Western Continent — A Remote Village
At the foot of a towering peak, a small village nestled quietly beneath drifting clouds. The mountain rose so high it seemed to pierce the heavens themselves, its summit hidden in endless mist.
At the very top, an abode sat perched—simple, with a courtyard, large enough for only two or three to live. Inside, a Taoist sat at a wooden desk, brush gliding swiftly across a scroll. His eyes were sharp, yet suddenly they flickered as if he had sensed something. His gaze shifted to the hexagram placed beside him.
The moment he read it, his mouth fell open, and his eyes widened with shock.
For a long breath, he froze.
"What are you doing? What happened?" a soft voice pulled him back. A female Taoist in flowing robes stood before him, watching curiously.
The Taoist forced himself to calm, then handed her the hexagram. "Look for yourself."
She frowned as she accepted it. "To worry you this much… what could it be?"
Yet when her eyes fell upon the hexagram, her expression shifted visibly. Her brows lifted high, and her breath trembled.
"How… how could the destiny and fate of the world shift so drastically?" she whispered.
"I saw it too," the Taoist said gravely. "A moment ago, fate changed so much that the hexagram became cloudy. The disaster we foresaw—though it should have been far in the future—has become vague, unpredictable. I cannot tell when it will strike."
He stood and walked outside with his companion. Together, they gazed into the endless horizon, nothing but waves of clouds drifting before them.
"The fate of this continent has fallen into chaos," he said solemnly. "The future itself has turned cloudy."
The female Taoist's lips tightened, but she placed a hand over the hexagram. "Do not despair. I also saw two bright stars shining amid the chaos. That means hope still remains for this continent. And… it is not as if the disaster will fall tomorrow."
"Even so," she continued in a steady, serious tone, "this disaster must be tied to the Fairy Court."
The wind whistled across the mountain peak, carrying with it the clouds of fate and destiny—toward a future both vague and unpredictable.
Mistveil Town — Song Manor
The night was quiet when Ye Kaishan and Song Yan finally returned from their walk through the bustling streets.
Inside the manor, Song Tao had already dozed off in her favorite chair, hugging her sword close like a cherished child.
Ye Kaishan and Song Yan entered their chamber together. The long day's weight pressed down on them.
"Finally…" Ye Kaishan sighed as he flopped onto the bed without hesitation.
Song Yan chuckled softly and sat beside him, loosening her robe. "Well, it can't be helped. Official matters must be handled—whether we like it or not." She changed into her sleeping clothes with calm familiarity.
"W-wait, wait! I'm still here!" Ye Kaishan stammered, his face turning red. heat rushing up his neck. His heart stumbled in his chest as he struggled to keep his eyes averted,
Song Yan's cheeks flushed as well. She turned her head slightly, her voice firm but embarrassed. "I'm not removing everything. And besides—you're my dao companion. Changing clothes before you shouldn't be a problem. Just turn around."
"Oh… right. I'm your companion." Ye Kaishan nodded quickly, his face flushed, and spun around without another word.
Behind him, the faint rustle of cloth stirred temptation. Should I take a peek? Just a glance… it can't hurt… He turned his head slightly.
Song Yan was bending at the waist, adjusting the ties of her white robe. A sliver of exposed cleavage caught his eye—
She froze. Her brows furrowed as if sensing something, and she turned sharply toward him.
Did I imagine it? He's not looking… she thought, narrowing her eyes.
Ye Kaishan snapped his head forward, relief flooding him as Song Yan turned away. That was too close… her senses are terrifyingly sharp. His palms were damp, and a nervous laugh threatened to escape his throat. Sweat prickling his forehead.
Moments later, Song Yan finished dressing. Her black hair spilled freely down her back, a single wooden hairpin resting against it. Dressed in her simple white sleeping robes,
she carried an elegance that made, His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. The sight of Song Yan in her white dress, hair tumbling like silk over her shoulders, stirred a fire he hadn't expected..
Calm down. Don't get too excited… clear your mind, he told himself.
Song Yan quietly sat beside him on the bed, leaning against the pillow with a book in hand. She opened it calmly, the soft glow of the lantern flickering against her features.
"Did you enjoy the recruitment competition?" she asked, eyes still on the pages.
"Recruitment competition?" Ye Kaishan leaned back as well, resting on the pillow beside her. His expression remained steady. "Well… the outcome was more or less what I expected."
Song Yan glanced at him briefly, then returned to her book. "You're unusually quiet. Do you have something on your mind?"
Ye Kaishan turned his head toward her, his tone calm. "You talked so much about Jiang An. You knew about her talent. So why give her such importance if you never intended to recruit her into the Song family?"
Song Yan slowly closed the book. Her eyes grew firm, her expression serene yet serious.
"Do you know how I died before I was reborn?" she asked softly.
"You fought someone and fell?" Ye Kaishan guessed, recalling fragments he'd heard back in the subspace.
"Yes, I fought," Song Yan said evenly. "But it wasn't against a single opponent—or even a single sect."
Her gaze turned distant, her voice calm yet edged with the weight of memory.
I had already reached almost the pinnacle of this realm… but not quite."
"Almost?" Ye Kaishan frowned.
"Yes. Almost." Song Yan's tone grew solemn.
"I reached the very limit of the Yang Heavenly Treasure I possessed. At the peak of the Soul Emperor Realm, but later I learned there were still three realms beyond it. Breaking through was no longer possible—unless…" She drew in a steadying breath.
"I fought because, no matter the cost, I had to leave this world and ascend to a greater one—the Starry Sky Realm," Song Yan said, her voice carrying the weight of a bitter memory.
"For an instant, her eyes flickered with sadness… then the moment was gone.
Yet Ye Kaishan caught it—the trace of bitter sorrow hidden in her gaze.
She's hiding something, he thought. Something tied to her reason for reaching the Starry Sky Realm.
Song Yan's voice carried on, calm yet weighted with memory.
"I once heard whispers of a Soul Artifact. With it, one could transcend this world entirely. I searched ceaselessly… and in the end, I found it in the Central Continent."
"Her lips pressed into a thin line, her voice carrying both bitterness and calm resolve. 'But on my way to the Central Continent, I was targeted by the Fairy Court. I fought three of their Empresses at once… and in the end, I fell.'"
The bitterness in her voice carried a weight only she could understand.
"They belonged to the Fairy Court… of the Central Continent." Her serene eyes reflected the memory, calm yet unyielding.
"But why would the Fairy Court target you?" Ye Kaishan asked, a frown creasing his brow.
"I don't know why, but anyone who reaches the Soul Emperor Realm must align themselves with the Fairy Court. If not, they can forget about advancing further—the Court will use every means to eliminate those who reject them, whether they are from families, sects, or clans," Song Yan said seriously.
"The three realms beyond the Soul Emperor are too vague. Only a few people have ever reached the first of those realms, and none have ever stepped into the second. No one knows what it is like."
She paused, her expression solemn. "Many sects, clans, and families tried to oppose the Fairy Court, but one by one, they perished. The only ones who survived were the some hidden clan's and demon sects… and their leader."
Her voice lowered, carrying weight. "The Crimson Abyss Sect—with its master,
Jiang An!
One of the very few to surpass the Soul Emperor Realm."
But even if she is strong, there is still no chance against the Fairy Court," Song Yan said, shaking her head. "Its power is unfathomable— for a single Empress."
Her eyes were bright, unwavering and firm. "That is why, for the future, I want to form an alliance of Empresses.
The Ten Empress Alliance: The Heavenly Palace. And the first member of this alliance will be Jiang An,
the Empress of the Blood Moon."
Song Yan's voice was calm, yet her tone carried unshakable conviction.
Ye Kaishan looked at her. Her clear eyes brimmed with determination. A smile curved his lips as his thoughts stirred.
Well, now that I am your Dao companion, the path you walk will ultimately be the path I choose.
"Heavenly Palace, huh?" Ye Kaishan said with a smile. "Not a bad name at all."
"Well then, it's gotten late. We should rest—we have an important day tomorrow," Song Yan said softly, turning to him.
"You're right. It has become late," Ye Kaishan replied, realizing the hour.
With that, the two of them lay down on the bed, facing each other in the quiet of the night.
The star-strewn night slowly faded as dawn approached. Rays of sunlight began to pierce the chilled air, driving back the remnants of darkness and warming the world, little by little.
The first golden beams of morning broke through the retreating night, slipping through the window and falling gently across Ye Kaishan's face.