After politely finishing the meal — no matter how torturous it was to her refined taste — Qianye Ying'er calmly excused herself, her expression never betraying the slightest discomfort. She quietly rose from her seat and made her way back to the small, simple room that had been prepared for her within this humble house.
The moment she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, the gentle composure she maintained all evening faded away. Sitting down cross-legged on the crude bedding, she exhaled lightly before circulating her profound energy, focusing entirely on healing her heavily wounded body.
Three weeks ago…
It was a memory still fresh in her mind.
After surviving that fall into the Abyss — after crashing down into the unknown — the first thing she did wasn't to heal her injuries.
No.
It was to curse.
To curse Caizhi.
For a full day straight.
Every insult known to man — every foul word in every language she had ever learned — she had unleashed them all without holding back, cursing that little brat until her throat turned hoarse.
Caizhi… that little demon… that little beast… had actually kicked her down here!
Qianye Ying'er swore upon everything — upon her pride, upon her name, upon her bloodline — that if she ever escaped this place, if fate ever allowed her to meet Caizhi again…
She would make that girl kneel.
Beg for mercy.
Cry until there were no tears left.
Unfortunately… reality had been cruel.
The injuries she suffered during the fall — from being torn and ravaged by the endless spatial storms and fractured voids — had left her barely clinging to life. Her profound veins were damaged, her body shredded, and her divine energy unstable.
Originally, she intended to find a secluded place to recover and heal… but without any knowledge of this world, without any idea where she had fallen, without the slightest sense of direction in this unfamiliar Abyss…
All she could do… was endure.
She wandered.
She searched.
She struggled to find even a temporary place to stay.
And the cruelest part of all…
The cultivation she once prided herself on — the power that had made her one of the absolute strongest existences in the entire God Realm — was utterly meaningless here.
Laughable, even.
Here, in this new world…
She was nothing.
The space here… the heavenly laws governing this world… they were far stronger, far more oppressive than anything Qianye Ying'er had ever experienced in the God Realm.
Even worse was the ever-present, swirling gray mist that filled every inch of this land — dense, cold, and suffocating. It clung to her like a living thing, constantly eroding her profound energy bit by bit, making her already difficult recovery even more arduous.
This must be the Abyssal Dust that Chi Wuyao had once mentioned to her.
A unique and terrifying presence native to the Abyss — a place that devoured energy, corrupted power, and made survival for outsiders near impossible.
In her weakened state, wounded and drained, she had stubbornly pushed herself forward, unwilling to succumb, unwilling to kneel.
But in the end… her body betrayed her will.
Without warning, exhaustion overtook her battered form, and before she even realized it, darkness swallowed her consciousness.
When she woke up…
She was already here — in this humble home.
Lying on a crude bed, wrapped in unfamiliar blankets, the faint scent of herbs lingering in the air, she instinctively sprang to alertness.
There was a woman — seemingly in her mid-thirties — who was tending to her quietly. Her appearance was plain, yet her movements were practiced and careful, her gaze filled not with suspicion or fear… but simple kindness.
That woman told her… it was actually her son who had brought Qianye Ying'er back here after finding her unconscious in the wild.
For a terrifying moment, Qianye Ying'er felt as though her heart might stop.
Without hesitation, without shame, she immediately circulated what little profound energy she had left and scanned her own body over and over again — searching for abnormalities, hidden marks, foreign auras — anything that might suggest she had been violated while unconscious.
And perhaps noticing what Qianye Ying'er was doing — or perhaps simply having seen through her long ago — the woman tending to her suddenly smiled faintly and spoke casually.
"Don't worry. My son is a good man. He didn't do anything to you while you were unconscious."
Her voice was warm, lightly amused — like a mother reassuring a skittish child.
And before Qianye Ying'er could even react or say a word in response —
The woman chuckled softly to herself and walked away, leaving behind only her light laughter echoing through the simple house.
It took quite a while for Qianye Ying'er to fully organize her thoughts, her chaotic mind gradually settling as her profound energy continued to circulate smoothly within her recovering body. The worst of her injuries had stabilized, and though far from her peak, she could at least move freely without pain.
Sitting quietly within her room, she slowly raised her slender hand, condensing a mask of profound energy and gently placing it over her face.
Unfortunately, the mask Yun Che had once personally crafted for her back in the Northern Divine Region — a mask that had accompanied her through countless trials — had long since shattered during her catastrophic fall into the Abyss.
Shattered along with almost everything else she had once relied on.
Most of the resources she had prepared within her storage ring — spirit pellets, recovery artifacts, tools, and even spatial talismans — had been mercilessly torn apart by the savagery of the tearing space and cracked voids during her descent.
In the Abyss, even storage rings — creations formed by the delicate balance of space — were fragile things.
Days passed quietly.
And eventually, Qianye Ying'er met the man who had saved her life.
His name… was Dian Xiang.
Naturally, she — once the fearsome and proud Brahma Monarch Goddess — had no choice but to lower her head for the first time in what felt like forever.
In a foreign land, unknown and unfamiliar, stripped of her power, pride alone could not sustain her.
And so, standing before the man who had carried her broken body out of certain death, Qianye Ying'er restrained her arrogance, lowered her flawless head slightly, and offered a respectful bow.
A simple gesture.
But it carried the weight of her true gratitude.
"Thank you… for saving me."
Dian Xiang scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, his expression calm, neither humble nor boastful.
"I was just passing by… it's not a problem," he replied plainly, his voice simple and honest, without the slightest hint of ulterior motives.
True to what his mother had told her…
This man before her — Dian Xiang — was genuinely just a good, honest man.
But even so…
Qianye Ying'er could feel it clearly.
Beneath that straightforward demeanor…
Beneath that calm and honest gaze…
There was something else — a deep, unshakable pride buried within his bones.
It was the kind of pride that came from a man who lived by his own principles — unwavering, unyielding, untouched by the scheming and cruelty of the world she once knew.
A quiet, dignified pride.
After a week of waking from her unconscious state, Qianye Ying'er had come to learn many things about the place she now found herself in — things that were crucial for someone like her, stranded in an unfamiliar world, stripped of all her former resources and power.
She learned that this small, quiet town she now temporarily resided in was not always so humble.
In fact, many years ago, this place had once been one of the major cities within the region — a flourishing and vibrant center of life, trade, and cultivation. But unfortunately, due to a disastrous incident in the past, the city had fallen into decline, losing its former glory and influence. What was once a powerful and respected hub had withered into a remote, struggling settlement, holding on by little more than the pride of its remaining people.
To the south of this town lay another large settlement — a region that, unlike this place, still retained some of its former power and prosperity. But the true heart of this area… was not to the south.
It was to the east.
Far to the east lay a vast and famous city known throughout this region — Qilin Abyss.
A place surrounded by legend.
A place whose name alone carried awe and reverence.
Rumors claimed that a True God of the Qilin Race had once lived there — an ancient, divine existence from an era long past, one whose presence alone had elevated the city into a sacred ground.
Unfortunately… fate had not been kind.
Some years ago, the very place rumored to house the slumbering Qilin God — a place revered by all, feared by many — had suffered an unimaginable catastrophe.
It collapsed.
No one knew the exact details.
But the collapse had been devastating, shaking the entire region, causing the deaths of countless beings, and forever altering the fate of Qilin Abyss.
Since then, the name Qilin Abyss still held weight… but the reverence was now mixed with fear, suspicion, and tragedy.
To Qianye Ying'er, every detail she learned… every fragmented piece of local history… only deepened her understanding of this foreign, unforgiving world.
Of course, with all her questions over the past few days, it was only natural that the people here would begin to ask questions in return — questions about her.
Where she came from. Who she was. How she ended up in such a wretched state.
Faced with this unavoidable curiosity, Qianye Ying'er had no choice but to fabricate a story — one both distant enough to avoid suspicion and vague enough to prevent further digging.
She told them she was the daughter of a legendary Abyssal Knight, one of the many mysterious and powerful figures that roamed the vast Abyss. A name with just enough weight to warrant respect, but not so famous that anyone would question why they hadn't heard of her.
However, when they pressed further — when they asked which Abyssal Knight… who her father was…
Qianye Ying'er could only shake her head with perfect bitterness and sadness in her eyes.
She told them that her mother had passed away when she was still very young, leaving behind nothing but vague stories about her father. Stories that never even mentioned his name.
A father she had never met.
A past she barely knew.
In the end, perhaps moved by the loneliness in her voice, or perhaps simply understanding that the Abyss was a place where many wandered with tragic pasts, the people here eventually stopped pressing her for answers.
And so, day by day, life went on.
Surprisingly — or perhaps laughably — Qianye Ying'er, the former Brahma Monarch Goddess, began to blend into this simple, humble life.
Helping Yixin with housework. Cleaning the courtyard. Even occasionally helping out in the nearby fields or running small errands.
Simple, mundane tasks she would never have spared a thought toward in her previous life.
If the people of the God Realm — those who once knelt before her divine presence, those who once trembled beneath her gaze — were to witness this scene...
To see her — Qianye Ying'er — doing house chores, sweeping floors, ike an ordinary village girl...
Their souls would probably shatter from the sheer disbelief.
As her injuries gradually healed, her strength quietly returning day by day, Qianye Ying'er naturally began to consider leaving this place.
She had no intention of staying here forever.
This peaceful, mundane life… was never meant for someone like her.
Unfortunately… while she wanted to leave, while every part of her instincts told her to set out and explore this new world — reality, as always, was far more complicated.
Because even without deliberately probing, even without actively using her senses, Qianye Ying'er could faintly feel it.
The people in this house… were far from simple.
Far from ordinary.
The woman whom Dian Xiang called "Mother" — Yixin.
At first glance, Yixin appeared to be nothing more than a gentle, kind-hearted village woman, one who spent her days tending to chores and scolding her son with warmth and familiarity.
But Qianye Ying'er was no fool.
Her sharp instincts, honed through countless years of walking atop corpses and betrayal, told her otherwise.
When she focused carefully — when she truly felt beneath the surface — she could sense it.
That woman's cultivation…
Was terrifying.
Though subtly hidden, Qianye Ying'er estimated that Yixin's strength was roughly equivalent to the Squires — the dreadful attendants that accompanied the Abyssal Knight Mo Beichen, the very monsters who left endless terrors for God Realm.
But what chilled her heart even more…
Was not Yixin.
It was Dian Xiang.
The seemingly honest, quiet young man who had saved her life without hesitation.
The man who fetched water, carried things, and tended to his mother without complaint.
He was worse.
Much, much worse.
Because unlike his mother, who at least restrained her aura naturally, Dian Xiang's presence was like a bottomless abyss.
There was nothing unusual about him on the surface. No terrifying pressure. No profound aura leaking carelessly.
But that was exactly what made him dangerous.
To someone like Qianye Ying'er, whose eyes had seen gods and monsters alike — the scariest beings were never those who flaunted their power…
It was those who had it — immeasurable power — yet seemed like they didn't need to show it at all.
Dian Xiang…
Was exactly that kind of person.
The aura that Dian Xiang unconsciously gave off — even without any deliberate intent, even while performing mundane tasks like chopping wood or carrying water — was heavier, deeper, and more suffocating than anything Qianye Ying'er had ever felt.
Even more so than Mo Beichen.
Mo Beichen — the terrifying Abyssal Knight who had once single-handedly forced the entire God Realm to the brink of annihilation, shaking the heavens and earth, leaving behind a trail of blood and despair wherever he stepped.
And yet… this young man named Dian Xiang, living quietly in a remote town at the edge of the Abyss, casually living the life of a simple villager…
The density of his aura — the profound might resting dormant within his body — was even more oppressive than Mo Beichen's.
No, it wasn't just oppressive.
It was beyond comprehension.
If Mo Beichen was already a calamity that none in the God Realm could ever hope to contend against, then Dian Xiang… this seemingly good-natured, honest young man…
Felt like two or three Mo Beichen combined into one.
A terrifying existence casually hidden behind an unremarkable face and simple life.
But what made Qianye Ying'er's heart grow even colder…
Was not just Dian Xiang.
It was that quiet, unassuming old man — Master Chen — the elder whom Dian Xiang had casually introduced as his master in the profound way.
Master Chen rarely spoke.
He rarely moved.
Most of the time, he simply sat there, sipping tea, occasionally glancing over at the younger generation with a calm, indifferent gaze.
But that was exactly what made him frightening.
Because if Dian Xiang was already a monster whose existence eclipsed Mo Beichen…
Then this old man — Master Chen — was something else entirely.
If Mo Beichen was terror incarnate…
And Dian Xiang was two or three Mo Beichen stacked together…
Then Master Chen…
Was many times beyond even that.
Not a calamity.
Not a monster.
But a living abyss in human form.
A being so ancient, so unfathomable, so absurdly powerful… that Qianye Ying'er could not even begin to estimate his limits.
The thought sent an involuntary chill down her spine.
The God Realm… the world she once ruled from the heights of divinity…
Compared to these people…
Was laughably small.
But of course…
How could terror or horror ever blanket over someone like her?
She was Qianye Ying'er.
The once unmatched Brahma Monarch Goddess, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor who once stood at the absolute pinnacle of the God Realm — feared not only for her overwhelming strength, but even more for her cunning, her ruthlessness, her unmatched mind that turned kings, sects, and empires into little more than pieces on her board.
How could someone like her — who had clawed her way through betrayal, blood, and schemes — allow fear to dictate her next move?
Stronger than me?
So what?
They're still just a kindhearted little group of fools at the end of the day.
And what were kindhearted people… if not the easiest pawns to exploit?
Soft-hearted people were always the same — too trusting, too generous, too naive.
Perfect tools.
Tools waiting to be used.
Tools waiting to be bent to her will.
A faint, cold glint flashed across Qianye Ying'er's golden eyes. Her lips curved ever so slightly — not in warmth, but in chilling calculation.
A plan was already beginning to form within her heart.
For now, what she needed most… was information.
Information about this world. About the Abyss. About the people who ruled it. About the monsters that walked its lands.
And from what she had heard from Dian Xiang in their casual conversations, he himself would soon be traveling to the next major city — a place where he could gather news, resources, and updates from the outside world.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
If she wanted to learn about this world… if she wanted to start weaving her plans… then what better guide could she have than Dian Xiang himself?
For now, she would accompany him there.
For now, she would play the role of the grateful, helpless guest.
But in her heart…
Qianye Ying'er's thoughts were ice-cold.
I will use them all.
Every last one of them.
Elsewhere in the modest little house, beyond layers of sound-isolating barriers that sealed away all perception of the outside world, Dian Xiang sat in silent meditation, his master quietly keeping watch nearby. Yet, Master Chen's attention was not on his disciple. Instead, his sharp gaze was fixed upon Qianye Ying'er. Her barriers and formations were meaningless before the vast reach of his Divine Sense and overwhelming power.
Unbeknownst to Qianye Ying'er…
Master Chen — the old man who barely spoke, who looked like any ordinary elder resting quietly in retirement — had long since guessed her true nature.
After all…
As the once Commander of the Abyssal Knights — the man who had led legions beneath the Abyssal Monarch himself — there was no fucking way he couldn't tell. Her eyes was the same as his back then!
The way she observed everything.
The sharpness behind her every word.
The perfect balance of vulnerability mixed with cautiousness.
Yeah.
This woman?
She was definitely not some random, innocent daughter of an Abyssal Knight lost in the world.
And for Master Chen — who had seen all kinds of monsters, schemers, tyrants, and emperors rise and fall in his lifetime — watching Qianye Ying'er go through all the trouble of pretending…
Was honestly kind of entertaining.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.