A man sat upon a throne, leaning against his fingers. He wore full Black Dragon armour and helm, both pitch-black in colour. His name was Ren Blackdragon, an eternal being who created everything that exists.
He first lived as a mortal, born on Earth in 2002, and died at the age of eighteen. After his death, he returned as a true immortal, having travelled back to the beginning of existence itself, where he shaped countless worlds—including Earth and the cultivation realm Mìngjiè Xiānlù. Ren rarely speaks of what happened between his death and rebirth; only that he died, he returned, and eternity followed.
In his current physical body, Ren is over a hundred thousand years old. When he returned to Earth, he returned to the moment he first became a true immortal. However, in his true existence, his age is eternal.
When Ren left to return to Earth, his home planet, he left behind countless things—including the countless women who bore his children, children he never raised. He departed for his own reasons, having realised that his humanity was slipping away. To restrain this, he sealed the part of himself that did not care for good or evil—Emperor Shadow—within his body and his domain.
Yet Emperor Shadow can still emerge from time to time—when Ren's restraint fails, when he allows Emperor Shadow to influence him or take control without his permission, or when he releases it deliberately.
When Ren returned to Earth, he created the Eternal Empire, which eventually conquered the entire planet. He accomplished this alongside nine others, collectively known as the Ten Eternal Generals. Ren himself was one of these generals. Eight of the generals were his childhood friends, three of whom were also his wives: the Eternal Empress Bai Blackdragon, Talia Blackdragon, and Mariko Blackdragon. The tenth general was a rare female counterpart of Ren from another reality, known as Venya Blackdragon, who became his fourth wife.
Each of the Ten Eternal Generals commanded a different legion. Ren controlled the Black Dragon Legion and was known as the Black Dragon General. Before he ascended to become the Black Dragon Emperor, ruling Earth for many centuries, he eventually passed control of the Eternal Empire to his first wife, the Eternal Empress Bai, who now governs it.
To humans unaware of the supernatural forces on Earth, Ren is known as Eternal Prince Ren, a descendant of the Black Dragon Emperor. Venya is known as his cousin, due to their identical appearance. His first wife is known as Bai Phoenix, her original surname, and she currently rules the Eternal Empire. There are ten royal families, three of which are the Black Dragon, White Dragon, and Phoenix families.
I slumbered upon my throne when a servant suddenly rushed into the throne room of my estate. He halted himself at the foot of the dais. It was Nara, my chauffeur—the one who drove me wherever I wished to go. He was also a trusted friend, one of the few who knew I was not human. He knew my true identity, or at least as much of it as I had chosen to share.
He bowed and spoke urgently, "Eternal Emperor Ren, your wives are giving birth to your children. All six of them have asked for you to be with them. We have ensured they are gathered in the same chamber."
At that, I finally opened my eyes. Black and red light burned within them like fire. I rose and answered calmly, "Then let us go."
In an instant, I teleported us to the chamber where my wives were giving birth. Nara appeared beside me as well. Servants moved swiftly and efficiently, ensuring that all six of my wives were properly attended to.
Eventually, all six of my wives had given birth to our children. My fifth wife was the first to deliver—Cecillia Morningstar—bringing forth twins, a girl and a boy. As they cried, she looked upon them with a mixture of pride and relief. Cecillia was the mother of my first wife, the Eternal Empress Bai, my second wife Talia, and my third wife Mariko.
She spoke to me, her voice playful and sharp. "What should we call them, son-in-law?" she said, smirking devilishly as she addressed me that way.
She spoke before I could answer. "How about Jenova and Ultima?" she asked, her devilish smile returning. "What do you think, son-in-law?"
I looked at her and replied, "Those are good names. I like them—you chose well, mother-in-law."
She smiled at my dry humour. "I'm glad you like the names," she said, before looking down at Jenova and Ultima beside her. Her expression softened as she smiled at our children.
I stood before Bai, my gaze settling on the three newborns in turn. The chamber had grown quiet, the cries fading into soft breaths and the gentle rustle of silk. I still wore my helm, its shadow falling over them as my eyes lingered on each child in silence.
At last, I stepped closer and spoke.
"Liyun," I said, my gaze resting on the first.
Then I turned slightly. "Meiying."
Finally, my eyes fell upon the third. "And Xueyao."
Bai smiled softly, repeating the names under her breath as though carving them into her soul. Around us, the maids exchanged quiet glances, sensing the weight of the moment—these were names befitting the daughters of the Eternal Emperor and Eternal Empress.
After naming them, I looked at her. She smiled back at me, her beauty unwavering, her eyes burning with the quiet fire of the phoenix she was.
She spoke gently, her voice warm and steady.
"It's alright," she said. "You can go and see the others now. Thank you for naming our children, Ren."
I nodded to her as she smiled back at me, then turned and made my way toward the next chamber.
There, I found Venya—my counterpart. The only being capable of killing me… and the only one I could kill in return.
Yet death held little meaning between us.
Even if one of us were to fall by the other's hand, we would return soon after. Such was the nature of our existence. True immortals did not remain dead for long.
There had come a time when neither of us could truly defeat the other. Our power had grown too vast, too evenly matched. And even now, though we no longer needed greater strength, we continued to seek it regardless.
It was simply our nature.
The endless pursuit of power.
She spoke to me first, her voice calm but carrying authority.
"Ren, I've already chosen names for our four children: Isaac, Kai, Violet, and Rose Blackdragon."
I looked at her and smiled beneath my helm. She saw it and smiled back.
"Do you like the names, Ren?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yes. Those names are a good choice, Venya. Exactly what I would have picked for them."
She tilted her head, a hint of a knowing smile on her lips. "I know."
She looked elsewhere, toward Talia, my second wife, and smiled at me. I approached her next.
Her vampire nature was unmistakable—her fangs glinting in the light, her blood-red eyes burning as they met mine.
"I'm thirsty, husband," she said, her voice low and teasing. "After giving birth to our twins here… I've named them Cain and Amelia."
I reached for a crystal wine glass and removed the gauntlet from my hand. Then, with a calm motion, I drew a blade and cut across my wrist. Blood flowed freely, dark and rich, filling the glass in moments.
Talia's eyes burned brighter at the sight, her vampiric hunger unmistakable. I handed her the glass without a word.
She accepted it slowly, lifting it to her lips and drinking as though it were a rare vintage—savouring every drop, tasting it with reverence rather than haste.
"Still thirsty, Talia?" I asked quietly. "If you wish, I can cut my wrist again."
She smiled, her crimson eyes softening. "No… this is enough. I'll savour it slowly. After all, it's your blood. No one's can compare to yours, beloved."
I smiled beneath my helm and slipped my gauntlet back on, leaving her to drink in peace as I turned away.
I then approached my third wife, Mariko.
Her countless fox tails were unfurled behind her, cradling the child she had just given birth to. She looked radiant, otherworldly. I gazed down at the infant in her arms—a small, delicate girl, peaceful and warm.
A name came to me instantly.
"Shio," I said aloud.
Mariko looked up at me, surprise flashing briefly across her face before she smiled."Shio… so that's the name you've chosen?"
She lowered her gaze to the newborn and spoke softly, almost teasingly."Did you hear that, little one? Your papa has given you a beautiful name."
The baby stirred in her arms, letting out a faint sound in response.
I walked toward my final wife, my sixth, Sakura. She was my distant cousin, and her eyes sparkled with amusement as she spoke.
"Husband, look… I've given birth to six children, and I am the sixth wife. How funny is that?" she chuckled at the coincidence.
I looked down at the six children she held. One rested against her breast as she fed it, while the other five were being cared for by maids, each given milk from a bottle.
One of the maids stepped forward, addressing me with respect. "Your Eternal Imperial Highness, we have made sure to care for all your children and wives under our supervision."
She was the head of the maids, and her full name was Mary Flower.
"Thank you, Mary," I said, my gaze sweeping over the children. "I want to always be around to see them. I could make clones of myself, but my wives prefer it when I come as one—myself."
"I understand, Your Eternal Imperial Highness," Mary replied, showing me the proper respect.
I looked down at the six children and spoke their names one by one:
"Genesis, Lucian, Kaelith, Seraphine, Selene, and Aerith."
Sakura chuckled softly. "Interesting names, husband. I like them all—very unique indeed," she added with another light laugh.
Nara approached me, leaning in to whisper. He called me by name. "Ren… there's a woman. She says she has known you for a very long time… eternity, even. She implied it."
I looked at him, eyes narrowing. "I have to go for now. Take care of them all—Mary, and the rest of you, please."
They addressed me by my title, and my wives didn't pry about what was happening as I left with Nara.
As we walked through the estate, I asked, "Did she say her name?"
"She says you already know who she is. Why bother asking?" Nara replied. "She told me to say that to you. I'm sorry for my rudeness. She came here with someone else as well. She said… it's your eldest child—your daughter."