Myth Beyond Heaven

Chapter 2545: True Nature (2)



Qi Zongwen's words hung in the air, a fragile shield against the storm of Yun Lintian's power. But before the last syllable had even faded, a blinding light erupted from Yun Lintian's hand. It moved with a speed that defied comprehension, a speed that made a mockery of time and space.

BOOM!!

Qi Zongwen, despite being the Golden Qilin Emperor, despite his centuries of cultivation, despite his mastery over the laws of the universe, was caught completely off guard. He had no time to react, no time to defend, no time to even comprehend what was happening.

The light struck the three Chaos Knights - Qi Lang, Qi Han, and Qi Jue, followed by a deafening explosion.

The next moment, they were gone. Not dead, not disintegrated, but utterly annihilated. Their bodies, their souls, their very existence, were reduced to nothingness, as if they had never been.

The light faded, leaving behind an echoing silence. The opulent chamber, once filled with the sounds of battle, the clash of energy, the cries of the fallen, was now eerily quiet.

The only sound was the soft, almost imperceptible hum of residual energy, a faint whisper of the power that had just been unleashed.

Qi Zongwen stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. He had seen countless battles, witnessed unimaginable displays of power, but he had never seen anything like this. He had never seen power so absolute, so complete, so utterly devastating.

He slowly turned his gaze to Yun Lintian, his golden eyes, usually filled with wisdom and authority, now clouded with anger and solemness.

Yun Lintian met his gaze, his expression calm, his eyes devoid of any emotion. There was no triumph in his gaze, no satisfaction, no remorse. There was only a cold, hard determination, a silent promise of the fate that awaited all those who opposed him.

The silence stretched on, each passing moment heavier than the last. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a silent battle of wills between two of the most powerful beings in the realm.

Finally, Qi Zongwen broke the silence, his voice low, his tone laced with a mixture of anger and authority. "They are my disciples," he said, his voice was cold. "Why did you kill them?"

Yun Lintian's expression remained unchanged. He simply tilted his head, as if considering the question, then responded, his voice calm, his tone matter-of-fact. "Did you not notice the changes in them after they returned from the Haven?"

Qi Zongwen's eyes narrowed. He had noticed, of course. He had sensed the dark, chaotic energy that now permeated their beings. He had seen the subtle changes in their behavior, the coldness in their eyes, the ruthlessness in their actions.

But he had chosen to ignore it, to dismiss it as a side effect of their training, a temporary phase that they would eventually overcome.

Moreover, the Golden Qilin Kingdom was in need of powerful generals. Qi Zongwen didn't want to simply dismiss them because of it as they had more to offer.

"They..." he began, but his voice faltered. He couldn't bring himself to defend them, not after what he had just witnessed.

Yun Lintian continued, his voice soft yet firm. "They were no longer your disciples. They were puppets of the Lord of Chaos, vessels of his dark will. They had embraced the chaos, forsaken their humanity, and become a threat to everything we hold dear."

He paused, his gaze piercing, his words heavy with the weight of truth. "I did what had to be done. I did what you should have done."

Qi Zongwen flinched as if struck. He knew that Yun Lintian was right.

He opened his mouth to speak, to argue, to defend his actions, but no words came out. He simply stood there, a powerful emperor, a legendary figure, reduced to a broken, defeated old

man.

Yun Lintian watched him for a moment longer, then turned and walked away. He had no time for this.

As Yun Lintian left, Qi Gang walked over and looked at Qi Zongwen deeply.

"It seems you didn't fall to the darkness as we had expected," he said calmly.

Qi Zongwen looked at him and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

Qi Gang sighed, a deep, weary sound that seemed to carry the weight of ages. He gestured for Qi Zongwen to follow him, and together they walked towards a more secluded part of the palace, away from the lingering echoes of the recent, brutal confrontation.

Qi Gang's golden eyes, so similar to Qi Zongwen's own, fixed on the Emperor's face, searching for any sign of deception, any hint of the darkness that had consumed his disciples.

"The Lord of Chaos," Qi Gang continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "is not seeking peace, as many believe. His ambition is far more... lofty, if one can call it that. He seeks to remake the universe in his own image, to tear down the current order and replace it with one of his own design."

Qi Zongwen frowned, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity of this claim. "Remake the universe? That's... preposterous. Even the Primordial Gods couldn't achieve such a feat."

Qi Gang nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Indeed. But the Lord of Chaos is not like the Primordial Gods. He is something... different. You should be aware of this point better."

He looked directly at Qi Zongwen, his gaze piercing. "And you, as one of the six regents, will inevitably be forced to make a choice. Will you stand with the Lord of Chaos, and help him usher in this new era of chaos? Or will you resist him, and fight to preserve the world as we know it?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Qi Zongwen recoiled, as if struck. "I would never willingly serve such a being," he declared, his voice filled with indignation. "My loyalty is to the Golden Qilin Kingdom, to my people."

Qi Gang studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "I believe you," he said. "But loyalty can be a fickle thing. It can be twisted, manipulated, corrupted. The Lord of Chaos is a master of such things. He offers power, promises of a new world, a world free from the constraints of the old order. It is a tempting offer, especially to those who feel that they have been wronged, or that they deserve more than what they have."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "I chose you to inherit my bloodline not because I had no choice but I believed you were qualified enough... Don't let me down."