He dived into the swamp river and the first feeling he got was the faint trace of her dying aura. He swam towards the murky darkness underneath the river but it was harder to figure out her exact location with the distractions of the tangled roots and coiled weeds, the algae floating around him and the muffled croaks of frogs. He feared the possibility that the star was too weak to withstand the currents and got buried somewhere that would take months for it to be discovered.
Thankfully, he had that much power to prevent that from happening. Even if she was dead and her original being was moments away from giving up its light, this was never a proper burial place for the immortal he loved and cared for the most.
Bringing his index and middle finger close to his dark lips, his dark grey domain expanded and spread like a storm. The riverbed responded to his call and slowly began to give up everything it had swallowed since its birth.
The decayed bones and possessions of immortals and beasts alike rose and circled around him but the star was nowhere in sight. And he was not ready to give up on it yet.
If draining the very life source of the immortals of the third immortal realm would bring him to her, then so be it.
He was ready to do all ungodly things, even if it meant defying the heavens and overstepping some boundaries.
The Lonely God willed his magic, strengthening the currents of the water around him and creating a massive, sand-like drain beneath.
Yaoqin from above watched as the dark brown levels of the river began to decrease alarmingly, thereby triggering the presence of a few immortal lords who appeared to save their life source from drying up.
Yaoqin remembered what his master had told him and stepped between the drying river and the immortal lords trying to stop whatever his master was doing underneath to save the star.
''Who are you?! And how dare you stop us from saving our life source?!'' The sect leader of the third immortal realm raged as the divine beast created a blazing crimson barrier between him and the angry immortals.
''My master has ordered that no one disturbs him as he tries to save his star!''
The ancient immortals all looked at each other before returning to the divine beast.
''Your Master?! How dare your Master try to endanger the very thing that supports the existence of the immortals of the third realm at the cost of looking for a star? Who is your Master?!'' The leader questioned as he released more of his powers in an attempt to destroy the shield. The other immortals fighting behind stared worriedly at the fast draining river and they released all their powers to try and save it.
Yaoqin didn't say anything as he grounded his feet, swearing not to let go until his master had successfully recovered the fallen star. Even so, the divine beast wondered if it was really necessary for his master to drain the entire river essential for immortal cultivation to retrieve a dead star.
*
A loud roar breezed past him as his magic continued to power the drain facilitating the disappearance of the river. The immortal god stared as the river tried to repel his hold on it.
The roar rippled again, louder when the river realized he was stronger. His eyes darkened mercilessly at the river's pitiful attempt to survive.
If you wouldn't let her go, then there is no use of your existence.
The Lonely God moved his hands as a glowing white crystal sphere of his magic beamed in-between his palms. The dark white crystal-like ball of magic connected to the drain gave it more energy and the repelling force of the river grew violent against him.
When the river saw that it did not stand a chance against its opposition, it gained the physical form of a beast, one with the head of a dragon and the body of a long, white snake.
The enigma roared defiantly at the face of the God who threatened its existence.
The enigma and the God locked eyes before the beast turned and used its body to deliver a powerful blow to the God who stumbled a few distance back with blood dripping down his pale chin.
The Lonely God formed a protective grey bubble like barrier around him when the beast continued its attack by projecting a molten torrent of dragon fire from its mouth, burning the shield slowly.
The Lonely God used its powers to strengthen the shield around him as the water dragon pushed itself to its limit to defend itself.
Once its power was drained on trying to break through the shield, the enigma retreated to the shadows. Only its dark, serpentine eyes were on the God far from being merciful on it.
''How can you call yourself a God and threaten other forms of life like this?'' The dragon hissed in the darkness.
The Lonely God let go of the bubble-like shield around him and answered, ''There is only one life I value the most. Even my existence is meaningless without it.''
The dragon growled and rebuked, ''How shameful. No wonder you don't have any followers.''
The God, beautiful and merciless stared amusingly at the dragon before intimidating the creature with an even more deathly look.
''The star that fell on you, where is it?'' He inquired without wasting time.
The enigma's large serpentine form moved in the shadows at the mention of the star and lied, ''I don't know what you are talking about.''
''Don't you dare lie to me or I will give you a death your enemies wouldn't wish for you.''
The dragon let out a low, dark growl at the arrogant God. If not for his powers the immortals above came for every day to take, the God wouldn't stand a chance to bully him like this. That was the reason he swallowed that injured star that fell on him when he noticed the unfathomable amount of God aura the star held. If the star remained in him for a thousand years, he would be unstoppable.
He could have the chance to cultivate enough to be a God and those lowly immortals would stop using him and his powers to their advantage.
Now, he could feel her more than before since the appearance of the river's physical manifestation. His gaze darkened on the beast trying its best to blend with the dark. He didn't want to jump to conclusions too quickly and gave the beast one last chance to come clean before him.
''Where is my star?''
''Your star?'' The dragon sneered in disbelief. ''The star belongs to no one. It came to me first so it is only right I lay my claim on it before anyone.''
The tension between him and the dragon grew. He tried to think of how else he could make it clear to everyone that their greed to become the best version of themselves that they can never achieve shouldn't be done in a way that involved taking advantage of others.
Especially the one he saved, raised, protected and fell in-love with.
''Alright,'' the immortal god raised his hands and conjured up a terrifying avatar replica of the beast hiding in the shadows. This avatar had hard scales burning heatedly with fire as it grew three heads ready to tear it apart scale after scale. From the shadows, the enigma's eyes widened in terror at the magical beast conjured up to destroy him and he immediately considered that a thousand years of cultivating a dead star filled with God's aura wasn't worth being killed like this.
The enigma considered the possibility of other paths it could take to Godhood.
''Don't blame me when you can't ever take a physical form again.''
The avatar beast roared, ready to slay the terrified dragon.
The dragon thought about it before finally giving up and spitting out the star it swallowed before disappearing back into his original being.
His eyes softened at the sight of the small, broken star. Without wasting a second, he captured it with his magic and drew it protectively close.