Four days passed.
Outside the quiet village, fifty members of the Heavenly Demon Sect lay hidden among the trees and rocky hills. Their black robes blended into the darkness like shadows given form.
One of them whispered impatiently,
"Why are we standing outside? We can enter, right?"
Another muttered,
"Yes. It's only a small village."
Their team leader turned sharply, his eyes cold.
"This mission is extremely important. Days ago, most of our members died here in a mysterious way. Do not be careless."
His voice lowered.
"We move only when I give the signal."
The others fell silent.
But unease crept into their hearts.
Inside the village, unaware of the danger gathering beyond its borders, Chen Linger sat on the bed, holding Chen Ming close.
"It's been four days…" she whispered. "But he still hasn't opened his eyes."
Chen Ting placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Linger, I know you're worried. But even if he hasn't opened them yet, he is still our child. I'm sure he will live a good life."
She bit her lip.
"But… what if he doesn't have eyes? How will he live in this world?"
Chen Ting was silent for a moment.
Then he said firmly,
"Even if he cannot see, we will teach him how to live. We will be his eyes."
Linger's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled and nodded.
Eventually, exhaustion took them both, and they drifted into sleep.
Midnight.
The moon hung high.
And Chen Ming slowly opened his eyes.
They were crystal clear.
And glowing faintly.
Outside the village—
The Demon Sect leader raised his hand.
"Move."
The fifty figures began advancing toward the village.
Then—
They stopped.
The wind froze.
The stars dimmed.
The sky twisted.
Above them, something enormous formed from swirling clouds and starlight.
A dragon.
Its body stretched across the heavens like a living constellation. Blue cosmic scales shimmered with golden fire. Its eyes were ancient—cold, vast, merciless.
The Demon Sect members trembled.
"What… is that?" one whispered.
The leader's face turned pale.
"Retreat—!"
Too late.
The dragon descended in silence.
There was no explosion.
No clash of weapons.
Only a single pulse of overwhelming power.
In the next instant—
All fifty members vanished.
No bodies.
No blood.
No trace.
Erased from existence.
The forest became still once more.
The dragon hovered for a breath longer… then dissolved into scattered starlight.
Inside the Chen house—
Linger suddenly stirred.
She blinked.
For a brief second—
She saw Chen Ming's eyes open.
Bright.
Clear.
Watching her.
She rubbed her eyes quickly.
When she looked again—
His eyes were closed.
Peaceful.
She exhaled slowly.
"…Maybe I was dreaming."
She gently pulled the blanket over him.
Outside the village, the night returned to normal.
As if nothing had ever happened.
But deep within the distant Heavenly Demon Sect—
Fifty more life tokens shattered simultaneously.
And this time—
The Sect Master felt fear.
Far away, in the dark halls of the Heavenly Demon Sect—
A sharp cracking sound echoed through the chamber.
Fifty life tokens.
Shattered.
All at once.
The Sect Master abruptly stood from his throne, his robe swirling like black smoke.
The elders rushed in.
"What happened, Sect Master?" one asked cautiously.
He stared at the dust drifting in the air where the tokens once floated.
"From now on… stop the investigation about that village."
The elders exchanged confused glances.
"Is there a problem?" another asked.
The Sect Master's voice lowered.
"Our people died instantly. No struggle. No resistance. That means something exists in that village… something we do not yet understand."
His eyes narrowed.
"But our priority remains the Empress. We eliminate her first. The rest can wait."
The elders bowed.
"Yes, Sect Master."
He turned toward the distant horizon, his aura heavy and cold.
"Let's see how you escape this time, Empress. You cannot hide forever."
Meanwhile, at the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom—
The grand palace gates opened as the Empress returned.
She walked calmly into the main hall and sat upon her throne, phoenix carvings glowing faintly behind her.
"Is there any information about the assassination?" she asked.
An elder stepped forward.
"My lady, it was indeed the Heavenly Demon Sect."
She clicked her tongue lightly.
"Tch. They truly lack patience. Why are they so eager to eliminate me?"
Another elder asked carefully,
"Empress, shall we strike first?"
She leaned back slightly, eyes thoughtful.
"No. Be patient. We do not know their real motive yet."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Let's play along."
The elders bowed deeply.
"Yes, Empress."
Back in the quiet village—
Morning sunlight streamed gently through the window of the Chen household.
Chen Ting stirred awake and glanced at the cradle.
Then he froze.
"Linger… look!"
Chen Linger blinked sleepily and turned her head—
And gasped.
Chen Ming's eyes were open.
Wide.
Clear.
Normal.
No strange glow.
No crystal shine.
Just the soft dark eyes of a newborn child.
Chen Ting laughed in relief.
"I told you not to overthink! Look—he finally opened his eyes. He's not blind."
Linger's eyes filled with tears instantly.
She quickly picked Chen Ming up and hugged him carefully.
"You scared us for four days…" she whispered softly.
Chen Ming looked up at her.
Then—
He smiled.
A small, innocent, adorable smile.
Linger's heart melted completely.
"Aww… how cute," she said, brushing his tiny cheek.
Chen Ting nodded, unable to look away.
"You're right, Linger. He's truly cute."
The two parents sat there, completely captivated by their son.
They didn't know—
That beyond those innocent eyes…
Galaxies had once reflected.
And somewhere deep within Chen Ming's tiny body—
A silent cosmic dragon slept once more.
Waiting.
Inside the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, the Empress sat quietly in her private chamber. Sunlight filtered through golden curtains embroidered with phoenix feathers, casting soft flames of light across the floor.
A servant hurried in and knelt.
"Your Majesty, Lord Long Tian has arrived."
The Empress's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Father came? Why?"
The servant lowered her head. "This servant does not know."
The Empress stood gracefully.
"It's fine. I will meet him myself."
In the grand hall, a tall, imposing man stood with his hands behind his back. His presence was calm yet powerful, like a mountain that had endured countless storms.
"Father," the Empress said with a small smile. "How are you?"
Long Tian turned and studied his daughter carefully.
"I am fine. And you?"
"I'm good, as always," she replied calmly.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I heard someone attempted to assassinate you."
She nodded.
"Yes. But they are dead."
Long Tian burst into laughter.
"Haha! I knew it. You killed them."
The Empress shook her head slowly.
"Actually… I did not."
His laughter stopped.
"You didn't kill them?" he asked, his tone shifting.
"No."
She walked toward the window, looking out at the distant sky.
"Instead of asking who killed them… we should ask how they died."
Long Tian raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"Our Divine General investigated. All the assassins' souls were completely shattered."
Silence fell.
Long Tian's expression grew serious.
"Soul shattering… That is not ordinary cultivation."
She nodded.
"And we found only their bodies. No signs of struggle. No lingering energy trace. They were top-tier assassins. They never leave evidence."
Long Tian crossed his arms.
"So… that village has hidden power?"
She shook her head again.
"I investigated. The village is filled with ordinary, kind people. None of them know cultivation."
Long Tian paused, thinking deeply.
"…Then this becomes interesting."
He looked back at her.
"Do you know who sent them?"
"Yes," she replied calmly. "The Heavenly Demon Sect."
Long Tian's eyes darkened slightly.
"Oh? And what is your plan?"
The Empress's lips curved faintly.
"For now, we play along. We observe. Once we discover their true objective…"
Her eyes turned cold.
"…we eliminate them."
Long Tian laughed, his aura rising slightly.
"Haha! That's my daughter. Count me in. I like this idea."
She nodded once.
"Then we wait for their first move."
Father and daughter stood in the grand hall, both calm—but both aware that the storm between the Phoenix and the Demon was only beginning.
Far away, in a small peaceful village—
Chen Ming blinked slowly in his mother's arms, sunlight reflecting in his now-normal eyes.
But for a split second—
Deep within his pupils—
A faint glimmer of starlight flickered.
Unnoticed.
Far to the northern side of the continent —
where eternal snow buried the earth and black winds screamed through jagged peaks —
the Obsidian Frost Citadel crouched like a sleeping beast atop its sheer cliff.
Inside the grand hall of frozen iron and shadow, braziers of ghost-blue flame cast long, trembling light across the faces of the gathered cultivators.
A tall figure lounged on a throne of polished jet, one leg crossed casually over the other. His long black robes were stitched with faint threads of crimson lightning. His voice, when he spoke, cut the silence like a drawn blade.
"Has anyone located that Chen couple yet?"
Several black-robed subordinates dropped to one knee, heads bowed low.
"Master," the foremost one answered, voice tight with unease, "we are still searching with every available tracking array and blood-divination talisman… but we cannot trace them. Not even a thread of aura remains."
The man on the throne let out a short, contemptuous breath.
"Fools." His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "A simple task. And you cannot even manage that."
His gaze drifted sideways — landing on the solitary figure who stood a step apart from the rest.
An old man in flowing white robes, the silver Chen clan crest still gleaming faintly at his chest despite the years etched into his face.
"You," the master said, tone suddenly soft and therefore infinitely more threatening. "You are also of the Chen family, are you not? An elder of the direct line. Tell me — how is it that you, of all people, cannot find your own granddaughter?"
The white-robed elder's hands tightened behind his back. His voice came out low, bitter.
"This old man… is deeply disappointed in her. To think she would throw away her dignity — her bloodline — and run away with that worthless stray, Chen Ting. A low-born dog with nothing to his name. She has shamed the entire Chen clan."
The master tilted his head, studying the elder like a specimen pinned under glass.
"Shamed?" A slow, predatory smile spread across his lips. "No. She has merely… piqued my interest."
He rose from the throne in one fluid motion. The temperature in the hall dropped sharply; frost began to crawl up the nearest pillars.
"I will spare the girl — for the time being." His voice dropped to something almost intimate, dripping with dark promise. "Not out of kindness. I intend to keep her. Alive. Breathing. I want to strip every last shred of that proud Chen arrogance from her soul… until she forgets how to stand upright without my permission. Until her only thought is how best to please me. She will become my personal plaything — my private slave to enjoy and ruin at my leisure."
He paused, letting the words hang in the freezing air.
"But first…" His smile turned razor-sharp. "Chen Ting must be dealt with."
He spoke the name like a curse.
"That boy was born with a complete Holy Yang Sacred Vein — untouched, unplundered, a walking heavenly cauldron. Once I capture him… once I tear that foundation out and refine it into my own body…" His eyes glittered with naked greed. "The girl will have nothing left to return to. She will belong to me — body, soul, and every broken piece in between."
A low, chilling laugh rolled out of his chest, growing louder until it echoed off the vaulted ceiling like shattering ice.
He waved a lazy hand.
"Find them. Tear apart every hiding place. Burn down every village that might have sheltered them. Bring me Chen Ting — preferably still breathing. The girl… I will collect personally."
The subordinates pressed their foreheads to the stone floor and withdrew in perfect silence.
When the hall was empty again, the master settled back onto his throne. He steepled his fingers and stared into the blue ghost-flames.
"Soon," he murmured, voice soft and almost tender.
"Soon."
His lips curved once more into that cruel, anticipatory smile.
Back in the quiet village, the Chen household was filled with warmth.
Sunlight poured gently through the small window, lighting the simple wooden room in soft gold.
Chen Ming lay in his mother's arms, tiny fingers tangled in Chen Linger's long hair. He grabbed a strand and waved it clumsily, fascinated by the way it shimmered in the light.
Linger laughed softly.
"You like it? Hehe… is Mother's hair that interesting?"
Chen Ming made a small sound and kicked his legs happily, clearly enjoying himself.
Chen Ting stood nearby, watching the two of them with gentle eyes. The tension of the outside world—the sects, the assassins, the hidden dangers—felt impossibly far away at that moment.
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around both of them carefully.
"I hope we can live like this forever," he said quietly.
Linger leaned into him and nodded.
"Yes… forever."
Chen Ming looked up at them both.
And then—
He smiled.
A bright, innocent, heart-melting smile.
The kind that erased worries.
The kind that made time slow down.
Chen Ting laughed softly.
"He's smiling again. Look at him."
Linger brushed her finger against Chen Ming's cheek.
"Our Ming will grow up strong," she whispered. "But for now… let him stay like this."
The three of them stayed there, holding each other.
Outside, the wind moved gently through the trees. Birds sang. The village carried on peacefully.
No one knew what storms were gathering in distant lands.
But inside that small house—
There was only laughter.
And for now—
That was enough.