Yue Yun didn't sleep that night.
He sat outside the storage hut, staring up at the sky. There were no celestial stars here—only faint ones, blinking weakly in the dark.
Still…
They reminded him of home.
—
The village was getting worse.
Lian Hua's little brother couldn't stop coughing. Two elders had collapsed before sunset. The darkness near the forest hadn't spread far—but it had grown thicker.
Heavier.
Yue Yun exhaled slowly.
He understood now.
This wasn't part of his tribulation.
This was real.
—
For centuries, Yue Yun had lived without fear.
But here—
In a mortal body, stripped of his power—
He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Helplessness.
He pressed his hand against the ground, eyes closing.
If there's even a spark of power left… come to me.
Silence.
Nothing answered.
He let out a quiet breath.
Then—
A scream tore through the night.
—
Yue Yun's eyes snapped open.
More voices followed. Panic. Fear.
He was already running.
—
At the edge of the village, the air turned cold.
Black mist coiled around a small house, swallowing the light. And in the center of it stood a figure—
Tall.
Cloaked.
Faceless.
The same presence he had felt before.
It raised its hand.
Dark energy gathered, twisting like a storm.
Yue Yun didn't hesitate.
"Get away from them!"
He rushed forward.
The shadow turned—
And a blast of force slammed into him.
Yue Yun was thrown back, crashing hard into the ground. Pain shot through his body as he coughed, struggling to breathe.
The villagers screamed.
The figure lifted its hand again.
"No…" Yue Yun whispered, forcing himself up. "I won't let you."
—
Something shifted.
Deep inside him—
Something broke open.
His heart pounded once.
Then again.
And a faint blue glow flickered beneath his skin.
The divine spark he had buried… stirred.
No—
It rose.
Like it had been waiting.
—
Yue Yun pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling, light flickering around him.
The shadow paused.
He stepped forward.
Pain still clung to his body.
But there was fire in his chest now.
He didn't draw a weapon.
Didn't speak again.
He simply raised his hand.
And this time—
The fire answered.
A flash of blue light cut through the darkness.
The shadow let out a sharp, distorted hiss—
Then vanished.
—
The mist began to fade.
The air grew warmer.
The village fell silent.
—
Footsteps rushed toward him.
"Yue Yun!"
Lian Hua's voice.
She reached him, eyes wide with fear. "What was that?! Are you okay?"
Yue Yun looked at her, his breath unsteady.
"I… I don't know."
But deep down—
He did.
He wasn't just Yue Yun the wanderer anymore.
Not just a powerless traveler.
Something inside him had awakened.
And the god he tried to hide…
Was beginning to return.