A beat of silence.
Then—
The god laughed, a sound like collapsing stars. "A traveler who wields the power of two Divine Beasts. Who suppresses Primordial energies like swatting flies. Who carries... that within his veins."
He tilted his head. "You are no mere traveler."
Yun Lintian's fingers tightened around his spear. He could feel it now—the god's divine sense probing at his secrets, scraping against the edges of the Beyond Heaven Profound Vein.
The God of Darkness' smile widened. "Ah. I see."
He raised one hand—
And the Eternal Darkness Realm shifted.
Space folded, reality twisted, and suddenly Yun Lintian stood alone with the deity in an endless black throne room. Hei Yue and Aunt Liu were gone.
"Let us speak," the god said, settling onto a throne of solidified void. "Properly."
Yun Lintian remained standing. "About what?"
"As for why you're truly here," the god steepled his fingers, "surely, it's not just a passing visit, is it?"
***
Meanwhile
