Beneath a sky of sable, where the autumn wind danced a mournful waltz, lay the lands upon the cusp of summer’s warmth and winter’s bite. Beyond the looming battlements of Black Stone Keep, jagged peaks clawed at the heavens, their slopes adorned with forests where withered leaves, few but resolute, took flight upon the gusting winds.

One such leaf, sere and sun-bleached, pirouetted in the air, a plaything of the breeze, until, guided by its unseen hand, it settled upon the outskirts of Black Stone Keep. It briefly obscured the meeting of gazes between a man and a woman standing there.

As the leaf fluttered to the ground, Wang Lin’s gaze sharpened. The woman was of simple grace, her veins flowed with the blood of the ancient demon race, yet no taint of the demonic clung to her. Instead, she possessed a purity akin to a white lotus, unblemished and serene.

Beneath her right eye, a single mole resided, small and unassuming. It did not mar her innocence, but rather, added a touch of alluring mischief, a subtle whisper of sensuality woven into the tapestry of her beauty. Though not of surpassing comeliness, she held a captivating charm that stirred the heart.

She was as her name proclaimed: Song Zhi, a vision of delicate perfection, as if plucked from the canvas of a master artist.

“Greetings, Prince. I bid welcome to the envoys of the Dao Clan,” she spoke, her voice like the gentle chime of bells. Emerging from the gates of the keep, a blush kissed her fair cheeks as she lowered her head in a respectful bow.

“A Song, you say? Is this the maiden of whom the Prince spoke?” An aged figure, perched atop a grotesque demon mount, regarded her with shrewd eyes, his expression hardening with renewed interest.

“Indeed, she bears the name Song,” the Prince Ji Du replied with a smile. “She is of the Song lineage, a scion of the Great Celestial Venerate, though her bloodline is distantly removed. Yet, within Black Stone Keep, her family holds a position of some renown.”

“I am in your debt, Prince, for your assistance,” the elder intoned, clasping his fist in salute. “Should she not find favor as a concubine, I vow to return her safely to her kin.”

“Then go, Song Zhi, and accompany the Dao Clan envoys,” Prince Ji Du commanded, his tone dismissive as he nodded. His gaze then turned towards Wang Lin, now burning with fervent admiration.

A sigh, barely audible, escaped Song Zhi’s lips. Her nature was gentle, her will yielding. Unable to refuse the summons, she bit her lip and stepped slowly towards the monstrous demon.

Her path led her past Wang Lin. As she drew near, she offered a slight curtsy, a gesture of reverence, before passing by, her footsteps light as dew.

A faint, ethereal fragrance caressed Wang Lin’s nostrils, lingering for a moment before fading with her departure.

She ascended the towering demon, standing beside the aged elder. The wind whipped through her silken hair, veiling her face, yet it could not conceal the longing in her eyes as she gazed back towards her home. A sorrowful farewell, a hint of despair.

“I pray I am not chosen… My beauty is not so great… surely… I will not be selected… Aunt Chang, Dongmei, wait for me here…” A glimmer of unshed tears trembled at the edges of her veiled eyes.

With Song Zhi in their charge, the Dao Clan envoys bowed respectfully to Prince Ji Du and Wang Lin. The ancient demon then roared, its voice splitting the air, before leaping into the sky, piercing the rift that had torn the heavens asunder. Like a wisp of black smoke, it vanished.

The journey back to the Dao Clan Imperial City was arduous, spanning many months even with the aid of their demonic steed.

As the Dao Clan envoys disappeared, the gilded warriors and armored knights surrounding Black Stone Keep dispersed at a gesture from the Prince. Soon, the area beyond the keep was deserted, save for Wang Lin, the trembling ancient demon, and Prince Ji Du with his remaining retinue.

“I have not yet learned the esteemed elder’s name,” Prince Ji Du said, bowing with respect.

“Wang Lin,” he replied, his eyes inscrutable.

“Elder Wang,” Prince Ji Du responded, “This is not a fitting place for discourse. I own a palace not far from here, in the commandery of Darkfall. If it pleases you, let us retire there, that I might make amends for my earlier indiscretion.”

Wang Lin beheld the prince’s shift from cold indifference to obsequious humility, his gaze narrowed almost imperceptibly.

‘Princely power… before true strength, it is fragile, easily shattered… This ancient lineage’s strength comes from the Ancient Dao Celestial Venerate. Without the fear he creates, the emperors will fall, as the immortals did before them.’ Wang Lin nodded slowly.

Prince Ji Du’s face lit up with a relieved smile. He hastened to offer Wang Lin the place of honor on the back of the ancient demon. A maiden at the Prince’s side opened her mouth as if to speak, but one harsh glare from the prince silenced her, the unspoken words dissolving back into her throat.

The colossal demon, thousands of feet high, obeyed Wang Lin’s presence instantly. Though its eyes still glowed with baleful light, its madness was subdued, its roars silenced. It leaped into the air and vanished into the heavens.

As it disappeared, the rift in the sky sealed, returning the firmament to its undisturbed state, as if the preceding events had been a figment of the imagination.

Yet, in the minds of Liang Yun, the gilded knight, Kong Si, and the black-robed youth, one thing remained. They had all heard, as the demon departed, a chilling, commanding voice.

“The affairs of this Elder Wang are to remain secret between you. Spread this to no man. Break this rule and I will tear down your entire bloodline.”

It was the voice of Prince Ji Du.

In the vast dominion of the Ancient Clan, among the twelve commanderies, lay the Commandery of Darkfall. A perpetual shroud of mist clung to this land, an endless twilight obscuring the heavens, hence its name.

Legends whispered that beneath Darkfall lay a prison, a seal upon an ancient and malevolent being. They said that the very mists that cloaked the land were the essence of this entity, captured long ago by an ancestor, and bound to serve as the foundation of the commandery itself.

Deep within the heart of the mist, nestled amongst a ring of mountains shaped like a horseshoe, lay a grand palace. From every spire and archway poured the aura of regal power.
A multitude of servants and guards dwelt within, their vigilance ensuring the palace’s inviolability. Yet on this day, above the imperial abode, the mists churned with sudden violence, writhing and parting to reveal the night sky. And within that velvet expanse, a colossal rent appeared, from which emerged an Ancient Demon, vast beyond measure, dwarfing even the tallest towers with its tens of thousands of feet.

The beast’s arrival did not go unnoticed. The palace denizens, the attendants and warriors, all alike, prostrated themselves upon the polished stone.

“Welcome, Prince Jidu, to your ancestral home!”

The unified chant, the reverent posture, the fervent devotion—all bespoke the unparalleled esteem in which Prince Jidu was held within these hallowed halls.

With a ground-shaking shudder, the Ancient Demon descended, landing upon a massive bluestone plaza crafted specifically for its immense form. The very ground trembled as the behemoth knelt upon one knee, its massive head bowed low.

From its back, Wang Lin dismounted with measured steps, followed by the Prince and the woman, still nursing her wounded pride.

“A fine Ancient Demon,” Wang Lin remarked, casting an appraising glance upon the kneeling beast.

“To earn the Elder’s praise is this demon’s greatest honor. It was a gift from my Imperial Sire, meant for transport and safeguarding. Such creatures are rare. In its former life, it was a forbidden warrior of the Primeval Sect, but after the Convergence of the Twenty-Seven Stars, its bid to gain the Ancestral blessing failed, and it devolved into its current demonic state, robbed of its reason,” Prince Jidu explained with a sigh.

Wang Lin nodded, his gaze lingering on the prostrate demon before shifting to encompass the surrounding palace.

Prince Jidu, ever observant, noted Wang Lin’s interest. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke, his voice laced with a calculated generosity.

“If the Elder finds favor with this Ancient Demon, I would gladly bestow it as a gift.”

“Oh?” Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed, piercing the Prince’s carefully constructed facade.

Prince Jidu met his gaze, his expression an earnest mask.

“Is this the ‘compensation’ you mentioned?” Wang Lin inquired, his voice low and dangerous.

“The Elder misunderstands! A mere mount could never suffice as compensation. Let us retire within, and discuss the matter in greater detail,” Prince Jidu said with a practiced smile, gesturing towards the grand hall that dominated the plaza’s far end.

The hall was a symphony of extravagance and imposing power. As Wang Lin crossed the threshold, Prince Jidu hastened ahead, then turned, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply, his countenance suddenly grave.

“I, Jidu, Prince of the Primeval, offer my humble obeisance to the White-Haired Sky-Reaching One!”

A gasp echoed from behind. The woman, her face a mask of stunned disbelief, stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth. The five words uttered by her brother had struck her like a physical blow.

White-Haired Sky-Reaching One!

The ancient clans had never ceased their tireless efforts to gather intelligence on the Immortal Realm, paying particular attention to emerging powers. Wang Lin, with his burgeoning fame, had become a subject of intense scrutiny, surpassing even the attention given to the five Great Celestial Sovereigns. The clans possessed a measure of knowledge about the Sovereigns, but the enigma of the White-Haired Sky-Reaching One, heralded as the strongest being beneath the Sovereigns, remained largely unsolved.

Surprise flickered in Wang Lin’s eyes as he regarded the Prince, his gaze hardening with suspicion.

“I intend no deception, Elder. Your presence in Blackrock City, a place near the Azure Sea and distant from the Immortal Realm, the power that instilled such terror in a demon capable of matching a Celestial Sovereign, and your willingness to reveal your name… These things speak volumes.

Moreover, I possess a compendium of Immortal Realm notables, recently updated with a portrait of yourself. However, only the royal lines of the three clans are privy to such information, which explains why others you may encounter would fail to recognize you.” Sweat beaded on Prince Jidu’s brow under Wang Lin’s chilling gaze, yet he remained steadfast, offering a jade scroll with trembling hands.

Wang Lin, his expression unyielding, accepted the scroll. A glance revealed the images of the five Celestial Sovereigns and numerous Sky-Reaching Ones, and even some Celestial Sovereigns.

However, only the portraits of Wang Lin and the five Celestial Sovereigns glowed with golden light, the rest remained unremarkable.