You resigned from your position as the Sect's Chief Elder and began secluded Cultivation in the Myriad Phenomena Garden, honing your spiritual strength.
The Garden remained tranquil and peaceful, seemingly a world away from the continuous warfare raging outside.
On this day, while you were out taking a walk, the Nether Lord found you. He appeared silently as before, seemingly stepping out from the shadows of the Void Realm; everything around him appeared insignificant. He looked at you, his gaze piercing through your facade of composure and reaching deep into your heart.
"It seems you have initially experienced the 'gift' your 'father' left for you." The Nether Lord's voice was flat, yet carried an indifference that saw through everything. "But you seem to fear it, resisting its true nature. This makes you appear... weak."
Alarm bells rang loudly in your heart. You forced yourself to focus and coldly questioned him, "Who are you, and what exactly do you want to do?"
Seeing your resistance, the Nether Lord told you many things. It turned out he was also a Chaos Demon God, specifically the Chaos Demon God who governs death. You were a new life created by the demon god origin he collected; without him, you could not have been born. It was also his arrangement that allowed you to descend into the Immortal Realm. Upon hearing this, your resolve wavered, but you still refused to obey his commands.
The Nether Lord threatened you, stating that if you did not follow his arrangements, he would move against those around you. You were terrified. You thought of your Sect, your friends... and your most respected Senior Brother.
Move against me?
Han Xuanji frowned tightly, slightly unsure of the Nether Lord's strength.
So this guy is that formidable?
Could he be an expert at the Limitless Primordial level?
That shouldn't be possible, or else he would have taken Su Ming away long ago.
Han Xuanji continued watching with skepticism, knowing this was only a simulation, not reality.
But it served as a reminder that the Nether Lord might have been constantly monitoring Su Ming.
Just then, a streak of pure light manifested from the depths of your Sea of Consciousness, gently yet firmly protecting your core spirit. Simultaneously, a calm voice sounded between you and the Nether Lord: "His path must be chosen by him alone."
The figure of your Senior Brother did not appear, but that wisp of pure light and the words undoubtedly represented his intervention.
For the first time, the Nether Lord shifted his gaze from you, looking toward your Senior Brother's direction. He seemed slightly surprised and scrutinizing regarding Han Xuanji's existence and his ability to interfere with his guidance from such a distance. He remained silent for a moment, then looked back at you: "Very well. When you grow tired of this fragile pretense, when you crave the power to truly transcend everything, you will know how to find me."
As his voice faded, his figure dissipated like smoke, as if he had never been there. But the lingering pressure and his words were deeply imprinted in your heart. You stood rooted to the spot, cold sweat soaking your clothes, but the pure light left behind by your Senior Brother acted like a stabilizing force, allowing you to barely maintain a sliver of clarity.
Is that all?
"I knew this guy only dared to incite and wouldn't truly make a move."
Han Xuanji raised an eyebrow.
As long as Su Ming didn't leave the Myriad Phenomena Garden, the Nether Lord would have no way to interfere.
Time slowly flowed by. A millennium later, the Demon Ancestor revived, and the Demon Race's power was overwhelming. In just a hundred years, living beings across the various Immortal Domains suffered terribly. The bells of the Lingxu Heavenly Palace rang continuously, urgently summoning all high-ranking members. This was a time of life and death.
Inside the Heavenly Palace Hall, the atmosphere was heavy as iron. The Old Ancestors looked haggard, their eyes holding undisguised despair. Although you had resigned from your position as Chief Elder, you still appeared at this critical juncture. You looked at these once-familiar faces, feeling the tragic solemnity and determination pervading the entire Sect, and waves churned in your heart.
You learned from your Senior Brother that a Demon Race expert in the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm would strike in the future, and the fall of the Lingxu Immortal Domain was already certain. This was the general trend; even your Senior Brother did not want to participate directly and would, at most, protect a select group of people.
The fate of the Lingxu Immortal Domain seemed sealed. Inside the hall, the Old Ancestors were still fiercely debating strategies and mobilizing every possible ounce of strength. The tragic nobility of standing or falling with the Sect, in your eyes now, seemed heartbreakingly futile.
You silently left the hall, unwilling to participate in the hopeless debate. You walked through the familiar Lingxu Heavenly Palace, watching the sea of clouds churn and the immortal mountains stand majestic. Countless Disciples were still diligently Cultivating or gathering, preparing to defend their home. The hustle and vitality of the past were now shadowed by a sense of impending doom. You knew that all this prosperity would likely turn to scorched earth soon.
The demon god origin within your body was unusually active due to the despair and panic pervading the outside world, mixed with a hint of indescribable joy. This power stemmed from destruction and slaughter. You were about to witness a grand massacre descend, one that included the place you once protected. This realization caused you to feel a deeper rejection and confusion regarding your own existence.
On this day, the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm experts from both the Immortal and Demon sides began fighting. Six figures stood above the firmament, incomparably mighty.
The sky tore open with a massive rift; the mere aftershocks caused everything nearby to collapse. The terrifying scene made you realize your own insignificance, while simultaneously stirring a deep desire for power in your heart. With the help of your Senior Brother, the Lingxu Heavenly Palace managed to safely evacuate most of its strength.
"Sure enough, they still couldn't do it?"
Han Xuanji mused internally.
It seems even the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm cannot stop such a great trend.
But as long as the people remain, there will be a turning point in the future.
You followed your Senior Brother, retreating to a hidden Small World that had been prepared long ago. Looking back, the once gloriously prosperous Lingxu Immortal Domain had been swallowed by endless Devilish Qi. Stars dimmed, mountains and rivers shattered, and familiar sights turned into dust in your memory. A profound sense of loss and emptiness seized you, as the anchor points that had given meaning to your identity as "Su Ming" were vanishing one by one.
You sought out your Senior Brother again, stating your intention to leave and search for the meaning of your existence in this chaotic era.
He did not stop you, merely giving you a deep look, his gaze seeming to penetrate everything about you. "Remember, power has no alignment, only the heart determines destiny. Where you Cultivate is entirely up to your heart."
You left the hidden world, transforming into a solitary figure, aimlessly wandering through the vast Immortal Realm. All you saw was warfare and devastation; all you heard were wails and demonic roars. You thrived in this environment, and without resisting, your cultivation slowly increased.
At this time, the Nether Lord found you again. He stated that he wanted to help you control your power.