As we walked on, we finally reached her cultivation room. It was clean, modest, and fragrant—incense drifted softly through the air. A servant poured us tea.
I took in the space more closely. There were paintings—clearly her own—and a guzheng resting nearby.
She glanced at me, then stood and began to play.
It had been a while. I picked up my flute.
We played a melody together.
She smiled when she saw me follow her music.
"Where did you learn to play the flute?" she asked.
"When I was young," I said. "With my distant cousin. We both loved playing music together. I haven't seen her in a while now. I hope she's okay."
"How long, might I ask?"
"Five years now, I think. I lose track of time—for people like us, that's common, don't you agree?"
"I do."
"Might I ask what your life was like, Shen?"
"Like everyone else—good or bad, it had its moments. My life… I've always been lucky. I obtained things without trying, or people helped me obtain them. That's what my elder sister used to say, especially when I felt low. She reminded me how lucky I really was—and she was right. I had a good, decent family. They were always on my side."
"You really are lucky," she said. "But then so am I—because you get to marry a woman like me, and I get to marry a man like you. We're both very lucky, it seems."
She laughed, sat beside me, hugged me, then kissed me on the cheek.
The door was knocked on. She sighed.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"It's me—Xu Yansheng. Father has ordered us to handle a mission today. The Luo family has asked for our help to deal with a group that's disrespected them one too many times. He asked if Shen would accompany us as well."
She looked at me. I smiled and nodded.
We flew to the location and saw the sect already under attack. The Luo family's forces were striking hard, their assault relentless.
The sect leader stood at the centre, defending it with everything he had. His robes were torn, his face streaked with blood and fury.
"How dare you attack my sect!" he roared. "You'll all die for this!"
But before he knew it, he was struck down by a tsunami.
It took the shape of a woman—and killed him instantly.
"Why did the Luo family need us, if that woman seems able to handle it?" I asked.
"Because that sect leader was small fry," answered Xu Yunfei. "She's the ancestor of the Luo family—one of Empress Lingxi's oldest friends, back when she still ruled the Genesis Empire, before she disappeared. Very powerful. Ancient. But still attractive to many who see her in person."
She giggled and smiled at me.
"It seems I need to teach you some history lessons, Shen."
"So she's a god, then? Where's your ancestor?" I asked her.
"He's up in Heaven. He hasn't come down since Empress Lingxi disappeared."
A great eruption shook the skies—a divine rupture. Another woman descended, her presence unmistakably from the Divine Realm. She looked upon the fallen sect leader, then turned her gaze to the Luo Ancestor, who now stood in the form of a Tsumiaa: a towering feminine figure, vast and unyielding.
Both were colossal in stature, divine beings locked in combat. Their power rippled through the air as they clashed, shaking the heavens. The Luo Ancestor held her ground against the goddess, unwavering.
Xu Yansheng was our leader. When he gave the order to strike, we followed without hesitation. The Luo Ancestor was already engaged with the divine woman—so we moved in, seizing the moment.
As I slaughtered the cultivators before me, I unleashed a torrent of techniques—each drawn from a different path of cultivation. Twisting through the chaos, I noticed her: Nagni, watching silently in her serpent form.
It was a smaller manifestation, far from her true ancient serpent body—but unmistakable nonetheless.
Still, I did not stop. I continued the killing, one by one, with her eyes upon me.
I saw a woman cultivator weeping over her sister's corpse. She had been killed by the Luo Ancestor's massive attack—the same strike that ended the sect leader. Others had been caught in its path, and they were dead as well.
The woman looked up at me, eyes filled with grief and silent pleading. She wanted release.
So I gave it to her. I stabbed her through the heart.
She collapsed onto her sister's body. Now they were both dead.
Xu Yunfei stood beside me. She seemed sad, but followed her father's orders nonetheless—helping the Luo family destroy the sect. Together, we continued killing anyone who wasn't on our side.
Eventually, it was over.
Rain began to fall suddenly. Cold drops ran through my hair as I stood alone, gripping the Blackdragon Sword, its blade soaked in the blood of this sect's people. Corpses lay scattered around me.
I wondered—what had this sect done to the Luo family to deserve such wrath? I could have used my ability to know everything. But I chose not to.
The rain poured heavier.
I looked toward the other goddess. She was dead too, her gigantic form collapsed. The Luo Ancestor had returned to her regular shape—nine feet three, barefoot, her robes soaked and streaked with blood and mud. She stood silently, watching the rain.
The rest of the Luo family cheered around her, chanting her name:
"Praise the Ancestor!"
"Praise the Ancestor!"
Xu Yunfei hugged me from behind.
"Are you okay, Shen?" she asked.
"Yes," I answered. "Are you okay?"
"I suppose," she said.
We were preparing to leave when the Luo Ancestor stepped in front of me. Her robes were still wet and bloodstained, her bare feet silent against the muddy ground.
She looked at my sword.
"That sword," she said. "It seems familiar to me somehow. I don't know where from."
Her gaze lingered.
"What's your name, boy?"
I answered quietly.
"Shen Wuyin."
"Shen Wuyin," she said. "Interesting name. You wouldn't happen to be related to Emperor Genesis, would you—the creator of Mìngjiè Xiānlù?"
Her eyes lingered on my sword.
"That blade of yours… it gives me the same familiar feeling I get from a painting of him. My friend, Empress Lingxi, once showed me a portrait of Genesis wielding a sword that felt… like that."
I answered plainly.
"No. I'm not."
She looked at me as I turned to leave with Xu Yunfei.
"Until we meet again, Shen Wuyin," she said. "I have a feeling we will."
Then she vanished—dissolving into the muddy pond, her form turning to water.
Xu Yunfei watched in silence, then asked softly,
"What was that about, Shen?"
She glanced at my sword, her brow furrowed as she tried to recall how Emperor Genesis's blade had been described in the ancient scrolls. Few believed he had truly existed. Many dismissed him as legend. But others believed—deeply.
After all, he was me.
With a different name.
And a different face
She decided to let it go.
"It's strange," she said, "that she thought you were related to Emperor Genesis Stormsend. After all, he was the creator of this entire realm—Mìngjiè Xiānlù."
"So you believe in him, then?" I asked.
"Of course I do. My ancestor may no longer show himself—he's up in Heaven now—but he still communicates with the whole Xu family through transmissions. Empress Lingxi always wanted to be as strong as him. They were from the same era."
She paused, glancing again at my sword.
"It's strange, though. If he created everything… that means he created her too. That's a lot of power. I wonder if he knew her personally—or if he just created her existence and never met her at all."
She looked thoughtful, almost reverent.
We returned to the Xu estates.
Xu Xiao hadn't joined us on the mission. Apparently, he'd been assigned to something else. From what I heard through Xu Yansheng, he wasn't happy about it.
As we walked, my thoughts drifted to Nagni.
She had tried to kill Lingxue once—but changed her mind.
Perhaps she thought Lingxue was my new lover.
Today, I saw her again.
In serpent form.
Watching me.
She wasn't happy.
Sooner or later, I would have to speak with her.
After all, she was my lover—an eternity ago.
And she carried my children.
I was such a fool when I was younger.
After escorting Xu Yunfei back to her personal room, I gave her a hug.
She smiled.
"Tomorrow," she said softly, "it'll only be three days into our wedding."
Her voice trembled with quiet joy.
"Shen… I'm so glad I get to marry you. We haven't truly gotten to know each other yet, but I can't wait to learn more about you in the days ahead."
She looked at me with hope—gentle, unguarded. I smiled and hugged her tighter.
She smiled more joyfully, then rested her head on my chest and closed her eyes.
I watched her enter her room, then left to tend to other things.