At the very center of the hall floated the enormous Heavenly Mirror, its crystal surface rippling as it reflected Moonfall Village.Grand Elder Tian Xuan stood before it with both hands behind his back, his eyes silently watching everything happening below. Not a single elder dared interrupt him. Suddenly, the massive bronze doors slowly opened. General Han Wei strode into the hall with firm, disciplined steps before stopping several paces behind the Grand Elder. He immediately knelt on one knee and lowered his head. "Grand Elder."
Tian Xuan did not look away from the Mirror. "Report." Han Wei inhaled slowly before speaking. "They've entered Moonfall Village." A faint murmur spread across the Heavenly Hall.Several elders exchanged uneasy looks. Elder Bai Yun narrowed his eyes. "So... they've finally reached it." Elder Luo Feng frowned. "Earlier than we predicted." Another Heavenly official quietly whispered, "If they've truly entered the village...then the shrine can't remain dormant much longer."
Tian Xuan remained perfectly calm. His gaze never left the mirror as he quietly replied, "The village has begun to awaken." Elder Bai Yun folded his sleeves. "Grand Elder...if Moonfall Village awakens completely, the situation may leave Heaven's control." Tian Xuan answered without the slightest change in expression. "It already has."
Before anyone could continue, hurried footsteps echoed from outside and doors opened once again. Elder Mu Chen entered carrying several scrolls tightly against his chest.He walked directly toward Tian Xuan before bowing respectfully. "Grand Elder..." His voice was noticeably heavier than usual. "Our archives are changing." Everyone immediately turned toward him. Mu Chen carefully unrolled the oldest scroll. "This archive contains every village recorded since the First Heavenly Era." He pointed toward one section. "Moonfall Village should be here."
Everyone looked closely. At first nothing happened. Then one golden character slowly blurred. Another faded. Within seconds, entire lines dissolved into tiny golden particles before disappearing completely. Several Heavenly officials stepped forward in disbelief. "Impossible..." one elder muttered. Mu Chen immediately opened another scroll. The same thing happened.He opened a third. Then a fourth. Every archive connected to Moonfall Village slowly erased itself before everyone's eyes."Every record connected to Moonfall Village..." He slowly raised his eyes toward the Grand Elder. "...is vanishing."
Elder Bai Yun immediately took one of the blank scrolls from Mu Chen and poured spiritual energy into it. Nothing appeared. He frowned deeply. "No illusion..." Elder Luo Feng looked equally disturbed. "The records themselves have ceased to exist." A young Heavenly official swallowed nervously. "Who would dare tamper with Heaven's own history?" Mu Chen slowly shook his head. "No one is rewriting them." His voice became quieter. "They're erasing themselves."
One elderly scholar's hands trembled slightly as he stared at the empty parchment. "Impossible..." he whispered. "These records have existed since the First Heavenly Era." Another elder quietly added, "Even if someone possessed the ability to alter history..." His voice gradually weakened. "...they should never be able to reach Heaven's archives." Bai Yun slowly closed the scroll and looked toward Grand Elder Tian Xuan. "Grand Elder..." he said seriously. "If our own records cannot be trusted..." He paused briefly. "...then how much of our history is truly real?" Tian Xuan remained silent. His eyes rested upon the blank scroll without revealing the slightest emotion.
Before anyone could speak again, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor outside.The bronze doors suddenly burst open and Heavenly official rushed inside carrying several glowing jade tablets with both hands. His breathing was uneven, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. He immediately fell onto one knee. "Grand Elder!" he called urgently. "The Record Pavilion has reported abnormalities!"
Before anyone could question him, one of the jade tablets suddenly cracked down the middle with a sharp sound. Everyone turned toward it in surprise.A second tablet began glowing before every engraved character upon its surface slowly disappeared one after another. Then a third tablet simply turned completely blank. More cracks spread across the remaining tablets as though an invisible force were erasing them from existence. Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
General Han Wei's expression darkened as he unconsciously clenched both fists. "This shouldn't be possible..." he muttered. Elder Luo Feng quickly caught one of the falling jade tablets before it struck the floor. He immediately poured spiritual energy into it. Nothing happened.The tablet remained empty. Even its spiritual aura had vanished. Mu Chen quietly closed his eyes for a brief moment before speaking in a voice filled with concern. "If Heaven forgets..." He slowly looked around the silent hall. "...who will remember the truth?" No one answered him.
Grand Elder Tian Xuan slowly turned away from the Heavenly Mirror. His calm gaze settled upon another elder standing quietly among the assembly. "Elder Xuan Yi." His voice remained steady. "Tell us what fate is hiding." Xuan Yi silently stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Without another word, he walked toward the enormous celestial formation engraved into the center of the hall. As he sat cross-legged, countless ancient runes surrounding him immediately lit up. Golden light spread across the polished floor as dozens of brilliant stars slowly appeared above the formation.
Xuan Yi gently closed his eyes and formed several hand seals. At first, the stars rotated peacefully around him, illuminating the entire chamber with warm golden light. Everything appeared perfectly normal. Then...without warning...every single star suddenly stopped moving. The golden light dimmed. One by one, the stars went dark until only endless blackness remained. The entire formation trembled violently beneath Xuan Yi. A low rumble echoed through the hall.
Instead of stars, countless black Threads slowly emerged from the darkness. They spread across the heavens like enormous cracks tearing apart the night sky. The elders watched in stunned silence as the Threads wrapped themselves around magnificent Heavenly palaces. Around endless celestial rivers. Around ancient records floating within the Record Pavilion. Then...they slowly reached the Heavenly Mirror itself. Black Threads silently coiled around its glowing surface.
Xuan Yi's breathing immediately became uneven and sweat rolled down his forehead. His hands trembled as the formation beneath him shook harder and harder. Suddenly, his eyes flew open. "Impossible..." he whispered hoarsely.Grand Elder Tian Xuan calmly looked at him. "What did you see?" Xuan Yi struggled to steady his breathing. His face had turned noticeably pale. He slowly lifted his trembling hand toward the Heavenly Mirror. "The Threads..." His voice shook. "...have reached Heaven."
The hall instantly erupted. Several elders stood at once. "Impossible!" Elder Bai Yun shouted. "Heaven cannot be touched!" Another elder immediately protested, "Nothing from the mortal world has ever crossed the Heavenly Boundary!" General Han Wei's eyes remained fixed upon Xuan Yi. "Are you certain of what you saw?" Xuan Yi slowly shook his head. "They're not attacking Heaven..." His voice became quieter with every word. "...They're erasing it." The Hall fell in silent.After several long moments, Xuan Yi gathered enough strength to continue. "If Moonfall Village fully awakens..." He slowly raised his eyes toward Tian Xuan. "...Heaven will lose its control over history."
Elder Luo Feng slowly tightened his grip on his sleeve. "Control over history..." he repeated quietly. "Do you understand what you're saying?" Xuan Yi nodded weakly. "I wish I didn't." He lowered his head, his breathing still uneven. "When I looked into fate...I couldn't see tomorrow." Several younger Heavenly officials looked at one another in confusion. One finally gathered enough courage to ask, "Elder...what do you mean?" Xuan Yi slowly closed his eyes. "The future..." His voice trembled slightly. "...simply disappeared."
Mu Chen frowned deeply. "No future?" Xuan Yi slowly nodded. "Only endless Threads." He looked toward the Heavenly Mirror with lingering fear. "It was as though destiny itself had stopped being written." Elder Bai Yun's face immediately darkened. "Impossible." He took one step forward. "Heaven governs destiny." Xuan Yi slowly shook his head. "Not anymore." General Han Wei silently clenched both fists. "If even Heaven cannot see tomorrow..." He slowly looked toward Tian Xuan. "...then what exactly is waiting inside Moonfall Village?" Tian Xuan remained silent.
Elder Bai Yun stepped forward without another moment of hesitation.His robes fluttered as a powerful spiritual pressure spread throughout the Heavenly Hall. Several younger officials lowered their heads beneath the overwhelming aura."Grand Elder." His voice remained firm. "This cannot continue." He looked directly at Tian Xuan. "Allow me to descend." His eyes became noticeably colder. "I'll stop them before they uncover the remaining truth."
General Han Wei immediately stepped beside him and bowed respectfully. "I agree." His expression remained serious. "The Shrine of Origin must remain sealed. If the prophecy is true..." He glanced briefly toward Xuan Yi. "...then we cannot allow the final seal to open." Several elders quietly nodded in agreement. Even Elder Luo Feng spoke. "If history changes..." He looked around the hall. "...everything Heaven has protected until now may collapse." To everyone's surprise, Tian Xuan raised one hand and said,"No."
Elder Bai Yun frowned deeply."Grand Elder! After everything we've just witnessed...you would still allow them to continue?" Tian Xuan slowly turned toward the Heavenly Mirror once again and faint smile gradually appeared on his face. "They've come too far." His eyes quietly watched the reflection of Moonfall Village. "Stopping them now would accomplish nothing." Mu Chen studied Tian Xuan's expression before something suddenly dawned on him. His pupils contracted slightly. "You're using them."
Several elders slowly turned toward Tian Xuan. He neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. Instead, he quietly spoke while continuing to watch the mirror. "For countless generations...Heaven has searched for the answer hidden behind the final seal." He slowly folded his hands behind his back. "Kings searched for it." "Saints searched for it." "Even the founders of the Heavenly Court searched for it." He paused briefly before continuing. "...And all of them failed."
General Han Wei frowned. "So you intend to let them succeed..." Tian Xuan's faint smile widened ever so slightly. "Because someone must open the door." Mu Chen lowered his eyes."Even if they're sacrificed in the process?" Tian Xuan answered quietly. "History has always demanded a price." His gaze never left the mirror. "Once the final seal opens..." His voice became almost a whisper. "...the answer Heaven has sought across countless generations will finally reveal itself."
Without warning, the Mirror suddenly trembled and ripple spread across its crystal surface,distorting the image of Moonfall Village as though an invisible hand had touched the water. Everyone in the Hall of Heavenly Judgment immediately turned toward it. Several Heavenly officials frowned in confusion."What's happening?" one of the younger officials whispered, instinctively taking a step back.The mirror flickered once then again. The golden light illuminating the hall suddenly dimmed, and the ancient runes carved into the surrounding pillars began flickering one after another.
Elder Luo Feng's expression changed. "The Heavenly Mirror..." he muttered. "...it's resisting something." Mu Chen stared at the mirror with widened eyes. "No..." he whispered. "Something is looking back." The image inside the mirror suddenly collapsed into complete darkness and entire hall fell silent. Even the Heavenly Mirror's usual spiritual aura disappeared. Then, for the briefest second...a silver mask slowly emerged from the darkness. The Chain Bearer stood motionless,surrounded by endless black mist. His countless chains floated silently around him, moving without wind, their faint metallic echoes somehow reaching the Heavenly Hall itself.
No one moved. Slowly masked figure lifted his head. His hidden gaze seemed to pierce through the Heavenly Mirror itself, passing beyond its reflection until it settled upon every elder standing inside the Hall of Heavenly Judgment.Several younger Heavenly officials staggered backward, unable to endure the invisible weight pressing against their shoulders. One of them nearly dropped the glowing jade tablet in his hands. Another instinctively lowered his head, and sweat running down his forehead.
General Han Wei immediately placed one hand on the hilt of his sword. His entire body tensed. "He's looking at us." Elder Bai Yun's spiritual energy erupted around him as his sharp eyes locked onto the masked figure. "Impossible..." he growled. "He shouldn't be able to see through the Heavenly Mirror." Elder Luo Feng quickly formed several hand seals, activating defensive formations throughout the hall.Golden barriers appeared one after another around the Heavenly Mirror.
Yet the masked figure never reacted.He simply stood there, quietly watching them. Then...he slowly raised one hand and one black chain drifted into his palm. With a single gentle movement of his fingers...the chain tightened. At that exact moment, every golden barrier surrounding the Heavenly Mirror cracked with loud, echoing sounds. Several formations instantly shattered into countless particles of light.
Elder Luo Feng's eyes widened in disbelief. "He...broke a Heavenly Formation..." A younger Heavenly official stumbled backward. "Who...who is he?" No one answered. The masked figure calmly tilted his head ever so slightly. Though his face remained hidden behind the silver mask, everyone inside the hall somehow felt as though he were smiling. Then his voice echoed through the Heavenly Mirror. "You still believe..." A brief silence followed. "...that history belongs to Heaven."
The masked figure slowly looked across every elder one final time before continuing. "You've buried too many truths." His chains quietly rattled around him. "You've mistaken silence..." Another pause. "...for peace." Grand Elder Tian Xuan remained completely silent, his eyes fixed upon the figure inside the mirror. The Chain Bearer's voice became colder. "When the final seal opens..." He slowly tightened his grip around the chain. "...Heaven will no longer decide what this world remembers."
Every candle inside the Hall of Heavenly Judgment suddenly extinguished at once. Darkness spread in seconds.The younger Heavenly officials gasped in alarm. Then the candles reignited by themselves. The silver mask remained visible for only another moment. Masked figure looked at Tian Xuan and said,"Prepare yourselves...because this time..." A faint metallic sound filled the chamber as every chain around him glowed crimson. "...the ones standing in judgment..." His hidden gaze settled directly upon Tian Xuan. "...will be judged as well."
Then reflection shattered like disturbed water and Moonfall Village returned.The Mirror became completely still. Mu Chen slowly tightened his grip around the blank scroll still resting in his hands.Xuan Yi's breathing became uneven once again. Grand Elder Tian Xuan's expression noticeably changed. His eyes narrowed slightly as he quietly looked into the now peaceful Mirror. After several moments, he softly murmured, "So...you've noticed us too."
Elder Bai Yun's patience finally broke and with a sharp step forward, he slammed his palm against one of the massive white stone pillars supporting the Hall of Heavenly Judgment.A deafening boom echoed throughout the chamber as cracks spread across the surface of the pillar before quickly repairing themselves under the protection of ancient Heavenly formations. His spiritual aura erupted without restraint,causing the robes of every official nearby to flutter violently.
"He threatened Heaven!" Bai Yun's voice thundered across the hall. "That criminal should have been destroyed centuries ago!" Several elders immediately lowered their heads in agreement while others silently exchanged uneasy glances. One elderly official frowned deeply before asking, "If he truly remained sealed all these years...how did he appear inside the Heavenly Mirror?" Another elder slowly added, "The Mirror has never been breached since the founding of the Heavenly Court."
General Han Wei remained standing beside the mirror, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. His sharp eyes never left the now peaceful reflection. "How did he bypass the Heavenly Mirror?" he asked quietly. No one answered. Even Elder Luo Feng, the master of Heavenly formations, slowly shook his head. "Its barriers were intact." His brows furrowed tightly. "Not a single formation was broken." Mu Chen lowered his eyes toward the blank scroll still clutched in his hands. "Then how?" he murmured. "...How did he look back at us?" Silence answered him.
Grand Elder Tian Xuan took one slow step forward.He looked toward Mirror before speaking,"He didn't bypass it." Every elder turned toward him and confusion filled the hall. Elder Bai Yun frowned. "Grand Elder?" Tian Xuan slowly folded his hands behind his back. "He didn't force his way through the Heavenly Mirror." His gaze remained fixed upon its crystal surface. "Because he already knew its heart." The hall fell completely silent. General Han Wei's pupils contracted slightly. "What?" Even Mu Chen looked genuinely surprised.
Tian Xuan remained quiet for several moments before continuing. "Long before the Heavenly Court and the Chain Bearer stood on opposite sides..." His calm voice echoed softly throughout the chamber. "...he once served Heaven."Several younger Heavenly officials looked at one another in disbelief. One of them even took step backward.Elder Bai Yun rejected the statement. "Impossible." His voice was cold. "That traitor could never have served Heaven." Tian Xuan slowly turned his eyes toward him. "Whether you choose to believe it changes nothing." Bai Yun fell silent.
The Grand Elder continued, "At that time..." He looked once more toward the ancient mirror. "...he was one of Heaven's greatest formation masters." Elder Luo Feng's breathing slowed. "Formation master?" Tian Xuan gave a slight nod. "The Heavenly Mirror did not appear by itself." He placed one hand against its smooth surface and golden runes beneath the crystal immediately glowed in response. "Countless cultivators spent generations constructing it." His fingers slowly traced one of the glowing patterns. "Among them..." His voice became quieter. "...was the man who would later become the Chain Bearer."
Elder Luo Feng stared at the runes in disbelief. "Then..." Tian Xuan finished the thought for him. "...He helped create the very formations protecting this mirror."Mu Chen slowly lowered his head as realization settled over him."So...he knows every weakness." Tian Xuan nodded once. "Every formation." "Every seal." "Every hidden passage." His calm gaze swept across the assembled elders. "There are few within Heaven who understand the Heavenly Mirror as completely as he does."
General Han Wei slowly removed his hand from his sword. His expression grew heavier with every passing moment. "Then all these years..." he said quietly. "...he wasn't trying to break into Heaven." Tian Xuan looked toward him. Han Wei finished in a low voice. "He simply never needed to." No one answered. Even Bai Yun found himself unable to argue. He slowly looked back toward the mirror, remembering the silver mask that had calmly stared into the Hall of Heavenly Judgment only moments before.Mu Chen quietly tightened his grip on the blank scroll again before asking the question lingering in everyone's mind. "Grand Elder..." He hesitated briefly. "...If he once stood beside Heaven..." His eyes slowly lifted toward Tian Xuan. "...what happened that turned him into our greatest enemy?"
Tian Xuan remained motionless for a long time before quietly speaking. "Because..." His voice was unusually low. "...he chose one life over Heaven." Everyone froze. Elder Bai Yun frowned deeply. "One life?" General Han Wei slowly looked toward Tian Xuan. "You mean..." Tian Xuan slowly nodded. "Heaven gave him an order." His eyes became distant, as though looking into a memory thousands of years old. "That order required the sacrifice of an innocent child."
Several Heavenly officials looked at one another in disbelief. Elder Luo Feng whispered,"He refused?" Tian Xuan quietly answered, "He refused." Mu Chen slowly lowered the scroll in his hands. "Then...he wasn't rebelling against Heaven." Tian Xuan closed his eyes. "No." After a long pause, he continued, "He simply couldn't watch an innocent child die." Bai Yun's voice became noticeably colder. "One child..." He slowly clenched his fists. "...and he abandoned Heaven?"
Tian Xuan slowly turned toward him. "No." His calm gaze met Bai Yun's. "Heaven abandoned him first." Nobody spoke. The words echoed throughout the hall, heavier than any spiritual pressure. Tian Xuan looked toward the Mirror once more. "From that day onward Guardian of Chains disappeared." Mu Chen immediately hurried toward one of the oldest Heavenly shelves. "Then there must still be records." He searched through countless ancient scrolls until he finally found one hidden inside a sealed jade case. As he carefully opened it, only a single sentence remained. "The Guardian of Chains."
Beneath the title should have been a name. Instead...only deep scratches remained, as though someone had torn the very existence of that name from history itself. Mu Chen stared silently before whispering, "Even Heaven no longer remembers his real name."
General Han Wei slowly stepped closer and looked down at the damaged record. "Can a name truly disappear like this?" Mu Chen gently shook his head. "Not naturally." His fingers brushed across the scratches."
Every person who enters Heaven is recorded the moment they ascend.Those records cannot simply vanish." Elder Luo Feng frowned. "Then someone erased him." Mu Chen's expression became uneasy. "No." He slowly lifted the scroll. "This is far worse." Everyone looked toward him. Mu Chen continued quietly, "If someone had erased his name...there would still be traces of the original Heavenly inscription." He pointed toward the deep scars across the page. "But there is nothing." His breathing slowed. It's as though Heaven itself forgot there was ever a name here."
One of the younger Heavenly officials spoke with visible unease."How is that possible?" Elder Bai Yun folded his arms tightly across his chest. "Nothing is impossible if someone possesses enough power." Luo Feng slowly shook his head. "No." His voice was firm. "Not even the Grand Elder possesses the authority to alter the Heavenly Records to this extent." General Han Wei looked toward Tian Xuan. "Then who could?" Mu Chen carefully rolled the scroll back together before speaking once more. "I've spent thousands of years guarding Heaven's archives." His eyes remained fixed on the damaged parchment. "I've seen forgotten kingdoms... fallen immortals...and erased bloodlines." He slowly looked around the hall. "But never... has Heaven forgotten one of its own."
Several elders instinctively lowered their eyes. Even Bai Yun no longer argued.Elder Xuan Yi asked,"If Heaven erased his name..." His gaze shifted toward Tian Xuan. "what was Heaven so afraid of remembering?" No one could answer. Every eye gradually turned toward the Grand Elder.Tian Xuan's eyes remained fixed on the Heavenly Mirror, but his thoughts drifted somewhere far away.For the briefest moment...broken fragments surfaced within his mind.
He saw a vast white staircase stretching endlessly toward the heavens. Countless Heavenly officials stood silently along both sides, their expressions cold and unreadable. At the very end of the staircase...a lone figure knelt upon the white stone floor. His long robes were stained with dust, and countless broken chains rested around him. His head remained lowered, yet his shoulders trembled ever so slightly. And familiar voice echoed faintly through Tian Xuan's mind. "Please..." It was quiet. Hoarse. Filled with exhaustion. "...There has to be another way."
Then another fragment appeared where kneeling figure slowly lifted his head.Though Tian Xuan could not clearly see his face, he could hear every word as though they had been spoken only yesterday. "He's innocent." His voice cracked under unbearable emotion. "He has done nothing wrong." The endless rows of Heavenly officials remained perfectly still. Not one of them stepped forward. Not one of them offered another choice.
Another memory flashed. The figure's hands slowly tightened against the stone beneath him until blood stained the white floor. "Don't make me choose..." he whispered."Please..." His breathing became uneven. "Not this..." For a brief moment...it seemed as though the entire Heavenly Court had fallen silent. Then countless voices echoed together, cold, emotionless, impossible to distinguish from one another. "This is Heaven's decree." "The balance must be preserved." "One life cannot outweigh the world." The kneeling figure's entire body shook and single tear quietly fell from his face, striking the white stone with a sound that somehow echoed louder than the voices surrounding him. He slowly closed his eyes. "Then..." He continued,"...Perhaps Heaven has forgotten what it means to protect." The memory trembled violently.
Tian Xuan slowly returned to the present. His eyes remained fixed upon the Mirror, yet they no longer reflected the calm certainty they once held. His fingers unconsciously tightened behind his back. He remembered us... A trace of sorrow quietly surfaced within his ancient gaze. ...but we chose to forget him. His breathing remained steady, but somewhere deep inside his heart...a question he had buried for centuries quietly returned. ...Were we the ones who were wrong?