Taiyi's body trembled, though no mortal eye could see him. His consciousness drifted within the boundless void, caught in a space where even time refused to flow. Around him hung fragments of light and shadow, each one whispering voices of the past.
Chains wrapped around his limbs, heavy and cold, their ends vanishing into the void. Some chains glowed with golden light, others pulsed black like veins of poison. They were not forged from metal, but from his very soul. Each one represented a shackle of memory, regret, or attachment.
"Why struggle so much?" A soft, alluring voice echoed in the darkness. It was neither male nor female, but it carried warmth, gentleness, and a hint of intimate knowledge. "I can give you what you desire. Power, wealth, immortality everlasting. Release your burden, and all chains shall vanish."
The voice's warmth seeped into him like spring sunlight, easing the pain of his struggle. For a moment, his mind swayed. His arms grew heavy, and his will wavered.
A chain clinked, glowing faintly as though loosening.
But then, a sharp memory surged from deep within his heart.
A night long ago, when the Divine Emperor — his elder brother — had stood with him on the cliff of starlight. The older man's hair was crowned with frost, his eyes filled with both sorrow and wisdom.
"Brother, I don't know what the heavens have written for me," the Divine Emperor had said. "But if I fall, you must promise me one thing… Never forget your heart."
Those words cut through the haze.
Taiyi's lips curved into a bitter smile. He opened his eyes in the void, and spoke aloud. "You think I would sell my heart for comfort? No. That is not who I am."
The chains rattled violently, resisting him.
The voice chuckled, low and coaxing. "Then answer me, Taiyi. If I give you the chance to undo the past, will you take it? Your brother need not die. The heavens need not bleed. You could sit upon the throne of eternity together."
Before Taiyi's eyes, the void rippled. Scenes unfolded, vivid as reality.
He saw the Divine Emperor, alive once more, smiling in triumph. He saw the heavenly palace unbroken, the Eternal Generals standing proudly by his side. He saw the six realms united, not through blood and betrayal, but through harmony.
It was perfect.
His chest tightened. His soul longed to reach forward and seize this illusion, to make it truth.
Another chain rattled.
But then he noticed the cracks beneath the perfection. The laughter of his brother was hollow. The Eternal Generals stood like puppets, their eyes dull. Even the heavenly palace gleamed like glass — beautiful, yet fragile.
"No." Taiyi whispered, then shouted. "This is not the world he wanted!"
The illusion shattered.
The chains dug deeper into his flesh, punishing his resistance. Pain wracked him, blood spilling in the spiritual form of his body. But Taiyi gritted his teeth and endured.
The voice did not falter. It grew sharper, more insistent. "What about your daughter? Do you not long to stand by her side? You left her in the mortal realm, a fragile lamb among wolves. I can give her safety. I can make her call you 'father' openly, without fear or shame. All it costs… is surrender."
The void changed again.
This time, he stood in Medicine Valley, the fragrant herbs swaying under mortal sunlight. His daughter, Tie Ling, ran across the fields, her laughter bright. She looked no older than five, her face round and innocent. She stumbled, and he rushed forward — but his hands passed through her.
"Father! Father!" she cried, looking around. "Where are you?"
The ache in his chest grew unbearable. He wanted nothing more than to answer her, to hold her in his arms.
The voice whispered silkily. "Take my hand, and she will see you. She will know you. Is that not what you desire most?"
Taiyi's body trembled. His soul wavered.
But then he remembered — the long years he had followed her in secret. Protecting her from bandits, from beasts, from fate itself. She had survived, not because of his presence, but because of her own strength. She had inherited his will, his blood.
He clenched his fists. "She does not need me to cheat destiny for her. She will walk her path, just as I walked mine."
The illusion flickered. Tie Ling's form dissolved into ash.
The chains shook violently, as if enraged by his defiance. They squeezed tighter, threatening to crush his very soul.
Yet Taiyi roared, summoning his will. Flames of draconic essence burst from his body, illuminating the void. His dragon blood boiled, scales shimmering across his spiritual form.
"I will not bow! Not to false dreams, not to comfort, not even to fate!"
One by one, the chains snapped, shattering into fragments of light.
The void shook.
The voice screamed, its gentle facade collapsing into raw fury. "Fool! You will regret this! You cannot win against us!"
Taiyi stood tall, his aura blazing. His brother's words echoed once more: The worst enemies are not foes, but those you once called brothers.
He raised his head and roared. "I… CAN… WIN!"
The entire void trembled, and the oppressive darkness shattered like glass.
Suddenly, he was back atop the Emotion Severing Cliff. The storm of willpower around him dispersed, leaving clarity in its place. His chest heaved, his body drenched in sweat, but his eyes shone brighter than ever.
Yet the trial was not done.
A pulse surged through his veins. His dragon bloodline erupted, boiling as though awakened by some distant resonance. His vision blurred, and he saw her — Tie Ling — though she could not see him. She stood in another realm, a faint glow pulsing within her chest.
Their bloodlines connected across the river of time and space.
A roar echoed from the heavens, shaking all six realms. The cry of an ancient dragon intertwined with the call of a phoenix, harmonizing into a sound that defied eternity.
Taiyi smiled, exhaustion washing over him. For the first time in countless years, he felt his heart beat again.
Not as a cultivator. Not as a monarch. Not as a disciple or brother.
But as a father.