Volume One, Chapter Fourteen: The Divine Mark of the Dog

Chapter Fourteen: The Divine Seal of the Dog

Huluzhina formed a spell and unleashed the mighty Imperial Shakra Seal, his most powerful divine technique. Of the ten sons of Shakra, each inherited fragments of their father’s formidable abilities, but this seal was famed as his ultimate weapon.

Years ago, when Shakra clashed with the Four Great Asura Kings—especially Lohu Asura in the imperial city beneath the northern ocean of Mount Sumeru, a thousand yojanas deep—he used this very technique to imprison all of Lohu Asura’s followers. To comprehend the scale: every Asura King's domain matched the vastness of Mount Sumeru, stretching eighty thousand yojanas in each direction, their subjects numbering in the billions. All these Asura hosts were confined within a spatial prison by a single divine power, stunning the entire Realm of Desire.

Of course, such power depended on its wielder. Huluzhina, newly anointed with his inheritance, could boast among the younger generation, but compared to his father, the difference was not merely vast—it was incalculable. Not to mention the power, even the scope of his seal was limited to just thirty yojanas.

Yet even so, the spatial prison and the storm hammers forced the spectators to hastily retreat, employing celestial movement arts to flee to safer heights, lest they become collateral damage.

Now, the roaring storm hammers descended, intent on shattering both the prison and the two trapped within—Tu Zhe, Qin Lei, and the dog.

The crowd above cried out in alarm, exclaiming that the Eighth Prince was striking to kill, and that the two brothers within the cage would surely perish.

Surrounded by celestial princes and mighty Yakshas, Shudra’s eyes blazed with fury. He roared, “Anyone who blocks me dies!”

With a single punch, he blasted aside several Yakshas before him, rushing toward Tu Zhe.

Shudra was not lacking in power; his straightforward character and disdain for flattery had earned him the Yakshas’ dislike, relegating him to guard duty at the Golden Sacrificial Palace. In truth, his prowess far surpassed the Yakshas.

He dashed forward, but a sneering prince behind him unleashed a magical treasure that struck his back. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled a hundred yards, tumbling to the ground.

The Jinmu brothers, besieged and witnessing Tu Zhe and Qin Lei on the brink of death, erupted in suppressed rage accumulated over centuries. Jinmu’s face was resolute; Jinji’s eyes burned like flame. Both unleashed a storm of divine techniques, scattering the celestial princes and Yakshas, toppling banners, casting aside weapons, shattering magical artifacts.

The two sons of Lou Su, though not at their peak, were among the Thirty-Two Lesser Celestial Kings. They possessed the innate powers of the Celestial Dog constellation—the Heavenly Dog Roar and the Twenty-Eight Celestial Seals. They could swallow the very sun, shatter stars; not saints, but truly demi-saint beings—far above these Yakshas and princely wastrels.

The Jinmu brothers broke the siege and charged toward the spatial prison confining Tu Zhe.

Huluzhina’s storm hammers, now wrapped in a whirlwind, struck the cage with overwhelming force. The brothers, though swift, were clearly too late. Both roared in fury, blood surging, Jinmu shouted, “If anything happens to my son, I will kill you!”

Tu Zhe and Qin Lei hung by a thread.

Qin Lei unleashed bolts of azure lightning from his palm, striking the prison walls. Thunder echoed within, but the cage remained unscathed. Sweat poured from his brow in desperation.

Tu Zhe saw the storm hammers descending and cried out, “Dog dear—!”

Dog Yema replied calmly, “Rogue brother, afraid at last? Little Lei, take a break and watch your big sister...”

She gathered her fist of determination at her waist, raised her fist of wisdom overhead, and shrieked, “Seven Mothers Hammer Seal—!”

From her uplifted paw, a mountain-sized dark hammer appeared, crashing into the side of the spatial prison where the storm hammers struck.

No thunderous roar—space itself fell silent. The hammer seal shattered the spatial prison, directly meeting the storm hammers. Upon contact, the hammers exploded into fragments, dispersing.

Shards of the prison and wisps of storm hammer smoke soared into the distant sky, sound slowly returning as the watching celestial hosts trembled in terror.

What divine power was this? That was the Eighth Prince! That was the Imperial Shakra Seal!

Broken so easily?

Not only broken, but broken by a dog barely a foot long...

Everyone was stunned, minds blank. Even the Jinmu brothers hovered midair, mouths agape, frozen in their charge.

Unbelievable!

Huluzhina’s divine art was shattered; backlash wracked him, his body battered as if by hammers, skin splitting, blood spraying, barely able to remain upright.

Impossible! Defeated by a mere dog?

How could this be? I am the son of Shakra, noble of blood, perfect in lineage and inheritance—how can I lose? And to a dog?

A thousand miles from the Treasure Pavilion, in the void, stood a youth in azure robes, watching events unfold with an enigmatic smile. He was Shakra’s second son, Qubojia.

Qubojia sighed, “Ah, the Eighth lost—he hardly fought before it ended.”

He shook his head, addressing a Yaksha at his side, “Go invite the King of Great Dragon Elephants, Irobona. Tell him his prized disciple is being bullied—understand?”

The Yaksha grinned slyly, “Second Young Master, I’m like a worm in your belly. I’ll see to it.” With a bow, he flew toward the King’s Hall beside the City of Virtue.

Qubojia raised his brows and muttered, “Brother Eight, don’t blame me for being ruthless—you're always stirring trouble. The Lord favors you? Let’s see just how favored you are…”

Dog Yema, after her dazzling victory over Huluzhina, paid him no further heed. She blinked her sparkling eyes at Tu Zhe, “Rogue brother, am I amazing or what, heehee…”

Tu Zhe smiled, tapping her little nose, mind communicating: Dog dear, how went the battle?

Dog Yema proudly raised her paw: “Easy as pie, evidence solid, and I even scanned the ledger. How about it, Rogue brother, should I reveal it now?”

Tu Zhe shook his head: “It would cause too much commotion—best wait for the critical moment. Then it’ll be like dropping an atomic bomb…”

Dog Yema wrinkled her nose: “Hmph, Rogue brother, you’re always so cunning, but I like it, heehee…”

The Jinmu brothers descended, approaching Tu Zhe, scrutinizing Dog Yema until she grew annoyed, pawing at the air: “What are you staring at? I’ll dig out your miserly eyes, hmph hmph hmph…”

Shudra staggered over, face bloodied and tragic. Tu Zhe patted his shoulder, “Shu brother, still holding up?”

Shudra puffed out his chest, “I won’t die…”

Tu Zhe nodded, his gaze icy as he looked at the stunned Huluzhina, “Eighth Prince, right? Your father is Li Gang, right?”

Huluzhina blinked, “Who’s Li Gang? Are you mocking me? I am the eighth son of Shakra! You’ve injured me—this is huge, it’s not over—”

Qin Lei shouted, “You can kill others, but can’t be hurt yourself? So might makes right? Well, I’ll finish you off, you bastard—let’s see you act tough again!” He prepared to unleash another bolt of thunder.