CHAPTER 223: HEAVENLY DAO.

The atmosphere inside the chamber was heavy, charged with the weight of responsibility. Shen Mingyue’s voice echoed, calm but sharp as a blade:

"And you, Su Yubing—you also need to recover your memories and properly reconnect with the chaos realm. Only then will you be able to wield the powers of death again."

Her words sank like stones into still water.

Su Yubing bowed her head, her long lashes trembling, but her expression was firm. The mere mention of "powers of death" stirred something deep inside her, something she couldn’t yet grasp but that tugged at the edges of her soul like a forgotten melody.

Shen Mingyue’s tone softened slightly as she shifted to another topic. "As for your mother, don’t worry. Once we return to my Battle Maiden Sect in the Central Continent, I have many ways to ensure she recovers properly."

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing both nodded at her reassurance.

Mo Yuxin hesitated, then asked in her clear but steady voice, "So our immediate task right now... is to search for the other four Shenghuo Menkou? To complete the remaining four reincarnations, and to destroy the other four cores of Sha?"

Shen Mingyue met her gaze with eyes that glowed like tempered steel. "Yes."

The room seemed to darken with the gravity of that single word. But then—just as quickly as the tension had built—Shen Mingyue’s expression shifted. The corners of her lips curved into the faintest of smiles, and her eyes warmed with a teasing glint.

"But... before that," she added smoothly, "we need to arrange a meeting with Su Yubing’s parents and set the wedding date for you two. Right, my daughter?"

Her words dropped like a stone into still water. The serious atmosphere cracked apart instantly, replaced with the warmth of something far more embarrassing.

Mo Yuxin froze. Her hand twitched nervously against her thigh, and she risked a sidelong glance at Su Yubing.

Su Yubing’s pale cheeks were already turning pink, the blush blooming quickly across her fair skin. Her usually calm and cool demeanor melted in an instant, replaced by the kind of shy, flustered expression Mo Yuxin had rarely seen on her.

Their eyes met for barely a heartbeat before both of them looked away, embarrassed. Their hearts, however, beat furiously in sync, like startled drums.

The weight of the coming battles, the cores of Sha, the fate of the realms—all of it felt very far away in that moment.

Shen Mingyue’s smile deepened at the sight of their flushed faces. She didn’t press further, but her silence was full of amusement.

And just then—

A voice rang out, sharp and playful, as if carried by the wind itself.

"Wow!! Death is gonna marry Rule’s disciple?! What kind of scandal is this?!"

The sudden sound startled them both so badly that Mo Yuxin’s body reacted on instinct. Her hand flew toward her sword, aura flaring as sharp as lightning. But before she could unsheathe the blade, Su Yubing quickly caught her wrist.

"Wait," she whispered, her voice calm but firm.

Mo Yuxin blinked at her, confusion in her eyes, but Su Yubing’s steady look told her everything.

Across from them, Shen Mingyue exhaled softly and turned her gaze toward a shadowy corner of the chamber. Her expression was unreadable as she muttered, almost to herself:

"You are here, Heavenly Dao."

A giggle floated through the air—light, mischievous, distinctly childish.

"Yes, I am... hehehe. Did you miss me, sister?"

The voice carried a playful sing-song tone, both sweet and unsettling. And then, with a shimmer of light, a figure appeared out of thin air, landing gracefully before them.

She looked nothing like what Mo Yuxin had expected.

Instead of an awe-inspiring, majestic deity wrapped in flowing celestial robes, Heavenly Dao appeared in the form of a teenage girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old. Her outfit was... shockingly casual. She wore a pastel-pink skirt that swished gently when she moved, paired with a loose, oversized hoodie the color of pale lavender. The hoodie’s sleeves dangled over her hands, patterned with scattered silver stars, as though someone had stitched pieces of the night sky into the fabric.

Her legs were long and slender, wrapped in white stockings that disappeared neatly into simple sneakers. The sneakers were scuffed and mismatched, one lace tied into a neat bow while the other hung loose, swaying with every step.

Her hair spilled down her back in silky waves, pitch black at the roots but shimmering faintly with streaks of silver when the light struck. A small crescent-moon pin tucked one side of her bangs behind her ear, giving her an almost girlish charm.

But it was her eyes that froze everyone in place.

They were enormous and bright, but far from ordinary. Her irises looked like twin galaxies, swirling endlessly in deep shades of blue, purple, and gold. Tiny flecks of starlight glittered within them, constantly shifting, rearranging into constellations that never stayed the same for more than a moment. Looking into those eyes was like staring into the very fabric of the cosmos itself—vast, infinite, terrifying, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

For Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing, meeting that gaze was like having every secret they had ever hidden ripped open and placed on display. Their deepest fears, their hidden desires, their unspoken emotions—all reflected back at them in those starry depths.

Mo Yuxin’s breath caught in her throat. Her hand, still resting near her sword, trembled slightly, not from fear but from the unbearable weight of being seen so completely.

Beside her, Su Yubing’s lashes fluttered. She already knew who this was, but even so, facing those eyes made her heart clench. And yet, instead of recoiling, she shifted her hand, sliding her fingers into Mo Yuxin’s palm.

Mo Yuxin blinked in surprise, glancing down to see their hands clasped together. Su Yubing’s thumb stroked gently across her palm, a small, wordless gesture meant to soothe.

Mo Yuxin exhaled slowly. The knot in her chest loosened just a fraction.

The girl—Heavenly Dao—stepped forward with a bounce in her step, her sneakers squeaking faintly. She tilted her head, peering at the two of them curiously like a child studying an animal at play.

And then she burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Never thought I’d see Death making that face! Hahaha!" She bent over, sleeves dangling as she clutched her stomach. "Death—the cold, noble, almighty Death—looking so flustered, so embarrassed. And all because of a cute little lover! Hahaha!"

Mo Yuxin’s face ignited instantly. Her ears turned red, her entire body stiff as a board.

The girl wasn’t finished. She straightened up, her galaxy-filled eyes glinting with amusement, and pointed right at Su Yubing.

"And she’s the inheritor of Rule! Hahahaha! What a twist of fate! Death, the eternal shadow, and Rule’s bright disciple—together! Even I didn’t see this coming!"

Her laughter rang like silver bells, echoing off the chamber walls.

Mo Yuxin wanted to argue, to snap back, to reclaim even a shred of her dignity. But her throat locked up. Beside her, Su Yubing’s face was already crimson, but she didn’t let go of Mo Yuxin’s hand. Instead, she tightened her grip, her thumb brushing reassuring circles against Mo Yuxin’s skin.

That tiny gesture nearly undid her entirely.

The girl noticed, of course. Her mischievous grin widened. "Ahhh, holding hands already? How sweet. How innocent. How utterly adorable."

Mo Yuxin groaned under her breath, covering part of her face with her free hand. Shen Mingyue stood off to the side, one hand pressed to her temple, looking like she regretted every decision that had led to this moment.

But Heavenly Dao only beamed, rocking back on her heels. "I like this. I really like this. Death in love, Rule’s disciple blushing... this is the best entertainment I’ve had in centuries!"

Her eyes sparkled even brighter, galaxies swirling as though they were laughing right along with her.

Mo Yuxin and Su Yubing shared a quick glance, both equally flustered, equally overwhelmed. Yet, despite the embarrassment, neither pulled their hand away.

For some reason, even under that piercing starry gaze, even with their hearts racing like wild horses, they held on tighter.

At this point, Shen Mingyue finally spoke up, her tone carrying a faint edge of annoyance.

"Alright, that’s enough teasing, Heavenly Dao."

The playful giggles filling the room cut off immediately. The girl froze in place, then straightened her back as if she were a soldier being scolded by her commander. She even raised her sleeves in a mock salute, eyes wide and innocent.

"Yes, sister!!" she replied quickly, almost too quickly. Her voice was bright but nervous, like a kid caught misbehaving.

Shen Mingyue narrowed her eyes slightly. "When did you come here?"

Heavenly Dao tilted her head, puffing out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout before answering. "Sister, I’ve been looking for Death ever since the day she accidentally released her aura. Do you know how hard it was? It took me forever to track her down, and after all that effort, I end up in this... this godforsaken little corner of the world." She threw her arms out dramatically, spinning once on her heel. "Seriously, who would’ve thought Death—the great, terrifying, almighty Death—would get reincarnated here, of all places?"

Her galaxy-like eyes glittered mischievously as she glanced at Mo Yuxin, who promptly looked away with a stiff expression, ears burning red.

Shen Mingyue didn’t let her theatrics linger. Her voice was calm but firm as she instructed, "Be a good girl now and introduce yourself properly to your senior sisters."

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To be continued.

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