Tiang was in awe of the sight before him. On the horizon, a magnificent sunset was setting the sky ablaze, casting purple and golden hues over miles of lush greenery. The plains were populated by wandering creatures—some majestic, others more vile and threatening. Yet none seemed to dare approach the Yehun temple.
As he floated more than three hundred meters above the ground, a shiver ran down his spine.
— Meilin... Wait... I don't feel comfortable!
The height was giving him vertigo. His heart raced, his legs trembled, and in an instant, he lost control.
— MEILIIIINNN!
He was falling. The air whistled past his ears as he crashed violently into the treetops. A branch broke under his weight, then another, and another. Finally, he hit the ground in a cloud of dust.
But... he felt nothing.
I'm unharmed? he thought, stunned.
Barely had he regained his senses when a pleading voice rose close to him.
— Great Master... No, Great Immortal, please, save my child!
A woman, kneeling, extended a newborn to him. Her face, ravaged by fatigue and fear, betrayed days of suffering.
Tiang lowered his gaze to the child. Its skin was pale, and its breathing labored. It was suffering from severe dysentery, probably due to the lack of clean drinking water.
He then looked up at the woman and the other refugees around her. They all seemed exhausted, hungry, marked by hardship.
— Where are you from? he asked calmly as he straightened up.
His long, smooth hair brushed against the woman's face, and she immediately collapsed into sobs.
— The... the monster Tao Yu Xin took everything from us! she sobbed. My mother... my brothers... We walked for more than a day through the infected... We... we...
Her voice broke, unable to continue.
Tiang gently placed a hand on her head, offering a comforting smile. Then, carefully, he took the newborn in his arms. A golden light radiated from his palms. The baby stopped crying, and within moments, its breathing became more regular, its skin regained color.
— It's... a miracle!
Exclamations rose immediately from the refugees.
— Heal my daughter, I beg you! — Can you cure my infection?! — Help us, oh great immortal!
The commotion grew, voices mixing in a desperate cacophony.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind swept through the crowd. Meilin landed with a crash, her arrival kicking up a cloud of dust.
— Tiang! she exclaimed, her eyes wide with panic. Upon seeing that he was unharmed, her worry quickly turned into anger.
— What are you doing, Tiang?! she growled. Immortals must not interfere with human affairs!
Tiang locked eyes with her.
— Meilin... They need my help... he murmured, his voice filled with compassion.
Meilin clenched her fists.
— You're too powerful for this inferior world, Tiang! she snapped. If a malevolent immortal, or even one of the 33 Cosmic Horrors, learns of your existence, they will kill you before you reach the Higher Realms!
Her gaze darkened.
— And have you even considered the consequences of a battle here?
In a swift motion, she drew her wooden sword. A shockwave swept across the refugees, throwing them out of the forest. The pleas ceased abruptly, replaced by a heavy silence.
Then, the screams.
At first weak, moderate pleas for help, then agonizing, blood-curdling howls.
Tiang turned his gaze away, but he heard everything.
The cries cut short, the flesh being torn away.
The smell of blood, heavy and metallic.
— Meilin...
— Meilin...!
Tiang grabbed her arm. Their gazes met, a mixture of confusion and anger lingering between them.
— I'm doing this for your own good, Tiang.
Without waiting for his response, she leapt into the sky with a superhuman jump and disappeared.
Tiang gritted his teeth.
— That one... he murmured, exasperated.
A intoxicating fragrance suddenly filled the air. Pink flower petals danced around him, carried by a mysterious breeze. In an instant, the figure of Xuelan Mowang materialized before him.
The sun lost its brilliance, its light turning a bloody hue. The landscape itself seemed to transform: the fauna adopted reddish tones, and the rivers darkened, their waters replaced by a blackish liquid.
The Demon Queen knelt before Tiang.
— Meilin is right, great immortal.
She slightly lifted her head, her penetrating gaze locked with his.
— Tomorrow, we will resume your cultivation.
A slight smile touched her lips.
— Then, we will depart for the Higher Realms. There, all of this will no longer matter.