A mountain rose from the heart of a vast lake, its slopes wrapped in a faint celestial glow. Even the water beneath it was no longer ordinary. Every ripple carried threads of Primordial Law Energy, as if the lake itself was breathing. Mist drifted across the surface, and within that mist were flickers of seven-colored light that vanished the moment one tried to focus.
This was Eternal Truth Mountain.
It was not merely a place. It was a residence, an anchor point where the laws of the world gathered and settled. And atop it lived Tian Xuanjing, the Eternal Truth Mirror, one of the four Heaven Grade Primordial Law Treasures born during the beginning of creation.
At this moment, above the summit, a gigantic door manifested.
It stood as if it had always existed there, tall enough to pierce the clouds and heavy enough to crush the heavens. Its surface was jade-white and traced with gold veins, carved with ancient patterns that resembled both scriptures and chains. It radiated nobility and holiness, yet within that holiness was a far more terrifying aura.
Death.
The door had destroyed countless powerful beings since time immemorial. It was the gate to Godhood, and the gate was ruthless.
In front of it stood a figure.
He appeared like a man in his twenties, tall and slender, posture straight as if the heavens themselves could not bend him. His features were striking, too beautiful, almost feminine, yet that beauty did not feel delicate. It felt cold, refined, untouchable. His hair fell like ink down his back. His skin was luminous, as if made of moonlight. His eyes were jade-clear, deep enough to swallow the gaze of anyone foolish enough to meet them directly.
His entire body carried the aura of a celestial, the dignity of nobility, and the sharp pressure of an existence that had gazed upon the end of countless eras.
He was Tian Xuanjing.
The giant door trembled. The lake below rumbled, and the air itself groaned as if the world was being forced to hold its breath.
Then a voice came from the door.
"What is Law?"
That single question carried the will of heaven and earth. Space shook. Clouds burst apart. The mountain's glow intensified until the lake reflected a second sky. In the distance, thunder erupted without clouds, countless strikes, as if the heavens were striking the world for daring to listen.
Tian Xuanjing's lips parted.
Before he could answer, space cracked.
A slit appeared in the air like a wound torn open. From within poured red mist carrying a thick scent of blood. The moment it spread, the spiritual energy of the world seemed to rot.
A man stepped out of the mist.
He wore robes soaked in crimson. His skin was the color of dried blood. His eyes were savage and hungry, as if he could devour the world with a glance. He stood barefoot, each step leaving a faint bloody footprint in the air.
He raised his head and laughed softly.
"Jade Law Gate," he rasped. "So this is the Jade Law Gate."
His gaze turned toward Tian Xuanjing, and mockery twisted his lips.
"Tian Xuanjing, did you actually think we would let you pass your Divine Law Tribulation and enter the Divine Law Realm?"
He snorted.
"How arrogant."
As he spoke, a tree grew from nothing.
It erupted out of empty space as if planted in the void itself. In one breath it rose beyond sight, its trunk thick as a mountain ridge. Bark cracked open, and a figure stepped out as if he had been sleeping inside it.
He wore green robes. His long hair was bound with a leaf-crown. The moment he appeared, vitality flooded the air. Grass sprouted from bare stone. The lake's surface bloomed with pale lotus flowers that had no right to exist.
The blood-soaked man narrowed his eyes.
"Green Leaf Saint. How long has it been?" he sneered. "It's surprising even you came to join the fun."
The Green Leaf Saint did not even look at him. From the moment he arrived, his gaze had been locked on Tian Xuanjing and the towering Jade Law Gate behind him.
"Blood Demon," the Green Leaf Saint said calmly, as if speaking of an old stain that never quite washed away. "It has been millions of years since I last saw you. You are still late stage Primordial Law Realm. Don't lose your life here."
Blood Demon laughed, harsh and ugly.
"If not for that old man of Mu Valley, if not for his palm that injured me and stagnated my cultivation, do you think I would still be stuck here?" His voice sharpened with hatred. "I killed him, then I slaughtered every last descendant. But his palm carried everything he had at middle stage Primordial Law Realm. How can I heal quickly?"
The door spoke again.
"What is Law?"
This time, the voice carried more power than before. The sky creaked like a strained bow. The lake exploded with waves, and the mountain groaned as if it would be crushed under invisible pressure.
Space cracked again.
Three figures arrived.
The first was a hunchbacked old woman. Her aura was ice so absolute it felt like time itself was freezing. Her eyes were missing, two dark hollows filled with swirling frost. Her skin was like old snow hardened into stone. Every breath she took turned the air into white mist.
Beside her stood a young woman.
Beautiful, pale, silent.
Her hair was icy white, cascading down her back like frozen silk. Her face was expressionless, flawless like carved jade. Her eyes held an abyssal chill. One glance could freeze the soul of a weaker cultivator until it shattered into dust.
And the third arrival wasn't a person at all.
It was a bell.
Old. Rusted. Covered in handprints that looked burned into the metal by ancient beings. It hovered in midair without sound, yet its presence alone made the laws of the region tremble, as if unwilling to be near it.
A fourth presence drifted in behind them, lazy and casual.
A young man in blue robes lay on a massive gourd as if resting under the sun. He wore a blindfold over his eyes. His posture was relaxed, almost disrespectful to the scale of the moment. The gourd beneath him was painted with a dragon coiled around it, claws gripping the air.
For the first time, Tian Xuanjing's eyes shone brightly, and a complex look crossed his face.
"Ice Mansion Old Lady, Bing Mei," he said, voice calm but heavy. "You old hag, you even brought your True Ice Body."
The hunchbacked old woman threw her head back and laughed, the sound like ice cracking.
"Of course!" she cackled. "If I'm going to battle the Eternal Truth Mirror, I'll use everything I possess. When your owner reached the Divine Law Realm, I wasn't even born yet, yet I'm billions of years old!"
Her laughter echoed against the Jade Law Gate like a curse.
Tian Xuanjing's gaze slid toward the man on the gourd.
"And even Azure Rain Master came." A faint trace of irony touched his lips. "I feel a little honored."
Azure Rain Master merely lifted a hand and waved, a casual greeting as if meeting an old acquaintance in a marketplace.
Tian Xuanjing then looked at the hovering bell. His voice dropped, and the lake went still.
"We are both Heaven Grade Primordial Law Treasures," he said. "World Devouring Eternal Bell. What do you want?"
The bell did not answer.
It rang once.
Dong.
The sound was not loud, yet it carried the weight of ancient will. It rolled through the world like a tide. The water sank as if pressed by an invisible mountain. Far away, clouds split apart and revealed empty black sky.
Tian Xuanjing lifted his gaze.
"Void World Pagoda," he said softly. "Come out."
His eyes sharpened.
"And you too, evil beast."
Flames poured from the sky like rain.
They gathered into a golden crow, a massive beast made entirely of fire. Every flap of its wings spilled burning law into the world, incinerating the meadow around Eternal Truth Mountain until the once beautiful landscape became a sea of flames.
An ancient voice came from within the crow.
"Old mirror. Today we will shatter you into pieces."
It flapped once.
A ball of flame tore through the air, filled with endless law intent and dense Primordial Law Energy. This fire fed on the world's rules. It could burn forever.
Tian Xuanjing raised his hands and formed a seal.
The seal transformed into a phoenix.
He inhaled, then spoke softly, his voice like a calm celestial decree, yet it still shook the heavens.
"Phoenix Cry."
The phoenix shrieked. The sound struck the flame ball like an invisible blade. The fire collapsed, exploding into scattered rain of burning embers that shot in every direction.
Some ancient monsters watched in amusement. Some watched in fear. Some appeared indifferent, as if this battle was only entertainment before eternity resumed.
Then the Jade Law Gate spoke again.
"What is Law?"
This was the third time.
The final time.
The Divine Law Tribulation was special. Once an existence began answering, their senses would lock away and their mind would be consumed by the question. To answer while surrounded by enemies was to step onto a blade.
And if no answer was given by the third call, the gate would disappear. Triggering it again would become nearly impossible.
An ancient aura filled the region.
A voice came from the void, laced with mockery.
"Brother Tian Xuanjing, if you don't answer now, you will never reach the Divine Law Realm in your lifetime."
Space tore open again.
A pagoda emerged, dark and violet, wrapped in ancient runes. Its aura was deep and oppressive, like a pit that swallowed light.
Void World Pagoda.
Tian Xuanjing lifted his head. Anger surged in his jade eyes.
"World Void Pagoda," he said, voice tight. "My master rescued you. He helped you cultivate consciousness. And you dare plot against his revival?"
A strand of sadness slipped through his tone, faint but real.
"You are my sibling. Born from the Primordial Law Energy itself, just as I was."
The pagoda snorted.
"Enough sentiment. Hand over that man's inheritance. With it, we all will have hope to reach the Divine Law Realm."
Tian Xuanjing raised both hands. A seal formed again, but this time the air thickened with lethal clarity.
"Enough talking," he said. "Let's battle."
A few of the old monsters revealed reluctant expressions. They had come to pressure him with numbers, not to pay a true price. But they were all Primordial Law Realm experts who had cultivated for billions of years. Their reluctance faded quickly.
Their auras erupted.
Tian Xuanjing's seal completed. He spoke softly.
"Seven Original Truths. Truth of Self."
He lifted a finger.
"Kill."
A massive lotus bloomed behind him, its petals layered like stacked heavens. He plucked a single petal and flicked it forward.
The petal transformed into a sword.
It was not sharp steel. It was law itself, condensed into a blade.
It shot toward the group.
Blood Demon's face sank. Panic flashed in his eyes. He formed seals rapidly.
"I beseech the Scarlet Saint Shield, stop this sword!"
A massive shield appeared, glowing with crimson light. The instant it manifested, everyone's eyes changed. Even Tian Xuanjing's gaze tightened.
The Scarlet Soul Saint was one of the handful of beings who had truly reached the Divine Law Realm.
But this wasn't real.
It was an imitation.
Bing Mei's True Ice Body narrowed her frosty gaze.
"This cunning old man," she hissed. "He even dares to act as if he can summon divine relics."
The sword pierced through the shield as if it were paper.
Tian Xuanjing snorted.
"You think a mere imitation can stop me?"
The sword accelerated.
Green Leaf Saint moved.
He formed a seal, and a single leaf appeared between his fingers. Its edges were razor-sharp, infused with frenzied sword intent, as if sharpened across countless ages.
He flicked it.
The leaf collided with the lotus sword.
At the same time, the bell hummed. Demonic flags appeared from nothing, carrying ancient aura that crawled across the world like smoke.
"True Demon Flag Formation," an ancient voice echoed from the bell.
A flood poured from Azure Rain Master's gourd, water carrying the pressure of oceans, smashing toward the sword like a collapsing sea.
Three forces struck at once.
The lotus sword shuddered.
Then it collapsed.
Tian Xuanjing's body trembled. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.
Void World Pagoda rose into the sky. Its runes blazed.
"Void Toad Beast," it roared. "Old toad, I've sheltered you for billions of years. Come out and kill him for me!"
A massive toad crawled out from within the pagoda.
Its body was like a moving mountain of flesh and stone. Its eyes were pits of darkness. Its aura shook the region. Early stage Primordial Law Realm, yet carrying a devouring intent that made even ancient monsters instinctively withdraw.
Tian Xuanjing's pupils shrank.
"Pagoda, you dare."
His voice turned colder.
"Back then the Void Toad King tried to break the void. My master used nearly all his power to seal it inside you. And you have been secretly releasing the seal all this time?"
The pagoda laughed.
"Senior brother," it said with bitter venom. "You and I are the only Heaven Grade Primordial Law Treasures that became the master's disciples, that became his treasures. But why did I have to be the one burdened with the sealed beast, knowing if it breaks out it will kill me too?"
Its laughter sharpened.
"Enough talk. Old toad, kill him!"
The toad opened its mouth.
A vortex formed. It was a devouring void that dragged law, energy, and even space toward it. The surrounding ancient monsters stepped back.
Tian Xuanjing calmly stared at the vortex. His expression did not change, but his eyes dimmed slightly.
He sighed.
"Master, we all failed you."
A pagoda fragment appeared in his palms, small, imperfect, yet carrying true authority.
The old monsters' faces changed sharply.
Void World Pagoda roared.
"A fragment of my body? Master actually took a fragment of my true being!"
Tian Xuanjing's voice was quiet.
"Master likely knew what you would become. When you were weakened from sealing the beast, he took a fragment. He prepared for this day."
He pressed both palms forward.
"Seal!"
The fragment pagoda erupted with devouring force and swallowed the vortex. The toad's roar shook the heavens as it was dragged into the seal, flesh twisting like a mountain being crushed into a needle's eye.
At that moment, cold stabbed into Tian Xuanjing's back.
Bing Mei's True Ice Body struck him from behind, hand like carved frost.
"Ice Soul Poison, enter!"
White cracks spread across Tian Xuanjing's aura. She vanished instantly and reappeared beside Bing Mei, her strike clean and practiced.
Tian Xuanjing coughed blood.
His seal trembled.
The toad roared and surged forward, breaking partway out like a nightmare clawing free.
Tian Xuanjing closed his eyes.
"It seems I won't survive this calamity."
He opened them again, and in them was cold resolve.
He looked at Bing Mei.
"Ice hag, your True Ice Body is nothing but a corpse you killed and refined. Today, let her regain her sealed consciousness."
His aura exploded.
"I, Tian Xuanjing, sacrifice all of my lifespan to split my true body into five fragments."
The heavens changed.
Uncontrolled Primordial Law Energy flooded in. The world became chaos. The lake boiled. The mountain shook. The Jade Law Gate's glow wavered.
Tian Xuanjing's human form shattered into mirror-light.
A massive mirror appeared, beautiful, ancient, terrifying.
Then it split.
Five fragments shot outward like divine meteors.
One pierced through Bing Mei's True Ice Body, causing frost to crack and hidden consciousness to tremble. Another smashed into Azure Rain Master's gourd, shattering the dragon-painted shell and ripping away centuries of refinement.
Bing Mei and Azure Rain Master both coughed blood. Their cultivation dropped violently, their foundations trembling.
The fragments vanished into the endless world.
Void World Pagoda's voice roared across the burning sky.
"Is this his end? No. Search all Nine Law Firmaments. His soul is terrifyingly strong. A fragment of his spirit must still exist. We can't let him return, or we will all die."
Far away, a weak mirror fragment escaped like a dying star.
It fled from the Eighth Law Firmament toward the Sixth.
Inside that fragment was a weak soul, only a sliver of Tian Xuanjing. His cultivation had collapsed to the middle stage Law Core Realm. His consciousness flickered as if it could dissipate at any moment.
The Nine Law Firmaments were no longer an option.
If he stayed, they would find him.
So he chose the only place vast enough to hide even from ancient monsters.
A Cauldron World.
There were countless Cauldron Worlds anchored to the True World. By the time his enemies searched through them all, he would have recovered enough to move again.
The fragment drifted like a silent blade through the void.
It entered the territory of the Thundercloud Sect.
It slipped past their arrays and sank into the Cauldron World they controlled.
Then it fell.
It fell through false stars and crafted skies, through layered laws that imitated the True World, until it reached a planet called Blue River.
With his final strength, Tian Xuanjing erected a formation, thin and delicate, yet precise. It hid him beneath the surface of the world like a secret buried in bone.
The mirror fragment dimmed.
The last sliver of his soul fell silent.
And inside that sleeping formation, fate began to turn.