Ren Zu took his first step toward the purple sea, a simple movement that caused the nearest petals to tremble as if an impossible breeze had swept through that static world. The crystalline glow beneath his skin reflected in countless violet hues, each of his steps creating ripples of light across the field of Udumbaras, as though space itself bowed before him.
He took another step. And another.
The absolute silence of that underground dimension grew almost suffocating, yet it did not disturb him. With the [Heavenly Will Crystal Body] active, nothing there could threaten him—neither the devouring aura of the flowers nor the conscious darkness that permeated the air.
But then… he stopped.
His black pupils reflected the vast, hypnotic, endless undulating ocean of violet flowers, where an impossible interruption existed. A point where the light did not behave as it should. Where the petals did not move in the silent rhythm of the others.
Where even the purple mist seemed hesitant.
There, in the perfect center of that lilac sea…
…stood a figure.
She seemed to notice his approach and turned toward him, gazing with a certain curiosity.
Ren Zu froze completely, his eyes meeting a pair that emitted a demonic light.
The girl's face looked as though it had been carved from jade. With its perfection came an immaturity that only a little girl could possess. On her cream-colored face was a beautiful, exquisite nose that tilted slightly upward, and tender, moist lips that were gently closed. Her silver hair embraced her delicate body all the way down to her feet; a large portion of it even lay upon the cold ground. The hair on her forehead danced though there was no wind, making her jade-white skin appear even more beautiful.
Her body was covered in a white radiance, and beneath that radiance it seemed as if she wore no clothes at all. Her pair of delicate white legs were not covered by the white glow and were fully exposed. Her soft, lotus-like feet floated in the air, and each of her snow-white toes shone as if carved from jade.
Aside from her long silver hair, her entire being resembled a perfect sculpture of white jade.
But the strangest thing of all was her eyes…
The upper half of her right eye was pale yellow, while the lower half was a dark green.
As for her left eye, the upper half was pale blue, and the lower half was a deep purple.
A pair of eyes with four different colors.
In medical terms, eyes with multiple colors were known as "sectoral heterochromia." Yet he had never before seen anyone who truly possessed so many colors in their irises.
Even with his mind constantly operating like a perfect machine, he could not prevent the faint surprise that passed through his heart.
Cute…?
The word appeared before he could filter it.
Beautiful… too.
And that was no exaggeration. The small figure before him was, without any doubt, the most ethereal girl he had ever seen since arriving on the Azure Cloud Continent. She seemed like a little immortal who had been lost—or perhaps mistakenly created—by the heavens, a delicate miracle planted in the middle of a dark hell.
The soft glow emanating from her did not repel the Udumbara Flowers… on the contrary, it seemed to make the nearby petals lean toward her, as if they recognized a superior existence. On her jade-white skin, the purple light reflected so harmoniously that it created a surreal contrast, as though the girl were the only "correct" element in a place to which nothing in that world belonged.
Ren Zu narrowed his eyes slightly.
She was the reason he had come here: Ni Jie, daughter of the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor…
The Evil God had been one of the four Creation Gods, direct descendants of the Ancestral God's legacy. Among all existences in the Primal Chaos Realm, none possessed an elemental affinity as vast as his. With his profound strength, he could manipulate the natural elements at will, converting his profound energy into any element, and he perfectly mastered the five basic powers: Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, and Wind. Moreover, he could perfectly control, resist, and absorb the power of Darkness—something only his wife, Jie Yuan, fully understood.
He remembered the story well. The Evil God, then known as Ni Xuan, had fallen in love with the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, the most powerful among the Devil Emperors. At some point they married and had a daughter: Ni Jie.
When the Heaven-Punishing Divine Emperor, Mo E, discovered this forbidden relationship, he could not accept it. He confronted Jie Yuan and, wielding the legendary [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword], tore open the Primal Chaos Wall, banishing the Devil Emperor and her Devil Gods beyond the Primal Chaos Dimension.
Upon realizing that Mo E also intended to kill his daughter, Ni Xuan engaged him in a violent duel. That great battle between Creation Gods shook the entire Primal Chaos Realm to the point that detailed records of it still existed today. As for the reason behind the battle… both ancient and modern records stated that the Evil God challenged Lord Mo E because he was disgusted by his methods and because Mo E's actions were unworthy of his title as a Creation God.
No one knew who had won the battle—not even the other Creation Gods. Probably only the combatants themselves, Lord Mo E and the Evil God, ever knew the outcome. But as someone who had read the "history" of this world, he knew its secrets very well.
In short, the Evil God both won and lost the battle against Lord Mo E.
Although Lord Mo E had been the leader of the four great Creation Gods, he was also the one who died earliest. He passed away before the war between gods and devils truly began. His death was not caused by injury or accident; he simply reached the end of his lifespan. As the Creation God with the greatest divine power, Lord Mo E undoubtedly possessed the greatest vitality of any living being. Yet for some reason, his time ran out sooner than any other god's. Only one thing could explain this: the [Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword]…
However, Lord Mo E had used the ancestral sword only once in his entire life—and that was when he tore open the Primal Chaos Wall and sent the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and her Devil Gods to the world beyond Primal Chaos. Although his vitality was greatly reduced as a result, he still should not have died so soon. It made no sense… unless he had used the Ancestral Sword not once, but twice in a short period of time, burning through his lifespan at an accelerated rate. If that were the case, then it was possible.
It was highly likely that the second time he used the Ancestral Sword was during his battle against the Evil God!
That battle also decided the fate of the Evil God and Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor's daughter. Without doubt, their child would be half-god and half-devil, and Lord Mo E—being so averse to evil and rigidly just—would never allow such a being to exist in this world… especially since they were descendants of a Creation God. That was why he could not afford to lose that battle, no matter what.
Yet the battle did not go as Lord Mo E expected. The original history stated several times that the Evil God might have surpassed Lord Mo E's power, so Mo E probably lost the fight… but he could not accept defeat or its consequences, and so he ultimately decided to use the Ancestral Sword.
The Evil God then… lost, because of the Ancestral Sword's power.
When the two fought, Lord Mo E had only recently used the Ancestral Sword to tear the Primal Chaos Wall.
The consequences of using the Ancestral Sword twice in such quick succession were not as simple as losing double the vitality. That was why Lord Mo E died so early… He must have known all the consequences of his decision, but that was exactly the kind of person he was. He was the highest monarch of the God Race and leader of the Creation Gods. He could not tolerate even a single grain of sand in his eyes… especially when that "sand" offended the pride and accepted boundaries of the God Race.
The offspring of the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was a girl. Having inherited both the Evil God's divine power and the Heaven-Punishing Devil Emperor's darkness devil power, she was born a hybrid—half goddess, half devil—unaccepted by either the God Race or the Devil Race.
From what he knew, although Lord Mo E defeated the Evil God in battle, he understood that the confrontation had been unfair. For that reason, he did not claim the right to completely extinguish the child's existence. Instead, he proposed a compromise: he asked the Evil God to eliminate the "devil" part of his daughter, preserving only the "non-devil" part so that she could remain among the God Race.
Faced with the situation, the Evil God had no choice. The proposal was the only way to ensure his daughter's survival. He destroyed the child's physical body and split her soul into two distinct parts, separating the "devil soul" from the "divine soul." Although reconstructing a complete divine body might seem impossible, such a feat was within the power of a Creation God.
Splitting the soul, however, meant the complete loss of original memories. The divine soul that would be reborn in a new body would become an entirely different existence from what she had originally been. Moreover, Lord Mo E's request contained another restriction: although the divine soul was allowed to live among the gods, no one could ever know she was the daughter of the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor. The Evil God himself was forbidden from ever meeting her again.
After this event, the Evil God entrusted his daughter's divine soul to the god he trusted most, so that he could reconstruct her divine body. The reborn child remained with that god's clan, treated by all as his legitimate daughter. That clan leader devoted himself to giving her absolute protection and the best possible care, because his clan owed the Evil God a great debt and was therefore willing to spend every resource necessary to keep her safe and the secret hidden for all eternity.
Over time, the Evil God himself seemed to sink into disappointment, frustration, and guilt over his daughter's fate. He abandoned his supreme title as the Creation God of the Elements and began calling himself the "Evil God." After that, he isolated himself completely, distancing himself from both the God Race and the god to whom he had entrusted his daughter, never again interfering in any matters related to them. Though the title "Evil God" was deeply respected and admired by all living creatures, his choice undeniably carried a feeling of sorrow…
As for the child's "devil soul," the Evil God was emotionally unable to destroy it. Unable to erase it, he used an unknown method to deceive Lord Mo E's senses and hid it in a secret place he hastily created. He turned that place into a perfect world of darkness to shelter her and populated it with countless creatures of darkness, fearing she would feel lonely…
If he remembered correctly, the Evil God probably visited his daughter in the dark world before he created the Indestructible Blood at the cost of his own life. He deliberately left the [Darkness Seed] with her so that the successor of his divine power could find her, receive her guidance… and make the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor aware of her existence.
When devils and gods were still alive, the Evil God did not dare visit his daughter at the Cloud's End Cliff. When all devils and gods were dead, he finally managed to see her one last time… yet even that fulfilled wish was oppressed by great sorrow.
At that time, the Evil God did not know that his "other" daughter was still alive. He must have died in pain and guilt, believing his "other" daughter was gone…
From what Ren Zu knew of the story, the terrible battle of that era had directly led to the destruction of gods and devils and to the Evil Infant Catastrophe. However, thanks to the efforts of the clan tasked with protecting the girl with the divine soul, she miraculously survived the calamities inside a profound ark imprinted with the power of the [World Piercer]. As for the Devil Soul, it was unaffected by the calamities because it remained hidden in a portable world in the lower realms, surviving until the present day.
The divine soul of the Evil God's daughter had been entrusted to the Spirit Sword Divine Clan, whose renown stretched back to the Era of Gods. The clan's ark was no ordinary vessel: it was a world unto itself, created as a gift from the Evil God to the clan during his time as the Creation God of the Elements. Inside it, her soul could grow in safety, protected by incredible space-travel abilities engraved by the Evil God himself through the [World Piercer].
That ark was none other than the Primordial Profound Ark, currently in the hands of Scum Che. In other words, while the "Devil Soul" stood before his eyes, his enemy already possessed the "Divine Soul"—a perfectly fitting outcome for a villain's role.
But Ren Zu still had plans for "Hong'er."
Her true name was Ling Wanhu, though publicly she was known as the daughter of the clan chief, Ling Zhen. From childhood she was the most pampered child of the Spirit Sword Divine Clan, loved unconditionally by the leader and his wife, with no one suspecting her true origin as the Evil God's daughter.
Fate had decreed that the divine soul be entrusted to the clan, and the clan leader remade Ling Wanhu's body. Because the divine soul was incomplete, he sacrificed part of his own power and soul to allow her to "grow" until she became whole. Thus Ling Wanhu received divine powers and the abilities of a Spirit Sword God, including light energy and the ability to transform into a sword.
Her unique bloodline also preserved the heritage of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, so that even with the devil part separated, her essence still carried traces of the Heaven-Punishing Devil Clan—the race capable of transforming into swords. Thanks to this, Ling Wanhu could assume the form of the [Heaven Punishing Devil Slayer Sword], an unprecedented combination of the Spirit Sword Divine Clan's power and the Heaven Punishing Devil Sword.
The Coffin of Eternity sealed her body and soul, protecting her from devilish poison, while the ark hid her from any world-destroying calamity. The Heaven and Earth Spirit Realm, part of the Primordial Profound Ark, remained missing, displaced in a spatial rift, making it impossible even for the Evil God to locate his daughter without the [World Piercer].
When transformed into a sword, Ling Wanhu possessed unprecedented power: she was simultaneously the Devil Slayer Sword and the Heaven Punishing Devil Sword—something never seen in ancient times. Her future and limits were unpredictable, making her a unique existence capable of rivaling the Creation Gods themselves.
No clan or race knew methods to devour swords and increase their power. The explanation for her extraordinary strength lay in her singular lineage and tragic destiny: as the daughter of the Evil God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, she was the living testament to the union between gods and devils. Thus Ling Wanhu existed on a level equivalent to a Creation God, beyond the comprehension of any ordinary divine spirit.
Who wouldn't want someone with such potential?
With a faint ironic smile behind his mask, he shook his head, dismissed his thoughts, and calmly walked toward the "devil soul" of the Evil God's daughter.
The sea of flowers parted without daring to touch him, the petals bowing in an almost reverential motion.
The violet light subtly reflected off the crystal beneath his skin, creating beams that snaked around his steps, illuminating his face with shifting colors.
The small figure remained there, floating a few centimeters above the flower field, motionless like a sculpture carved by the heavens themselves. Her large multicolored eyes followed him with growing attention; there was no fear in them, only pure, innocent, almost childlike curiosity… yet at the same time profound…
When the distance between them shrank to less than three meters, Ren Zu stopped.
He tilted his head slightly, his expression neutral, but his eyes fixed on hers.
"…Who are you?"
The little girl blinked slowly, the glow in her eyes expanding like four colored rings.
She tilted her head left, then right, as if analyzing the question. Her silver hair followed the motion like a liquid cascade, sliding through the air and across the ground, reflecting the surrounding violet.
The girl's lips parted slightly before gently closing again. Soon they parted and closed once more…
It seemed as though she was trying to say something but could make no sound.
"You… can't speak?" Ren Zu asked calmly.
"…" The girl looked at him silently and nodded.
"Then you understand what I'm saying?" he asked again.
The girl nodded once more, the four-colored glow in her eyes firmly fixed on Ren Zu's masked face.
One of his most impressive abilities was that he could discern a person's intent with a single glance. In this girl's gaze there were many things, but he could understand almost none of them. Yet he understood enough to know she was curious about who he was.
But he was in no hurry to kidnap her and all the flowers in this place…
"Are you a spirit body?" Ren Zu asked, calmly looking at her while thoughtfully resting his hand on his chin.
"…" The girl looked silently, and after some time finally gave a slight nod.
"Have you been here a very long time?" Ren Zu asked.
Just as before, the girl simply nodded slightly.
As for exactly how long she had been there, perhaps even the little girl no longer knew.
"Then…" Ren Zu asked casually, "do you know how to leave this place?"
The girl's lips parted slightly… But she neither nodded nor shook her head. The glow in her eyes finally flickered.
Ren Zu observed that silent hesitation—the first real wavering in the girl's gaze since he had arrived.
He lightly flexed his fingers, his tone remaining soft yet firm:
"If I knew a way out of here…" He leaned slightly forward. "Would you like to leave with me?"
The little girl froze for an instant.
Completely.
As if the question had resonated far too deeply within her existence. As if, throughout the eternity of solitude in that purple sea, no one had ever said anything like that to her. Then her four-colored eyes trembled and lit up in an almost childlike way.
Curiosity.
Expectation.
And an emotion so fragile that, if put into words, it would shatter.
Her head gave a small "yes."
A tiny yes.
Almost shy.
Almost… hopeful.
Ren Zu took a deep breath as he analyzed her reaction. It was difficult to decipher her emotions, but that much he understood clearly: she wanted to leave.
She wanted to see something beyond that eternal abyss. Or at the very least, she wanted to follow him.
It had been easier than he expected, but it made sense—she had probably never left this place. And aside from that sea of flowers, she was completely alone.
To be honest… it was almost pitiful.
"I understand. I have a way to get you out of here, but you'll have to trust me, all right?" he asked gently.
"…" The little girl fell silent again, then nodded, making it clear she would trust him to take her away. She herself did not fully understand why, but she simply felt he was someone she could trust. Being near him gave her a strangely comforting, almost familiar sensation.
"Do you have a name?"
"…" She shook her head.
"…How about I call you Ni Jie?"
The little girl froze the instant the name left Ren Zu's lips.
Her already motionless body became even more still, as though even the surrounding purple mist had lost the right to move. Her large multicolored eyes widened, the four hues shining chaotically, as if the name had struck some hidden place within her—something far too deep to be reached by conscious memory.
Her lower lip trembled.
Her breathing—if it could be called that—faltered.
"…"
Her once clear and pure pupils now shimmered like small lakes rippling beneath a silent storm. An emotion slowly formed in them—slow and fragile, almost painful… and utterly incomprehensible.
Familiarity.
Longing.
Nostalgia.
As though that name… was something she had lost so long ago that she no longer knew it had ever existed. As though it had been buried beneath eras of silence, and Ren Zu had just torn it back to the surface. Tiny droplets formed in the corners of her eyes—not full tears, but a moist gleam that made the four colors even more vivid, like crystals on the verge of breaking.
Ren Zu lightly furrowed his brows. He had not expected that reaction. Much less that intensity…
The little girl touched her own throat with tiny hands, as if something inside her hurt or as if she were trying to remember a sound, an echo, a call she had once known.
"Ni… Jie…" Ren Zu repeated calmly, testing the sound, letting it fall into the space between them like a smooth stone sinking into still water.
The little girl flickered.
Then, after long seconds that seemed to stretch time itself, she slowly lifted her face.
Her rainbow pupils were still moist.
But she nodded.
Slowly, very slowly.
As if each movement carried too much emotional weight for her small ethereal body to bear.
A yes.
A "yes" that said you may call me that.
A "yes" that said this name is mine.
A "yes" that said I don't know why, but… I want it to be.
Ren Zu watched her silently for a few moments.
"…Ni Jie, then." His voice came out low, gentle, firm enough to anchor the name in the air. "From now on, that's what I'll call you."
The girl—now Ni Jie—lowered her eyes for a moment, almost embarrassed by her own reaction, and lightly pressed her fingers against her chest, as if trying to hold that name inside so it would not escape again.
Ni Jie raised her gaze once more, fixing Ren Zu with curiosity more intense than before, now mixed with something new.
Something only he had brought to the surface.
Something she had never felt until that moment.
And Ren Zu, noticing this, simply took one slow, gentle step toward her and extended his hand.
"Come, Ni Jie. Let's leave this place."
Ni Jie raised a delicate little hand, hesitating for an instant before touching Ren Zu's.
The contact was light, almost as if she were testing whether it was real. The crystal beneath his skin reflected the violet glow of the flowers, and her touch seemed to intensify the surrounding energy, causing it to ripple gently.
Her multicolored eyes locked onto his with a mixture of curiosity and fascination. She blinked several times, as if absorbing every detail of that contact she had never imagined possible.
Ren Zu observed the gesture calmly, a faint smile appearing beneath his mask.
"There's no need to be afraid, Ni Jie. I'm here to help you, not to hurt you."
Ni Jie tilted her head, still holding his hand, and her rainbow eyes shone more brightly. An almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips, revealing the restrained excitement she was trying to hide.
Why did he suddenly feel like a creepy uncle offering candy to kidnap a little girl…?
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