Myth Beyond Heaven

"The Celestial Realm?" The old man gave a slight nod. Perhaps due to the Cloud Dragon Ark, he harbored no doubts regarding Yun Lintian's identity.

"You can proceed by paying the toll fee," he continued. "It's one million high-grade divine stones."

Nantian Fengyu frowned, voicing her disapproval. "That's exorbitant! You are clearly robbing us!"

The old man's gaze met hers, and he spoke nonchalantly, "You are free to leave if you wish."

Just as Nantian Fengyu was about to retort, Yun Lintian interjected.

"No problem," he said with a smile, tossing a storage ring towards the old man.

The old man cast a satisfied glance at the pile of divine stones within the ring. "You may enter. Remember to conduct yourselves with propriety. This realm doesn't tolerate reckless behavior."

"We appreciate the reminder. We'll take our leave now," Yun Lintian said, cupping his fists in respect before returning to the Cloud Dragon Ark and steering it towards the blue sphere.

As they watched the Cloud Dragon Ark slowly traverse the energy ring, the old man's brow furrowed.

"Something seems amiss with them, leader," a middle-aged man behind him spoke.

"I know. I'm not blind." the old man replied. "However, think about it. Could an ordinary person afford a celestial-rank profound ark? Furthermore, his composure under pressure is unlike that of someone of his apparent status."

"Should we report to our superior?" the middle-aged man inquired.

"Are you stupid?" the old man scolded. "We just swindled them out of a million stones. Do you wish to relinquish it?"

The middle-aged man silenced himself immediately.

"Keep this matter confidential, all of you," the old man warned. "We cannot afford to antagonize either party. Understood?"

"Yes!" the middle-aged man and the others responded in unison.

***

The Cloud Dragon Ark traversed the energy ring smoothly and entered the blue sphere. Unlike their departure from the Great Devil Realm, they encountered no resistance here, allowing the ark to enter effortlessly.

Soon, a vast starry sky unfolded before Yun Lintian's eyes. While similar to the Great Expanse outside, the number of stars here was significantly lower.

"No wonder this realm can accommodate a true god," Zhang Yu remarked. "It's nearly on par with the Great Expanse."

"Even better, considering the concentration of aura," Yun Lintian added.

Consulting the star map, he discovered they were currently located within the western region.

Nantian Fengyu, gazing intently at the map, asked with curiosity, "Where are we headed?"

Yun Lintian hesitated for a moment before replying, "I have a personal reason for wanting to visit a specific location."

"A specific location?" Nantian Fengyu inquired, puzzled. "And where might that be?"

"My hometown," Yun Lintian uttered softly.

Nantian Fengyu and the others stared at Yun Lintian in surprise; none of them possessed complete knowledge of his past.

"Your hometown? What do you mean?" Nantian Fengyu pressed for clarification.

"To put it simply," Yun Lintian began, "I was born in the Nine Heavens Realm and later taken to the Azure World." He pointed to a small dot near the central region. "That's a place called Earth."

"Whoa, so you're not originally from the Azure World?" Nantian Fengyu expressed her surprise.

"That's right," Yun Lintian confirmed with a nod. "Honestly, it's a mystery to me as well. Before arriving in the Azure World, I was clearly dead. However, when I opened my eyes again, I already found myself as an infant."

"An unusual occurrence indeed," Yun Yi remarked, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Having been directly sent to the Great Devil Realm after the war with the Primordial God Tribe, he lacked knowledge of Yun Lintian's true background.

Zhang Yu and Long Qingxuan were even more in the dark, their knowledge limited to him being the successor of the Beyond Heaven King.

"The passage of time differs between Earth and the Divine Realm," Yun Lintian further explained. "It's likely been almost a year since I left for the Azure World."

Both Zhang Yu and Yun Yi fell into contemplation.

"According to Senior Lan," Yun Lintian continued, expressing his true concerns, "Earth is a forbidden place, protected by the Chaos Goddess. With her whereabouts unknown, I'm worried about its fate."

"Then let's go. Perhaps we can uncover some answers about what happened to you," Zhang Yu promptly decided on behalf of the group.

"Thank you for understanding me." Expressing his gratitude, Yun Lintian activated stealth mode and piloted the Cloud Dragon Ark towards Earth at maximum speed.

A day passed, and the Cloud Dragon Ark approached its destination. Yun Lintian, standing at the helm, gazed intently upon the vibrant blue sphere brimming with life, its continents shrouded in a soft, white mist. Earth. His home.

A maelstrom of emotions coursed through him, past memories vivid as a cinematic reel. He had once believed his return impossible, and even if achievable, those he knew would be long gone. Yet, fate offered him this unexpected opportunity.

As Earth materialized before him, he struggled to articulate his feelings. Was it happiness, fear, or unease? He couldn't discern.

The blue sphere seemed protected by an invisible barrier, woven perhaps by celestial gods, explaining the absence of others.

After meticulously checking the surroundings, ensuring no one lurked nearby, Yun Lintian addressed the group, "Let's go."

He then stored the ark and, accompanied by everyone, slowly flew towards Earth.

As they drew closer, various objects orbiting the planet became visible.

"What are those?" Nantian Fengyu inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Those are satellites," Yun Lintian explained. "Devices crafted by mortals to observe their world from afar, gather information, and communicate across vast distances."

Nantian Fengyu displayed surprise.

"According to Senior Lan," Yun Lintian elaborated, "no practitioners reside here. This world is solely inhabited by mortals."

Bang!

Suddenly, Nantian Fengyu and the others slammed against an unexpected invisible barrier. Only Yun Lintian, Qingqing, and Linlin effortlessly passed through.

Surprised, Yun Lintian glanced at Qingqing and Linlin perched on his shoulders, seemingly drawing a conclusion. He was also relieved to see this scene. Without a doubt, no one could enter Earth with this barrier around.

"Hold on," he instructed, flying back. "Everyone, grasp my arms."

Understanding his plan, they quickly complied, approaching and grasping his arms.

With that, they proceeded forward, seamlessly passing through the barrier and entering the sphere.

Soon, the once vibrant blue sphere morphed into a tapestry of greens, browns, and blues, continents sprawling beneath swirling clouds.

Looking at the familiar scenery, Yun Lintian uttered, his voice echoing with emotion. "I'm back."