Myth Beyond Heaven

Disorientation washed over Yun Lintian as he awoke. He found himself sprawled on a plush silk bed, fit for royalty, its surface embroidered with intricate golden dragons that shimmered in the sunlight streaming through a large window. The spacious chamber glowed with a warm, inviting light.

He instinctively reached for his chest, where the memory of the ice spear remained fresh. But to his astonishment, there was no wound.

"Did I die?" he muttered, confusion lacing his voice.

A quick internal scan revealed the Tree of Life had undergone a phenomenal transformation. It now towered within him, its branches adorned with miniature figures of the divine beasts. The relics, it seemed, had merged with the mighty tree, becoming an integral part of its essence.

"High God Realm?" Yun Lintian was startled.

A surge of astonishment coursed through Yun Lintian as he probed his internal world. His cultivation had skyrocketed, reaching the unfathomable High God Realm!

But the surprise didn't end there. A mental search yielded no trace of the Gate of Beyond Heaven or the enigmatic Beyond Heaven King's Crown.

"What in the heavens is happening?" Yun Lintian muttered, his voice a strangled whisper laced with bewilderment and a touch of creeping dread. "Is this some elaborate dream again?"

Waking up in unfamiliar surroundings wasn't a new experience for him. He couldn't remember how many times he had entered such a dream realm. However, retaining his full strength within one was entirely unprecedented. This situation defied everything he thought he knew.

Yun Lintian rose from the bed, his movements surprisingly fluid and devoid of any soreness. A wave of potent energy surged within him, a vibrant power unlike anything he'd ever experienced before.

Disbelief tinged Yun Lintian's voice as he muttered, "Perhaps this isn't a dream after all?"

A prickle of unease crawled up his spine as he scanned his surroundings.

Opulence beyond imagination filled the room. The floor, crafted from meticulously polished jade tiles, shimmered like a sunlit pool, reflecting the golden rays streaming through the window. Exquisite paintings adorned the walls, depicting fantastical beasts and celestial landscapes in vibrant hues.

On a nearby table, carved from a single, flawless block of amethyst, an elegant jade vase overflowed with vibrant spirit flowers. Their sweet fragrance permeated the air, a calming balm to his disoriented mind.

Luxury wasn't unfamiliar to Yun Lintian, but this room held an air of grandeur unlike any he'd ever encountered.

He shook his head, the silk robe whispering softly as he moved towards the window.

The view that greeted him stole his breath away. Rolling emerald hills stretched endlessly into the distance, dotted with shimmering lakes and waterfalls cascading down from snow-capped mountains. A majestic city sprawled across the horizon, its golden spires piercing the azure sky.

"This... definitely isn't the God Tomb," he murmured to himself.

Instinctively, his fingers reached for the familiar presence of his interspatial ring on his hand. But to his astonishment, the ring was gone.

Confusion furrowed his brow. "Where am I? Is this some bizarre dream?"

Creak!

Just then, the soft creak of a door turning on its hinges shattered the silence. A young woman emerged, her movements graceful and soundless. A cascade of ebony hair framed a face of ethereal beauty.

Her amethyst eyes widened in surprise as they met Yun Lintian's gaze, a flicker of something akin to relief washing over her features, chasing away the worry that had etched lines onto her delicate skin.

"You're awake! Third Young Master!" she breathed, relief washing over her features like a tidal wave.

Yun Lintian, however, remained rooted to the spot, his gaze narrowed in a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Who was this woman, and where in the heavens had he woken up? Why did she address him as Third Young Master?

"What happened to me?" Yun Lintian finally managed, his voice hoarse.

The young woman's eyes widened in alarm. "You can't remember anything, Third Young Master?" she stammered, a tremor of worry etching lines onto her previously serene face.

Yun Lintian shook his head slowly, a knot of unease tightening in his gut.

The young woman's face paled considerably. "This is bad!" she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.

She whirled around, her movements betraying a sudden urgency, but before she could take a single step, Yun Lintian was beside her, a hand outstretched.

"Hold on," he said, his voice firm. "Don't leave. Tell me what's going on. Where am I? Who am I? And what happened to me?"

The young woman's lower lip trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Third Young Master, you forgot my name as well?" she choked out, her voice thick with emotion. "I am Yun Ling, your maidservant. I've been by your side since you were five years old. Did you truly forget… Ling'er?"

Yun Lintian was taken aback. The raw emotion in her tear-filled eyes sent a jolt through him.

Despite the opulent surroundings and unfamiliar woman, a sliver of certainty clung to Yun Lintian. This, he was sure, was another dreamscape. Yet, the situation defied all logic.

Unlike his previous dream encounters, he retained his full power. Could this be transmigration, a complete departure from his own life? Did the ice spear truly pierce his heart, and was this his new reality as the Third Young Master? But everything felt...him. His memories, his skills, they were undeniably his own.

A war raged within him – a desperate hope for reality clashing with the unsettling possibility of a stolen life.

As Yun Lintian grappled with the possibility of a stolen life, Yun Ling took a shaky breath and tearfully explained, "Third Young Master, you are Yun Lintian, a young master of the Azure Cloud's Yun Clan. We reside on Cloudmist Mountain, an exclusive region of our clan outside Azure Cloud City."

"A week ago," she continued, her voice trembling, "you sneaked into the city in secret to visit Miss Situ, a courtesan of the White Lotus House. Unfortunately, inebriated as you were, you… acted inappropriately towards her. Chen Zitao, your sworn enemy and a young master of the Chen Clan, seized this opportunity to ambush you. Without guards by your side, you were overwhelmed by him and his men."

"Thankfully, someone recognized you and alerted the clan head. By the time he arrived, you were already unconscious, gravely injured." Her voice cracked slightly. "The clan head, seeking to shield you from further scrutiny, brought you here."

Yun Lintian, bombarded with this outlandish tale, found himself speechless. A cliché beginning ripped straight from a novel? Was this truly his new reality?