The injured Mu Zixin was taken back to his residence,Tiantai Pavilion to recuperate. Situ Xuanye placed him gently in bed and sat beside him. He used his spiritual energy to detect the injury and cure his friend.
"It seems like you haven't recovered from that fight with the rogue demons,"Situ Xuanye spoke to his friend who was breathing with difficulty. The two were great friends; Situ Xuanye being a divine immortal,a rank below Mu Zixin's who was a true inmortal.
Mu Zixin grunted and groaned in agony,a painful sensation gnawing at his chest.
"I'm going into seclusion soon,"the true immortal choked out.
The door slid open as the immortal emperor rushed inside with a worried expression.
"Zixin,how are you feeling? What happened?"
"I'm just a little injured,"Lord Lingyun replied indifferently.
~Present time~
It's been five hundred years since the siege at the immortal realm which left the demon king nothing but a wingless good-for-nothing.
Over several years of recuperation which included consuming rare exilirs and some healing rituals he managed to regain his power and became even more powerful than before. The day he emerged out of seclusion,he looked like someone who had undergone rebirth. Even in his aura he had become more dominant.
A significant number of demons gathered in Huoyan Palace Hall awaiting their supreme ruler who had risen from the ashes.
The man himself, dressed in sumptuous purple robes stepped inside the hall and all fiends knelt and bowed in respect having been graced by his presence. He walked along the hallway with an expressionless face,his regal attire sweeping the floor behind him. Not even once did he glance sideways. It felt as if the ones bowing for him were a mere bunch of insignificant ants, worthless of his attention.
"Rise , darkness! Our Lord returns!"they chanted before rising up.
Tiao Ge turned to face them,a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Welcome back Overlord," Tiao Xueli,one of the two demon generals bowed, genuinely happy to see her brother looking hale and hearty.
"Overlord it's time we besiege that immortal realm and avenge you,"one of the demons spoke up arrogantly and others chanted in agreement.
The demon king snickered in disgust before stretching out his dominant hand (left hand) ,using his energy,he pulled the puny demon towards him and the demon's neck landed on Tiao Ge's palm.
"Who do you think you are to give suggestions without my permission?" he snarled, squeezing the demon's neck unmercifully. With a little more energy,he strangled the demon to death and threw the corpse across the hall. The other demons went down on their knees immediately with their heads hung long,a gesture to pacify their vicious leader. Worse that happened that day was that the demon king went on a killing spree, slaying anyone who dared to offend him just to announce his comeback to the cultivation world and the three realms at large.
------------
After the Guangshan Platform incident, Mu Zixin went into seclusion for almost five hundred years. He had only come out a few weeks ago.
"Lord Lingyun we would like to help you clean the pavilion,"a group of immortal girls stepped forward with shy yet hopeful gazes.
"Okay,"he replied curtly making them squeal excitedly. In the past years,he had always refused their offers to help with chores but today, somehow he agreed . He knew the girls were harmless and wanted nothing but to win his favour.
"Where are you going?" Situ Xuanye chimed in with a bright smile.
"The usual place,"he replied with a tight-lipped smile.
"You rarely leave the pavilion nowadays I almost thought you went back to seclusion,"Situ Xuanye joked,"It's good that you've decided to take a break."
"I was busy taking care of the work I had left pending for the years I spent in seclusion. By the way I should thank you for handling everything for all the years I've not been around,"Mu Zixin said sincerely.
Situ Xuanye chuckled lightly,"No need to thank me. It's my duty too."
Mu Zixin hummed in agreement before excusing himself to leave. Situ Xuanye turned around to watch him walk away.
"Where is he going?" a soft female voice asked.
"His secret spot,"Situ Xuanye replied subtly,his lips curling into a warm smile.
"He's always unreachable. We haven't seen each other for five hundred years but he doesn't seem to care about it,"the female immortal expressed sadly.
Baili Qinglan was from Bright Star Peak,a division within the immortal realm. She was one of the highly cultivated immortals in the realm. She had been betrothed to Lord Lingyun since birth. In her usual elegant self,she proudly held the title of the most beautiful female immortal.
"Miss Baili, if you don't mind you can join me to admire the flowers,"Situ Xuanye suggested.
"Thank you for the invitation but I'd rather go back,"the woman declined politely.
"Sure I understand,"Situ Xuanye said with a forced smile to cover up the stinging feeling of rejection and watched sadly as she walked away without glancing back at him, something he had been yearning for years.
-------------
Mu Zixin was a frequent visitor in the mortal realm. He especially visited Lucky Village where refugees lived. He loved helping them and the villagers adored him so much.
"Immortal Lord, you've finally mastered how to cook mortals' food,"a woman complimented fondly tasting a variety of foods prepared by Lord Lingyun himself.
"Thank you Mrs Xiu," Mu Zixin replied,a ghost of a smile visible on his lips.
------------
"Overlord,Mu Zixin is in the mortal realm,"the demon king's attendant Hei Yin said.
"Where?" the demon king asked with a fierce glare.
"Lucky Village."
"Where did you get the information?"
"An anonymous sender sent us a letter."
"Summon Cang Ming with the soldiers. It could be a trick those worthless immortals designed."
"Yes."
-----------------
Mu Zixin basked in the moonlight with the villagers while barbecuing with a group of mortal girls.
"Immortal Sir, why don't you show your face to us?" one of the girls suddenly suggested and the others joined pleading him with cute facial expressions to unravel his face to them.
Amidst their chants and pleas,Mu Zixin suddenly sensed an incoming danger and a few minutes later he heard cries of help all over the village.
"Lord Lingyun,long time no see,"a raspy voice spoke and every one raised their eyes to the rooftop where the demon king stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Oh no!" Mu Zixin exclaimed. Tiao Ge descended from the roof drawing his sword filled with dark energy aiming at the girls. The girls cried,fear invading them . They huddled together in their frozen states awaiting the demon's king's attack.
'I can't fight with him here. He'll harm the villagers,' Mu Zixin thought and quickly came up with a way to divert the demon king's attention from the girls. He opened his beautiful large wings and fled away not without provoking Tiao Ge to chase after him which the latter did. Mu Zixin lured him away to a nearby desert.
"Today I'll avenge myself; an eye for an eye. If I don't,those little pets of yours at Lucky Village will have a taste of my wrath," the demon king threatened with an evil smirk.
Mu Zixin couldn't escape and put the villagers' lives in danger. If he did the demon king wouldn't hesitate to wipe off the entire village.It was an irreversible blackmail.
"Bring it on," Mu Zixin said summoning his Tiandi Sword.
Tiao Ge made the first move,then the desert was filled with sounds of their swords clashing. The energy filled swords created windstorms around the duel area lifting clouds of dust and sand. The demon king had gotten insanely stronger something which Mu Zixin hadn't expected. The two hefty beings fought aggressively, neither holding back. The demon king, overshadowed by the fervent desire to revenge made deadly attacks, charging at the immortal lord and aiming at his vital organs.
"Whoever captures Lord Lingyun alive will be rewarded handsomely," Tiao Ge announced. The desert was flooded with demon soldiers led by Cang Ming,the demon general. The soldiers surrounded him cornering him. He'd already been outnumbered. Also he had been wounded by the demon king.
If it were the demon king alone,Mu Zixin would have taken him down eventually but now fighting a sea of demon soldiers,he knew he couldn't win against them.
To everyone's surprise,he surrendered not because he was gravely injured but because he knew losing was inevitable and he wanted to end it all even if it meant sacrificing himself. He dropped his sword and fell down on his knees,a gesture of giving in. Hei Yin hunkered down and picked the sword then handed it over to his master. Tiao Ge let his fingers trace the sword,its intricate designs as if it were the most interesting thing on earth. Then without hesitation,he destroyed the sword and let the pieces scatter on the grains of sand.