Soft pastel hues painted the sky like the inside of a pearl. Blue melted into lilac, lilac into pale gold. Clouds—always white-gold—hung suspended above, bathed in never-ending daylight. The sun never set. A golden mist seemed to linger endlessly in the air.
Birds with multicolored feathers flitted about—some soaring through the sky, others perched on tree branches, chirping cheerfully.
Suddenly, a flawless hand reached out, snatched one of the birds, and squeezed. The poor creature popped, blood spilling onto the golden-white marble floor.
"Noisy," growled the owner of the hand.
The palm opened, revealing the mangled bird. Its carcass slowly faded into the air, dissolving into golden-white mist.
The bloodied palm moved toward a mouth. A pink, healthy tongue appeared and licked the blood once. A sinister smile curled the lips.
"Delicious," came the whisper.
With a flick of the hand, the palm returned to its pristine, flawless state.
"Master, this slave is back." A man clad in black knelt low.
"Hmm. How was it?"
"This slave has done everything as you ordered, Master. She will never be found."
'Master' let out a manic laugh. "Let's see what you're going to do this time, General."
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Zhao Zhi was sweating bullets. His face was pale. His breathing was ragged. His throat burned. He knew he had screwed up. He knew he had to get up and escape, but his strength failed him. Instead, he relaxed his body to make sure he stayed afloat, letting the cold water cradle him and carry him with its current. He had no more spirit energy left. He had used every last bit of it to escape.
Shimei, wait for me. I'll definitely save you!
Zhao Zhi's slowly closing his eyes. His body was floating away, into darkness of the night.
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"HAH!"
"HEH!"
"HAH!"
"HEH!"
Thousands of Celestial Soldiers were training in the grounds of the Celestial Army barracks, about a hundred kilometers outside Zhenhua City.
They were divided into groups—swords, spears, and empty hand. Each group moved in perfect unison, their steps firm, fluid, and precise. The soldiers' faces were expressionless, fully focused on their movements and strikes.
If Ling Yu were here, she would've noticed how beautiful yet eerie the scene was. A few thousand men performed movements that were clearly a workout, yet none of them were sweating. Every face was flawless, free of blemish. Even their skin tones were nearly identical. None of them were sun-kissed or tanned; their skin bore no trace of sunlight, as though the concept of day and night had never applied to them. Their eyes were mostly light brown, tinged faintly with green.
Ling Yu would've commented, "It's creepy, Iron Wall."
Xuan Tian, who was watching the soldiers train from afar, chuckled. It had been five years since he last saw Ling Yu waving her hands high in the air. Since returning to the Celestial Realm, he hadn't taken a single break. He had been occupied with his responsibilities as the Great General of the Celestial Realm.
Yet Ling Yu would slip into his mind now and then—like now. Out of the blue, he could almost hear her voice saying, It's creepy, Iron Wall.
Now, Xuan Tian could see it. It was creepy. No sweat. No emotion. Faces devoid of expression, identical not in features but in their flawless skin, untouched by sunlight or age. He used to think this was normal—how things should be. For fifty thousand years, he had never questioned the unnatural stillness of the Celestial Realm.
And yet, it took less than a month with Ling Yu to plant the seed—a quiet, persistent doubt that had grown in silence over the past five years. In her absence, it had taken root, blossoming into questions he had never dared to ask before.
The questions started out small and simple. Why doesn't the air feel as fresh? he had found himself wondering. Or why is there no night? Things he had taken for granted his entire life. At times, he wondered if he was losing his mind. He had crossed into the Human Realm thousands of times before, and yet, never once had he returned with doubts.
So why now? What changed?
He got his answer as soon as he asked it—Ling Yu.
What is so special about her, he thought, that she could make me—the Great General of the Celestial Realm, the God of War, one of the strongest Celestials—begin to question it all?
He had tried to stop thinking, stop questioning. But to his horror, he found he couldn't. The questions flowed naturally into his mind—corrupting. When he cultivated to heal his core, those questions swam freely, surfacing without effort. And more emerged every day.
He eventually treated these thoughts as fleeting entertainment, a way to balance his mundane and monotonous life.
Fan Qingyan, who was standing guard a few steps away, glanced at Xuan Tian. Since the General returned from the Human Realm five years ago, something had changed. The differences were subtle, but Fan Qingyan had always looked up to Xuan Tian, and observed him more closely than others.
He noticed that sometimes, Xuan Tian would… daydream. The thought was so absurd that Fan Qingyan didn't dare dwell on it, but the signs were there—his General's face would relax, eyes unfocused, and sometimes… his mouth would curl upward.
If that wasn't daydreaming, then what was it?
But the Great General, daydreaming? Did he even know what the word meant? Was it even possible?
And yet, the evidence was right in front of him—again.
"Do you want your punishment to be longer, Commander Fan?"
Fan Qingyan, startled, straightened his back and faced forward. "No, Great General!"
Xuan Tian glanced at him and sighed.
"This is the second time I've caught you staring at me instead of guarding. What is it?"
"Nothing, Great General!"
"Stop it. 'General' is enough."
Fan Qingyan nodded quickly. "Yes, General."
"Well? What is it? Is my face so handsome that you can't stop staring at it?"
Fan Qingyan was stunned. There it was again—another piece of evidence. The General could make jokes now. This would never have happened five years ago.
"Commander Fan!" Xuan Tian barked. "I asked you a question!"
"Yes, General!"
"No, General! Your face is not that handsome!" Fan Qingyan's eyes widened in horror. He realized what had come out of his mouth too late.
He scrambled to save himself. "I—I mean, you are handsome, General!"
"Just not—" Fan Qingyan faltered.
Xuan Tian's face twitched. "You'd better stop, Commander."
"Yes, General!"