Where It All Began (1)

Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!

A series of thunderous explosions resounded as three rays of darkness hit a radiant light barrier covering a dark grey planet. The barrier flickered and strained under the relentless assault, reflecting the desperate struggle of its defenders.

The beams were launched from the central ark amongst thousands of fleeting mechanical armadas, hovering in space tens of thousands of miles away from the planet.

Even though the size of the leading ship was minuscule compared to its target, the destructive power they brought was world-destroying.

If the barrier was not there to protect the planet, the previous strikes could have obliterated it in a single hit.

"Seniors, please hurry up!! I don't think we can hold on for long."

Amidst the chaos, a young man's voice rang out, punctuated by the intensity of his azure eyes, which blazed with a mixture of determination and concern. His lengthy, obsidian hair danced like a shadowy specter in the turbulent winds generated by the preceding explosions. Adorned in armor of a deep, blood-red hue, he stood resolute at the threshold of an ancient temple, a guardian of the final bastion of hope for humanity. Feng Luotian glanced at the crumbling city behind him, remembering the faces of those he had sworn to protect.

The city had been a vibrant place, full of life and joy. Now, it lay in ruins—buildings reduced to rubble, streets filled with the debris of shattered lives. He could hear the cries of the wounded and the mourning of those who had lost everything. The enemy had spared no one, leaving a path of desolation in their wake. "This is what they have done," he thought, his heart heavy with grief and anger. "I cannot let their sacrifice be in vain."

Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes held the wisdom of several centuries and the weight of countless winters endured. With a heart forged in the crucible of time, he now stood as the last hope of humanity, a staunch defender of a world teetering on the precipice of oblivion.

By the side of the youthful guardian, another formidable figure loomed, bedecked in the same radiant blood-colored armor, yet emitting an even more resplendent aura. His obsidian robe billowed dramatically in the wind, and proudly inscribed upon it, in bold crimson brush strokes arranged vertically, was the imposing title of [Demon God Emperor].

"Father," Feng Luotian began, his voice breaking slightly, "we can't let them breach the barrier. If they get through, everything we've fought for will be lost."

With a visage of a matured man, he bore the weight of experience and time upon his sturdy frame. His dark hair framed his face, and his piercing crimson eyes, which mirrored the knowledge of countless lifetimes, betrayed a depth of understanding that eclipsed even the formidable young man standing beside him. He placed a reassuring hand on Feng Luotian's shoulder, a rare moment of tenderness amid the chaos. "Hold steady, my son. We are the shield that stands between our people and annihilation."

The Demon God Emperor was the one responsible for controlling the array that powered the planet's scintillating barrier. Inside the temple, twelve elders, dressed in tattered clothes, sat in a circle around a pattern of magical light. They were engaged in a ritual, executing hand seals and radiating pure light from their bodies. This light flowed into the central magic pattern within the temple hall.

"If we fail here," Feng Luotian thought, "everything—everyone we love—will be consumed by darkness."

Hearing the young man crying at the elders, Demon God Emperor harshly admonished: "Luotian, all twelve immortals are here to carry out the only survival opportunity of the world. They are giving their all already. Just shut up and focus on your job to protect them!!"

The young man, whose name was called Feng Luotian, wryly smiled at the scold: "I know that, Father. But those damnable things already began their assault on us. Do you think we can hold on until seniors complete the ritual? It's a matter of time before their kings reach here, or even their emperor. At that time, we won't be able to stall them anymore."

"I know that. Only, we have no choice but to try." Demon God Emperor indifferently replied as he concentrated on what he was doing.

Feng Luotian could not help but sigh at the despairing situation. He clenched his fists, remembering his promise to his late wife to protect their world at all costs.

Images rushed back from his memories, where he saw 'them' annihilating one army after another.

As for the innocents, their cultivation was stripped from their bodies, making them unable to continue living in peace as they lost their ability to protect their homeland from savaged monsters.

Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!

While Feng Luotian was lost in his thought, the war ark replenished its energy and stormed the planet once again with three more rays of eternal darkness. The strikes caused tremors all around after crashing the protective barrier, waking him from his stupor. When he looked up at the sky vault again, with his heavenly gaze, he found eleven figures suddenly appearing out of nowhere, lining up outside the planet.

At the forefront of the assembly stood a resplendent woman, adorned in a gown of dazzling light blue that seemed to mirror the very heavens. Yet, her attire paled in comparison to the luminous radiance of her skin, which possessed a quality of transcendent brilliance. Her complexion, as smooth as the most refined porcelain, cast a celestial glow that surpassed the radiance of the finest gemstones.

Her eyes, shimmering like an unblemished sky, held an invitation to all living beings, extending a gracious welcome under her benevolent gaze. Her very presence exuded an aura of divine light, imbued with warmth and a profound sense of care. Those fortunate enough to bask in the glow of this divine aura felt a longing, an unshakable desire to serve her for all eternity, unable to sever the ties forged by such an overwhelming sense of devotion.

Her beauty, unparalleled and incomparable, transcended the bounds of mere mortals. It was as though she had transcended humanity itself, and any attempt to label her fell short, with the term "goddess" itself seeming an inadequate descriptor for her peerless allure, but that was as far as one could go among the titles referring to beauties.

The goddess silently scrutinized the barrier shielding the planet for a couple of minutes before she finally raised her hand and constructed a wisp of light on her palm.

The goddess gently released the wisp toward the barrier.

The wisp of light traveled at a slow pace, but when it hit …

Rumble!!

The earth quivered upon the strike.

The formidable barrier had stood firm without a single scratch against any world-destroying assaults. Yet, a simple spell from the goddess forced it to crack on the verge of completely collapsing.

Noticing their final barricade's deteriorated condition, Feng Luotian became even more worried than before: "Father, now 'she' along with her kings and queens are here. What do we do now? The situation doesn't look too good, and seniors will take at least one hour to complete the ritual. If all of them jointly attacked at the same time, we are doomed!!"

Demon God Emperor's complexion turned dark. He contemplated for a few seconds before giving a reply: "Luotian, take control over the defensive array. I will ad-lib a bit."

"I got it, Fa—WHAT?!" Without thinking much, Feng Luotian agreed to his father's order at first, but after realizing what he had to do, he hit a full brake and groaned: "I take control? Alone? I cannot even handle one king, let alone all of … Hey, Father!!"

He did not have a chance to finish his sentence before his father was already gone. Now, he had no choice but to try his best to accomplish his father's command by summoning all of his remaining power to fuel the planet-protective barrier.

———

Inside the temple where twelve elders were performing a particular ritual, suddenly, Demon God Emperor appeared next to the circle of people: "Seniors, the situation has changed. At this rate, we will not make it in time. Please use this as a tribute."

Demon God Emperor flipped his hand, and an item appeared floating above his palm.

An egg-sized spherical marble held court, bathed in a gentle, otherworldly golden radiance. Enigmatic, ethereal runes hovered around it in a mesmerizing dance, their patterns ever-shifting like whispers of an ancient language. The marble's hue exhibited a mesmerizing transformation, as if it drew upon the very essence of the cosmos, shifting from one enchanting color to another. It was like a vortex, ceaselessly drawing in and absorbing all the energies of this world, a focal point of immeasurable power that defied comprehension.

"Eternal Dao Lotus Seed!!"

"Are you really willing to give away the Supreme Treasure, Demon God Emperor?!"

"After the ritual is complete, this treasure may be lost forever."

One after another, a few members of those twelve elders who recognized the object stated their sentiments while the rest quietly agreed, shaking their heads and sighing in unison. They shared the same thought that even the Supreme Treasure may not survive this calamity after all.

"Seniors, you don't have to worry about it. No matter how valuable a treasure is, it will never trump the value of a human's life, let alone the fate of all lives in the universe. Please use it to complete the ritual as soon as possible." Demon God Emperor decisively affirmed.

Still, one elder lamented at the potential loss of the Supreme Treasure: "If it were another time, I would be willing to trade anything for this Treasure, regardless of the price."

Another elder added: "Yes, but we won't have the chance to use it now even if we are to possess such t—"

"Stop wasting time talking and finish this ritual!!" The leader of the group interrupted to pull every elder back from wandering thoughts while carefully receiving Eternal Dao Lotus Seed from Demon God Emperor.

The party came back to reality. They promptly channeled their energies into the magic pattern.

The leading elder controlled the seed with his power and positioned it above the ritual. With the change of his hand seals, the seed began to pour its inner energy into the ritual array.

The magic pattern started to spin at a swifter pace, demonstrating the success in accelerating the process.

Just when they were exhilarated upon it, all elders and Demon God Emperor heard repeated rumbles coming from outside.

Subsequently, a figure hastily entered the temple hall with an anxious expression.

Feng Luotian, whose face looked worn and pale white from exhausting his energy, barged in and reported: "Father, what do we do now? They are about to breach the barrier within a matter of seconds. Every king and queen, including her, will be coming, and—!!"

He was agitated at the very sight of the seed's energy being forced out: "Y-Y-You are sacrificing Eternal Dao Lotus Seed?! Are you out of your mind? The item may be gone forever at this r—"

"We know that already!!" All elders, including Demon God Emperor, concomitantly said with a stern voice.

"But..." Even with the sudden retort from his seniors, there was still some reluctance in Feng Luotian's eyes as he glanced at his father. He knew how much was lost and how many lives were sacrificed for his father to acquire this item. Memories of his wife, her laughter and warmth, flickered painfully in his mind.

At that moment, Eternal Dao Lotus Seed's ever-changing color came to a stop at a dull grey, no different from an ordinary stone you could pick up on the ground. It dropped down and disappeared into the array.

"Buzz." A divine hymn resounded as the magic pattern gave off an immortal aura. An area inside gradually turned into a blinding light.

"Demon God Emperor, it is complete. Go in before it's too late." The leader of the twelve immortals asserted.

Demon God Emperor nodded and turned to his son: "Luotian, I will be going first. Follow me quickly."

He walked toward the ritual array.

"Father, what if all of this doesn't work?" Feng Luotian asked.

His father previously told him that this ritual had not been successful even once in all histories of the universe, so he became nervous and worried.

However, Demon God Emperor was decisive: "What's the point asking that now? Like we have any other choice."

Now was indeed not the time to be contemplating whether the ritual would work or not.

"Follow me quickly, and don't hesitate!!" Demon God Emperor strictly commanded. After that, he entered the ritual array and vanished.

Feng Luotian was still mulling over something, not moving his legs toward the array, which incited the hasty elder to shout at him, waking him from introspection: "Young Emperor, don't delay any longer. Go in this instant!!"

Feng Luotian sighed; the light in his eyes had changed, full of resolution: "There is no time for hesitation."

The young man advanced toward the ritual array without wavering anymore, yet ...

Before he could go in ...

With another step, he could fully enter the array and cross over like his father ...

Rumble!!

A suppressive force came down and restricted his movement.

"Tian'er." A gentle voice came down at the same time as the appearance of the goddess.

"Virgo Empress!!" Seeing her, all twelve elders alertly stood up and released their aura, preparing for battle.

Her ten attendants, who were kings or queens of their own kingdoms, followed up with the goddess in a flash and remained behind her showing their boundless respect.

Au contraire, Feng Luotian scornfully asked with his back facing the goddess: "How may I help you, Your Highness?"

He could not turn to face her anyway though as the empress entirely restrained his movement at this moment. And if he could perform even the slightest action, he would not bother hanging around to talk. All he would do was take another step ahead.