Myth Beyond Heaven

For seven days and seven nights, Yun Lintian sat motionless beneath the Tree of Life. His Divine Core pulsed like a second heart, the golden scales of Balance authority slowly integrating with his being.

Linlin and Qingqing kept watch nearby, their playful banter fading into quiet vigilance as the process stretched on. Even the forest creatures seemed to hold their breath, sensing the monumental shift occurring at the heart of Qing Yun's domain.

The Balance authority fought him like a wild beast refusing to be tamed. Every attempt to merge it with his Divine Core was met with violent rejection. Golden energy lashed out, scorching his meridians with the searing heat of judgment.

Wrong approach.

Yun Lintian withdrew, blood trickling from his nose. He wiped it away absently, his gaze fixed on the shifting scales within his core.

He stopped trying to dominate the power. Instead, he watched.

The golden scales tilted endlessly—left, right, left again—measuring some invisible weight. Yun Lintian focused on their rhythm, attuning his breathing to match.

In. Out.

Left. Right.

Gradually, the pain faded. The Balance authority still resisted full integration, but it no longer burned him.

A breakthrough came in the quiet hours before dawn.

Yun Lintian stopped thinking of the power as something separate. He became the scales.

When the Balance authority tilted left, he let his energy flow left. When it righted itself, he followed. Not leading. Not forcing. Simply moving with it.

The effect was instantaneous.

The golden light suffusing his Divine Core brightened, its radiance deepening from pale yellow to a rich, molten gold. The scales' movements grew smoother, more fluid—no longer fighting him, but moving with him.

Linlin gasped. "Big Brother Yun's aura... it's stabilizing!"

Qingqing clapped her tiny hands. "You can do it, Big Brother Yun!"

BANG!

The final barrier shattered at high noon on the seventh day.

Yun Lintian's Divine Core expanded, the Tree of Life within it stretching its branches wider as the Balance authority settled into place. The golden scales dissolved, their essence weaving into every fiber of his being.

A profound understanding washed over him.

This is true Balance.

Not neutrality. Not indifference. But the perfect equilibrium between extremes—the point where all forces canceled out, leaving only pure, unobstructed potential.

His eyes snapped open.

The world looked different.

He could see the scales now—the invisible balance of all things. The give and take of energy in the air, the ebb and flow of power in every living creature. Even time itself seemed to tilt gently back and forth, maintaining some cosmic equilibrium.

Qing Yun stepped forward, her emerald eyes gleaming. "Success?"

Yun Lintian rose, rolling his shoulders. The motion sent ripples through the fabric of reality itself, the air around him distorting slightly as conflicting energies found perfect harmony.

"Mn." He flexed his fingers, watching golden light dance across his knuckles. "It's done."

Linlin bounded over, sniffing at his hand. "You smell different. Less... chaotic."

Qingqing fluttered around his head. "And your eyes! They have little gold flecks now!"

Yun Lintian chuckled, but his attention was already turning inward, assessing the changes.

The power of Balance wasn't like Darkness or the other authorities he'd absorbed. It didn't give him new abilities so much as it refined what he already had. His control was sharper, his energy expenditure more efficient. Even his thoughts felt clearer, as if someone had wiped fog from a mirror.

Qing Yun studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Good. Now you're ready."

"For the War God?"

"For everything." Her gaze turned solemn. "With Balance integrated, your foundation is complete. The remaining authorities will be easier to absorb."

Yun Lintian exhaled slowly, feeling the new power thrumming in his core. Seven days of struggle had honed his understanding in ways he couldn't articulate.

Qing Yun stepped forward, her emerald robes fluttering despite the absence of wind. The moment Yun Lintian had fully integrated the Balance authority, she had made her decision.

"Yun Lintian," she said, her voice carrying the weight of eons, "it's time."

He met her gaze, understanding dawning in his golden-flecked eyes. "Senior Qing... you mean..."

"Mn." She nodded. "My power. The authority of Life. It's yours now."

Linlin's ears flattened. "Wait! If you give him your power, what happens to you?"

Qingqing's tiny hands clutched at Qing Yun's sleeve. "Beautiful aunt, no!"

Qing Yun smiled gently, stroking Qingqing's hair. "I won't disappear. But I will become... lesser." Her gaze returned to Yun Lintian. "This was always the plan. Your mother knew—only with all Primordial Authorities can you face Nian Shi."

Yun Lintian's jaw tightened. "There must be another way."

"There isn't." Qing Yun's voice brooked no argument. "The Tree of Life recognizes you as its true inheritor. I am merely its guardian."

Before he could protest further, she raised both hands. The colossal Tree of Life behind her trembled, its roots pulling from the earth with a sound like mountains shifting.

"Begin."

The world exploded in emerald light.

The Tree's massive branches lunged forward, wrapping around Yun Lintian like a mother embracing her child. Ancient bark pressed against his skin, but instead of crushing him, it melted into his body, merging seamlessly.

Inside his Divine Core, his own Tree of Life—the original—shuddered in recognition. Its branches stretched eagerly as Qing Yun's power poured into him.

The sensation was unlike anything he'd experienced before.

When he'd absorbed other authorities, it had been like swallowing fire or drowning in darkness. This... this was like coming home after a long journey. Warm. Right. Complete.

Qing Yun stood before him, her form beginning to fade. With each passing second, her emerald robes grew duller, her divine aura dimming. Yet she smiled.

"Look," she whispered.

Yun Lintian turned his gaze inward.

His Divine Core was transforming. The original Tree of Life had been a sapling compared to Qing Yun's ancient guardian. Now, it expanded—roots digging deeper, branches stretching wider, leaves unfurling with vibrant energy.

The other authorities—Darkness, Balance, River, Mountain, Sun—swirled around its trunk like obedient satellites, their chaotic energies harmonized by Life's stabilizing presence.

Outside, Qing Yun's body grew translucent.

Linlin yowled, darting forward, but the energy radiating from Yun Lintian held her back. Qingqing sobbed openly, her tiny form shaking.

"Don't cry," Qing Yun murmured. "This isn't an end. Just... a change."

Her form flickered like a candle in the wind. Where once stood a Primordial God, now remained only a faint outline—a wisp of her former glory.

Yun Lintian wanted to stop it. To pull back. But the transfer was beyond his control now. The Trees—both within him and without—had recognized their true master…