THEN
Inside, the Thirteen Legendaries sat circled around a black stone table.
Their auras collided,making the air vibrate like restrained lightning.
The first to speak was Hei Shan, the Steel Giant.
The ground creaked every time he moved.The steel hammer on his back vibrated, emitting a thunderous sound.
"Nǚ Yé…what have you brought? This… a human without a Soul?"
He stared at the baby with a furrowed brow,his expression a mix of anger and confusion.
Han Yue, the Last Sorcerer, snorted while twisting his poison bottle.
Purple smoke danced in the air,making the room smell foul.
"Throw it away.Without a Soul, it's just walking meat. Even my golem corpses are more useful."
"Han Yue!" snapped Qing Mo, the Dragon Mother.
Her roaring voice shook the pavilion walls,and her pair of golden horns gleamed.
"You want to kill a baby who hasn't even opened its eyes?!"
Han Yue sneered.
"I'm just speaking logic.This world will eat him alive. Better to shorten his suffering."
"Both of you, be quiet."
The voice came from the darkest corner.
Bai Hun,the White Spirit, stood there, his body transparent, almost merging with the mist.
"This baby…has been staring at me. But he's not afraid. I don't sense death around him — only… emptiness. Interesting."
Zhuo Lang, the Forger of Heaven and Earth, slammed his blacksmith's hammer onto the floor. The sound sent sparks flying.
"If he survives to adulthood,I want to forge his first weapon. But if he dies… I'll forge his tombstone myself."
"Enough!"
Qing Mo slammed her tail,causing the stone table to tremble.
"If you're all cowards who only know how to talk about death,I'll adopt him myself!"
"Unnecessary."
Nǚ Yé finally spoke,her voice cold yet resolute.
"I found him.I brought him. And I will raise him."
"And if he becomes a threat?" asked Yang Xie, the Healer of 9 Colors.
He gazed at the baby with gentle eyes,his hair shimmering like a rainbow.
"This world is not kind to things unbound.I won't be able to heal the wounds he will receive."
"If he fails," replied Nǚ Yé, "I myself will sever his thread of life."
The pavilion fell silent again.
Even An Jia Li,the Phoenix, who usually laughed freely, just stared at the baby for a long time before saying softly,
"I see ashes…and a fire not yet lit. If he truly is without a Soul, then he is free from the cycle of fate. The world will change when he chooses his path."
The Legendaries exchanged glances.
Finally,the eldest among them—known only as Shou Ye, the Keeper of Time—rapped his staff.
"Then,let us give him a name."
They began to argue again, but this time it wasn't about life or death.
Name after name was suggested,until finally they fell silent and let out a long sigh.
Bai – white, as pure as the mist that enveloped the night he was found.
Ruyue– like the moon hidden behind clouds, yet still giving light.
They completed the naming ceremony.
Symbols on the pavilion floor glowed,encircling the baby with a silver light.
The baby finally opened his eyes.
A silvery light swirled in his pupils,reflecting on the faces of all present.
Nǚ Yé took the baby back into her embrace.
"From today…you are no longer a cursed child. You are Bai Ruyue, son of the mist, who will challenge the world."
And for the first time, the pavilion was filled with a sound that was not a curse or a debate—but the low laughter of An Jia Li, the Phoenix.
"Let us see,Nǚ Yé. Let us see how far your son can make this world burn."
Yet suddenly — the baby moved. And showed fear and crying in that room.
Their eyes — which had witnessed millennia of battle and death — now showed a hint of surprise.
Nǚ Yé stepped forward, standing while holding the baby in front of the Legendaries. "I will bet on this child. Once again, he will become a great figure for me."
"If he succeeds…" Nǚ Yé smiled thinly. "You will all see something even you cannot imagine."
Silence filled the pavilion once more. One by one, they restrained their auras.
"Yes." The old man's eyes gleamed. "If he is to be Nǚ Yé's wager, let his name be a reminder that we all witnessed the beginning of something that may change the world."
Nǚ Yé gazed at the baby with a look rarely seen on the face of a cold-blooded demon like herself.
That night, the sky thundered.
And in a valley hidden from all maps,the legend of Bai Ruyue began.
TIME PASSES – THE EARLY YEARS OF BAI RUYUE
In Nǚ Yé's private chambers, the scent of herbal concoctions mixed with the smell of milk, as if the room had become a blend of a demon's lair and a mother's home.
Nǚ Yé sat on a stone chair,her scales shimmering under the soft light from the moon crystal. On her lap, a tiny baby squirmed, cried, and—
PSSHH!
Warm water splashed onto her face.
Nǚ Yé was silent for a moment, then hissed,
"...You are truly bold,little human."
Her tail swished angrily, but her gaze remained soft.
The baby just giggled,as if laughing at the serpent's anger.
Outside, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard. The head of a Dragon Mother, as large as the entrance, peered in, her scales reflecting blue-green light. "Hahaha! Little snake, since when did you become a nursemaid? You don't even know how to put him to sleep."
Nǚ Yé glared. "You think I asked for this? But every time I look into his eyes... I feel something. As if a thread is pulling my soul towards him."
Qing Mo, the dragon mother, her eyes shining with curiosity. "A soul thread? Are you sure it's not just your maternal instincts finally waking up?"
Another laugh echoed. The Healer of 9 Colors stepped in lightly, carrying a porcelain bowl containing a milky-colored potion. "Stop arguing. Drink this, Nǚ Yé. Your body will start producing milk, at least until the little human can eat porridge. Otherwise, you'll keep all of us awake every night."
Nǚ Yé stared at the potion for a long time, then sighed. "If my tail gets fat because of this, I'll drag you to the swamp for three days."
Yang Xie smiled casually. "Try it. You won't have the time; that baby will keep you busy."
They laughed together.
For the first time since the tragedy in the human world,the underground palace felt... alive.
A FEW MONTHS PASSED
The baby's cries were no longer as sharp as before.
Bai Ruyue could now crawl,explore the stone floors, and even tried to bite Nǚ Yé's tail.
A startled Nǚ Yé shouted in panic,
"That is not a toy!Let go!"
Qing Mo, the Dragon Mother, peeking from the door, laughed heartily again. "You truly look like a mother snake now."
A flushed Nǚ Yé, hiding her embarrassment, retorted.
"Quiet!I'm just... making sure he stays alive."
Yang Xie, the Healer of 9 Colors, grinned mischievously. "You even sleep coiled around him. No demon in this world believes you don't consider him your own."
The days went on.
The child learned to reach,learned to sit, learned to walk—though his body was weak and slow, he never stopped trying.
The Legendaries, who initially wanted to kill him, now often stood at a distance just to watch him laugh.
And finally,on a night illuminated by moonlight.
After a day full of life with the child, Bai Ruyue, who lived in this pavilion.
In the stone hall illuminated by the blue light of the crystal core, the thirteen Legendaries sat in a circle.
In the center of the circle,a simple stone chair was placed. On it sat the small child now named Bai Ruyue, chewing on the hem of Nǚ Yé's robe while watching them with clear, expressionless eyes.
The air in the room was so dense, every breath seemed to shake the soul.
On one side,Xuan Shen stood, his white robes shining like the sun, the staff in his hand emitting a light that forced all shadows into hiding.
Xuan Shen's voice echoed in the room. "Time has moved on, but I am truly curious about this creature… without a Soul. That means he is not part of the Wheel of Life. No path of cultivation, no destiny written. He is merely… a corpse given the illusion of life."
Across from him, sulfurous smoke rolled. Mo Zhang, his body wrapped in chains, lifted his head.
His red eyes glowed,a crooked smile sneering. "And that is precisely what makes him interesting. If he can grow… without a Soul… it means he can be free from the world's constraints. Imagine if he becomes strong enough—" a low laugh, "He might even be able to shatter the Law itself."
The stone chair creaked. Tian Luo, the Eternal Emperor, stood with a pressuring aura, his gaze piercing towards the baby. "Stop speculating. Without a Soul, he cannot even become a complete human. What is the use of nurturing such weakness?"
Nǚ Yé, hearing this, hissed sharply, "Use? I don't care. He is alive. That is enough for now, remember my words from before, Tian Luo."
The sound of rain was suddenly heard.
From the corner of the room,Lin Fei—the Headless Rain Peri—stood motionless, dew dripping from his armor. A faint sound came from his body, like rain tapping on roof tiles.
Everyone turned.
Bai Hun,the White Spirit, approached slowly and leaned in. And spoke softly, translating it,
"Lin Fei says…this baby should… uh… we bury him alive?"
Lin Fei stopped moving. The dew dripped more heavily, like a sudden downpour.
Bai Hun was silent for a moment then tried to translate his words again. "...Or maybe he said don't bury him? Hm… his language is too poetic."
Qing Mo, the Dragon Mother, snorted, her wings flapping slowly. "Even after hundreds of years you still can't translate his language correctly."
Bai Hun, slightly offended, retorted. "Hey, at least I try."
The room filled with suppressed laughter.
Even Tian Luo suppressed a small smile,though he quickly hid it.
Xuan Shen tapped his staff, the light spreading and calming all auras in the room. "Good. If you all have decided to let him live, then he shall live. But remember, if one day he becomes a disaster…"
Mo Zhang then cut in, his voice hoarse and tempting. "I will be the first to support him."
"...And I will be the first to strike him down," continued Xuan Shen, shooting a sharp glance.
The little baby, as if understanding the tension in the room, suddenly let out a small laugh while reaching for Nǚ Yé's hand.
The previously heavy atmosphere melted instantly.Yang Xie, the Healer of 9 Colors, said, "See? Even he knows you're all too tense. Perhaps we all should relax a little."