After parting ways with Long Xi, Yun Lintian summoned four figures to his private chamber—Lin Xinyao, Mumu, Hongyue, and Yue Chuntao.
The moment they entered, the atmosphere shifted.
Lin Xinyao, clad in her signature purple robes, moved with effortless grace, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall of night. Beside her, Mumu—the Lunar Jade Rabbit—bounced in with her usual playful energy, though her jade eyes held a rare solemnity.
Hongyue, ever haughty, crossed her arms as she took her seat, while Yue Chuntao grinned mischievously, already eyeing Yun Lintian like she was planning her next tease.
Yun Lintian didn't waste time.
"The Moon God's legacy," he said, cutting straight to the point. "When she died wielding the God Slaying Sword, her inheritance split into five parts. Four are with you." His gaze swept over them. "Where's the last?"
The four women exchanged glances, a wordless communication passing between them.
Mumu was the one who finally spoke, her ears twitching. "The final fragment... no one knows where it is. It'll appear when the time is right."
Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed. He knew them too well—this wasn't just ignorance. They were hiding something.
But pressing them wouldn't work. The Moon God's legacy was their domain, and if they chose to keep secrets, he wouldn't force them.
Lin Xinyao smoothly changed the subject. "What's your next move?"
Yun Lintian leaned back, letting the matter drop—for now. "I'll continue traversing timelines. Absorbing more Primordial Gods' power to strengthen myself."
Hongyue raised an eyebrow. "You're still hunting them down?"
"Not hunting," Yun Lintian corrected. "Collecting."
Yue Chuntao giggled. "So you're going to be a god thief now?"
Yun Lintian chuckled. "Call it... borrowing."
Lin Xinyao's lips curved slightly, but her eyes remained serious. "Be careful. Nian Shi won't just watch idly."
"I know." Yun Lintian's expression hardened. "But he's not the only one who can play games."
He stood, the hourglass materializing in his palm. Golden sands shimmered, each grain a doorway to another time.
"While I'm gone, keep an eye on the Moon God's legacy. If that fifth fragment appears—"
"We'll handle it," Mumu interrupted, unusually firm.
Yun Lintian studied her for a moment, then nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
With that, he activated the hourglass.
The world around him blurred, timelines overlapping like layers of painted silk.
Somewhere out there, Long Qingxuan waited.
Somewhere out there, the final piece of the Moon God's power lingered.
And somewhere out there—Nian Shi was watching.
Yun Lintian stepped forward, vanishing into the river of time.
In the endless void where neither time nor space held meaning, a figure sat in perfect stillness.
Yin—the embodiment of Uncreation, the antithesis of all existence—opened his eyes.
A smile curled his lips.
"You are finally willing to appear before me again, Yang."
The void shimmered, and from the nothingness, a figure materialized. The Creator—Yang—stood before him in her ethereal form, her presence calm yet unyielding.
"This will be our final battle," she said simply.
Yin chuckled, the sound echoing through the emptiness. "Are you ready to disappear? Because I will win this time."
Yang ignored his taunt. "You're playing with fire."
A reference to his secret dealings with Nian Shi.
Yin's smile widened. "Nian Shi thinks himself clever. But reaching our level?" He shook his head. "Wishful thinking."
Yang said nothing. Her form began to dissipate, knowing this remnant of her power could do no more.
Yin made no move to stop her. He simply watched as she faded, then turned his gaze deeper into the void.
"Yun Lintian," he murmured playfully. "Hurry and grow stronger. I can't wait to devour you."
The golden sands of time settled as Yun Lintian stepped into a new timeline. Before him stretched a massive city under siege—walls crumbling, streets running red with blood. A horde of profound beasts rampaged through the streets, their roars shaking the heavens as they tore through cultivators and mortals alike.
Yun Lintian hovered in the void, observing silently. Such scenes were common across countless timelines—war, destruction, desperation. He had seen it all before.
Then, a figure descended from the sky.
A man clad in simple gray robes, wielding a sword that gleamed like captured moonlight. He moved with impossible grace, his blade carving through the beasts like a scythe through wheat.
"Sword God Ye!" the surviving cultivators cried out in relief. "Ye Wenhao is here!"
Yun Lintian's eyebrows rose slightly. This "Sword God Ye" was only at the Divine Emperor realm—strong for this timeline, but insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Yet...
There was something unusual about him.
His sword strokes carried a rhythm that resonated with the world itself, as if he weren't just wielding a weapon, but conducting the very laws of heaven and earth.
Yun Lintian felt a flicker of curiosity.
The battle seemed to turn—briefly. But then, from the horizon, a second wave of beasts surged forth, their numbers endless. Even Sword God Ye's blade couldn't hold them all back.
Just as despair began to spread among the defenders, Ye Wenhao suddenly stopped.
And looked straight at Yun Lintian.
"Senior!" he shouted into the empty sky, his voice cutting through the chaos. "This junior begs for your assistance! Name your price, and I shall pay it!"
Yun Lintian's eyes narrowed.
A mere Divine Emperor shouldn't be able to perceive his presence, let alone pinpoint his location across the void. Unless...
Yun Lintian's lips curved.
Without a word, he raised a hand—and snapped his fingers.
Every single profound beast in the city exploded simultaneously, their bodies bursting into clouds of crimson mist. The ground trembled, the air itself seeming to recoil from the sheer force of the act.
Absolute, stunned silence.
The cultivators gaped. The mortals wept. And Sword God Ye—
His face paled as he realized just who he had called out to.
Yun Lintian stepped from the void, his presence pressing down on the world like a mountain upon a leaf.
"Tell me, Sword God Ye," he said softly. "Which Primordial God's power have you inherited?"