Divine Medallion of Seven Lifetimes-Chapter 208: I am Jun Laoye, the Son of Heaven

"Oh, you want to know why?" Nantian Yijian halted and turned to Jun Laoye. "It's simple. I fight for the commoners, Little Jun.

"If you abandon the convictions you hold so dearly, then you become no different from an ordinary mortal. I will carry your resolve forward, and I will only set it down once I find the Heavenly Dao."

Jun Laoye trembled at his words. "Little Jian..."

His pupils trembled, contracting and dilating rapidly, and a fierce struggle tore through his heart — one between the instinct to surrender and the pull of Second Uncle’s fate and his own convictions.

"Ah..." At last, Jun Laoye sighed helplessly and slammed his fists against the ground. "It seems Second Uncle was right... I am still just a child. Little Jian, you're the first person I've ever seen act on your will with such unwavering conviction."

He roared, "Little Jian! Come back!"

Jun Laoye gripped the two spears at his side, struggling to rise. "Play Lone Venture into the Western Mountain once again. You're right... I must endure this trial myself. Otherwise, how can I ever hope to pursue the Heavenly Dao?"

"You've finally come to your senses! Then I'll play it for you again." Nantian Yijian swung his right hand, reverting the massive sword back into the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin. It hovered in the lightning giant's palm, shielding against the storm.

Nantian Yijian sat cross-legged, the guqin before him. "Here comes Lone Venture into the Western Mountain!"

He closed his eyes and let his fingers dance across the strings.

This time, the melody carried his conviction. With the boost of his Core Breakthrough Realm strength, the sound spread outward, reaching Mountain Ocean Peak.

Shan Long listened, then turned to Jun Wudi. "What a mournful tune... Young Jun, do you see now? Your nephew can endure the trial just fine. You may go to the Western Mountain with peace of mind."

Jun Wudi's expression remained stern. He watched Jun Laoye struggle to rise, only to collapse again. With a sigh, he moved his hand to his waist, where his Divine Ability Mark glowed faintly.

He pressed the mark, drew the token from his belt, and said, "Little Jun, you have truly grown... It's time I let you walk your own path. I'm heading to the Western Mountain. This token is yours."

He tossed it lightly. The token spun through the air and landed in Jun Laoye's hands.

Jun Laoye froze in shock. "This... is this my token?"

One side bore an intricate spear, while the other was engraved with his name. It settled neatly atop his spears. Tears welled in his eyes as he gazed toward Mountain Ocean Peak. "Second Uncle... have you finally acknowledged me?"

His voice trembled. "Second Uncle, you finally acknowledged me! I won't let you down!"

Jun Laoye roared, "I am Jun Laoye, the Son of Heaven, born to be a king!"

He secured the token to his chest, spirit qi erupting from his body as he braced himself on his spears. Blood slowly seeped from his seven orifices. "Am I bleeding?"

He stared at the blood trickling down, then carefully wiped his face with his sleeve. "Second Uncle said the Jun Clan must stand tall, and that the blood on our robes must never be our own."

However, his movements were too forceful. With his body battered and frail, he swayed and collapsed forward.

Bang!

A thunderous crash shook the valley as he dropped to his knees, coughing up a mouthful of Blood Essence.

Hearing the sound, Nantian Yijian's eyes flew open. He rushed forward, only for Jun Laoye to stop him. "Little Jian, keep playing. I will stand on my own."

"All right. But don't push yourself too far."

Seeing Jun Laoye's unyielding gaze, Nantian Yijian swallowed his concern and sat back down, resuming his melody.

Jun Laoye nodded gratefully. Trembling, he braced himself on the spears and forced himself upright once more.

Standing proudly in the palm of the lightning giant, he shouted toward the heavens, "Ah... I am Jun Laoye, Heavenly Lord Jun!"

To steady himself, he drove the Heavenly Dao Spear down from his thigh through his calf, piercing it straight into the giant's palm.

Nantian Wan'er screamed in horror. "Brother Jun, no!"

She turned frantically to call for Lu Chen, only to find him still deep in meditation, deaf to her cries for help.

Nantian Yijian caught Nantian Wan'er's cries. The metallic scent of blood reached him, and he instantly understood what Jun Laoye had done.

He wanted to open his eyes and help, but Jun Laoye's earlier determination forced him to keep them shut, silently praying nothing would happen to him.

Hearing Jun Laoye's shout, the cultivators in the Scripture Hall opened their eyes and turned toward him. When they saw one spear driven into his leg and another held at his side, they all gasped.

There was no shortage of ruthless men here. Many had plundered, betrayed, and slaughtered without mercy, but none had ever inflicted such cruelty upon themselves.

Daoist Du glared at the scene, mocking Ancestor Suitian. "Ancestor Suitian, can you really endure this? All for a so-called experiment, you let your descendant suffer such agony?"

Ancestor Suitian snapped. "Silence! The affairs of the Jun Clan are none of your concern."

His heart ached as he watched Jun Laoye, yet the formation was already active, and any interruption would only bring greater harm.

Daoist Du sneered. "But I didn't say anything wrong, did I? This has been your plan for fifty thousand years—to let the entire Jun Clan wield the Heavenly Dao Spear."

"Heh... Even so, you are in no position to interfere," Ancestor Suitian retorted coldly, moving faster as he spoke. "Once this is over, I'll seek out your main body. It's been ten thousand years since we last crossed paths."

"I'll prepare a banquet with my main body just for your arrival," Daoist Du said with a smirk, glancing back at Jun Laoye. "But for now, I'll be watching. After fifty thousand years of trials, I'm eager to see if you'll succeed this time."

Ancestor Suitian stopped responding to Daoist Du. Instead, he diverted part of his focus to controlling the lightning giant, trying to lessen its impact on Jun Laoye.

Jun Laoye swung the Suitian Spear in an arc before planting it straight into his right knee.

The two spears formed a perfect triangle, pinning him firmly in place.

Looking toward Mountain Ocean Peak, Jun Laoye swallowed back his blood. "Second Uncle, do you see now? I've grown. I am no longer the child who would only cry to you when bullied." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Jun Wudi's eyes grew moist. He wanted to speak, but no words came. Feeling his uncle's response, Jun Laoye managed a faint grin toward Mountain Ocean Peak.

"Ancestor, are we not done yet?" Jun Laoye turned to Ancestor Suitian and laughed. "I can't wait any longer. Let's begin. No matter how hard it is, I'll stand strong. The sons of the Jun Clan are born to be kings."

Ancestor Suitian chuckled. "Hehehe... That's the spirit of my Jun Clan's descendant—born hot-blooded and courageous."

Smiling faintly, he directed the lightning pill toward Jun Laoye. "I've been ready all along. I only delayed to see whether you would face this resolutely. Now is our chance. In just a few breaths, the process will be complete."

"That's perfect! Ancestor, let's start! Being fixed in place by these spears is uncomfortable enough already..." As the lightning pill drew closer, Jun Laoye whispered toward Mountain Ocean Peak, "Second Uncle, I'll wait for your good news. Bring Second Aunt back safely."

The lightning pill sank into Jun Laoye's divine ability mark on his waist, instantly severing his link to the Heavenly Dao Spears. The two spears dissolved into spirit qi, and he collapsed backward.

"Did he fail?" Nantian Wan'er cried out in panic. "Lady Red Fox, please save him! If anything happens, Lu-gege will go mad!"

"Wait. This is only part of the process. Ancestor Suitian isn't finished yet," Red Fox said calmly, following Ancestor Suitian's gaze toward Mountain Ocean Peak. "That man must be the boy's second uncle. He truly seems to be a benevolent soul, but why is his aura so similar to that of the Imperial Lord of Rituals?"

The lightning pill emerged from Jun Wudi's divine ability mark. His hand trembled as he reached out. He knew what this meant. If successful, his bond with the Heavenly Dao Spear would be restored, granting him its inheritance once again. If it failed, Jun Laoye's spear, as well as his lightning giant, would vanish forever.

Shan Long shouted from behind, "Young Jun, catch it! What are you waiting for? You've grown timid. If your nephew has the courage to try, why are you hesitating?"

Fang Yuan scolded as well. "Even if you back out now, it's too late. Refusing the pill won't stop the ritual. If you don't take it, the worst outcome will come. If you do, the worst is a fifty-fifty chance."

"Young Jun, you're being foolish," Shan Long added with a sigh. "Even if it goes wrong, the Ancestor is here. He can handle it."

Jun Wudi sighed, finally catching the pill and reintegrating it into his divine ability. "My nephew risked his life to give me this chance, yet I hesitated. How foolish of me."

At the same time, Jun Laoye's chest heaved violently, and scenes of Deer Ridge in Western Mountain began to surface in his mind.