The story had to pick up where the legend ended. Li Jong went to war against the southern kingdom's army. At that time, he had just received the Green Lantern Ring and didn't know how to wield much of its power. In the chaos of battle, Biyue was gravely wounded.
But Li Jong shouldered a heavy responsibility. The southern king was corrupt and useless, his people living in misery. Li Jong wasn't just fighting for revenge on behalf of his fallen brothers—he also wanted to give the people of the south a chance at peace and justice.
So instead of saving Biyue right away, he led his men straight into the royal palace, cut down the king and all his cronies. By the time he returned, Biyue was beyond saving.
Some might ask: if Biyue died, then whose son was Li Cong? The truth was, Li Cong wasn't Li Jong's child at all. He was the flesh and blood of Biyue and the southern king. Later, Li Cong briefly became king for two months, but since he longed for Li Jong to be his father, he took Li's surname himself. As for why his reign was so short, that was because his bastard of a father had ordered troops to cross the border. That act drew the attention of Wu Zetian. At that time, Wu Zetian had not yet proclaimed herself emperor, but she already held real power.
Even after Biyue's death, Li Jong never forgot her. By chance he discovered the location of the Fountain of Immortality. He found the waters and brought Biyue back to life. But in the end, they didn't live happily ever after. This wasn't a fairy tale. When Li Jong was chosen by the Green Lantern Ring, its bearer had warned him not to be ruled by selfish desire. His master had also always taught him the beauty of a great and united world. Li Jong retreated deep into the mountains to cultivate. When he began comprehending the power of the Lantern, he also managed to activate its coordinates, traveling to the Guardians' planet to train under the makers of the Green Lantern Rings. He even carried Li Bai's poetry into the stars, where it spread across the universe.
So the title of the universe's first diva clearly didn't belong to Elsa—it had already been claimed by Li Bai.
Li Jong lived through the entire era of Wu Zetian, even lasting into the time when Li Bai had become famous. But after witnessing countless wars among countless alien races, Li Jong finally lost all faith in his master's dream of a great, unified world. In the end, he removed the Green Lantern Ring and died at the side of his adopted son, Li Cong.
Ming Wu and Liu Su listened to Li Cong's tale as though they were hearing some far-fetched fable. But Liu A'dou asked, "Then why are you still in the form of a child?"
"That's because I drank from the Fountain of Immortality," Li Cong said indifferently. The fountain wasn't truly priceless or capable of granting simple eternal life. For a mortal to live forever, there was a cost. For Li Cong, that cost was being trapped with the mind and heart of a child, forever.
"Go on about your father. If he died, why is he back now, harming people? And why did he want to kill Ming Wen?"
"It was about a month ago. I discovered my father's tomb had been robbed. His body was gone. I only recently saw signs of him again, but I didn't expect a killing to already have happened. As for why he targeted Ming Wen, it's because he's a descendant of our Li family."
Li Cong's words were like a thunderbolt. "He's a direct descendant more than 100 generations down the line. Killing them and absorbing their hearts would strengthen his power."
"A Black Lantern, then?"
"I don't know for sure. But that's how it is," Li Cong said seriously, looking at Ming Wu and Liu Su. "According to the family records, you two are siblings."
Of course, the bloodline was diluted to the point of irrelevance. Five hundred years ago, being of the same family didn't matter. Five hundred years later, being joined again was only fate. That Ming Wen and Liu Su met and fell in love was destiny's doing.
"All I hear you talk about is your dad. What about your mom?" Liu A'dou asked curiously. It was normal for this kid to admire Li Jong, but not mentioning Biyue at all seemed strange.
"Right, I had a dream before. A woman named Biyue kept telling me to run, saying something was coming." Liu Su finally spoke of the dream.
Li Cong's face turned strange, as if he didn't believe Liu Su's words. "The dead can't come back to life. But my father found the Fountain of Resurrection and forced my mother back to life. That came with a price. After she revived, she wasn't normal anymore. Other than that scroll painting, I don't even remember what she looked like."
Li Cong always kept the form of a five- or six-year-old, but most of his long life had been spent alone. His mother disappeared, and his father was always away guarding Sector 2814, so Li Cong had lived deep in the forests by himself. Even when he complained about Li Bai carving words into the walls, he still left them there in his father's name. The truth was he had been lonely for far too long, treasuring even the smallest trace left behind by others.
Hearing how pitiful he was, Liu Su's motherly instincts surged. She hugged the porcelain-doll-like boy tightly against her chest.
Ming Wu, however, just stood there, frozen, not knowing what to say. The one who killed his brother turned out to be a dead man? But no matter what, he had to avenge Ming Wen. He needed to know where Li Jong was. "Tell me, where is your father now? He killed my brother, I can't let him go."
"Give it up. Just stay here. This Dragon Mountain still has energy left behind by my father to protect it. He can't get in right now. But if you go outside, you'll definitely be killed," Li Cong warned.
"Li Cong, you're underestimating your father," Liu A'dou said firmly. If the man had truly become a Black Lantern, then Li Jong had already returned. "This place isn't safe."
Black Lanterns were usually reanimated corpses, nearly impossible to destroy, extremely troublesome to deal with. Once Liu A'dou realized their enemy was a Black Lantern, he had already begun making countless plans. But the first priority was securing everyone's safety. This mountain was too close to the academy.
"You three, come with me. We're going somewhere more fitting for a fight." Liu A'dou's tone left no room for argument.
Li Cong looked at the cave he had lived in for over a thousand years. Reluctance flickered in his eyes, but he had to stop his father from slaughtering more people.
A corpse controlled by a Black Lantern carried all the memories and skills of the deceased, but none of their will or soul. They were nothing more than walking corpses obsessed with power. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, plus white and black—9 colors in total. Among them, black was absolute taboo.
The power of the Black Lantern was not only disrespect toward the dead, but also blasphemy against nature itself.
Across the river's surface, a dark figure stood tall and alone. From afar, a small boat drifted closer, carrying a man and a woman—two beings dragged back from death. Lovers from a thousand years ago, now facing a crisis of love and hate.
"Li Jong, I finally get to kill you again!" After a thousand years, love had rotted into hatred. Resurrection carried a cost, and for Biyue, that cost was her kindness. Her revival twisted her. Negative emotions swelled until they drowned her heart, filling her with endless hatred for Li Jong, the one who had brought her back. She despised this unnatural body. This wasn't living—it was just not dying.
After resurrection, Biyue could no longer feel joy for anything beautiful. Her heart was filled with destruction and ruin. The kindness she once had had long since been corroded. The Biyue that once lived was gone. What had come back was something else entirely—not human, but a walking corpse. Whatever she faced, all she felt was disgust. In her world, there were only two emotions left: anger and sorrow. This suffocating existence drove her into endless fury. She wanted revenge. Revenge against Li Jong.