The Gate of Origin roared shut, and the countless runes etched upon its surface gradually dimmed.
Mu Yunzhao placed the Heart of Yao into Si Chengjing's hands.
At last, her arms could no longer hold.
Her body gave way, and she collapsed weakly onto the freezing stone steps.
The holy radiance had already left her white robes, yet her eyes remained as clear as ever. She gazed at the golden heart-core in his hands, a faint smile lingering at the corners of her lips.
"Jing… you've finally taken hold of it."
Her voice was so soft it was almost swallowed by the fading echoes in the hall.
Si Chengjing lowered his gaze. The Heart of Yao shone brilliantly in his hands, but under that light he saw her face turn deathly pale, cold sweat beading at her brow.
His heart jolted.
He understood in an instant.
"Yunzhao!"
Dropping to one knee, he caught her trembling shoulders.
Only then did he truly see it—
She had burned through every last drop of her Yao power.
Outside the great hall, black mist billowed violently. A towering, indistinct silhouette had already drawn near, followed by four murderous presences.
The Underworld Emperor of the Rifted Yao, and his four generals.
There was only a single breath of time left.
Si Chengjing's gaze darkened.
From deep within his robes, he suddenly drew out an ancient scroll wrapped in dark-patterned seals. Its surface was covered in black obsidian tones, the runes upon it winding like chains, radiating an eerie chill.
It was a Black Yao Scroll—a secret imperial treasure, a teleportation talisman of extreme rarity.
It could carry only two people at once, and consumed an enormous amount of Yao power.
But he had no time left to care.
Without hesitation, he unfurled it.
The runes flared to life at once, tearing open space itself. A black裂 seam appeared in the void, and a violent force surged outward, as though to devour them both.
"Yunzhao—hold on!"
Grinding his teeth, he pulled her firmly into his arms.
In the next instant, their bodies were swallowed by the crack in space.
Light and shadow twisted. Then both of them vanished completely, leaving behind only fragments of shattered golden light.
At the very same moment they disappeared, the Underworld Emperor and his four generals stormed into the hall. The hand he reached out with seized only a fading fragment of light.
"Too late!"
His roar shook the hall itself. Behind him, the four generals all fell to one knee, their auras in turmoil.
The Heart of Yao had already been taken.
The light exploded—then collapsed.
They reappeared within the inner palace of Yaodu.
Mu Yunzhao's breath was weak as she leaned in Si Chengjing's arms, her fingertips icy cold.
He himself was no better. His face had turned pale, his brow soaked through with sweat, his chest rising and falling in broken breaths.
Lowering his head, he could feel the Yao power within him torn apart by force. It flowed in shattered, broken currents through his meridians, each pulse bringing pain. Even the arm with which he held the Heart of Yao trembled faintly.
"…It doesn't matter," he said hoarsely, forcing down the suffocating pain in his chest.
"As long as you are still here—as long as the Heart of Yao remains—then everything was worth it."
Mu Yunzhao's lashes trembled. She seemed as if she wished to speak, but in the end she merely raised a shaking hand and laid it over his.
In that moment, they both understood—
The price could no longer be undone.
Night fell thick and deep.
The lamps in the bedchamber burned low and yellow.
Mu Yunzhao lay weakly upon the couch, her complexion pale as paper, her breathing thin as a thread. Her Yao power had been completely exhausted. Not even the faintest trace of spiritual force remained within her. She seemed like a white blossom ravaged by storm and wind, ready to wither at any moment.
The maids stood watch beside her bed, filled with worry, yet none dared to speak.
Then—
The palace doors were flung open with a crash.
A figure in purple-gold robes strode in, his expression urgent, his eyes overflowing with pain he had suppressed for far too long.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
The maids cried out in alarm and hurriedly bowed.
It was the Eldest Prince—Si Chengxun.
Ignoring all attempts to stop him, he went straight to her bedside and dropped to one knee. His hand closed tightly around Mu Yunzhao's ice-cold fingers.
That hand trembled, though he fought to steady his voice.
"Yunzhao… why did you have to be so foolish?"
His eyes were bloodshot.
"Didn't I tell you long ago? Without the Five Yao joining their strength, if you force open the Gate of Origin on your own, you would burn out your entire life—your power, your years, everything…"
His throat tightened. He looked down at her bloodless face.
"For him… was it really worth it?"
The maids rushed forward in alarm.
"Your Highness, this is improper! Please leave at once—"
One even dropped to her knees before him, trying to block him.
But Si Chengxun seemed not to hear them.
He only stared at Mu Yunzhao, his gaze full of regret, helplessness, and pain. The pressure of his fingers increased, as though he wished to trap the last trace of her warmth within his palm.
The candlelight shook.
The chamber grew so still that only his rapid breathing remained.
His voice was low and hoarse, trembling with emotion he could no longer suppress.
"Yunzhao… do you know that you were the only extravagant hope of my life?
Even if you could not see me… even if you gave everything to him… I never once gave up on you."
He lowered his head and whispered those long-buried feelings beside her ear.
Then, unable to stop himself, he pressed the gentlest kiss to her lips.
And that very scene—
was witnessed by another pair of eyes standing hidden in the darkness beyond the door.
Si Chengjing.
He had come to visit her.
Instead, he saw the Crown Prince kneeling at her bedside—saw that kiss.
Jealousy flared through his chest like wildfire, nearly consuming reason itself.
His gaze turned instantly cold.
Yet he forced himself not to enter.
With a sharp turn of his sleeve, he left.
And in that instant, his resolve hardened into iron:
I will ascend the throne.
Once I become emperor, elder brother will have no right to compete with me for Yunzhao.
By the next morning, rumors had already spread throughout the palace.
"The Crown Prince entered the Holy Maiden's chamber at night—conduct unbecoming!"
"The Holy Maiden is entangled between two princes—her virtue is suspect!"
In a single night, the reputations of both princes and the Holy Maiden were cast into the eye of the storm.
Who was chosen by Heaven?
Who was sincere?
Who was stealing another's love?
The court erupted.
The Hall of Ten Thousand Scales
Gold tiles stretched across the floor. Dragon pillars loomed high and cold.
The morning drums had barely ceased when the officials were already assembled.
The scandal from the night before had spread far and wide. Every eye in the court was fixed upon the names of the two princes and the Holy Maiden.
One censor was the first to step forward.
"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince entered the Holy Maiden's chamber at night—an act of grave impropriety and a stain upon the dignity of the imperial house. If this is not punished, the court will lose faith, and the people will lose trust!"
Another immediately stepped forth in opposition.
"The censor speaks too harshly! The Crown Prince and the Holy Maiden share true feeling. He entered only because he feared for her injuries. Is one moment of human emotion enough to condemn him? If we punish the Crown Prince too severely, we may well lose the hearts of the people!"
At once, the hall erupted.
Some accused the Crown Prince of impropriety.
Others whispered that if the Holy Maiden truly had entanglements with the Second Prince as well, then this matter was even more disgraceful.
Upon the dragon throne, Emperor Si Jian sat in stony silence, his expression dark. He did not speak. Yet his fingers tapped slowly upon the dragon-carved armrest.
The tension in the hall tightened like the air before a storm.
Then—
Si Chengxun stepped forward.
His tall figure cut through the chaos. He dropped to one knee, robes sweeping the ground, and his voice rang through the hall like iron striking iron.
"This matter has nothing to do with the Holy Maiden!"
The court fell silent at once.
He raised his head, his voice thunderous.
"It was I who lost propriety. I entered her chamber because I was worried for her injuries. If there is fault, let it fall upon me alone—it has nothing to do with the Holy Maiden!"
The ministers exchanged startled glances.
Some wished to speak again, but his gaze cut them into silence.
"The Holy Maiden was chosen by Heaven. She carries the hopes of all the people of Yao. How could I allow even the slightest stain to touch her name?"
His fists tightened. Veins stood out on his forehead.
"If punishment is required—then punish me alone!"
The hall broke into murmurs again.
"He would bear it alone?"
"Such fierce protection… perhaps there truly is private affection…"
Si Chengjing watched from the side, his expression dark and unreadable. He looked at his elder brother kneeling there, and within him rose a bitter storm—anger, jealousy, something more difficult to name.
Mu Yunzhao Awakens
Morning light filtered through carved lattice windows.
Mu Yunzhao slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was still clouded, her chest tight with pain.
The maids, seeing her awaken, were overjoyed but uneasy. They hurried to help her sit, yet their expressions were hesitant, fearful.
"…Did something happen last night?" she asked weakly, though her gaze remained steady.
The maids looked at one another.
At last, one lowered her head and answered in a small voice:
"Holy Maiden… His Highness the Crown Prince entered your chamber last night. This morning, the Hall of Ten Thousand Scales is in uproar. The ministers accuse you of immorality. But His Highness has taken all responsibility upon himself. He declared that everything was of his own doing, and that none of it concerned you."
Mu Yunzhao froze.
Her fingers trembled faintly.
"...Achun..."
Her voice broke under the weight of pain and regret.
She closed her eyes, and it felt as though she could still hear his voice from the night before—still feel the warmth of that kiss.
He had protected her honor with his own reputation, knowing full well she could never return what he gave.
"Why… why must you be so foolish…"
Tears slid down her cheeks.
One of the maids, eyes red, whispered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is sincere…"
Mu Yunzhao shook her head slowly.
"And that is exactly why it hurts the most."
Her hand rose to press against her chest. Her breathing trembled.
All the accusations, all the misunderstanding, all the filth cast toward her—
he had borne them for her.
And because of that, her guilt only deepened.
"If there is another life…" she whispered into the emptiness,
"Achun… may I never owe you this much again."
The Emperor's Judgment
For many days, rumors churned through the palace like poison.
"The Crown Prince is obsessed with the Holy Maiden."
"The Holy Maiden entangles herself between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince."
Censors submitted memorial after memorial. Ministers argued endlessly in the Hall of Ten Thousand Scales.
One faction condemned the Crown Prince.
Another suspected the Holy Maiden.
The more neutral among them feared something else entirely:
If the Heaven-appointed Holy Maiden and the imperial bloodline were both stained by scandal, the very heart of Yao's legitimacy would begin to crack.
At last, Emperor Si Jian understood—
If he did not act, imperial authority itself would erode.
No matter how precious the son, no matter how beloved the woman—
the throne stood above all.
Three great drumbeats sounded.
In the Hall of Ten Thousand Scales, the Emperor rose.
His voice came down like iron.
"Crown Prince Si Chengxun, for conduct unbecoming and a violation of royal dignity, is hereby stripped of the title of Crown Prince."
"The Second Prince, Si Chengjing, shall henceforth be installed as Crown Prince."
"And Holy Maiden Mu Yunzhao—her virtue now in question, her conduct no longer fit to bear Heaven's mandate—is from this day forward stripped of the title of Holy Maiden and confined to the Black Yao Prison. She shall not leave it again."
The decree fell like thunder.
The Emperor had deposed the elder and raised the younger.
The ministers bent their knees as one and cried:
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
Standing among the flood of congratulations, Si Chengjing lowered his eyes.
Inside his sleeve, his fingers trembled.
Yes—he had finally gotten what he wanted.
He had become the sole heir.
And yet all joy was crushed beneath one truth:
Mu Yunzhao was now imprisoned in the Black Yao Prison.
The darkest dungeon in Yaodu.
A prison built for those tied to celestial secrets and the deepest crimes of the royal house.
Its chains locked the soul.
Its runes sealed spiritual force.
No one was permitted inside.
Not even he, though now Crown Prince, could reach her.
At night he lay awake, turning restlessly.
He could not forget the image of her being taken away—pale, silent, still.
He wanted to go to her.
Wanted to save her.
But he knew that if he acted recklessly now, he would lose everything.
"Yunzhao…"
In the dark he whispered her name over and over, while guilt tore through his chest like blades.
"If I had only been stronger… could I have protected you?"
But Heaven gave no answer.
Not long after, Emperor Si Jian died suddenly.
The ministers moved. The court shifted. Power settled where it must.
And Crown Prince Si Chengjing ascended the throne.
The bells rang. The people knelt. He put on the imperial robes at last.
He held in his hands the power he had pursued for so long.
And yet—
he could no longer hold her hand.
Because Mu Yunzhao was still alone inside the Black Yao Prison.
He had become Emperor of Yao.
But on the very day he gained the world,
his heart became an empty city.
He had won everything.
And lost the one person he loved most.
The Exiled Crown Prince
After his title was stripped away, Si Chengxun was still a prince in name—
but he no longer held any real power.
The court no longer listened to him.
The palace no longer bowed before him as Crown Prince.
He still lived in the Eastern Palace, but it was nothing more than an empty title now.
Every day, he heard that Mu Yunzhao remained imprisoned in the Black Yao Prison.
He requested an audience with the Emperor—denied.
He tried to bribe the guards—cut off at once.
Though he was still of imperial blood, he could not take a single step past the prison gates.
Night after night, he stood beneath the palace walls, staring toward the direction of the Black Yao Prison.
He wanted to save her.
But he could do nothing.
That helplessness hurt him more than losing the title of Crown Prince ever had.
"Yunzhao…"
His voice was rough and broken.
"I have already lost everything.
And still… I cannot save you."
In the end, his heart grew cold.
One dawn, he removed his court robes and dressed himself in plain garments.
He took no attendants. No escort.
Alone, he rode out of the Eastern Palace.
The city gates opened. Morning light spread across the horizon.
Mounted on horseback, he rode forward, his figure solitary and final, disappearing gradually into the open wilderness.
From that day on—
there was no longer any Great Prince Si Chengxun in the capital.