Chapter 33: Jade Emperor, I Know the Hand’s Origin!

In Chang’an’s Daming Palace, within the Hall of Two Principles, Li Shimin slumped on the dragon throne, his mind reverberating with a relentless hum. Below, the Eight Star Ministers stood in uneasy silence, exchanging glances. Moments ago, the Emperor had collapsed in the Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, struck by the sight of Li Zhi, the Wood Virtue Star, devoured by a black torrent. No one foresaw the hand’s intervention, nor imagined Gou Mang’s heir would fall to a single strike.

On the throne, Li Shimin’s voice rasped. “Fuji, how is Zhi’er?” Zhangsun Wuji bowed swiftly. “Your Majesty, His Highness is… in poor condition. General Qin Qiong has escorted him back.” The words deepened Li Shimin’s despair. Li Zhi, flawless save for his once-mediocre cultivation, had filled him with pride upon inheriting Gou Mang’s power. A new pillar for Tang—until that hand’s cruel blow shattered it all, felling his cherished son in one move. The Emperor teetered on collapse, yet his imperial resolve steadied him.

His mind turned to the hand’s origin. Taibai Jinxing’s divination had offered three clues: a vengeful foe, a peerless powerhouse, and a resident of the Prince of Qin’s mansion for over a year. Li Shimin’s Shadow Dragon Guards had scoured every guest from those days, living or dead, but none matched. “Who are you… why target Zhi’er?” he whispered to the night sky, his chest heavy as if crushed by stone. “Is it hatred for me?”

A voice broke the silence. “Your Majesty, General Qin Qiong has returned!” Li Shimin rose, brow furrowed, the Eight Star Ministers trailing as he hastened out.

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In Zichen Hall, Qin Qiong stood pale-faced before a charred figure—Li Zhi, stripped of his divine radiance. His skin, meridians, organs, and Gou Mang’s power were scorched and consumed by the black torrent. Barely clinging to life, his cultivation ruined, he was a husk of himself. Only Gou Mang’s life-giving essence preserved a flicker of vitality, sparing him annihilation. Li Shimin and the ministers entered, freezing at the sight. “Zhi’er…” The Emperor knelt beside his son, eyes brimming with grief. The ministers gasped—Li Zhi’s meridians were ash. His organs were failing, and his divine power was gone. Even if he survived, he’d live as a cripple.

Qin Qiong dropped to one knee, voice thick with guilt. “Your Majesty, I failed to protect His Highness. I deserve death!” Li Shimin, eyes closed, shook his head. “Qin, the fault isn’t yours. Our foe… is too mighty.” The hand’s image haunted him, a suffocating powerlessness gripping his heart. Beyond it loomed the Ten Demon Kings’ transformations and the Heavenly Demon Emperor’s menace. The weight of these threats tested even Li Shimin’s iron will. A guard announced, “Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived…”

In the Celestial Realm, at the Southern Heavenly Gate, a figure sped through the clouds. Guangmu Heavenly King, startled, called out, “Pleiades Immortal Lord, you just descended—why return so soon?” The lord’s face was taut with urgency. “No time! A crisis has struck the Mortal Realm!” Ignoring further questions, he raced toward the Jade Emperor’s Hall, leaving the Four Heavenly Kings bewildered. “What could rattle him so?” one mused. “With the Nine Calamity Stars nearing, the Six Realms are restless. We guard the gate.”

In the Jade Emperor’s Hall, immortal qi swirled, golden clouds drifted, and stars orbited in cosmic splendour. The Jade Emperor sat enthroned, his presence commanding. Flanked by Southern Celestial immortals and backed by countless heavenly troops wielding divine banners, the court deliberated the Nine Calamity Stars. Pleiades Immortal Lord burst in, drawing a frown from the Emperor. “Pleiades, why this haste?” his divine voice boomed. The immortals fell silent.

Pleiades bowed deeply. “Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty. While observing Gou Mang’s heir, I uncovered a hidden titan in the Mortal Realm. With one move, they defeated the heir!” Gasps rippled through the hall. Gou Mang’s heir was near the Mortal Realm’s apex—felled in a single strike? The Jade Emperor’s curiosity stirred. “Did you see this figure’s face?” Pleiades shook his head. “They didn’t appear, only extending a hand from the sky to crush the heir, then withdrawing. Its power was unique—pitch-black, neither demonic nor devilish…”

The immortals murmured, baffled by such an enigma. But Taibai Jinxing’s eyes narrowed, a memory sparking. “Pleiades, describe the hand.” The lord paused. “Slender, pale… impossible to discern if it was man or woman.” Taibai’s breath caught. Stepping forward, he bowed. “Your Majesty, I know the hand’s origin!”