Myth Beyond Heaven

The towering ice wall stood before them, its surface unnaturally smooth—like polished glass stretching endlessly upward. Yun Lintian reached out, but before his fingers could touch it, an invisible force repelled him with a sharp crackle of energy.

"A formation?" Yun Lintian frowned.

He activated his Eyes of Heaven, golden light swirling in his pupils as he analyzed the barrier. Ancient runes flickered into view beneath the ice—a formation so complex it made even Yun Lintian's breath catch.

"This..." His voice tightened. "This formation predates the Primordial Era. I've never seen its like."

Linlin, perched on his shoulder, tilted her head. "Can't you break it, Big Brother Yun?"

"I could," Yun Lintian admitted. "But forcing it might collapse the ruins entirely."

Xia Nongyue stepped forward. "Let me try."

Before Yun Lintian could respond, she placed her palm against the ice wall.

The moment her skin made contact—

Buzz—

Golden light erupted from her body, illuminating the entire frozen expanse. The ice beneath their feet trembled as an ancient voice, heavy with eons of slumber, resonated through the void:

"Blood of the Royal Clan... you have returned."

The wall split apart with a thunderous crack, revealing a grand archway carved with celestial motifs—dragons entwined with stars, phoenixes frozen in mid-flight.

Xia Nongyue's golden eyes blazed with inherited memory. "It recognizes my bloodline," she whispered.

Yun Lintian exhaled slowly. "Then let's proceed."

Together, they stepped through the archway—

The moment they passed through the archway, the ice sealed shut behind them with a finality that echoed through the ruins. Before them stretched an unimaginably vast city—one that had clearly been magnificent before its destruction.

Towering palaces with upturned eaves stood half-collapsed, their intricate carvings preserved perfectly under layers of ice. Grand pavilions leaned precariously, frozen mid-fall. The wide central avenue they stood upon was lined with statues of warriors and scholars, all encased in clear ice like insects in amber.

Xia Nongyue's breath caught in her throat. "This... this was my ancestors' home."

Though she had no memories of this place, something deep in her blood resonated with the ruins. A profound sadness welled up in her chest—for lives lost, for glory forgotten, for a history she would never truly know.

Yun Lintian remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. The Eyes of Heaven revealed no immediate threats, but something about this place made his skin prickle.

"Let's move carefully," he murmured.

They began walking down the frozen avenue, their footsteps eerily silent on the ice-coated stones.

As they progressed deeper into the ruined city, Xia Nongyue found herself drawn to particular structures—a half-collapsed academy with frozen scrolls still visible inside, a marketplace with wares preserved mid-transaction, a playground where ice-encased children appeared to be laughing.

"I wonder what happened here," she whispered, running her fingers along the icy surface of a merchant's stall. The merchant himself stood frozen behind it, his face locked in an expression of sudden alarm.

Yun Lintian examined the scene. "No signs of battle. No weapons drawn. It's as if..." He frowned. "As if everything was frozen in an instant."

A distant memory surfaced—the God of Death mentioning something about the Abyss of Eternal Silence. Was this its doing?

Linlin, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly shivered. "Big Brother Yun... this place feels wrong."

Qingqing nodded vigorously, her tiny hands clutching Yun Lintian's collar. "Like we're being watched."

Yun Lintian's senses sharpened, but still detected nothing. That in itself was telling—with his current power, only something extraordinarily ancient or powerful could hide from him completely.

They continued to walk for a long time as they finally arrived at the center of the city where a palace was supposed to be.

The ruined palace loomed before them, its grand arches partially collapsed but still radiating an aura of ancient majesty. Yun Lintian and Xia Nongyue stepped through the broken gates, their footsteps echoing through the hollow halls.

The interior was eerily preserved—tapestries frozen mid-flutter, braziers encased in ice with flames still visible within. Everything spoke of a catastrophe that had struck in an instant.

They reached the throne hall, its vaulted ceiling cracked but intact. At its center stood a solitary jade throne, untouched by time or ice.

Xia Nongyue approached it hesitantly. As her fingers brushed the armrest—

Buzz—

Golden light erupted from her body, illuminating the entire hall. The throne shimmered in response, and from its depths emerged a translucent figure—a woman in royal robes, her features noble but not imperial.

The remnant soul stared at Xia Nongyue in shock. "A descendant of the Royal Clan... still lives?"

Xia Nongyue's breath caught. "Who... who are you?"

The woman's form flickered. "I am but a memory—a guardian left to await our people's return. I served as the Royal Astrologer in life." Her gaze turned sorrowful as she surveyed the frozen hall. "Though it seems I waited in vain."

Yun Lintian stepped forward. "What happened here?"

The astrologer's ghostly eyes darkened. "The Abyss awakened."

"Our dynasty flourished during the Primordial Era's twilight," the astrologer explained. "We studied the heavens, charted the paths of gods. Until one day..."

Her form rippled, projecting images into the air—

A massive rift tearing open in the sky. Inky darkness pouring forth like a flood. People freezing mid-motion as the darkness touched them.

"The Abyss of Eternal Silence yawned wide," she continued. "Not even the gods could resist its hunger. Our emperor used the Mirror of Forgotten Eternity to seal the breach, but..."

The image shifted to show a man in imperial robes standing before the mirror, his body beginning to crystallize.

"The price was our entire civilization."

Xia Nongyue's hands trembled. "Then the mirror..."

"Still rests in the inner sanctum," the astrologer confirmed. "Along with what remains of His Majesty."

The astrologer's form began to fade. "Child of Xia... if you seek the mirror, know this—it remembers all who approach. The Abyss may stir anew."

Xia Nongyue and Yun Lintian exchanged glances. Although they had no idea what the Abyss of Eternal Silence was or why the God of Death had hidden his body there, they knew they had to go in.

Xia Nongyue's expression hardened. "We'll take that risk."

"Then follow the light of your blood." The astrologer raised a translucent hand toward Xia Nongyue. "Only the royal line can open the final path."

As her form dissipated, the throne split open with a groan, revealing a staircase descending into darkness…