The Astral Kingdom of Heaven was a paradise without earth. A magnificent metropolis that seemed crafted from colored glaze floated in the center of the stars. Unshielded by any atmosphere, the pure starlight was brilliant, bordering on dazzling. The celestial phenomena here corresponded perfectly with the real world: on midsummer nights, one could watch the Summer Triangle drifting by, and in late autumn, admire the splendor of the Leonid meteor shower.
In return for forsaking the earth, the Astral Kingdom of Heaven's astral resources surpassed all the Seven Heavens. It possessed nearly all the sorcery spirits of star sorcery and light sorcery, as well as a thirty-percent share of spatial sorcery spirits. Though the Star City was as minuscule as a glass marble compared to the vast universe, it seemed to be the true center of the cosmos. Constellations spread wide and stars fell into their ordained places, celestial radiance pulsing in rhythm around the Star City.
When the seven Law Angels of Heaven gathered in the Star-Praying Chamber at the pinnacle of the Star City, all of them were filled with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. The Divine Lord had not summoned them on the day she entered the Cage of All Stars, nor had she assembled them on the day she ascended to the Seventh Layer of the Void Realm. Knowing they lacked the capability to share their Lord's burdens, they had conscientiously performed their duties, managing every world secret realm. And now, their Lord had actually summoned every single one of them. Was some monumental move about to take place?
Their Lord did not make them wait; she liked neither waiting for others nor having others wait for her. As they dropped to one knee, drifting starlight converged upon the throne. Just as the angels thought their Lord was descending as a phantom projection, they saw her emerge from the starlight, as though she had been seated upon the throne from the very beginning—calm, austere, and solemn, radiating undeniable majesty without speaking a single word.
When she raised her eyes, the sorcerous majesty of a supreme sorcerer bore down on the angels' shoulders like heavy stars. If having just acquired the Supreme Void Wings had not yet entitled her to call herself a Seven-Winged Sorcerer, then after undergoing the trials of the Seventh Layer of the Void Realm, she was indisputably the greatest sorcerer throughout history.
The Divine Lord of Stars!
"Glory to the Stars!" the Law Angels praised in unison.
She did not speak. With a light flick of her finger, seven beams of starlight merged into the Law Angels' souls. The Law Angels instantly understood their mission and the upheaval in the Six Hells. Though they had yet to sort through their thoughts, none raised a question.
"Except for Star Law, who will remain behind to govern Heaven in my stead, all other Law Angels are to draw world secret realms and wonders." Her voice was as ethereal as a stream filled with moonlight, flowing quietly through the angels' hearts. "Do you have anything to add?"
"My Lord," the Law Angel of Light could not help speaking up. "Is the reward for Yaxiu Heath not overly generous? Although he possesses Supreme Void Wings, he is currently only a demigod..."
She cast a glance at Light Law. The angel, who had followed his Lord for three thousand years, stiffened instantly from head to toe, yet he stubbornly kept his head raised, hoping for an explanation.
"...The Seventh Layer of the Void Realm takes precedence over all else," she said calmly. "I will not be distracted by the trivial affairs of Heaven, Hell, and the mortal world. I require a Deputy Sovereign of Heaven to manage fate on my behalf."
"Can we Law Angels not do so?" Light Law could not help saying. "In terms of loyalty and ability, are we, who have weathered endless trials, not more worthy of trust than this newly ascended demigod of dubious origin? He is merely a fortunate man—"
"Trust?" She slowly rose from the throne. "Worthy?"
The stars trembled; space collapsed. Though kneeling in the spacious Star-Praying Chamber, the Law Angels felt as though they had been stuffed into a rubber hose, with omnipresent pressure threatening to crush them into pulp. They stared fixedly at the patterns on the glazed floor tiles, drenched in sweat, not daring to lift their heads.
She walked down the steps step by step. The hem of a gown woven from the galaxy appeared in the angels' vision. Silenced like cicadas in winter, Light Law trembled all over. This "Deputy of the Stars," who had the authority to govern Heaven in the Lord's absence and was regarded as the most dazzling star in the Kingdom of Heaven, was at this moment as dull as a common stone.
"I am the first Sorcery Supreme, both the All and the One," she said. "Yet the authority to define value does not lie with me; whether someone is worthy is actually decided by you. How amusing."
"I... I..." The sound Light Law made was practically a wail.
"Naturally." She reached out and patted Light Law lightly on the shoulder. "As the Prime Angel I rely upon most, you are naturally trustworthy."
Upon hearing those words, Light Law nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Had etiquette not forbidden it, Sword Law had no doubt that he would have slumped directly onto the floor.
"As for whether Yaxiu is worthy of being the Deputy Sovereign of Heaven..."
She said calmly, "I say he is worthy. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"Very good. We have reached a consensus," she said. "Light Law, swap with Star Law. You will remain behind to guard Heaven."
Before Light Law could reply, he was blasted out the door by blazing starlight, vanishing from the Star-Praying Chamber in an instant. The entire Star City trembled from the impact.
"Fate is to let those who should be punished suffer, and those who should possess, possess." She sat back upon her throne, saying leisurely, "If anyone could challenge the Deputy Sovereign of Heaven, who would still believe in the glory of the Sorcery Supreme?"
"As the Stars will!" the Law Angels answered in unison. They knew this was not merely a punishment, but a warning. If Yaxiu Heath were willing to enter Heaven—and no angel believed anyone could refuse their Lord's invitation—they would have to revere Yaxiu Heath as the true Deputy Sovereign of Heaven, holding him in the same awe as they held their Lord. Anyone who showed disrespect would end up just like Light Law.
"My Lord," Star Law said respectfully. "Although formally welcoming the Deputy Sovereign of Heaven is proper etiquette, the Deputy Sovereign has only just entered the demigod rank. Is there truly a need to deploy six world secret realms? Furthermore, though the Void Gate can connect Heaven and the mortal realm, it has a capacity limit. Our Fifth Void Wings might not be able to pass through."
Star Law was phrasing it tactfully. Deploying world secret realms effectively meant violently kidnapping Yaxiu. Setting aside whether Yaxiu would resist, even if he did, against a newly ascended demigod rookie, what need was there to mobilize so many world secret realms? It was practically using a star-destroying cannon to swat a mosquito.
She mused for a moment. "Send as many as can go. Yaxiu cannot be judged by common sense. In situations that should have been foolproof, he always finds an opening to break the deadlock."
"My Lord, the dossiers mention that the Deputy Sovereign has several demigod-ranked followers," Sword Law asked. "If conflict breaks out, the Deputy Sovereign's life naturally cannot be harmed. But what of these followers? How should we treat them?"
She fell silent for a moment, then murmured softly, "The Sword Princess is the girl he likes most; calling her the light of his life would not be an exaggeration. If he were made to erase the most important people in his life, the one left for last would probably be the Sword Princess.
"The Witch is the family he wishes to protect the most. If one did not know him... one might even think he truly had a daughter.
"The one he cares about least is likely the Spectre Prophet; after all, he was antagonistic toward her from the beginning. Yet having undergone the Angel Hunt, even if he still refuses to fully accept the Spectre Prophet, he would probably find it hard to sever bonds forged through life and death, would he not?
"And that Silver Lantern God who suddenly appeared at the very end... they must share deep ties from the past..."
In his heart, Sword Law swiftly established a priority list: if conflict truly broke out, the first to be eliminated would naturally be the Spectre Prophet, followed by the Silver Lantern God. He believed this would suffice to suppress Yaxiu Heath's will to resist. As for the Sword Princess and the Witch, it would be best to spare them, since they were the most important to Yaxiu. If they died—
"Handle it as you see fit."
Sword Law looked up in astonishment, only to see that their Lord had already dissolved into flowing light and vanished. The Lord who had spoken with them was merely an illusion of starlight; her true body remained in the Seventh Layer of the Void Realm. Yet even an illusion could exert such crushing mental pressure upon them and even grievously injure the Law Angel of Light with a single blow.
After this brief audience, their Lord seemed all the more unfathomable in the Law Angels' hearts.
Ten seconds later, the Law Angels rose to their feet and looked at one another, seeing deep bewilderment in each other's eyes.
This was the first time they had ever received an "incomplete order" from their Lord.
From Star Law, who had served the longest, to Sword Law, the youngest, none of them had ever needed to exercise personal initiative; they only had to execute their Lord's orders to perfection. Their Lord was imperious, proud, and wise, decisive and never hesitating. The greatest advantage of serving under her was that one never had to second-guess her intentions—faithfully completing the mission was all it took to be rewarded.
Yet this time, their Lord had actually said, "Handle it as you see fit," handing the decision over to them. If analyzed by common logic, one should naturally execute the Spectre Prophet and the Silver Lantern God as threats while sparing the Sword Princess and the Witch to win him over. But their Lord had not spoken this plan aloud, which meant she did not endorse such an approach, or perhaps...
She was unwilling to bear the responsibility of making the decision.
*
Inside the Star Bridge Hall, the six-winged angel was knocked into the rain pool, splashing up countless sprays of water. This secret realm demigod towering above the mortal realm, an emissary of the Supreme who ought to have been invincible, was now in such wretched shape that he almost seemed pitiful.
The tide had turned.
His spell swords had been utterly destroyed, and endless killing intent surged from every direction. Blood Moon Sword Light, time-locking dead lines, silver kaleidoscope, soul shackles—four completely distinct combat styles meshed seamlessly together like precision gears. As a swordsmanship demigod, the Law Angel of Sword could not find even the slightest gap, battered to the point where he could barely hold his ground.
Before his descent, Sword Law had never believed anyone could stand against him. Yet Yaxiu and his companions not only possessed wonders, but had also condensed a layer of Hell Wings, making them fully fledged demigods. Even so, they should only have been able to "resist" him; they were still a long way from "defeating" him.
Yet facing the virtually insoluble Curtain of Sorrow, they had actually calibrated their attacks down to threshold damage to forcibly crack it... While this was certainly a method anyone could think of, in an intense encounter, who could calculate the threshold damage so quickly, and who could control the damage dealt by every single strike so precisely?
Even if the Curtain of Sorrow had been countered, the Prison of Self-Harm should have been enough to secure victory. This wonder was invincible within the sword rain pool. The only way to break it was to shatter the sword rain pool and escape; otherwise, one would be tortured to death by one's own shadows. Yet Yaxiu was actually capable of bearing the shadow swords on others' behalf, and with nine shadow swords impaled all over his body, he still had not passed out. Sword Law was at a loss for words, able only to sigh in admiration: Truly worthy of being the Deputy Sovereign of Heaven.
"In situations that should have been foolproof, he always finds an opening to break the deadlock."
Their Lord was indeed their Lord; her judgment of character was spot-on.
Yet precisely because of this, Sword Law finally understood his Lord's true mission.
He had been mistaken before, thinking the Spectre Prophet and the Silver Lantern God belonged to one tier, while the Sword Princess and the Witch belonged to another, and that different attitudes could be taken toward them.
However, in actual combat, Sword Law discovered that while there might be differences in depth and degree among the four to Yaxiu—with the Sword Princess indeed being the most favored and Vichy cheerfully claiming the title of the most loathed—all four fundamentally occupied the exact same tier:
The tier where "whoever dares harm them, Yaxiu will bite."
No wonder their Lord had not given a clear command. From the beginning, there had been no way to treat them separately. There was no future in which Sword Law killed Vichy and Yaxiu would cower in fear, nor was there any possibility that Sword Law killed Sonia and Yaxiu's heart would turn to cold ashes.
No matter who was killed, the result would be identical.
Therefore, what their Lord truly meant was...
Kill all of Yaxiu's girls.
That was why she had dispatched six Law Angels and permitted all of them to carry world secret realms and eternal wonders. Perhaps their Lord did not even fully comprehend her own mind—or rather, her reason contradicted her emotion. Reason told her that if she truly wished to recruit Yaxiu, his followers certainly could not be killed.
Yet their Lord did not want Yaxiu's followers to live either.
She could not issue a wrong command, much less bear the responsibility of an error. So she had handed the decision over to the Law Angels, yet sent them fully armed—because her heart was filled with killing intent.
Yaxiu Heath, you truly are a deeply sinful man.
Even the greatest sorcerer throughout history, the Sorcery Supreme who reigns over all creation, the magnificent existence who holds all future time in this world, a sovereign who has always been swift, decisive, and indifferent to the opinions of mortals, actually chose to evade responsibility because of you.
Yet only someone like you is worthy of becoming the Deputy Sovereign of Heaven.
Chapter 1099