Now rather deep within the grounds, the crippled prince clutched his chest, as if his own heart were leading him somewhere.
Soon, the young man stood before a mystical archway, riddled with complex and celestial patterns. Even the prince of an empire was awestruck in front of such a sophisticated structure. It truly felt out of this world.
The boy remembered the stories he overheard from the imperial guards regarding the treasure.
Heaven's Gate was said to be the only known Mysterious Grade artifact in existence, bearing a power beyond even that of the Gods and fate itself. This treasure could truly alter one's destiny completely and prophesied to one day bless a fated genius of the realms with unimaginable talent and power.
Initially, tens of thousands of talented cultivators pleaded for a chance at this golden opportunity. It was immediately found that those unchosen by the Gate were ultimately destroyed, their souls ripped apart. For thirty thousand years, innumerous cultivators came and died within Heaven's Gate, each time being signaled by a deathly glowing green beam cast into the sky.
Eventually, all hope died that a talent would be chosen following the deaths of an impossible number of geniuses, and thus the treasure was hidden away and kept from use, secured within the Sacred Grounds of the imperial family. But no part of the Gate's history seemed to affect the prince as he continued on, finally stopping right in front of the glowing entrance.
"If I am to die today, may you change my fate…" The prince's heart raced as he looked into the seemingly infinite glowing depth of the gate. Ripping away his gaze, he took one final glance at the Imperial Palace.
"I'll certainly miss you, dear sister, you were one of the only ones to show me true kindness." Although the prince was very well-liked among the nobles for his kind and humble demeanor, in a world where power was the only thing that ruled, he was never truly valued.
The youth's warm eyes then suddenly held a colorful glint of blue light before he whipped his head to the side, narrowly avoiding a crimson spear moving through the air at a speed faster than sound. He coldly searched in the direction from where the spear was thrown, seeing only mist until the faint outline of a dark figure emerged.
"For a mortal to escape an attack from a Heavenly Ascendant… I am truly impressed." A grim and metallic voice cut through the silence. Now only several feet from the young prince, one could see a black-haired man with cloth covering his lower face. But the most remarkable feature about him was his piercing pair of bright crimson eyes.
"..." The prince remained frozen, entrapped by the intense aura of the master.
"Know that I bear no grudges against your life. This is merely for the price hanging above your head. I shall make your death quick..." The assassin truly bore no malice in his eyes as he walked in between the prince and the gate. A blood-crimson blade began to sprout out from the man's arm itself.
The prince, physically overwhelmed but calm, struggled to inch a single finger into his robes, finally settling around a thin golden pin. At the same time, the assassin brought his blade into the air above the prince's neck.
"Any final words?" The force restricting the prince heavily loosened, allowing him to make minuscule movements and to mumble out words.
"Y-You too, should know I hold no animosity towards you. Your death will only be due to choosing such an unlucky target…" The prince squeezed his fingers, pulling the pin out from his pocket.
"Just what are you-"
*BOOM*
An exploding blast of light erupted as thick golden chains burst out from the boy's robes and instantly wrapped around the assassin. The man's bloody-red eyes opened wide with recognition of the chains.
"Who would have thought the useless prince of the empire would carry a peak-heavenly treasure! Unfortunately for Your Highness, however, it's only a trapping artifact!"
Although the Heavenly grade was only one step away from the Godly stage, Heavenly Ascendants were even closer to Godhood. Such a treasure could only be a hindrance to someone of this assassin's power.
"Resist all you want, boy, you'll still be dead within minutes!" The man's voice for the first time contained a hint of anger, as he began to fight against the glowing chains.
The young prince turned away, before tugging the crimson spear out of the nearby ground. Even as the weapon was shakingly raised high above the assassin's head, the man didn't even blink twice and even smiled at the prince.
With little hesitation, the spear fell straight onto the forehead of the assassin. Instantly, the frail prince's body exploded backward ten meters, with the spear landing mere inches from his chest.
"HA HA HA! Even with the best weapon in the world, a mortal like you could never even scratch my skin!"
The chains were gradually loosening from the man, his eyes growing wilder with each additional second he was trapped.
Weakly staggering to his feet, a desperate gaze fell onto the prince's face. He looked on towards the chained man, with the white, gleaming gate standing tall behind him.
The young man crept over to his chained attacker and began to unwrap the end of the chain. The assassin's eyes grew large in confusion.
"Did the impact just now make your brain melt?" Bewildered, the man decided to be silent as he was being released.
"…" Completely focused, the prince tied the end of the chain around his ankle. The artifact automatically tightened, making his already ghostly skin paler. Now turning towards the portal, the young man took a deep breath.
"Y-You… You'll kill us both!" The now nervous assassin shouted out. He began to thrash against his bindings and seemed to be nearly successful when an arm broke out from the chains.
Out of time, the prince looked towards the skies, muttering under his breath.
"I'll control my own damned fate…"
The prince took a bold step into Heaven's Gate, instantly being ripped inside the portal. The chains flew into the glowing gate after him at godlike speeds, yanking a shrieking man in, who, despite efforts to claw at the ground stood no absolutely no chance.
A moments of silence passed, before a heavenly golden light erupted from the gate, spewing an ethereal energy into the sky. At the same time, somewhere an infinite distance away, a slumbering dragon's eyelids began to shudder. But before anyone could witness the golden spectacle, a deathly green light shrouded the entire estate before completely lighting up the sky.
Back in the palace, a fiery gray-haired senior and a bald man were being held in place by guards. The Emperor sighed deeply, before speaking to the masked man at his side.
"Send word to the Lower Realm Imperials. Find out if this rumor holds any truth."
"As you wish, Your Majesty." The man took a bow, before instantly vanishing from the room.
Once more scanning the room, the Emperor's eyebrows scrunched, as he seemingly couldn't find his target. Before he could continue, an intense pale green light shone through the sky, lighting up the whole hall, and sending everyone into a momentary silence.
"T-That's…That's the light of Heaven's Gate!" The head of a noble family shouted.
"I thought it was sealed away thousands of years ago!"
"Who would throw their life away so recklessly?"
Numerous discussions erupted, each containing a great deal of astonishment. Then the single cry of a woman was heard.
"M-My son is missing! Where's my son?!" A beautiful crowned woman far to the right of the king began to panic.
Countless heads scanned around, searching for the second prince, coming up with nothing. Then for the second time that night, guards burst into the hall.
"Your Majesty! Two of our men were slain at the entrance to the Sacred Grounds!"
A vigorous energy was unleashed from the Emperor that swept over the whole room, each guest feeling his raw anger building every second.
"Seal the area… No one in nor out until an investigation is complete."
Within days the news spread across the whole empire...
The second prince was dead.