Prologue

The strains of immortal music drifted through a vast sea of mist, the air thick with spiritual energy. How could such a thing be heard in the mortal world? Because this was the Immortal Realm!

Yet a streak of rushing wind shattered the beauty of this immortal paradise.

Looking into the distance, one could see a handsome man and a beautiful woman flying through the air, swift as shooting stars.

The woman looked to be around twenty. Her black dress snapped in the wind as she flew at tremendous speed, outlining her shapely figure. She had bright eyes and pearly teeth, and her face was flushed from the flight, tinged with an unhealthy pallor. But rather than detracting from her beauty, it only made her seem more delicate and captivating.

At times, a killing intent flickered in her eyes, lending her an eerie, almost bewitching air. A faint Demonic Sha Qi drifted from her body. It was barely perceptible, yet exceptionally pure, as though deliberately suppressed, appearing and vanishing in turns.

She cradled a baby boy in her arms, still swaddled in his blankets. He was soft and adorable, with fair, delicate skin. A hazy radiance shimmered over his swaddling clothes, and a sacred, boundless aura intertwined with a Demonic Sha Qi much like the woman's. These two utterly different auras could coexist, leaving onlookers dumbfounded.

As she flew, the woman glanced back over her shoulder. Faint silhouettes trailed behind them, and as she watched them draw closer, the killing intent in her eyes deepened. Only when she looked at the man beside her did her gaze soften with tenderness.

The man beside her was handsome and otherworldly, with sword-straight brows and bright, starry eyes. His figure was tall and straight, his white robe billowing around him; his entire being seemed perfectly formed, as lovely as jade.

Unlike the woman, he radiated the same sacred, boundless aura as the child, which made his unrestrained bearing all the more pronounced.

Though he flew just as fast as the woman, he seemed unhurried and composed, calm as still water.

"Brother Hao, can we still escape today?" The woman's eyes flickered, her face full of worry.

"Heh, Yue Mei, what are you worrying about? At worst, we'll fight them to the death. Though giving birth to Tian'er has greatly diminished our power, we've already attained godhood. Our realms remain intact. How could these immortals compare to us?" As he spoke, the man glanced at the baby in the woman's arms, his face brimming with fearless confidence.

"Even though we've attained godhood, we've only just stepped into this realm. And now, after giving birth to Tian'er, our strength has suffered even more. I'm afraid..." The woman lowered her head to look at the baby in her arms. Her worried expression gradually softened into tenderness, but she left her words unfinished.

"With me here, I won't let anyone hurt either of you." The man smiled faintly, as calm as ever, yet his composure inspired unquestioning trust.

The woman felt somewhat reassured by his words. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she said, "Mm. I'm no pushover, either. That title of 'Sha Mo Nu' I earned back in the Demon Realm wasn't for nothing. Push me too far, and I'll wash the Immortal Realm in blood today. I haven't fought in ages; I'm itching for a fight!"

"You, honestly, what am I supposed to do with you? You're a mother now, yet you're still so bloodthirsty. You'll set a bad example for the child, haha..." the man teased, then abruptly stopped.

To halt so suddenly after flying at such tremendous speed was proof enough of the man's cultivation.

"Brother Hao, you..."

The woman pursed her lips, her girlish shyness plain to see. She seemed to have more to say, but stopped herself, quickly halting as well and looking around.

Before her words had even faded, countless figures suddenly flashed into view in front of the couple, then scattered and surrounded them in layers. Yet every one of them kept their distance, not a soul daring to approach. They merely formed a distant ring around the couple, clearly afraid of them—or perhaps waiting for someone.

Far behind them, figures were racing in from the left and right as well, clearly coming for the couple.

"There are people behind us, to the left, and to the right. Looks like they've gone to quite a lot of trouble to catch us this time. Hmph." The man's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of chill in his voice.

Before he had finished speaking, people arrived from every other direction, forming several more rings around the original encirclement.

"Immortal Venerable Hao, if you leave the demoness Mo Yue behind, you may leave unharmed. You'll still be an Immortal Venerable of the Immortal Realm. What do you say?" A middle-aged immortal, around forty years old, stepped out from the crowd and bowed to the man. His tone mingled a measure of reverence with a measure of contempt, an utterly contradictory display.

"Haha! A nobody dares to speak so boldly? What kind of person do you take me, Yuan Hao, for?" The man laughed in fury.

With a casual sweep of his long sleeve, a surging torrent of energy shot toward the immortal.

Bang!

"Ah!"

The middle-aged immortal let out a scream. Utterly unable to resist, he was sent flying, then reduced to dust, his blood misting the sky.

"Brother Yuan Hao, why lose your temper over a mere lackey? It's beneath you." A voice drifted over from far away.

Before the voice had faded, eight more figures appeared, fast as lightning. In an instant, they were above the crowd, then drifted down and took up positions in eight directions among the immortals, forming another ring around the couple.

"Greetings, Heavenly Lords!"

The crowd surrounding the couple bowed respectfully to the eight and spoke in unison.

"Haha, it seems I really do have quite a reputation. Eight of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords have come at once. Why isn't the Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord here? Could she still feel bound by the ties between us as siblings and be unwilling to oppose me?" Yuan Hao smiled, his expression touched by relief.

"The Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord has been sealed by the Heavenly Venerate. As one of the Immortal Realm's Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords, she should be slaying demons, not fraternizing with people of the demonic path like a brother and sister. What a disgrace to the dignity of a Heavenly Lord of the Immortal Realm. Hmph." The Heavenly Lord standing due north sharply flung his robe and snorted, his face filled with contempt.

"What did you say? How could my little sister have been sealed?" Yuan Hao's eyes widened in fury, fixing on the North Heavenly Lord as his aura suddenly surged.

"When the Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord learned that the Heavenly Venerate intended to execute the demoness, she tried to warn you. The Heavenly Venerate intercepted her, and then things proceeded just as the Profound Heaven Heavenly Lord said." The Heavenly Lord standing to the east picked up the conversation.

Yuan Hao looked toward the Eastern Heavenly Lord, then his expression dimmed slightly. He murmured, "Sigh, that silly girl. Why would she do that? How can big brother ever repay you for this kindness?"

Hearing this, Mo Yue edged closer to him and comforted him. "My sister is the Lord of Jun Tian and the Middle Heaven, in charge of order in the Immortal Realm. Even that old Heavenly Venerate can't do whatever he wants to her. Once this matter is settled, she should be released. Don't worry about her." Mo Yue paused and glanced around before continuing, "If we can escape this time, we'll find a chance to thank her properly."

At that, some of the gloom lifted from Yuan Hao's face. He murmured, "I hope so. We owe her this kindness. We'll repay her little by little later."

"Enough with the idle talk, Immortal Venerable Hao. Well? Will you surrender?" the Hao Tian Heavenly Lord suddenly said from the west, his voice tinged with impatience.

"Haha..."

Yuan Hao threw back his head and laughed. He pointed at the Hao Tian Heavenly Lord, his voice bold and unrestrained. "You think far too little of me. In my world, Yuan Hao knows only how to die fighting. There's no such thing as surrender!"

At that, Mo Yue stepped forward. "I've heard the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords have a Nine Heavens Demon Slaying Array. With my sister missing, what other abilities do you have to show for yourselves?"

"Demoness, don't get cocky! Take my Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork!" The South Heavenly Lord flew into a rage.

Before his words had faded, a scarlet three-pronged fork appeared from within him. The moment the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork appeared, the air all around seemed to congeal, as if it had been sucked dry. Fierce flames coiled around the three-pronged fork as it hurtled toward Mo Yue.

Facing this thunderous strike, Mo Yue's expression didn't change. A violet glimmer appeared in her lively eyes. Cradling the baby in her left arm, she gently clenched her right hand and slowly punched toward the incoming Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork.

Bang!

With a muffled impact, the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork shot backward, moving even faster than it had on its way in.

The South Heavenly Lord watched the fork hurtling back at him, his expression tightening. He stepped forward with his left foot, bent his right knee, reached out with his right hand, and grabbed for the fork.

Smack!

The South Heavenly Lord caught the fork and was about to pull it back. But to his surprise, its momentum had not waned; it kept hurtling backward.

"Yah!"

The South Heavenly Lord roared and reached for the Divine Fork with his left hand as well, rapidly circulating his Immortal Yuan Power.

Whoosh!

The South Heavenly Lord skidded more than a dozen steps before regaining his footing. The immortals behind him were caught like fish in a pond after a blow, scattered in all directions by the collision.

The South Heavenly Lord stared at Mo Yue, filled with terror.

Suddenly, pain flared in the South Heavenly Lord's hands. He looked down and saw wisps of pure Demonic Sha Qi coiling around them, trembling incessantly. For a short while, his hands seemed almost beyond his control. Clearly, Mo Yue's demonic power had corroded them.

Just one gentle punch from Mo Yue had been so terrifying. All the immortals were aghast.

"The Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork? Burning heaven, huh? It might be good for spearing little fish, but that's about it. I'm dying laughing, haha..." Mo Yue smiled sweetly, a faint note of mockery at the corner of her mouth.

"A Near-God... How is this possible? Have they already reached this step?" the South Heavenly Lord murmured, his face full of shock. He seemed not to have heard Mo Yue's mocking words at all.

"Purple Obsidian Demonic Eyes!" The East Heavenly Lord was well informed. Seeing the faint violet light in Mo Yue's eyes, he cried out in shock.

"Sigh, after giving birth to Tian'er, he absorbed our divine and demonic powers. Has Yue Mei's strength really fallen to this level?" Yuan Hao muttered beside her. Had the South Heavenly Lord heard those words, he probably would have wished himself dead.

Just then, the North Heavenly Lord stepped forward and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Form the array!"

The other seven Heavenly Lords stepped forward in unison. Each of the eight summoned a different weapon, and they quickly formed a variety of hand seals. Their weapons arranged themselves in the eight directions overhead as eight distinct energies interwove.

In an instant, heaven and earth changed color. Torrents of energy made the surrounding space shudder without pause, and even the air seemed to grow viscous.

"Not good! I didn't expect only eight Heavenly Lords could still form an array. Yue Mei, come back, quickly!" Yuan Hao's expression changed as he called to Mo Yue.

"Mm. Brother Hao, what do we do? We can withstand this array, but what about Tian'er? Though he inherited some of our abilities since we've both attained godhood, he's still so little. I'm afraid..." Mo Yue's face was filled with anxiety as she looked at the baby in her arms, leaving her words unfinished.

Yuan Hao glanced up at the eight energies gradually descending and merging overhead. His expression grew resolute. "Yue Mei, there's only one way now: use our Natal Dan Artifacts and form the Yin Yang Guardian Array. Since I've attained godhood and you've become a demon, our powers complement each other like yin and yang. When our Natal Dan Artifacts merge, they can produce a wisp of Chaos Power, and Tian'er has inherited that from us as well..."

"Mm, yes, yes, let's do that. Hurry! I'm afraid Tian'er will be in danger if we wait any longer!" Mo Yue interrupted him, unable to wait.

Yuan Hao looked at the child in Mo Yue's arms, then turned to face her. His expression dimmed as he said, "But this will leave us even weaker. We may have no choice but to seal ourselves."

"If we seal ourselves, how will we protect Tian'er? The Yin Yang Guardian Array can't run for long without us sustaining it." Mo Yue's anxiety deepened.

"Looks like we can only send the child to the Lower Realm. Immortals can't go there." Yuan Hao's gaze sharpened and his expression gradually grew resolute. Seeing the woman's reluctance, he continued, "But then the child will be all alone. He'll probably have to endure plenty of hardship."

Mo Yue's reluctance only grew. She looked at Yuan Hao imploringly.

Yuan Hao's heart suddenly twisted with pain. He raised his voice and said, "He's Yuan Hao's son! What's a little hardship? Only after a thousand trials and a hundred refinements can a fine instrument be forged."

"Sigh, it's the only way. In a moment, we'll combine our strength, then guide the power of the Eight Heavenly Lords' array to open a passage to the Lower Realm and send Tian'er down." Mo Yue seemed to have made up her mind, though her gaze grew ever more tender as she looked at the child in her arms.

Though Yuan Hao and the others had been communicating for a while, their exchange had taken place by divine sense. In the outside world, only an instant had passed.

Yuan Hao gave a sharp shake of his head, forcing himself to stop looking at the baby. He shouted, "Appear!"

A jade flute, white and luminous from end to end, appeared. Its pearly glow made it seem utterly sacred, and its clear, melodious notes rang out across heaven and earth.

"Appear!"

Seeing Yuan Hao summon the jade flute, Mo Yue gave a low cry as well. A guqin wreathed in a deep black radiance appeared, its entire body as dark as ink. Dense Demonic Sha Qi poured from it, and its ringing notes flowed without end.

Then the two rapidly formed a multitude of hand seals. The jade flute and guqin began circling one another, their white and black light merging and wrapping around the three of them.

By then, the Eight Heavenly Lords were ready. Their eight streams of energy merged into one and struck toward the couple.

"Now! Strike!" Yuan Hao roared, and a vast torrent of white energy surged from within him. As if sharing the same heart, Mo Yue released black energy from within herself as well. The two energies fused into one, then guided the Eight Heavenly Lords' power. Lightning flashed and thunder roared between heaven and earth as the torrent of energy howled downward.

Rip!

With a sound like silk tearing, a Space Rift opened, but it looked as though it might heal at any moment.

"Yue Mei, let go." Seeing the tears filling his wife's eyes as she clutched their child tightly, Yuan Hao felt a pain that tore his heart to pieces.

"Child, Mom can't take care of you anymore. From now on, take good care of yourself."

Mo Yue slowly opened her tightly clasped arms. Tears fell onto her son's face and scattered in every direction, sparkling like crystal—the shattered fragments of a mother's heart, torn apart.

The child slipped free of Mo Yue's arms, yet didn't fall. The guqin and jade flute circled around him, gradually withdrawing their protective light from Mo Yue and Yuan Hao.

"Waaah, waaah..."

Perhaps he knew he was about to part from his parents. The baby's mournful cries rang out across heaven and earth, wrenching at the heart of anyone who heard them.

"Child, from now on, you'll be on your own. Be strong. Don't cry; be happy." Those were the final words of a great mother, the last gift she could give her son.

"Hee-hee..."

As if he understood his mother's words, the crying stopped abruptly, replaced by laughter that drifted toward her, as though to comfort her. Then, escorted by the guqin and jade flute, he flew into the distance and vanished through the Space Rift.

The rift quickly healed, as though it had never been torn open.

But a loving mother's heart could never be mended the way a rift in heaven and earth could...