Qianyu was currently resting here in his twilight years.
He had been tortured endlessly across the cycles of reincarnation and driven ruthlessly by the heavenly court, until, old and crippled, he was cast aside like an abandoned chess piece.
A few days later.
Ouyang Shaogong arrived at Zuzhou in the East China Sea.
The scenery was intimately familiar.
"What a nostalgic view... Yet it is a pity the heavens' artificial craftsmanship is so crude," Shaogong sneered coldly under his breath.
Enslaving a noble black dragon for thousands of years and ultimately tossing him a lonely mountain to die in—what a hypocritical, calculated scheme.
Within the deep mountain valleys, the ancient black dragon rested.
Catching a familiar scent drifting on the breeze, the dragon slowly opened his heavy eyelids. When his gaze fell upon the figure of Prince Changqin, profound shock shook his massive form.
"Y-You... How is your soul restored to its complete state?!"
The dragon's sorrowful voice boomed like rolling thunder, yet nothing could mask the frail exhaustion and aging breath behind it.
Death was clearly not far off.
Hearing his old friend's voice, Shaogong flew up before Qianyu. Looking at the colossal dragon head covered in scars and deep gashes, he could not help but sigh softly. "Because I received the divine grace of God. Qianyu... how have you been all these years?"
The dragon's body was riddled with horrific wounds, lingering scars left behind after ancient wars.
Qianyu let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "What good can come from living like a chained dog? But you... the way you stand before me now feels almost alien."
His soul was whole, his spiritual aura locked tight and serene.
He was far more terrifying than the Prince Changqin of antiquity.
Most striking of all were Shaogong's radiant silver eyes—so piercing that even Qianyu's dragon eyes stung just looking at them.
"It is a long story," Shaogong said gently, "but I have come with a way to avenge you. Tell me, do you wish to make the Heavenly Emperor and his so-called immortals pay for what they did?"
"Oh? What is your plan?"
"I shall offer you as a sacred sacrifice to the God of Eternity! Though you cannot fight in your current state, with the power bestowed by God, I will crush the heavens once and for all!"
Qianyu fell silent.
He gazed quietly at his old friend for a long time before asking in a low rumble, "Can you truly defeat them? If there is any risk, I advise you to turn back.
"I am old and my life is at its end. Long ago, you suffered thousands of years of torment because of me.
"Heavenly Emperor Fuxi is terrifying beyond measure. In his madness, he even struck at Empress Nuwa. Do you truly believe you can overthrow him?"
Qianyu did not fear death; he only feared that Shaogong, having finally obtained his freedom, would throw his life away in vain.
Hearing Qianyu's heartfelt concern, Shaogong was deeply moved.
His old friend had lost his former fiery vigor. Once, he had dared to war against the highest heavens; now, broken and dying, his only concern was for Shaogong's safety.
The bond forged in ancient times had never faded.
Shaogong drifted higher until he hovered gently beside Qianyu's head. "Old friend, put your heart at ease... The God of Eternity is a supreme deity far greater than the Primordial God Pangu.
"When you ascend to the Divine Domain of the Eternal God, you must live well—for within the realm of God, life is boundless and eternal!"
Qianyu offered a faint smile, though he remained somewhat resigned.
To him, as long as his friend could live happily, that was enough.
Had he never harbored hatred?
Of course he had.
It was only that he had lacked the strength to resist, driven like a beast of burden until he grew too old and weak to be of any use.
A few days later.
The headquarters of the Eternal God Cult welcomed the arrival of the great black dragon.
When Qianyu beheld the bustling disciples and the boundless divine aura permeating the altar, the lingering doubts in his heart vanished. The supreme god spoken of by his old friend was far more awe-inspiring than anything he could have imagined.
Standing near the altar, Feng Qingxue gazed at the colossal draconic silhouette resting amid the misty clouds, her cherry lips parting in astonishment.
She had never expected the "old friend" Ouyang Shaogong spoke of to be an ancient black dragon.
"Chief Priest!"
"Do not fear," Shaogong instructed the surrounding disciples. "Qianyu is my dearest friend, and this time, he will be our sacred offering to the gods. Spread the word to all halls.
"Three days from now, we hold the grand sacrificial ceremony!"
"Understood!"
While Fuyu hurried across the cultivation world seeking reinforcements, the Eternal God Cult sprang into action.
Offering sacrifices and paying homage to the supreme deity was the most sacred event for every devotee.
In an instant, winds stirred and clouds gathered across both the mortal world and the cultivation realm.
During those three short days, Fuyu had pleaded with over a dozen immortal sects, but only six were willing to dispatch their disciples.
The rest declined, citing their lack of strength. After all, if Tianyong City—the foremost sword sect in the world—had fallen overnight, what could smaller sects possibly do?
Soon, the allied forces of the six sects marched toward Tianyong City.
And at that very moment, the Eternal God Cult initiated the grand sacrifice!
The clear azure sky was suddenly washed in an enchanting tapestry of divine colors.
Radiant beams of rainbow light illuminated every corner of the mortal realm, leaving every living creature spellbound.
In the Heavenly Realm.
The heavenly soldiers and generals stared in utter bewilderment.
An inexplicable dread seized the heart of Heavenly Emperor Fuxi.
Pale with unease, he shouted, "Why has such a celestial anomaly appeared?! Go investigate immediately!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Before long, heavenly immortals traced the anomaly to its origin and rushed back to report.
"Your Majesty! The source originates from the ancient site of the Qingyu Altar—the Eternal God Cult! There were rumors previously that they were gathering followers on a massive scale.
"Now the celestial patterns are in upheaval because they are conducting a grand sacrificial rite to their deity!"
"What are you saying?! Who are they worshipping?!"
"The... the God of Eternity!"
Hearing those words, Fuxi's face turned deathly pale. In a fit of fury, he kicked over the jade table before him.
"What God of Eternity?! When has such a deity ever existed in these Three Realms?! Mobilize the heavenly host at once and obliterate that altar to dust!"
"Understood!"
In an instant, an army of one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers marched out from the heavenly gates, descending majestically toward Tianzhu Mountain.
Yet before they had even crossed halfway, the sky underwent another earth-shattering transformation.
The celestial canopy that all living beings believed to be eternal and unbreakable was effortlessly torn asunder.
Unfolding before their very eyes was an inviolable, boundless Divine Domain.
Towering divine stars, each radiating primordial energy, left the entire world gasping for breath.
The Thirty-Three-Layered Heavenly Pagoda pierced through the cosmos. True dragons, immortal phoenixes, and celestial qilin swam gracefully across the starry expanse, every divine beast emanating an aura capable of rending the heavens and the earth.
The one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers on the march froze in terror, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
In the heavenly palace, Emperor Fuxi collapsed straight onto the floor.
Staring blankly at the breathtaking majesty of the God Realm, he muttered in trembling horror, "What is that... Someone tell me, what in the world is that?!"
Had not this world been created by the Great God Pangu?
Could there truly exist a higher deity beyond the cosmos?
What was he, then? Nothing more than a frog watching the sky from the bottom of a well?
True terror gripped Fuxi's soul.
In the past, he had ruthlessly suppressed all other gods out of jealousy, climbing to the throne of Heavenly Emperor by taking advantage of others' goodwill.
Now, his grand delusion was shattered into dust.
As the divine pillar of light descended onto Tianzhu Mountain, a dragon figure familiar to Fuxi rose into the sky within the radiant glow.
It was Qianyu!
The little water dragon from thousands of years ago—the very trigger Fuxi had used to ensnare Prince Changqin!
Now, that frail, dying dragon expanded continuously within the sacred light beam, ascending into that supreme realm and transforming into a primordial black dragon stretching one hundred thousand miles across the stars!
"ROOOAAAR—!"
A thunderous draconic roar shattered the firmament, proclaiming his glorious rebirth.
Immediately following, a noble goddess descended gracefully from the mysterious Divine Domain.
She wore a flowing rainbow dress and delicate pink embroidered slippers. Her entire body was shrouded in a gentle, ethereal glow that made it impossible for mortal eyes—even Fuxi's—to behold her true countenance.
It was Goddess Yao Yao!
Since leaving her original universe, she had rarely descended to the mortal planes. This time, as she descended to deliver the divine rewards, she took the opportunity to stretch her limbs and sweep away some annoying pests along the way.
The moment Ouyang Shaogong saw the goddess arrive, he bowed low with immense reverence. "Chief Priest Ouyang Shaogong pays homage to the Esteemed Goddess! Your divine presence brings boundless glory to this world!"
"My, what a sweet-talking priest," Yao Yao teased with a light chuckle. "Our Lord God is currently in deep cultivation and has no leisure to descend, so I have come on His behalf. In recognition of your devout service, you are hereby granted:
"Ten thousand years of cultivation base, the rank of Three-Star Divine Envoy, the Soul Seal Tea cultivation technique, and one god-tier divine beast pet."
"Ouyang Shaogong thanks the Lord God for His boundless grace! I shall never forget this benevolence!"
Shaogong cared little for power for its own sake, but he welcomed every ounce of strength to protect what he held dear.
His greatest wish had already been fulfilled—his beloved wife stood safely by his side.
Seeing the deep affection between the couple, the corners of Yao Yao's lips curved into a warm smile. She unfastened a butterfly jade pendant from her waist and tossed it toward Xunfang.
"Treasure this love of yours. May all true lovers under heaven find their way to each other."
Xunfang looked at the floating jade butterfly shimmering before her, almost hesitant to touch it, for the sacred aura it radiated was beyond anything she had ever felt.
———
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