My Celestial Ascension

Yuan and his group soon arrived at the capital of the Lionheart Empire.

The moment they entered the city, they were stunned by the gloomy atmosphere.

The once-bustling streets were now eerily empty.

Most of the shops were closed, and aside from the guards patrolling the streets, not a single civilian was in sight.

"The situation is far worse than we imagined..." Valeria muttered, fury burning in her eyes. "I’ll make sure those bastards pay for this."

Vanessa also looked furious at the so-called gods, yet beneath her anger was an unmistakable concern for her family.

Yuan immediately noticed the worry on Vanessa’s face.

He gently placed a hand on Valeria’s shoulder.

"I know how you feel, Valeria," he said calmly. "But for now, let’s make sure your family is safe."

"This isn’t the time to let your anger control you. Save it for the battlefield."

"For now... keep a clear mind."

"You’re right," Valeria replied after taking a deep breath. "I let my emotions get the better of me."

She slowly calmed herself before letting out a quiet sigh.

’To think those narcissistic bastards would go this far...’

Yuan narrowed his eyes.

’It seems I should have made my move sooner.’

Not long afterward, they arrived at the Imperial Palace of the Lionheart Empire.

Just like the city itself, the palace was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere.

Hundreds of guards surrounded the palace as though they were preparing to repel an imminent invasion.

"The security is unusually tight," Sylvia muttered, her brows knitting together. "Did something happen to the Imperial Family?"

"We’ll find out once we meet Valeria’s family," Mireya replied softly.

As they approached the palace gates, the guards immediately recognized Valeria and Vanessa.

They respectfully bowed.

"We greet Princess Valeria and the Former Empress."

Valeria and Vanessa acknowledged them with slight nods before entering the palace, while Yuan and the others silently followed behind.

As soon as they disappeared inside, whispers spread among the guards.

"Did you see the people accompanying Princess Valeria and the Former Empress?"

"They’re the same people who stood against the corruption of the Holy Church."

The guards exchanged shocked glances.

Many of them had never expected Princess Valeria and the Former Empress to return alive.

Inside the palace...

Empress Selena sat on a sofa with a weary expression.

Beside her sat Princess Elara, whose face was filled with worry.

Prince Daniel was there as well, his expression clouded with anger and resentment.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall.

Empress Selena instinctively turned toward the entrance.

The moment she saw the newcomers, her eyes widened.

"Valeria...?"

Her voice trembled with disbelief as she slowly rose from the sofa.

"And... Mother?"

Princess Elara and Prince Daniel quickly turned around.

They froze in astonishment.

Not only had their aunt and grandmother returned...

Yuan and the others had returned as well.

"Selena..." Vanessa said warmly as she took Selena’s hands into her own. "Have you been doing well?"

Before Selena could answer, Vanessa gently pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"Yuan! You’re back!" Prince Daniel exclaimed as he hurried over.

"We’re back," Yuan replied with a smile.

Then his expression became serious.

"But I’m surprised by the state of the empire."

"What happened?"

"Why does everything seem so... bleak?"

The moment those words were spoken, Empress Selena could no longer hold back her emotions.

Tears streamed down her face as quiet sobs filled the room.

Prince Daniel and Princess Elara lowered their heads in silence, their expressions filled with grief.

"Well... Father is in critical condition," Prince Daniel said in a gloomy voice. "He still hasn’t regained consciousness."

"What?!" Valeria exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Rage instantly surged through her.

Her fists clenched tightly as she demanded, "How did this happen?! Who would dare harm him in his own empire?!"

Her voice grew colder with every word.

An invisible pressure gradually filled the room, becoming heavier with each passing second.

"Valeria, calm down," Yuan said gently. "You’re releasing your cultivation unintentionally."

His calm voice immediately helped her regain control.

He then turned to Prince Daniel.

"Go on. Tell us everything from the beginning. Don’t leave out any details."

Prince Daniel nodded before recounting everything that had happened after Yuan and the others left the continent.

According to him, angels had suddenly begun appearing throughout the Human Continent, asking everyone about Yuan and his companions.

Whenever they failed to obtain the answers they sought, they resorted to violence, attacking innocent people and destroying entire cities.

Eventually, they arrived at the Imperial Palace of the Lionheart Empire and demanded to know Yuan’s whereabouts.

"So your father refused to tell them anything," Yuan said after hearing the full story, "and the angels severely injured him."

Prince Daniel nodded grimly.

"They didn’t just injure him," he said through gritted teeth, hatred burning in his eyes. "They brutally assaulted him."

"They also slaughtered many of our Imperial Guards," Empress Selena added, unable to hide the hatred in her voice. "And they destroyed countless villages and cities throughout the empire."

"I see..." Yuan muttered, his voice turning icy.

"It seems it’s time we paid them a visit."

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense.

"So when do we strike?" Valeria asked, a dangerous gleam flashing across her eyes.

"For now, let’s examine your brother’s condition," Yuan replied calmly. "After that, we’ll decide our next move."

A short while later, Empress Selena, Prince Daniel, and Princess Elara led Yuan and the others to the chamber where Emperor Philip was resting.

The emperor lay unconscious on a large bed.

His body was covered in wounds, many of which had yet to heal completely.

"This..." Vanessa whispered before tears welled up in her eyes.

Valeria’s fists trembled with rage as murderous intent flickered within her gaze.

"I’ll skin those bastards alive for this..." she muttered through clenched teeth.

Yuan quietly released his Divine Sense.

After examining Emperor Philip, he discovered that although the emperor remained unconscious, his life was no longer in danger.

His injuries were steadily healing, and his recovery was progressing surprisingly well.

However, it would still take another few days for his body to recover completely.

As for when he would awaken from his coma, even Yuan couldn’t determine that with certainty.

He turned toward Empress Selena and smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t worry."

"He’s completely out of danger. He’s only unconscious."

"Really?" Empress Selena asked, disbelief filling her eyes. "But he hasn’t woken up for an entire week."

"Yes," Yuan replied confidently. "He’s definitely going to recover. At this rate, he may even regain consciousness by tomorrow."

"His condition is improving every moment."

"That’s a relief..." Empress Selena sighed, visibly relaxing.

"We’ve used countless healing potions on him, hoping he’d recover faster, but none of them seemed to work properly."

"That’s why I’ve been so worried."

Some time later, Empress Selena arranged rooms for Yuan and his companions to stay in.

Despite the difficult circumstances, she was genuinely happy to be reunited with Valeria and Vanessa once again.

"So, what are your plans now that you’ve returned to this continent?" Empress Selena asked, raising an eyebrow. "And why am I seeing a demon, a vampire, and a succubus among your companions?"

"We found what we came here looking for," Yuan replied with a smile. "Our search has come to an end, so we decided to return."

He then glanced at his new wives before continuing,

"As for them... they’re my wives. I don’t care which race they belong to. To me, they’re all the same."

"Huh?" Empress Selena stared at him in astonishment. "They’re your new wives? Some people can barely handle one wife, and you’ve somehow ended up with even more?!"

Daniel and Elara also looked at Yuan in disbelief.

Neither of them could imagine how he had managed to make even a demoness fall in love with him.

He’s on an entirely different level... Daniel thought to himself.

A few moments later, Anna Grace turned toward Yuan.

"So, when do you plan to shake the High Heaven?"

Yuan pondered for a moment before smiling.

"Tomorrow."

"They must be feeling quite confident after everything they’ve done."

"Let’s shatter that confidence."

Anna Grace smiled.

"I like that idea. It’ll be satisfying to see their expressions when they realize they’ve provoked the wrong people."

"I’m already itching to cut those bastards down one by one," Valeria added with a dangerous grin.

"Don’t worry," Yuan replied with a faint smile. "You’ll get your chance."

Vrasha chuckled softly.

"I almost feel sorry for them. If they hadn’t been so impatient, they could have enjoyed a few more weeks of peace."

"Indeed," Isolde agreed with a smile. "Their impatience will be their downfall."

She, too, was looking forward to confronting the so-called gods.

After all, she had carried a grudge against them for a very long time, and this was finally her chance to settle it.

"Well," Yuan said as he rose from the sofa, "let’s get some rest."

"We have an important mission waiting for us tomorrow."

He looked around at everyone before smiling.

"How about we all sleep together tonight?"

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone immediately stood up.

Without giving Yuan a chance to react, they grabbed him by the arms and happily dragged him toward the bedroom.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Let’s go!"

The following morning, Yuan and the others informed the Imperial Family of their departure.

However, when they revealed that they were heading to the High Heaven, the entire Imperial Family was left stunned.

Vanessa, Angela, Miss Zara, and Little Zoey chose to remain at the palace, as none of them wished to witness the bloodshed that was about to unfold.