An ancient crystal ball pulsed within Zhen Hua's grasp, its light bending to her will. The air around her shimmered with heat, a testament to the power that burned within her veins. Her golden robes, embroidered with flames, barely shifted—as if the laws of nature bowed to her presence. Her long, lacquered nails traced the orb's smooth surface as she channeled her qi into it, commanding it to reveal what had eluded her for so long. The image flickered, a shifting blur. Then, a glorious golden trident appeared—its tip loomed over a small eel.
Zhen Hua paused, then smirked.
There you are.
She had known it. She had felt it in her core—Long Fei was different. When he walked, the immortals listened. When he spoke, even fate wavered. No one else had ever made her feel so enamored. Others doubted. Others whispered that he had perished after he fell from the Celestial Realm, that even an immortal of his caliber could not withstand such an ordeal. But they were all fools.
He was no ordinary immortal. He was an extraordinary celestial being.
She defied fate to find him—because she knew. He could not perish. He was hers. And now, here he was—reduced to nothing more than a slithering, defenseless creature at the mercy of the sea. Pathetic. And yet, it only affirmed what she already knew: Only Long Fei is worthy of her love.
She exhaled a longing sigh. Her eyes softened, drinking in the frail form with something akin to endearment.
"Long Yan, I know you're there," said Zhen Hua.
A spark of heat flickered behind her, followed by a puff of thick, crimson smoke. Long Yan stepped forward. He had grown used to being summoned like this, dragged into her presence whenever she desired, her confidant.
Zhen Hua gestured toward the crystal ball.
"Take a look."
Long Yan stood frozen before the crystal ball, his gaze locked on the frail form of an eel, struggling feebly against the surging sea. The sight twisted something deep within him, a darkness that simmered for millennia. His brother—once untouchable, once a paragon of power—was now a pitiful creature. This moment should feel victorious. Instead, it felt hollow.
Long Yan could feel his pulse quicken as the image in the crystal shimmer. Now, the brightest star had fallen so far that he was unrecognizable.
And yet, Zhen Hua—the woman who had consumed his thoughts for millennia—still would not look at him like she had always looked at his brother. Even now, he could feel her intense gaze fixed on his brother's struggle, a look of longing too blatant to be ignored.
His heart clenched. He had betrayed, bled, and burned for her. But she had only ever seen his brother. His hands gripped around the edges of the crystal ball. This was not how it was supposed to be.
Zhen Hua flicked a hand as if waving away dust. "I've changed my mind. There will be no wedding."
Long Yan's breath hitched. Her cold, indifferent declaration seemed to mock him. He had given everything—betrayed his brother, poisoned him, and done Zhen Hua's bidding without question. And for what? All for this moment, for her to finally choose him.
But she never had. Long Fei had always been her sun—blinding, untouchable. And he, Long Yan? A shadow cast at her feet, unseen, unwanted.
For millennia, Zhen Hua had loved only his brother. Long Yan had seen it in the way her eyes shone at the mere mention of his name, the way she idly twisted her hair, lost in thought. He had tried to ignore it, convinced that time would wear down her obsession. That one day, she would choose him instead. But time had only proven him a fool. He had broken every law, every promise, for her. But it was always Long Fei. Even now, as his brother struggled in his weakened state, she still thought of him.
He clenched his fists so tightly that he drew blood from his palm.
Zhen Hua had already dismissed him; the words were daggers to his burning heart. His mind was a whirlpool of rage and despair.
She turned her back to him, her fingers tenderly tracing the vision of Long Fei. She had used Long Yan and manipulated him, and yet, in the end, she chose Long Fei.
It was a bitter pill to swallow.
The realization hit him like lightning: It would never change. Zhen Hua would never love him the way she loved his brother. She would never see him the way she saw his brother. And it was not fair.
The dark truth settled deep within him. His brother was weak now, a shell of his former self. The only thing that mattered was how she saw him. Long Yan's thoughts twisted further.
Only one choice remained.
He could not stand it any longer. Even as an eel - Long Fei could capture Zhen Hua's attention—her obsession, fixation, and love—was maddening.
Long Yan took a step back, his voice filled with venom.
"No. I'm done being your pawn."
Zhen Hua did not respond, lost in her thoughts. But Long Yan's words hung in the air. He could feel the darkness settle around him, consuming him.
The only way to rid himself of this bitter reality, to free himself from Long Fei's shadow, was to destroy it. Destroy the one who had stood in his way for millennia. He would kill his brother, erase him, and by doing so, end Zhen Hua's obsession.
The pieces clicked into place within his mind. The path was clear. There was no other way.
Zhen Hua had given him the final push. If Long Fei no longer exists - Zhen Hua would have no choice but to see him.
He would be the one who finally claimed her attention.
The insidious thought coiled in his heart. Long Yan's lips curled into a twisted smile.
"There's only one thing to do," he tightened his jaw.
Long Yan conspired to do whatever was necessary to be the one to stand at her side.
He must obliterate his brother.