A star fell from the sky.
But it wasn't a meteor. It wasn't a comet.
It was a command—divine, absolute, and without mercy.
From the shimmering halls of the Celestial Tribunal, Heaven's First Blade descended.
Name: Tian ZhenTitle: Divine Executioner, Blade of Celestial JudgmentRealm: Unknown (Estimated Above Saint King)Mission: Purge the Deviation of Light. Destroy the Corrupt Flame. Sever the Thread of the Hidden One.
As Tian Zhen descended into the mortal realm, the skies above the Northern Ice Kingdom twisted.
Clouds coiled in unnatural silence. No lightning. No thunder. Just stillness—like the world holding its breath.
And then…
He appeared.
A man clad in white and silver armor, engraved with divine runes that pulsed with law and order. His long silver hair fluttered as he stood mid-air, suspended above the Snow Palace. His blade floated beside him—The Celestial Severance Sword, forged from the bones of a star-dragon and imbued with Heaven's wrath.
Around him, golden sigils spun like halos.
"Yue Ling of the Hollow Flame," his voice echoed through mountains and valleys. "You have been judged."
Inside the Snow Palace, panic spread.
Priests dropped their scrolls. Ice cultivators bowed in fear. Even the loyal commanders of the Order of Hollow Light faltered at the pressure.
But Yue Ling did not.
She stepped out onto the palace rooftop, silver-black phoenix armor wrapped around her like a second skin. Xuebao soared behind her, screeching in defiance.
She looked up, eyes glowing violet and silver.
"You are the First Blade?" she asked calmly.
"I am the hand of Heaven," Tian Zhen said, unsheathing his sword. "You were once the hope of purity. Now, you are a corruption. An anomaly."
Yue Ling smirked. "Funny. That's exactly what my enemies said before I burned their temples."
Tian Zhen's gaze sharpened. "Your defiance ends today."
Priyanshu stood behind her, arms folded, watching with calculating eyes. He didn't interfere.
Not yet.
DING! Special Event Triggered – [Divine Trial: Duel of Fate]Objective: Survive Tian Zhen's Heavenly Judgment.Bonus: If Tian Zhen is defeated, acquire access to [Heaven-Denying Path]
The battle began.
Tian Zhen vanished from sight—his sword struck down in the next instant, faster than thought, splitting the palace's outer wall.
Yue Ling spun, parrying the blade with her own—barely.
Golden sparks met cursed flame.
Each clash shook the sky.
Tian Zhen moved like judgment incarnate. Every strike carried the weight of laws—his sword could sever concepts: flame, fate, freedom.
But Yue Ling had transcended purity.
She moved unpredictably, wielding chaos in structured form, light wrapped in shadow, dodging laws with fluid instinct.
Still, she was pushed back.
Yue Ling HP: 83%... 61%... 45%...
She coughed blood, falling to one knee as Tian Zhen raised his sword to end her.
"This is mercy," he said.
Then—the world blinked.
Time froze for half a breath.
And Priyanshu stepped in.
One palm up.
Tian Zhen's blade stopped mid-swing—quivering.
He turned, stunned. "You…"
Priyanshu's voice was soft, unshakable. "You overstepped. The Trial was for her. Not me."
Tian Zhen tried to force his blade forward.
It didn't move.
Skill Activated: [World Puppet – Thread Bind Lv. MAX]Target: Tian Zhen. Resistance Detected… Nullified.
Priyanshu's eyes gleamed faintly purple.
"I allow no blade to touch what is mine."
He flicked his finger.
And Tian Zhen was sent flying through the sky like a comet, crashing into the glacial cliffs beyond the horizon.
The world was silent.
Yue Ling panted, slowly rising.
"I… I almost lost."
Priyanshu stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No. You made the gods act. That means you've already won."
DING! Trial Survived – Reward Granted: [Heaven-Denying Path – Stage I Unlocked]Yue Ling's Title Advanced: Flame of RebellionHeaven's Status: [Alert Level: Crimson]. Hidden Villain has officially been marked as Cosmic Threat.
Far above, in the Celestial Tribunal, silence turned to fury.
The Celestial King stood, cracking his throne with divine pressure.
"He interfered."
"He's not mortal…"
"He's rewriting the game."
The stars above the world began to dim.
And a forbidden name was spoken in divine tongues:
Priyanshu Yadav – The Threadless One