In the desolate void of Heaven's Realm, a massive sea of wills coalesced as a nine colored aurora infiltrated the realm.
The fog-like aurora twisted and curved turning into various glistening eyes, each eye held within it a different emotion, melancholy, rage, lust, and so many forms drifted about.
With the boundaries of lightning dissipated, the three great landmarks of heaven's realm shown with an immortal light, the light glittered through the realm filling every dark crevice.
The dark mountain at the center of the realm crackled with lightning as the light illuminated the darkness. Heaven's realm was a collection of three floating islands in the void, separated by a membrane of different powers.
Over the blood plains was a crimson barrier, over the aquatic plateau was a blue barrier, and over the mountain was a lightning and shadow barrier.
But as the immortal light radiated throughout the realm, the barriers dissipated and the islands crashed together.
Originally there was a short distance between the islands where the barriers weren't active that had void like qualities, life would have a hard time sustaining in such areas.
But now the distance disappeared as the islands fused as one. The shadow mountains on the center and the aquatic plateau and blood plains on opposite sides of the mountain.
With the disappearance of the magical barriers, the Aurora entered the immortal mountain. The moment the Aurora entered the immortal light burst out wrapping around heaven's realm.
The dark skies of the islands became illuminated with a golden light, all life in the realm was showered with a golden light.
In the aquatic plains, the pixies danced amidst the golden motes of light. In the blood plains, the blood temple stood silently as it was showered with the immortal light.
On the base of the immortal mountain, the nine-colored aurora condensed together coalescing into a rainbow figure. The faceless rainbow's figure's body swayed like a fog as it coldly stared at the immortal mountain.
The figure extended out a nine colored hand stirring the powers of heavens as it tapped out into the air. Suddenly the immortal light swished and swirled away as if forced to retreat, a gigantic nine-colored palm filled the skies forcing the light to part in half.
The palm grabbed towards the mountain ripping the air in half. With the immortal light forced out, a dark beam of energy shot out darkening the space in front of the palm.
A figure burst from the dark light, panting and gripping its chest. An array of dark eyes and chains wrapped around its body as the figure turned into a dark-haired muscular man. The man looked up at the nondescript faceless figure and instantly went to his knees.
"Sir Foglord!" He said as he cupped his hands respectfully, not daring to look up at the majesty of the nine colored figure.
"Well done, Yunshi." The figure muttered in a distorted voice, any light landing on the figure would instantly curve away as if afraid of him. The only light on his figure was the light he himself generated.
"It was all because of your highness' calculations otherwise I would have failed, Ye Yuyan was quite the adversary," Yunshi said self deprecatingly
"But of course, if it were anyone else and it wouldn't be interesting, his designs rival the dark hand." The figure said through a distorted cackle, its gaze turned toward the horizon shooting the realm and landing on the aquatic plateau.
"Now shall we get started?" The figure laughed as a sea of fog formed out of its body, each bit of mist seethed with the emotive faces of dying men and women.
Nine colors shined throughout the sea suppressing the humans as the fog swished toward the aquatic plateau.
*******************
On the outside of Heaven's Realm, a dark portal ripped open and two golden beams of light shot out it, the two lights zoomed through the sky leaving streaks of golden aura.
The two streaks flew past a massive sprawling city, the city bustled with excitement as various people looked up at the sky. This city was the village Ye Yuyan and Han Yi stayed in since they left the city had grown massively.
At the center of the city, was a massive mansion with sprawling pavilions, throughout the construction was shrubbery and gardens, it looked as though it were the abode of immortals.
Below the mansion atop the hill were various shops lined with people. Gold and precious materials were constantly being exchanged as the bustling of the city quieted toward the lower rung of the area.
Past the new construction, the old houses and previous villagers lived quietly in their corner of the city. Their way of life was preserved as a favor to Su Yan but still, they were shrouded by the power of industry.
The two golden beams shot past the merchants, crashing down into one of the outer gardens near a pavilion. The maids tending to the garden looked toward the pavilion as the golden lights crashed and materialized into two figures.
The first was of a wizened old man in yellow robes, occasionally light would distort around his form as if deflected by something. In his arms were two people, a blue-robed young woman, and a red-robed young man.
The old man dropped the two onto the ground, they plopped onto the ground almost lifeless as their revealed deep burn marks on their chests. The other yellow distortion transformed into a white-gowned feminine figure.
She held in her arms a black-clothed muscular man and a green-clothed child. She dropped them as well revealing deep flame gashes as if a beast of fire had sliced them.
"You, there! Get the Ghost Hands Doctor, now!" Emily commanded in a stern voice to a maid tending to the garden.
The dumbfounded maid moved quickly as she stumbled over her water basin and dashed out of the garden. Emily turned back to look at her Cardinals, a dark flame mark was constantly growing on their chests depleting them of vital forces.
"These flames, they are too vile to be vermillion flames." Emily said as she examined the Black Cardinal's life auras, they were constantly being consumed by the flames making them stronger.
"I once had the pleasure of training with a Vermillion Flame User in the east, and I can say definitely that this flame is similar but far more sinister." Su Yan said to the princess as he carried the two over onto the pavilion setting them down.
Emily seeing this followed suit as she carried the black and green cardinals over. She sat beside the cardinals and Su Yan did the same.
They sat contemplatively and waited until the maid returned running rather awkwardly. Following behind the maid was a dark-haired older man in a raven like shawl. He meandered taking each step one at a time, Emily and Su Yan stood up hastily the moment he approached.
"Senior Ghost Hands!" Emily said as she cupped her hands respectfully to the older gentleman. He accepted her gesture but remained silent, instead, he approached the Cardinals.
The moment he caught sight of them, his eyes perked up as he grew closer to the red-robed cardinal. He grasped at his red clothing and suddenly ripped, revealing a massive flame mark that was constantly growing.
"These flames..." He mumbled lightly as he touched the Red Cardinals' various acupoints. With each tap, a vermillion Qi would shoot out like a geyser releasing a small amount of the flame's power.
"Senior, are you familiar with these flames?" Emily asked curiously with a titled head.
"Yes...these are flames that should no longer exist." He said as he continued to tap the acupoints of the Red Cardinal. The vermillion Qi would shoot out growing in quantity as it condensed into a thin layer of smog.
"BEGONE!" Ghost hands suddenly roared releasing a dark silhouette from behind him. The silhouette roared with him but it was a silent shout. No sound echoed but the air still rippled intensely from the shout.
The vermillion Qi burst out from all of the Cardinals' bodies gathering in the air in the form of a serpent born of vermillion flames. The serpent's blood-red eyes hissed with predator intent before disappearing into nothingness.
Ghost hands diffused the black silhouette behind him as the vermillion Qi faded from the courtyard calming everything.
"That...what was that?!?" Emily said concerningly as she stared at the place where the serpent appeared concerned it would reappear.
"Don't worry your highness I dispelled the demon." Ghost Hands said reassuringly as he turned toward Emily.
"Demon!?!" Emily responded fearfully.
"Yes, that was a demon and a powerful one at that. How you were marked by it, I can only imagine." Ghost Hands said ruefully, in his words was a tacit warning.
"A demon notable enough for you to recognize, who could it be?" Su Yan probed politely as he watched Ghost Hands' expression closely.
Ghost Hands didn't reply instead he stared at Emily and said: " I say, your Highness, have you ever heard of, The Legend of the Boy and the Beast?"