The forest was silent except for the faint hum of the crystal seal imprisoning the Executioner. Yue Shuang gently lowered Lin Tian to sit against a broken tree trunk, her expression tense and conflicted.
Lin Tian winced, pressing his hand against his ribs.
"Arrest…? The Heavenly Tribunal wants to arrest me?"
Yue Shuang nodded slowly.
"It is a direct decree from the Grand Supreme Judge himself. All Celestial envoys are ordered to detain you on sight."
The Crimson Watcher snarled.
"Hypocrites! They cast him down, strip his powers, then blame him when darkness rises!"
Yue Shuang glared at him.
"This is not your place, Abyss beast."
But the Watcher stepped forward anyway, blood dripping from his wounds.
"It IS my place. I know the truth of what stirs in the heavenly void. The Tribunal fears him—fears the Nexus."
Lin Tian clenched his jaw.
"Why now? I've done nothing wrong."
Yue Shuang hesitated.
Then she spoke, her voice soft:
"You've grown too quickly. Far too quickly. You reawakened the Nexus, survived the Executioner, broke a shadow rift… none of this should be possible for a fallen immortal."
Her eyes searched his face for understanding.
"The Tribunal believes you have tapped into a forbidden source."
Lin Tian's heart tightened.
Forbidden? The Nexus was ancient, yes—but forbidden?
"What exactly do they think I'm using?"
Yue Shuang lowered her gaze.
"The Primordial Nexus Core—the seed of the first Heavenly Emperor. A power that predates the Celestial Realm itself."
The air trembled with her words.
Lin Tian felt a chill.
"The Nexus inside me… is tied to the First Emperor?"
The Watcher let out a huff.
"So he finally hears the truth."
Yue Shuang shot him a warning look.
"Enough."
But the Watcher ignored her.
"Long before your Celestial Palaces were built, the First Emperor locked away a fragment of his essence—the Nexus Core. Countless eras later, it vanished."
He pointed at Lin Tian.
"And now it beats inside you."
Lin Tian froze.
He didn't want to believe it… yet everything aligned disturbingly well.
Yue Shuang sighed, her voice weary.
"The Tribunal fears that if the Nexus awakens completely, you will become a second Heavenly Emperor—beyond their control."
Lin Tian laughed bitterly.
"So the heavens want to kill me preemptively."
"Not kill," she corrected softly.
"Seal. Imprison. For eternity."
The Watcher growled.
"Which is still death."
Lin Tian rose shakily to his feet.
"And you… Yue Shuang. Did you come here to arrest me too?"
She stiffened, unable to meet his eyes.
Finally, she whispered,
"I came here to warn you before the other envoys arrive."
A beam of silver light fell across the forest floor as the sun finally rose. Yue Shuang stepped back, her expression hardening as she sensed something in the skies.
"They're already here."
Lin Tian looked up.
The clouds above twisted.
A massive golden sigil—an execution order—formed across the sky.
From within the swirling light descended three figures:
The Celestial Enforcers of the Tribunal.
Robes of white and gold.
Auras sharp enough to slice stone.
Eyes cold, emotionless, divine.
Their leader, a tall man clad in sacred armor, pointed his spear at Lin Tian.
"Lin Tian, Fallen Immortal and Nexus Host—
By decree of the Heavenly Tribunal, you are ordered to surrender."
His voice boomed like thunder.
"Surrender peacefully, and you will be sealed without suffering. Resist… and your destruction is authorized."
The Watcher tensed.
Yue Shuang stepped between them instinctively.
"Wait, he is injured—"
The leader cut her off.
"Yue Shuang, return to the Ninth Star Palace. You are forbidden from interfering."
Lin Tian breathed deeply.
The Nexus within him flickered, unstable from the Second Gate.
He could fight…
But in this state, he might not survive.
The Enforcer raised his spear.
"This is your final warning."
Lin Tian tightened his fists.
He had faced abyssal monsters.
He had sealed the Executioner.
He had survived death and betrayal.
But the cold judgment of heaven…
That was the wound that hurt most.
Lin Tian lifted his head, eyes blazing with defiance.
"I won't surrender."
For the first time, emotion cracked the Enforcer's mask.
"So be it."
He thrust the spear forward—
But Yue Shuang moved faster.
Her blade met the spear mid-air with a flash of silver.
The world shook.
The Enforcer glared at her.
"Yue Shuang! You dare defy a direct decree?!"
She stepped forward, standing protectively before Lin Tian.
"Yes."
Her voice trembled, but her stance did not.
"Because he is not the enemy."
Lin Tian stared at her in shock.
The Tribunal Enforcers unleashed their divine auras.
Lightning crackled.
The sky darkened.
The world braced for a battle that would change the balance of realms.