A thousand years… in the vast rivers of time, such a span was but the passing of a single breath for those who dwelled in the higher realms. Yet for Taiyi, those centuries had been filled not with seclusion or endless battles, but with the quiet guidance of his new disciple.
From the day he had taken Feng Jiu under his wing, he had allowed her a freedom that no other disciple of his had ever tasted. She was allowed to be willful, carefree, even stubborn. Her mistakes were overlooked. Her whims indulged. And though Taiyi never admitted it aloud, he had grown accustomed to her presence, the constant flutter of her phoenix-like laughter echoing through his residence like the melody of spring.
But the four seasons had come and gone… again and again… until a millennium passed like a fleeting moment.
Now, Taiyi found himself alone.
The air in the Ancient Lotus Illusion Realm was suffused with a faint fragrance—subtle, yet laced with the venom of illusionary poison. It was a prison crafted not of steel or walls, but of shifting reality itself, woven by one of the most dangerous demons in existence—the Lotus Illusion Supreme Demon. A realm where the mind could be ensnared, where truth and lie were indistinguishable, where eternity could pass without a single day moving in the outside world.
Here, Taiyi sat cross-legged upon an endless field of pale mist. His breathing was steady, his gaze fixed inward, resisting the dreamlike tendrils that sought to burrow into his heart.
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Far away in the six realms, Feng Jiu's heart pulsed with urgency. For days she had sensed an emptiness where her master's presence should have been. That subtle thread between them—formed after centuries of master-disciple bond—had led her to this forsaken realm.
Her cultivation had grown greatly since their early years. She now stood at the middle levels of the High God Realm, her aura burning like a phoenix sun. Yet despite her power, one thing had not changed—she had not chosen her dao title. Many whispered that at her stage, she should already have left her master's side to begin her own legacy. Others suggested marriage alliances. But to Feng Jiu, such talk was laughable.
"No man in the six realms, the three seas, or the eight deserts is worthy of my hand… apart from Master Song Taiyi," she had once declared, silencing a great banquet hall.
Rumors had spread ever since—tales of forbidden affection, of the phoenix who defied heaven's decrees. Taiyi himself had never acknowledged nor denied them, which only fanned the flames further.
Now, soaring through the shimmering entrance of the Lotus Illusion Realm, Feng Jiu's expression was set with steel.
"Master… you must hold on. Today, I repay what I owe you. After this… you will not see me again. I swear it."
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The mist thickened as she moved deeper. Then, ahead, she saw him—seated calmly on a floating white lotus, snow-white petals drifting down like fragments of moonlight.
Her breath caught. Devil Cleansing Petals! Rare flowers that could strip away demonic influence… yet in this realm, they were also signs of the supreme demon's direct control.
Taiyi's eyes opened slowly. His gaze was cold, distant.
"What are you doing here?" His voice carried no warmth. He did not even turn to face her fully.
"I came to take you out of this place," Feng Jiu replied, her tone poised—neither arrogant nor humble.
"I already told you to leave. I don't need your help."
"I don't care. After this is done, I will leave. You've been pushing me away since that incident five hundred years ago. You chose the Path of Heartlessness, so you cannot have emotional attachments—yet you've already formed love threads. You love me, Taiyi."
Her voice was unwavering, her golden eyes unblinking.
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Taiyi rose from his meditation, his gaze sharp. "I am an ancestral god, much older than your parents. In age, I should be considered your grandfather. You are only holding me back."
Feng Jiu stepped forward. "I am a natural-born Crowned Phoenix, my bloodline tracing back to the First Ancestor. I inherited the Mystic Golden Eyes, the Eyes of Heaven—they see truths and pierce all lies. You've never lied in your entire life, Master, yet you avoid my eyes. Why is that? Because your mouth says one thing, but your heart says another."
Her voice trembled only slightly as she fought to keep her tears from falling.
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"Nothing good can come from this," Taiyi said, his gaze shifting away. "So what if I love you? Do you expect me to abandon everything for love? My best years have passed. My era is long gone. The other eleven ancestral gods are dead. That was my time, and it is over. Jiu'er… give up this obsession."
Before Feng Jiu could respond, a low, mocking voice echoed through the mists.
"I never thought the mighty Taiyi could fall in love. I wonder what would happen… if I captured this woman?"
Feng Jiu's eyes turned sharp as her sword materialized in her hand. "Stupid demon! Who gave you the right to interfere? Keep talking, and I'll cut you into pieces."
In the sky above, the phantom of a colossal sword appeared, radiating such killing intent that the demon's presence withdrew at once.
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She turned back to Taiyi. "Is my feeling for you only an obsession?"
Taiyi stood still. They were now close enough to feel each other's breath. Feng Jiu pressed her head to his chest. "It is said you have no heart… yet what is this that beats so loudly now? When severing emotions, you cannot have love threads, and without them your heart should remain still—like calm water, like Mount Tai itself."
She looked up at him. "Taiyi… is there really no chance for us?"
"There is no chance," he said firmly. "I have no choice. I do not love you—never now, never before, never ever. Leave this place. From this moment on, you and I are no longer related."
The words pierced her like a blade. Blood welled at her lips. She stood frozen, as if struck by lightning.
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"…Since you've decided for me, then so be it." She wiped the blood from her mouth. "Taiyi, in my whole life, I will never love anyone else. You will never rid yourself of me."
Her sword intent exploded, shaking the realm. She rose into the air, and with a single slash, the Lotus Illusion Realm split apart like fragile glass, crumbling into dust.
"Taiyi, I will make you admit you love me," she swore, vanishing into the void.
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Only after she left did Taiyi's figure reappear, silent tears trailing down his face. He gazed in the direction she had gone.
"So this… is my love trial. It has begun sooner than I expected. I must descend to the mortal realm sooner than planned."
His cultivation suddenly plummeted to the peak of the Celestial God Realm. A bitter smile curved his lips, but there was no regret in his eyes.
"You already knew she was your trial, yet you took her as your disciple," came a voice. A young man in black and red robes appeared beside him—Demon Emperor Yang.
"I thought you had left. Do you wish me to escort you?" Taiyi's tone was cold.
"This is only a clone. I wanted to witness your fall with my own eyes. Taiyi… you've dug your own grave. I wonder how you'll climb out?"
"It would have happened sooner or later. This is my destiny. Even after everything, I could not escape fate."
"Fate binds us all. Even kings on the board are pawns to Heaven. Your time is running out—Heaven will be attacked in twenty thousand years. And before I go… that person has already broken through."
Yang's clone dissolved into smoke.
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Taiyi remained still for a long moment.
"…Everything is ready. His early breakthrough changes nothing. As long as I live… Heaven will not fall."
Then, with a faint ripple in the mist, Taiyi's figure vanished from the broken realm.
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