Patriark Sun mengamat-omat Yuan dan Sang Bijak dengan ekspresi kagum, karena ia belum pernah melihat siapa pun yang berkata dan memperlakukan Sang Bijak sebagai setaranya.
Sekadar membicarakan hal itu, Yuan bahkan tampak unggul di mata Patriark Sun. Ada sesuatu pada dirinya yang membuat kehadiran Sang Bijak terasa lebih lemah dari biasanya.
"Patriark," panggil Yuan tiba-tiba.
"Y-A-Yes?!" jawab Patriark Sun dengan cepat setelah bangun dari kondaknya.
"Yang Mulia...?" imbuhnya setelah jeda sejenak.
"Yang Mulia?" perhatikan Yuan. "Aku kelihatan seperti kaisar di matamu? Cukup panggil aku seperti dulu saja."
"Seperti yang bapak mau, Senior Tian..."
Meski baru saja mengumumkan posisinya sebagai Utusan Surga, kehadiran dan keyakinannya begitu menakjubkan bahwa Patriark Sun secara tidak sadar memperlakukannya seolah-olah Sang Bijka itu.
"Karena saking ingin bertemu, kuharap kau bisa mengundang seluruh anggota keluarga, agar kuh dapat mengumumkan kehadiranku secara resmi kepada seluruh keluarga."
"Aku akan mengumpulkan semua orang di Heavenly Assembly secepat mungkin!" kata Patriark Sun dengan patuh.
"Engkau boleh pergi sekarang," kata Yuan.
"Yes!"
Patriark Sun tak tertunda lagi untuk bertanya apapun, lalu menghilang dalam seketika.
Setelah mereka dikembalikan sendiri, Sang Bijaka berseru pada Yuan dengan amarah, "Beranikan kau memanfaatkan aku sebagai pelintir, brengsek!"
Yuan hanya mencengkerang.
"Jika kau tidak ingin menjadi pelintirku, silakan tyerahkan posisimu kepadaku. Aku bahkan bisa menjanjimu agar Kau hidup dengan damai untuk selepe hidupmu."
"Kau mengharapkan aku menyerah kepada seorang bodoh seperti dirimu? Bermimpi saja!" sang Bijaka berseru keras, api marah menyala di matanya. "Meskipun aku tidak dapat mengganggu langsung denganmu, aku tetap dapat memperluas pengaruhku! Aku akan memastikan kau tidak akan pernah bisa mengalahkanku, tidak peduli seberapa keras kau berusaha membuktikan kemampanmu di hadapan Tuhan!"
Yuan tiba-tiba meletakkan tangannya di kepala Sang Bijaka dan mulai mengacak rambutnya dengan kasar, seperti seorang saudara kandung yang mengganggu saudara kandung yang lebih kecil.
"Semoga beruntung dengan itu," demikianlah ia tertawa keras sambil meninggalkan Aula Surgawi, meninggalkan Sang Bijaka bergetar dari kemarahan.
"Serius! Di mana pihak Tuhan menemui dunia ini seorang brengsek seperti itu?!" Bengkang dan mengertakkan gigi, Sang Bijaka merasakan emosi yang belum pernah dialaminya sebelumnya — terutama kemarahan.
Setelah pergi, Patriark Sun meniup toa mengundang semua anggota dari tiga keluarga ke Heavenly Assembly — sebuah alat yang hanya digunakan untuk situasi mendesak.
Tolakan bel mendengung mengatasi Benua Suci, membuat semua orang yang mendengarkannya gemetar.
"Suaranya... Itu Suara Surga! Siapa yang berani meniupnya?!"
"Sekalipun tidak dipakai selama perang kami dengan Ras Raksasa, namanya dipakai sekarang juga?! Apa yang terjadi di hari Tuhan ini?!"
"Semua orang! Hentikan semua pekerjaan dan segera ke Heavenly Assembly!"
Dalam hitungan jam saja, puluhan ribu orang dari Tiga Tiang Surga berkumpul di Heavenly Assembly. Baiklah itu seorang pelayan hina atau seorang penatua senior, semua harus hadir tanpa pengecualian.
"Patriark Sun! Apakah Bapak yang menyebabkan ini dengan meniup Suara Surga?!"
Seorang wanita bertanya dengan ceria tengah bertanya.
"Memang betul, aku yang meniupnya, Patriark Ji."
"Kau hadus mempunyai penjelasan yang baik untuk ini, Patriark Sun!" suara lain bergulung setelahnya.
"Diam, Patriark Ji. Segala sesuain akan dijelaskan sebentar lagi. Namun, bukan aku yang akan berbicara."
"Tunggu sebentar..." wanita tengah bertanya barusan menyadari sesuatu dan bertanya, "Apakah ini berkaitan dengan Yang Mulia, Sang Bijaka?"
Seluruh suasana berubah saat Sang Bijaka disebutkan.
Patriark Sun menjawab dengan sekadar mengangguk diam-diam.
Sekarang mereka tahu Sang Bijaka terlibat, tak seorang pun berani bertanya lagi.
Beberapa waktu kemudian, seorang sosok muncul di platform di samping Patriark Sun.
"Siapa yang berani berdiri di situ?!"
Di antara ribuan orang di sana, hanya beberapa orang yang mengenali wajah Yuan, jadi kebanyakan bingung melihatnya muncul secara acak di sana.
"Halo semuanya. Namaku Tian Yang, dan aku yang menyebabkan kalian berkumpul."
Yuan tak keberatan dan segera memperkenalkan dirinya.
Namun, sebelum ia bisa mengatakan sepeser kata saja, seseorang berseru, "Tian Yang?! Siapa yang berani mengatakan namaku?! Keluar dari sana! Yang Mulia, Sang Bijaka, akan segera tiba!"
Banyak suara lainnya mengikutinya, semuanya menyumpat Tian Yang.
Melihat hal itu, Patriark Sun, tanpa kata lain, melepaskan kultivasinya dan menyerang mereka yang baru saja bicara, membunuhnya langsung di tempat.
"Patriark Sun?!" para Kepala Keluarga dan Penatua berseru terkejut setelah menyaksikan responsnya yang tiba-tiba dan kejam, terutama karena korban pertama yang berbicara sebenarnya adalah seorang Penatua senior.
"Apa maksud ini?! Apa yang membuatmu membunuh Penatua Wu?!" desis menuntut Penjelasan, sebab Penatua Wu berasal dari Keluarga Wu miliknya.
"Orang yang berani menginterupsi dan mengabaikan penghormatan kepada Utusan Surga akan dieksekusi di tempat!" deklarasi Patriark Sun.
"WHAT!?!"
"Semua orang" berseru terkejut.
"B- Tapi Sang Bijaka belum ada di sini! Dan mereka hanya..."
Patriarch Sun watched Yuan and the Enlightened One with a gawking expressing, as he’d never seen anyone speaking and treating the Enlightened One like an equal.
In fact, Yuan even appeared superior in Patriarch Sun’s eyes. There was just something about him that made the Enlightened One’s presence feel weaker than usual.
"Patriarch." Yuan suddenly called out to him.
"Y-Yes?!" Patriarch Sun hastily responded after snapping out of his daze.
"Your Majesty...?" he added after a brief pause.
"Your Majesty?" Yuan frowned. "Do I look like an emperor to you? Just continue calling me like before."
"As you wish, Senior Tian..."
Even though Yuan had just announced his position as Heaven’s Envoy, his presence and confidence were so overwhelming that Patriarch Sun subconsciously treated him as if he were the Enlightened One.
"Anyway, I want you to summon everyone in the family, so I can officially announce my presence to the entire family."
"I will have everyone assemble at the Heavenly Assembly as soon as possible!" Patriarch Sun acknowledged.
"You may leave now," said Yuan.
"Yes!"
Patriarch Sun didn’t linger to ask any more questions and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Once they were alone again, the Enlightened One cursed at Yuan, "How dare you use me as a stepping stone, you damn bastard!"
Yuan shrugged.
"If you don’t want me to use you as a stepping stone, you’re free to surrender your position to me. I can even promise to let you live in peace for the rest of your life."
"You expect me to surrender to a nobody like you? In your dreams!" the Enlightened One roared, a ferocious flame burning in his eyes. "Even if I cannot interfere with you directly, I can still continue to expand my influence! I will make sure you never defeat me, no matter how hard you try and prove my worth to God!"
Yuan abruptly placed a hand on the Enlightened One’s head and proceeded to rub it fiercely, messing with his hair like an elder brother bullying a younger sibling.
"Good luck with that," he laughed out loud as he left the Celestial Hall, leaving the Enlightened One trembling in anger.
’Seriously! Where in God’s name did such a bastard come from?!’ The Enlightened One clenched his fists and gritted his teeth at Yuan’s very existence, feeling emotions he never knew existed before—mostly anger.
After leaving, Patriarch Sun summoned every member of the three families to the Heavenly Assembly using the summoning bell—an instrument reserved only for emergencies.
The bell’s toll echoed across the Holy Continent, sending shock through everyone who heard it.
"This sound... It’s Heaven’s Bell! Who the hell rang it?!"
"It wasn’t used even during our war with the Giant Race, yet it’s being used now?! What in heaven’s name happened?!"
"Everyone! Stop whatever you are doing and head to the Heavenly Assembly!"
In just a few hours, tens of thousands of people from the Three Pillars of Heaven gathered at the Heavenly Assembly. Whether it was a mere servant or a high-ranking elder, everyone had to be there with no exception.
"Patriarch Sun! Were you responsible for ringing the Heavenly Bell?!"
A beautiful middle-aged woman questioned him.
"Indeed, I rang the Heavenly Bell."
"You’d better have a good explanation for this, Patriarch Sun!" Another voice resounded.
"Calm down, Patriarch Ji. Everything will be explained in a moment. However, I will not be the one speaking."
"Wait a second..." The middle-aged woman who questioned him earlier realized something and asked, "Is this related to His Majesty, the Enlightened One?"
The entire atmosphere changed upon hearing the Enlightened One’s name.
Patriarch Sun responded with only a silent nod.
Now that they knew the Enlightened One was involved, nobody there dared ask any more questions.
Some time later, a figure appeared on the platform beside Patriarch Sun.
"Who the hell is that? And why is he standing there?"
Among the thousands of people there, only a few recognized Yuan’s face, so the majority were puzzled by his random appearance.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Tian Yang, and I was the one who called for you."
Yuan wasted no time and immediately introduced himself.
However, before he could say another word, someone shouted, "Tian Yang?! Who the fuck is that?! Get out of there! His Majesty, the Enlightened One, will be here soon!"
Many more voices followed right after, all of them cursing at Tian Yang.
Seeing this, Patriarch Sun, without a word, unleashed his cultivation base and attacked those who had just spoken, instantly killing them on the spot.
"Patriarch Sun?!" The Family Heads and Elders exclaimed in shock after witnessing his sudden and brutal response, especially since the first victim to speak was actually a high-ranking Elder.
"What is the meaning of this?! Why did you kill Elder Wu?!" Patriarch Ji demanded an answer, as Elder Wu was from his Ji Family.
"Those who dare to interrupt and disrespect Heaven’s Envoy will be executed on the spot!" Patriarch Sun declared.
"WHAT!??!"
Everyone there exclaimed in shock.
"B-But the Enlightened One isn’t even present! And they were talking to—"
They looked at Yuan, who stood calmly before them, faces puzzled.
"Let me finish," Yuan said before continuing, "I have spoken to Heaven and been accepted as its second Heaven’s Envoy."
Silence rippled throughout the crowd after his declaration as a second Heaven’s Envoy.
Someone suddenly raised his hand.
Yuan pointed at him and asked, "What is it?"
"I am the patriarch of the Tian Family, Tian Liuming. I would like to ask you... How did this happen? And do you have evidence? Even if I want to believe you, it’s simply too sudden and hard to believe, especially since this is the first time many of us have even heard of you."
"A good question. Allow me to explain everything from the beginning," said Yuan.
"Initially, I came here to check up on Sun Rouxi, my partner. However, I was also curious about the Enlightened One, so I asked him to meet with me."
"Sun Rouxi?! Your partner?!"
The crowd was already in shock—and Yuan was only just beginning.
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