Intruder (2)

At the edge of Earth's atmosphere, the black universe was illuminated by thousands of stars. There, the sun's rays reached lethal frequencies for any human or common living being.T his black, cold void, while intriguing, remained largely unexplored by humanity.

Suddenly, out of the void, a figure appeared. Cloaked in shadows that writhed and slithered across its form like living creatures, the dark tendrils of energy concealed nearly every detail, leaving its true shape a mystery.

"Here I am... the failed world of my master." A deep, raspy voice broke the silence, cutting through the thin, frigid air at the edge of the planet. It was quiet, too far from Earth to be heard below, yet the subtle undertone of surprise was unmistakable. "So, it does exist…"

The figure floated motionless, hovering just beyond the Earth's grasp, his mind wandering as he contemplated the forbidden world beneath him. This journey was not one he had been eager to make. In fact, he suspected it might have been a punishment. After all, this place—the "failed world"—was a well-kept secret within his sect, a taboo topic whispered about in hushed tones by the disciples.

[Why did I have to open my mouth?] he cursed himself bitterly. It was only by overhearing a senior disciple that he learned of its existence. Foolishly, he had let the secret slip to another, and before long, the news reached his master's ears. His master, a being of immeasurable power, had once tried to build a world here, but—unbelievably—had failed. And now, he was standing on the precipice of that failure.

[No use complaining now,] he thought as he focused his attention on the planet below. [Let's find out who dared steal it and be done with this.]

With a sniff of his nose, the humanoid god felt the small quantity of Qi in the air. A sly smile crept across his face. 

"Some lowly god really stole this place, huh?" he muttered. The tone was mocking, dripping with disdain. In his eyes, whoever had claimed this world couldn't have been powerful—no one of great strength would waste time on a failed world on the far outskirts of the universe.

There was nothing really important in this galaxy, unless some reclusive figure, not many gods used to come over.

Galaxies, like worlds, had unique properties. The most desirable ones were crowded with gods seeking fortune, brimming with heavenly treasures and resources. This galaxy, however, was situated in the forgotten, distant reaches of the cosmos—a graveyard of failed worlds. The shadowed figure couldn't imagine why anyone, especially a god, would bother claiming it.

It was not unheard of gods fighting for the ownership of a world, it was quite common actually. Yet why would someone go to such lengths for an unranked, forgotten planet? Intrigued, the figure cautiously extended his divine sense towards the Earth below, ensuring he didn't alert the god currently inhabiting the world. 

"Oh?" He couldn't help but to exclaim lightly, in surprise by what he saw. 

What he saw defied his expectations: Instead of barren lands with scattered tribes, tens of thousands of skyscrapers pierced the sky. The sprawling city below was teeming with life—humans, going about their business, using strange forms of technology. 

There were vehicles that moved without Qi or the need for horses to pull them, their wheels spinning without any visible power source. Buildings glowed with artificial light, and strange devices enabled long-distance communication, all without the slightest trace of Qi!

For a moment, the shadowed figure hovered in stunned silence 

He had expected a desolate, unformed world, perhaps with primitive lifeforms. Yet here was a vibrant, functioning civilization. And yet, despite their advancements, they had no trace of Qi running through this society. The heavenly energy that was the main source of life!

How was that even possible!?

[Is this truly the failed world?] he thought, utterly bewildered. [How could a place like this exist without cultivation?]

He swept his divine sense over the people, probing deeper. To his shock, they had no Qi whatsoever. Mere weaklings. Only one in every hundred thousand had even begun to cultivate! That could only mean one thing: this world had been built long before a god ever took ownership of it. The civilization below must have existed for millennia.

Did his master know about it?

But how had they managed to create such wonders—machines, towering buildings, and advanced technologies—without Qi?

Before he could investigate further, a powerful, male voice rang out behind him, smooth yet commanding.

"Hello there, little one… have you found what you're looking for?" The voice, although friendly, struck a primal fear in him, sending shivers deep into his core.

 He had been detected! 

[Shit! I'm done!] The shadowed figure thought, scared. He was an expert in stealth, quite proud of his powers to say the least, capable of hiding even from gods more powerful than him. Yet here he was—exposed, without even noticing the other god's presence.

At that moment, his instincts were urging him to escape!

In that split second, the shadow god sprang into action and immediately took a communication talisman within his storage ring, desperately trying to contact his master asap.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't fast enough. 

The talisman dimmed in his hand, its light fading as the void around him solidified. His heart sank. He hadn't even felt how the space had been sealed off!

"I'm sorry, but I don't want any more guests…" Came the quiet, mocking reply, the other god chuckling softly.

[Damn it!] The shadow figure clenched his teeth, hopeless. The void was sealed; he was trapped. Fighting was now his only way out.

With no other option in hand, he decided he should at least see who he was up against, so he turned to face the inevitable. The moment his eyes locked onto the figure before him, his blood ran cold. A tall, imposing man stood in the void, red hair cascading down his back like a flame. His presence radiated power and authority, his golden eyes piercing and filled with a strange, ancient wisdom. He wore a pristine white robe that fit his frame perfectly, with a black, mystical star emblazoned across the chest.

He trembled when he saw that robe, when he saw that star!

"T- The Celestial Star Sect!" He exclaimed, fear was palpable in his voice. The words falling from his lips like a death sentence. The weight of his realization crushed any hope of escape. He knew then that there was no way out—there had never been.

The red-haired man smiled faintly, as though it was nothing more than a trivial detail. "Hmm," he mused softly, his lips curling ever so slightly. "I didn't think many would recognize us after all this time…"

What was the Celestial Star Sect? Its name alone sent ripples of dread across the universe. More than a simple entity, it was shrouded in mystery and Many believed it was merely a myth, a story told to frighten those who strayed too far from their path.

Unfortunately or not, that myth had always been real. There was an old saying, whispered across the galaxies that could explain what kind of existence the Sect was:

Time flows, the Void breaks, but the Celestial Star Sect is eternal! 

No one could say for certain how long the sect actually existed, but its own disciples. Some claimed that it was even older than the universe itself, or at least the older sect in the universe. 

People didn't know its origins, nor how many disciples the sect had. Some claimed it predated the universe itself, the oldest force to ever exist. The Sect kept to itself, reclusive and uninterested in the affairs of gods, which made this encounter even more chilling.

Few had ever seen the Celestial Star Sect in person, but everyone knew its mark: a black star on a pure white robe.

And now, standing before him was one of those elusive, mythical figures.

In that moment, the shadowed figure understood the depth of his miscalculation. He was trapped in a sealed void with one of the most powerful beings in existence, a disciple of the Celestial Star Sect. There was no escape.

Seeing that the shadow figure was paralyzed with fear, Leo shook his head lightly and spoke again.

"May I know who you are?" It wasn't quite a question and more of a command. Because at the same time he asked it, Leo waved his hand and a strong gust of wind swept away the black shadows cloaking the figure.

As the veil dissipated, the being's true form was revealed. He wasn't human—standing at two meters tall with small, dark eyes, two sharp black horns protruding from his head, and three long, whisker-like mustaches that gave him a catfish-like appearance.

"Oh, a Heavenly Shadow Fish…. interesting." Leo mused aloud, immediately identifying his opponent's origins "A decent bloodline, though not particularly rare."

The catfish-like figure, realizing his dire situation, bowed deeply. Fighting or fleeing was pointless. Especially now that he had just closely inspected the void around him and noticed that the seal even contained the Dao of Time! 

His heart sank as he realized how thoroughly trapped he was.

"I am Hei Niyanyu," he introduced himself in a low, respectful tone. "I beg your pardon if I've interfered with anything related to the Celestial Star Sect."

Leo gave a curt nod, acknowledging his submission. He knew well the fear his sect commanded across the universe.

"Actually, you're just in time," Leo said with a gentle smile, his tone deceptively casual. "As you can see, my master has taken over this world and is enriching it with Qi. I'm responsible for overseeing its cultivation… and I could use a helping hand. What do you say?"

[M - Master!] As if the situation wasn't already bad enough, this man had a master present! If even a disciple of the Celestial Star Sect was this powerful, how terrifying could his master be!?

Niyanyu bowed his head once more and nodded, he knew that the other option would be death. Even though he was loyal to his master, it made no sense to die because of a stupid decision like that.

"Will I… ever be able to leave?" He asked hesitantly.

"Maybe," Leo shrugged, clearly indifferent. "That's entirely up to you."

"Okay then…" Niyanyu nodded slowly. "What should I do?"

Leo's smile widened. With a flick of his hand, the atmosphere trembled, and the stars seemed to flicker. Without warning, Niyanyu coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body shuddering in pain.

"I've shattered your cultivation base down to the Nascent Soul stage," At the same time Leo raised his hand, showing Niyanyu's spatial ring."And I'll be holding onto your belongings for the time being."

Niyanyu wiped the blood from his lips, cursing inwardly. To destroy someone's cultivation so precisely required immense control—something only a being of terrifying power could achieve. Now, even if his master were here, he doubted he could save him.

"Now," Leo continued as if nothing had happened, "I want you to play the villain. Stay in the shadows, stir things up, but don't go overboard. No mass murders or senseless destruction. We're here to cultivate this world, to show them the importance of Qi."

"I understand," Niyanyu said weakly, bowing his head in reluctant submission.

"You may leave once you achieve godhood again, now go!" Leo said these last words and then ignored the big catfish man and vanished into thin air, lifting the seal around the void as well.

Niyanyu sighed deeply, his mind racing. He had just lost thousands of years of cultivation in a matter of seconds. Such was the brutal reality of the cultivation world. He could only curse his own weakness—a weakness he would make sure this world would come to know.

Shaking his head, Niyanyu looked to the world down below 

"Well," he muttered, eyes narrowing in thought, "let's see what makes this place so special after all."