Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 546: Supreme Everlasting Nine Heavens Sovereign Thunder Immortal Formation!

BOOM! The Serenity tore through the mists of the Celestial Sourcecore, chasing the dark canopy of the sky.

Yun Xiao stood at the prow, gazing at the fiery expanse of the Celestial Court, where clouds rolled and tumbled in a display of chaos. The Worldly Dao Heart within him soared with the turbulent flames and mist around him.

"Were it not for the Creator Immortal, reborn in the lowest rungs of the Cloud Nation among the feeble, how could I have ever witnessed such a grand and magnificent celestial palace?" he mused.

In such a world, despite the lurking dangers and numerous fierce beings, Yun Xiao's spirit surged with excitement.

He stood amid the tempest, his eyes blazing, adorned in a suit of platinum Arbiter armor that shimmered in crimson and gold through the fiery waves. His face glowed flawlessly, the whole scene painting a breathtaking picture.

Liu Mumu stood beside him, her tall, slender figure leaning against the ship's rail. She too was dressed in Arbiter armor, tailored for women, accentuating her delicate curves and lending her a look both valiant and beautiful.

It must be said that the designer of this Arbiter armor had an eye for aesthetics; irrespective of gender, the wearer not only gained protection but also a boost in allure and presence.

"You are remarkable in appearance, and with the Arbiter armor, you are even more formidable," Liu Mumu remarked, turning to glance at him, unable to hide her admiration.

"It's rare for a master to compliment someone's looks, which in the path of immortality, is often the least useful trait," Yun Xiao replied with a smile.

"It has its uses, at least pleasing to the eye. It would be more useful if you were of noble birth," Liu Mumu responded, shaking her head.

"Sorry to say, I am but a commoner, as insignificant as dust, my life as trivial as an ant," Yun Xiao said with a rueful smile.

"Nonsense," Liu Mumu retorted, rolling her eyes, yet she suddenly sighed.

"What is it?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"I was just thinking how you and your brother could be so different in looks, one as if from heaven and the other from earth. Then I remembered, you're not the real Lu Yao," she said, shaking her head in resignation.

"You're probably thinking, 'If only it were true,'" Yun Xiao said.

"Perhaps," Liu Mumu replied softly, her gaze lowered.

"Master, whether I am or am not isn't so important. There are many like Lu Yao who enter the path of immortality with dreams in their hearts. I am just one of them. We are of a kind, not a single person," Yun Xiao declared.

Liu Mumu, after hearing this, gave him a serious look. "You do have a way with words, young man."

"Have I convinced you?" Yun Xiao asked.

"For now, I believe," Liu Mumu responded.

Yun Xiao met her eyes, his own expression intense. "Then tell me, what happened during the two days when Lu An returned to the Celestial Court?"

Liu Mumu's body shook slightly, and she remained silent, her eyes struggling as she shook her head at Yun Xiao.

"Don't want to say, or afraid to say?" Yun Xiao pressed.

After a moment of silence, Liu Mumu answered, "You think too highly of yourself, wishing to change many things. But I see no hope for change in this world. For now, think about how to survive the selection in the Thunder Department."

"Alright." Yun Xiao nodded.

"Can you tell me your real name?" Liu Mumu asked.

"Master," Yun Xiao held onto the rail, giving a carefree smile, "How many times have I told you? My name is Lu Yao."

"Alright then." Liu Mumu smiled helplessly, then softly called out, "Lil Yao."

"Yes." Yun Xiao nodded emphatically.

"The Thunder Department is near. Is this your first time?" Liu Mumu suddenly smiled, like a flower blossoming, a sign that she had let go of some of her concerns and truly accepted Yun Xiao.

"It is my first time." As Yun Xiao spoke, he looked ahead.

Through the mists in front, numerous purple lightning serpents slithered, revealing the approaching world to be a place of wild ferocity!

"Master, could you introduce me?" Yun Xiao paused. "Otherwise, they might mistake your disciple for a simpleton."

After speaking, he glanced over his shoulder.

In that direction, the high-ranking officers of Sky Soaring City gathered, and the five young Arbiter Commanders formed a circle, speaking with an elegance and laughter Yun Xiao couldn't breach.

"An introduction?" Liu Mumu looked ahead and then said, "Then you'd better listen closely."

"I'm all ears."

Liu Mumu began in a solemn tone, "The Thunder Department, under the jurisdiction of the Celestial Court, controls the enforcement and punishment throughout the Great Dao Celestial Realm and all its mortal realms. Thunder, the supreme judicial power of the Celestial Court, governs life and death, prosperity and decay, rewarding and punishment of good and evil, the movement of clouds, the slaying of demons, the subjugation of devils, and commands the thunder. It serves the celestial will above and aids the tormented souls below.

"The Thunder Department is divided into one high office, two chambers, and three bureaus. The high office is the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office. The two chambers are the Five Thunders Chambers and the Exorcism Chamber. The three bureaus are the Myriad Divine Thunder Bureau, the Thunder Capitol Bureau, and the Thunder Department Bureau.

"Our destination is the headquarters of the Thunder Department, the Divine Heaven Jade Purity Office. Just this office alone comprises 36 internal courts, eastern and western platforms, arcane pavilions, four offices, six courts, and various bureaus. Under the Nine Heavens Supreme Thunder General and the Eight Paths Cloud and Thunder General, the Five Directions Barbaric Thunder Envoys, and the Chief Military Thunder Emissaries, all report to the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Voice Universalizing Sovereign, who commands 36 Thunder Dukes to execute celestial thunder."

After Liu Mumu finished, her eyes held a deep reverence.

"The Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Voice Universalizing Sovereign? That's a long name. Is he a super high ranking officer in the Celestial Court?" Yun Xiao asked.

"Yes. He is a Rank 1 Celestial Officer of the Celestial Court, commonly known as the Nine Thunders Sovereign. He is the highest deity of the Thunder Department and the sovereign of celestial punishment, one of the Eight Sovereigns," Liu Mumu explained, looking at Yun Xiao. "Impressive, right? The highest deity of the Thunder Department is of the same rank as the Chaos Sovereign who once visited our Sky Soaring City, both pillars of the Celestial Court."

"Impressive." Yun Xiao understood one thing clearly. The Thunder Department before them was undeniably one of the core locations of the entire Great Dao Celestial Realm, with Sky Soaring City merely one of its governed cities.

This place bore an unimaginable number of mighty and talented beings.

Equally, the resources available for cultivation here were beyond Yun Xiao's wildest dreams.

As Liu Mumu finished speaking, she pointed ahead and exclaimed, "See there? That's the sacred land of the Thunder Department!"

"The sacred land of the Thunder Department?" Yun Xiao widened his eyes and peered into the distance.

At the end of the rolling clouds ahead, a vast expanse of suspended land emerged, a purple continent so large that its edges were unseen, many times the size of Sky Soaring City!

This land was cloaked in an endless network of purple thunder, with billions of lightning serpents slithering across it, making the land appear as if it were composed of thunder itself!

Faintly visible were the endless palaces of the Thunder Department, each building aglow with relentless flashes of lightning.

Though not her first visit, Liu Mumu was still struck by its grandeur, inspired to praise, "Thunder, the pivot of yin and yang, commands the very root of all things. Without it, there could be no control over the Heavenly Palace! The universe began with an explosive interaction of yin and yang; so, the function of thunder is also manifested everywhere."

Thunder! Punishment! Arbiter! These three were closely linked.

"The Thunder Department Heavenly Land, in plain terms, is the dream of all Arbiters. This place bears the laws of heaven!" Liu Mumu pointed forward. "Do you see that vast net of thunder covering the sky above the continent?"

"I see it." As The Serenity drew closer, Yun Xiao could see more clearly; the entire Thunder Department seemed to consist of an ocean and a continent.

Above, there lay a sea of thunder.

"That is the Supreme Everlasting Nine Heavens Sovereign Thunder Immortal Formation, the ultimate weapon of the Thunder Department, handed down from antiquity! The laws of heaven are written within this formation. It is the ultimate symbol of fairness and justice for the Celestial Court and all mortal realms, a crucial instrument in the Celestial Court's governance of the world," Liu Mumu said solemnly.

"Truly majestic!" Yun Xiao exclaimed.

Yet in his admiring gaze lingered a trace of skepticism. Was it truly fair? That also depended on who wielded such a powerful tool of the Celestial Court, and whether they chose to use it.

"That's all for the introduction." Liu Mumu looked at him and asked, "What do you think, are you intimidated?"

Yun Xiao grinned and replied, "Not at all, I'm even more excited now."

"..." Liu Mumu was speechless.

JustLivingJL's Thoughts

"That is the Supreme Everlasting Nine Heavens Sovereign Thunder Immortal Formation, the ultimate weapon of the Thunder Department, handed down from antiquity! The laws of heaven are written within this formation. It is the ultimate symbol of fairness and justice for the Celestial Court and all mortal realms, a crucial instrument in the Celestial Court's governance of the world," Liu Mumu said solemnly.