Introduction

Empress Xin Yulingting (辛玉玲婷)

She is the origin of all things. The commands from her lips are the laws that govern the universe. Her fingers trace the destinies of all realms, both within and beyond the cosmos. Her name is revered by gods, demon lords, and ancient races whose names have been lost to time. She is the true "Creator," the one who established the natural order, ensuring the balance and cyclical harmony of all existence. Not just the grand cosmos, but even the "world beyond," a realm unreachable by departed souls, was shaped by her power and spirit.

Xin Yulingting is not merely the Creator she is the mother of the universe, the first light of dawn, the mercy amidst the void. Before light, before sound, before words or reflections, there was only her, existing in eternal silence.

She does not rule her creations with arrogance but nurtures them like children in her womb. All beings are granted "freedom," for she believes in the growth of each soul.

Amidst the currents of creation and the river of time, there were three noble young men whom she chose with her all-seeing eyes. To them, she granted the opportunity to "become great" in the earliest era of existence an age without elders or decay, only eternal youth, when the world was still an unfinished poem.

The three were true friends, bonded as closely as brothers. Though not related by blood, their souls were intertwined, each playing a unique role beyond the reach of any other race:

1. The Primordial Ancestor, the origin of legendary bloodlines

Born from the first light she crafted from pure spirit, he became the progenitor of a lineage that would rise as one of the most exalted in all the cosmos. His power was such that even the slightest movement of his finger could shatter entire realms. His greatness remains unmatched, a legend without equal.

2. The Empress's Supreme Guardian

A young man clad in white, pure as moonlight, adorned in tricolored robes. His wisdom ran deep, his abilities unparalleled. Loyalty and devotion to Xin Yulingting's will surpassed even his own life. Though second only to the Primordial Ancestor in combat, his intellect surpassed all races, earning him the title "Key to All Universes."

3. The Nameless Emperor, the Incomparable One

He was the enigma of time, his name unspoken, for even words feared to invoke his power. A man of unwavering resolve, strength, and stillness like winter waters. Among those who dared face him in battle, only his two companions ever "defeated" him.

Despite their differences, the three never sought thrones, fame, or dominion. Instead, they lived as true friends, creating, thinking, and dreaming together. They walked side by side in the youthful world, guardians of the dawn in the universe's infancy.

In every fleeting moment of that era, if Empress Xin Yulingting gazed down from above, she would see the three standing together like three stars shining in unison, reflecting her divine light the light that birthed all things.

After millennia of creation , all things followed the cosmic laws she had set. Yet, even she could not control one thing her own heart.

She fell in love with him her personal guardian.

The man she had once seen only through the lens of duty had unknowingly captured her heart.

He, the young man whose beauty surpassed even the gods, whose silver-white hair flowed like moonlight, whose deep brown eyes shimmered with unmatched intellect and devotion loyal to his mistress beyond life itself.

Their love... was a secret masterpiece hidden within the currents of time.

To others, he was merely her loyal guardian. But she knew he was the only one who made her feel "human" rather than an empress.

One day , a day that seemed ordinary but would etch itself into her heart for eternity...

Light footsteps echoed through the grand hall adorned with cosmic crystals and golden veils. Rainbows danced where light touched the mirrored floors, as if the palace were a realm of fairy tales.

The young man in tricolored robes white, blue, and silver knelt before her with reverence.

"Empress Xin Yulingting... I will visit my two companions in the coming days. I seek your leave."

His voice was soft, cool, yet brimming with unspoken emotion.

She rose from her eternal crystal throne, descending the glass steps like a spring breeze. A faint smile graced her lips.

"Do not linger too long... I will worry."

Her tone was tender not the command of an empress, but the whisper of a woman seeing her beloved off.

Her gaze held deep affection... a love hidden from the eyes of the universe.

The young man smiled faintly. Without a word, he stepped closer, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her soft cheek.

She trembled slightly, her face flushing like peach blossoms at dawn. Her eyes shimmered.

"I will wait for you here... Do not be late. I fear I may... miss you too much to sleep."

She averted her gaze, but her heartbeat betrayed her.

The young man smiled a smile only she had ever seen, tender and filled with unspoken promises.

"Mm~ I will return swiftly, before your longing grows unbearable."

In a blink, his figure vanished into the air, dissolving into the currents of time without a trace.

Empress Xin Yulingting stood motionless, staring at the empty space where he had disappeared. Her breath was faint, as if afraid even her own voice would awaken the loneliness in her heart.

"I will wait for you... Even if years pass, I will wait."

She whispered in her heart before turning back toward her inner chambers a room adorned with starlight, luxurious as a divine palace, yet hollow with endless longing.

Not long after her guardian departed , before the night had even passed, a middle-aged maidservant rushed in, panic-stricken, clutching a golden scroll sealed with an arcane sigil.

"Empress! Empress! An urgent message!"

Xin Yulingting, who had been gazing at the star-studded cosmic sky, turned sharply. Her deep violet-gold eyes hardened as she silently reached for the scroll.

The moment she opened it, a dim red light erupted from the cryptic script. Her eyes widened, shifting from alarm to steely resolve.

"I must go heal her wounds..." she murmured.

Without hesitation, she retreated to her inner chambers, shedding her opulent empress robes for a simple white cotton gown yet her grace remained transcendent. She then lifted the floating golden crown at the room's center the Crown of All Cosmic Power , the true source of her might.

"Seal all my power... until I return."

At her words, the crown glowed before solidifying into a golden crystal, hovering motionless.

She turned to the bowing maidservant.

"Guard this well. Let no one near the crown. I will return..."

Her voice was calm yet carried an undeniable weight.

As she stepped out, no force could restrain her majesty. Even disguised as an ordinary woman, her radiance flickered in the air like fleeting sparks.

At that moment... no one knew.

The Empress who governed the cosmos was, in truth, six months pregnant by human reckoning.

She had kept it secret, waiting for his return to share the news quietly on a warm night like a pure gift from heaven to his heart.

Descending to the "ordinary human world," she concealed all traces of her divine aura. Now, she appeared no different from a noblewoman in a small town save for her eyes, still as mesmerizing as the galaxies.

A breeze brushed her face as she watched people passing by some hurried, some laughing, some carrying food home.

"Humans... still live so simply, so warmly."

She smiled faintly, weaving through alleys filled with the scent of fresh wood and rain-damp earth until she reached her destination a wooden house.

Simple yet strangely serene, nestled near the forest, its walls draped in deep green vines.

She paused, an unease stirring in her heart.

"This is where the message led me..."

Her breath grew heavier before she stepped forward, into the unnerving silence and the foreboding taking root in her mind.

Inside the wooden house , the scent of herbs and old blood touched her nose.

An elderly woman in a dark purple cloak emerged, her face grief-stricken, eyes red from weeping. She bowed deeply before the Empress.

"Empress Xin Yulingting... You are too late. She... is already gone."

Her voice trembled.

"Murdered. Ten men in black they poisoned her."

Tears welled in the old woman's eyes as she forced a smile, masking the pain in her heart.

The Empress stood frozen for a moment before sighing deeply.

"Have people... grown so wicked?"

Her voice held not just sorrow, but the disappointment of a creator who had given love unconditionally.

The old woman hesitated, then spoke fearfully.

"Empress... you must be careful. They may seek your power..."

Xin Yulingting placed a hand on her shoulder, her gaze firm yet kind.

"Do not fear. I created even them. If I must erase them from existence, it is within my power."

"Once I reclaim my crown, justice will be served."

Her voice was soft but carried the weight of divine decree.

"And my power... none may claim it unless they are of my true bloodline. They... will atone."

Before she could finish , a mocking voice cut through the air cold, deep, chilling the surroundings.

"Empress Xin Yulingting... how careless you are."

"Reducing yourself to a mortal, sealing your power... just to heal a human?"

"How laughable."

She turned slowly to see a tall, handsome man in black and silver standing beneath the shadows. His face was coldly beautiful, his long black hair swaying in the wind. His heterochromatic eyes brown and red glowed like frozen hellfire.

Behind him stood nine others, all clad in black, faces concealed. The air around them warped as if reality trembled.

"All life has value... be they mortal or divine."

Her voice was calm as a night breeze, yet beneath it lay unshakable conviction.

The man laughed mockingly.

"Is that so? Ha! You may have created all things, but to me... you are just a beautiful fool."

"I bow to no one!"

With a flick of his wrist, a dark blade materialized a sword that devoured light itself.

Slash!

In an instant, the old woman was reduced to bloody mist no scream, only despair scattered like dust.

A burst of power shattered the surrounding cosmos , transporting them to another realm.

There, they hung the Empress by her wrists, her feet barely touching the ground. Blood trickled from her wounds, her clothes torn. Tears welled not from pain, but fear for the unborn child she had yet to name.

One forced a cup of poison into her mouth. She swallowed, praying it would spare her child.

"After your death, my nine followers and I will usher in an era of unforgettable evil..."

A woman lashed her with a whip of flame and lightning. Each strike sent tremors through her womb. She bit her lip, tears streaming as she stared into the void.

Blades carved her skin , needles twisted into her flesh, red-hot nails seared her bones.

"Start with the ankles."

A voice whispered before a three-inch needle pierced her flesh, tendons snapping.

Molten iron pressed against her ribs, flesh sizzling.

"Try something new."

Black liquid dripped onto open wounds, spreading like venomous snakes.

Her bonds loosened, and she collapsed into an icy pit. Numbness crept through her limbs.

Her trembling hand reached for light but grasped only emptiness.

"My child... we won't make it..."

Her thoughts were a whisper, aching like a thousand blades.

Her gaze grew distant, the cold outside nothing compared to the loneliness within.

Soon, she was lifted from the ice , her body pale and frozen. A rough hand seized her throat, cutting off her breath.

Then she was hurled against a wall.

The impact shattered stone, leaving only dust in the silence.

The dark leader stepped forward, eyes devoid of mercy.

"You, who created all things... end like this."

His hand rose, and darkness swallowed her whole.

Blood spilled from her lips as her body stilled silent, alone.

ืื"...She is dead."

His voice was cold, satisfied.

No eulogy. No prayers.

Only ten shadows slipping away, leaving emptiness behind.

But...

In the silence, one figure returned.

A young man in black, one of the nine, stood over the Empress's lifeless form.

His eyes held no cruelty only doubt, sorrow, and regret.

He knelt slowly, gazing at the woman who had once granted him life and freedom... now gone.

"Did you... truly deserve this?"

He murmured before placing a hand on her abdomen.

A faint glow black mingled with gold flickered beneath his palm.

In the stillness, he carefully drew something forth—a sleeping infant, the last bloodline of the Creator.

His hand trembled as he pressed a finger to the child's forehead. A flash of light a seal of shadow and light.

The baby stirred slightly before settling back into slumber.

Then, the Empress's body began to dissolve not into destruction, but transformation.

Her skin, hair, and clothes became shimmering motes of light, rising upward before scattering beyond the edges of the cosmos.

And from that day on...

Every night, across all universes, thousands of stars would glow.

No one knew their origin, yet their beauty was beyond words.

Some later whispered:

"Those are the soul of the lost Empress... watching over the world by night not with power, but with the last love she left behind."