"Immortal Fairy Xinyue, do you insist on restraining the treasure and not sharing it among your fellow Immortals?"
In a pitch-black void, where no light could ever penetrate, the ever-present darkness and perennial silence were broken by the words spoken by a man. This man stood in the empty void. He wore a long dark robe that fit his robust figure, and his hair was as black as the void that surrounded him. There was no denying that the man was a fairly handsome existence.
"Just because we show our honesty doesn't give you the right to trample on our dignity."
Another voice followed. This time it came from another man, but this one was far removed from the first one. He was bare-chested, and his long, wild hair fluttered as if being caressed by formless winds. But more shocking was the fact that he wasn't human but a demon. For his skin was the color of ash and his hair as red as blood.
"Though should you relinquish your hold on the treasure and allow us a round of inspection, we will be willing to discuss a sublime remuneration."
A calm voice intoned. This one from another human male wearing a pristine white robe and holding a glowing celestial staff. His long hair and robe radiated a heavenly blessed aura, and his lips held the faintest of smiles. His features were as divine as his fellow human's, but his eyes were closed shut.
"How wonderful indeed! You speak as if I am obliged to listen to your orders. Are you not just apprehensive because of my recent breakthrough?"
The tone dripped with overwhelming ridicule that brought a frown to three men's faces. The owner of the voice was a female of otherworldly beauty. She had long, silky black hair and almond-shaped black eyes. Her countenance was the picture of perfection with soft rosy cheeks and pillowy lips. She wore a golden robe that covered her willowy waist and ample bosom, while her legs below the thighs were bare for all to admire.
Lin Xinyue wore a frown on her face, her sword pointed at the men before her, while her heart thundered in her chest.
They had come so close to losing it all! Thankfully, she had advanced in her cultivation at the very last moment, and her sudden increase in strength had provided enough incentive to stave off any recklessness on the men's part.
Her mind wandered to the time when her son Lin Fei and she had found the treasure. At first they had been confused, but that confusion soon gave way to elation when they found out what the treasure was.
Fragment of the Heavenly Dao!
A fragment of the law and order that stood at the very pinnacle of existence.
With that, the duo had found hope. Hope that finally her son could recover from the cursed blight and start on his path of cultivation.
That is, until these men had found them.
"Don't take our respect for apprehension, Lin Xinyue." The first man spoke with a threatening tone.
Lin Xinyue sneered and pointed her sword at him. "If you aren't afraid, why don't you just face my sword?"
Seeing his face harden at the threat filled her with satisfaction. Even if they spoke of honor and virtue, the truth was it was only her strength that made them wary.
Although the three men were strong, after her breakthrough, Lin Xinyue stood in the same ranks as them. And people at their level were more often than not indecisive. They were afraid of fighting battles that could cause a colossal amount of destruction to their environment. But more than anything, they were afraid of losing their lives.
It's ready, mother!
A voice rang in her head, and her lips stretched into a thin smile.
The duo had known there was no escape from these three men, so they had taken the only route offered to them.
Using a fragment of Heavenly Dao to cure a condition that they didn't even fully understand was a risky process in controlled conditions. Their commitment to carry out the ritual in such an onerous situation spoke of their level of desperation.
Begin. She calmly responded with a thought.
In but a fraction of a second, the trio's expression changed from one of frustration to one full of rage.
"Lin Xinyue, you dare!"
They had all felt the pulse of energy that spread out from within a nebula of stars. Lin Fei had begun the ritual.
"The fragment originally belonged to me, and yet you three are acting shamelessly to snatch it from me." She glared as she swept her gaze from one man to the other.
"And what about you, bitch?!" The demon shouted. "You would let that cripple waste it for himself?"
"Hold your tongue, Mo Nan!" She pointed her sword at the demon. "Speak ill of my son and you will find me worse than a demon!"
"There's no need to speak any further." The staff-wielding man spoke. "She has made her choices. Now it's time for us to make ours."
Just as he finished speaking, he flourished his staff in a sweeping motion. A trail of cosmic dust marked the void before bursting into overwhelming luminosity.
So, this is it, Lin Xinyue thought, watching as the light zoomed in on her figure.
As she firmed her resolve, she grasped the hilt of her sword tighter. The Phoenix Heart Core supplied with a torrent of energy and slashed at the approaching rays of light, each capable of turning a celestial body into dust.
A blazing fire was manifested, growing hot enough to put the stellar bodies to shame. It morphed into the figure of a cosmic bird and let out a clarion cry.
Lin Xinyue's eyes flashed with murder as the blazing Phoenix swept across the void, breaking past the luminous constructs.
The two other men joined the fight. One with a sword, and another with nothing but his bare hands.
It was the clash of titans, mere shock waves of which shook the galaxies. Sparks erupted with the might of bursting stars, and a radiant display of light unfolded.
Far away from this devastating spectacle, Lin Fei was busy securing another piece to his puzzle.
This array formation that spanned across an entire star field had a glowing crystal right in the very center. This crystal was none other than the fragment of Heavenly Dao.
Lin Fei could feel a twinge of worry creep into his heart. Despite having made a breakthrough to a new realm, his mother was barely able to match a single one of those men who had advanced countless years ago. One could only guess the level of strain the battle must be placing on her.
He ground his teeth in anger, making a silent vow to extinguish the lives of those three shameless bastards. But first he would have to escape his current predicament.
As the array reached its completion, he heaved a sigh of relief. As he had no cultivation to speak of, Lin Fei took out a glowing ball no bigger than his palm from his storage ring.
Using the specially curated shoes, he teleported to the very center—the eye of the Array Formation. Placing the ball of light adjacent to the formation, he felt the formation come to life.
In an instant the entire Star Field radiated a heavenly aura. The fight happening afar intensified by another notch. Lin Fei bit down on the creeping anxiety and proceeded to place his hand on the glowing ball of light.
Like a burst of radiation or the explosion of a star, his mind was awash in a kaleidoscope of colors that stretched across infinity. His mind bent, stretched, and contracted all at the same time. He was nowhere and everywhere all at once. And then he could feel it.
The omnipresent will that existed in this non-place. The weight of an existence that dwarfed his comprehension. It called to him. It asked him.
And Lin Fei replied.
Years of resentment were poured into his words as he spoke of his desires. And the voice responded impassively.
Distantly he was aware of a figure that had raised him, taught him, and made him into the man he was today. She was losing. He was losing her.
NO!
He pushed past the blissful contentment that had taken hold of him and extended his will for one final wish. For there was no way in hell he could allow the most precious person to be taken away from him. He would much rather die.
And so, as the void was flooded by the cosmic glow of Heavenly Radiance, Lin Fei's body burst into motes of light.
Lin Xinyue, who stood on her last legs, having exhausted her energies and brought great harm to her existence, felt an absolute will take hold of her. Just before she was about to burst into motes of light, Mo Nan—the demon—roared and slashed at her fading form.
With that, the void returned to its absolute stillness while the three men stood with varying degrees of expression.