CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 256: CRUSHING AURORA, HEAVEN’S CHOSEN

In the crowd, Johnnie scoffed at Weyldon’s words. To force his hand, the man would do anything—he’d even make up a lie that Cecilia was pregnant.

"Master, is Mistress pregnant?" Nalorin Sylvia asked curiously.

Johnnie shook his head. "I don’t think so. If Cecilia were pregnant, how could I not know?"

Nalorin Sylvia frowned a little. "Master, how long has it been since you were last with her?"

Johnnie froze. He’d been trapped in The Mecha Divine Nation for a while. He had just refined The Map of Heaven and Earth to break free when he heard Cecilia was taken.

It had indeed been a long time since he’d been with the women.

But if Cecilia was pregnant, Crysic would know. They wouldn’t hide something that important from him.

Unless the women didn’t know either.

Nalorin Sylvia went on, "Master, I can feel that Weyldon doesn’t seem to be lying."

"No way..." Johnnie still couldn’t accept it. After a moment’s hesitation, he summoned Finn out of The Map of Heaven and Earth.

Buzz!

Finn appeared, and at a glance he saw Cecilia tied to the high platform.

"Cecilia!" he shouted, about to charge forward, but Johnnie grabbed him in time.

"Finn, don’t be impulsive. That’s not Cecilia—someone’s disguising themselves as her," Johnnie explained quickly.

"Not Cecilia?" Finn was puzzled. He studied the woman on the platform carefully but couldn’t tell right away. He frowned. "If she isn’t Cecilia, then where is my sister being held?"

"I’m looking too. Don’t worry, Finn—I won’t let anything happen to Cecilia," Johnnie promised. He hesitated, then asked, "Finn, is Cecilia pregnant?"

"What?" Finn blurted out, then snapped, "Was that you?"

Johnnie scratched his head, embarrassed. "The enemy is probably trying to trick us. It’s fine. Finn, go back to the Mountains and Rivers Realm first."

He could tell Finn was about to lose control, so he didn’t hesitate and pulled him back into the Map of Heaven and Earth.

Whew! With Finn gone, Johnnie finally let out a breath, but he felt even more uneasy. He had a strong hunch that Cecilia being pregnant wasn’t a lie.

"Human, since you still won’t show yourself, then forget about ever seeing this woman again!" On the high platform, Weyldon still put on a fierce face. But with Johnnie not showing up, he couldn’t really kill Aurora.

By now he also guessed that Johnnie had figured out the "Cecilia" in front of him was a fake.

Weyldon felt like a clown, singing and dancing alone on the stage.

"What’s this? Are you going to tell us about the Dragon Pulse or not?"

The crowd grew angry; a few even looked ready to act.

Weyldon quickly tried to calm them. "Everyone, let me take this woman down first, then I’ll tell you the news about the Dragon Pulse."

"Take her down? Weren’t you going to execute her?"

"I knew he wouldn’t dare."

"Hurry up. We don’t care about your business. Just tell us where the Dragon Pulse is."

...

The crowd pushed him. Weyldon signaled, and two Demon race experts came up to the platform to take "Cecilia" away.

"My lord, act now. Lord Skye is ready. This is the perfect moment. As soon as you open the Map of Heaven and Earth, Lord Skye can strike down Aurora from afar." Just then, Coco’s voice sounded in Johnnie’s mind.

He gave a slight nod and stopped watching. This really was a great chance to move.

On the platform, Weyldon was about to announce the news about the Dragon Pulse when a figure below shot into the sky, followed by a ripple of spatial power.

Buzz!

A crack opened in the calm sky. It was the space of the Map of Heaven and Earth linking to this world.

"Human, you finally made your move!" Weyldon’s eyes lit up as he stared hard at Johnnie.

But before he could act, a terrifying power swept out from the spatial rift, filled with cold killing intent. The pressure was so heavy that people could barely breathe. Even the Half-God experts felt their souls trembling.

"So strong. What kind of monster is that?" the crowd murmured in panic.

"Canvas of Illusions!" The "Cecilia" on the platform cried out, staring straight at the rift. Then she suddenly realized and shouted, "You’re that Heaven’s Chosen..."

She hadn’t finished speaking when space shook. A cold flash tore the sky, howled over, and fell in an instant.

It was a huge axe shadow.

Boom!

With a roar, the whole platform shattered at once.

On the platform, Aurora—disguised as Cecilia—and Weyldon were killed on the spot.

Rumble, rumble...

Suddenly thunder rolled. Endless black clouds surged overhead, laced with purple-red lightning. A far more terrifying aura filled the world, one that could destroy everything. It felt like the power in those tribulation clouds could wipe out this world.

"What’s going on?" Johnnie swallowed hard, panic rising in his heart.

He’d thought the ascension heavenly tribulation was scary enough, but in front of these clouds, he felt like an ant.

"My lord, close the Map of Heaven and Earth, now. Lord Skye’s power is too overwhelming—it’s drawing down a heavenly tribulation." Coco’s grave voice sounded.

Johnnie snapped out of it and shut the Map of Heaven and Earth at once.

In the sky, the spatial rift vanished, and the rolling clouds faded away too.

This heavenly tribulation seemed meant to block Skye from descending into the land of confusion, not like an ascension tribulation.

If it were an ascension heavenly tribulation, it would lock onto you even if you hid inside the Map of Heaven and Earth.

Johnnie couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.

After seeing Skye’s power, he had hoped to use this method against other Divine powerhouses. But it clearly wouldn’t work—the rules of this continent don’t allow someone like Skye to act here.

He stopped dwelling on it and looked toward the ruined platform, searching for Aurora’s Divine Soul.

Aurora had been killed, but a Divine Soul doesn’t die. As long as it exists, she can come back—and then I won’t be able to keep my rebirth a secret.

Buzz!

Soul power stirred, and two Divine Souls shot into the sky one after another.

Before Johnnie could act, the Map of Heaven and Earth flew out on its own and wrapped around one of the Divine Souls.

"Bastard, you can’t kill me!" Aurora’s terrified voice rang out. She struggled with all her might, but it did nothing.

She had once refined the Map of Heaven and Earth as the Canvas of Illusions, and it still holds the source power she left inside.

Coco was using that source power to devour her.

"I won’t kill you, but I’ll seal you forever in the God-Burial Realm," Coco’s voice said.

"It’s you!" Aurora’s Divine Soul struggled in fear, but it was useless.

Then she realized Coco was trying to hide Johnnie’s identity as The Heavenslayer.

"Damn it, I should’ve guessed!" Aurora was filled with regret.

When Johnnie refined the Canvas of Illusions back then, she had already learned he was The Heavenslayer.

But she didn’t know his real identity. By the time he woke up, the Canvas of Illusions had been repaired into the Map of Heaven and Earth, and it was no longer on the weapon rankings.

Pluto, who knew who Johnnie was, had been killed by Johnnie and the Doe Family together, and even his Divine Soul was refined by Douglas.

Aurora shouted again, angry, "That Johnnie is a Heav—"

Buzz!

Space power rippled. Her voice cut off, and her Divine Soul was pulled into the Map of Heaven and Earth.

"Heaven’s Chosen?" Weyldon’s Divine Soul appeared too. He had heard the end of Aurora’s words, but not clearly. It sounded like "Heaven’s Chosen."

He stared at Johnnie in surprise. "Are you a Heaven’s Chosen?"

Johnnie was speechless. Aurora had tried to warn them he was The Heavenslayer, but they heard "Heaven’s Chosen" instead.

But that was fine, as long as his rebirth secret didn’t get exposed.

"Jack!" Johnnie lifted his hand, and Jack appeared, caught easily in his control.

"Father, save me!" Jack cried out in panic.

"Human, what are you doing?" Weyldon was shaken. With only a Divine Soul left, he had no power to fight.

Johnnie smiled and said, "Relax. Jack is still my slave. Let’s make a deal—one for one. I cancel the soul contract, and you hand over Cecilia."

"Bastard!" Weyldon cursed. He was a Divine powerhouse, yet his own son had been enslaved by a weak human—what a shame.

But now Aurora was dead and her Divine Soul was gone. No one could help Jack break the soul contract.

Facing Johnnie, he had no choice but to yield.

Weyldon couldn’t help but look over at the Blade King.

Buzz!

A cold flash cut the air. Before he could speak, the Blade King drew his saber and slashed at Johnnie.

"Don’t you dare!" A crisp shout rang out as Nalorin Sylvia appeared, icy light flaring.

Boom!

A massive blast of power swept out, flinging the people around them into the air.

"Blade King!" Weyldon called quickly. "Where’s that woman? Trade her for my son, and I’ll owe you a favor."

"Hmph. This man is a Heaven’s Chosen. He has to die. Don’t be stupid," the Blade King said with disdain.

More figures appeared around them, surrounding Johnnie. There were six in total, all of them Divine powerhouses.

The noisy crowd below went quiet. They stopped pressing for news about the Dragon Pulse, and all turned their attention to Johnnie.

Clearly, it was because of that "Heaven’s Chosen" label.

Johnnie grew even more curious. Who exactly were the Heaven’s Chosen, to make top experts from all races unite like this?

He wasn’t a Heaven’s Chosen. Nalorin Sylvia had mentioned that Douglas of the Doe Family was the real Heaven’s Chosen—but that guy had already betrayed them.

Johnnie stopped dwelling on it. Staying alert, he asked in a low voice, "Sylvia, can we take them?"

Nalorin Sylvia’s brows drew together. "Master, a few of them are not weaker than me. We should try to escape."

Escape?

Johnnie gave a cold smile. It wasn’t often he ran into this many Divine powerhouses. He didn’t want to let them go. If he killed them, his strength would rise a lot.

At worst, his soul could take another hit.