Myth Beyond Heaven

Shi Xuan turned slowly to face his niece and said with a smile, "I am your uncle, Long Xuan. I never expected the little baby I once held to blossom into such a beauty."

Long Qingxuan furrowed her brow. "My uncle? How is that possible?"

As far as she could remember, Long Qingxuan had been born in the Divine Realm over a hundred thousand years ago. How could Long Xuan, a True God, be her uncle? It was even more inconceivable for him to have held her as an infant.

"Of course it's possible," Shi Xuan said, his smile softening. "You were, in fact, born during the Primordial Era. Someone plotted against your father through you. To protect you, your mother sealed you within the True Dragon Egg."

Long Qingxuan was genuinely stunned. "Mother?"

The word was foreign to her. Since her birth, she had never met her mother. No matter how many times she'd asked her father, there was no answer. She had come to believe she was born from her father's power.

"Of course, you have a mother," Shi Xuan chuckled. "The most beautiful woman in the Primal Chaos, the Light Dragon Queen, Long Xi. That's who your mother is."

A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes as he spoke her name.

"Long Xi... My mother...?" Long Qingxuan muttered, bewildered.

She lifted her head, meeting Shi Xuan's gaze. "Is she...?" she began, her voice trailing off.

"She's alive," Shi Xuan said, his expression turning grave. "But her situation is precarious."

"What happened?" Long Qingxuan pressed, urgency creeping into her voice.

"In short," Shi Xuan explained, "she's currently imprisoned within the Dragon Ancestral Land. However, you needn't worry; as long as the Dragon God Clan exists, she remains safe."

Long Qingxuan gradually composed herself, accepting the truth. Shi Xuan's bloodline undeniably connected them, leaving no room for doubt about his words.

"I understand," she responded calmly.

Shi Xuan, surprised by her composure, said, "I expected eagerness to rescue your mother. Though, I suppose it's understandable, given you haven't met her."

Long Qingxuan shook her head. "Of course, I want to save her. However, my husband takes precedence."

Shi Xuan's eyes widened in shock. A moment later, he managed to speak. "What has he done to earn such devotion?"

"Nothing grand," Long Qingxuan said, a hint of worry flickering in her eyes. "He's simply the most important man besides my father... my whole world. Are you certain this Shan Que can heal him?"

Shi Xuan gritted his teeth, a pang of jealousy twisting his gut. He felt as if something precious had been snatched away.

Sighing, he replied, "Yes. If it's him, Yun Lintian is safe. Before inheriting the Mountain God's legacy, Shan Que was renowned as the Primal Chaos's number one doctor, well-versed in every healing art. Some people even said he was the reincarnation of the God of Life."

Shi Xuan looked towards the west and said further. "I didn't expect him to be alive."

"That's good." Long Qingxuan heaved a sigh of relief but the worries didn't go away.

Just as Shi Xuan was about to say something, a group of people suddenly appeared in front of them, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Stop right there!" a voice boomed. "Hand over everything you have, and we'll let you live."

Shi Xuan was rendered speechless. He stared at his niece and muttered, "Has the Primal Chaos fallen to such a state? How can there be so many fools here?"

Long Qingxuan didn't say anything and continued to look at the newcomers. She could see a few High Gods among them.

Shi Xuan glanced at the group and snorted. "This disgusting aura… Heavenly Tribulation Worshippers? Heh. A bunch of pathetic ants."

The group, taken aback by Shi Xuan's disdain, grew enraged.

"You dare insult us?" one of them shouted. "Do you know that my master is the God of Heaven?"

"God of Heaven? Oh, you mean his inheritor? He is nothing but a bigger ant." Shi Xuan spoke nonchalantly.

"Such arrogance!" a cold voice echoed from the distance.

"Kill!" With a roar, the group charged toward Shi Xuan and Long Qingxuan.

"Go away." Shi Xuan waved his hand, and a massive wave of energy surged forward, sweeping through the group like a tsunami. They were instantly obliterated, their bodies disintegrating into dust.

Long Qingxuan gazed impassively at the empty space. Everything unfolded precisely as she anticipated. These individuals had courted their own demise.

Shi Xuan stole a glance at his niece and let out a depressed sigh. It seemed nothing could pique her interest anymore.

From the moment Long Qingxuan was born, Shi Xuan never again ventured outside the Dragon Ancestral Land. He devoted himself to playing with her daily. Unfortunately, her memories of him were virtually nonexistent. Rekindling their uncle-niece bond proved a significant challenge.

If Yun Lintian held the most significant place in Long Qingxuan's life, Shi Xuan, conversely, found himself her sole remaining relative within the Primal Chaos. He yearned, if possible, to remain by her side and offer his protection.

Shi Xuan changed the subject. "Would you be willing to tell me about your past experiences?"

Long Qingxuan hesitated a moment, then found herself nodding. The eagerness in Shi Xuan's eyes held an undeniable pull, a strange tug at her heart that she couldn't explain. Perhaps, she mused, this was the unfamiliar territory of familial connection.

Inside the cabin, Yun Qianxue, Lin Xinyao, Han Bingling, Linlin, and Qingqing crowded around Yun Lintian, their faces etched with worry. They periodically cast anxious glances towards Lan Qinghe, seeking updates on his condition.

Li Shan, his head bowed, spoke up, "I apologize. My carelessness led to this." It was his responsibility to safeguard Yun Lintian, and he had demonstrably failed.

"There's no need for that, Senior," Yun Meilan countered. "The blame lies with us for being too weak to intervene."

Lin Xinyao and the others, their eyes downcast, flickered with self-reproach and a simmering frustration. They had believed they could contribute, only to find themselves powerless.

Lan Qinghe regarded them with a pang of sympathy. She had personally observed their relentless training throughout their time in the secret realm. Yet, the disparity between them and their adversary was simply too vast. Bridging such a gap in a mere few thousand years was a feat bordering on the impossible.

"Senior," Yun Qianxue turned to Tian He, her voice laced with urgency. "Is there any way for us to rapidly increase our strength?"

Tian He met her gaze steadily. "There is a method," he acknowledged, "but it comes at a significant cost. Are you prepared to pay it?"