Liu Shengjie sat upon a throne carved from ancient dragon-bone, the hush of his celestial hall punctuated only by the distant rumble of thunder. Flickering braziers cast long shadows across the floor, illuminating his bronze armor and the intricate runes etched into his blood-red blade, Martyr's Oath.
Before him stood the Celestial Council Gods of Harvest, Wind, and Fate—each bowed in reverent silence. None dared look Shengjie in the eyes.
"With more rifts opening," he intoned, voice smooth as tempered steel, "the people whisper of a returning savior—the Demon Lord in a mortal's guise."
The Wind God—a graceful figure draped in cloudlike robes—stirred. "The villages this side of the Lesser Plains are seeing phenomena once thought sealed, sea serpents, haunted shrines, cursed puppets."
Shengjie's gaze sharpened. "Let the mortals tremble. Let fear breed hope for salvation." He paused. "And let he believe—Mo Tianzun—the Xuanji reborn… that he has risen."
Fate God cleared his throat. "You risk provoking the Demon Lord… Chaos may consume the realms. Are you prepared to claim entire heaven?"
A storm flickered in Shengjie's gaze. "I once struck down Tianzun's corpse. His power dies with every rift and puppet that falls apart. Still—if he returns, I will consume him again. And this time… I will be the salvation the world chooses."
Thunder rattled. The Council bowed; not in awe, but in fear.
—————
Night had draped itself across the road, turning the hillside into desperate black. The party—Longxuan, Tianzun, Liu Twins, and Fenglie—walked quietly behind the campfire's glow.
Zhenhai whispered, "He orchestrates this all along… but why dolls? Why villages? It's not random."
Fenglan lifted a brow. "Maybe he likes creepy antiques."
Jiang Fenglie's voice remained solemn. "It's about control. Fear. He builds narratives… then interjects himself as hero."
Longxuan nodded slowly. "And once people fear him, he becomes untouchable—even by Heaven."
Mo Tianzun, walking slightly ahead, stopped. The firelight glittered in his eyes.
"Once," he said softly, "I ruled in shadows. But he stole the throne I might have earned. He became the God of War, venerated for thousands of years, based on a lie. I failed him—and now I will make things right."
Longxuan stepped beside him. "You don't have to destroy him. You just have to save the world… and me."
Tianzun's lips quirked into a brief, warm smile. Then his face hardened. "Tomorrow, we reach the next village—the one where children vanish at the edge of the forest. Watch the mist. Watch the sky."