Myth Beyond Heaven

Bai Ying, her white fur stained with the blood of her enemies, stood over their mangled corpses. She raised her head, her eyes gleaming with a savage satisfaction. Her actions were brutal, swift, and decisive. She had torn the three ancestors apart with her claws and mouth, their blood scattering across the sky, a crimson spectacle visible to everyone in Sunlight City. The residents of Sunlight City, witnessing the scene, were struck with a profound terror. The powerful ancestors had been slaughtered like mere beasts. The sky, once filled with their arrogant presence, was now stained with their blood. Bai Ying, her eyes shifting towards the three elders, descended from the sky. Her form returned to her human form, her eyes still blazing with a lingering anger. "Your ancestors are gone," she said, her voice cold and sharp. "Now, it is your turn." The three elders, their bodies trembling, their faces pale, could only stare at Bai Ying in fear. They knew that their fate was sealed. "I will make sure that your entire clan will follow your ancestors to hell," Bai Ying said venomously. Bai Ying, her eyes filled with a cold fury, approached the three elders. With swift, brutal strokes, she ended their lives. No cries escaped their lips, only the sickening sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking filled the air. Their bodies fell to the ground, lifeless, their eyes wide with terror. Bai Ying turned her gaze towards Meng Huai, her expression hardening. "Meng Huai," she said, her voice sharp and accusatory, "Why? Why did you not come to the aid of the Bai Clan?" Meng Huai sighed, his shoulders slumping. "On that day, my clan was blocked. The Profound Mystery Sect... they stood in our way. I could not go against them alone." "Heh," Bai Ying sneered. "The Bai Clan saved your ancestor's life twice in the past. What an ungrateful bastard you are." She paused for a moment and asked sharply, "And why, then, did the Meng Clan take the benefits from the demise of the Bai Clan? You profited from our destruction." Meng Huai's gaze fell to the ground. "It was not a choice I made lightly. If I had not joined the other clans, if I had refused to take part in the division of the Bai Clan's assets, my clan would have been targeted next. We would have been seen as outliers and the other clans would have feasted upon us. I had to join them, to protect my clan." He looked up at Bai Ying, his eyes filled with a desperate plea for understanding. "It was a matter of survival. I had no other choice. Brother Bai would definitely make the same decision in my position." "Shut up!" Bai Ying roared furiously. "You are nothing compared to him. If it were the Meng Clan who faced the calamity, he would definitely go all out to help your clan. You know in your heart it's true." Meng Huai opened his mouth, and no word came out in the end. "It's time to pay back," Bai Ying uttered coldly. The sky immediately darkened. Just as Bai Ying was about to strike, a deep, resonant voice echoed from the distance, cutting through the tension like a blade. The voice carried an undeniable authority, as if it had transcended time itself. "Wait!" Bai Ying's brows furrowed, her sharp gaze snapping toward the source of the voice. From the void, a figure emerged—a frail-looking old man with snow-white hair and a weathered face. "Ancestor of the Meng Clan?" Bai Ying's voice was icy, laced with mockery. "Finally decided to show yourself?" The Meng Clan ancestor nodded slightly, his gaze calm yet heavy with unspoken emotions. He stepped forward, his presence alone causing the air to tremble. "Bai Ying," he began, his voice steady but tinged with regret, "it was my order for the Meng Clan not to intervene in the Bai Clan's calamity. I am the one you should blame, not Meng Huai or the others." Bai Ying's eyes narrowed, her fury simmering beneath the surface. "Your order?" she spat. "The Bai Clan saved your life twice in the past. Is this how you repay their kindness? By standing by and watching them fall?" The old man's expression remained unchanged, but a flicker of pain crossed his eyes. "I owe the Bai Clan a debt that can never be fully repaid," he admitted. "But the situation at the time was far more complicated than you know. The forces arrayed against the Bai Clan were beyond what the Meng Clan could handle. Even if we had intervened, it would have been a futile sacrifice. The Bai Clan's fate was sealed the moment the Profound Mystery Sect set their sights on them." He paused, his gaze locking onto Bai Ying's. "However, I did not abandon the Bai Clan entirely. Before the catastrophe struck, I secretly helped some of the Bai Clan's descendants escape. They are alive and well, living in another city under new identities. I could not save the clan, but I ensured that their bloodline would not be extinguished." Bai Ying's eyes widened in shock, her anger momentarily replaced by disbelief. "You... you saved them?" The old man nodded solemnly. "It was the least I could do to repay the debt I owed to Brother Bai." Bai Ying went silent for a moment and said, "Even if what you say is true, it does not absolve you of your sins. The Meng Clan still profited from the Bai Clan's downfall. You still betrayed us." The Meng Clan ancestor bowed his head, his voice heavy with resignation. "I know. And for that, I am willing to pay the price. Take my life, Bai Ying. Let it be the final repayment of the debt I owe to the Bai Clan. Spare the Meng Clan. They are innocent in this." "Ancestor, no!" Meng Huai suddenly stepped forward, his face pale with desperation. "If anyone should pay for this, it should be me. I was the one who failed to act. I was the one who made the decisions. Take my life instead!" The old man turned to Meng Huai, his expression stern. "This is not your burden to bear, Meng Huai. I made the choices that led us here. I will face the consequences." Bai Ying stared at them, her eyes flickered with a hint of complicated emotion. She suddenly found no satisfaction in the revenge—only emptiness. "Bai Ying," Meng Huai pleaded, his voice breaking, "if you must kill someone, kill me. Let my ancestor live. He has already suffered enough."