The air around Di K shimmered strangely. Time seemed to bend, the present folding into the past. The sounds of the battlefield faded—the clashing of steel, the cries of gods—replaced by something softer, yet heavier: the memory of a promise made long before his birth.
It was not his memory, yet it was as vivid as if he had lived it. He found himself standing in the gilded throne room of Heaven Palace, bathed in the light of a dawn untouched by mortal reckoning. The air carried the scent of incense and flowers, and the pillars of crystal reflected an eternal sky.
Before him stood two figures—the Heaven King, Di Junwu, and the Demon King, brothers not only in blood but in destiny. Their faces were serious, their presence radiant with the weight of immortality. Around them, the silence was deep, as though even the realm itself waited for their words.
The Heaven King stepped forward, his voice calm but deliberate.
"Brother," he said, "let us make a promise. When we have children, let us wed them—my first child to your first child. Let it bind our realms forever."
There was no laughter, no hesitation. Just a moment of stillness as the Demon King regarded him, eyes like molten gold, deep with thought.
Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying the strength of ages.
"About marriage… I do not object. But not your first child. The first-born of a king will bear burdens heavier than any mortal can imagine. Work, duty, war—they will leave no room for love to flourish. Let your second child marry my first."
The Heaven King's brow creased, the weight of consideration pressing upon him. "And if both are boys? Or both girls?"
The Demon King laughed then—a sound deep as thunder, warm as a summer rain, filled with an ancient certainty.
"We are immortals, brother. Gender is but a word. What matters is love—the soul's bond. That alone will be enough."
Their words lingered in the hall like carved stone, echoing for eternity. Servants spoke of the vow in whispers, nobles repeated it in awe, and warriors carried it into battles beyond reckoning. Even the heavens themselves seemed to hum with its promise.
That promise became a pact between realms, a covenant that would bind destinies. But little did they know that such vows, though pure in intention, could twist into the sharpest of chains.
After the flashback
The vow of the Heaven King and the Demon King still lingered in the halls of eternity, etched deep into the fates of realms and gods. The name Di K, given not by choice but by decree, carried with it the weight of a thousand unspoken truths—promises made, hearts broken, and destinies forged in blood.
For Di K, the past was not just memory—it was a living shadow. A shadow that shaped his every step, every glance, every word. And now, centuries later, that shadow still followed him, even as laughter and tension filled the air of Gusu Realm.
It was in a quiet moment, away from the war and whispers of kingdoms, that Di K spoke with his elder siblings. His voice was soft yet carried a sharp edge of longing.
"Di Jun," he said, his tone teasing but heavy with sincerity, "when are you going to marry? It's because of you that I can't marry anyone. I'm tired of people loving me—I want someone who will treat me better."
Di Jun's eyes narrowed, her voice firm yet tinged with affection.
"Shut up. Marriage is not a joke. How can you speak about it so easily?"
Dik smirked, leaning lazily against a pillar.
"Ohhh… by the way, Di Kun, your marriage is the talk of the town. It's a regret that the Demon King is no longer in this world. Otherwise, Almighty Dragon God with a beautiful Demon Princess—oh my god, a powerful couple. There would be nothing more interesting than that."
Dikun's expression hardened, his voice steady and unwavering.
"Dik, we should not speak of the Demon King like that. Even though he has no children, I must stay loyal to our promise. Even if it means never marrying anyone in my life."
Di Jun chuckled softly, her eyes flicking between her brothers.
"Looks like Dik will never get to marry anyone in this life."
Dik's grin widened, his voice carrying warmth and mischief.
"No problem. My dear by big brother will take care of me, right?"
Dikun's gaze softened, the steel in his voice melting into quiet devotion.
"Obviously. We do not need to marry anyone. My love for Dik will always be the same."
Di Jun rolled her eyes with a smirk.
"Childish."
The words lingered, but between them there was no anger—only the silent bond of siblings who carried not just the weight of realms, but the weight of promises made long before they were born.
And somewhere, deep in the threads of fate, the vow of Heaven King and Demon King still pulsed quietly waiting for the day it would awaken again.
The awakening of Qirong
Silence fell upon the Ghost Realm for the first time in centuries. The realm of shadows had suffered a devastating loss in the war losses so great that even the proudest warriors remained quiet, nursing wounds both visible and unseen.
Meanwhile, the Almighty Gods continued their tireless hunt for the monsters that threatened existence itself. Yet amidst all their efforts, one name was never forgotten—the name spoken in fear even among gods: Qirong.
Qirong was not just any monster. He was the most powerful of all—sealed away a hundred million years ago by the Demon King himself. His existence was the stuff of legend and nightmare. And now, that seal had broken.
Qirong appeared in the Green Valley of the Mortal World, a place where the air seemed to turn heavy and the sun dimmed. His presence was not subtle every living being in the valley felt it. Fear rippled through the land like a tide, and whispers of his name spread faster than the wind.
The royal children, sensing the rising danger, were ordered to return to their homes. The threat was beyond their ability to face. But Dijun—the eldest of the Almighty Gods—would not stand aside. She descended into the Mortal World herself, determined to stop the beast.
The battle was unlike any the realms had seen. The earth cracked under Qirong's might. The sky roared as Dijun clashed with him, their powers shaking the valley to its very bones. Yet, despite her strength, the battle ended in defeat. Dijun staggered, wounded, her power pushed to its limit.
In the aftermath, the truth became clear—the only way to kill Qirong was with the blood of the Demon King.
But the Demon King had long been gone. His realm destroyed, his legacy shattered, no descendant remained. His sacrifice had been final.
And now, Qirong marched toward the Heaven Court itself. His steps echoed through eternity. Even the Heaven Emperor, the strongest of kings, could not match his power. The court trembled, gods faltered, and fear spread like wildfire.
For the first time in history, even immortals quaked before Qirong. The beast was unstoppable.
The Heaven Court had never known such fear. Even the bravest of gods fell silent, their eyes fixed on the horizon where Qirong, the Beast of Beasts, advanced like a living storm. The ground trembled with every step he took, his roar carrying through realms like the crack of doom.
The Almighty Gods gathered in council, their faces grave. Heaven, Flower, Dragon, and Phoenix—siblings bound by duty—stood together, the weight of the realm upon their shoulders.
"Qirong is unlike any foe we have faced," Di Jun said, her voice sharp with authority. "This is no mere battle—it is the survival of Heaven itself. If we fail, all realms will burn."