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Chapter 459: The Decree of Heaven

"Wuhen, you will lead the army from here. The road ahead is fraught with ambushes, so minimize losses and ensure the army reaches the Taigu Holy Capital. We will regroup there," Zhong Shan instructed solemnly.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen responded immediately.

Shui Wuhen led the army away quickly.

On the mountain peak, only Zhong Shan, Tian Ling\'er, Lin Xiao, Mr. Shi, Xuan Yuan, Zhihuo, and Qinghong remained.

"Lin Xiao, you, Zhihuo, and Qinghong will stay hidden. The journey will be perilous, but it is a perfect opportunity for Wuhen to grow. Only intervene if absolutely necessary," Zhong Shan commanded.

"Understood!" Lin Xiao accepted the order immediately. Zhihuo and Qinghong also complied and quickly followed the army.

Now, only Zhong Shan, Tian Ling\'er, Mr. Shi, and Xuan Yuan remained.

"Friend Xuan Yuan, thank you for your assistance," Zhong Shan said.

"No problem! There is still some time left in the half-year I promised to protect you," Xuan Yuan smiled slightly, referencing his commitment to protect Zhong Shan for six months.

Half a month later, over the East Sea:

"Thank you, friend Xuan Yuan, for your care during this period. I will remember this," Zhong Shan expressed his gratitude.

"Since you asked, I will escort you this far. What happens next is up to fate. I hope we won\'t become enemies," Xuan Yuan said, taking a deep breath.

"We shouldn\'t," Zhong Shan replied.

"Perhaps. Before I leave, let me give you one more thing as a final token, clearing any debts between us," Xuan Yuan said.

Zhong Shan frowned slightly but nodded. Although he had helped Xuan Yuan break through the Empire Extreme Realm\'s constraints, Xuan Yuan\'s assistance during this period had more than repaid that debt. From gifting him the Tian Decree to aiding against Nie Fancheng and Wu Jiutian, and intimidating Guiyuan Buddha, Xuan Yuan\'s support had balanced their accounts. Zhong Shan wouldn\'t insist on further entanglements.

With curiosity, Zhong Shan took the small booklet Xuan Yuan handed over.

Heavenly Thunder Transformation

The moment Zhong Shan saw the booklet, he was stunned. Heavenly Thunder Transformation. When he left the Great Luo Dynasty, he had asked Gu Shentong about this. Gu Shentong had mentioned that Thunder Foundation Technique was only a foundational Nascent Soul stage technique, and that once Zhong Shan reached the Integration stage, he should practice a technique called Heavenly Thunder Transformation. However, this technique was only available at the Genesis God Palace, one of the four great holy lands.

Could Xuan Yuan be from the Genesis God Palace?

This technique, which Zhong Shan urgently needed, cleared any remaining debt between them.

"Thank you!" Zhong Shan accepted it gratefully.

Xuan Yuan smiled slightly and disappeared in a flash.

"Destiny indeed!" Mr. Shi remarked with a strange expression, looking at Zhong Shan.

"Uh?" Zhong Shan looked at Mr. Shi with slight surprise.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" Mr. Shi suddenly bowed deeply to Zhong Shan.

This sudden and inexplicable bow left Tian Ling\'er full of questions. Only Zhong Shan understood the significance of this bow. It was Mr. Shi\'s heartfelt submission, filled with sincerity.

"Mr. Shi, you are too kind," Zhong Shan quickly helped him up, a look of excitement on his face.

"Your Majesty, from now on, I will do my utmost to assist you in unifying the world!" Mr. Shi vowed immediately.

"With Mr. Shi\'s help, what is there to fear about the world not being pacified? However, I am a bit puzzled. Why was Mr. Shi so moved just now?" Zhong Shan asked curiously.

"Your Majesty is a person destined by heaven. Have you not noticed that whenever you need something, someone brings it to you?" Mr. Shi suddenly smiled.

"Oh? Haha!" Zhong Shan nodded and smiled. Although he didn\'t fully understand Mr. Shi\'s meaning, did it matter? No, it didn\'t. Having Mr. Shi\'s loyalty was enough.

Half a month later, Zhong Shan arrived at Sky Wolf Island!

The first stop was the Kaiyang Sect!

At the gravesite of Tian Xingzi and his wife.

Zhong Shan and Tian Ling\'er knelt in front of the graves, with four people standing behind them: Xuan Xinzi, Gusuzi, Shou Shan, and Shou Zong. Mr. Shi had already gone to Xuanjing.

The four of them watched silently as Tian Ling\'er cried uncontrollably, clinging to Tian Xingzi\'s tombstone in sorrow.

"Father, why did you leave me?" Tian Ling\'er cried, her tears soaking the tombstone. Zhong Shan knelt beside her, gently patting her back.

Behind them, Shou Shan and Shou Zong shook their heads and sighed softly.

"Ling\'er, since you and Zhong Shan have come together, there are some things that should be given to you," Xuan Xinzi said, taking a deep breath.

But Tian Ling\'er continued to cry, her eyes swollen with tears. Her mother had died, her father had died, and now only Zhong Shan was left.

"This was left to me by my senior brother years ago. He said that only if Zhong Shan brought you back should I give this to you. If Zhong Shan couldn\'t bring you back, then this item would be buried in front of his grave," Xuan Xinzi explained.

"My father left this for me?" Tian Ling\'er asked through her tears.

"Yes," Xuan Xinzi nodded.

Then, he took out a jade box. The box was sealed with a restriction that only Tian Ling\'er knew how to unlock. Otherwise, forcibly opening it would destroy the contents.

"This was given to me by my senior brother years ago, with instructions that only you and Zhong Shan should see it together, with no one else around. Now I give it to you. We will leave now. If there is anything you need, contact us," Xuan Xinzi said.

"Alright," Tian Ling\'er nodded. Zhong Shan also reached out and took the box.

After kneeling at Tian Xingzi\'s grave for a while longer, they moved to the small courtyard where Zhong Shan had once lived.

Setting up an isolation array, they sat at the head of Zhong Shan\'s bed. Tian Ling\'er, following her memory, activated the jade box. The restriction disappeared.

Gently opening it, they found two items inside: a memory crystal and something resembling a token, which looked like a piece of iron but wasn\'t.

Zhong Shan carefully took it out. The token was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, an inch thick, and appeared quite ordinary, with two characters engraved on it: Heavenly Decree.

Heavenly Decree? This token carried an impressive aura! Zhong Shan tried to probe it with his spiritual sense but found he couldn\'t penetrate it.

Meanwhile, Tian Ling\'er picked up the memory crystal and infused it with her true essence.

Instantly, an image of Tian Xingzi appeared, projected from the crystal.

"Father!" Tian Ling\'er cried out.

But it was only a memory projection, not the real person.

"Ling\'er, have you been brought back by Zhong Shan? Is Zhong Shan also here? If you have been brought back by Zhong Shan, he has not failed my expectations," Tian Xingzi said with a smile.

The two watched patiently, not interrupting, realizing that this projection could only be viewed once.

"By the time you see this, I might have been dead for decades or centuries. Regardless, it\'s good that you can see it. There are some things I have never mentioned, but Ling\'er, you must know, and since Zhong Shan has brought you back, it\'s alright to tell him too. Treat Ling\'er well in the future, understand?" Tian Xingzi continued.

"Master, rest assured, I will take good care of Ling\'er," Zhong Shan replied sincerely, even though Tian Xingzi couldn\'t hear him.

"The Heavenly Decree inside the jade box was passed down from my ancestors. Our ancestors produced twelve immortals in total, but none of them had the qualifications to use it," Tian Xingzi said.

Hearing this, Zhong Shan\'s mouth dropped open. Twelve immortals? Ling\'er\'s ancestors were that formidable?

"Haha, I was also shocked when I heard it from my father. Surprised, aren\'t you? Haha!"

"To be honest, I found it hard to believe too, but we still passed it down. Tian, this world, who dares to bear the surname Tian? Only my Tian family. Our ancestors were not founders of any celestial dynasty but guardians of this world."

"Guardians of this world, and that Heavenly Decree, is said to be the decree of guardianship over this world. However, as our family declined, the once-grand Tian family dwindled to just me, and now to only you. Over the years, the status of guardians also changed. Now, we are merely ants struggling to survive and seek longevity in this world. The Heavenly Decree contains secrets of our family that I couldn\'t decipher. Now, I pass it on to you, hoping you can gain something from it. It is said that one can comprehend its mysteries upon reaching the immortal realm. However, each of our twelve immortal ancestors, upon attaining immortality, left behind a message: \'I am not qualified.\' Thus, it has been passed down."

"As for me, do not worry. I will find your mother in the underworld. Moreover, with twelve immortals and perhaps the strongest ancestors, someone must be in the underworld. I can find them and live without worries. Do not worry about me. Just remember, your surname is \'Tian\'! The most noble surname in this world. Do not fear being inferior to others; you are the most noble."

"Mm!" Tian Ling\'er nodded tearfully.

"Having said all this, I am content. Take care!" Tian Xingzi concluded, and the projection faded away completely.

"Father!" Tian Ling\'er cried.

Zhong Shan held Tian Ling\'er, comforting her while feeling overwhelmed by the revelations. Her ancestors were extraordinarily powerful, with twelve immortals!

They stayed at the Kaiyang Sect for over ten days until Tian Ling\'er finally calmed down and regained her cheerful demeanor.

One day, Zhong Shan personally made osmanthus cake again, and Tian Ling\'er enjoyed it with great delight.

"Ling\'er, there is still something we haven\'t done," Zhong Shan said.

"What is it?" Tian Ling\'er asked, puzzled, with a crumb of osmanthus cake on her lips.

Zhong Shan sat next to Tian Ling\'er and gently picked up the crumb from her mouth, putting it in his own. Tian Ling\'er\'s face turned red.

"The wedding night," Zhong Shan whispered in her ear.

Feeling the warmth of his breath and hearing his slightly husky voice, Tian Ling\'er\'s face blushed even more, turning crimson along with her ears. She wanted to shy away, but Zhong Shan held her tightly. Feeling his strong arms, Tian Ling\'er felt her body soften completely.

Zhong Shan scooped Tian Ling\'er up and carried her into his small courtyard. With a wave of his hand, he set up formations outside to prevent the enchanting sounds of their union from being heard.