23 Flaming Rage Of The Goddess

"Xuanyuan Jiantian…?"

Having never seen him before in person, all seven level ten monarchs couldn't tell by appearance. However, the Mighty Heaven Collapsing Sword entering his hand so swiftly and him wielding it with such ease like it was his own sword was quite the indication.

"I'd like to ask why my poor nephew is getting assaulted by the likes of you buffoons." Xiao Jiantian inquired, flipping the sword mid-air and catching it. "Better yet; save the explanation for later. This King would very much like to hear it with the people of Profound Sky as witnesses."

None of them could sense even a thin thread of his profound energy.

'So this is a Profound God...'

They all thought… the one thing all of their ancestors had forever warned them about; never offend Xuanyuan Jiantian. Due to his long absence, they had come to think that he had left the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region in Xuanyuan Wentian's hands and left.

"This is a... misunderstanding, Lord Profound God!"

"Hmph, what are you all waiting for? Scatter in silence before I start cutting down the number of peak Monarchs on this continent." Xiao Jiantian cut Ye Meixie off, his chilling words of warning colder than the northernmost regions of the Navy Tide Nation.

And so, they scattered in silence without asking a single question…

When they were gone, Xiao Jiantian chuckled.

'Thinking ahead is always a good thing...'

He turned to face Xuanyuan Wentian, whose life force was rapidly fading. "My, oh my… look how they massacred my boy."

After seeing his enemies scatter, Xuanyuan Wentian didn't have the will to stay awake anymore.

"You fought well and with honour… even managing to awaken the spirit of my sword."

'With this sword's true power… well, one-shotting what was left of them would be child's play. Maybe my grand entrance wasn't quite as necessary.'

Xiao Jiantian caught Xuanyuan Wentian's fall and started to heal his wounds. Once his condition was stable, he carried him on his shoulder and jumped away from the destroyed mountain range.

~

After waking up, Xuanyuan Wentian was welcomed to a warm atmosphere. He swiftly came to the realisation that he'd been sleeping in a body bag for quite a while… which was certainly a new experience for the Sword Master.

His memory was a little unclear… he did recall the Mighty Heaven Collapsing Sword revealing its true self but everything after that was a blur.

He looked to his side and there it was; the majestic sword of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and the symbol of the Sword Master. He emerged from his body bag, grabbing the sword and sheathing its sharp edge away. Then, after leaving his tent, he saw eleven people sitting on wooden benches around a large campfire.

They were a strangely cheerful bunch… though, to see profound practitioners genuinely happy did make Xuanyuan Wentian smile a little. In the endless Way of the Profound, they had found time for themselves. Just as Xuanyuan Jiantian had done in his early years…

At the centre of it all was one handsome man telling the tale of Primal Chaos.

"Long ago, there was only one being in existence. An immortal who was connected to Primal Chaos... or more accurately, you could say that she was Primal Chaos. While she existed, no other life could come to be."

"She was the mightiest of all beings and perfect in every way you could imagine... though, that wasn't saying much considering the fact that there was no one else alive." Xiao Jiantian chuckled a little. "All alone, with nothing alive to interact with... naturally she grew bored and isolated. In her eternal solitude, she finally decided to sacrifice herself and allow life to spread all across Primal Chaos."

'The Ancestral Goddess' memories... her solitude reminds me of my own. Yet mine was by choice...'

"This beautiful sacrifice led to the birth of millions of creatures... from which the Era of Gods and Devils began. Eight shards of her most divine power scattered across Primal Chaos; four shards being light and the other four were of darkness. From that great sacrifice, the never-ending crusade between light and darkness unfortunately ignited. Worlds of blood were spilt because of their differences, birthing an even more eternal deep hatred for each other."

"But... in the end, they were all children birthed from the Ancestral Goddess; a being of both light and darkness. That being said... to become the most supreme of all divine beings, wouldn't you need to embrace both elements? This simple fact flew over the heads of the gods and devils, unfortunately, as they continued to delve further into their own destruction and decay."

"In the end, both factions were destroyed with only fragments remaining; leaving only mortals to inhabit Primal Chaos."

Xiao Jiantian sighed. "Even these mortals did not learn... and continued to discriminate each other for their differences, following the example of their fallen gods."

"That is, until..."

"Until?" Xia QIngyue inquired as Xiao Jiantian paused.

"That's a story for another day!" He laughed. "Besides, we can't keep the Sword Master waiting for too long, can we?"

"Who are you?" Xuanyuan Wentian asked, feeling his headache. "The last thing I remember is..."

"I am your saviour and the man who drove those little rats from the other Sacred Grounds away." Xiao Jiantian grabbed his cooked fish and took a mouthful bite from it. "Come, sit at that bench over there. We have the future of the Profound Sky Continent to discuss."

"..." Xuanyuan Wentian breathed a sigh as Xiao Jiantian didn't quite answer his question. Though, he had to repay the favour of being saved... whoever that person was. So he sat down to the side of Xiao Wuqing who made every measure not to offend him.

"Lord Sword Master, is there anything you need? I will spare no effort to-"

Xuanyuan Wentian chuckled, making a gesture telling Xiao Wuqing to relax. "I'm not as formal as I seem to be, you know, hahahaha."

'Is this really the Sword Master Xuanyuan Wentian?' Xiao Wuqing thought, doing exactly what Xuanyuan Wentian had suggested.

"Profound practitioners valuing their days... there is no sweeter sight than that." Xuanyuan Wentian smiled, turning his gaze to Xiao Jiantian. "So, you must be quite strong to repel those old fools. And quite excellent in the ways of medicine too. After all, healing my wounds without even a trace of any scars... this is not something just anyone can accomplish."

"Quite perceptive, nephew."

"Nephew?-" Xuanyuan Wentian's eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't believe it... could his ancestor have been simply living in the Profound Sky Continent all this time? "Are you..."

"Well, I used to be Xuanyuan Wentian but I see you as my little nephew nevertheless. In truth, I have simply been reborn as Xiao Jiantian."

"That great genius was you, all along?" Xuanyuan Wentian closed his eyes for a brief moment, collecting his thoughts. "Hahaha... hahaha... I haven't felt quite so elated in many years! Uncle, you have to see the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region of today, I'm sure you will be pleased to see how it has developed."

"I'm sure I will be." Xiao Jiantian nodded. "I've heard much about you as well... and I gotta say, the Mighty Heaven Collapsing Sword is in good hands. As for those other Sacred Grounds, I did steal your chance to shine. However, another opportunity will come... and when it does come, I'll leave them all in your very capable hands."

"It is a shame, they were green with envy of the Mighty Heavenly Sword Region ever since I can remember which made communication with them so very difficult. But, alas, I know what I need to do now to end this conflict once and for all." Xuanyuan Wentian stated confidently, his eyes brimming with resolve.

"It is decided, then."

Knowing the rough idea of what Xuanyuan Wentian was thinking, Xiao Jiantian smiled.

The topic changed and eventually, the group warmed up to Xuanyuan Wentian who seemed to be quite a benevolent and compassionate man. They shared each other's stories while time passed ever so swiftly.

Soon, it was night and Xiao Jiantian found the time to wander off on his own.

"I didn't teach my Ying'er to be a stalker, now did I?" Xiao Jiantian chuckled, addressing Qianye Ying'er for the very first time. "Tell me, is Qianye Fantian still alive? His presence was always rather irritating, however…"

"Let me tell you it was a great source of relief to use that poor old man as a punching bag during the days when I was the so-called 'Sword Devil'!"

"You don't have to worry about him, he has been dead for over two hundred years."

"Only two hundred years?" Xiao Jiantian smiled after hearing her voice. "That's my Ying'er, haha. I'd pat your head if I could but you happen to be invisible…"

"I'm not a child anymore, you know..."

"Oh, is that so? Then what kind of reward would a mature woman seek?" Xiao Jiantian wondered, crossing his arms and leaning against a tree. The wind blew softly, moving the leaves around them. As the midnight sky loomed over, he closed his eyes and imagined her graceful, unreachable, figure.

For so long... he had thought of her as his disciple and like the daughter he never had, even towards his later years. Since he had removed Qianye Fantian from the picture, he had to complete the duties of a father figure instead. After all, when they first interacted, one was a child while the other was relatively young (in the God Realm) but still very much a seasoned adult (especially if you include all his other lives).

Yes, she was beautiful... and he would be lying if he said he wasn't attracted when she had matured. He had grown a deep feeling of care for her over the years too, much like a fierce lion overseeing its cub. Because of that, it felt a bit wrong... and what if it didn't work out? What if he lost her as a result?

These uncertainties kept him away.

"Well, firstly, you have to make it up to me for vanishing so suddenly!"

"Ahh... that." Xiao Jiantian nodded, sighing. "Well, I could've gone about dying in a better way... but the end result would've been the same. Without being reborn once more, I wouldn't have reached an understanding of True Godhood and how to achieve it. I'm sure you've witnessed the many things I'm capable of now."

"And what if you reincarnated someplace else? What then?" Qianye Ying'er questioned.

"Then I would've found a way to find you, even if I had to thoroughly tear through time and space itself." Xiao Jiantian answered, opening his azure eyes which were suddenly brimming with unshakeable resolve. After he chuckled, the light disappeared. "Well, luckily, I didn't have to, eh?"

"You're so hopeless sometimes, master..." Qianye Ying'er sighed. "But... I believe in you. However, from what I've observed, you're not exactly keen on seeing me. Meticulously hiding your aura, being negligent in regards to your profound strength and, last of all, laying with a mortal woman... something I thought you'd, the great Sword God Xuanyuan Jiantian, never even consider doing, hmph!"

"The mere sight is repulsing..."

"Ah-" Xiao Jiantian scratched his short hair, laughing rather nervously. "Well-, one thing led to another, you know?-"

"Of course, it did." Qianye Ying'er's tone was a little cold, though she was secretly thrilled to be talking to Jiantian again. "I recall you saying something... 'you're my one and only?'. It hasn't even been a year since your marriage and you..."

'Shit... now that I think about it, I never had the problem of having multiple women. How the hell does that trash Nan Wansheng manage 10,000 concubines?? Well, I'd guess that they're not really high maintenance but still-'

"I..."

Slash.

Before he could even reply, the other side of the forest exploded from sheer, flaming, sword intent. A slight drop of sweat dropped down Xiao Jiantian's forehead as he felt the tyrannical pressure of his former sword. In this scenario, Qianye Ying'er was more than capable of erasing the entirety of Blue Pole Star (including him) with a single strike of her sword... if she wanted to.

'She learned from the best, that's for sure...'

Qianye Ying'er didn't finish her sentence, moving on from it.

"I'll give you another week on this desolate rock. After that, you will return with me... to your true home."

And so, she left.

'I was going to say I love you more than Qingyue to snuff out the flames... but I guess that's a little too late.'