Xuan Yu saw Ye Ling retract his killing intent and breathed a slight sigh of relief. She then said, "I am not from the Shadow Hall. I went to great lengths to descend to Earth to collect my father's inheritance and help this universe resist the invasion from beyond the domain."
"Your father's inheritance?" Ye Ling raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is that?"
Xuan Yu replied, "It's what you call the Creation God's inheritance. A portion of it was left by my father."
Upon hearing Xuan Yu's words, Ye Ling's pupils contracted sharply. He exclaimed in shock, "You mean your father is a Creation God?"
Tian Ling, standing beside him, also looked disbelieving. She questioned, "That's impossible? How long have the Creation Gods been in seclusion? How can you be the daughter of a Creation God?"
Tian Ling couldn't fathom how long Xuan Yu had lived if what she said was true.
Seeing the doubtful expressions on Ye Ling and Tian Ling's faces, Xuan Yu shook her head and smiled. "I knew you would react like this. It's unlikely you'd believe me in such a short time, but I have no reason to lie. Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Ye Ling suppressed his shock and slowly regained his composure. He then said to Xuan Yu, "For now, I'll accept you as the daughter of a Creation God. Then answer me, how did you end up in this state? What happened to the Creation Gods of the past, and why did they go into seclusion? What is the situation with the cosmic barrier and the outer domain?"
Xuan Yu said, "Slow down. Ask one question at a time. I don't have two mouths."
Ye Ling replied, "Alright, take your time and tell me at your own pace."
Seeing Ye Ling and Tian Ling quiet down, Xuan Yu sighed slightly. "Since you've reached the Supreme level, it's time to tell you some secrets. Not many people in the outer domain even know about these matters."
"A long time ago, there was no distinction between the universe and the outer domain. At that time, there was only the Void Realm, which nurtured chaos and represented disorder, and the Universe, which nurtured the Great Dao and represented order. The Void Realm was boundless, encompassing infinite universes."
"The universe we are in is the Nine Heavens Realm."
Ye Ling stated, "I am already clear about the Nine Heavens Realm. This universe was also reshaped by the Creation Gods, wasn't it? I'm more interested in what happened to the Creation Gods. Weren't they the strongest? Why did they go into seclusion?"
Xuan Yu explained, "They were indeed the strongest. My father was the strongest among the three Creation Gods at that time. The third strongest Creation God was my aunt. There was no one in the world who could threaten them."
Ye Ling inquired, "Then who was the second strongest Creation God?"
Xuan Yu replied, "He was my father's arch-nemesis, but also my aunt's master."
Ye Ling quipped, "So the Creation Gods were all part of your extended family. Your relationships are quite complicated."
Xuan Yu gave a wry smile. "The relationships were indeed quite complicated. For a long time, I didn't quite understand their relationships."
"Although my father's arch-nemesis often caused trouble to get my father's attention, my father always suppressed him. Coupled with my aunt's mediation, the various universes remained peaceful, and the Void Realm and the Universe enjoyed a long period of peace."
Ye Ling then asked, "How did it evolve into the current situation?"
Currently, only one of the three thousand universes remained. The outer domain was watching covetously, and the surviving universe was in peril. A great war was imminent. There was no sign of peace anywhere.
As Ye Ling brought up this matter, Xuan Yu sighed heavily. "One day, my aunt disappeared. It was precisely because of my aunt's disappearance that this catastrophe arrived."
Ye Ling's brow furrowed slightly. "What exactly happened?"
Xuan Yu explained, "My aunt was the crucial force that balanced my father and his arch-nemesis. It was because of my aunt's existence that my father and his arch-nemesis never truly went all out."
"Although my aunt was the third strongest Creation God, in reality, there was a huge gap in strength between her and the top two. She couldn't withstand a single move from my father or his arch-nemesis!"
"Even with my aunt in such a state, other beings in the universe and the Void Realm were as insignificant as dust before those two. They could decide the life or death of billions of beings in the blink of an eye."
"These two supreme powerhouses, because of my aunt's disappearance, went all out. They fought fiercely, to the point where even space-time shattered, the past and future became chaotic, and the world was completely thrown into disarray?"
Ye Ling stated solemnly, "So, the current state of the universe is because of their battle?"
Xuan Yu shook her head. "No... No matter how fierce their battle was, or after the victor was decided, restoring space-time to its original state was as simple as raising a hand. The shattering of space-time was nothing."
"The key is that during their battle, a dark power, originating from an unknown source, quietly emerged. They took advantage of my father and his arch-nemesis being severely injured to seal them and drag them into an unknown space."
"At the critical moment, my father realized the plot of those people. Before he was sealed, he placed the cosmic barrier on this universe and, in conjunction with his arch-nemesis, scattered their inheritances throughout the universe, leaving behind a sliver of hope for all living beings."
Ye Ling frowned. "So, from that moment on, all three Creation Gods disappeared, the universe completely collapsed, and it eventually evolved into what it is today?"
Xuan Yu nodded. "Yes, that's roughly it. I went through great lengths to break through the cosmic barrier and return, wanting to collect my father's inheritance and attempt to unseal those people, to bring my father and the others back."
Ye Ling then asked, "What exactly were those beings who sealed the Creation Gods?"
Xuan Yu shook her head and sighed. "I don't know either. When they sealed my father and the others, my father also dragged them into the seal. Now, the only ones plaguing the outer domain are some descendants who inherited a portion of the dark power, calling themselves the Remnant Evil Clan."
"The reason the forces in the outer domain are desperately trying to break through the cosmic barrier and seize the Creation Gods' inheritances is that these forces are secretly being manipulated by the Remnant Evil Clan. Their goal is to seize the inheritances, completely seal the Creation Gods, and simultaneously release their ancestors."
Tian Ling, standing nearby, interjected, "Senior Brother, I think I've also heard my master mention the Remnant Evil Clan. They are supreme taboos in the outer domain. Even the forces behind the Shadow Hall are merely servants of the Remnant Evil Clan."
"Looking at it this way, Sister Xuan Yu should not be lying to us. We can trust her."
"Hmm, the credibility is indeed high," Ye Ling replied to Tian Ling. He then confirmed with Xuan Yu, "You returned this time to collect the Creation Gods' inheritances, right?"
Xuan Yu stated, "That's right... Although the cosmic barrier is still very strong now, it will eventually break. To completely solve this problem, we need to release my father and the others."
Ye Ling said, "The Shadow Hall is also doing this. With your current cultivation, you cannot achieve this alone. Therefore, I can help you in collecting the inheritances, but I have one condition."
Xuan Yu asked, "What condition?"
Ye Ling replied, "The Creation Gods' inheritances must be absorbed by me alone."
Xuan Yu was taken aback, then smiled. "No problem. That was my intention from the beginning. After all, you have already obtained quite a bit of inheritance. Concentrating all the power into one person is the best strategy to counter the Remnant Evil Clan. Moreover, I am only a divine sense and cannot absorb those powers."
With that said, Xuan Yu smiled and extended her hand to Ye Ling, asking, "So, are we considered to be cooperating?"
Ye Ling clasped Xuan Yu's hand. "Pleasure cooperating with you."
The sun began to set, casting long shadows of Ye Ling and Xuan Yu.
As the two reached an agreement, Ye Ling looked towards the heavens again, his gaze becoming profound. He thought to himself, "Remnant Evil Clan..."
This was the first time he had learned the true name of the enemy he was facing.