Episode 6 — The Forbidden Scroll, the Curious God, and the First Dream

The sky was clear that night — unnaturally so.

Not a cloud, not a breath of wind. Just a deep navy ocean above, pinned with stars that shimmered like lanterns caught in a silent vigil. The Celestial Realm rarely slept, but that night, it listened.

Because fate had been stirred.

And fate… had begun to whisper.

In the Eastern Sky, the wind didn't dare howl. The temple's silver bells — ancient relics of the Divine Era — swung gently, but not a sound came from them.

Mo Yujin stood in the highest chamber of his palace — a quiet observatory that jutted beyond the cliffs, surrounded by crystal veils and floating ink lanterns. He was alone, as he always was.

But tonight, he held a scroll.

Not just any scroll.

This one pulsed with gold threads and blackened corners — sealed with dragonfire wax and buried beneath the Celestial Archives for ten thousand years.

A Forbidden Prophecy Scroll.

He had taken it. Quietly. Illegally. With full knowledge of what it meant.

Because her name had appeared in the stars.

And he couldn't forget her eyes — wide, startled, bright with questions.

He didn't know why he had caught her. Or why he had anchored her soul thread to his realm.

He only knew... that something inside him, long thought dormant, had stirred.

He unrolled the scroll.

The words shimmered, fading in and out of visibility, as if resisting him.

"She will fall like a blossom out of season..."

The line stopped.

The rest remained hidden.

He narrowed his eyes. "Show me."

But the scroll burned silver — rejecting his command.

Only one soul could unlock the rest: the one it spoke of.

Lian Qiao.

He let the scroll roll shut.

He was a god of war. Not of dreams, not of hearts. And yet, he was standing in his observatory with stolen prophecy and no intention of returning it.

And that was how he knew — something was wrong.

🌸 Meanwhile, at Peach Blossom Sect…

Lian Qiao didn't mean to dream.

Trainee immortals rarely did — their minds were too busy balancing cultivation levels and spiritual resonance charts.

But that night, she closed her eyes beneath the blossoms and fell into something deeper.

A garden.

Not hers.

Not anyone's.

It was filled with black peonies and red lilies — flowers that didn't bloom together, ever. They swayed in an invisible breeze, and at the center stood a throne carved from bone and obsidian.

She felt herself walk toward it, unable to stop.

A voice followed her — deep, low, amused.

"Curious little blossom."

She turned.

No one was there.

But the air vibrated with presence. As if something had noticed her in her dream.

Something ancient.

"You've come too early."

She tried to speak — her lips moved, but no sound came.

The flowers began to close.

The wind turned red.

And just before she awoke, she heard the final whisper:

"He will burn the heavens for you… if you do not burn him first."

She woke with a start, sweat at her brow despite the cool night air.

She sat up, heart pounding.

Across the courtyard, a lantern flickered. A wind chime sang once, then fell silent.

And though she was very much alone...

She had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.