Above the mortal world, where celestial wonders ruled and divine forces dictated the fate of all, the **9th Heavenly Realm** stood as a beacon of supreme power—a place where only the strongest cultivators roamed. But even within such grandeur, treachery lurked in the shadows.
The battlefield stretched endlessly across the skies, the divine radiance dimmed by the fury of war. Pillars of light clashed with storms of Qi, the air heavy with the cries of betrayal and triumph. At its center stood **Long Tianyu**, his robes torn but his posture regal. The golden dragon insignia on his chest gleamed faintly, a sign of the celestial might he once commanded. Around him, a dozen figures encircled him like predators hunting their prey, their eyes cold and filled with envy.
Tianyu's face was grim but unyielding, his dark eyes blazing with defiance. The vast expanse of the heavens bore witness to his final stand, and he refused to show weakness before those who had dared to betray him.
"You all," Tianyu said, his voice carrying across the battlefield, "who feasted at my table, who swore loyalty to me, now bite the hand that raised you to glory. Is this what your hearts have become? Filled with greed and malice?"
One of his former allies, a man clad in robes of fiery red, sneered. "Your time has ended, Tianyu. The heavens have no place for a dragon whose wings overshadow the rest. We will strip you of your power, take your name, and erase your legacy."
Tianyu's laughter echoed hollowly, laced with bitterness. "You think yourselves worthy of the heavens? You think destroying me will elevate your sorry souls? You are mistaken." He raised his sword, its shimmering edge crackling with celestial energy, and struck downward. The sheer force of the attack sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
But they had prepared for this. The ring of betrayal closed in, each enemy unleashing their own techniques to suppress Tianyu. His strikes were ferocious, his defenses brilliant, but the tide was against him. A binding array rose around him, shimmering like a cage of starlight, sealing his movements.
Blood dripped from Tianyu's lips as the celestial energy surged against him. He stumbled, his vision blurring, yet his resolve remained unbroken. With all his strength, he raised his gaze to the heavens.
"I, **Long Tianyu**," he roared, his voice thundering across the 9th Heavenly Realm, "swear in heaven's name: this betrayal will not go unpunished. I will return—no matter the cost—and make you all pay!"
The sky trembled under his words, the essence of his vow reverberating through the realms. His enemies hesitated, momentarily shaken by the sheer conviction in his voice. But the binding array tightened, its celestial chains pulling him apart.
Tianyu closed his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Let the heavens forget me for now. I will carve my name anew."
And with that, his body disintegrated, consumed by the overwhelming force of the array. The shards of his existence scattered like dying stars, but his soul—unyielding and defiant—refused to fade. It was drawn downward, past the celestial heavens, into the depths of the **Nether Realm** on the **8th Heavenly Realm**.
---
The **Reincarnation Pool** glowed faintly, its surface rippling as Tianyu's soul descended. The pool was vast and filled with swirling energies, its depths brimming with countless souls awaiting their next lives. Tianyu's presence disturbed the tranquility, the waters trembling as his essence entered.
His thoughts flickered between anger and relief. He had escaped annihilation, but the cost was steep. His power, his legacy, his everything had been stripped away. He was no longer the celestial dragon who once ruled the skies. He was now bound to the cycle of life and death, forced to start anew.
"So be it," Tianyu thought, his soul drifting in the pool. "Even without spiritual Qi, even as a mortal, I will rise again. And when the heavens look upon me once more, they will tremble at what I've become."
The pool began to glow brighter, its energies converging around Tianyu's soul. The process of reincarnation had begun. Memories of his past life faded, leaving fragments—scattered pieces of battles, vows, and a face he couldn't forget. The face of the one he had loved.
---
Tianyu's new life began in the mortal world, a small village of Jadecreek nestled in the lowlands of the empire. The air was thin with spiritual Qi, the land peaceful but devoid of the celestial grandeur he had once known. He was reborn as the child of humble farmers, his cries filling the modest home as his mother held him in her arms.
"He's beautiful," she whispered, her voice tender. "Our little Wen Yu."
Tianyu's soul stirred within the infant's body, his awareness fleeting but present. The name given to him felt foreign, yet he accepted it as part of his new beginning.
His father, Wen Qiang, chuckled as he held the baby in his calloused hands. "Wen Yu will grow strong, just like his old man," he declared with pride.
For the first time in ages, Tianyu felt warmth—not the cold ambition of power, but the genuine love of family. It was strange, humbling, and oddly comforting.
Though his memories of the 9th Heavenly Realm were fractured, Tianyu retained a sense of purpose. As a child, he observed the world with a sharpness that belied his age. The faint traces of Qi in the land called to him, and he began practicing subtle exercises to rekindle his connection to the Dao.
His progress was slow, limited by the mortal shell he now inhabited. But Tianyu relished the simplicity of life—the laughter of his parents, the camaraderie of the village, the joy of running barefoot through fields of golden wheat. For the first time in centuries, he was free from the burdens of celestial politics and the suffocating weight of betrayal.
At night, Tianyu gazed at the stars, their twinkling lights reminding him of the heavens he had once called home. "I'll return," he thought, his tiny fists clenched. "But for now… I'll live this life to its fullest."
He wasn't just biding his time. He was embracing the world of mortals, finding strength in its simplicity and beauty. Each day was a step forward—a step closer to reclaiming what was lost.