My Celestial Ascension Chapter 873: Heaven’s Mandate

"Heaven’s Mandate has arrived! We are saved!"

"It is the Heaven’s Mandate! The elite warriors of the Celestial Emperor!"

The moment the Heaven’s Mandate appeared on the battlefield, the soldiers clad in golden armor ceased their movements; they collapsed to their knees, offering prayers of gratitude to the sky.

’Heaven’s Mandate? Yuan mused, feeling a sense of amusement. What a prideful name for a military force...’ He observed the enormous crimson banner where the words Heaven’s Mandate were inscribed in bold gold, feeling the sheer weight of the power it emitted as it bore down upon the field of war.

"The Heaven’s Mandate... those cursed puppets of heaven! How dare you show your faces in my presence!" Yuan bellowed at them, his defiant shout causing the very heavens to tremble.

A tidal wave of killing intent erupted from him, surging violently toward the Heaven’s Mandate.

Soldiers aligned with the Mandate began to vomit blood and collapse, their physical forms failing under the pressure of that lethal aura. Those possessing weaker cultivation perished instantly—a bizarre and terrifying occurrence that left even Yuan in a state of shock.

’W-What staggering killing intent... to achieve something of this magnitude... what level of cultivation does the man in my vision truly hold?’ he pondered, dazed by the sheer scale of the power unfolding before him.

"The Malevolent God of Slaughter—Evil God... Your final day has come!" the commander of the Heaven’s Mandate roared, his eyes shimmering with gold as his own killing intent poured forth.

However, when compared to the aura of the Evil God, the commander’s intent was insignificant—it lacked the raw ferocity of the other.

"AHAHAHAHA!!!" The Evil God laughed with the intensity of a madman, clearly entertained. "Every single time I encounter your dogs from the Celestial Emperor... you recite the exact same lines."

"Don’t you think your dialogue is getting a bit repetitive?" he taunted, openly deriding the Heaven’s Mandate.

His followers broke into cruel laughter that echoed across the battlefield.

"Evil God! How dare you insult us?! We serve Heaven! Heaven decrees your demise!" the commander of the Heaven’s Mandate screamed, his face flushing scarlet from a mix of fury and shame.

"Bring me that bastard’s head!" he thundered, pointing his sword toward the Evil God as his aura surged upward.

Tens of thousands of cultivators charged toward the Evil God and his army, and the entire landscape vibrated under the thunderous war cries that followed.

Suddenly, Yuan’s vision faded into nothingness, and in the next heartbeat, he was standing within an infinite void of darkness, unable to perceive anything.

No matter where he turned, there was only emptiness, as if he had been consumed by a vacuum and cast into a realm consisting solely of shadows.

Abruptly, he felt a presence behind him that caused his heart to race. In this silent void, the sound of his own heartbeat was deafening.

The presence was so massive that he felt like a mere ant standing before a colossal giant. Then, a voice resonated from the side—a voice he recognized at once.

"You must hurry, or you will once again lose something of great value."

Yuan startled and spun around immediately. There he stood, the man in that peculiar attire—the same figure from the vision he had just witnessed—the Evil God.

"You... why is it you again? And what was the meaning of that dream I just saw?" Yuan questioned, his voice steady, showing no shock at the Evil God’s presence.

"Oh, that memory... was it to your liking? Those mountains of corpses I piled up while butchering the lapdogs of that dog Emperor." The Evil God grinned widely as he drew closer.

"I don't even know how to put it into words... Who are those people claiming to be the Heaven’s Mandate?" Yuan inquired with sincere interest.

"It is far too early for you to understand them. You shouldn't fixate on it, not yet." The Evil God gave a shrug. "For now, your focus should be on increasing your strength."

"You have already attained the peak of the Spirit Lord realm. The tribulation will soon be upon you... in this world, nothing is granted for free, particularly power." The Evil God spoke with gravity, his heavy gaze fixed squarely on Yuan.

Yuan felt confused, yet he refrained from asking more, sensing that the man would not divulge anything further.

"It is time for your departure. Your women are currently very distressed about your condition," the Evil God remarked with a smirk, adding, "Before you go, I will offer one piece of advice."

"Time waits for no one. It progresses without pause. Once something is truly lost, it cannot be reclaimed. I hope you grasp this and act accordingly."

As the Evil God finished his sentence, Yuan’s sight became hazy, and the shadows dissolved as a brilliant light engulfed him.

Suddenly, he realized he was being held in his mother’s arms. She was clutching him tightly, her eyes filled with profound worry as she searched his face.

Upon seeing him open his eyes, a smile of relief spread across Anna Grace’s face, as though a massive weight had been lifted from her soul.

"Darling... you’re finally awake... are you alright? Does your head ache?" She peppered him with questions while touching his face and hands, gently smoothing his hair with a relieved expression.

"I’m okay, Mom. There’s no need to worry. I just had a very peculiar dream..." Yuan answered with a gentle smile, taking her hand and kissing it softly.

"Dreams? What kind of dream?" Lily asked, suddenly leaning her face extremely close to his, startling him.

"Big Sis! You nearly gave me a heart attack just now..." Yuan cried out with a shocked expression, breathing heavily as he attempted to steady himself.

"Calm down... is my face so frightening that it scares you?" She shot him a cold look before leaning in even further to kiss his lips.

The others were equally concerned, asking various questions about what had occurred and why he had suddenly collapsed after crying out.

Yuan recognized their anxiety, but he had no desire to reveal the details of the strange dreams he had experienced. He didn't want to increase their worry.

One thing was certain to him: these dreams were not normal. They felt intensely real, as though he had lived through them before, which felt impossible to him.

Because Yuan seemed hesitant to discuss his dreams further, Anna Grace and the others did not push him, trusting that he would share everything when the moment was right.

The next day, Mireya called all the council members to the palace throne hall for a vital announcement she needed to deliver.

Yuan and his other wives chose to stay in their quarters, aware that their presence might unsettle the council members, as many elves still felt a deep animosity toward humans.

Once the council and the high-ranking figures of the Elven Kingdom had gathered in the throne hall, Mireya made her entrance, drawing every eye in the room.

Sylvia and Elaris followed in her wake. Sylvia was dressed in her typical formal wear, suited for her roles as secretary and protector to Mireya.

Meanwhile, Elaris looked somewhat anxious, casting curious looks at the assembled crowd as she walked.

’Is Big Sister Mireya really going to announce her resignation today? It’s far too soon!’ she thought with trepidation, noticing the inquisitive stares directed at her.

"We offer our greetings to Your Highness, the Queen!"

All the elves honored Mireya with a respectful bow, dropping to their knees before their ruler.

"You may stand," Mireya replied, her voice steady as she offered a soft smile and a nod to her people.

When everyone was standing, Mireya took a deep breath and declared, "Today, I have a grave announcement to make. It will impact the whole nation, and likely the entire continent once the word spreads."

"Given that the Elven Kingdom is now stable and more powerful than ever, with no other nation able to rival us, I have decided to abdicate the throne and pass it to Elaris."

The moment Mireya spoke those words, eyes widened in shock, as if the floor had suddenly dropped away beneath them.

"Y-Your Majesty... surely you are joking?" one of them stammered, his voice shaking as he recoiled.

The rest remained paralyzed, their faces blank with disbelief and their mouths agape as they struggled to understand her decree.

Mireya shook her head and clarified, "I am not joking. I am entirely serious."

She looked down at the marble floor and smiled softly before looking up again, her expression leaving everyone speechless.

"This world... this kingdom no longer requires my lead. I have done my duty in defending it, just as my mother did before me. Now, it is time for me to live for myself," she explained.

She went on, "If I stay here any longer, it will only bring harm to the kingdom and its people. You are all aware of the recent assault from the High Heavens—those who call themselves gods."

"It is best for me to step down now before the situation escalates. I have already instructed Elaris in everything she needs to know. From this point forward, I expect everyone to give her their total support." Mireya said, glancing at Elaris with a warm smile.

A heavy silence settled over the throne hall following her speech. Everyone looked at Mireya with complex expressions, unable to understand her anymore, as if she had become an even greater mystery.

Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, panic began to spread as people saw a massive group of eagles circling above the kingdom—giant eagles unlike any seen before.

The sight was so terrifying that citizens fled into their homes, merchants hurriedly closed their shops, and mothers hurried their children to safety.

Within moments, the streets of the Elven Kingdom were deserted. Not a single person was left outside, and the atmospheric pressure began to climb sharply as numerous powerful presences drew near the kingdom.

"Is this the Elven Kingdom? It is quite small compared to the other nations on this continent," one of the gods remarked while looking down, a sneer curling his lip.

"This is indeed the Elven Kingdom... though it seems the elves are cowards. They are all cowering in their homes." Another god spoke with an arrogant tone, dripping with disdain.

"Where should we begin?" a third asked with impatience.

"Let us wait a few moments to see if that bastard intends to hide or if he will show himself like a man of courage." The commander of the gods replied in a calm, measured tone.

Inside the palace, Yuan and his wives detected the ominous aura immediately. They instantly projected their Divine Sense, blanketing the entire kingdom.

"So, the High Heavens have dispatched an army to seize me this time... how very interesting." Yuan smiled as he observed at least a hundred figures mounted on the giant eagles.

"They appear quite confident. It’s a shame they are still underestimating us." Julie laughed softly, amused by the large number of gods.

’Mireya, proceed with your meeting. I will deal with these flies buzzing around the kingdom.’ Yuan sent a voice transmission to Mireya without delay.

Mireya answered almost immediately.

’Understood. I will leave the matter to you and the sisters.’