Yun Lintian materialized above Nine Firmament City. The moment his feet touched the ground, multiple figures rushed toward him.
Yun Qianxue was the first to reach him, her frost-blue eyes scanning him for injuries. Behind her, Yue Yun, Nantian Fengyu, and the others followed, their expressions a mix of relief and concern.
"You're back," Yun Qianxue said softly, though her brows furrowed slightly when she noticed the deep frown etched on Yun Lintian's face.
Yun Lintian nodded absently, his mind still replaying the battle with Nian Shi. The way time had frozen completely—how utterly helpless he had been in that moment.
Yue Yun stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "Dad... what happened?"
Silence stretched for a long moment before Yun Lintian finally spoke.
The air around them seemed to grow heavier.
"...And?" Nantian Fengyu pressed, crimson eyes burning with curiosity.
Yun Lintian's jaw tightened. "I couldn't defeat him."
A beat of stunned silence.
"That... that version of Nian Shi was weaker than the one in our timeline," Yun Lintian continued, his voice low. "And yet, at the very end... I couldn't move. Time itself became his weapon, and I was powerless against it."
Yue Yun's expression softened slightly. She reached out, placing a hand on her father's arm. "It's okay, dad. The power of time is beyond what any of us can fully control. You shouldn't blame yourself."
Yun Lintian didn't respond immediately. His gaze drifted toward the towering World Tree, its branches swaying gently in the breeze.
"...I need to get stronger," he said at last.
Yun Qianxue nodded firmly. "Then we'll handle everything here. You focus on recuperating and refining your power."
The others echoed her words, their determination unwavering.
Yun Lintian glanced at them, a flicker of warmth piercing through the storm in his mind. These people—his family, his comrades—they trusted him completely. And he couldn't afford to let them down.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the central tower, his steps measured but heavy.
The doors of the training chamber sealed shut behind Yun Lintian with a resonant boom, isolating him from the outside world. The chamber hummed with ancient protective formations, its walls inscribed with runes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
Yun Lintian exhaled sharply, then sat cross-legged at the center of the room. His mismatched eyes gleamed with determination as he summoned the first source of power he intended to refine—
The Heavenly Desolate Orb.
The orb materialized in his palm, its surface swirling with golden and azure energy. This was the essence of the God of Heaven, the supreme authority Ren Yuan had once wielded before his fall.
Yun Lintian's fingers tightened around it.
He activated the Power of Chaos, allowing the black-and-white energy to coil around the orb. The moment his energy made contact—
A violent shockwave erupted from the orb, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the chamber floor. Yun Lintian's entire body jolted as if struck by lightning. His veins bulged, his muscles locking up as the God of Heaven's essence invaded his meridians.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
The Heavenly Desolate Orb resisted. It wasn't just power—it was authority, the right to command the heavens themselves. And it refused to bow easily.
Yun Lintian gritted his teeth.
"You... will submit."
He poured more of his divine energy into the refinement, forcing the orb's power to merge with his own. The process was excruciating—like molten metal being poured into his veins, searing and reshaping his very essence.
Memories not his own flashed through his mind—
A vast golden palace floating above the clouds.
The God of Heaven seated upon a throne, gazing down upon creation.
The weight of celestial mandate, the right to judge even gods.
Yun Lintian's body trembled. His bones creaked under the pressure. His divine core burned as it struggled to accommodate this supreme authority.
Hour after hour, he wrestled with the orb's power, slowly bending it to his will. The pain never lessened—if anything, it grew worse as the refinement reached its peak.
The Heavenly Desolate Orb shattered, its energy fully merging into Yun Lintian's body.
His eyes snapped open—
And for a brief moment, golden light blazed within them, carrying the weight of heaven's decree.
He exhaled, long and slow.
The pain faded, replaced by an overwhelming sense of dominance. He flexed his fingers, and the very air around him bent, as if acknowledging his authority.
The God of Heaven's power was now his.
Without pause, Yun Lintian summoned the next source of power—the eight stolen divinities Fan Shen had hoarded.
The eight stolen divinities swirled before Yun Lintian like wild beasts, each pulsing with its own untamed will. They were remnants of gods long fallen, their power now unclaimed, their essence yearning for dominance.
Yun Lintian did not hesitate.
His hand shot out, fingers closing around the Storm God's lightning first. The moment his skin made contact, blue-white electricity exploded through his meridians, scorching his flesh from within. His muscles locked, his bones vibrating under the divine fury of thunder and storm.
The lightning raged, refusing to be tamed—it sought to reduce him to ashes, to punish him for daring to claim what belonged to the heavens.
But Yun Lintian had faced worse.
With a growl, he crushed the lightning's resistance, forcing it down through sheer will. The Storm God's power thrashed like a captured serpent, but inch by inch, it yielded, coiling obediently around his right arm. The scent of ozone filled the chamber as the last rebellious sparks died out.
No sooner had the storm settled than the Fire God's flames lunged for him, a crimson inferno roaring to life in his palm. The heat was unbearable—it melted the stone beneath his feet, turned the air to shimmering waves. His skin blackened and peeled, only to regenerate moments later under the God of Life's influence.
Before he could catch his breath, the Thunder God's might surged into him, a deafening boom that rattled his skull. His muscles spasmed, his veins bulging as raw, explosive power flooded his body. Every heartbeat sent shockwaves through his chest, threatening to tear him apart from within.
"Ugh!" He gritted his teeth, enduring the agony as the Thunder God's essence reforged his flesh, amplifying his every movement into something more—something capable of shattering mountains with a single strike.