Chapter 139 - A Truly Chilling Realization

Blue Wind Imperial City, Moon Embracing Palace.

Princess Cang Yue was in the palace gardens, sitting in front of the lotus pond, motionless, and staring into the water, looking at the ducks and the frogs frolicking in it. At her side, a palace maid respectfully reported to her in a deferential manner.

"Princess, we have received word from the Burning Heaven Clan. Young Clan Master Fen Juecheng has already set a date for Your Highness's engagement. In thirty days at exactly noon. Young Master Fen Juecheng shall come to the Moon Embracing Palace to escort the princess to the wedding ceremony. The third prince has already told people to begin the preparations."

Listening to the maid's report, Cang Yue nodded and told her: "Thank you for telling me. Has my father been notified about the wedding date decision?"

"Reporting to Princess, the Emperor has not awakened yet, so he has not been informed yet." Informed the maid.

"Don't disturb my royal father, let him rest. Tell me about it after he wakes up." Said Cang Yue, never once looking away from the lotus pond

"Yes, this servant shall withdraw now."

After the palace maid left, a cheerful laughter sounded: "Hahahaha! My royal sister, congratulations! congratulations!"

Cang Yue turned around and faintly smiled at Third Prince Cang Shuo, who was walking towards her in a sloppy manner: "It seems as if you're even happier than I am about the wedding between me and Fen Juecheng."

"That's only natural!" Cang Shuo said jovially with a wide smile on his face: "Fen Juecheng is totally worthy of being called a dragon amongst humans. Within the Blue Wind Empire, there are few that could compare to him. With your beauty that could overturn nations and exquisite body, it could even be said that you two are a perfect match made by the heavens. Juecheng is my dear friend, and you are my only sister. I would naturally be really happy about a union between you two, hahahaha."

'Oh, shut up! You worthless piece of human garbage! If that Fen Juecheng idiot is a 'dragon amongst humans', then Mesa is a 'Dragon God amongst humans'. But just you wait. On the day of the wedding, I will personally see to it that all of your hard work is for naught when Mesa shows up and whisks me away.' Thought Cang Yue in total contempt at her brother Cang Shuo. Listening to him talking on and on about how 'Fen Juecheng is perfect for her', she was doing her utmost best to keep a straight face and not give him any reason to suspect something was going on.

(A.N.: Ohh Cang Yue. You have no idea just how close you are, since MC has the one of the Heavenly Dragon inside him and the bloodline of The Primordial Azure Dragon).

"Since you're this happy about it, then I'll let you handle the wedding matters from now on. I assume that elder brother would be thrilled to do so." Said Cang Yue with a faint smile.

"Of course I have no objections!" Cang Shuo immediately replied.

"Since that's the case, I'll be troubling elder brother with everything. In addition, I'd like to ask elder brother to remind Fen Juecheng a few more times that the 'Burning Soul Flower' has to be with the betrothal gifts he brings on the day he comes to the imperial palace. Tell him that if I don't see the Burning Soul Flower, he should not even think about me following him back to the Burning Heaven Clan." Said Cang Yue harshly. Ever since she accepted Fen Juecheng's proposal, she had been adamant in her demand that the 'Burning Soul Flower' be a part of the betrothal gifts and she refused to compromise on it.

"You do not have to worry at all about this. With the devotion Juecheng has for you, forget about a mere Burning Soul Flower, even if it's all the stars in the sky, he would gladly give it to you without hesitation." Cang Shuo said that as he gently chuckled. It seemed as if his mood was rather good today.

"Very well then. In that case, I leave everything up to you, elder brother." Said Cang Yue as she once again stared at the lotus pond. Having said what he wanted to say, Cang Shuo left the palace gardens in a truly jovial mood.

"I should do my best to look as beautiful as possible for Mesa when he comes to take me away." Muttered Cang Yue to herself. Staring at the water, imagining the day of the wedding and how Mesa will come in and whisk her away, put a smile on Cang Yue's face.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been already been 14 months since Mesa had 'died' at the Mighty Heavenly Sword Villa.

In all these months, Mesa had been going through intense physical training every day in order to strengthen his body. And every day he would test himself out, by letting Ophis punch him in the gut, albeit with her using the absolute minimum of her powers, and every day he would fail.

But a week ago, he finally succeeded. After dozens of times, failing and getting knocked out cold by Ophis, he finally managed to stay conscious after taking a punch of hers. Though, he was wracked with pain and barely able to breath, but he did it!

At this point, he was 20 years old. He had reached his 19th birthday two months after he went into his solitary training, and reached his 20th birthday a week ago. Jasmine had reached her 15th birthday three weeks after Mesa's. And she would turn 16 in two weeks time.

But more importantly, Mesa was able to use the Infinity Stones once again, proving that his body was now strong enough to handle the strain the Power Stone put on his body. And thinking about the High School DxD novels, he remembered that Issei Hyodou had used the Boosted Gear in combination with his Evil Pieces. In light of that, Mesa had adopted the same thing. Since he already had Virgil's devil blood, it was made easier. By adopting all the Evil Pieces within himself, he had managed to gain the Boosted Gear's Welsh Sonic Boost Knight, Welsh Draconic Rook and the Welsh Blaster Bishop. The final one, the Cardinal Crimson Promotion was one he hadn't managed to unlock. He figured he would need a higher level of power in order to unlock it.

Sitting together at the breakfast table, and enjoying a nice quite breakfast, Mesa suddenly came up with a crazy idea: "Hey you guys! I got a crazy idea! One of the abilities of the Mind Stone is to read other peoples' minds. But when its used in combination with the Power Stone, it can give the user the ability to read every single mind in the universe! And best of all, there is nothing they can do to know who it was or do anything to stop it. So, does anyone have a suggestion on whose mind we should read?"

"Yes!" Said Jasmine immediately: "I know exactly two people whose minds I wanna read. That woman, Qianye Ying'er, and my father!" She said in a growling angry tone intimidating Mesa and Ophis a little at the sheer anger in her voice.

"Uhmm… Sure. Let's do that after breakfast than." Said Mesa a bit hesitantly.

After breakfast, after they cleaned up the breakfast table and put everything back in its place, all three of them went to the living room. Sitting down on the couch, Mesa looks into eyes Jasmine's eyes and using his Sharingan, gets the information on what her father looks like. And surprise! Surprise! He looked like…

'…Alejandro Corner from Mobile Suit Gundam 00. So Xing Juekong is Alejandro Corner from Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Quite fitting if you ask me. Both are calculating and manipulative bastards that would do everything to obtain power for power's sake.' Thought Mesa.

And after getting all the information from Jasmine, they placed their foreheads against each other and synched up their Profound Energies with each other in an effort to transmit one's thought to the other. Clenching the Infinity Gauntlet, and activating the Mind Stone and Power Stone simultaneously, Mesa went out in search of Jasmine's father, Xing Juekong.

After going through literally trillions of minds, Mesa had at last found his target, Xing Juekong. And using the Mind Stone's power, he quite easily infiltrated his mind and started reading it. It turned out that he was in a conversation with another guy. A guy called Tumi. Interested in hearing what these two were talking about, Mesa used the Mind Stone to read his mind as well.

"My king, we still haven't found a trace of where her Highness Xing Tong could be. I am starting to fear that she has succ.u.mbed to the devilish poison she got in the Southern Divine Region." Said Tumi.

For a while, no one speaks. Until Xing Juekong exploded in rage: "Don't bring me that nonsense! I know that little bitch is alive somewhere! Scour the entire God's Realm for all I care! Find her and bring her back to me! NOW!"

"Yes my king! I will see to it that every one of the Star Gods looks for her!" Said Tumi desperately.

After that, Mesa and Jasmine hear Xing Juekong speak to himself: "Xing Tong. I know you're somewhere out there alive. I will find you and you will become a sacrifice for me to finally ascend into the True God stage."

'So, he is still desperately looking for me to do that 'blood sacrifice ceremony'. As long as he thinks I am alive, Caizhi will be safe from him. But for how long? Someday, I will have to go back and become his sacrifice. Only then can Caizhi live a normal happy life.' Lamented Jasmine.

Listening to Xing Juekong's thoughts and his conversation with Tumi and hearing Jasmine's thought, Mesa was suspecting that something was not right here. But it didn't take long before Xing Juekong was talking once more with Tumi.

"Elder Tumi. Forgive my rashness earlier. I should not have reacted to you like that." Said Xing Juekong apologetically.

"No, no, no! Not at all my king! Your anger is completely understandable. I have already sent out the Star Gods to look for her Highness."

"Very good. And how is Xing Wu coming along with her Heavenly Wolf Star God inheritance?" Asked Xing Juekong. Hearing this made Jasmine jolt up with surprise.

'So, in the end she took it. Now I have to go back and make sure that bastard doesn't sacrifice her. As fun as all this was, I can't let her be sacrificed. Not after the terrible things she went through.' Thought Jasmine in sadness.

"Yes, it is going very well my king. Once she has completed the Heavenly Wolf Star God's inheritance, she will be excellent as a sacrifice together with her Highness Xing Tong, once we finally find her, for you, my king, to finally step forth into the True God stage and replace the Dragon Monarch as the supreme ruler of heaven and earth. The heavens have truly blessed the Star God Realm by granting our king three children who all inherited a Star God's divine power. It is truly a tragedy that his Highness Xisu is no longer with us. But with both their Highnesses Xing Wu and Xing Tong, we finally have the chance for the 'blood sacrifice ceremony' to be successful by sacrificing both of her Highnesses to you, my king!" Said Tumi excitedly.

Hearing this, Jasmine was devastated. She had lost all strength in her body and fainted. If it weren't for Mesa catching her, she would have fallen on the ground.

Letting Ophis take care of Jasmine, Mesa used the Mind Stone and went right back into Xing Juekong and Tumi's minds. Instead of just reading their minds, he would now dive down in the deepest parts of their minds and read all their memories regarding the 'blood sacrifice ceremony'. And what he found out made him mad. It made him absolutely livid.

'So Xing Juekong, Tumi. You think the heavens blessed by having Jasmine, Caizhi, Xisu (Jasmine and Caizhi's older brother) all inherit a Star God's divine power so you could use them as a sacrifice for Xing Juekong to ascend into the True God Stage. And with Xisu dead and Jasmine missing, you lack the one of the two main ingredients for the ceremony and that's why you're desperately looking for her.' Thought Mesa enraged.

Looking down at his Infinity Gauntlet, he realized that not only does he have the greatest treasures of all. He has the most powerful being with him in the form of Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, and he has so many other treasures and powers at his disposal.

"…[inward chuckling]… Sorry Xing Juekong, Tumi. I am afraid that this blessing from the heavens, has turned into your Star God Realms greatest misfortune, courtesy of the One Above All's 'chosen one'. Once I have all six Infinity Stones, I will take away Caizhi from you and rip apart your Star God Realm in front of your very eyes. Then you, and everyone else will see what happens to those who want to hurt those dear to me."

(A.N.: For all my readers. I want to make a look a like for Tumi as well, but I just can't find the perfect one. So does anyone of you have a suggestion. He must be an old man, that appears warm and kind on the surface, but is very manipulative and calculating deep down. Give me your suggestions and I will add him to the 'Villians Look-Alike' auxiliary chapter.)