NOVPUBSilence.
Yang Chen exhaled sharply, sheathing his sword. "Damn. Brother Yun is getting stronger again."
Hua Wanru touched his arm. "He's different now."
Fei Mao scratched his head, staring at the spot where Yun Lintian had vanished. "Yeah. Like he's carrying the weight of the heavens themselves."
Chu Heng, now revived but pale, tightened his grip on his sister's shoulder. "We can't just stand here."
Qin Yiran nodded, her sword glinting. "He's right. If the enemy is coming back, we need to prepare."
Yang Mengli flexed her newly regenerated arm, testing the muscles. "Then what are we waiting for?"
A slow grin spread across Fei Mao's face. "That's what I like to hear!"
***
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The secret realm of the God of Heaven was a paradise untouched by time. Verdant forests stretched endlessly, their canopies shimmering with golden leaves. Crystal-clear rivers wound through valleys where profound beasts drank peacefully, their auras radiating ancient power. The very air hummed with dense spiritual energy, condensing into mist that swirled around towering mountain peaks.
At the heart of this realm, seated upon a stone platform engraved with celestial runes, Ren Yuan exhaled slowly. His cultivation robes, once pristine white, now bore faint traces of golden energy—evidence of his years refining the remnant power of Yin, the Chasm of Uncreation.
His eyes opened.
BOOM—
An invisible wave of pressure erupted from his body, flattening the grass in a perfect circle for miles. The profound beasts in the distance froze, their instincts screaming at them to prostrate before this newfound authority.
Ren Yuan had ascended.
A Primordial God.
"Master!"
A melodious voice called out as Chun Yue hurried forward, her emerald robes fluttering. Her delicate features were alight with joy, her jade-like skin glowing under the realm's eternal sunlight. She knelt gracefully before him. "Congratulations on your breakthrough!"
Ren Yuan smiled faintly. "Rise."
As Chun Yue lifted her head, her dark eyes met his—and then, without warning, a third eye materialized on Ren Yuan's forehead.
It was an eye unlike any other—pupilless, filled with swirling galaxies, depths that seemed to contain the secrets of creation itself.
Chun Yue's breath hitched.
For a moment, her mind went blank. Her thoughts scattered like leaves in a storm, her consciousness adrift in an endless sea. She saw nothing, yet everything—visions of past lives, futures unwritten, realities that could have been.
Then, just as suddenly, the eye vanished.
Chun Yue gasped, stumbling back. Her knees buckled, but Ren Yuan caught her wrist, steadying her.
"W-What was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ren Yuan's lips curled. "The Heaven's Eye."
"The… Heaven's Eye?"
"The ultimate technique of the God of Heaven," Ren Yuan explained, his tone calm but carrying the weight of absolute truth. "A power that transcends the mind, the soul, the very fabric of will. With it, the God of Heaven subdued countless deities, bending them to his rule without a single drop of blood spilled."
Chun Yue's heart pounded. "Then… it can control others?"
"Not control," Ren Yuan corrected. "Rewrite."
A beat of silence.
Chun Yue swallowed hard. "Could it… affect a True God?"
Ren Yuan chuckled. "Yes."
The simplicity of his answer sent a shiver down her spine. True Gods were beings who stood at the pinnacle of existence, their wills unbreakable, their souls eternal. Yet Ren Yuan spoke of dominating them as easily as one might command the wind.
The sheer scale of this power was terrifying.
Ren Yuan studied her expression, then suddenly pulled her close. His fingers traced her jawline, tilting her face up. "You've served me loyally all these years," he murmured. "Shall I reward you?"
Chun Yue's breath quickened. It had been decades since he last touched her like this.
She didn't resist as he lifted her into his arms, carrying her toward the stone platform. Around them, the realm itself seemed to sigh—the trees bending slightly, the river's flow slowing as if time itself paused to witness this moment.
Ren Yuan laid her down gently, his golden eyes darkening with intent.
And then—
The world faded away, leaving only the two of them beneath the endless sky…
The golden sunlight of the secret realm filtered through the leaves as Ren Yuan adjusted his robes, his expression calm. Beside him, Chun Yue tidied her emerald garments, her cheeks still faintly flushed. The air between them carried the lingering warmth of intimacy, but her eyes quickly sharpened as she returned to her role as his most trusted subordinate.
"Master," she began, kneeling gracefully. "While you were in seclusion, the situation outside has changed dramatically."
Ren Yuan's fingers paused on his sleeve. "Oh?"
Chun Yue took a deep breath. "The Primal Chaos Wall has fallen. The Lord of Chaos has launched a full-scale invasion. The two realms are now locked in a brutal stalemate."
A flicker of interest passed through Ren Yuan's golden eyes. "A stalemate? Against the Realm of Chaos?" 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Chun Yue nodded. "Yun Lintian's women and allies have grown far stronger than anticipated. They've been holding the line against the Chaos Knights—even defeating several high-ranking ones."
Ren Yuan chuckled. "How amusing. The little ant has bred quite the formidable swarm."
"But," Chun Yue added carefully, "there's more. The Dragon Princess, Long Qingxuan, was captured by the Lord of Chaos himself. She's being held in the Haven."
Ren Yuan's eyebrows rose slightly. Then, a cold smile curved his lips.
"Ah. So it begins."
Chun Yue tilted her head. "Master?"
"Yun Lintian's fatal weakness," Ren Yuan mused, stretching his arms lazily. "Sentimentality. He would rather charge into the abyss than abandon a single loved one. It's what makes him predictable."
Chun Yue nodded in agreement. "In the past, I considered targeting his women to weaken him, but you forbade it. May I ask why?"
Ren Yuan's gaze turned distant. "Because his women are both his weakness... and his greatest strength."
He gestured idly, summoning a floating image of Yun Tian—the fallen Beyond Heaven King. "Yun Tian only had the mission in his eyes. His women were nothing but passersby to him. It was useless for me to touch his women. But Yun Lintian?"
A dark amusement colored his voice. "Touch one hair on their heads, and he will tear apart the heavens themselves to make you suffer. I have no desire to provoke that kind of retaliation prematurely."
Chun Yue absorbed this, then asked, "Can Yun Lintian truly stand against the Lord of Chaos now?"
Ren Yuan shrugged. "Perhaps. But Nian Shi has spent eons preparing for this moment. Even if Yun Lintian has reached the Primordial God realm, the outcome is uncertain."
