#6: Celestial Tribulation (1)

That night, atop the highest peak in the Heaven of Six Desires, stood a residence – the temporary palace of Celestial Emperor Haoyue. This palace adopted the specifications of the Lihen Heaven, with everything based on white, making it both ancient and never dull, exquisite yet grand. Immortal energy surrounded it, and ethereal music lingered in the air.

Therefore, when Hua Junyan, dressed in black, arrived at the Cold Robe Hall, his figure appeared so striking and out of place.

He silently arrived at the Cold Robe Hall, landing in Celestial Emperor Haoyue’s sleeping quarters.

“Long time no see.” Hua Junyan wore a smile, but it wasn’t from the heart. His eyes were cold, yet held a hint of amusement.

Haoyue, who had already retired to his couch, slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the call.

He sat up, calmly observing the person before him, and said indifferently, “Who are you?”

Hua Junyan smiled faintly, “An old acquaintance.”

Haoyue shrugged, saying calmly, “Among those I know, there’s no one who can silently breach my barrier.”

“Are you sure there isn’t?” Hua Junyan chuckled.

“If there were, they would have long since passed away. You cannot be them; they cannot return.” Haoyue closed his eyes, his tone filled with certainty. Though his thoughts had drifted far, his entire aura remained steadfast and composed.

Seeing his lifeless demeanor, Hua Junyan suddenly felt that he seemed more like a member of the ghost clan. Hua Junyan couldn’t help but tease, “You are still young; why do you refer to yourself as ‘Gu’ (a lonely one, used by emperors)? Even I don’t refer to myself as ‘Gu’.”

Haoyue opened his eyes and smiled faintly, “A solitary figure naturally refers to himself as ‘Gu’.”

“Alright then, in this mortal world, with countless beauties, it’s truly admirable that you, as the ruler of the Celestial Clan, have remained a solitary figure until now.” Hua Junyan mockingly said nonchalantly, “But, infatuation is for the young. You still haven’t grown up, have you...”

“You are the first person to say that I am still young. Who exactly are you?” Haoyue suddenly opened his eyes, sat up straight, and carefully scrutinized the person before him.

Hua Junyan didn’t answer him immediately. Instead, he suddenly extended his right hand and, out of thin air, plucked a red lotus from a vase. The next moment, the red lotus transformed into fireworks and flew towards the heavens, gradually forming a fiery red cloud in the sky.

“The burning red lotus in the sky signifies the phoenix’s nirvana, a reincarnation. You can call me Hua Junyan, or you can call me Mu Jun. Of course, you can also call me Master, as you please. It’s just... you can no longer call me ‘Junshang’ (Lord/Sovereign).”

Haoyue’s eyes widened instantly: “How is that possible...”

Hua Junyan smiled and nodded: “Good disciple, your Master encountered two old acquaintances in one day and is in a great mood. Lately, I’ve felt a bit restless. How about letting your Master see if your magic has improved after so many years?” As he finished speaking, he suddenly flew up and launched a fierce palm strike towards Haoyue.

Beneath Hua Junyan’s seemingly gentle exterior, his palm strike was indeed incredibly powerful.

Though Haoyue was shocked by his words, he didn’t take their content seriously, so he only used half his strength to parry the attack. Unexpectedly, he was pushed back two steps, suffering a considerable disadvantage.

“Back then, you and Qionghua received my true teachings. Qionghua had innate divine power, but her ultimate fate was to perish in Lihen Heaven. Yet you, in the Celestial Realm, have endured thousands of years of heavenly tribulations and remain well. I can’t help but wonder, how strong have you become now?” Hua Junyan said with a smile, then attacked Haoyue again, “Show me your true power. The next move won’t be so easy.”

Hua Junyan’s immense spiritual power caused surrounding objects to scatter. Haoyue immediately erected a protective barrier, using defense as offense.

“I had already calculated that a great tribulation was imminent. Is this tribulation you?” Haoyue asked solemnly.

Hua Junyan only smiled, offering no reply, but the force in his hand intensified by several degrees.

Sweat dripped from Haoyue’s forehead, showing he was struggling, yet he still didn’t intend to counterattack. He asked again, “You said you met two old acquaintances today. Besides me, who was the other one...?”

“Guess,” Hua Junyan still chuckled, seemingly not taking him seriously.

Faced with his erratic yet powerful attacks, Haoyue grew furious and decided to switch from defense to offense.

“The view isn’t open here; let’s fight outside.” He said, suddenly retracting his protective barrier and flashing out of the Cold Robe Hall.

Hua Junyan followed closely behind.

The two entangled in battle in the clear sky, two streaks of light, one black and one white, obscuring the heavens and earth, yet neither could gain the upper hand.

Feeling Haoyue’s uninspired attacks, Hua Junyan frowned and said, “If we keep fighting like this, we won’t get a winner in a year. Use all your strength, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“If ‘Gu’ uses all his strength, will you still be alive to speak?” Haoyue sneered.

“You can try.”

“Good.”

...

The next moment, a surge of white light enveloped the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, Four Seas, and Eight Desolations. The entire firmament plunged into a sea of white waves. But soon, the sky was covered in darkness again; the entire Thirty-Three Heavens became pitch black.

The darkness didn’t last long, almost immediately returning to brightness. The sky was still the same, but the Ziwei Emperor Star, hanging high in the firmament, gradually dimmed...