just a gentle reminder by... the vast heaven— Mortals are not capable of laying eyes on its form even if fragmented.

"The Heaven's Mandate," Ja Sun smiled. He was a sage in every manner and while even the Titled Douluos including Qian Daoliu and Di Tian struggled to watch and observe the pattern, Ja Sun recorded it in great detail as he expended his inexhaustible spirit energy to enhance his divine intent by three levels directly. His words were only for Qian Daoliu as such Di Tian heard nothing.

"Heaven recognizes the individual's resolve. This Mandate is a show of kindness. Should Qian Xunji stop challenging Heaven's control over an aspect of reality, he shall receive his spirit energy once again with an additional reward for reaching such a realm of strength. This Mandate itself holds some truth of an aspect of reality and its laws. Most of it is easy to record though... should have never underestimated the art of inscriptions and arrays~!"

Ja Sun chuckled but a throaty groan resounded through him physically and the next second, the three of his eyes grew bloodshot. Blood soon poured out of his eyes as he felt a distinct intent bear upon him that was equally chaotic and peaceful as the aura emanating from the cracks to the higher plane.

"I see... just this much is the physical form of mastery... fuck me! Nature is amazing!" An excited giggle escaped his lips. Qian Daoliu would have questioned what was happening if not for the pillar of light that had been consistent till now suddenly fading the next second the pure white fissures glowed red and the 'Heaven's Mandate' fluctuated. The aura of dignity and peace shifted. It grew wrathful and uncaring as everyone finally saw with their own eyes who was the one that caused such a divine... commotion.

They were far, yes, but for a second, the terrifying killing intent of the being receded, aalowing everyone to gaze upon the utterly... mangled man who seemed a bloody husk of his former self with rot and maggots spread across his physique and leathery red wings that had its flesh torn from multiple spots.

Qian Xunji... his long and dull blood-red hair cascaded like a dried river. His pale but ruined face invoked horror instead of caution like he did before... disappearing. Yet, everyone was more or less... uncomfortable that this man reappeared after almost 4 years of disappearance.

Yet, before they could comment or question Bibi Dong if she knew anything, a faint, haunting chuckle spread out. It filled the minds of every spectator... including Ja Sun because he let it in.

The whispering, husky and hushed cackle was filled with bloodlust as if there was nothing else present in the man. A pure lust for blood as if it was needed for the man's survival.

"I... refuse." The raspy words set in, "I shall... feast on Heaven's Blood."

*Rumble*

The sky changed colors as every but a small region of clouds completely disappeared. Ja Sun, Qian Daoliu, and Di Tian observed their surroundings as they kept the cloud they perched upon intact. Soon, a few more figures appeared on the cloud and they hesitated before standing behind Ja Sun silently, making Di Tian's lips twitch. They were spirit beasts, of the continent, of course as Ja Sun hummed loudly and a clone appeared in front of him.

Just because one man was going through a tribulation didn't mean he couldn't benefit. Everyone could see the sea of corpses floating over the ocean's surface. For others... it meant spirit rings but to Ja Sun, it meant Soul Origin for his third spirit soul— The Evil Eye Tyrant and if he was lucky, he'd get a few spirit bones, too.

The clone now controlled by his Death Avatar left soon enough as Qian Daoliu and Di Tian both rolled their eyes this time. It was a lucrative act... but they admitted, for various reasons including their own interaction with the divine, they didn't have the stones to interject with one such tribulation.

Meanwhile, the mandate that had been refuted by Qian Xunji looked up at the blood-red glow. In reality, heaven is fair. It always has been and it always will be. While the act of carving one's own path is instinctual, before taking any action, heaven itself informs the challenger of what's to come. So, while Ja Sun knew a few things about god tribulations, Qian Xunji... or a part of him that could still think, somewhat, received this information and reacted to it with the crazed glow in his bloodshot eyes increasing marginally.

A path carved, a mandate refuted.

Heaven admires courage for it is a virtue.

But Heaven loathes the arrogance that follows after for it shall remain a sin.

Smite the sin;

Give courage a path out.

The Heaven's Mandate began to slowly coalesce in a rather humane form made of light itself. This was a law given form. While Xunji, still looking manic and without an ounce of spirit energy controlled his divine intent to keep himself afloat. Had he been rational, he would realize just how much of a disadvantage he was in but just the sacrifice of spirit energy was only the first of it.

Everyone, despite their gazes growing bloodshot as it hurt them by simply looking at it, continued to watch as the ambiguous form of white light that made the very space fluctuate began to step towards Xunji. As he did, the light itself shaped itself into torn wings and a more thin form. By the time the light itself stood in front of Xunji, it looked exactly like the silhouette of the crazed blood-red defier who gave a threatening glower but didn't attack, revealing that reason still wasn't unfound to the man.

"What's happening?" Qian Daoliu questioned as he felt that this was somewhat... tame, for something as great of a concept as a God's Tribulation.

"Wait for it," Ja Sun watched intently while his clone plundered soul origin and had already extracted one spirit bone after 68 corpses. Suddenly, the white, glowing silhouette raised its hand and stretched it out to gently rest it on Qian Xunji's head. The man growled and at times laughed. His body was shuddering but strangely... he didn't move.

"The tribulation is for becoming a god," Ja Sun narrowed his eyes, "Any person can smack lightning away and fuck heavenly weapons but... Heaven, even if violent, uses the most direct method while leaving a path out. Spirit energy is sacrificed already. Divine intent and internal energy... do not conform to heaven's will since the body is one's own and intent is an individual will. All that remains within your son that conforms to Heaven is... Soul Origin which by itself is usually known as 'Bloodline.' Every bloodline has the potential to uncover a single aspect of reality and thus, this is what Heaven's Will shall affect."

Qian Daoliu's brows furrowed and he whispered, "I see... so this isn't an external tribulation but an internal one... that also explains why I have been stopped from taking the tribulation myself..."

This time Ja Sun questioned curiously. Oh, he was sure that the beasts behind him wanted to know what was going on, especially the ever-curious Snow who was not far from him but Ja Sun could be rather focused when the situation asks for it, and right now, his priority was to loot and understand the God Tribulation. Knowledge regarding inheritance from Daoliu is just a bonus.

"God's inheritance provides many amazing gifts. I am a rank 99 Limit Douluo largely because of the inheritance but even if am marked down as the most talented individual of the clan with only the creator of the clan equal to me in potential, I was deemed unfit just because I didn't happen to be a female. In essence, my bloodline is highly controlled. What should have been my strength limits me instead and... the Goddess of Angel marked me down as a priest instead— just a glorified term to be a sacrifice if the 'right' person comes along eventually.

The fact remains... I am just a servant. So... even in his current form, I'm glad that my son is at least free..."

Ja Sun scoffed, "Free? More like he left his bloodline's control only to fall under the limits of his own greed and anger. Then again... I'm the last person who can condemn his actions."

As they conversed, Qian Xunji's violent reactions grew weaker and weaker. While others misunderstood that he didn't move, in reality, he couldn't.

This battle was more of a 'test.'

Smiting the Sin;

Giving courage a way out.

Deep within Qian Xunji, the man found himself in a world of blood. Sky 'dripped' with blood as if he was constrained within a globe and the surface he stood on was an ocean of blood itself. Here, he could move, and the man lunged at the glowing blood-red silhouette of light calmly sitting on the surface of the ocean of blood.

Yet, Qian Xunji phased through the man entirely while a crisp, chirp chimed, "Oh, mortal divided by blood and rationality... Can you... unravel me?"

In the outside world, the pure white silhouette finally revealed a touch of blood-red glow from the point of contact over Xunji's head.

Ja Sun, meanwhile, recorded everything... the minute law of blood that had begun to emanate from silhouette, too.

Ja Sun was fully aware that a tribulation is also an opportunity for those who are skilled enough. Heaven may not be willing to share these secrets of law with others, but this was Xunji's tribulation. Ja Sun was not intervening in any manner and the fact that he was still letting himself bleed out from the eyes was a testament to how hard it would be for someone relatively 'ordinary' to even unravel the secrets from Heavenly Laws directly.

That is why...

Sages are feared in every era.

Once there was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven with eyes as fiery gold as the... Current Sage Born of Elements, Destiny, and Dragons.

***

Psst, hey, wanna join the dark side? If yes, follow the path of your seniors!—

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