The sky, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, displayed a radiant orange hue, accompanied by a multitude of flames that burned with such intensity that they ascended into the atmosphere. In the midst of the chaos, stood a young man with a delicate pale face revealing a beautiful face stained with blood. His pale face was reminiscent of a beautiful sculpture, yet it exuded a chilling quality akin to the frigid embrace of a snow-capped mountain. His two silver eyes, which appeared to glint with a silvery hue in the gloom, regarded the middle-aged man who had collapsed before him with a steady, intent gaze.
The middle-aged man's arms and legs had separated from his body, leaving only his head and torso intact. A pool of blood rapidly expanded, inundating the area and saturating the young man's robes, imparting them a crimson hue reminiscent of a red spider lily flower.
"Li Yue!"
The elderly gentleman vomited a fresh blood-clot from his mouth before continuing his discourse. The old man's two eyes bulged as he stared at the young man's face, which seemed to have no expression at all.
Like a predator looking at its prey, the young man looked at him with an aura of oppression.
"A lowly creature like you! How dare you!"
Without changing his expression, the young man named Li Yue stomped on the head of the man who had been his foster father for 170 years. During that time, Li Yue had patiently served the old man, like a lion patiently waiting behind a bush for its prey. Likewise, Li Yue patiently waited for the time to take revenge.
"I didn't expect a dog to bite its own master."
Li Yue, who heard the old man still had the energy to babble, he put more pressure on the footstool that was kicking the old man's cheek. With both eyes so cold and piercing, the old man fell silent, realising that what he had been carrying all this time was not a watchdog, but a wolf.
Li Yue was so patient with the treatment of his adoptive father, sect leader Li Yuan. Although he and the other children brought in by Li Yuan were tortured all day long, Li Yue was able to hide his hatred for his 'adoptive father'. Such a deep resentment, especially after seeing his friends die at the hands of the old man, made Li Yue like a hungry tiger waiting patiently to pounce on its prey. Just as the sect leader Li Yuan was beginning to put his trust in him, Li Yue stabbed him in the back.
"Don't be sad, Father"
There was an emphasis when Li Yue mentioned the word father.
"I won't just let you die yet, so calm down."
His hand, so cold and pale, stroked the grey hair of sect leader Li Yuan. Meanwhile, the old man shuddered in horror at the thought of what his adopted son would do next.
However, before Li Yue could proceed with his business with sect leader Li Yuan, the Heavenly Palace army had already arrived and discovered Li Yuan's miserable condition.
Without averting his gaze, Li Yue displayed no indications of fear or anxiety. Despite having committed a grave offence that would undoubtedly result in severe repercussions, he exhibited a demeanour that was notably composed. Moreover, he was not a native of Heaven, as Li Yue was ordinary human who had been brought by the sect leader Li Yuan, to undergo a form of training.
In contrast to the other children, who had perished as a consequence of the torture inflicted by sect leader Li Yuan, with the remainder suffering permanent disfigurement, Li Yue was the sole child to survive the punitive training.
"Help me! Please save me from this demon!"
It could be seen that the sect leader Li Yuan was so frightened when he saw the young man with his graceful face, it was like meeting an god of death. Using his remaining strength, the old man crawled towards the Heavenly Emperor's messenger god with only his body, like a crawling caterpillar, as both his arms and legs were gone.
"P-Please save me"
How pitiful that the sect leader Li Yuan had once been admired and respected, yet today these deities could see his condition, which looked more despicable than a beast, a reversed from when he still had his honour.
Seeing the old man's futile attempt, Li Yue only observed him from afar. The young man didn't care, as if his accomplished revenge didn't interest the young man in the slightest.
At least the old man would not die easily, because Li Yue wanted the old man to be kept alive so that he could feel every pain when his bones were crushed and how it felt when his organs were no longer intact. Li Yue himself didn't care whether the palace gods would save the sect leader Li Yuan or not, because in his opinion, even if they decided to help the old man, the sect leader Li Yuan's body wouldn't be able to return to its original state. At the very least, he would be maimed for the rest of his life, or even have to spend the rest of his life in bed.
So even if the old man would survive his death, Li Yue would make sure the old man felt a more painful suffering than death, even if necessary he would make sect leader Li Yuan beg for his death.
"We have come on the orders of the Jade Emperor, who wants to see you."
Hearing the reason why the armies had come to 'pick him up' made Li Yue smile sarcastically.
Indeed, the young man saw that the Jade Emperor did not give him the option to refuse the order. The one Li Yue was dealing with was the commander-in-chief of the imperial army. Li Yue himself was no match for him, considering that Li Yue was only a cultivator with an age of no more than 200 years old.
With a smile that looked innocent, as if he had never tortured the sect leader Li Yuan, the young man gracefully and casually replied,
"Give me some time to sort this out."
The messengers just nodded, not caring what would happen to sect leader Li Yuan.
Feeling that there was no one else who could help him from Li Yue's clutches, the old man, whose face was already disfigured by the young man's many torture wounds, begged Li Yue to kill him.
"A-Yue, I no longer hope to be saved. I just want you to take my life yourself."
With a face covered in a mixture of sweat and blood, the sect leader Li Yuan, who had always had high self-esteem, now showed humility in front of Li Yue. Meanwhile, the young man looked at him with the same cold, expressionless gaze. It seemed as though the old man's suffering was not enough to capturing the young man's attention.
After observing how his prey struggled for the rest of his life, Li Yue came to understand that the old man was about to take his own life by gathering the remnants of his spiritual energy to blow himself up. However, Li Yue was not willing to let this happen. With great speed and precision, the young man pierced the old man's dantian with his sword, allowing the energy he had gathered to be absorbed into the silver-engraved sword that reflected the old man's image, stained with blood.
"I told you, I won't let you die easily"
The young man was able to hang the body of sect leader Li Yuan with the blade of the sword still piercing his dantian with relative ease.
"I will be back soon, father, please wait for me."
After the unfortunate incident involving the demise of sect leader Li Yuan, Li Yuan proceeded to lead the messengers forward, despite the circumstances.
"Take me to the emperor."
***
The celestial realm is comprised of multiple regions, distributed along the four cardinal directions. Each region is inhabited by one of the four primary sects, which serve as the cornerstones of heavenly power and maintain the realm's peace. One of these sect is the Li Yuan sect.
The northern region is inhabited by the Bei Hu sect, where the area consists of tundra plains with snowy mountains towering around them. The Bei Hu area has a much colder temperature than other snowy mountains, to the extent that an ordinary human would be unable to survive there. However, there is a lake that never freezes, despite the region's overall cold climate.
Sect Leader Bei Hu is a deity renowned for his tranquil and detached demeanor. Despite this, he is still regarded with a certain degree of apprehension due to his connection to the Jade Emperor. He is the deity responsible for regulating weather patterns in the human realm.
Sect Leader Bei Hu is regarded as the second most feared deity, after the Celestial Emperor. He is renowned for his formidable swordsmanship, which is said to have the ability to freeze his opponents, thereby impeding their movements.
The western region, Xie Hai region, is comprised of a water-filled area with a collection of floating islands that form a waterfall among the clouds.
The Xie Hai sect is the least powerful of the four major sects, as the majority of its members are mermaids, who are unable to move freely on sky. Despite this, the Xie Hai sect is feared not for its strength, but for its ability to influence the minds of its enemies. This technique can render even gods submissive or insane, depending on the mental barrier they possess.
Sect Leader Xie Hai is a deity who rules the ocean region. He has an unpredictable temperament, which can make him seem like a calm sea that can unknowingly sweep one away. When he is disturbed, he can strike his enemies like waves roaring against a rock.
The eastern region is under the control of the Dong Shulin sect, which encompasses a vast expanse of wilderness overrun by towering trees. The Dong Shulin sect's domain is shrouded in a pervasive cloud of mist.
The Dong Shulin sect is distinguished by its profound expertise in the field of herbalism and botany. Consequently, a considerable number of its members have developed proficiency in the preparation of pharmaceuticals, including both pills and poisons.
Sect leader Dong Shulin was perhaps not as formal as one might have expected. He is so relaxed that he doesn't even bother to dress like a beggar, which has unfortunately made him unpopular with most of the gods who believe that elegance is everything. Furthermore, the Dong Shulin sect is also viewed with some reservations due to the techniques they employ, which are perceived as cunning and deceptive. This is because they utilise poisons and traps, which could be seen as reflecting a reliance on less honourable methods. Nevertheless, the Dong Shulin sect wields considerable influence in the capital, as they offer a range of medicinal and poisonous substances that are beneficial for the cultivation of other gods.
The southern region is the territory occupied by the Li Yuan sect. The Li Yuan region is home to mountains with cherry blossom trees, which can be easily found there. In addition, the Li Yuan sect's territory boasts a number of waterfalls that are connected to each other, forming a clear and sparkling stream with a silvery light that can be seen from a distance.
Sect leader Li Yuan is renowned for his strength, not because his techniques are particularly destructive, but because, of the other four sect leaders, he is respected for his ability to maintain spiritual energy when engaged in long-term battles. It was as if he had limitless spiritual energy.
It is understandable that Li Yue harboured a deep grudge against sect leader Li Yuan, given the sacrifice of the lives of Li Yue's brothers.
Amidst the four regions, KunLun plays a pivotal role in overseeing them. As the heart of the empire, KunLun is equipped with four teleportation gates, facilitating connections between the four regions.
As Li Yue emerged from the teleportation gate, he observed the impressive sky palace with admiration. The majestic structure, adorned with golden ornaments, stood tall before him.
During Li Yue's 170 years of cultivation in the world of the gods, he had never once left the territory of the Li Yuan Sect. He always spent his time in seclusion on Li Yuan Mountain, following the training regimen prescribed to him by the sect leader Li Yuan.
This was the first occasion on which Li Yue had the opportunity to view the wider world, beyond the confines of the Li Yuan Sect mountain.
As Li Yue ascended the steps that reached up to the sky, the young man became aware of the watchful gazes of the other deities.
Gazing at him, one might have thought of a group of hyenas watching Li Yue with a certain degree of caution.
Li Yue ignored the piercing gazes directed at him.
After climbing the stairs, shrouded in cloud mist, Li Yue saluted respectfully. Although he could not see what was in front of him, he realised that he was in the presence of a deity, the leader of the other gods.
"I would like to extend my respectful greetings to His Majesty the Jade Emperor."
Li Yue, who had never had the opportunity to learn etiquette, remained in a kneeling position. He could sense the strength of the man's aura seemed to surpass even that of sect leader Li Yuan, which was just like a child's toy when compared to the aura of the man before him.
'Am I going to die soon?'
Li Yue simply closed his eyes, surrendering himself to fate.
"You can rise to your feet,"
A deep voice, imbued with the charisma of a leader. Li Yue, who was also invited to rise to his feet, could only swallow his saliva, because after all, he was uncertain of what would happen to him later.
When Li Yue looked up to see the Emperor sitting on his seat, their eyes met. The gaze of those two golden eyes seemed to take Li Yue's breath away, as if those two eyes, glowing like the sun, could see into Li Yue's mind.
'Everything will come to an end, but I'll never regret'
Just when Li Yue had accepted her death, fate played a trick on him.
-To be Continue-