Qin Tiang had obliterated Tao Yu Xin's man, as well as reality itself, torn apart by the King of Immortals.
The young boy gazed sorrowfully at the cosmic infinity. The demon queen, Xuelan Mowang, appeared beside him, clad in her flowing traditional gown, holding her cherry blossom petal-patterned umbrella, almost floating in the absolute void.
— "What do you intend to do now, Great King?"
Her voice echoed with icy melancholy. The reality of this lower world was shattered; stars clashed, and only the fixation of time seemed to prevent them from bursting into supernovae.
Above, through one of the dimensional rifts, the 33 Cosmic Horrors emerged. They stared at the King of Immortals, their empty eyes full of malevolence.
— "We will meet again, Jade Sovereign..."
The voice echoed through the frozen universe, irrational, unreal. The eye of the Great Old One faded into shadow, as if it had never existed.
— "When you rewrite this reality, I will take everything from you—with my champion and my nine chosen."
Tiang remained silent for a moment, rage condensing in his gaze. He felt the pain of loss, but a cold fire ignited in his gut. Silence...
He finally spoke, his voice filled with a palpable animosity, on the verge of breaking. Tears of sorrow falling on this sea of stars...
Memories of Meilin surged through him like a devastating tide.
Flashbacks
More than ten years earlier, in a dark forest haunted by sinister spirits, thorny vines seemed to watch the two children.
Young Meilin was picking a blood rose, her delicate fingers trembling. She handed the flower to a visibly frightened Tiang.
— "Here!"
She said with a wide smile, brushing the flower lightly with her fingers.
— "Meilin… Don't you want to go back, seriously?"
Tiang stammered, uneasy about the gloomy atmosphere surrounding them.
— "Haha!"
Meilin laughed, thumping her chest proudly.
— "Don't tell me you're scared now, Tiang? Look, I'm braver than you!"
Tiang sighed, amused despite himself, and tugged on Meilin's ear.
— "Stop talking nonsense…"
He gave her a tender look. Meilin let out a small yelp, "Ow!" Then she approached him, took his hand, and leaned closer.
— "Tiang... I..."
She blushed slightly, her voice soft.
— "Promise me we'll always be together, okay?"
Back to reality.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of the King of Immortals. He summoned a short wooden sword in his hand. With a single motion, the universe was torn in two—space and time shattering under Tiang's boundless fury. The pain he felt, Meilin's absence, awakened a rage he had never known.
— "It's true... Meilin, I always wanted to tell you... In ten million years of existence, you are the only one who taught me what love is... I love you and I regret everything."
His pupils burned with fury, space around him warping under the weight of his emotions.
— "Mowang, go retrieve Meilin's soul from Yan Xiaoluo..."
Tiang said in a dry, almost mechanical voice. With a simple flick of his finger, he restored the stars, the dimensions, and time to an earlier state.
— "And once I'm done, kill Tao's black warrior..."
— "Yes, Great Master."
Xuelan Mowang's voice was soft, angelic. She stood ready, awaiting his command.
— "Tao... I won't let you take my loved ones anymore. I swear, if you or your 33 masters touch Meilin, I will destroy the multiverse to annihilate you."
He joined his hands. A colossal cosmic statue appeared behind him.
— "Dao Technique: Universe Reconstruction!"
Hebei Province, Temple of Yehun, May 8, 2030 — 8:30 AM
Tiang suddenly felt as if he were waking from a terrible nightmare. He was sitting in a hot bath, surrounded by soft lights and luxurious lanterns that barely lit the dim room. He looked around, dazed, then slowly turned his gaze toward Meilin, who appeared flustered, struggling with the heat of the moment.
— "Tiang, what are you doing...?"
She lay on her side, quickly covering her eyes.
— "Don't turn around! I'm not done yet...!"
She sighed, embarrassed.
Tiang, his eyes filled with sadness, whispered softly:
— "Meilin..."
Tears flowed silently down his cheeks.
— "Tiang... Why are you crying?"
Meilin's voice was filled with concern.
— "It's the first time I've seen you like this..."
Tiang, confused, tried to hide his pain.
— "I-It's nothing... Just a nightmare."
He didn't even know why he was crying. He was lost in confusion. Why am I really crying?
Without saying a word, Meilin came closer and gently wrapped her arms around him. She whispered in his ear in a soothing voice:
— "You can tell me anything, Tiang..."
Overcome by emotion, Tiang slowly leaned toward Meilin, his lips brushing hers. Meilin, her cheeks flushed, allowed it, ready to embrace the intimate moment they both longed for. But just before their lips could meet, a sudden noise broke behind the sliding door.
— "Oh, how adorable!!"
Lijing's voice rang out, shattering the tension.
— "We should prepare condoms for them, right?"
Yin Na burst out laughing.
Furious, Meilin shot up, grabbing her wooden sword and slashing the door, the walls, and the air in a single fierce blow. Everything was cleaved instantly.
— "You two are such perverts!"
She shouted, leaping out of the bath. Yin Na, still laughing, pulled out a camera.
— "Hey! You almost killed us earlier, I nearly learned to fly because of you!"
Tiang, staying back, chuckled softly. He wished that this peace would last forever, that no shadow would ever again disturb their fragile happiness.