The transition to the Fourth Heaven was silent. There were no grinding gears or screaming winds. As the Obsidian Palace pierced the veil, the world became a painting of infinite green and gold.
Floating islands of translucent jade hung in a sky of soft lavender. Waterfalls of liquid light fell from the heavens, disappearing into a mist that smelled of jasmine and ancient memories. This was the Jade Heavens, the seat of the "Empress" Ling Xian.
"It's too quiet," Frost-Weaver whispered, her white eyes darting across the serene landscape. "There are no defensive platforms. No God-Slaying Cannons. Only... peace."
"Peace is the deadliest weapon Ling Xian owns," Shen Yuan said. He stood on the edge of the palace balcony, his starlight-hair flowing behind him.
His new Internal Universe pulsed within his chest, a constant reminder of the "Seed" he now carried. He could feel the Fourth Heaven trying to "breathe" with him, trying to sync its heartbeat to his own.
"Master!" Iron-Eye shouted from the courtyard. "Look at the slaves!"
The prisoners they had rescued from the lower mines, now soldiers of the Void, were dropping their weapons. Their eyes were glazed, fixed on the beautiful jade islands. Some began to weep; others started to walk off the edge of the palace, believing they could fly toward the "Paradise" ahead.
"[Void Art: The Shroud of Nihility]!"
Shen Yuan slammed his fist into the floor. A wave of grey energy expanded, wrapping the Obsidian Palace in a layer of absolute sensory deprivation. The soldiers gasped, snapping out of their trances as the beauty of the Jade Heavens was hidden from their sight.
"Hecate, stay with the men," Shen Yuan commanded. "Their souls are too 'mortal' for this place. Weaver, Zither-Soul—you come with me. Your spirits have been tempered by the Void; you can see the rot beneath the jade."
The Emerald Path
The three of them descended toward the largest island, where a palace of white marble and green jade sat nestled in a forest of silver trees. As they landed, the trees began to hum a melody that mirrored Zither-Soul's own flute.
"She's using my own style against me," Zither-Soul hissed, his fingers twitching toward his bone flute. "The frequency of this forest is designed to rewrite one's loyalty."
"Let her try," Shen Yuan said.
They reached the palace gates, which were guarded by two statues of women. As they approached, the statues didn't attack. They wept.
"Shen Yuan..." the statues spoke in unison, their voices sounding exactly like Ling Xian's from ten thousand years ago. "Why have you brought war to the only place that offers you rest? Look at your hands. They are covered in the blood of three heavens. Is this the 'Sovereign' you wanted to be?"
Shen Yuan didn't answer. He walked past them, the marble floor cracking under his every step.
They entered the Great Hall. There, sitting on a simple wooden bench in a garden of white lotuses, was Ling Xian. She wasn't wearing Empress robes. She wore the simple, white dress she had worn when they were young disciples, before the betrayal.
"You're late for tea, Yuan," she said, looking up with a gentle smile. Her eyes were clear, showing no sign of the Outer God's corruption. "I've been waiting ten thousand years to apologize."
"Master, don't listen!" Frost-Weaver cried, raising her bow. "It's a high-level [Heart-Demon Illusion]!"
"It's not an illusion," Shen Yuan said, his voice flat. He stepped closer, stopping only when his shadow touched her white dress. "She is really here. But she isn't Ling Xian."
He reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his violet eyes.
"The real Ling Xian died the moment she let the Outer God in," Shen Yuan whispered. "You are just a beautiful skin draped over a parasite. Where is the Jade Core? I'm not here for tea. I'm here to lobotomize this heaven."
The "Ling Xian" laughed, and for a second, her face flickered—hundreds of screaming faces appeared beneath her skin.
"The Jade Core is me, Yuan," she whispered. "If you kill me, you kill the 'Seed' inside you. We are linked. If I bleed, your new Internal Universe collapses. Do you have the courage to commit suicide just to see me die?"
She leaned in, her breath smelling of decay and honey.
"Or will you sit down, drink your tea, and let us rule the Nine Heavens as King and Queen of the Void?"