The night after the Village of Dolls incident was heavy with silence.
The group had made camp near a cliffside path overlooking the sea, far from that cursed place. The fire crackled, casting shadows across their faces. The Liu Twins were both fast asleep, curled together like hounds in the grass, and Jiang Fenglie stood quietly on watch—arms folded, his eyes still sharp but tired.
Only Mo Tianzun sat awake, his gaze distant as he stared into the embers.
Longxuan leaned back against a rock, drinking quietly, occasionally casting a glance toward Tianzun. He knew that look—storm brewing behind a still sky.
"…You're not resting," Longxuan murmured, setting his cup down.
Mo Tianzun didn't respond at first. The flicker of flame caught the edge of his sharp cheekbones, his features cold and otherworldly even in his current form.
Finally, he said, low and hoarse, "This isn't coincidence."
Longxuan tilted his head.
"The sea beasts. The mist. That village with no soul, only dolls. The barrier seals. The cursed spiritual residue." Mo Tianzun's voice tightened. "They don't originate from any realm's natural balance. These weren't born. They were designed. Released. Allowed."
Longxuan sat forward. "You mean... someone is orchestrating all this?"
Mo Tianzun didn't answer right away. He lifted his wine gourd, drank from it like it was the only thing anchoring him to this world, then set it down carefully.
"Liu Shengjie."
Longxuan froze.
Mo Tianzun's eyes narrowed. "He was my right hand man when I'm still the Demon Lord, he was from the heaven realm but due to people unfair treatment towards him he decided to join my realm. When a battle broke between demon and heaven's realm he didn't waste his chance to kill me so he can be so-called a Hero all around the world and gain people trust even other deities. Now He walks untouched through Spirit Realms, commands forces none should be able to bend. He charmed the Emperor. Manipulated the people. Built a reputation so pure even the Gods would kneel."
"He saved the world once, I didn't know its all part of his plan" Longxuan murmured cautiously.
"No," Tianzun said, his voice dark, like stone dragging across ice. "He shaped the world once. Then stepped back to watch it worship him."
The wind howled. Mo Tianzun's cloak fluttered as he stood, slow and deliberate, facing the horizon.
"All of this. It's a game. Each chaos a seed. Each soul—sacrificed. Each beast—" He clenched his fist. "He's creating imbalance… and making himself the only one who can restore it."
Longxuan stepped forward. "But why?"
"To become a God," Mo Tianzun said.
His voice held no uncertainty. No hesitation. Just fact.
"He doesn't want reverence. He wants divinity. If people fear the end enough, they will worship the one who saves them from it. And if Heaven sees him as the final balance..." Tianzun's eyes glowed faintly. "Then the throne of the Gods will be his."
Longxuan felt the weight of those words settle deep into his bones.
He remembered Liu Shengjie's prideful words. His kind demeanor. The way even the most righteous sects bowed to his words.
"I was his final obstacle," Mo Tianzun whispered. "And so he had me destroyed. And now… he's doing it again."
Longxuan's heart twisted. "But you're back."
"Yes," Tianzun muttered. "And this time, I will not be the pawn."
They stood together in silence. The waves crashing far below like whispers of something ancient stirring.
Then, with a smirk playing on his lips, Longxuan turned to him and said, "You know… the last time you were this intense, I heard a lot of people gossiping about you destroyed four sect halls and cursed someone's ancestor for seven generations."
Tianzun arched a brow. "Did they deserve it?"
"They insulted your cooking."
"…Then they didn't suffer enough."
Longxuan chuckled.
Mo Tianzun's lips twitched. Then he said, "We'll head inland tomorrow. We'll follow the dark Qi. These disturbances are patterns—and I know how to read them."
"And if we find Shengjie?"
Tianzun's gaze turned steel. "Then I'll tear the truth from his soul."