The conversation ebbed and flowed, laughter fading into solemn discussion.
The entity's voice turned serious again.
"Tell me, young dragon… how are you progressing with the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture?"
Haotian blinked. "…What do you mean?"
"You are cultivating it, yes?"
A long pause. Haotian frowned. "…Well… not exactly. I do cultivate it, but it's been some time since I practiced its methods directly. Lianhua and I have been focusing on dual cultivation. My realm has already reached Soul Transformation that way."
The entity's calm shattered.
"WHAT?!"
The roar shook the vast realm, reverberating across the infinite sky. Stars flickered, constellations rippled as though trembling at its voice.
Haotian winced, covering his ears. "What's with the yelling?! Are you trying to deafen me?!"
"You—! You mean to tell me you've neglected the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture?!"
"Neglected?!" Haotian shot back, his expression darkening. "I was told it might destroy me if I kept cultivating it!"
"Explain," the entity snapped.
Haotian took a breath, steadying himself, then spoke. "When I cultivated it, my growth surged faster than anyone expected. But the elders—my ancestors—they realized something. I don't just have one core. I have three."
The entity went silent.
Haotian continued, his voice lower. "They feared that if I continued down the Trinity path, the imbalance of three cores would spiral out of control. If I lost balance… the backlash could obliterate me entirely."
He hesitated, his golden eyes flickering with the memory. "There was a time… my mother and I were nearly assassinated. I fought them—barely. In the middle of the battle, my second core forced itself open. Power surged out of me and I cut them down. But afterward…"
He clenched his fist, his voice heavy. "…I was unconscious for seven days."
The vast realm stilled.
The entity, so talkative before, now said nothing. Not a chuckle. Not a tease. Not even a hum.
Only silence.
The weight of it pressed on Haotian's chest, thicker than before.
"…Hey," Haotian finally said, his tone wary. "Why are you quiet now? What does that mean?"
But the vastness remained mute, as though the voice had retreated deep into itself.
Haotian's pulse quickened. Just what did I reveal?
The silence was suffocating. Haotian stood rigid, his fists clenched, his golden-blue eyes scanning the endless skies of his inner world.
Then, at last, the voice returned.
Its tone was low, controlled—but Haotian could feel the anger bubbling beneath each syllable.
"…The Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture. Do you even know what it was created for?"
Haotian blinked, uncertain. "To… cultivate faster? To refine energy more efficiently?"
"Fool!" the voice snapped, the vast skies trembling at its shout. Stars flickered, constellations bending as though cowed by its wrath.
"It was not written to accelerate growth—it was written to stabilize the three cores!"
Haotian's breath caught. "Stabilize…? You mean—"
"Yes!" the voice thundered. "The scripture is the path that allows one to gain absolute control over the triple-core cycle. To bind them together, to synchronize them as one. That is its purpose! That is its genius! Without it, three cores will devour each other. With it, they can harmonize into a power no one beneath heaven could rival!"
The words struck Haotian like lightning. His mind reeled, memories flooding back—his ancestors' warnings, the fear in their eyes, the attack, the eruption of his second core. The seven days of darkness.
He had thought the Trinity Scripture was dangerous because of the three cores. But now—
The voice roared again, anger bleeding into its tone like fire into oil.
"You were young. Of course you faced backlash. You had not reached high enough success with the scripture to control it. That is not failure—that is the proof it was working! If you had continued, if you had endured—by now you would already command the three cores as your slaves, not your masters!"
The skies quaked. The gondola beneath the stone table vibrated, the runes upon it flaring like dragon fire.
Haotian staggered, his hands trembling. His throat tightened, but he forced the words out.
"So… all this time… the thing I abandoned out of fear… was the very thing meant to save me?"
The voice gave no immediate answer. Only its simmering rage filled the void, pressing down on him like the weight of a collapsing heaven.
The realm pulsed with silence after the roar. Haotian sat still, his expression tight, the weight of the revelation pressing heavily against his chest.
Then, at last, the voice sighed. Its tone softened, trembling with something unexpected.
"…Forgive me. I lost my temper. It has been… a long time since I've felt this much."
Haotian exhaled slowly, not trusting his words. He simply sat there, golden eyes lowered, lost in the storm of what he had just heard.
But then, just as the silence deepened—
The voice suddenly perked up, its tone shifting without warning.
"Oh well! Not much worth brewing over, eh?"
Haotian nearly fell backward. "…What kind of mood swing is that?!"
A chuckle echoed across the realm. "You'll get used to me."
The voice steadied, though amusement lingered beneath it.
"Listen, young dragon. From this point forward, you must resume cultivating the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture. Each stage of success you achieve will not only bind your three cores—it will unlock my inheritance to you."
Haotian's gaze snapped upward. "…Inheritance?"
"Yes." The gondola's runes glowed brighter, their golden light pulsing in rhythm with the voice's words.
"With each level, your Eyes of the Universe will evolve—unlocking functions even you have yet to imagine. Your cultivation will not merely advance—it will erupt, breaking past limits that have shackled cultivators since the dawn of this world."
The entity's voice lowered, carrying the weight of prophecy.
"And when your three cores resonate perfectly, when the Trinity Scripture reaches its true height… even immortals will tremble."
Haotian froze. "…Immortals? Cower… before me?"
A laugh rolled across the infinite skies, deep and unshakable.
"Yes, young dragon. If you had cultivated it properly, if your three cores had already harmonized… by now, even immortals would fear to meet your gaze."
Haotian's heart pounded. His fingers trembled as the words sank into him.
Immortals.
The untouchable, eternal beings above all. And this entity claimed… they would fear him.
The vast realm shimmered, waiting for his answer.
Haotian's chest rose and fell sharply, his mind still ringing with the words "Immortals would fear you."
Finally, he steadied himself, his voice cold but trembling at the edges."Who are you… to make such claims? To say even immortals would cower? What kind of being are you?"
The vast expanse stilled. The entity did not answer immediately.
When its voice returned, it was calm. Too calm."You will find out later. Not now."
Haotian's jaw tightened. "Later?!"
"And do not try to force it from your four ancestors." The tone sharpened, a dangerous undercurrent slipping into the words. "If I discover they have told you anything about me… I will find a way to tear myself out of this place, and I will come for them."
Haotian's breath hitched. The hairs on his neck stood on end. That wasn't an empty boast—he could feel the threat, heavy and real, vibrating through the foundations of his sea of consciousness.
But before dread could root too deeply—
The voice suddenly brightened."And when I see them, the first thing I'll do is… hug Yangshen and Jinhai!"
Haotian blinked. "…What?"
The voice chuckled. "Then I'll let Yuying hug me back and pat my head. As for Meiyun—well, she can do whatever she wants with me… hahahaha!"
Haotian's mind shattered into chaos. His jaw slackened, his thoughts imploded."…H–huh?!"
His golden pupils flickered wildly. What did I just hear? Hugging Yangshen and Jinhai? Letting Yuying pat its head? Letting Meiyun… do whatever she wants?!
He gripped his temples. "What in the world are you?!"
The voice only laughed, echoing endlessly across the magnificent, tranquil, omnipotent realm, leaving Haotian no closer to answers—only more tangled in confusion.
Haotian stood frozen, his mind reeling from the entity's bizarre words. He truly didn't know what to say.
The laughter slowly ebbed. The voice seemed to notice his silence.
"…What's wrong?" it asked.
Haotian only stared blankly at the vast skies, his mouth twitching but no words forming.
The voice coughed, almost embarrassed."Ahem. You know… it's been a long time since I last saw them. I just got carried away. Forget it."
The air stilled, and its tone shifted back to seriousness."Anyways—enough of that. Go back and cultivate the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture. Get those three cores to resonate to perfection."
Haotian's golden pupils narrowed, listening closely.
"As things stand," the entity continued, "your cultivation speed has already slowed, yes? It should feel like you cannot progress further."
Haotian nodded. "…That's true."
"It was designed that way," the voice said. "The scripture forces stagnation until your cores resonate. That's how it binds them. By the time they harmonize, your body will naturally ascend into the Nascent Realm. But since you've reached Soul Transformation through dual cultivation… the scripture will no longer raise your realm. It will only refine your cores."
Haotian frowned. "So my progress halts… until the resonance succeeds."
"Correct. But be warned," the voice darkened. "Your meridians are not normal. You have three sets of meridians, intertwined in a complex weave. The other two sets have been dormant far too long. Opening them now will be… painful."
Haotian straightened, his jaw firm. "I can endure pain."
The entity's tone dipped lower, heavier."Not this pain. The kind that will make you wish for death."
Haotian gulped audibly. Silence pressed down on him.
Then the voice abruptly brightened, almost cheerful."Well, you probably won't handle it and will die from the pain anyway."
Haotian faceplanted into the ground. "…"
He groaned, dragging himself upright. "Can you not say things like that so happily?!"
But the entity ignored his protest."Listen carefully. Here's my advice."
Haotian stiffened, his ears sharp.
"When you cultivate the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture again…" A dramatic pause. "…just dual cultivate with your lover."
Haotian collapsed to the floor again. His face burned red as he shot back up. "WHAT are you saying?!"
The entity chuckled deeply, its amusement echoing across the infinite skies."If you're going to die anyway, you might as well die while feeling good and pleasured, no? In the arms of your lover as the world fades. Ahhh… such a sweet moment."
Haotian clawed at his hair, veins bulging. "Are you an ancient entity or just a damned pervert?!"
"Both," the voice snapped without hesitation—then chuckled. "Just kidding. But I am serious about the dual cultivation."
Haotian scowled. "…Why? And be serious this time."
The voice steadied, all humor stripped away."Because dual cultivation will relieve the pain. With her yin and your yang intertwined, your qi will harmonize perfectly. Combined with your Ten Elemental Physique, this will awaken your dormant meridians faster, smoother, and without resistance."
Its words pressed heavy against Haotian's chest."That harmony will shorten your trial, lessen the agony, and greatly increase your chance of success."
Haotian's breath slowed, his fists tightening. "…So dual cultivation… is the key."
The vast realm shimmered, the entity's presence looming over him."Exactly. With her beside you, the storm becomes survivable."
Haotian closed his eyes, the weight of it all sinking in.
The vast realm dissolved.
Haotian gasped, his body jerking upright in the quiet of the residence. Sweat dampened his brow. His golden-blue eyes flickered once before dimming, the Eyes of the Universe closing at last.
Beside him, Lianhua stirred awake, her long hair tumbling across the sheets. She blinked, noticing his tense posture."Haotian…? What happened?"
He hesitated. For a long breath, he considered silence. But the weight of the entity's words pressed on him too heavily.
"…I was pulled into my sea of consciousness," he said finally, his voice low. "But it wasn't mine. It was… vast. Omnipotent. And there was… something there."
Lianhua sat up fully, her delicate face growing serious. "Something?"
Haotian exhaled, then began recounting everything: the strange realm, the laughter, the scolding, the revelations of the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture, the warnings about his three meridians, even the threats.
By the time he finished, Lianhua's eyes were wide in shock."…This entity… it sounds like someone ancient. Beyond ancient. But its behavior…"
Haotian rubbed his temple, his expression twisted. "It said that if I tried to ask the ancestors about it, it would tear open my sealed consciousness and come find them."
Lianhua's lips parted, her voice dropping. "…That's… terrifying."
But Haotian wasn't finished. His face paled as he continued."And then it said… when it saw Ancestor Yangshen and Ancestor Jinhai, the first thing it would do is… hug them."
Lianhua blinked.
"And that Ancestor Yuying should hug it back and pat it on the head."
Her face froze, dark lines forming.
"And as for Ancestor Meiyun… it said… she could do anything she wanted to it."
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Lianhua's face darkened further, black lines running down like ink. She muttered under her breath, "…Was that a threat… or a child seeking attention?"
Haotian groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I don't know anymore."
But then he froze. Slowly, he lifted his head, eyes burning with sudden clarity."…Wait. What am I doing? We need to talk to them. Now."
Lianhua blinked, then nodded sharply. "Agreed."
Both threw on their robes in haste. Haotian's expression was grim, Lianhua's dark with exasperation.
Together, they marched out of the Saint Residence. The sect's disciples bowed as they passed, but neither spared a glance. Their steps echoed across the azure stone path, their destination clear.
The Four Saint Dragons awaited.
The morning mist clung to the mountains of the Azure Dragon Sect as Haotian and Lianhua strode side by side. Their robes were hastily fastened, their steps hard and swift, their expressions carved in grim stone.
Every disciple they passed bowed low, but their eyes lingered after them.
"Why do they look so serious?" one whispered."They just won the Convergence… shouldn't they still be celebrating?" another muttered."I've never seen Senior Brother Haotian's face so dark.""Senior Sister Lianhua too… did something happen last night?"
The whispers trailed behind them like ripples in a pond. But Haotian and Lianhua did not stop, did not even glance aside.
The stone path wound upward, leading toward the towering gates of the Saint Hall—the inner sanctum of the Four Saint Dragons. A place disciples dared not approach lightly.
The guards at the doors straightened in alarm as the pair approached, but Lianhua's aura and Haotian's gaze silenced any protest. The heavy doors opened with a thunderous groan.
Inside, incense curled in the air, the hall vast and suffused with divine presence. At its far end, seated upon dragon-carved thrones, were the Four Saints themselves.
Yangshen, the War Saint, broad-shouldered and fierce-eyed.Yuying, the Cold Saint, her gaze sharp as frost.Jinhai, the Storm Saint, his aura rolling like distant thunder.Meiyun, the Lotus Saint, serene and unreadable, a faint smile on her lips.
Their presence alone pressed against the air, a weight even Haotian and Lianhua felt keenly.
The Saints turned their eyes upon them.
"Haotian. Lianhua," Yangshen rumbled. "Why do you come with such urgency? What has happened?"
Haotian swallowed hard. He glanced at Lianhua, who gave a small nod. Together, they stepped forward.
"Ancestors," Haotian began, his voice steady but heavy. "Something… spoke to me. Within my sea of consciousness. Something vast. Something I do not understand."
The Saints' gazes sharpened instantly.
Haotian recounted everything—its sudden appearance, its knowledge of the Heaven Sundering Trinity Scripture, its warnings about his three cores, its anger, its bizarre humor.
When he reached the part about the threats—about the entity saying it would tear free if the ancestors spoke—Lianhua's expression tightened, but she nodded for him to continue.
Finally, Haotian reached the most damning words. His voice faltered as he forced them out:"…And then it said… when it sees Ancestor Yangshen and Ancestor Jinhai, the first thing it would do was… hug you both."
The Saint Hall froze.
Yangshen blinked.
Jinhai raised a brow.
Haotian's face twitched. "…And that Ancestor Yuying should hug it back and pat it on the head."
Yuying's icy gaze narrowed dangerously.
"And… as for Ancestor Meiyun…" Haotian nearly choked, "…it said you could do anything you wanted to it."
The hall went dead silent.
Lianhua looked ready to melt into the floor from embarrassment. Haotian's face burned crimson as he finished.
The Four Saints stared at them. No one spoke. The incense curled higher, the weight of silence unbearable.
Finally—
A sound broke the stillness.
Yangshen's lips twitched. Then Jinhai coughed. Yuying's frosty expression cracked. Meiyun's smile widened faintly.
And then—
BOOM.
Laughter erupted like thunder shaking the hall.
Yangshen threw his head back, roaring. "That rascal… still dares to say things like that?!"Jinhai's shoulders shook as he chuckled. "After all this time, he hasn't changed."Yuying snorted, but a faint blush touched her cold face. "Pat its head, is it? Hmph… insufferable."Meiyun only closed her eyes, her serene smile deepening. "…Anything I want, hmm? How very like him."
Haotian and Lianhua stood frozen, their jaws slack.
"…You mean—you know what this is?!" Haotian stammered.
The Four Saints only looked at each other, amusement and nostalgia flickering in their immortal gazes.
Yangshen leaned forward, his eyes burning with rare emotion."Yes, Haotian. We know him well."
The Four Saints looked at one another, silent for a long breath. Their immortal gazes softened, and the weight of nostalgia settled over them.
At last, Yangshen broke the silence."…His name… is Alter."
Haotian and Lianhua stiffened.
"A war god," Jinhai continued, his voice like distant thunder. "One who lived through ages drenched in blood. He battled gods. Demon gods. Even the realms themselves."
Yuying's eyes, normally cold, softened with rare reverence."He was… relentless. Tireless. But in the end, after countless eons of war, he wished only for rest."
Meiyun's serene voice drifted like lotus petals."To sleep. To be forgotten. To leave behind his eternal struggle."
Haotian's mind reeled. A war god… inside me?
Yangshen leaned forward, his gaze sharp."He was more than a fighter. Alter guided us. He forged our paths. He helped us shatter the barriers of mortality and step into sainthood."
Jinhai nodded. "It was his hand that carved the techniques we now wield. Divine spear arts, thunderous storm scriptures, the foundations of our legacies."
Yuying added, her tone solemn,"It was Alter who gave the Zhenlong Army its foundation—the non-elemental cultivation method that allowed our soldiers to resist any suppression. He gave us formations that bent heaven and earth. He gave us techniques that could sunder mountains and split rivers."
Meiyun's lips curved faintly."He was the pillar. The hidden hand behind all we became."
Haotian's breath quickened. His fists trembled. "Then… why me? Why is he inside me?"
Yangshen's expression grew grim."He only spent a month in your body, long ago. Just a month—then he went dormant, burying himself within your sea of consciousness. We thought he would never stir again."
Jinhai's eyes narrowed, stormlight flashing within them."…But it seems now… he is awake."
The hall fell silent, the Saints' words pressing like mountains upon Haotian's shoulders.
Alter.A war god who fought heaven, earth, gods, demons, and realms themselves.The one who shaped the Four Saints, who built the Zhenlong Army's foundation.The being who now resided—restless—in Haotian's sea of consciousness.
Haotian could only whisper, his voice hoarse."…Alter…"
The name alone seemed to burn in his chest like a brand.
Lianhua stood silently at Haotian's side, her heart swirling with shock.
Alter… a war god… living inside Haotian all this time?
The grandeur of the revelation shook her, but what unsettled her most were the fragments of memory tugging at her heart.
Her lips parted softly. "…When Haotian was still a baby… he would disappear often."
She could see it clearly—the early days of the Zhenlong household, when the servants would panic. One moment the cradle was full, the next it was empty. The household turned upside down, retainers rushing through every courtyard, searching, calling, fearing disaster.
Then, just as suddenly, Haotian would reappear. Sometimes in a corner of the estate, sometimes in the garden, sometimes perched in impossible places, smiling with innocent eyes as though nothing had happened.
Lianhua frowned. Could that have been… Alter's influence?
As if hearing her thoughts, Yuying chuckled softly."Yes. That was him. Even then, Haotian carried traces of Alter's influence."
Lianhua's eyes widened.
"We placed wards, formations, even complex tracking sigils upon him," Yuying continued. "Yet he slipped through them all as if they were nothing. No one could hold him. No one could keep him in place."
Yangshen let out a low laugh. "It was then we realized—he needed someone to stay by his side at all times. To guard him. To play with him. To keep him tethered."
Yuying's gaze softened as it settled on Lianhua."And so, we chose you. From the very beginning, it was decided that you would grow together. That you would be his shadow, his anchor."
Lianhua's cheeks burned crimson.
Meiyun's serene smile deepened. "In that sense, your bond—the red string of fate tying you both together—was touched by Alter's hand. Even now, after all these years, you remain together. Lovers. Partners."
Yuying chuckled. "So perhaps, you should thank him."
Lianhua lowered her gaze, her face glowing red, while Haotian coughed loudly, flustered."A-ancestors… must you say it like that?"
The Four Saints only smiled knowingly, their immortal eyes gleaming with amusement and blessing.