Myth Beyond Heaven

Mu Ren, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Master, what about the War God?"

"Ah, Zhan Tian." Hei Xuan's eyes gleamed. "Pure battle lust incarnate. Lives for conflict but oddly... simple. No schemes, just endless fighting."

Yun Lintian raised an eyebrow. "And the celestial bodies?"

"The Sun God, Yang Chen—arrogant but dependable. The Moon God, Yin Yue—mysterious and unpredictable. The Star God, Xing Wu—quiet but sees patterns no one else can."

Hei Xuan leaned back. "Thirteen Primordial Gods in total, each representing fundamental cosmic forces." His gaze sharpened. "But beware—Nian Shi has likely corrupted several already."

Yun Lintian absorbed this silently. Thirteen godly powers to collect. Thirteen potential battles ahead.

And time was running out.

"It seems you are close to the God of Balance," Yun Lintian spoke, looking at Hei Xuan.

"Indeed," Hei Xuan nodded slightly. "But you can forget about asking me to persuade him. Qinglan is easier to talk to compared to him."

Yun Lintian's fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee. "Among them, who do you think has already joined the God of Time?"

Hei Xuan's eyes darkened as he swirled his tea. "The Sun God and the Star God are the most likely candidates."

Hei Yue asked curiously. "Why them?"

"Ambition," Hei Xuan said simply. "Yang Chen has always desired to surpass his celestial station. Xing Wu craves knowledge beyond what the stars can show." He set his cup down with a sharp click. "And both are infatuated with Yin Yue."

Yun Lintian's brow furrowed. "The Moon God?"

"The most beautiful existence in all creation," Hei Xuan confirmed. "Countless have sought her favor, but none have succeeded—not even those two." A smirk played on his lips. "Yin Yue enjoys their rivalry too much to choose either."

Mu Ren, standing guard nearby, suddenly spoke. "Master, you mean the God of Time might be using this?"

"Precisely." Hei Xuan's expression turned grim. "Nian Shi would whisper promises—greater power to win her affection, secrets to surpass her defenses. For fools like Yang Chen and Xing Wu, it would be irresistible bait."

Yun Lintian absorbed this information carefully. The Moon God's beauty had become a weapon in the God of Time's hands.

"What about the others?" he pressed.

"The God of War is too simple-minded to conspire, but easy to manipulate into conflict," Hei Xuan mused. "The God of Order might ally with Nian Shi if convinced it's for 'stability.'" He shook his head. "But the Sun and Star Gods are the immediate threats."

Hei Yue crossed her arms. "Then we deal with them first."

"Not so simple." Hei Xuan sighed. "If they've truly joined Nian Shi, they'll be expecting us. And Yin Yue..." His gaze turned distant. "She won't take sides until the last moment. That's her nature."

Yun Lintian considered this. Three Primordial Gods potentially aligned against them already—the God of Time, the Sun God, and the Star God. The Moon God remained a wild card.

Yun Lintian wasn't afraid of them, but he didn't want to make a rash move. Once these gods joined forces, it would be difficult for him to contend with them alone.

Thinking of this, Yun Lintian suddenly regretted it. He had originally planned to delay absorbing the God of Darkness's power and let Hei Xuan restrain the other gods for him. Unfortunately, Hei Xuan moved too decisively.

"Why? Are you blaming me for not helping you?" Hei Xuan seemed to see through Yun Lintian's thoughts.

Yun Lintian didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes was obvious.

Hei Xuan laughed and pointed his finger at Yun Lintian. "You are… really something. You actually want all the good things with minimal effort."

Yun Lintian shrugged. "It's called strategy."

Hei Xuan was amused. He shook his head and said, "In fact, I wouldn't have been able to help you much. You should have noticed it already. My power was declining. That's why I had to hide behind my avatar."

"Father?" Hei Yue was surprised.

"It's true," Hei Xuan said with a smile and reached out to pat his daughter's head. His eyes were filled with love.

"Why?" Hei Yue couldn't understand.

Hei Xuan didn't say anything.

Yun Lintian seemed to have guessed something and remained silent.

Mu Ren hesitated briefly and spoke up. "Because of you, Young Miss. Master spent a portion of his power to stabilize your imbalanced power between light and darkness when you were born."

Hei Yue's body stiffened as if struck by lightning. Her blue eyes widened, trembling with disbelief. "What... did you say?"

Mu Ren lowered his head, unable to meet her gaze.

Hei Xuan sighed, his expression softening. "It's true. When you were born, you inherited more of your mother's light than my darkness. The imbalance would have torn you apart." His hand reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "So I gave you a piece of my Divine Core."

The words hit Hei Yue like a physical blow. She staggered back, her face paling. "No... that's impossible..."

But the memories came flooding back—every time her father had "trained" her in secret, every time she'd felt her power inexplicably surge afterward. The exhaustion in his eyes she'd mistaken for mere fatigue.

"You... you've been giving me your power all these years?" Her voice cracked.

Hei Xuan smiled gently. "Only small pieces. Enough to maintain the balance."

Suddenly, Hei Yue threw herself into Hei Xuan's arms, tears streaming down her face. "You idiot!" she screamed, her fists pounding against his chest. "You should have let me die! How could you—how could you weaken yourself like this?!"

Her body shook with violent sobs. All this time, she'd thought her father was cold and distant. She'd resented his strict training, never realizing it was his way of protecting her.

Yun Lintian watched silently, his expression unreadable. He seemed to have finally found the true reason behind the proposal. Hei Xuan probably saw the Primordial Harmony in his body, where all elements could coexist peacefully, and thought it was the best way for his daughter to stay with him. At least, he would definitely be able to help her.

Hei Yue fought for a moment longer before crumbling against his chest, her cries muffled in his robes. "Stupid... so stupid..."

"I know," Hei Xuan chuckled, stroking her hair. "But you're worth every drop of power lost."

As Hei Yue's sobs slowly subsided, Yun Lintian spoke quietly, "Since you trust me so much, I will definitely take good care of her."

Hei Xuan took a deep look at Yun Lintian and said, "Don't forget your promise today."

He then changed the subject. "So, who are you going to start with first?"