Myth Beyond Heaven

Suddenly, crimson flames erupted from Yun Lintian's body, incinerating the dark chains instantly.

Hollowgrave's smirk vanished as he staggered back, his technique broken.

The four Palace Masters regrouped, their expressions grim.

This man… he's not just strong.

He's a monster.

Witherbone hissed. "We'll have to get serious."

The four of them spread out, forming a formation. Their auras intertwined, creating a domain of absolute darkness.

Hei Yue's fists clenched. She turned to her father again. "Father! If this continues—"

She wasn't afraid that Yun Lintian would be in danger; rather, she was worried that he would become serious and kill all the Palace Masters.

The God of Darkness finally raised a hand.

"Enough."

A single word—but it carried the weight of divine law.

The Palace Masters immediately halted, their formation dispersing. They bowed deeply.

"My Lord!"

The God of Darkness stood from his throne, his presence dominating the entire space.

"You've seen his strength. Now, do you still object?"

Witherbone hesitated. "But… he is an outsider!"

The God of Darkness chuckled. "And yet, he wields darkness as if it were his own. Tell me, Witherbone—have you ever seen someone resist all four of you at once?"

The skeletal Palace Master fell silent.

"Besides," the God of Darkness continued, "do you believe that all of you will perish in the next attack?"

The four Palace Masters were stunned and looked unconvinced. However, none of them uttered a word.

The God of Darkness turned to Yun Lintian. "You've proven yourself. But my condition remains."

Hei Yue's face flushed. "Father—!"

Yun Lintian exhaled slowly. "If Hei Yue agrees, I will accept."

All eyes turned to her.

Hei Yue's lips pressed into a thin line. After a long moment, she met Yun Lintian's gaze—and smirked.

"Fine. But only if you promise me one thing."

Yun Lintian raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She grinned. "Fight me whenever I want."

Yun Lintian almost laughed. "Deal."

The God of Darkness clapped his hands. "Then it's settled."

The Palace Masters exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to oppose their Lord's will.

Yun Lintian stared at the God of Darkness and spoke, "This is not your true body, is it?"

The God of Darkness chuckled, his laughter echoing through the crumbling throne room. His form flickered like a dying candle, shadows peeling away to reveal something even more profound—an illusion within an illusion.

"Indeed," he admitted, his voice carrying an ancient weight. "This is merely my avatar."

Yun Lintian's pupils contracted slightly.

An avatar.

And yet, it had exerted enough power to pressure him…

Then… what level is his true body?

The thought sent a rare shiver down Yun Lintian's spine. The Primordial Gods were truly the pinnacle of existence—far beyond what he had initially estimated.

It seemed a Primordial God was indeed worthy of being the pinnacle existence in the universe.

The God of Darkness' avatar turned to Hei Yue. "Bring him to see me."

With that, the shadowy figure dissolved into wisps of darkness, vanishing completely.

Silence fell over the throne room.

Hei Yue stepped forward, her earlier defiance replaced with a quiet solemnity. "Follow me."

Before leaving, she cast a cold glance at Aunt Liu, who still stood frozen at the edge of the hall, her face pale.

"Wait for your punishment," Hei Yue said, her voice devoid of warmth.

Aunt Liu lowered her head, saying nothing.

The four Palace Masters glanced at each other, their faces etched with worry.

"What should we do now?" Blackfang asked.

Netherveil shook her head and said, "There's nothing we can do."

The other Palace Masters remained silent. They had no idea what kind of future awaited them.

Netherveil turned to Aunt Liu and asked coldly, "Did you hide something from us?"

Aunt Liu let out a sigh and said, "I couldn't see it. Our lord blocked my vision. However, as you can see, his strength defies all common sense. I have no doubt that he could have killed all of us earlier."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this. They were initially unconvinced, but it now seemed to be true. The only thing they could do was accept the truth…

***

Yun Lintian followed Hei Yue through the Eternal Darkness Realm, traversing endless plains of shadow and abyssal valleys where the very air corroded flesh.

Then—

A mountain appeared.

Unlike the rest of the realm, this peak was alive. Verdant forests sprawled across its slopes, crystalline waterfalls cascaded down jagged cliffs, and a gentle golden light bathed its summit.

It was a paradise amidst apocalypse.

"This is Father's sanctuary," Hei Yue explained, her voice softening slightly. "The only place in this realm untouched by darkness."

Yun Lintian said nothing, but his eyes scanned the surroundings warily.

The mountain was too peaceful. Too perfect.

And in his experience, perfection was often the most dangerous illusion of all.

They ascended the peak, where a simple wooden hut stood amidst a field of blooming night-blooming cereus—flowers that only opened under the light of the moon.

A man stood before the hut.

Tall, broad-shouldered, clad in robes of shifting shadows, his presence was like a black hole—silent, inevitable, swallowing all light around him.

Mu Ren.

The God of Darkness' right-hand man.

His cold, golden eyes locked onto Yun Lintian, assessing him with the detached scrutiny of a predator sizing up prey.

"So you're the one who killed Xuan Shen," Mu Ren said, his voice a low growl.

Yun Lintian met his gaze evenly. "Indeed."

A flicker of coldness passed through Mu Ren's eyes. Then, without another word, he stepped aside and gestured toward the hut.

"Enter. Master is waiting."

The inside of the hut was deceptively simple—a single wooden table, a steaming teapot, and a man sitting cross-legged on a cushion.

He looked ordinary.

No divine aura. No crushing pressure. Just a handsome man in his thirties, sipping tea with the relaxed air of a scholar enjoying a quiet afternoon.

But Yun Lintian knew better.

This was Hei Xuan.

The true God of Darkness.

"Sit," Hei Xuan said, gesturing to the cushions opposite him. His voice was calm, almost friendly, but Yun Lintian didn't miss the undercurrent of absolute authority beneath it.

Hei Yue obeyed immediately, settling beside her father with the ease of someone who had done this countless times before.

Yun Lintian hesitated for only a fraction of a second before sitting as well…