Prologue

In the world of gods and demons, where the sky burned and the wind screamed, a battle began that would change everything. Jian Wushi, the God of Swords, stood at the peak of a mountain. His sword, Skybreaker, glowed like a shard of the sun, ready to strike.

Facing him was Bai Ye, the White-Haired Demon Prince. His silver hair swayed in the storm, and his sharp eyes burned with anger. Bai Ye wasn't like the other demons. His mother was a goddess, and his father was a demon king. Because of that, the gods hated him from the day he was born.

"You don't belong in this world, Bai Ye," Jian Wushi said. His voice was steady, like thunder rolling in the distance. "Your darkness will destroy the balance."

Bai Ye smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Balance? The gods abandoned me. You call that justice?"

Jian Wushi didn't respond. Instead, he raised Skybreaker, its blade shining with heavenly power. "I'll end this now."

Their swords clashed, sending shockwaves that shook the mountain and split the sky. Bai Ye summoned shadows to block the light, but he was weaker now. His strength was fading fast, and he knew why.

Far below in the mortal realm, a little boy lay dying. Bai Ye had already made his choice. He had given his heart core—the source of his power—to save the child. Without it, he was vulnerable.

Jian Wushi saw his chance. With a powerful swing of Skybreaker, he broke through Bai Ye's defenses. "Skybreaker's Fury!" he shouted, unleashing an attack that lit up the sky.

Bai Ye couldn't stop it. The light slammed into him, and he cried out as he fell into the abyss. The mountain shook as his body disappeared into the darkness.

Jian Wushi stood at the edge, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. He had won. Or so he thought.

---

Bai Ye's fall wasn't the end. It was the start of something far bigger.

In the mortal realm, the boy Bai Ye had saved, Wen Tianlian, opened his eyes. The heart core had kept him alive, but it also tied him to Bai Ye. Its power wasn't meant for mortals, and it started to change him.

Far away, Bai Ye clung to life in the shadows. Without his heart core, he was almost no longer immortal. He could feel death creeping closer, but he wasn't ready to give up. He had to get his heart core back.

The gods thought the battle was over. They thought they had won. But Bai Ye's sacrifice had set something unstoppable in motion. The boy with the heart of a demon would grow stronger, and the shadows would rise again.

This was just the calm before the storm.