Book 9: Chapter 68: Conference (4)

The Ancient Games were an enigmatic collection of three of the most olden forms of competition to ever be created. For as long as anyone could remember, no matter their strength or weakness, no matter their prestige or commonness, the rules of the Ancient Games had always been infallible.To gather them here for such a meeting, only to begin it in this way… It was almost too much. The gazes of those below were more than a little skeptical. The Heavens were infallible and the Ancient Games were, for the most part, its creations. At the very least, the Ancient Battlefield was. How could it be circumvented by mere Mortal Plane cultivators like them?“There’s no need for you all to remain skeptical.” King Star’s eyes glittered with a knowing light.At that moment, another figure appeared. Those within the highest tier of the parliament couldn’t help but be shocked belief.For those below, maybe they felt it was only natural that someone invited by the Star Clan was able to evade their senses so easily. However, for those who earned the right to sit amongst the nine most powerful, this matter was something that made them raise their guards to the highest degree.Even when they thought they couldn’t be shocked any further, the appearance of the one who appeared shook them to their cores even more.It was a little boy. No… Maybe it would be more accurate to describe him as a toddler.The toddler stood barely a meter tall and could only be labeled as adorable. He had large sparkling white eyes and a short head of white hair, even his robes that seemed a little too big for him were a pristine, unblemished white. Pure and cute might as well be subscripts under this child’s name.“Hello! My name is Apollos. I am –.”A childish voice rang out. Those below who didn’t understand the significance of the sudden appearance of this child tried their best to control their tempers. If they travelled for 10 years for the sake of a prank, even if this was the Star Clan, they’d fight them to the end.“– A Heaven’s Child.”It was as though a pale of cold water drenched their fury. Those who had been trying to withhold their anger sank into their chairs in shock.In truth, the concept of a Heaven’s Child wasn’t exactly wide spread, but who here wasn’t privy to their Clan or Sect’s most secret files? They were practically known as the puppeteers of history, holding this title even above the Celestial Hamsters.Clans who had them by their side, whether to control or cooperate, were destined to rise to the top, while those who didn’t have them or fell out of favor with them were doomed from the very beginning.Still, there hadn’t been news of Heaven’s Children for a very long time. Many had taken the destruction the Dark Phoenixes caused in eliminating so many universes and quadrants as an opportunity to escape the chains that held them to the Clans they served. In fact, maybe that was part of the reason the Clans of today simply couldn’t match the Clans of the past in power… And maybe that was yet another reason the Ancient Battlefield was descending so quickly.Still, after an initial shock, the skeptical looks remained. Were the simply supposed to believe these words? For all they knew, the Star Clan chose this child randomly from a batch of clever youths.“It seems they are still skeptical, Sir Apollos.” King Star said respectfully.There was only one way to eliminate any such questions, and the seemingly adorable kid did it without hesitation.A slow and deliberate blade streaked across his frail neck. To a mortal, it may have seen fast. But to the cultivators here, the blade might as well have been a snail gliding across a windowsill.A frail head and proportionally small fountain of blood flew into the air.There was no doubt. King Star had just killed a child before them all. But, before anyone could cry out in horror, the toddler’s head flew up from the ground, reconnecting to the child’s neck as though nothing had happened at all.Apollos frowned at his now blood-stained white robes. With a wave of his hand, the blood suddenly vanished without explanation. No one, not even King Star, knew how he did it…“Now that that nonsense is out of the way,” The childish voice continued, “I hope that no one else questions me. I won’t kill myself again for you, anyone who continues to doubt can leave.”Apollos sounded like a child throwing a tantrum, in sharp contract to the happy and bright kid he had been just a moment ago. But who could blame him, he had just experienced death all to prove a point.“We Heaven’s Children view the Heavens themselves as our parents, and in a lot of ways, we’re chained by them. But, we are also far freer as well. In the past, it was still an issue for even us to share the truths of the Ancient Battlefield, however…. The Heavens are weakening. Very soon, it’s quite possible that a Mortal Plane will no longer exist.”The parliament grew silent. They had known it was serious, or else they would have never come. But the thought of the end of an entire Plane of existence made them shiver from head to toe.