Chapter 44

 Deception and Secrets

Doming was brought to the palace in a dire state, his wounds quickly tended to by the royal healers. But when the king saw his son's condition, rage surged through him like wildfire. Slamming his fist on the armrest of his throne, he roared, "Who dares to harm my son like this?"

A soldier stepped forward hesitantly and said, "Your Majesty, it was the God of Heaven and his soldiers. They attacked us, captured Xiang, and took her with them."

The king's face darkened further. His fury grew with each word the soldier uttered. But then, another soldier spoke up, "Your Majesty, there's more. Zhao Jia , the man who lived among us for so long in disguise, has been exposed as the son of the Heavenly God. He deceived us all. Perhaps this was part of his grand plan."

"How dare he betray us like this!" the king thundered, his voice echoing through the great hall. "He will pay for his treachery."

The soldier continued, "Your Majesty, they have Xiang now, and we suspect they plan to use her for their purposes. If we are to rescue her, we must act quickly. We suggest rallying our forces and even considering an alliance with the demon clan. Together, we can launch an attack on Heaven and ensure they never stand against us again."

The mention of the demon clan made the king pause, his anger giving way to cold calculation. His gaze sharpened as he spoke, "An alliance with the demons... It could be the key to our victory. But more importantly, we must retrieve the Element Stone. I've long suspected it resides within Xiang. However, the stone is incomplete. Only half of it exists within her, and the other piece is still missing.

"To retrieve the stone, we must act carefully. It can only be extracted on the night of a full moon. Any attempt to take it before then risks shattering it. That is why I've waited all this time. The full moon is close now. First, we must find the missing piece, and then we'll capture Xiang. Once the stone is complete, we'll take it from her—and with it, unimaginable power. Then, we'll launch an assault on Heaven and destroy them completely. After that, this world will belong to us. No one will dare call us weak or inferior again!"

The king fell silent, deep in thought. Memories surfaced of when he had first suspected the Element Stone's existence within Xiang. His eyes glinted with determination. "But we must be careful," he murmured to himself. "If she resists, things could get complicated. We need her trust. Once she lets her guard down, the stone will be ours without a fight."

Just then, a soldier hurried into the chamber, interrupting the king's thoughts. "Your Majesty, Doming is regaining consciousness."

The king immediately rushed to his son's side. Doming's eyes fluttered open, and the first words he uttered were, "Where is Xiang?"

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their heads bowed. One of them replied, "She was taken by the Heavenly soldiers, Your Highness."

Hearing this, Doming's face twisted in rage. "You're all useless!" he shouted, his voice laced with fury. "If I was injured, you should have still saved her!"

Overcome with anger, dark energy began to radiate from Doming. The black magic within him erupted, injuring the soldiers closest to him. Chaos erupted as the soldiers screamed and scrambled to escape his wrath.

The king, alarmed, stepped in to stop him. Until now, no one in the palace had known about the dark powers lurking within Doming. The king acted swiftly, ensuring no one would live to spread this dangerous secret. He ordered the soldiers who had witnessed Doming's powers to be executed on the spot.

The king knew the truth about Doming's powers could never be revealed. Doming was beloved by the people of Sun City Mountain. While they feared the king, they admired and trusted the prince for his kindness and strength. But if the people learned of his dark powers, their trust would crumble, replaced by fear and resentment.

One person, however, knew the truth—Commander Zhao. Watching from the shadows, he remained silent, his thoughts unreadable.

Meanwhile, Xiang began to regain consciousness in a strange, ethereal place. She blinked, disoriented, and asked, "Where am I? How dare you kidnap me?"

Before she could say more, a familiar figure stepped forward—the family goddess. The goddess embraced her tightly, her voice trembling with emotion. "How could you disappear like that? Do you know how much I searched for you?"

Xiang froze, her anger fading into confusion. She hesitated before hugging the goddess back, overwhelmed by the sudden flood of memories and emotions.