Lord of the Nine Heavens

In the Divine Calendar, year 8980, a celestial omen descended upon the desolate marshlands at the heart of the Divine Continent, sending tremors through the races of Humans, Demons, Saints, and Fiends alike.

Deep within these central wastelands lay an ancient battlefield, heaped with corpses and rivers of blood—a vision of the eighteenth layer of hell. Yet, at the very center, a small verdant pool shone with crystalline clarity, as bottomless as a desert oasis. Along its edge, an old monk in tattered robes sat in silent meditation, while in the pool itself, an aged Taoist in a ragged robe fished astride an ox.

Suddenly, the old monk opened his eyes and gazed skyward, speaking slowly, “It comes again.”

At his words, the Taoist frowned in displeasure. “Bald donkey, who asked you to make such a racket? You’ve scared the fish away.”

Seeing his reaction, the old monk could only shake his head in resignation. “Truly a heartless Taoist…”

The Taoist replied indifferently, “It’s none of my concern, nor yours.”

With that, the two fell silent.

In the south of the continent bloomed a singular flower, towering ten thousand feet, its petals trailing among the clouds. Upon the main bud reclined a beguiling woman in white, lazily sprawled on a petal. Her distant gaze fixed on the center of the Divine Continent, lost in a daze; after a time, she murmured softly.

“A celestial omen descends…?”

“Heaven…?”

To the west, within a golden palace, a majestic man in golden robes sat upon a resplendent throne, the very image of a sovereign