Myth Beyond Heaven

"I'll leave now, Seniors. Please, take care." Yun Lintian cupped his fists respectfully.

"Good luck," Tian He said gently.

"Luck? You don't need that. You have your fists." Shi Xuan chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. "Go on, get going."

Yun Lintian smiled and turned, disappearing into a dark passage.

As Yun Lintian vanished from sight, Shi Xuan glanced at Tian He. "You certainly put in a lot of effort," he said. "Didn't you say you wouldn't tell him?"

"I didn't want him to die in ignorance," Tian He replied expressionlessly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Shi Xuan scoffed. "Really? Sympathy doesn't seem to be your strong suit, Old Jiang. Those reminders... honestly, if I hadn't witnessed it myself, I'd think you were a different person entirely."

Tian He walked towards the boulder behind him and sat down, resuming his fishing.

"Have you made a decision?" Shi Xuan asked, his expression turning serious.

"What about you?" Tian He countered.

Shi Xuan fell silent for a moment. "I'm not convinced," he finally said. "At the very least, I owe my brother vengeance."

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"Then it's settled," Tian He said.

Shi Xuan took a long look at Tian He's back before leaping into the lake. "One last dance, isn't it?"

His voice echoed across the space, slowly fading away. Tranquility returned to the lake once more.

Tian He lifted his head, gazing at the night sky. His expression remained unreadable...

***

Leaving the lake area, Yun Lintian continued to follow the guidance of the fragment. He navigated the dark and ever-shifting passage.

He lost track of time, unsure how long he had been here or how many times the passage's structure had changed.

During this period, Yun Lintian encountered no one. It was as if the tomb deliberately guided him to avoid everyone else.

The passage finally opened into a vast, cavernous hall. An ethereal glow emanated from a colossal crystal coffin placed in the center, bathing the room in an otherworldly light.

The coffin itself was intricately carved with celestial dragons soaring amongst swirling clouds, seemingly imbued with an ancient power.

Yun Lintian's steps faltered. A profound silence enveloped the hall, broken only by the faint drip of water somewhere unseen. He cautiously approached the coffin, his senses tingling with a potent moon energy emanating from it.

The energy felt strangely familiar, a faint echo of the power he wielded through the Moon relic within his body.

Curiosity piqued, Yun Lintian extended a hand towards the crystal lid. As his fingers brushed against the cool surface, a jolt of energy surged through him, sending shivers down his spine. The energy resonated with the Moon relic, pulling on it with an undeniable force.

Hesitantly, Yun Lintian took a glance at the figure inside the coffin. There was a breathtaking beauty nestled within. Her long, ebony hair cascaded down her shoulders like a midnight waterfall, framing a face of ethereal perfection.

Her skin, pale as moonlight, held an almost translucent quality, and her full lips were colored a soft rose. Even in slumber, her delicate features exuded an otherworldly charm.

Yun Lintian stared at her with his brow furrowed. An inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him, a feeling that transcended mere physical attraction. He felt an overwhelming urge to protect this slumbering beauty, as if her life was intricately tied to his own.

But what truly struck him was a crescent moon-shaped birthmark adorning her forehead, glowing faintly in the ethereal light. It mirrored the exact replica on his Divine Core, the one connected to the Moon relic.

His mind raced with questions. Who was this woman? Why did she resemble the mark on his hand? Was she somehow connected to the Moon God's legacy?

Yun Lintian pondered for a moment and made a decision. He couldn't leave this woman here alone as she could be related to the Primordial Moon God. But the question of how to help her gnawed at him. Taking her with him seemed like the most obvious solution, but a nagging suspicion lingered.

Without further thought, Yun Lintian summoned the Gate of Beyond Heaven and carefully lifted the coffin, intending to take it with him.

However, he discovered to his surprise that he couldn't enter the gate while carrying the coffin.

Confused, Yun Lintian placed the coffin back down gently before walking through the gate himself. This time, he passed through without issue, arriving in the Land of Beyond Heaven.

Next, to test his theory, Yun Lintian grabbed a chicken running nearby and attempted to leave the Land of Beyond Heaven through the gate. However, he discovered to his surprise that he was blocked by an invisible wall.

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The realization dawned on Yun Lintian. The Gate of Beyond Heaven seemed to have a two-way restriction. He couldn't bring the coffin, or potentially anything else from the tomb, with him.

Likewise, he couldn't bring anything from the Land of Beyond Heaven back to the tomb. Clearly, this restriction only applied to this specific passage, as he had previously brought Lan Qinghe and Li Shan over.

Frustration gnawed at Yun Lintian. Leaving the woman behind felt wrong, yet he couldn't leave without answers.

Returning to the cavern, he circled the coffin, scrutinizing every inch for clues. Hours melted away as he examined the intricate carvings and pulsating light emanating from the crystal.

With a sigh, he conceded defeat. The woman could be related to the Moon God but there was nothing he could do.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A faint inscription, almost invisible to the naked eye, shimmered on the floor beside the coffin.

Yun Lintian crouched low, channeling his profound energy to brighten the inscription. The script seemed ancient, unlike any he had encountered before.

He spent another hour deciphering the complex symbols, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Finally, a sense of understanding bloomed within him. The inscription detailed a ritual for forming a protective barrier around the coffin, one that would deter graverobbers and maintain the woman's slumber.

Relief washed over him. He could protect the woman and continue his quest for answers. Without hesitation, Yun Lintian gathered the necessary materials from his spatial ring – divine stones, luminescent herbs, and a vial of flessence.

The ritual was intricate, demanding precise hand movements and the channeling of specific energies. He meticulously followed the inscription's instructions.

Hum!

A few minutes later, the silence broken only by the rhythmic chanting of the ancient script.

Finally, with a burst of white light, the ritual completed. A shimmering barrier, faintly resembling a swirling moon, enveloped the crystal coffin…