The world seemed colder that night.
Clouds gathered unnaturally above City Z, forming a swirling vortex that blotted out the moon. It wasn't rain that stirred in the storm — it was judgment. A pressure unfathomable to mortals seeped into the air, making even cultivators tremble without knowing why.
Lin Tian stood alone on the rooftop of the tallest building, his long coat fluttering like a banner of war in the violent wind.
He had felt it the moment it appeared — a presence watching him across dimensions.
A Heavenly Eye.
The Tribunal had noticed the activation of the Celestial Nexus.
His voice was calm, but cold.
"So they've finally found me."
The swirling clouds parted slightly, revealing a vertical slit of golden light — like an eye carved into the heavens themselves. It was massive, spanning miles, gazing down at him with ancient authority.
A deafening voice echoed across the atmosphere:
"Bearer of Forbidden Power… you violate heavenly order."
Every mortal in the city froze; many dropped to their knees from sheer instinct. They could not see the Heavenly Eye, but the oppression suffocated them.
Lin Tian clasped his hands behind him.
"I returned to Earth to settle karmic debts. I owe Heaven nothing."
The sky rumbled in fury.
"You awakened the Nexus Core. Such power is restricted. You are commanded to surrender yourself for celestial judgment."
Lin Tian smirked.
"Judgment? Last I remember, Heaven doesn't judge me — I judge Heaven."
Lightning cracked across the sky like a divine whip.
At that moment, the Heavenly Eye contracted, focusing entirely on him. The clouds turned blood-red. Reality trembled.
Then—
A golden beam shot down.
Not energy.
Not light.
A Heavenly Decree — a binding law given form, capable of erasing an immortal's identity.
Lin Tian raised one hand.
Just one.
The Nexus symbol on his palm glowed. Runes spiraled outward and formed a shield of swirling cosmic patterns. The beam struck it, exploding in a wave of divine force that vaporized the air around him.
Skyscraper windows shattered for blocks. Shockwaves rippled through the atmosphere.
Yet Lin Tian didn't budge an inch.
He looked up, eyes glowing silver.
"If Heaven continues this nonsense, I'll tear that eye apart."
A long silence.
Then the Heavenly Tribunal changed tactics.
A new voice echoed — calmer, deeper, older than mountains.
"Lin Tian… child of the Revolt… do you remember your true crime?"
His body froze for a moment.
In a flash, images surged into his mind — a battlefield of gods, a throne shattering, an ancient law rewritten.
A younger version of himself, standing defiantly before the Nine Heavenly Emperors.
His own voice from another lifetime:
"If a law is unjust… then it deserves to be broken."
He had forgotten that part of his past. Or perhaps, Heaven had sealed it.
Lin Tian clenched his fists.
"So that's what this is about."
The clouds churned.
The Heavenly Eye dimmed.
"You will face your first trial in three mortal days. Prepare yourself. Survive… or be erased."
The eye closed. The sky returned to normal.
But Lin Tian didn't relax.
Because behind him, he sensed it — a shadow kneeling, trembling.
It was Yu Rou, who had followed him secretly.
She had heard everything.
Her voice quivered.
"Senior Lin… what… what are you?"
He turned around slowly. The wind quieted.
His expression softened — just slightly.
"I am someone who defied Heaven once."
He looked up at the empty sky.
"And it seems… I will have to do it again."