Myth Beyond Heaven

Yun Lintian let out a sigh and said, ”Yao Huang, it’s not too late. You can still choose a different path. You don’t have to die here. You don’t have to be consumed by the darkness. I can help you.”

It wasn’t that Yun Lintian was naïve and forgot everything Yao Huang had done, but he rather didn’t want to continue this cycle of destruction. It must be stopped somewhere.

For a moment, Yao Huang’s expression softened, his eyes flickering with something akin to hope. But then he shook his head, his lips curling into a bitter smile. ”You’re too kind, Yun Lintian. Too naïve. But that’s why you’ll never understand. This world... it doesn’t reward kindness. It rewards strength. And if I can’t be strong enough to survive, then I’d rather die than live as a weakling.”

Yun Lintian took a deep look at Yao Huang. He could see that Yao Huang’s mind was made up, that there was no convincing him otherwise. But he couldn’t give up. Not yet.

”Yao Huang, listen to me,” Yun Lintian said, his voice firm but filled with compassion. ”You’re wrong about the world. It’s not just about strength. It’s about choices. And you still have a choice. You can choose to let go of the darkness. You can choose to live.”

Yao Huang’s body trembled as he struggled to remain standing. His eyes met Yun Lintian’s, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something—regret, perhaps, or longing. But then it was gone, replaced by a cold, bitter resolve.

”Yun Lintian,” Yao Huang said, his voice barely a whisper. ”You’re a fool. But... maybe that’s why you’ve come this far. Maybe that’s why you’ve been able to do what I couldn’t. But it’s too late for me. I’ve made my choice. And now... I’ll face the consequences.”

With those final words, Yao Huang’s body began to disintegrate.

As Yao Huang’s consciousness faded, a torrent of memories flooded his mind. He saw himself as a young boy, filled with dreams of power and glory. He saw the day he received the legacy of the God of Darkness, the burden of a power he could barely control. He saw the countless battles he had fought, the sacrifices he had made, the path of blood and bone he had walked to reach the pinnacle of power.

And in the end, he saw only emptiness. His pursuit of power had cost him everything—his friends, his family, his humanity. He had become a monster, a demon consumed by his own ambition.

”It was... all for nothing...” he whispered, his voice fading into the void as his consciousness finally winked out of existence.

Yun Lintian watched as the last vestiges of Yao Huang’s being dissipated, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

”Although you have targeted my people, no one have been truly hurt so far. So, I forgive you... Go in peace.”

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and let the power of the Primordial Gods and the divine beasts recede. His body slowly returned to its human form, the golden light fading, the dragon wings retracting, the scales disappearing.

As the dust settled, a small orb of pure darkness remained, hovering in the space where Yao Huang had once stood. It pulsed with a faint light, a testament to the immense power it contained—the legacy of the God of Darkness.

Yun Lintian gazed at the orb, his expression unreadable. He knew the power it held, the potential for destruction it represented. Yet, he also sensed a lingering echo of Yao Huang within it, a whisper of regret and despair.

He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing against the surface of the orb. In an instant, a torrent of dark energy surged into his body, flooding his meridians, overwhelming his senses. The power of the God of Darkness, raw and untamed, threatened to consume him, to twist him into a reflection of Yao Huang’s fallen form.

”Ugh!” Yun Lintian groaned in pain, his body trembling under the strain. He fought back against the encroaching darkness, channeling the power of the Primordial Sun God, the God of Fate, the God of Mountain, the God of River, and all the divine beast bloodlines he had inherited. He was a confluence of opposing forces, a battleground where light and darkness clashed in a desperate struggle for dominance.

As he wrestled with the overwhelming power, a figure materialized before him, seemingly stepping out of the void itself. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with long flowing silver hair and eyes that shone with an ethereal light. But her expression was cold and impassive, her lips set in a thin, determined line.

This was Yao Xi, the inheritor of the God of Light.

Yao Xi didn’t say anything but stared at Yun Lintian coldly. Her eyes were filled with deep hatred.

Yun Lintian, still struggling to control the influx of dark energy, looked up at Yao Xi, his eyes widening in surprise. He had never met her before, but he recognized the immense power that radiated from her, the divine aura that marked her as a fellow inheritor.

”You are…?” he asked, his voice strained.

Yao Xi didn’t reply. She raised her hand, and a blinding white light erupted from her palm. The light coalesced into a spear of pure energy, its tip crackling with destructive power.

Yun Lintian’s expression changed drastically. He, still grappling with the chaotic energy of the God of Darkness, had no way to defend himself. All he could do was brace for the impact.

”Die.” Yao Xi uttered coldly and waved her hand, throwing the light spear towards Yun Lintian’s heart.

However, just as the spear of light was about to strike him, a figure materialized before him, intercepting the attack with a raised hand.

BANG!

The light spear was shattered in front of the man.

The figure was tall and slender, with long flowing black hair and eyes that glowed with an eerie green light. It was Si Junyi, the inheritor of the God of Death.

”Yao Xi,” Si Junyi said, his voice calm but filled with an undeniable authority. ”You should go back while I’m giving you a chance.”

Yao Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke coldly. ”Get out of my way.”

Si Junyi looked at her expressionlessly. ”You have almost ruined my master’s grand plan twice. Perhaps it’s time for you to pay the price.”

The atmosphere tensed up instantly.

Yun Lintian stared at the two in astonishment. This woman was actually Yao Xi. And why did Si Junyi protect him?