1 Prologue

The round moon hung in the inky abyss, and myriad stars dotted the canvas of night.

A grandiose and romanesque palace was situated at the summit of a mountain, reaching out, as though trying to pierce through the darkness that loomed above it. Not just anyone could enter there; it was reserved only for the most venerable heroes and worshipped figures of the nation.

On the palace balcony sat a seemingly normal old man, draped in a finely-embroidered violet and golden robe, with the image of a yin-yang printed in the center. Opposite him sat another person, clad head-to-toe in a black cloak, covering his facial features and resulting in his undeterminable appearance. Such an outfit made him blend into the night itself, as though he wasn't there, as though he didn't really exist, as though he was the night.

Currently, they were in the midst of an intense, yet peaceful, chess game.

"Your tactics never change, do they?"

An archaic, rusty voice sounded out from the golden-robed man. He slowly lifted his face as the moonlight beamed down upon him, revealing his wizened features and illuminating the wrinkles that bore deeply into his skin.

"Why should they change? You still haven't defeated me even after all these years."

The black-cloaked man responded, the smile on his face evident in his tone as he played his next move.

"Haha, you may be right, but just because I can't defeat you, doesn't mean that others can't either."

Following his light chuckle, an eerie, sombre feeling abruptly exuded from the old man as his countenance turned serious.

"You mean…?"

The old man sighed, turning his head to look at the night sky. As he stared deep into the inky abyss, the inky abyss stared back. His eyes emitted a profound feeling, and it was as though they contained the entire universe within them. Penetrating the deepest of secrets, nothing could escape his gaze, nothing could hide under his watchful eyes...

"The stars are aligned… winds of change are on the horizon. We have been complacent for too long, and I fear our time is near. Great change is coming and this time, it will involve the entirety of the Immortal Continent. Even this venerable one feels fear."

Suddenly jumping up out of his seat, the black-clothed man stifled to gasp as he finally realised just how immense this matter was. The man before him was once known as the most powerful figure on the Immortal Continent, yet even he dared to claim that he fears the upcoming crisis.

"What could possibly make you, the Divine Emperor, feel fear in this world?"

"Therein lies the issue: fate dictates that our opponents…"

The old man stood up, slowly shuffling his way to the edge of the balcony. With each movement, there was the creaking of old bones. Standing at the edge, looking down upon the world, he mumbled under his breath so only he could hear,

"Neither is our saviour… Could it be her? She hasn't revealed herself for centuries..."