The universe stretched out infinitely, a vast and timeless expanse that defied human comprehension. Endless stars adorned the celestial canvas, their radiant brilliance shimmering like jewels against the velvet darkness. Each one burned with a defiant, eternal light, as if celebrating a triumph known only to the heavens. Their glow rippled through the cosmos, weaving patterns of quiet majesty and mystique. But beneath this serene grandeur lay a tale steeped in treachery and revenge—a story that would challenge the very essence of existence itself.

Moments Earlier

The battlefield was a graveyard of ruin and despair. Torn earth and shattered stone bore silent witness to a titanic struggle. The air was thick with the acrid stench of blood and smoke, a suffocating miasma that clung to every surface. In the midst of the devastation stood a lone figure—a man battered but unbroken, his body drenched in crimson. Each labored breath he took seemed a victory in itself. His once-commanding presence was diminished, yet his piercing eyes still blazed with an indomitable fire. This was Chen Feng, a man of unparalleled power, ambition, and ruthless will.

His voice, hoarse and trembling with fury, cut through the silence like a blade. "Why?" he rasped, his words heavy with the weight of betrayal. His gaze locked onto the figure before him—a younger man whose eyes shone like cold steel and whose lips curved into an unreadable smirk. "Why did you betray me, Zeus? I gave you everything! I raised you when you were nothing but a destitute orphan!"

Zeus remained silent, his expression inscrutable. But before he could reply, a mocking laughter echoed through the ravaged land, sharp and biting. It came from the shadows, where another figure emerged with deliberate steps. His presence was like a storm, brimming with arrogance and malice. As the dim light illuminated his face, his sharp features and twisted smile revealed a man who took pleasure in others' suffering.

"An orphan?" the man sneered, his tone dripping with derision. "Oh, Chen Feng, how naive. Did you truly believe that boy was an orphan?" He chuckled darkly, the sound grating like metal on stone, before stepping closer. His voice grew louder, more cutting, as he reveled in Chen Feng's stunned silence. "You, the great Chen Feng, so meticulous, so cautious. And yet, you never suspected the truth."

The man's words were laced with venom, and his laughter rang out again, mocking and cruel. "Zeus was never an orphan. He was never even a person, not in the way you think. He was a tool—a puppet created and planted to serve a single purpose. A clone, devoid of lineage or destiny, molded to worm his way into your trust. We threw him into your city, knowing you'd take the bait. And now, here we stand."

Chen Feng's face twisted in shock and fury. He had always been a tyrant who trusted no one, a master manipulator who saw betrayal in every shadow. Yet he had been deceived in the most profound way.

The man continued, his voice a poisonous hiss. "You spent your life clawing your way to the heavens, trampling everything in your path. The heavens didn't care at first; they've seen countless fools like you. But then—" his tone turned darker, almost reverent, "—you found it. The Mysterious Pearl. That wretched artifact. That cursed treasure that upended the balance of everything. You were no longer just a tyrant; you became a threat."

Chen Feng's fists clenched, his knuckles white with rage. The heavens themselves had conspired against him, and they had done so through the one he had trusted most.

The man's sneer deepened. "The heavens devised this grand scheme to destroy you. And now, here we are." He unsheathed his sword, its blade pulsating with an unholy light, a weapon forged with divine intent. "Let's end this farce. Witness the fall of Chen Feng, the so-called tyrant who dared to defy the heavens."

As the blade descended, Chen Feng's body trembled, not with fear, but with the raw force of defiance. Suddenly, a surge of unimaginable energy erupted from within him. The Mysterious Pearl, dormant until now, roared to life. Its radiant light tore through the battlefield, dazzling and chaotic, warping reality itself.

The man stumbled back, his confidence shattered. "What is this?!" he screamed, shielding his eyes from the blinding glow.

Chen Feng's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "You wanted the treasure? Then take it."

The light consumed everything. Space and time collapsed into an endless void of swirling colors and infinite darkness. A voice, ancient and thunderous, reverberated through the void—a sound that shook the foundations of existence. "How fortunate you are," it boomed, its tone neither cruel nor kind but unfathomable in its depth. The man's screams were swallowed by the void as his form disintegrated into nothingness.

When the light faded, Chen Feng awoke in a strange, unfamiliar world. His once-mighty frame was diminished, his towering form reduced to that of a young man. His limbs were bound by thick, unyielding ropes, the material infused with an aura that sapped his strength. He struggled, his body weak but his spirit unbroken.

Before him stood a girl, her presence radiant yet formidable. Her beauty was a cold flame, both mesmerizing and terrifying. Her eyes burned with determination, and in her hand, she held a short sword whose blade shimmered with an ethereal light.

"You thought you could defy the heavens, Chen Feng," she said, her voice steady and unyielding. "But the heavens are not so easily conquered."

Chen Feng met her gaze, his expression inscrutable. Though bound and powerless, the spark of defiance in his eyes remained undimmed. Even now, even in the face of annihilation, the will of the tyrant refused to break.

The girl raised her sword, the tension in the air suffocating. "Let us see," she murmured, her voice a whisper of finality, "if i can break you after all."

The girl's grip on her sword faltered once more, her eyes flickering with indecision. Chen Feng, still bound, seized the moment to press his words further, his voice like a hammer striking at the fragile cracks in her resolve.

"You hesitate," he said coldly, his smirk widening. "It's not because you fear me in this weakened state. No, it's because you know that killing me doesn't bring you peace. It doesn't bring you clarity. All it does is chain you further to the will of the heavens. Tell me, girl-are you a servant, or are you a slave?"

Her face tightened in anger, and she raised the sword higher as if to strike, but her movements were hesitant. "Do not twist my purpose, tyrant," she said through gritted teeth. "Your path has left countless dead. You've destroyed empires, toppled clans, and thrown the world into chaos for your ambitions."

"And yet," Chen Feng interrupted, his tone icy, "I remain standing, while the so-called heavens send children like you to do their bidding. If they were truly omnipotent, why not destroy me themselves? Why use you as their sacrificial pawn? Why tether your life to a mission they're too indifferent to complete?"

Her grip tightened further, her knuckles turning white. "I am no pawn!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the strange void around them.

Chen Feng leaned forward slightly, the ropes binding him creaking under his movements. "Then prove it," he challenged, his eyes burning with defiance. "Abandon their lies. Strike me down not because they command it, but because you will it. But I know you won't. Deep down, you already realize the truth-you're not their warrior. You're their leash."

The girl's lips trembled, but her sword remained suspended. The air around them grew heavy, as if even the heavens themselves awaited her next move.

Chen Feng's memories drifted back to his childhood, to a time when his life had been simpler but no less extraordinary. Frozen Midday, with its eternal daylight, was a town of paradoxes. Though the sun never set, the cold was relentless, seeping into the bones of those who lived there. The people had adapted to the strange conditions, their lives structured around the rhythms of trade and survival.

As the son of a martial merchant, Chen Feng's early years were spent learning the intricacies of trade and martial arts. His father, Chen Wu, was a man of ambition, but his dreams were tempered by the responsibilities of family. Despite their modest status, the Chen family held onto remnants of their noble past-a heritage that had once placed them at the pinnacle of the Immortal Flame Empire.

But it was the scroll given by the mysterious old man that changed everything.

Chen Feng's father returned home from that fateful journey with a mixture of awe and fear. The God-Rank Martial Technique, inscribed with symbols that seemed alive, was unlike anything he had ever seen. He hid it carefully, unsure whether to share its existence even with his family.

Yet, as Chen Feng grew older, his

father saw something in him-a spark of potential, a will that burned brighter than the eternal sun of Frozen Midday.

By the time Chen Feng was eight, his father began teaching him the basics of martial cultivation. The scroll was introduced cautiously, its techniques far beyond anything an ordinary human could master. Yet Chen Feng's progress was astonishing. Where others struggled, he thrived, devouring the teachings of the mysterious technique with an almost otherworldly hunger.

The old man's prophecy began to haunt Chen Wu. He had dismissed it at first as the ramblings of a dying stranger, but now, he couldn't ignore the signs. Chen Feng was different-stronger, faster, more cunning than any boy his age should have been. But with this talent came a darkness.

Chen Feng's ambition grew as he aged. At twelve, he bested seasoned warriors. At fifteen, he challenged the leaders of Frozen Midday's martial schools and left them humbled. By eighteen, he had outgrown the small town entirely, setting his sights on the wider world.

The girl's blade trembled as Chen Feng's voice continued to echo in her mind. He had turned the tables, even in his restrained state. The fire in her eyes dimmed for a moment, and doubt crept into her expression.

"Why do you fight me?" Chen Feng asked, his voice softer now, almost conversational. "Because you think it's your duty? Because you think the heavens demand it? Let me ask you this: what have the heavens ever done for you?"

The question hit her like a blow.

She stepped back, her grip loosening on the hilt of her sword.

"I..." she began, but her voice دو faltered.

Chen Feng's smirk returned, but this time, it carried a tinge of sadness. "You don't even know, do you? You've devoted your life to something that has never shown you a shred of mercy or gratitude. And now, they've sent you here to die with me. That's what will happen, you know. If you strike me down, you won't leave this place alive. You'll be discarded like the countless others before you."

Her rage flared, and she raised her sword again, but this time, the hesitation was gone. Her voice rang out, clear and steady. "Enough! If I am a pawn, I will still fulfill my purpose. The heavens may discard me, but I will end you first!"

Chen Feng's smirk deepened. "Then come. Let's see if your conviction can match mine."

As her sword descended, the ropes binding Chen Feng began to burn away, his aura surging as the power of the Mysterious Pearl awakened within him once more.