Myth Beyond Heaven

"Why?" Hongyue inquired.

"Because you are the inheritor of the Primordial Moon God," Mumu replied calmly.

"Are you certain?" Hongyue furrowed her brow deeply. Though she was aware of this possibility, she couldn't quite believe it, having found no trace of the Moon God's legacy thus far.

"My Lunar Jade Rabbit Clan served as the first clan under the Primordial Moon God," Mumu explained unhurriedly. "Each generation's successor was duty-bound to remain by her side. I was the last successor before the calamity."

Hongyue listened intently, her heart pounding despite her outward calmness. A million questions swirled in her mind, but most seemed unimportant at the moment.

"The Moon God... her name was Yue Bingyao," Mumu continued. "My service to her was tragically short. All I know is of her obsession with the God of Fate. She frequently visited the Tower of Fate, despite his consistent absence."

Hongyue's eyes flickered with surprise. If she were truly the Moon God's inheritor, encountering Yun Tian and Yun Lintian obviously wasn't a coincidence. The question now was, who orchestrated this? Was it the God of Fate himself, or the Moon God's doing?

Hongyue strained to connect the dots, but too many pieces remained missing. This newfound knowledge did little to pierce the shroud of mystery.

"As you know," Mumu said, "the Moon God sacrificed her life to vanquish her foes."

"The God Slaying Sword," Hongyue murmured, recalling that the Moon God, the River God, and the God of Light had used their life force to wield it.

Mumu offered a gentle nod. "Indeed. However, the sword's origins remain obscure. Legend speaks of its creation by Tie Mutian, the Forgery God."

Hongyue cut in sharply, "Wait, Tie Mutian? Isn't he just a regular man from the Azure World? Is there some connection?"

A flicker of recognition crossed her mind. Tie Mutian, the Azure World's legendary blacksmith, had vanished for the Divine Realm. She hadn't heard of him since.

Mumu shook her head. "I have no clue, but anything remains possible. His death always remains mysterious. Perhaps he's a reincarnation of the Forgery God, Tie Mutian. His meteoric rise in the Azure World followed by his sudden disappearance was too convenient. Maybe the God of Fate, or someone else, intervened, manipulating his life for their own purposes."

Hongyue voiced her doubts, "But how could he have created such a powerful artifact?"

Tie Mutian clearly wasn't on the same level as the Primordial Gods. How could he craft something capable of eradicating them?

Mumu sighed. "No one knows, I'm afraid. I was curious myself in the past, but ultimately found no answers."

"Let's table that for now," Mumu said, changing the subject. "After the Moon God fell, her body fractured into five fragments, each holding a portion of her legacy."

"Do you know where they are located?" Hongyue pressed, urgency lacing her voice.

"Indeed," Mumu replied firmly. "We have already recovered four of them."

Hongyue's jaw dropped in astonishment. "What?"

Mumu met her gaze calmly. "Do you truly believe Yue Hua would sacrifice your sister in vain?"

Hongyue scowled deeply. "What do you mean?"

"Originally, you and your sister were meant to be one," Mumu revealed. "The cause of your separation remains unclear. But to ensure fate stays on course, the woman who sealed my memories used divination to instruct Yue Hua. She was ordered to sacrifice one of you and merge your essence back together."

A fierce glint flickered in Hongyue's eyes, a silent promise of violence. Her fists clenched unconsciously.

"I understand your anger," Mumu spoke calmly, "but it's necessary. The longer you remain divided, the greater the risk of the Moon God's legacy being lost forever."

"That's my sister!" Hongyue roared, her voice thick with anger.

Mumu's gaze held steady. "Do you truly believe your life is entirely your own? From the moment we are born, we are set upon this path."

Hongyue opened her mouth, but no words escaped. Mumu's words resonated deeply, and a heavy truth settled in her stomach.

"We are all pawns in a game far grander than ourselves," Mumu continued, her voice filled with a strange acceptance. "Compared to you, Yun Lintian bears the heaviest burden, yet he is perhaps the most innocent among us all."

Her eyes met Hongyue's. "In fact, you should feel happy for your sister. At least she is spared further suffering."

Hongyue fell silent, a storm of emotions churning within her. Mumu's words, harsh as they were, carried a kernel of truth. Compared to Yun Lintian's fate, her own struggles seemed insignificant.

"The four fragments of the Moon God's legacy reside within you, me, Lin Xinyao, and Yue Chuntao," Mumu explained. "Originally, one fragment belonged to Yue Xiurong, but it was transferred to Chuntao."

Hongyue furrowed her brow. "We are the fragments? But I don't feel anything… different."

Mumu offered a gentle smile. "That's because the legacy is incomplete. Only when we find the last piece can we truly fulfill our purpose."

feel anything… different."

Mumu offered a gentle smile. "That's because the legacy is "Where is this final fragment?" Hongyue pressed, a flicker of urgency returning to her voice.

"It resides within the God Slaying Sword," Mumu revealed.

Hongyue's breath hitched. "The God Slaying Sword? I thought it was destroyed."

"It has indeed gone," Mumu confirmed, "but only its spirit. As long as we can locate the sword spirit, we have a chance of finding the weapon itself."

"The Sword Spirit?" Hongyue repeated, her brow furrowing in deep concentration. "Where could it be?"

Mumu's lips curved into a knowing smile. "You've already encountered it before,"

"What? When was it?" Hongyue's eyes widened in surprise.

"Jian Yun," Mumu answered simply. "He is the true spirit of the God Slaying Sword."

Hongyue's world tilted on its axis. This revelation was a bombshell, shattering her previous understanding.

Several minutes passed before Hongyue managed to compose herself. She met Mumu's gaze and spoke, her voice hoarse. "But Jian Yun… he's gone."

Suddenly, a realization struck Hongyue, and she blurted out, "Qin Juehai?"

Mumu offered a calm nod. "Indeed. Jian Yun, as the sword spirit, cannot truly perish. He must be recovering somewhere, and Qin Juehai likely possesses knowledge of his whereabouts."

Hongyue's expression darkened with regret. She couldn't help but blame herself for letting Qin Juehai slip through their grasp.

"There's still hope," Mumu reassured her gently. "We can revisit the Sword God Realm."

Hongyue responded with a resolute nod and rose to her feet. A sudden thought caused her to pause and turn back to Mumu. "What will become of us when the five fragments are reunited?"

Mumu fell silent for a moment, a veil of uncertainty clouding her eyes. "That," she admitted, "remains a mystery."