Myth Beyond Heaven

The oppressive aura disappeared along with the death energy.

"Strange," Li Shan spoke with a frown. "There was nothing like this the last time I came here."

"Perhaps it was because you possessed the death energy then," Yun Lintian said while retracting his hand.

"Let's go inside," Lin Yitong declared.

Li Shan didn't hesitate to push the door open and step into the room, followed by everyone.

Inside was a dimly lit chamber shrouded in an ethereal glow. A skeletal figure lay suspended on a bed. It was, without a doubt, the Yellow Emperor Huang Yiming's remains.

"My lord," Li Shan bowed deeply, his eyes filled with sadness.

Yun Lintian and Lin Yitong carefully checked the skeleton and discovered no soul.

Disappointment washed over Yun Lintian. No soul. The figure, once the mighty Yellow Emperor, was nothing more than a hollow shell.

He cupped his fists and bowed slightly. "Junior Yun Lintian pays homage to Senior Huang. Thank you for saving me back then."

Silence hung heavy in the chamber, burdened by the weight of Yun Lintian's words.

A cursory glance around the room revealed nothing remarkable. "Let's go to the treasury," he spoke, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, a flicker of light materialized near Huang Yiming's skeletal remains. It coalesced slowly, revealing a translucent figure—Huang Yiming himself, though faint and ethereal. His once vibrant form was now tinged with the remnants of his soul.

Li Shan gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. "My Lord!"

Huang Yiming's spectral form shimmered, his voice a mere rasp carried by the stagnant air. "Looks like he didn't lie to me."

He turned his gaze towards Yun Lintian, a flicker of recognition igniting within his spectral eyes.

"It's you," Huang Yiming rasped, his voice gaining strength. He then turned to Li Shan and spoke in surprise. "Li Shan?… So he keeps the promise."

"My lord, I could return because of Young Master Yun's help," Li Shan said excitedly. Turning to Yun Lintian, he said with hope, "Young Master Yun, can you bring my lord back?"

"I'm not sure," Yun Lintian admitted with uncertainty. "But I can try."

Before he could step forward, Lin Yitong raised her hand to stop him. "You haven't recovered yet."

She turned to Huang Yiming and asked, "Do you remember everything?"

Huang Yiming looked at Lin Yitong curiously. "This aura… The True Wood Spirit? But you are clearly human… Yes, I can remember everything, including the one who rescued the remnant of my soul."

He turned to look at Yun Lintian and said, "Thank you for your goodwill, but I know my condition well. I am destined to disappear."

"My lord!" Li Shan became anxious.

Huang Yiming smiled at his loyal butler. "You don't have to be sad. This is my destiny… It's good to see you in a good condition. From now on, you should live the life you want."

"My lord…" Tears welled up in Li Shan's eyes.

"Thank you for everything you did for me," Huang Yiming said gently.

"I don't want to leave you, my lord," Li Shan immediately broke down in tears.

Huang Yiming sighed softly and turned to Yun Lintian. "Please take care of him."

"Understood," Yun Lintian responded gently.

"You must have many questions in your head right now. Let's not waste time. I'll tell you everything I know," Huang Yiming said. "Let's start with the attack you have witnessed. What do you think if I tell you that I don't believe it is the God of Death's doing?"

Yun Lintian frowned deeply. "Are there other people who can wield the Great Law of Death at such a high level?"

"I don't know," Huang Yiming shook his head. "But I am sure it's not the God of Death's doing, or at least it's not his intention."

"What do you mean, Senior?" Yun Lintian was puzzled.

"Several years have passed, and all the Primordial Gods have fallen. If it was truly the God of Death who took the initiative to attack everyone, no one in the entire Primal Chaos could still be alive." Huang Yiming said in a deep voice.

"Are you saying the God of Death possessed enough power to defeat all the Primordial Gods?" Lin Yitong asked.

"Yes," Huang Yiming replied truthfully. "Aside from the Primordial Gods, not many people know the true strength of the God of Death. I once asked my master about it out of curiosity. He told me that death represents an absolute destruction. Even the God of Life herself wouldn't be able to hold on for long if he were to go all out. The fact that the Primal Chaos is still alive indicates the God of Death had no intention of destroying the world."

Yun Lintian furrowed his brow. He recalled the information during his trip to the Netherworld. According to Si Junyi and the others, the God of Death mostly defended the Netherworld until his demise. He didn't seem to have any intentions of taking the initiative to attack the others, which was aligned with Huang Yiming's words.

"Fortunately, I had the chance to pay homage to the God of Death," Huang Yiming continued. "My impression of him was that he was a benevolent person. He took great care of those mortal souls. I cannot imagine him attacking innocent souls here."

"Then…?" Yun Lintian frowned deeply, the mystery deepening.

"The culprit behind all of this," Huang Yiming said in a deep voice, "could be my master or perhaps even the other Primordial Gods. They might have been trying to frame the God of Death."

Lin Yitong studied Huang Yiming with a hint of curiosity. "Weren't you subordinate to the God of Mortals? You seem to have more faith in the God of Death than your own master."

"It's precisely because I served him that I know many things about him," Huang Yiming said. "He wasn't without flaws. Jealousy was one of them."

Yun Lintian and the others were taken aback by this revelation. Despite their immense power, the Primordial Gods seemed to be no different from mere mortals when it came to human emotions.

"He was also quite ambitious," Huang Yiming continued. "He once confided in me that if he possessed the power wielded by the God of Death, he would reshape the Primal Chaos according to his desires."

"So, you believe he framed the God of Death?" Yun Lintian pressed.

"It's a strong possibility," Huang Yiming sighed. "Back then, I didn't believe he had the courage for such a scheme."