Myth Beyond Heaven

Yun Lintian didn't respond. He carefully lifted Qingxuan into his arms before turning to leave.

"Why leave so soon?" Nian Shi called after him. "Yin is coming. And when he does... even your mother won't be able to stop him alone."

Yun Lintian paused.

Then—

"If you ever touch what's mine again," he said softly, "I'll make sure your death lasts forever."

"Should I be afraid?" Nian Shi chuckled. "You know what? What I always find funny is how childish you are. I don't know if I should compliment you for managing to retain your childish side or believe that you are naive."

Nian Shi snapped his fingers.

Poof!

Long Qingxuan vanished from Yun Lintian's arms.

Yun Lintian's expression froze, his fingers clenching empty air. Slowly, he turned his head toward Nian Shi, his mismatched eyes burning with cold fury.

Nian Shi merely smiled, unfazed.

"So," he said lightly, "what's your decision?"

Yun Lintian calmed down and his mind raced.

In fact, he had considered this before coming here.

If he fought Nian Shi now, the only one who would benefit was Yin.

But if he didn't fight, Nian Shi could still ally with Yin to suppress him.

From the strength Yin had displayed before, Yun Lintian wasn't confident he could defeat him alone.

Moreover, Nian Shi knew that without leverage, Yun Lintian would never hesitate to eliminate him.

A deadlock.

Yun Lintian stared at Nian Shi.

"You've calculated well."

Nian Shi chuckled, his golden eyes gleaming. "I've had all the time in the world to plan everything. Unlike you, constantly running around, never resting."

He leaned back, his smile deepening.

"Time is on my side, no matter what."

Yun Lintian fell silent.

There was no way out—not without risking everything.

The only path forward, for now, was cooperation.

"Fine," Yun Lintian said coldly. "But I have conditions."

Nian Shi gestured lazily. "Name them."

"First," Yun Lintian said, "you stop the Chaos creatures from invading the Primal Chaos."

Nian Shi tilted his head. "I can do that. But I can't guarantee Fan Shen, Ren Yuan, or Yin won't act on their own."

"It doesn't matter," Yun Lintian replied. "As long as there's no major force, I can handle the rest."

Nian Shi nodded. "Agreed."

"Second," Yun Lintian continued, "you help me deal with Ren Yuan and Fan Shen."

Nian Shi smirked. "Naturally, I have no objections."

"Third," Yun Lintian's voice turned harder, "you do not interfere with the timeline I'm going to next."

Nian Shi's smile faded slightly. He studied Yun Lintian for a long moment before sighing.

"I can't guarantee that."

Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed.

"To tell you the truth, I have no control over my other selves in different timelines. They have independent thoughts," Nian Shi explained. "But I can promise this—I won't stop you from going."

Silence.

Then—

Yun Lintian nodded once.

"Then we have an agreement."

Nian Shi's smile returned. "Good."

"Now, you should return Qingxuan to me." Yun Lintian said coldly.

"No," Nian Shi's golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched Yun Lintian's restrained fury. With a casual wave of his hand, he said, "I'll return Long Qingxuan to you when we eliminate Yin. I guarantee she'll be completely unharmed."

He smirked, adding, "Of course, if you can find her in the timeline I sent her to before then, I won't object."

Yun Lintian's fingers twitched, but he did not strike. Now was not the time.

Instead, he met Nian Shi's gaze and said coldly, "Then it's time for you to help me locate Fan Shen and Ren Yuan."

Nian Shi leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Fan Shen is currently jumping through timelines. I can give you approximate temporal coordinates, but I can't guarantee you'll intercept him."

He paused, then continued, "As for Ren Yuan... he's already heading toward the Primal Chaos. Likely planning to attack your territory while you're here."

Yun Lintian's expression darkened.

Aside from Yue Yun and Yun Ling, none of his people could stand against Ren Yuan—especially now that he had absorbed Yin's power.

Nian Shi observed his reaction with mild interest before adding, "As for Yin... I'll do my best to track him. Once I find him, you must come immediately. We eliminate him together."

A long silence stretched between them.

Yun Lintian stared at Nian Shi, weighing his words.

Finally, he gave a single nod. "Agreed."

Without another word, he turned and stepped through space, vanishing from the hall.

Nian Shi watched the empty spot where Yun Lintian had stood, his golden eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"Now then..." he murmured to himself. "Show me what you can do. You better not disappoint me."

***

**

*

The battlefield was a wasteland of shattered stars and broken realms. The corpse of a Primordial God lay sprawled across the void, its divine essence slowly dissipating like mist.

Standing atop the fallen deity was Fan Shen, his black robes fluttering as he absorbed the last remnants of the god's power. His crimson eyes burned with satisfaction as he felt his strength surge.

"Hahaha!" His laughter echoed through the ruined timeline. "Another one falls!"

He clenched his fist, feeling the boundless energy coursing through him. "With this power... Nian Shi will die by my hands soon enough."

At that moment, space rippled beside him.

Fan Shen's smile vanished as he turned sharply—

Nian Shi stood there calmly, his golden eyes observing him with detached amusement.

"You shouldn't be here," Nian Shi said, his voice smooth.

Fan Shen's expression twisted into a sneer. "On the contrary, you came at just the right time."

His aura exploded outward, the power of the God of Mortals surging as he prepared to attack.

But before he could move—

Nian Shi spoke again.

"Yun Lintian is coming for you."

Fan Shen froze.

A beat of silence passed between them.

Then, Fan Shen scoffed. "So what? Let him come. I'll kill him too."

Nian Shi chuckled. "You really think you can?"

Fan Shen's crimson eyes darkened. "I've devoured three Primordial Gods in the past century. My strength has surpassed what it was when I first inherited the God of Mortals' legacy."

Nian Shi studied him for a long moment before sighing. "Arrogance will be your downfall."

Fan Shen's patience snapped. "Enough talk!"

He lunged forward, his palm striking out with enough force to shatter a universe.

Nian Shi didn't dodge.

Instead, he vanished—his form dissolving into golden mist just before Fan Shen's attack could land.

Fan Shen's eyes widened.

"You—!"

Nian Shi's voice echoed from all directions at once. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm merely delivering a warning."

A pause.

"Yun Lintian has already set his sights on you. And unlike me... he won't hesitate to erase you from existence… So… Good luck, I guess?"