"The Rebirth of Liu Weishan."

The heavens had long yearned for a new god.

Five hundred years had passed since the ancient God of Water vanished without a trace, and his name — once revered by all living beings — had slowly faded into nothing more than a forgotten whisper among the tides.

At first, countless theories emerged — some believed he had fallen from grace, others thought he had secluded himself in the deepest abyss of the ocean, and there were even those who swore they had seen him wandering through the mists of the forgotten isles. But as centuries passed, these questions dissipated like foam upon the waves, leaving behind only a profound silence and the inevitable certainty that he would never return.

Without him, the seas began to wither. The tides lost their constancy, rivers dried up without warning, and the creatures that once thrived freely among the coral reefs were reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Gentle storms turned into relentless tempests, and sailors who ventured beyond the known waters returned with terror-filled eyes, recounting countless tales of endless whirlpools and abysses that seemed eager to swallow everything in their path. Balance had become nothing more than a shattered illusion.

Among the gods across the heavens, there existed an ancient legend — a tale that, over the centuries, had been treated more as a forgotten myth than an absolute truth. It was said that when the balance between heaven and earth was threatened, a new god would be reborn from the ashes to restore order. No one knew for certain whether this being would take the form of a new God of Water or an entirely different entity, but one thing was clear: the seas of Tianlong, the Mortal Realm, cried out for a savior.

And then, the impossible happened. In the heart of the Celestial City, the legendary Golden Lotus — a sacred flower capable of bringing new gods into the world — bloomed once more after millennia of silence. No one knew exactly why it had awakened, but the celestial officials closest to the imperial court were aware that the cause was the growing chaos wrought by Wen Haotian, the grand master of mystical arts who, even in the face of heaven's might, continued to defy divine laws in the Mortal Realm.

However, the blooming of the lotus came at a cost. The Divine Empress, Liu Yunxiao, wife of the Celestial Emperor himself, offered her own life to revive the sacred flower. From her sacrifice, and from her womb, a new deity was born — one that, according to the empress's own words, was destined to destroy Wen Haotian, a feat even the Celestial Emperor had been unable to accomplish.

Countless celestial officials gathered in the heart of the Celestial City, their gazes fixed on the center of the sacred lake, where the legendary Golden Lotus was finally blooming.

The air was heavy with solemn reverence, broken only by the muffled sobs of those closest to Liu Yunxiao. The Oracle Goddess, beloved by all in the Celestial Realm, had given her life to awaken the lotus, and now she lay upon a bed of white silk, pale as the moon, while her soul slowly faded into the eternal flow of the Dao.

The Celestial Emperor stood motionless before his wife's body, his impassive expression concealing the storm raging within his heart. The immortals knew that no greater sacrifice could have been made, yet the weight of loss was crushing. The cold winds blew gently, carrying the fragrance of the newly bloomed flower.

Then, one of the celestial officials cried out, drawing everyone's attention as he pointed to the lotus:

"It's happening now! The new God of Water is being reborn!", Li Feng, a servant of the imposing celestial general Jiang Mo, shouted anxiously, pushing through the crowd as he dashed toward the center of the Celestial City.

This was the moment awaited for ages.

Thousands of figures gathered ever closer around the lake. Some watched with nerves on edge, anxious and immensely curious; others, with evident skepticism.

In the front row, a woman with her hair styled in an elegant bun and clad in garments as black as night stood out. Her deep, enigmatic eyes were fixed intently on the flower, which pulsed with a living energy. Her name was Mei Xuanling, the new Oracle Goddess and disciple of Liu Yunxiao, whose prophecies had never failed.

She knew what was coming. "The Water Deity," as she had foretold in her visions, would be able to defeat the Grand Master of the Mystic Arts, whose tyranny threatened both the mortal and celestial realms. But there was something her vision had not revealed: Who or what appearance this deity would take.

Suddenly, the golden lotus trembled. A gust of wind swept through the garden, and a beam of light burst from its base. The heavens grew brighter, and the sound of an ancient melody echoed through the air. Then, slowly, the petals began to open. Inside the lotus, wrapped in divine radiance, was a young boy of about fourteen years old. His skin was like porcelain bathed in light, and his black hair shimmered like midnight. When he finally opened his eyes, a pair of golden irises revealed themselves, seeming to hold the cosmos within.

He stepped out of the lotus with light steps, as if he had no weight. Stopping in the center of the lake, he stretched lazily, as though he had just awakened from a long sleep. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he looked around.

"What a strange dream", he murmured. His voice, though young, carried a depth that seemed to echo through every corner of the Celestial Realm.

Whispers began among the onlookers. "A child?", "This must be a mistake!", "How could he defeat the Grand Master?" Doubts spread quickly, but Mei Xuanling remained still, her eyes fixed on the young boy. She stepped forward and bowed slightly in a gesture of reverence, a rare act even toward the Celestial Emperor himself.

"Welcome to the Celestial Realm, Liu Weishan", she said, her voice firm but gentle.

The young boy looked at her, furrowing his brow.

"Liu Weishan?", He touched his own face as if testing the familiarity of a forgotten name. Suddenly, memories began to flood his mind: battles, victories, disciples kneeling before him. He had been a grand master of martial arts in his past life. But, just like the sunlight that fades on the horizon, the memory of his death remained hazy.

"I… died, didn't i?", He asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

Mei Xuanling nodded.

"Yes, but now you have been reborn. You are the God of Water, destined to bring balance to this world and destroy the Grand Master of the Mystic Arts."

"Divinity? Grand Master of the Mystic Arts?", He repeated in disbelief, looking at his own hands. They seemed so human. "I don't feel much different from before."

Mei Xuanling tilted her head, studying him.

"Divine power is subtle at first, but it grows over time. Your heart will determine how you use it."

Liu Weishan lifted his eyes to the golden sky and felt that his memories were still fragmented. He didn't know who this "Grand Master" was, but he felt an unsettling connection to the name.

"What if i don't want to?", He asked suddenly, looking directly at Mei Xuanling.

A heavy silence fell over the crowd. It was a question no one had dared to ask. Mei Xuanling, however, did not seem surprised.

"Then chaos will continue", her voice carried no judgment, only the truth.

Weishan laughed softly, a sound that almost seemed dismissive.

"It seems i have no choice."

Mei Xuanling took another step forward.

"We all have choices, Liu Weishan. But some choices have consequences no one can avoid."

The young man remained silent, his gaze fixed on his own reflection in the lake. Liu Weishan felt the weight of something greater than he could comprehend, but there was also a curiosity beginning to stir. Who was he now? And who had he been? And as these questions echoed in his mind, the heavens continued to shine with a golden light, announcing to the world that a new divinity had been born. Liu Weishan, the boy reborn from a golden lotus.

The murmurs around them were inevitable. Many of the celestial beings gathered were high-ranking officers, responsible for critical roles that maintained the order and prosperity of the realms. Liu Weishan's emergence was, to them, a point of uncertainty, a potential deviation in the balance they strived to protect.

A group of soldiers approached, moving with impeccable discipline, their eyes fixed on Mei Xuanling. Dressed in gleaming armor that reflected the golden light, they whispered something to the goddess of the oracle. Their gazes, however, often fell upon Liu Weishan, evaluating him with expressions that ranged from skepticism to curiosity. Mei Xuanling, in turn, remained serene. Her expression was an impenetrable mask, but her dark eyes, deep as an abyss, captured every nuance around her.

"The boy is not what we expected", one of the soldiers whispered, a trace of doubt in his voice. "He's too young..."

"Youth does not mean incapacity, and age is irrelevant for a deity", Mei Xuanling replied sharply. "If he was chosen by the Celestial Dao, there is a reason that transcends our understanding."

Liu Weishan walked beside Mei Xuanling, his thoughts caught in a whirlwind of questions. He could barely process everything that was happening. He was a "God of Water"? What exactly did that mean? Was he supposed to control the seas, the rivers, the currents? Or perhaps his role was more symbolic? The idea of having divine responsibilities weighed heavily on his mind.

There was something inside him, an ancient and inexplicable wisdom, that seemed to want to emerge. It was as though fragments of a distant memory were trying to reconnect. He knew he had been someone important in his past life, but the details remained obscured. Still, that feeling of having died tragically lingered like a shadow, a wound he could not reach.

"What do I do now?", he asked suddenly, his voice low but clear enough for Mei Xuanling to hear.

She turned her head slightly, surprised by the simplicity of the question.

"First, you learn", she replied, as if the answer were obvious. " You learn to walk in the Celestial Realm, to understand your place here, and to master whatever is within you."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

"What if there's nothing? What if I'm just... this?"

Mei Xuanling stopped abruptly, causing Liu to halt his steps as well. She looked at him with an intensity that seemed to pierce his soul.

"Then the Celestial Emperor will decide your fate. And perhaps you will be sent back to the mortal world, to live a common life. Or perhaps... you will be destroyed."

There was something in her eyes that made Liu Weishan believe that possibility was not as distant as he would like. As they resumed their walk, a soft breeze swept through his black hair, making it ripple with grace and beauty. Several furtive glances from the crowd focused on him, and the conversations continued, now whispered, but still audible.

"He's nothing special," murmured a lesser deity.

"Maybe he's just a pretty child beyond the ordinary." A muffled laugh followed. "Too beautiful to bear the fate of the Celestial Realm."

But there were others, more cautious, who pondered the boy's true potential.

"The golden lotus never opens by the laws of the Celestial Dao without purpose. If Mei Xuanling remains silent about his gifts, perhaps it's because we still cannot comprehend them."

Despite the murmurs around him, Liu Weishan remained absorbed in his own thoughts. He barely noticed the admiring glances or veiled criticisms. He was more concerned with the question of who he was now — and who he should be. The celestial hierarchy was clear. Every being there had a place, a function. Liu Weishan, however, was still unsure if he even belonged to the lowest of categories. What would stop him from being discarded?

And, as he walked, he looked up at the golden heavens above and wondered, for the first time, what exactly fate had in store for him. Liu Weishan followed Mei Xuanling as she advanced with her firm steps, her long black robe flowing behind her like a river of shadows. Despite the steady pace, she seemed in no hurry, but every movement conveyed purpose. The young Weishan looked around, trying to absorb everything at once. To him, the celestial world was a living tapestry, with clouds in shades of gold and silver moving like creatures, floating and mysterious temples, and small lights spirits flying around crystal posts.

The immense stairs ahead were certainly a monumental challenge, stretching to the top of the imposing palace. They appeared to have been carved from a single block of white jade, so polished that they reflected the faces of those few who dared to cross them. For a moment, Liu Weishan lost himself observing how the celestial sun reflected on the stairs, creating prisms of light that fixed onto the ground around him.

"Is this really what i am now?" He thought. "A god?"

"Liu Weishan!", Mei Xuanling's voice brought him back.

He blinked a few times, realizing he had stopped walking without even noticing. Mei Xuanling sighed and extended her hand to him.

"We don't have time for you to contemplate every detail of the Celestial Realm. Take my hand."

With a light touch, he felt the air around him shift. In the blink of an eye, they were at the top of the staircase. Liu Weishan looked down, astonished at the height they had reached. The wind blew strongly, tousling his hair and making the long sleeves of his newly formed robes flutter like flags. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?", Mei Xuanling remarked, observing his astonished expression. "But if you keep acting like this, you'll end up an easy target for the more experienced. Up here, appearances can deceive."

Liu Weishan tried to respond, but was interrupted when she gave his forehead a light flick.

"Stop losing yourself in your thoughts. There are more important things at the moment."

She turned and moved toward the palace gate, leaving Liu Weishan no choice but to follow her. And as soon as they entered the palace, the young man felt his breath escape. The place was grand in a way that words could not describe. Columns so tall they seemed to touch the sky supported a ceiling reflecting the vastness of a galaxy, with twinkling stars and comets cutting across the space. The extensive details, from the arabesques carved into the walls to the floating chandeliers made of pure crystal, could only have been created by a divine hand.

In the center of the hall, a massive golden throne dominated the space. It was immense, but not in an oppressive way. It seemed to be there as a symbol of order, of authority that didn't need to be announced. Sitting on it was the Celestial Emperor, Zhao Mingye. He seemed more like an incomprehensible illusion than a man of flesh and bone. His long white hair, shining like the light of a full moon, cascaded down to his knees. His eyes, dark as the emptiness of space, seemed to observe everything and everyone at once. He didn't need to move to appear imposing; his mere presence filled the hall with an almost tangible energy.

Liu Weishan felt his feet hesitate as he approached. Each step seemed harder than the last, as if the air around the emperor was denser, almost crushing. He tried to avert his gaze, but something in Zhao Mingye's presence compelled him to meet his eyes, challenging him not to retreat. And when he finally got close enough, Zhao Mingye slightly tilted his head, studying him with a look that seemed to pierce his soul.

"So, you are the reborn one from the golden lotus", his voice was calm, but each word seemed to carry the weight of centuries. "A child... curious."

Liu Weishan swallowed hard. He didn't know how to respond but felt he had to say something.

"I... I am Liu Weishan", he stammered, trying to sound confident.

Zhao Mingye chuckled softly, a laugh that seemed to echo through the hall.

"Yes, I know who you are. Your aura tells me more than your words ever could."

The emperor reclined in the throne, crossing his arms with a look that was almost amused.

"You are young, very young. But that's not necessarily a weakness. Sometimes, the younger ones see the world in ways the old have forgotten."

Liu Weishan tried to process those words, but before he could ask anything, Zhao Mingye continued:

"You probably have many questions. About who you are, why you're here, what it means to be a god. But I'll tell you something now: these answers don't come easily. And often, when they come, they are not what we expected."

The boy simply nodded, unable to formulate a response.

"Mei Xuanling", the emperor called, never taking his eyes off Liu. "He will be your responsibility. Teach him what needs to be taught. And if he fails, it will be you who answers for it."

Mei Xuanling bowed slightly, in a sign of respect.

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Liu Weishan felt a shiver run down his spine. The responsibility seemed heavier than he could bear. But, when he looked again at Zhao Mingye, he saw something in the emperor's eyes. It wasn't just judgment; there was also a small spark of... hope?

When they left the hall, Liu Weishan looked at Mei Xuanling, trying to hide his confusion and insecurity.

"Does... does he think i can be useful?", he asked quietly.

Mei Xuanling gave a faint smile, but didn't answer immediately.

"Useful or not, you're here for a reason. Finding out what that reason is will be your first test."

The Oracle Goddess walked ahead of Liu Weishan, her steps so light they barely made a sound on the smooth stones that paved the path. The palace's wide corridors gave way to a narrower trail, flanked by vibrant gardens. Liu Weishan watched in silence as they moved away from the grandeur of the center and approached a more secluded area, where the sound of flowing water and the whispering of leaves in the wind created an atmosphere of almost surreal peace.

When they finally arrived, he paused to admire the view before him. A beautiful field of roses seemed to stretch to the horizon, with their colors varying from deep reds to pure whites. In the center of the garden, a majestic plum tree rose, its branches laden with pink flowers that fell in a graceful dance, carried by the wind. Beneath the tree's shadow was a small dwelling made of light wood.

They crossed a narrow bridge of aged wood, spanning a small crystal-clear lake. Lotus flowers floated on the water's surface, their petals reflecting the soft light that seemed to emanate from everywhere. Liu Weishan felt that this place was as though it had been sculpted directly from a dream. Mei Xuanling stopped by the bridge and turned to Liu Weishan, who seemed lost in contemplation.

"From now on, this will be your home", she said, her voice as calm as the surrounding environment. "Here, you will begin your training."

He looked at her, his eyes reflecting both curiosity and uncertainty.

"How long... will this take?"

"Five, maybe six years, if you are diligent", Mei Xuanling crossed her arms and stared at him. "During this time, you will learn the laws of the Dao and the duties that come with being a water god. It's not just about power; it's about stability, balance, and understanding. Your divine gifts are vast but unstable. Without control, you are nothing but a destructive force waiting to be unleashed."

Liu Weishan nodded, still trying to process everything.

"So... I'll have to leave everything behind? My past life... my connections?"

Mei Xuanling sighed.

"Your past life is already a distant shadow. Over time, it will disappear completely. This is the price of rebirth. Your new existence will take control, shaping your destiny from now on."

She paused, observing the young man in silence before turning to leave.

"Stabilize your cultivation, Liu Weishan. And remember: a god who does not understand himself cannot protect what is entrusted to him."

After literally throwing those harsh words onto Liu Weishan's shoulders, Mei Xuanling left him alone, disappearing down the rose path leading back to the palace. Weishan stood by the lake for a few minutes, watching the lotus flowers float on the serene water. He took a deep breath and walked over to the plum tree, sitting down in its welcoming shade. His fingers traced invisible patterns in the earth, and without realizing it, he began to murmur:

"The high mountain bears the snow, but does not bow to the wind. The deep river reflects the sky, but never holds the stars."

The words came out automatically, as if they were part of who he had once been. A fleeting memory, an echo of his past life. He closed his eyes, letting the memories flood in. Images of his past appeared — faces, places, laughter, and tears. But, like the falling petals of the plum tree, the memories quickly vanished, carried away by the wind of time. He knew that soon, all that would remain would be fragments.

"Maybe this is fate," he thought. "Leaving the old behind, so that the new can bloom."

As the sun in the high skies of the Celestial Kingdom began to set, bathing the garden in shades of gold and pink, Liu Weishan made a silent vow.

"If this is my destiny, then i will accept it. I will harmonize with the Dao and understand it, master my gifts, and fulfill my role. No matter how long it takes."

To be continued...