Myth Beyond Heaven

Yun Lintian watched silently as Fan Shen's golden essence dissipated into the void. The last remnants of the fallen god's power scattered like embers in the wind, returning to the cosmos from which they came.

He let out a long breath, his grip on the God Slaying Sword loosening slightly.

"In the end... he was still human."

Fan Shen, for all his arrogance and ambition, had been just like everyone else—flawed, emotional, desperate. At the final moment, he had realized his mistakes. Realized he had lost himself.

Yun Lintian's mismatched eyes darkened as he reflected.

Ren Yuan. Fan Shen...

Neither had been evil at their core. But the world was cruel. To survive, to protect what mattered, one had to become strong. Strong enough to control their own fate.

"Am I any different?"

He clenched his fist.

No. He wasn't.

He, too, had walked a path paved with blood and stolen power. He, too, had become something greater than human to protect those he cared about.

The only difference was—he hadn't forgotten why.

A complicated emotion flickered in his chest, but he suppressed it quickly. Now wasn't the time for sentiment.

With a wave of his hand, Yun Lintian summoned the remnants of Fan Shen's power—the stolen divinities, the lingering faith energy. The golden light swirled in his palm, unstable but potent.

He would refine it later.

But just as he was about to seal the energy away—

"Congratulations."

A voice, smooth and amused, echoed through the void.

Yun Lintian's body tensed. His gaze snapped upward.

Space rippled, and from the distortion stepped a figure clad in silver robes. His hair was white as snow, his eyes deep like the abyss. A faint smile played on his lips.

Nian Shi.

The God of Time.

"You've grown stronger again," Nian Shi said, his voice dripping with false warmth. "If you refine that power, you might even pose a real challenge."

Yun Lintian's expression remained indifferent, but his grip on the God Slaying Sword tightened.

"Why are you here?"

Nian Shi spread his arms, as if amused by the hostility. "Can't I simply admire your progress? After all, you just defeated one of my... experiments."

His smile widened slightly.

"Fan Shen was interesting, wasn't he? So much potential. So much hunger. Pity he couldn't last longer."

Yun Lintian didn't respond. His gaze was cold, calculating.

Nian Shi chuckled. "Still so serious. Fine, fine. I'll be honest—I came to see if you were ready."

"Ready for what?"

"For the real fight." Nian Shi's eyes gleamed. "Yin is recovering well. And when it does... well, even I might struggle."

Yun Lintian's fingers twitched. "You expect me to believe you're worried about him?"

"Believe what you want." Nian Shi shrugged. "But remember this—when the time comes, you'll need every scrap of power you can get. Even mine."

A beat of silence.

Then—

Yun Lintian moved.

The God Slaying Sword flashed, its edge cutting through space itself as it aimed for Nian Shi's throat.

SHING!

Nian Shi twisted at the last moment, the blade grazing his cheek. A thin line of silver blood—divine blood—trickled down his face.

His smile didn't falter.

"Tsk. Not honest at all."

He tapped the wound, watching as it sealed instantly. "Attacking when I'm trying to have a civil conversation... You really have changed."

Yun Lintian didn't waste words. He struck again, this time channeling the Power of Chaos into his blade.

Nian Shi's eyes flickered with interest—but he didn't counter. Instead, he stepped back, his form blurring as he retreated through time itself.

"We'll meet again soon," his voice echoed, already fading.

Nian Shi's form blurred as he retreated through the river of time, his silver robes fluttering like ghostly wisps. But Yun Lintian was already moving.

"You think you can escape?"

With a thought, he activated the God of Space's power. The void around them twisted, folding in on itself like crumpled paper. Space itself became a cage, sealing Nian Shi within its confines.

Nian Shi's playful expression faltered for a fraction of a second—surprise.

"Oh?"

Then he laughed. "You've learned some new tricks!"

His fingers flicked, and the flow of time around him stuttered. The spatial prison Yun Lintian had created fractured, its walls collapsing as Nian Shi stepped sideways through time itself.

But Yun Lintian was already following.

BOOM!

He tore through the fractured space, his body wreathed in the power of the Primordial Azure Dragon God. His speed surpassed light, surpassing thought.

Nian Shi's eyes narrowed slightly as Yun Lintian appeared before him again.

"Persistent, aren't you?"

Yun Lintian didn't answer. The God Slaying Sword flashed, its edge humming with the power of Chaos.

Nian Shi dodged, but not fast enough—

SHING!

A deep gash opened across Nian Shi's chest, silver blood spraying into the void.

For the first time, his playful demeanor cracked.

"You—"

Yun Lintian didn't let him finish. Another slash, another rip through space and time. Nian Shi was forced back, his silver robes now stained with his own divine blood.

As they clashed, Yun Lintian realized something—

This Nian Shi was different.

The Nian Shi from the main timeline had absorbed the powers of other gods, becoming something more than just the God of Time.

But this Nian Shi...

He's pure.

Pure Time. No stolen divinities. No extra enhancements.

Which meant—

He's weaker.

Yun Lintian's attacks grew fiercer. The God Slaying Sword became a blur, each strike carrying the weight of eight divine beasts and the power of Chaos.

Nian Shi was forced to retreat again and again, his usual smirk replaced by a deepening frown.

"You're serious," he muttered, barely dodging another lethal slash. "You actually want to kill me here?"

Yun Lintian's response was another attack.

BOOM!

A kick infused with the White Tiger's power slammed into Nian Shi's ribs, sending him crashing through a dying star. The celestial body imploded from the impact, its remnants scattering like dust.

Nian Shi coughed, silver blood dripping from his lips. His eyes flickered with something unfamiliar—frustration.

"Fine. If you want a fight—"

Time itself stilled.

The void froze. The remnants of the shattered star hung motionless in space. Even the light seemed to pause mid-flight.

Nian Shi stood at the center of it all, his silver eyes glowing with ancient power.

"—then I'll show you what real time manipulation looks like."