The God Descends — Xiao Yan's Ascendance
One of the lesser demons suddenly froze mid-step.
Its claw trembled as it slowly lifted a shaking finger toward the heavens. Fear flooded its warped features, stripping away the arrogance that moments ago had driven it forward.
"Sir… look!"
The cry cut through the battlefield.
Disciples, Saints, demons—every gaze lifted skyward.
The heavens had changed.
From the torn clouds above, a radiant light descended, brilliant and overwhelming, spilling through the darkness like dawn breaking through endless night. The lightning that had ravaged the sky moments earlier now seemed to bow before this presence, retreating as if acknowledging something far greater.
A figure emerged from the glow.
Xiao Yan.
No longer suspended helplessly, no longer writhing beneath divine punishment—he descended calmly, enveloped in a pure, godly radiance. Power rolled off him in steady waves, not violent, not chaotic, but absolute. The air itself seemed to bend around his form, unable to resist his presence.
The disciples stared in disbelief.
Whispers rippled through the battlefield, voices trembling with awe and fragile hope—hope that had nearly been crushed moments earlier.
Saint Gil U's eyes widened.
A grin slowly spread across his face, pride and amazement intertwining as he watched the figure descend. For the first time since the demons appeared, certainty flickered in his expression.
Xiao Yan's feet touched the cracked ground lightly.
The impact was gentle, yet the ground beneath him stilled, as if the chaos itself had paused in recognition. Dust settled. Winds quieted. Even the demons hesitated, their movements slowing as unease crept into their ranks.
Xiao Yan lifted his head.
His gaze swept across the battlefield—across fallen Saints struggling to rise, across trembling disciples, across demons whose confidence now wavered. His expression was calm, detached, and commanding.
And his smile—
It was faint, controlled, eerily reminiscent of the Ansha.
"Who are you people?" he asked.
His voice was not loud, yet it carried effortlessly across the battlefield, resonating with an authority that pressed down on every living being. Even the demons flinched, their instincts screaming danger despite their Supreme Commander standing before them.
A ripple of uncertainty spread through the demonic ranks.
The Demon Supreme Commander scowled, his expression tightening as he masked the unease rising within him. His aura flared aggressively, attempting to reassert dominance, though the shift had already occurred.
"Xiao Yan!" he sneered, forcing mockery into his tone. "You've become a god now. Impressive…"
His eyes narrowed.
"But you still cannot stop us this time."
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened instantly.
Recognition flashed through his mind—memories stirred, fragments of something ancient clawing their way to the surface.
"You were there…" he said slowly, voice darkening. "A thousand years ago!"
The Demon Supreme Commander burst into laughter.
The sound was harsh and cutting, slicing through the tense air like a blade. "Hahaha! You don't remember?" he taunted. "I saw how he pushed you down the cliff. Hahahaha!"
The words struck like thunder.
Power surged violently from Xiao Yan's body.
"You knave!!" he roared.
The godly aura around him exploded outward in massive waves, shaking the battlefield. The ground fractured further, debris lifting into the air as divine pressure bore down on everything nearby. Demons staggered, some forced to their knees, their bodies screaming under the weight of his rage.
"Xiao Yan, control your anger!" Saint Lu Qi shouted urgently.
Concern threaded his voice as he struggled to rise, knowing too well what unchecked fury could lead to—even for a god.
For a brief moment, silence hung thick and fragile.
Then—
A heavy, ominous laugh echoed through the air.
The wind howled violently, spiraling upward as dark clouds gathered once more. The sky dimmed, shadows stretching unnaturally across the battlefield, as if something far greater was watching.
This was not the end.
It was the beginning.
The clash between gods and demons had only just begun—and with it, the true test of Xiao Yan's ascended power and the fate of the world itself.