Prologue

Melodious immortal music, a sea of mist, and dense spiritual energy—how could such things be heard or felt in the mortal world? For this was none other than the Immortal Realm!

Yet, this breathtakingly beautiful fairyland was shattered by a sudden, piercing whistle.

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

The woman appeared to be in her early twenties. Her black dress fluttered violently due to their extreme speed, outlining her exquisite, curvaceous figure. She had bright eyes and pearly teeth; though her face was slightly flushed from their high-speed flight, giving her a somewhat sickly pallor, this did not diminish her beauty—if anything, it made her look all the more poignant and moving.

However, the baleful aura that flickered in her eyes from time to time appeared exceptionally eerie and slightly bewitching. Furthermore, her entire body radiated a faint Demonic Sha Qi. Although this aura was extremely subtle, it was remarkably pure, as if it were being deliberately suppressed, appearing and disappearing at will.

In her arms, the woman cradled a male infant still in his swaddling clothes. The baby was tender and adorable, with fair, smooth skin. The swaddling clothes emitted a hazy glow, and a strand of sacred, magnificent energy intertwined with an aura similar to the woman's Demonic Sha Qi. That these two vastly different energies could coexist was truly astonishing.

As the woman flew, she glanced back over her shoulder. Seeing the faint figures approaching from behind, the baleful aura in her eyes grew more intense. Only when she looked at the man beside her did her expression soften into deep tenderness.

Looking at the man beside her, he was handsome and refined, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. His posture was upright, and he wore a flowing white robe; he was a picture of harmony, as elegant as jade.

Unlike the woman, his entire body radiated a sacred and magnificent aura, much like the child's, which only served to highlight his free and easy nature.

Though he was flying at high speed just like the woman, he appeared calm and unhurried, as tranquil as water.

"Hao Ge, will we be able to escape today?" The woman's eyes blinked, her face filled with worry.

"Heh, Yue Mei, why worry? At worst, we'll just have a grand battle with them. Although our cultivation has been greatly damaged by the birth of Tian'er, we are, after all, already gods. Our realm remains; how could these immortals compare to us?" As the man spoke, he looked at the infant in the woman's arms, his face full of heroic spirit.

"Even though we have attained godhood, we have only just stepped into this realm. Now, with our strength depleted from giving birth to Tian'er, I fear..." The woman looked down at the infant in her arms, her worry gradually giving way to maternal love, and she stopped mid-sentence.

"With me here, I will not let anyone harm you and our child." The man smiled faintly, as calm as ever, yet his tone carried an unquestionable and reliable composure.

Hearing the man's words, the woman's heart settled slightly. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she said, "Mm, I'm not a pushover either. The title of 'Sha Mo Nu' I held back in the Demon Realm was not earned for nothing. If they push me too far, hmph, I'll wash the Immortal Realm in blood today. It's been a long time since I've had to act; my hands are itching!"

"You, oh you, what am I to say? You're a mother now, yet you're still so bloodthirsty. It's not good to be a bad influence on the child, haha..." the man teased, though his body suddenly came to a halt.

To stop so abruptly while moving at such extreme speed spoke volumes of the man's cultivation.

"Hao Ge, you..."

The woman pouted, her shy, feminine demeanor fully on display. She wanted to say more but stopped herself, quickly bringing her own movement to a halt to scan their surroundings.

Before her voice had even faded, numerous figures flashed toward the couple from the front, then scattered to surround them tightly. However, they all maintained a certain distance; no one moved forward, merely circling from afar, clearly fearful of the couple or perhaps waiting for someone.

Behind them, and to their left and right, more figures were flying rapidly from afar, clearly also targeting the couple.

"Behind, left, and right—it seems they've put in quite a lot of effort to capture us this time. Hmph." The man's brows furrowed slightly, his tone tinged with coldness.

Before he could finish, the people from the other directions arrived, forming several more tight layers of encirclement outside the original one.

"Immortal Venerable Hao, as long as you leave behind the demoness Mo Yue, you may leave safely. You will remain an Immortal Venerable of the Immortal Realm. I wonder what you think of this?" A middle-aged immortal of about forty years stepped out from the crowd and bowed to the man, his tone a mix of reverence and disdain, appearing utterly contradictory.

"Haha, a nameless nobody dares to spout such nonsense? What kind of person do you take me, Yuan Hao, for?" The man laughed in extreme anger.

As he spoke, he flicked his long robe, and a majestic stream of energy surged toward the immortal.

"Bang!"

"Ah!"

The middle-aged immortal let out a miserable shriek, having no power to parry, and was sent flying backward before being reduced to dust, a mist of blood soaking the sky.

"Brother Yuan Hao, why lose your temper over such a lowly person? It is beneath your status." A voice drifted over from afar.

Before the voice had faded, eight more figures appeared, swift as lightning. In an instant, they arrived above the crowd and descended gracefully, taking up positions in the eight cardinal directions within the circle of immortals to surround the couple once more.

"Greetings, Lords of the Heavens."

The crowd that had been surrounding the couple bowed respectfully to the eight newcomers and spoke in unison.

"Haha, it seems my reputation is truly grand, for eight of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords to arrive at once. Why hasn't the Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord come? Could it be that she remembers our bond as siblings and is unwilling to be my enemy?" Yuan Hao smiled with a sense of relief.

"The Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord has already been sealed by the Heavenly Venerate. As one of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords of the Immortal Realm, she did not think to slay demons, but instead called a person of the demonic path brother and sister. It is truly a disgrace to the face of the Immortal Realm's Heavenly Lords, hmph." The Heavenly Lord standing in the due north position flicked his robe heavily and snorted, his face full of disdain and contempt.

"What did you say! How could my little sister be sealed!" Yuan Hao's eyes widened in fury, locking onto the North Heavenly Lord as his aura surged abruptly.

"The Middle Heaven Heavenly Lord learned that the Heavenly Venerate intended to slay the demoness and attempted to send you a warning. She was intercepted by the Heavenly Venerate, and then, as the Profound Heaven Heavenly Lord said, she was sealed." The Heavenly Lord standing in the east took up the conversation.

Yuan Hao looked toward the East Heavenly Lord, his expression dimming slightly as he muttered, "Sigh, that silly girl, why bother? How can Big Brother ever repay this kindness?"

Hearing this, Mo Yue leaned slightly toward the man and comforted him, "Little Sister is the Lord of Jun Tian, in charge of the order of the Immortal Realm. Even that old man, the Heavenly Venerate, cannot do much to her. Once this matter of ours is settled, she should be unsealed. Do not worry anymore." Mo Yue paused slightly, looked around, and continued, "If we can escape this time, we shall find an opportunity to thank her properly."

Hearing this, Yuan Hao's expression cleared slightly, and he muttered, "I hope that is the case. This debt is owed; we shall repay it slowly in the future."

"Enough idle chatter, Immortal Venerable Hao. How about it? Will you surrender?" At this moment, the Hao Tian Heavenly Lord in the west spoke up, his tone tinged with impatience.

"Haha..."

Yuan Hao looked up and laughed at the sky, pointing his finger at the Hao Tian Heavenly Lord with a heroic, unbridled tone: "You underestimate me too much. In the world of Yuan Hao, there is only dying in battle; there is no such word as surrender."

Hearing this, Mo Yue stepped forward: "I have long heard that the Nine Heavens Heavenly Lords possess the Nine Heavens Demon Slaying Array. I wonder what skills you have left to show now that my little sister is missing."

"Demoness, cease your arrogance! Taste my Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork!" The South Heavenly Lord was furious, his hair standing on end.

Before his voice had faded, he summoned a crimson, three-pronged fork from within his body. The moment the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork appeared, the surrounding air congealed, as if it had been drained away out of thin air. A thick, fiery aura swirled around the three-pronged fork as it struck fiercely toward Mo Yue.

Watching this thunderous strike, Mo Yue's expression remained unchanged, purple light flickering in her spirited eyes. She held the infant gently in her left arm, clenched her right hand, and threw a slow punch toward the incoming Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork was sent flying backward, its momentum even greater than when it had arrived.

The South Heavenly Lord watched the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork rebounding toward him, his expression tightening. He moved his left foot forward, bent his right leg slightly, and reached out with his right hand to grab the burning fork.

"Snap!"

The South Heavenly Lord caught the Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork, intending to withdraw his hand. Unexpectedly, the fork's momentum remained unabated, continuing to fly backward with force.

"Hah!"

The South Heavenly Lord let out a sharp shout, his left hand also lunging for the Divine Fork as he frantically circulated the Immortal Yuan Power within his body.

"Whoosh!"

The South Heavenly Lord slid back over a dozen steps before stabilizing his stance; the immortals behind him were instantly caught in the crossfire, sent scattering in disarray.

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

Suddenly, the South Heavenly Lord felt a sharp pain in both hands. Focusing his gaze, he saw wisps of pure Demonic Sha Qi coiling around his palms, trembling uncontrollably. Within a short time, they had become unresponsive, clearly eroded by Mo Yue's demonic power.

That Mo Yue could be so terrifying with a mere light punch left all the immortals aghast.

"The Blazing Fire Burning Heaven Fork? 'Burning Heaven,' you say? I think it's only good for skewering small fish. You're killing me, haha..." Mo Yue smiled enchantingly, a faint trace of mockery hanging from the corners of her lips.

"A Near-God... how is this possible? Have they already reached this stage?" the South Heavenly Lord muttered, his expression full of shock, as if he hadn't even heard Mo Yue's ridicule.

"Purple Obsidian Demonic Eyes!" The East Heavenly Lord, being well-informed, exclaimed upon seeing the faint purple glow in Mo Yue's eyes.

"Sigh, after giving birth to Tian'er, he absorbed our God and Devil powers, leaving Yue Mei's strength at such a low level?" Yuan Hao murmured to himself nearby. One could imagine that if the South Heavenly Lord heard this, he would be so frustrated he'd want to die.

At this moment, the North Heavenly Lord stepped forward and shouted, "What are we waiting for? Form the array!"

The remaining seven Heavenly Lords stepped forward in unison, and the eight of them summoned their respective weapons. With varied hand gestures, they rapidly cast a series of seals. The eight weapons took up positions in the sky according to the eight directions, their distinct energies intertwining.

Instantly, the world changed color. The ribbons of energy caused the surrounding space to tremble incessantly, and the air seemed to grow viscous.

"Not good! I didn't expect that even with only eight Heavenly Lords, they could still form an array. Yue Mei, come back quickly!" Yuan Hao's expression shifted, and he shouted loudly toward Mo Yue.

"Mm, Hao Ge, what should we do? We can withstand this formation, but what about Tian'er? Although he inherited some of our abilities because we have both become gods, he is still just a child after all. I'm afraid..." Mo Yue's face was full of anxiety as she looked at the infant in her arms, her words trailing off.

Yuan Hao looked at the eight types of energy gradually descending and merging in the sky, his expression turning resolute. "Yue Mei, we must use our Natal Dan Artifacts now to form the Yin Yang Guardian Array. Since I have become a god and you have become a devil, our powers are Yin-Yang complementary. Our Natal Dan Artifacts can merge to form a wisp of Chaos Power, and Tian'er has also inherited our..."

"Yes, yes, let's do it. Hurry, I'm afraid Tian'er will be in danger if we're too late!" Mo Yue interrupted the man, unable to wait a moment longer.

Yuan Hao looked at the son in Mo Yue's arms, then turned to her, his expression dimming. "But if we do this, we will be even weaker. I fear we will have no choice but to self-seal."

"If we self-seal, what will happen to Tian'er? Didn't you say that the Heavenly Venerate is only claiming to kill me as a pretext, but actually wants to capture our child? Why would he do this? He is just a newborn baby!" Mo Yue's emotions were highly agitated, filled with deep confusion.

Yuan Hao's expression revealed a hint of resentment as he muttered, "Tian'er can generate Chaos Power because he inherited our respective constitutions, allowing for Yin-Yang complementarity. That Old Man Heavenly Venerate must have realized this. He wants to obtain the Chaos Power. Sigh, truly, we rise by the Chaos and fall by the Chaos."

"Then what do we do? If we self-seal, we won't be able to protect Tian'er anymore. The Yin Yang Guardian Array cannot run for long without us fueling it." The worry on Mo Yue's face deepened.

"It seems we have no choice but to send the child to the Lower Realm. Immortals cannot go to the Lower Realm." Yuan Hao's gaze sharpened, his expression gradually firming. Seeing the woman's reluctant expression, he continued, "But this way, the child will be all alone. I fear he will have to suffer quite a bit in the future."

Mo Yue's reluctance grew even stronger, and she looked at Yuan Hao with a pleading gaze.

Yuan Hao felt a sudden, sharp pang in his heart and shouted, "My son, the son of Yuan Hao—what is a little suffering? Only through a thousand carvings and ten thousand polishings can one become a vessel of greatness."

"Sigh, it must be this way. Later, we will combine our strength and guide the power of the Eight Heavenly Lords' array to tear open a space channel to the Lower Realm and send Tian'er down." Mo Yue seemed to have made up her mind, though her gaze toward the child in her arms was filled with even greater maternal love.

Although it took a long time to describe, Yuan Hao and the others were communicating via divine sense; only a fleeting moment had passed in the outside world.

Yuan Hao shook his head violently, forcing himself to stop looking at the infant, and shouted, "Appear!"

A jade flute, white as jade throughout, was summoned. It radiated a brilliant white light, appearing incredibly sacred, and a crisp, melodious flute sound resonated through the heavens and earth.

"Appear!"

Seeing Yuan Hao summon the jade flute, Mo Yue also let out a low shout. A guqin emitting a rich, dark light emerged. The guqin was as black as ink, radiating thick Demonic Sha Qi, and the resonant, metallic sound of the strings echoed incessantly.

The two then rapidly cast numerous hand seals. The jade flute and the guqin began to rotate around each other, their white and black lights merging to envelop the three of them.

At this moment, the eight Heavenly Lords had also finished their preparations. Their eight energies fused into one and struck toward the pair.

"If we don't act now, when will we?" Yuan Hao let out a great shout, and the white energy within his body surged out in torrents. As if by telepathy, ink-colored energy poured from Mo Yue's body, merging with his to form a single stream, which they then guided toward the energy of the eight Heavenly Lords. Thunder and lightning flashed across the heavens as the ribbon of energy whistled toward the ground.

"Rip!"

As if tearing silk, a space rift appeared, though it showed signs of healing at any moment.

"Yue Mei, let go." Looking at his wife, whose eyes were filled with tears as she held their son tightly, the pain in Yuan Hao's heart was gut-wrenching.

"My child, Mother cannot take care of you anymore. You must take good care of yourself in the future."

Mo Yue slowly loosened her tightly clasped hands. Tears dripped onto the son's face and splashed outward, crystal clear, just like a mother's heart being torn into shreds.

The child left Mo Yue's hands but did not fall. The guqin and the jade flute circled him, gradually withdrawing their protection from Mo Yue and Yuan Hao.

"Waa, waa..."

Perhaps knowing he was about to be separated from his parents, the infant's sorrowful cries echoed through the heavens, heart-wrenching to all who heard them.

"My child, from now on you will be alone. Be strong, don't cry, be happy." These 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. A playful giggle drifted back toward his mother, as if he were comforting her. Then, surrounded by the guqin and the jade flute, he drifted far away and vanished into the space rift.

The rift then rapidly healed, as if it had never been torn open at all.

Yet, that loving mother's heart could never be mended like the rift in the heavens...