Myth Beyond Heaven

The God of Darkness' expression turned solemn as he studied Yun Lintian. The superior stance from before had vanished, replaced by a calculating intensity.

"Let me ask you again," the deity said slowly. "Why have you come to this era?"

Yun Lintian met his gaze steadily. After a long moment of consideration, he finally spoke.

"I came for your power."

The throne room's shadows recoiled as if struck. The God of Darkness' eyes narrowed.

"Explain."

"Not just yours," Yun Lintian continued. "Every Primordial God's power in this era. I need them all."

A dangerous silence followed. The air grew heavy enough to crush mountains.

The God of Darkness leaned forward. "And why would you need such power?"

Yun Lintian countered with a question of his own. "Are you aware of the God of Time's true ambitions?"

The deity's fingers tightened on his throne's armrests. "I've suspected... irregularities. But nothing concrete."

Yun Lintian nodded. "Then you should know this—in every timeline, across every universe, all versions of the God of Time share one goal: to become the new Creator by gathering all Primordial powers."

He let that sink in before continuing.

"What you don't know is that they're connected. If the God of Time in this timeline has already made contact with his other selves across dimensions..." Yun Lintian's voice turned grave. "Then every being in existence is in danger."

The shadows in the room writhed violently. The God of Darkness' aura fluctuated slightly as his mood grew heavy.

"You're saying..."

"That the God of Time isn't just one entity anymore," Yun Lintian finished. "He's becoming a hive mind across timelines. And once he's strong enough, he'll collapse all realities into one—with himself as the supreme ruler."

Silence descended once again.

Then—

The God of Darkness spoke up. "So that's why you crossed time itself." His eyes gleamed with dark understanding. "You're trying to stop what hasn't happened yet."

Yun Lintian nodded.

The deity abruptly stood, his shadow stretching infinitely behind him. "Prove it."

Without hesitation, Yun Lintian extended his hand. A memory crystal materialized—scenes of the future played out. The Primal Chaos Wall cracking. The chaotic environment in the Realm of Chaos. The horde of the creatures of chaos ravaging the entire world. Finally, the Chasm of Uncreation.

The God of Darkness absorbed the visions, his expression growing grimmer by the second. When it finished, he exhaled sharply.

"Even if I believe you," he said slowly, "why should I surrender my power? Why not join forces to stop Nian Shi directly?"

Yun Lintian's answer was simple. "Because you can't kill him. Not permanently. As long as one version of the God of Time exists in any timeline, he can regenerate. My method is the only way."

He met the deity's gaze squarely.

"I need to become what he seeks to be—the new Creator. Only then can I erase him completely from all existence."

The God of Darkness stared at him for a long moment.

He then exhaled slowly, his form flickering like a dying flame. "You speak the truth—I am no match for the God of Time. None of the Twelve Primordial Gods are." His eyes burned into Yun Lintian. "But knowing this doesn't mean I'll willingly hand over my power."

A tense silence stretched between them. The very air in the throne room grew heavy, as if the universe itself held its breath.

Then—

"Prove it," the God of Darkness demanded. His voice was quiet but carried the weight of collapsing stars. "Show me why it must be you."

Yun Lintian met his gaze without flinching. For a long moment, he said nothing.

BOOM!

All of a sudden, an explosion of divine power erupted from Yun Lintian's body. The throne room trembled violently as four distinct Primordial God energies manifested simultaneously: The God of River's endless flow. The God of Mountain's unshakable might. The Sun God's blazing radiance. The God of Darkness' own abyssal power.

The combined aura crushed the throne room's foundations. Cracks spiderwebbed across the void-black walls as spatial rifts tore open spontaneously. The God of Darkness' eyes widened—for the first time in eternity, he trembled.

Not from fear.

From recognition.

"You..." The deity's voice was barely a whisper. "You've already taken their powers."

Yun Lintian didn't attack. Didn't move. Simply let the truth hang between them.

"Initially," he said calmly, "I planned to eliminate you at all costs." His gaze sharpened. "But you're different from the God of Darkness in my timeline. Less... unreasonable."

A beat of silence.

"So I'll give you a choice." Yun Lintian extended his hand, palm up. On it swirled a tiny vortex containing four glowing motes—the essence of the Gods he'd absorbed. "Hand it over yourself and I will let you and your daughter live."

His fingers clenched into a fist.

"Or resist, and die."

The threat hung in the air, heavier than any physical blow. The God of Darkness stared at that fist, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the crumbling throne room. Not mocking. Not bitter. But... relieved.

The God of Darkness shook his head. "To think the day would come when I would be given an ultimatum. It's truly a magnificent feeling."

"However," he paused for a moment and said. "I have a better proposal."

The God of Darkness' laughter faded as his expression turned solemn. "I will give you my power," he declared, his voice echoing through the crumbling throne room. "But you must accept one condition."

Yun Lintian's grip on his spear tightened slightly. "Name it."

The deity's obsidian eyes gleamed. "Marry my daughter."

Silence.

Yun Lintian's usually unshakable composure cracked for the first time. His eyes widened slightly. "What?"

Hei Yue, who had been watching from the shadows, nearly tripped over her own feet. "F-Father?!"

The God of Darkness ignored her outburst. "You heard me," he said calmly. "Take Hei Yue as your wife, and my power is yours willingly."

Yun Lintian studied the god carefully. "Why?"

A strange melancholy flickered across the deity's face. "Since the Creator's departure... I've always known my end would come." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Even we Primordial Gods are not truly eternal. I feel it in my bones—my time is near."

He looked at Yun Lintian with something resembling... hope. "But my daughter—she carries both light and darkness within her. With your talent, you could help her reach heights even I cannot imagine."

Hei Yue's face flushed crimson. "I don't need—!"

"Silence," the God of Darkness cut her off gently. "This is my ambition." His gaze returned to Yun Lintian. "Well? What say you?"