MTLNOVEL Chapter 6: *Chapter 6: The Heavens Weep**
The Ninth Heaven was a graveyard of light.
Stars that had burned for eons flickered and died, their final gasps painting the celestial canvas in hues of crimson and gold. The rivers of light, once vibrant and eternal, ran dry, their banks littered with the shattered remnants of divine constructs. The **Eclipse Citadel**, now a jagged ruin, loomed like a tombstone over the desolation.
The loyalists gathered in the **Hall of Infinite Verdicts**, their forms flickering with grief and disbelief. The **Jade Phoenix Conclave** stood at the forefront, their feathers dulled by sorrow. The Phoenix Matriarch, her once-radiant plumage now ashen, gazed into the eternal flames of her roost.
"He is gone," she whispered, her voice trembling with a grief that transcended mortal comprehension. "The heavens have fallen."
The **Starforge Archons**, their celestial forges cold and silent, knelt before the shattered remnants of the **Primordial Core**. "Without the Sovereign, the balance is broken," murmured one, his voice hollow. "The cosmos will unravel."
The **Astral Lotus Sect**, reclusive and enigmatic, emerged from their meditative trances, their faces pale with shock. "The Mandala is fractured," their leader intoned, his voice echoing with the weight of prophecy. "The threads of fate are fraying."
Even the **Gatekeepers of the Ascendant Path**, tasked with testing those who sought to rise to the heavens, felt the tremors of despair. "The Sovereign's fall is a wound that will not heal," one gatekeeper murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow. "The heavens will never be the same."
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In the **First Heaven**, the entry point for ascended cultivators, the news spread like wildfire. Minor deities and celestial bureaucrats whispered in hushed tones, their fear palpable. The **Azure Dragon Envoys**, divine messengers who rode celestial dragons, gathered in their sky-bound palace, their faces grim.
"The Sovereign is gone," murmured one, his voice trembling. "What does this mean for us?"
"It means chaos," replied another, her eyes gleaming with unease. "The traitors will seek to consolidate their power. We must prepare for the storm."
But not all were swayed by fear. In a secluded corner of the First Heaven, the **Jade Phoenix Conclave** mourned in silence. The Phoenix Matriarch, her feathers dulled by grief, gazed into the eternal flames of her roost. "The heavens have fallen," she whispered. "And with them, the balance of all realms."
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