At that moment, high above the Eastern Heaven Continent, beyond even the reach of the strongest cultivators, a massive ethereal eye, ancient and filled with unfathomable wisdom, opened within the boundless void. It gazed upon the world below, searching, focusing… until it locked onto a single infant.
The world itself seemed to react. Dark clouds gathered above the clan, spiraling unnaturally as if the very heavens had turned their gaze upon the mortal realm. The air grew heavy, and an eerie silence spread through the clan. Beasts cowered, spirit birds fled the skies, and even the ancient formations protecting the palace trembled slightly. A sudden pressure descended upon the palace, and the few elders in the clan suddenly felt a strange chill in their hearts.
The Grand Elders rank - 8, meditating in their private chambers, abruptly opened their eyes, their expressions darkening as they felt the disturbance in the heavens.
"This… this is not a normal storm," one of the Grand Elders muttered, his voice laced with concern.
"The heavens are… reacting to someone?" another elder questioned, bewildered.
"But who? There have been no breakthroughs into the Saint realm recently. Not even the Heavenly Dao is being challenged…"
Without hesitation, they vanished in an instant, reappearing in the chamber where the newborn still rested. The moment they entered, they saw the faint golden radiance surrounding the newborn's tiny body—a divine light, filled with unfathomable power and defiance.
Suddenly, a single bolt of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning descended, far stronger than anything meant for a mortal cultivator. This was not ordinary lightning; it was something far more ancient.
A Heaven's Judgment, meant only for those who defied the natural order. And it was aimed directly at a newborn!
The elders nodded in agreement and quickly formed a barrier to protect the child. Without hesitation, Mahavir raised his hand, activating the Imperial Guardian Formation, a barrier forged by his ancestors and empowered by countless imperial artifacts.
Boom!
The first bolt of lightning crashed down, shattering the outermost layers of the barrier instantly. The formation, meant to withstand attacks from peak Saints, flickered violently. The guards outside were blown away by the sheer impact, their bodies flung like ragdolls.
The storm dissipated, the clouds retreating as quickly as they had come. The imperial city remained in stunned silence, countless cultivators whispering among themselves.
"What… just happened?"
"The heavens raged… and then stopped?"
One of the Grand Elders spoke, his voice hoarse and filled with disbelief. "This child… He is not bound by fate."
Gasps filled the hall. Even the strongest cultivators were bound by fate's flow, their lives dictated by karma and destiny. But this child?
He was outside the cycle of fate.
Vidhur clenched his fists. "If this child truly defies fate, then he is a child of prophecy. He will either rise as the greatest emperor in history… or bring ruin upon the entire world."