Chapter 1

"Demon Emperor, the Princess Consort has been hung at the city gate for seven days."
"Has she agreed to give her heart to Yinyue yet?"
"The Princess...miscarried on the fourth day. Afterward, she jumped from the Zhu Xian Terrace. She's most likely dead."
Luo Han stared at these words blankly for a long time before muttering numbly, "This…is the book I transmigrated into?"
Across from her stood a bodhi tree as ancient as the heavens, a black tortoise whose age was unfathomable, and a group of venerable ancestors, all gazing at Luo Han with kindly expressions.
"You could indeed interpret your situation as having transmigrated into a book," they told her gently.
Frantically flipping through the remaining pages, Luo Han rapidly skimmed through the entire story, her internal breakdown deepening. "But there's no mention of my name anywhere—I’m not a villainess, not a cannon fodder, not even a minor character. Why on earth was I dragged into this book?"
Just moments earlier, Luo Han had been an ordinary university student. She'd recently passed her college entrance exams and, guided by her teachers, enrolled in her dream major—Law. If not for this sudden and bizarre event, she'd be peacefully sitting at her dormitory desk, preparing for tomorrow's final exam.
Who could’ve known that after simply dozing off briefly, she’d wake up to see all sorts of impossible creatures and supernatural beings surrounding her?
Even more terrifyingly, the enormous talking tree before her handed her a novel. Green specks of light gathered from its branches, coalescing in front of her. She braced herself, took the offered book, and immediately read that absurd conversation just now.
Luo Han discreetly pinched herself, despair flooding in as the sharp sting reminded her vividly—this was real. She could even sense the breeze brushing gently against her fingertips. There was no escaping it; she’d genuinely transmigrated.
Worse yet, she’d transmigrated into a ridiculous, melodramatic xianxia novel full of tragic lovers carving out their hearts, sacrificing their souls, and willingly plunging the world into destruction for twisted love.
Forcing down her nausea, Luo Han quickly finished skimming the book, grasping the basic plotline: it revolved around Yun Menghan, a sentient immortal herb who transformed into a girl. During cultivation, Yun Menghan met two princes of the Canglong dragon clan—older brother Ling Zhongyu and younger brother Ling Qingxiao. Both brothers fell madly in love with Yun Menghan, eventually fighting bitterly over her. The older brother, Ling Zhongyu, later descended into the Demon Realm, becoming the infamous Demon Emperor Ye Zhongyu, while the younger brother, Ling Qingxiao, conquered the Heavenly Realm’s dragons, ascending as the Celestial Emperor.
Both the rulers of Heaven and Hell refused to relinquish their obsession over the same woman. Numerous others—demon kings, secluded shamans, and phoenix princes alike—all longed desperately for Yun Menghan, waging bloody wars just to claim her. Yet Yun Menghan devoted herself exclusively to the wicked Ye Zhongyu, willingly enduring heart-rending torment.
Yun Menghan’s suffering ignited fury among the other admirers, notably Ling Qingxiao, who was most relentless. Born from the union between the noble Canglong and Yinglong dragon clans, Ling Qingxiao was of distinguished lineage but lived a childhood steeped in tragedy.
Originally the legitimate heir whose birth sparked miraculous phenomena, Ling Qingxiao was cruelly swapped at birth with a sickly illegitimate child, doomed to grow up despised and mistreated.
His father pitied the frail illegitimate child, fearing he wouldn’t survive under his jealous main wife. In secret, he switched the two children shortly after their births.
That illegitimate child was none other than the male protagonist, Ye Zhongyu—originally known as Ling Zhongyu, the esteemed young master of the Zhongshan dragon clan, revered by all. The child who had his fate cruelly swapped was Ling Qingxiao.
After the exchange, Ling Qingxiao became the illegitimate child, an eyesore loathed by the clan's main wife, Su Yifang. Unaware that the supposed "illegitimate child" was actually her true-born son, Su Yifang, a woman of noble birth but cruel temperament, relentlessly tormented Ling Qingxiao. Every month, she would drain his blood to prepare medicinal baths to strengthen the frail Ling Zhongyu. Eventually, their father brought Ling Zhongyu's biological mother, Bai Lingluan, into the household as a concubine. By this time, more than a decade had passed since the swap. Their father, unwilling to risk exposure or offend Su Yifang's powerful family, decided to uphold the deception. He let Bai Lingluan claim Ling Qingxiao as her child, while Ling Zhongyu continued his pampered existence as the main wife's legitimate son.
Ling Qingxiao, unaware of the truth, genuinely believed Bai Lingluan was his mother. Bai Lingluan, however, knew everything. She saw her real son flourishing under the main wife's love, while Su Yifang unknowingly abused her own flesh and blood. Twisted by resentment, Bai Lingluan treated Ling Qingxiao cruelly, swinging unpredictably between indifference and abuse. Ling Qingxiao, assuming he simply wasn't good enough, redoubled his efforts in cultivation, desperate to win his mother's affection.
Yet, no matter how hard he tried, all he received was cold disdain. Abused by his adoptive mother, despised by his birth mother, Ling Qingxiao gradually withdrew into himself. He became distant and unfeeling, consumed solely by cultivation. Eventually, he forgot how to smile altogether.
Had that been the extent of his suffering, perhaps he could have endured it. But fate refused to let him off so easily.
By three hundred, Ling Qingxiao had reached immortality. By one thousand, he ascended to become a Celestial Immortal—a speed unprecedented in the cultivation world. Su Yifang, consumed by jealousy, threatened Bai Lingluan’s life to force Ling Qingxiao to surrender his dragon core, the essence of a dragon’s life force. Without hesitation, Ling Qingxiao sacrificed his core to save his birth mother. But Bai Lingluan only watched with secret satisfaction, delighted to see her tormentors destroy each other.
With Ling Qingxiao's dragon core, Ling Zhongyu finally overcame his cultivation bottleneck, ascending swiftly to Celestial Immortal status. Su Yifang hid Ling Qingxiao’s breakthrough, presenting Zhongyu to the world as a cultivation genius. During Zhongyu's grand celebration, the heavens suddenly rumbled—divine lightning descended upon them.
Such lightning wasn’t uncommon; everyone aiming for ascension had to endure lightning tribulations. But upon closer inspection, the onlookers gasped—it was a Demon-Slaying Heavenly Lightning.
This was impossible. Su Yifang belonged to the noble Yinglong lineage, and their father was a pureblooded Canglong dragon. How could their son have demon blood? Among those present, only Bai Lingluan carried mixed celestial-demonic heritage.
The cruel truth emerged abruptly: Ling Zhongyu was never Su Yifang’s child. Instead, Ling Qingxiao—the boy she'd relentlessly tortured—was her true son.
Before anyone could react, the first bolt of Demon-Slaying Lightning fell. Ling Zhongyu possessed Ling Qingxiao’s dragon core, causing the lightning to mistakenly identify both of them as demons. As lightning descended, Su Yifang and Bai Lingluan both rushed to shield Ling Zhongyu, while Ling Qingxiao stood alone, abandoned by all, enduring forty-nine bolts of lightning by sheer force of will.
In his darkest hour, his father, birth mother, adoptive mother, uncle, cousin—even Yun Menghan, the junior sister he'd protected devotedly for seven hundred years—all chose Ling Zhongyu. Before the final, most devastating bolt fell, the heavenly tribulation, unable to distinguish clearly between the two, transferred judgment to Yun Menghan, the only divine spirit present.
Without hesitation, Yun Menghan pointed at Ling Qingxiao.
The heavens unleashed their wrath, the devastating final lightning strike destroying half of Zhongshan. Ling Qingxiao plunged into the Abyss of Absolute Spirits, a wasteland rumored to be the burial ground of fallen gods, devoid of all life.
But Ling Qingxiao clawed his way out from that deathtrap, returning blackened by vengeance. His singular obsession became destroying Ye Zhongyu. Yet each time Yun Menghan was hurt by the male lead, she would flee back to Ling Qingxiao, who dutifully healed her injuries. Once recovered, she’d inevitably run back to Ye Zhongyu again. This cruel cycle drove Ling Qingxiao mad.
He no longer cared about reclaiming Yun Menghan, nor about the Great Dao—only his burning desire to kill Ye Zhongyu remained.
In his madness, Ling Qingxiao crushed all opposition, single-handedly forcing the male lead, female lead, and all secondary male characters into an alliance against him. Even united, they couldn't defeat him. Desperate, Ye Zhongyu and Yun Menghan resorted to a forbidden ancient ritual, defying heavenly decrees.
When the forbidden spell was cast, the heavens shook, threatening all creation. Yet even amidst such chaos, the war raged on, and the world teetered on the brink of annihilation.
After Luo Han finished quickly scanning the novel and found no trace of her name, dread filled her heart. "Could it be I'm just one of countless casualties?"
Then why had she even transmigrated? It’d be quicker to end herself right now—at least she’d die on her own terms.
The oldest and most venerable Bodhi tree spoke gently: "You exist beyond the Six Realms, untouched by reincarnation. Naturally, your name doesn't appear in that book."
Exasperated, Luo Han sighed, "Are you sure you summoned the right person? I’m irrelevant to this story. Even if I transmigrate, what good could I possibly do? Great immortals, why don't you send me back—I have an exam to study for."
The venerable beings—ancient ancestors all—shook their heads, chuckling warmly at her words. The enormous black tortoise spoke leisurely, "We haven't mistaken you. Ling Qingxiao persists in waging war, and Ye Zhongyu and Yun Menghan responded by unleashing forbidden magic. The ensuing catastrophe woke us from our slumber, but it's already too late. No one outside is willing to stop. With no other option, we've rashly summoned you—the Heavenly Dao itself—to return, take your rightful place, and restore order to this chaotic world."
As the Black Tortoise finished speaking, the other ancient ancestors slowly bowed their heads, pleading in unison, "We beseech the Heavenly Dao to take control and save this world, so millions of innocent lives won't perish in the flames of war."
Luo Han raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Wait, this 'Heavenly Dao' you speak of...Are you talking about me?"
"Indeed," the ancient Bodhi tree replied in its ever-unhurried voice. With a gentle sweep of its branches, an image suddenly unfolded before Luo Han’s eyes: mountains collapsing, seas overflowing, floods and fires raging uncontrollably. The scene shifted to a battlefield high among the clouds, millions of warriors locked in combat, immortal weapons and spells clashing violently mid-air. On the trembling ground below, a beam of dark energy shot through the sky, piercing deep into the heavens.
An ominous suspicion took root in Luo Han’s mind. "Could this actually be—"
"Yes, this is the real scene outside right now. Here is merely a protective barrier we've created together to summon you, Heavenly Dao."
Luo Han glanced around. Indeed, this space was enveloped in a faint green glow, but upon closer inspection, she noticed that its boundaries were forcibly torn open. She didn’t know whether to marvel at having lived eighteen perfectly ordinary years only to suddenly find out she was literally Heaven itself, or despair at the crazed battles outside, devastating the very world she supposedly governed.
After processing this revelation, Luo Han hesitantly said, "But I’m just an ordinary girl—I never skipped classes, always did my homework, never dated early, and always respected my parents and teachers…"
The Bodhi tree rustled its leaves, interrupting gently, "You were born of Heaven and Earth, without parents."
"But my mom and dad—"
"They’re manifestations of another world's Heavenly Dao. Or rather, a single Heavenly Dao manifesting as your human parents to ensure your safe growth. When your consciousness first emerged, you were too fragile, so we entrusted you to the mature Heavenly Dao of another realm. He raised you as a human, teaching you how to fulfill your role. Time flows differently between worlds; we intended you to study there for thousands of years before recalling you. Unfortunately, we ran out of time."
Luo Han stared blankly, utterly stunned. Finding out she wasn't human was shocking enough, but discovering her parents weren’t human either—weren’t even two separate people but a single divine being—left her speechless.
Eventually, she found her voice again, whispering, "Then...what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Welcome back, Heavenly Dao," the Bodhi tree said warmly, bowing its branches gently, showering Luo Han in a rain of fluttering leaves. With a kindly, grandfatherly tone, it continued, "Now please, Heavenly Dao, go forth and save this world."
Luo Han slowly raised a hand, drawing an incredulous question mark in midair. "?"
Yet what terrified her most was that no one else present seemed to find anything strange about this request. Panic rose inside Luo Han as she protested, "Just a short while ago, I was literally taking my finals, and now you’re asking me to save the world? How exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"It’s quite simple: stop Ling Qingxiao. If he abandons his war against the Demon Realm, Ye Zhongyu and Yun Menghan won’t be forced to use forbidden magic, and none of these calamities will come to pass…" Before the Bodhi tree could finish, the barrier suddenly shook violently. Luo Han felt the ground beneath her feet quake, almost knocking her down.
Everyone scrambled to steady themselves. The barrier had visibly shrunk, its gentle glow fading rapidly. Sending a leaf out to check the situation, the Bodhi tree’s voice lost its calm demeanor for the first time. "Not good. Ling Qingxiao has already made his move! Ye Zhongyu is unleashing the forbidden ritual right now—we’re out of time! Quickly, send her back through time!"
At the Bodhi tree's urgent command, the ancient beings swiftly released their powers, surrounding Luo Han with layers of gentle yet brilliant light. Luo Han shouted frantically, "Wait, can someone at least tell me clearly what I need to do first? Why am I the one going?!"
"You are the incarnation of Heavenly Dao. Existing beyond the Six Realms, unbound by reincarnation, you alone can transcend the laws of time and space freely. None of us, nor any mortal being, can travel back through time—only you can. But opening a temporal vortex consumes immense spiritual energy. We’re pooling all our strength right now to send you back. Remember, Heavenly Dao: if this world is destroyed, not only will all its beings perish, but you, born from Heaven and Earth’s consciousness, will vanish alongside them. You thrive with creation, and fall with its destruction."
"This journey is your only chance—we won't have the strength to open another vortex. Whatever it takes, you must stop Ling Qingxiao."
Before Luo Han could even respond, overwhelming spiritual energy surged around her, pushing her into the temporal vortex. Right before it closed, she caught one final glimpse: the barrier shattered, revealing a ruined land filled with devastation. Amid the gray and cloudy sky stood a lone figure far away atop the clouds. Though too distant to make out clearly, she saw him point his sword downward, instantly carving a massive crack through the earth, cleaving even distant mountains in two.
As if sensing her gaze, he turned to look directly at Luo Han. In that moment, everything fell silent; heaven and earth seemed to freeze.