The news of the Demon Emperor's death spread like wildfire across the continents.
From the Demon Realm to the Celestial Radiance Realm, from the Dragon Domain to the mortal kingdoms, all spoke of the same thing—
Mo Xuan had fallen.
It was said that during his breakthrough into the legendary Supreme Realm, his cultivation spiraled out of control. In desperation, he consumed a mysterious pill to stabilize his power. Instead, the pill destroyed his meridians and claimed his life.
That was the story told to the world.
And the world believed it.
The Moonlight Immortal Sect
High above the Celestial Radiance Realm stood the Moonlight Immortal Sect — one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.
Its towers shimmered beneath silver moonlight. Its disciples cultivated beneath starlit skies.
And within it lived Ling Yue.
Young Mistress of the Moonlight Immortal Sect.
Beautiful. Elegant. Playful by nature.
Yet—
Her cultivation was mediocre.
In a world where strength defined worth, Ling Yue was often overshadowed by her peers. Though she trained harder than anyone, her progress remained slow.
Her father, Sect Master Ling Tianyue, was calm, strict, and powerful — a peak Heaven Ascension expert.
He rarely praised her.
Her mother, Yue Qinglan, had passed away when Ling Yue was young.
Only her closest friend, Su Meilin — the sect's strongest disciple — stood by her side and shielded her from ridicule.
But Ling Yue hated being protected.
She wanted to be strong.
The Spirit Flower
One night, Ling Yue overheard her father speaking of a rare spiritual treasure.
The Celestial Moonheart Blossom.
A sacred flower said to refine meridians and increase cultivation foundation.
It bloomed only once every hundred years on the cliffs beyond the sect's forbidden mountain.
If she could obtain it—
She could prove herself.
Without telling anyone, Ling Yue left the sect at dawn.
The Fall
The mountain winds were fierce.
The Celestial Moonheart Blossom shimmered below on a cliff edge, glowing faintly silver.
Ling Yue climbed carefully.
When she grasped the flower—
The rock beneath her feet cracked.
She slipped.
The world turned upside down.
As she fell into the mountain's abyss, a faint silver mark appeared on her forehead—
The Life Mark of the Moonlight lineage.
Then darkness swallowed her.
The Endless Void Abyss
When Ling Yue awoke, she expected pain.
Instead—
She saw beauty.
A vast valley bathed in pink mist and moonlit waters. Spirit trees shimmered softly. A quiet river flowed like liquid crystal.
It was peaceful.
Otherworldly.
She did not know—
This was the Endless Void Abyss.
The place where even immortals feared to tread.
She wandered cautiously.
Then—
She saw him.
A figure floating face-down in the pink river.
His white hair spread like silver silk in the water.
Her heart trembled.
She approached slowly.
His body was covered in dried blood. His robes torn. His presence faint yet terrifying.
She hesitated.
Then touched his neck to check for a pulse.
Alive.
She stepped back.
"Why should I save him?" she whispered.
Yet her heart refused to move away.
In the end—
She dragged him to shore.
The moment her hand touched his chest—
A black mark appeared on his forehead.
The Death Mark.
Her own Life Mark glowed.
The two marks resonated.
A surge of black and silver energy erupted into the sky.
Time froze.
They rose into the air.
Forehead to forehead—
Life and Death intertwined.
A black-and-white spiral of power wrapped around them.
His shattered meridians mended instantly.
Her cultivation surged violently.
Then they fell gently to the grass.
Silence returned.
Ling Yue sat stunned.
Her cultivation had broken through.
Qi Gathering → Foundation Establishment.
Her energy was purer. Stronger.
She assumed—
This abyss had blessed her.
She did not understand the truth.
Bringing Him Home
Using a hidden path known only to core disciples, Ling Yue secretly carried the unconscious man back to her chambers.
She summoned the sect physician from the Azure Herb Pavilion.
Elder Physician Han examined Mo Xuan carefully.
His brows furrowed.
"His meridians are shattered."
"His cultivation is destroyed."
"But… there are no visible injuries."
Ling Yue's voice trembled.
"I saw blood covering him."
Han shook his head slowly.
"It is as if his body has already healed itself."
He paused.
"He has temporarily lost his eyesight. Likely due to excessive use of spiritual power. It may return in weeks."
Ling Yue bit her lip.
"Can he recover?"
Han hesitated.
"There is one pill… the Heavenly Meridian Restoration Pill."
"It can rebuild destroyed meridians."
"But it is the sect's sacred treasure."
"Only your father possesses it."
Ling Yue fell silent.
Han looked at her carefully.
"Why risk everything for a stranger?"
She answered softly.
"I don't know."
"My heart refuses to abandon him."
Han sighed and left.
The Theft
That night, Ling Yue sneaked into her father's private chamber.
She searched everywhere.
Finally, inside her late mother Yue Qinglan's old jade chest—
She found it.
The Heavenly Meridian Restoration Pill.
Her father returned suddenly.
Ling Yue barely escaped detection.
Awakening
Back in her room, she fed the pill to the unconscious man.
The next morning—
He dreamed.
Flames.
Betrayal.
His parents' deaths.
Elders laughing.
Blades piercing his heart.
Mo Xuan's fingers twitched.
Ling Yue stepped into the room.
The faint sound of her footsteps echoed.
His eyes snapped open.
Blind—
Yet his senses sharp as death.
Enemy.
He moved instantly.
A sword from beside the bed flashed upward.
The blade stopped—
A single hair's breadth from Ling Yue's forehead.
Her breath halted.
The sword trembled in the air.
Mo Xuan's voice was hoarse and cold.
"Who are you?"
End of Chapter 2 ....