ATWI Ch. 1

The smoke of battle filled the sky, and the aura of slaughter emanating from drawn swords and nocked arrows dispelled the radiant, golden clouds that once stretched across the Nine Heavens. The celestial gates, once a place of ethereal beauty and divine presence, now exuded an air of desolation and death.

Outside the celestial gates, the ground was scarred by the destructive remnants of spiritual energy. Amidst the chaos and cries of anguish, countless figures fell, their bodies dissolving into specks of light, vanishing completely from the Three Realms.

Amidst the chaotic and disordered celestial energy, two figures stood out, radiating an intense demonic aura. One was a man clad in black robes, now torn and bloodied, his wounds oozing blood that turned black upon hitting the ground, suffused with a dark, malevolent energy. Beside him stood a woman in a light green gauze dress, a white jade pendant shaped like a lotus petal hanging at her waist, glowing faintly. She, too, was covered in wounds, her once pristine dress now stained crimson with blood. In her hand, she gripped a long sword, struggling to stand upright. Her jade-like face was marred by a streak of blood, her hair disheveled, giving her a somewhat disheveled appearance. Yet, her eyes—clear and bright like autumn waters, with long, slightly curled lashes—gleamed with defiance and disdain as she glanced at the gods surrounding her. Her mocking gaze added a touch of wild arrogance to her otherwise ethereal beauty.

She spat out a mouthful of blood, her expression fierce and unyielding. Pointing her sword at the man wearing the imperial crown, she coldly demanded, “Where is she?”

The man gathered a ball of spiritual energy in his hand, his gaze icy as he regarded the woman who had slain several of his generals. “She will be here soon. But as the ruler of the Demon Realm, you broke the covenant and attacked the Nine Heavens, killing my celestial generals. Ye Qinming, what do you think she will feel? What will she do?”

As the last word left his lips, the spiritual energy in his hand tore through the void, hurtling toward Ye Qinming. She didn’t attempt to block it directly, instead teleporting to evade the attack. The spot where she had stood was instantly obliterated, leaving a massive crater. However, the man who had been protecting her was pierced through the chest by the follow-up attack, collapsing to the ground.

“Xuanshui!” Ye Qinming’s eyes trembled violently. She cast a defensive barrier around the severely wounded man and tightened her grip on her sword. Her clothes began to flutter despite the absence of wind, and her once emerald-green spiritual energy was now tinged with a sinister crimson. Her entire body seemed enveloped in dark red flames, her eyes glowing with a blood-red light.

With a roar, her demonic power surged, sending shockwaves that forced the surrounding celestial soldiers to vomit blood. She raised her sword, stirring the sea of clouds and causing the celestial spiritual energy to churn violently.

Some of the besieging gods began to tremble, and even the Heavenly Emperor felt a pang of unease. The Demon Emperor was indeed the greatest threat to the Three Realms!

He glanced toward the east, feeling a rare sense of tension. She was almost here.

Turning back, as Ye Qinming swung her sword down with devastating force, the Heavenly Emperor summoned his Red-Sky Sword, which emitted a dragon’s roar as it clashed with her blade.

The full-force collision of the two rulers sent shockwaves of spiritual energy rippling out, shaking the Nine Heavens and causing the surrounding gods to collapse. Many of the weaker ones vomited blood and fainted on the spot.

The Heavenly Emperor, Taiyi, stood at the epicenter, feeling as though his Red-Sky Sword weighed ten thousand pounds. His spiritual energy was being compressed to the point of explosion. As he faced the woman before him, his eyes, usually composed and regal, now burned with undisguised hatred and murderous intent. He had been right—this woman could not be allowed to live!

Stabilizing his breath, he coldly muttered, “As a demon, you should have stayed in your barbaric lands. You should never have dared to covet the Divine Lord. Watch closely as she deals with a restless creature like you.”

Ye Qinming’s eyes turned icy. “Even as a demon, I am more honorable than a deceitful hypocrite like you.” With that, she abruptly withdrew her sword and slashed her left hand through the air, sending a blade of energy that severed the hem of the Heavenly Emperor’s robe.

Taiyi swiftly retreated, his gaze flickering toward a white light approaching from the east. His expression was unexpectedly calm.

Ye Qinming took a few steps back, gathering spiritual energy in her sword once more, when a voice she had longed to hear called out from behind her.

“Qinming.”

Ye Qinming froze, her eyes lighting up with joy. She’s safe! She turned eagerly, watching as a figure in white landed before her. “You’re… you’re alright.” The anxiety and rage that had consumed her since learning that the other had planned to sacrifice herself to seal the celestial rift finally subsided. The crimson demonic energy surrounding her faded, returning to its original form. Her eyes now held a mix of relief, vulnerability, and hesitation. “Zhuoqing, I heard you were going to offer yourself as a sacrifice… That’s why I came to the Nine Heavens. I never intended to fight the Heavenly Realm.”

She quickly moved toward Zhuoqing, the Divine Lord who stood before her like a radiant moonbeam. Her eyes were as deep as the starry heavens, calm and serene, yet carrying an indescribable warmth.

But this time, Zhuoqing did not smile gently and beckon her closer as she usually did. Instead, her gaze swept past Ye Qinming, landing on Taiyi, who stood with a heavy expression. He sighed softly.

In the next moment, Zhuoqing extended her hand—not to take Ye Qinming’s, but to summon a sword. In a flash, the blade pierced through Ye Qinming’s abdomen, aiming directly for her demon core.

The attack was so sudden that Ye Qinming, who had never doubted Zhuoqing, was completely unprepared. The pain was excruciating, radiating from her abdomen throughout her body. She stared at Zhuoqing in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock.

“You should not have attacked the Heavenly Realm. Protecting it is my duty,” Zhuoqing’s voice was distant and cold. 

Ye Qinming’s vision began to blur, but she struggled to keep her eyes open, searching Zhuoqing’s face for any hint of emotion. Yet, the Divine Lord’s expression remained impassive.

As the physical pain began to fade, the agony in her heart grew unbearable. She coughed up blood, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Wh-why?”

Zhuoqing did not answer. Instead, she withdrew her sword, and in that moment, Taiyi unleashed a devastating blast of spiritual energy, striking Ye Qinming as she collapsed to her knees.

Ye Qinming ignored him, her gaze fixed on Zhuoqing. In her fading consciousness, she wondered if there was even a trace of sorrow or reluctance on Zhuoqing’s face. 

But the Divine Lord simply watched her in silence.

Heartbroken, Ye Qinming’s mind raced through the memories of their time together—moments of joy and tenderness that now felt like daggers to her soul. With a final, anguished cry, her demonic energy dissipated completely, sending shockwaves that caused the weaker gods to vomit blood.

Tears streamed down her face as she closed her eyes and fell to the ground. Soon, her body began to dissolve into faint green light, scattering into the void.

Witnessing Zhuoqing’s merciless strike, Xuanshui was frozen in shock. When he finally reacted, he let out a heart-wrenching roar, “No! My liege!”

On the other hand, Taiyi appeared strangely calm, though a hint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. Zhuoqing glanced at him briefly before lowering her head, her expression as cold and emotionless as a puppet. The other gods looked on in stunned silence, though a few seemed to have anticipated this outcome, their expressions varied.

With Ye Qinming’s demon core shattered and her soul dispersed, the barrier she had maintained collapsed. Xuanshui tried to break free and avenge her, but the Fire God beside Taiyi incinerated him with divine flames.

Xuanshui let out a final, agonized scream before his spirit fled, leaving behind a devastated Heavenly Realm.

This battle marked the complete rupture between the Immortal and Demon realms. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and the Demon Emperor Ye Qinming was slain by the Divine Lord Zhuoqing outside the Nine Heavens. With the Demon Realm left leaderless, it descended into a century of chaos until the four demon kings united to oppose the Heavenly Realm.

After the war, it was said that the ancient seals left from the primordial gods’ battles had completely shattered. Spiritual energy dwindled, and chaotic energy spread, threatening to plunge the Three Realms back into chaos. As the last remaining ancient deity, Zhuoqing sacrificed herself to recreate the seals, preserving the Three Realms. From then on, the Heavenly Realm was left without a divine protector, its strength greatly diminished.

For the next thousand years, the Heavenly and Demon Realms were locked in endless conflict, with no peace in sight. 

Meanwhile, the Mortal Realm, which had enjoyed a millennium of stability, now faced its own crisis as the barriers between the realms weakened due to the ongoing war.

Author’s Note:

Ye Green Tea: With all these ink and stone references, you’re the first one to start off by teasing the wife.

White Lotus Divine Lord: A true hero dares to take a different path.

Ye Green Tea: If you’re this fierce, you must be the submissive.

White Lotus Divine Lord: Have you ever seen a submissive with all these ink and stone?

Ye Green Tea: Hmph. A true hero dares to take a different path.

White Lotus Divine Lord: … But throughout history, there’s only tea brewing, never lotus brewing.

Ye Green Tea: I don’t brew lotus, I just pick it.

(T/N: As explained in the synopsis, the mention of “ink, stone” and “brewing tea” are wordplays of their names.)