Fractured Reality

The next day, Xiaohei found Niao in his usual spot in the courtyard. The bruises from yesterday had begun to fade slightly, though he still moved with careful precision.

"Ocean today?" Niao asked hopefully as soon as he spotted the white cat approaching.

Xiaohei transformed into his spirit form, his tail swishing thoughtfully. "Actually, I had somewhere else in mind. Somewhere... different."

Before Niao could protest, Xiaohei activated his domain expansion. The familiar courtyard dissolved around them, reforming into something entirely new. They found themselves standing on clouds that felt as solid as marble beneath their feet, stretching out in all directions like a pearlescent sea.

Before them rose a palace that seemed to pierce the very heavens themselves. Its golden spires spiraled upward, disappearing into the mist above. The architecture was unlike anything in the mortal realm - each pillar seemed to be alive with shifting patterns, each roof tile caught the light like captured starlight.

Various spirits and celestial beings moved through the courtyards and corridors. A fox spirit with nine tails drifted past them, deep in conversation with what appeared to be a living constellation. A group of young immortals practiced sword forms with blades made of pure light.

Then, a woman composed entirely of flower petals floated by them. Her form shifted constantly, petals dancing and reforming with each movement. As she passed, she turned to Niao and winked, her eyes literally sparkling like morning dew.

Niao froze completely, unused to such casual interaction. His face flushed slightly as he took an instinctive step backward.

"Where are we?" he demanded, his voice tight with both wonder and apprehension.

"The Heavenly Golden Palace," Xiaohei replied, watching his friend's reaction carefully. "Or at least, my version of it. This is where Ne Zha lives with his family."

Niao's face darkened with fury. "Why would you bring me here?"

"Know your enemy, right?" Xiaohei said quickly. "If you're really planning to fight Ne Zha, shouldn't you learn everything you can about him? His home, his domain?"

The logic seemed to calm Niao somewhat, though his jaw remained tense.

As they walked through the palace, each room revealed new wonders. In one chamber, water spirits danced through a crystalline waterfall, their laughter echoing off walls draped with luminous vines. Another room housed a river of starlight, where lotus flowers drifted along currents of pure light before falling into an endless void. An ancient spirit sat beside this river, carefully plucking strands of light from the air and weaving them into each flower before sending them on their way.

Despite his obvious fascination with these sights, Niao kept returning to his singular focus. "Where is he? Where's Ne Zha?"

"Even if we found him here, it wouldn't be real," Xiaohei explained. "This is just my interpretation of the palace, based on stories I've heard. The real Ne Zha..." He shuddered slightly. "Let's just say there's a reason he's the Heavenly Emperor."

"I don't care if it's not real," Niao insisted. "I could still use it for training-"

"No," Xiaohei said firmly. "You don't understand. The real Ne Zha is far more powerful than anything I could recreate here. My domain can only manifest what I can imagine, and honestly?" He looked at Niao seriously. "I don't think anyone can truly imagine the full extent of Ne Zha's power. The stories alone..."

But Niao had stopped listening, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Just show me," he demanded. "Show me your version of him, at least."

Xiaohei hesitated, knowing this could backfire terribly, but also seeing an opportunity to perhaps begin changing Niao's perspective on the emperor he'd been taught to hate.

Xiaohei took hold of Niao's arm, and in a flash, they appeared in front of an ornate door. Before opening it, Xiaohei paused, his eyes closing briefly as if adjusting something in his mind. Niao noticed the slight hesitation but said nothing, his body already tensing for combat as Xiaohei pushed the door open.

What lay beyond the doorway stopped Niao in his tracks.

Instead of the fearsome deity he'd been trained to fight, he saw a small boy with black hair tied in space buns, sitting cross-legged on the floor. His childlike face was lit with pure joy as he watched a baby attempting to crawl toward him. Beside him sat a breathtakingly beautiful man with flowing silver-blue hair, his expression one of perfect contentment as he watched the scene unfold.

The baby - a chubby-cheeked infant with striking purple hair - wobbled on his hands and knees, determined to reach Ne Zha.

"Come on, Ao Lui!" Ne Zha called out, his high-pitched voice filled with encouragement. "Come to Papa! You can do it!"

The baby gurgled happily, making another attempt to move forward. As he began to topple, Ne Zha quickly scooped him up, preventing his face from meeting the floor. The baby squealed with delight, tiny hands reaching up to pat Ne Zha's cheeks.

Ao Bing moved closer, wrapping one arm around Ne Zha's shoulders as they both gazed down at their son. The love radiating from the scene was almost palpable - a perfect moment of family happiness frozen in time.

Niao spun around to face Xiaohei, his hands clenched into trembling fists. His face was a storm of emotions - rage warring with something that looked almost like pain.

"What is this?" he demanded through gritted teeth, his voice barely controlled.

Xiaohei met his gaze steadily. "This is how they were supposed to be," he said quietly. "Before everything was stolen from them."

"They can't see or hear us," Xiaohei continuedsoftly. "Go ahead."

Niao hesitated, then slowly moved forward into the room. His usual fluid grace seemed slightly off-kilter as he approached the family. He crouched down beside Ne Zha, studying the emperor's childlike features with intense concentration.

"This... this is Ne Zha?" Niao asked incredulously, his voice barely above a whisper. "The most powerful being in existence looks like... this?"

Xiaohei merely shrugged, watching Niao carefully.

But when Niao's gaze shifted to Ao Bing, something changed. His face drained of color, and he jerked backward so violently he nearly fell. His hands began to tremble as he stared at the Dragon Empress's serene face.

"Who-" Niao's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and tried again. "Who is that?"

"That's Ao Bing," Xiaohei replied carefully. "God of the Eastern Ocean and Ice. The Emperor's husband and his right hand in ruling the heavens."

Niao looked physically ill, his jade-white skin taking on an almost greenish tinge. He turned quickly to look at the baby, as if seeking some kind of confirmation or denial, but the infant had vanished. The entire scene had disappeared, leaving them alone in an empty room.

"Why?" Niao demanded, his voice unsteady. "Why would you show me this?"

"Because the Emperor isn't the monster you think he is," Xiaohei said gently. "He's-"

"It changes nothing," Niao cut him off, but his voice lacked its usual conviction. "Plenty of tyrants have had families. Having a husband and child doesn't make someone a good person."

The words sounded rehearsed, as if he were repeating something he'd been told many times. But there was a new uncertainty in his voice, a tremor that hadn't been there before.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Xiaohei asked quietly. "What has Ne Zha actually done to deserve death?"

Niao opened his mouth, then closed it again. His hands were still shaking as he wrapped his arms around himself, as if trying to hold something in. The confident warrior from earlier was gone, replaced by someone who looked lost and confused.

He didn't answer Xiaohei's question. Instead, he stood there, his eyes fixed on the spot where Ao Bing had been sitting, an unreadable expression on his face.

Back in the heavenly golden palace, 

Ne Zha sat slumped in his throne, his child-like form making the ornate seat appear even more massive. Wuxian stood to the side, quietly reviewing reports when the doors burst open.

A lesser martial god stumbled in, his face flushed with exertion. He dropped into a hasty bow, barely able to catch his breath.

"What has you so flustered?" Wuxian asked, frowning at this breach of protocol.

"Your Majesty," the god gasped out, "there are reports... from the mortal realm... a coastal province..."

Ne Zha straightened slightly, but it was the next words that made him bolt upright.

"They say there's a boy with purple hair and eyes in one of the towns."

"Are you certain?" Ne Zha demanded, his childlike voice sharp with sudden intensity. The temperature in the throne room began to rise. "This information - how reliable is it?"

"The reports seem credible, Your Majesty. Several witnesses have-"

"Your Majesty," Wuxian interrupted carefully, "we should approach this with caution. This wouldn't be the first time such rumors have reached us."

But Ne Zha wasn't listening. He had already shifted to his adult form, all six arms materializing as he began issuing rapid-fire commands.

"Prepare my wind and fire wheels! Alert the celestial guards - I want a full contingent ready to move within the hour!" His voice carried the weight of imperial authority, sending servants scurrying in all directions.

"Send word to all provincial officials in the area," he continued, striding down from his throne. "I want every detail about this boy - where he lives, who he's with, how long he's been there."

"Your Majesty," Wuxian tried again, "perhaps we should verify-"

"I can't wait," Ne Zha cut him off, his eyes blazing with desperate hope and grief. "If there's even a chance... if it's really him..." His voice caught slightly. "I have to go. Now."

Servants rushed about, bringing Ne Zha's weapons and armor. The Emperor's form crackled with barely contained power as he prepared for departure, the air around him shimmering with heat.

Wuxian watched with growing concern, knowing that another false lead would only deepen Ne Zha's despair. But there was no stopping the Emperor now - not when the possibility of finding his son hung in the balance.

Back in the domain, Niao paced back and forth, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he processed what he had seen.

"Drop it," Niao demanded, his voice unsteady as he stared at the spot where Ao Bing had been sitting. "Drop the domain. Now."

Xiaohei noticed how badly Niao's hands were shaking, how his jade-white skin had taken on an almost sickly pallor. Something about seeing Ao Bing had deeply disturbed him.

"Niao-" Xiaohei started.

"NOW!" Niao's voice cracked with an edge of panic.

Xiaohei quickly dissolved his domain expansion. The heavenly palace melted away around them, the golden splendor and divine beings fading like morning mist until they found themselves back in the familiar confines of the courtyard. The transition was jarring - from celestial grandeur to mundane reality in the blink of an eye.

Niao stumbled slightly as their surroundings solidified, catching himself against the trunk of the courtyard tree. He looked disoriented, almost ill, his usual grace abandoning him as he tried to steady himself.

But before either of them could speak, before Niao could process what he'd seen, screams erupted from beyond the courtyard walls. The sound of panic and chaos filtered in from the streets outside, accompanied by a growing roar like approaching thunder.

iaohei transformed into his cat form and leaped onto the roof, his green eyes widening at the sight before him.

The sky had turned to fire. A massive inferno swirled overhead, clouds of brimstone and smoke creating a terrifying vortex. At its center hovered Ne Zha - not the childlike figure from the nursery scene, but his true adult form in all its terrifying glory. All six of his arms were manifest, his main hands gripping his fire-tipped spear. The wind and fire wheels beneath his feet cast an otherworldly glow, and his eyes blazed with divine light as he surveyed the town below.

With a single gesture of his staff, celestial soldiers poured into the streets. They moved with military precision, breaking down doors and forcing their way into homes. The sound of splintering wood and frightened screams filled the air.

Xiaohei bounded across the rooftops to the nearest violated home. Transforming back to his spirit form, he burst inside to find soldiers tearing the place apart, upending furniture and ripping open closets.

"What are you doing?" Xiaohei demanded, his tail bristling with indignation.

The soldiers spun around, weapons raised, but quickly lowered them upon seeing him. "Oh, it's just a cat spirit," one said dismissively.

"What is the meaning of this?" Xiaohei pressed, watching as they continued their destruction.

"Emperor's orders," another soldier grunted, pushing past him. "Every house in the province is to be searched. No exceptions."

Xiaohei stood stunned. In all his time at the palace, he'd never seen Ne Zha take such aggressive action. "You can't do this!" he protested. "Master Wuxian always says immortals shouldn't interfere in human affairs like this!"

"Take it up with the Emperor," the first soldier replied. "We have our orders."

Realizing he couldn't stop them, Xiaohei rushed back outside. He spotted Ne Zha hovering nearby, the air around him distorting with heat. Without thinking through the consequences, Xiaohei ran toward the terrifying figure, his heart pounding with fear and confusion.

"Ne Zha!" Xiaohei shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "Your Majesty, please!"

The Emperor's burning gaze turned to him, and for a moment, Xiaohei felt the full weight of that divine attention. Ne Zha descended, the air shimmering around him with heat.

"What is it, spirit?" Ne Zha's voice resonated with power.

Xiaohei swallowed hard. "Your Majesty, this... this is wrong. You can't just invade people's homes like this!"

"I can and I will," Ne Zha replied, his eyes flaring. "Every bit of damage will be worth it once I find my son. I've waited too long, searched too hard to stop now."

"But-"

Ne Zha cut him off with a gesture. "Enough. I don't have time for this." Without another word, he shot back into the sky, leaving Xiaohei standing helplessly on the ground.

Heart racing, Xiaohei rushed back to Niao, who was peering out from the courtyard with a mix of fear and determination on his face.

"What's happening?" Niao demanded.

Before Xiaohei could answer, Niao caught sight of Ne Zha hovering above the town, soldiers swarming below him. His eyes narrowed, recognition and hatred flashing across his features.

There, hovering above the town in a maelstrom of fire and brimstone, was Ne Zha - not the childlike figure Xiaohei had shown him in the domain, but the terrifying deity he had been trained to fight his entire life.

Ne Zha's adult form was magnificent and terrifying. All six of his arms were in manifest, crackling with divine energy. His main hands gripped the fire-tipped spear, which pulsed with barely contained power. The wind and fire wheels beneath his feet cast an otherworldly glow, and his eyes blazed with an intensity that made even Niao take an involuntary step back.

For a moment, Niao froze, the reality of what he was seeing overwhelming him. This was the being he had been preparing to face, the monster his father had warned him about. But seeing Ne Zha in person, witnessing the raw power that radiated from him, made Niao's mouth go dry with a fear he'd never experienced before.

He swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly as he clenched them into fists. The dichotomy between this terrifying figure and the loving father he had seen in Xiaohei's domain was jarring, almost impossible to reconcile.

But then, as quickly as the fear had come, it was replaced by a surge of determination. This was what he had trained for. This was his destiny.

"This is my chance," Niao muttered, stepping forward.

Xiaohei grabbed his arm. "No! You can't! He'll kill you!"

Niao wrenched his arm free. "Get out of my way," he snarled, trying to push past.

In a split-second decision, fueled by panic and the desperate need to protect his friend, Xiaohei activated his domain expansion. The chaotic scene around them dissolved, replaced by the familiar, peaceful beach.

Niao stumbled as the sand shifted under his feet, momentarily disoriented by the sudden change. "What-" he began, whirling to face Xiaohei, his face a mask of fury. "Take me back! Now!"

"I can't let you do this," Xiaohei said, his voice shaking but determined. "You don't understand what you're up against. Ne Zha would destroy you without a second thought."

"You have no right to interfere!" Niao shouted, advancing on Xiaohei. "This is what I've trained for my entire life!"

"And you'd throw that life away for nothing!" Xiaohei countered.

Niao's fist connected with Xiaohei's face with a sickening thud. Xiaohei stumbled back, his cheek already swelling, but he made no move to defend himself or counterattack.

Niao pulled his hand back, staring at it in shock. "Why... why didn't you dodge? This is your domain, isn't it?"

Xiaohei gingerly touched his bruised cheek, wincing slightly. "It's okay if you hit me," he said softly. "But I'm not going to let you throw your life away. Not like this."

Before Niao could respond, Xiaohei vanished, leaving him alone on the beach. The waves crashed against the shore, an eerily peaceful backdrop to the turmoil in Niao's mind.

Back in the real world, Xiaohei materialized in Niao's bedroom. He quickly located the loose floorboard and pulled out the hidden doll. As he examined it more closely, his breath caught in his throat. The doll wasn't just wearing any clothes - it was wrapped in a small, torn piece of blanket. A blanket that looked disturbingly familiar.

"It can't be," Xiaohei whispered, his hands shaking as he held the doll.

He turned to leave, intent on finding Ne Zha and showing him this potential evidence. But as he reached the doorway, he froze. Standing there, his face twisted in fury, was the man Niao called "Father."

His eyes darted between Xiaohei, the doll in his hands, and the shimmering portal of the domain expansion still visible in the courtyard. His expression darkened with understanding and rage.

"You," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "What have you done?"

Xiaohei clutched the doll tighter, his mind racing for a way out of this dangerous situation.

The air around the man began to crackle with malevolent energy. "I've worked too hard, planned too long to let some meddling spirit ruin everything now," he growled, advancing on Xiaohei.

Xiaohei, clutching the doll tightly, used his feline agility to dodge past Niao's 'father'. He ducked and weaved, avoiding the man's attempts to grab him, and darted out of the house into the courtyard.

Behind him, the man's eyes narrowed with fury and recognition. He raised his hand, dark energy swirling around his fingers. With a sharp gesture, he directed his power towards the shimmering portal of Xiaohei's domain expansion.

The air crackled with conflicting magics as the man's spell collided with Xiaohei's domain. For a moment, the portal wavered, expanding into a giant white orb that seemed to exist in a space between realities. Then, with a sound like shattering glass, the domain collapsed.

Niao suddenly materialized in the courtyard, stumbling slightly as he was forcibly ejected from the beach scene. He looked around, disoriented and angry, his eyes quickly focusing on his 'father'.

"What happened?" His father demanded, his voice tight with confusion and frustration.

"A spirit tried to trap me," Niao said, his voice low and urgent. "But that doesn't matter now. Ne Zha is here, in the town. This is the moment we've prepared for, Father."

Meanwhile, Xiaohei had made it to the street, frantically looking for Ne Zha amidst the chaos of the searching soldiers. He clutched the doll to his chest, knowing it might be the only proof that could stop the impending disaster.

"Ne Zha!" Xiaohei shouted, his voice nearly lost in the commotion. "Your Majesty, please! I need to show you something!"

But before he could reach the Heavenly Emperor, he saw Niao emerging from the courtyard, his face set with grim purpose as he moved to confront Ne Zha.