Destiny in Cinders

Past Yandao, southeast of Xishan, lay the Northblack Divine Capital—the heart of the Northblack Sacrifice Continent and the core of the Grand Chen Empire. The entire continent was named after a single region, the region after a city, and the city after one man. The city stretched from the clouds down through the mortal world and into the nether realm.

It was here that the sacred founding ancestor of Grand Chen, the Blacknight True Martial Emperor, Xuan Tianji, transcended the four epochs and five eras. He shaped heaven and earth, instituted the moral order, and laid down the heavenly laws that governed the world. Branded by his psychic intent, the divine capital bridged the three realms to become the largest, most incomprehensible sacred grotto of the Northblack Sacrifice Continent.

On the edge of the divine capital in the nether realm, along the shores of the nether sea, hot, ink-black rain lashed at a man’s black-armored cloak. The murky droplets cut through the lantern’s glow, causing the eerie blue flame to flicker and dance. The ceaseless rains of the nether realm gathered into a vast sea, hence its other name—the nether sea.

Unlike the rain of the mortal world, this downpour carried a burning obsession filled with agony, sorrow, and grief. Every drop was a tear of unyielding, eternal regret wept by countless souls spanning over eons.

A lone member of the Blackguard stood on a deserted hill in the nether, studying the silk map in his hands. A dark-gold line of blood carved a straight path out of the divine capital, snaking through Hongjiang to reach Hanhai. There, it lingered briefly before continuing downstream all the way to Xishan.

The dark-gold line of blood finally settled heavily upon a single spot. The aura emanating from the blood sent every ghost and demon lurking within the nether sea retreating until they were a hundred li away. It appeared incredibly majestic and sacred under the ghostly blue light of the lantern.

The Blackguard soldier stared at the spot, his gaze seemingly piercing through the map and the endless void to look upon Grand Chen’s northernmost frontier. There, five towering mountains rose from the far untamed wilderness, gazing back at the divine capital from afar.

The Dustdawn Sects... So this was the fulcrum she discovered... Truly, blood speaks to blood. Whether by careful calculation or sheer instinct, she stumbled upon the right solution. But the right solution was entirely predictable.

Lowering the silk map, the soldier spoke softly into the empty void. ”After causing all that chaos in Keensight, you have nothing to show for it but a ruined base, huh? In that case, our deal is off. Keensight still holds some value. I can’t simply hand it over to you.”

”As you wish. The fault lies with us this time, but don’t expect a refund for what has already been paid.” The wind congealed into a black mist, and a voice echoed from its depths. ”Do you have other matters you want handled? The price will remain the same as before.”

”Don’t get greedy.” The Blackguard soldier looked up, his eyes ice-cold as he said, ”That was a once-in-a-millennium offering. If it weren’t for...” He cut himself off, letting out a cold snort instead.

”Three days.” Drawing a jet-black tiger tally with fiend patterns from his robes, he commanded, ”Though you have failed, you’re not entirely powerless. Gather your remaining forces and use a blood sacrifice or whatever methods you must, but corrupt Keensight’s terrestrial veins and seal away all abilities! This will teach that runaway girl that hiding is useless. Even if we must burn every terrestrial vein, we will find her!” The tiger tally glowed faintly, spreading invisible ripples outward, stilling the wind and rain until only an eerie tranquility remained.

”As you command.” Upon seeing the tiger tally, the black mist shuddered, offering a silent display of reverence, a gesture directed entirely at the tiger tally and not the soldier of the Blackguard. Acknowledging the order, the mist spun into a churning vortex before dissolving completely into the torrential downpour. As it vanished, the voice faded into a distant echo. ”This concludes our previous transaction. The next time you call upon us, it will be as before. State the price...”

The Blackguard silently stared in the direction where the black mist had vanished. Beneath his helmet, his golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if lost in thought. Turning around, he stared at the reflection of the divine capital.

Unlike the part of the city in the mortal realm, the part of the grand city in the dark, rain-swept nether sea was built from terrestrial-vein qi coming from large, river-like spirit veins and near-infinite human dao qi, dragon qi, and true martial lethal qi. Yet, at the very heart of this magnificent city, the Mystic Sky Palace that pierced the dome of heaven in the city’s mortal-realm counterpart was nowhere to be seen. In its place stood a colossal tree, anchoring the earth and propping up the sky.

The tree’s bark was a mottled gray-brown, its rough surface crisscrossed with deep fissures that looked as if they had been hacked with a blade or chiseled with an axe. Beneath, its twisting, dragon-like roots spread out in all directions toward the four corners and four cardinal directions. Countless red and gold dragon-patterned leaves and purple-blue blossoms and fruit blazed like the raging flames of a roaring furnace. Their iridescent light illuminated the vast nether realm, casting a protective shroud over the reflection of the divine capital. It was the Netherglow Heavenwilled Eternal Tree.

Under the pitch-black sky, the divine tree stood majestically at the center in a blur of hazy light. Down in the nether realm, the Eternal Tree guarded the threads of fate, while officials and generals commanded all corners of the mortal realm. And high in the heavens, the Celestial Ocean’s divine formation of nine pulses regulated profound essence and various profound qi.

At the height of Grand Chen’s glory, righteous ministers filled the imperial court while the emperor ruled effortlessly from above. Even the Hanhai Fiend Calamity and the northern snow calamity were trivial matters that didn’t disrupt the singing and dancing across the divine capital in the slightest. Such was the grandeur of the empire that was one of the Ten Heavenly Sects.

Standing at the fringes of the divine capital, the soldier of the Blackguard let out a sudden laugh. ”And so, everyone wants to rule over all of this, no matter who they are. Fourth Brother, can you and your daughter truly be exceptions to this rule?”

***

Over in the frontier of the Xishan Region, within the walls of Keensight, You Ruhui had a dream. In her dream, she saw a choice, a sacred edict, a confrontation, a battle, and a bloodbath. She fled the battlefield. Alone. Bearing all their hopes.

She had to escape. Bearing a secret she couldn’t yet comprehend, carrying her parents’ final, burning hopes, and guarding a truth completely unknown to the world, she had to stay alive. Like a branding iron pressed into her mind, her mother’s final blessing was akin to a curse: Run. Live.

Forget revenge, my child. Just live.

But You Ruhui wanted to fight. Live? What good would that do? There was no one left to praise her, no one left to hold her. To vanish into obscurity, to seek out a secluded village or a forgotten town, and spend the rest of her days waiting for the ultimate judgment of death—was this truly the life she wanted?

No. She wanted...

”Revenge...” Muttering in her sleep, You Ruhui bolted awake from her dream as a sharp, splitting pain tore through her head. She couldn’t even think of revenge; all she could do was escape and survive.

”It hurts... it hurts so much...” The girl let out a soft groan, afraid to cry out even as the pain seeped into her very bones. But soon, a surge of innate qi soothed the pain. As the relief washed over her, You Ruhui realized she was cradled in a warm embrace.

A faint, hazy halo manifested behind Madam Huai’s head. Qi poured from the old woman’s body into the girl, wrapping her in warmth from head to toe. Her body had fully recovered from the violent backlash of forcibly wrestling control over the terrestrial veins. Even the excruciating pain from her attempt to break the soul imprint had vanished, as if it had never existed.

”Wait, Madam!” There was no joy in You Ruhui’s expression. Instead, panic seized her as she struggled to break free from Madam Huai’s embrace, scrambling to her feet. ”What are you doing? Qi Soul Lending... Why are you giving me your innate qi?!”