Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

When Long Chen turned back, the world around him changed. Yue Xiaoqian and the others were gone.

He now stood atop a tranquil lake, its surface as smooth as glass. Above stretched a blue sky dotted with white clouds, yet they were mirrored perfectly below, making it impossible to tell which was the reflection and the real world.

Long Chen couldn’t even discern whether he stood upright or upside down. Oddly, the disorientation didn’t unsettle him. The stillness of this world made him feel calm.

As Long Chen turned back again, a beautiful maiden stood before him, watching him with delight. She appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, her eyes shimmering as if they contained the spirituality of the very world. Her joy was so pure that Long Chen couldn’t help but feel it too.

“Senior, you...” Long Chen started, cupping his fists.

The maiden giggled and brushed his hand away. “Aiya, what’s with that ‘senior’? You make me sound old. Let me take a good look at the legendary Son of Prophecy. Wow, you’re handsome!”

“Senior...” Long Chen tried again, awkwardly.

“Aiya, my name is Mixi Niya. You can call me Niya,” the maiden interrupted.

She seemed very curious about Long Chen and examined him from head to toe.

“Mixi Niya? Then who is Mixi Haweiya to you?” Long Chen asked suddenly, recalling that name from the mortal world.

It had been a secret code used by the original devil race. Long Chen had asked about its meaning, but Yue Xiaoqian had refused to explain it.

“That was the first-generation Heavenly Sovereign of the original devil race,” Niya said, smiling wistfully. “She’s my mother, and I am her youngest daughter. This year—aiya, I should say I was seventeen when I died. Hehe, I guess that means I’ll never grow old.”

Although Niya was laughing, Long Chen felt a pang in his chest.

The daughter of a Heavenly Sovereign was dead at seventeen on the battlefield? So, even a being of such power couldn’t protect her own child...

Long Chen stared at this seemingly naive and lively maiden and almost choked up. A tear almost rolled down his face.

The original devil race had given everything for the nine heavens, yet what did they receive in return?

Seeing his sorrow, Niya reached up to cup his cheek and whispered, “Hey, Son of Prophecy, don’t feel bad. I’m happy. I’ve waited here for so many years, but now, you are finally here. My mission is complete.”

Her expression brightened again, and she skipped lightly across the lake.

She said, “I’ve been trapped here for countless years, but now I’m free!”

All of a sudden, she stopped and grabbed Long Chen’s hand, clapping her forehead.

“Aiya, I’m not doing what I’m supposed to! I haven’t even asked what your name is...”

“I am Long Chen,” Long Chen answered obediently.

“Long Chen,” she repeated thoughtfully. “Well, as I said, I’m Mixi Niya. Does it sound odd to you? It came from the ancient language of the devil race. You could say Mixi is our surname, which means slaughter and destruction. Hehe, don’t look so shocked! The original devil race was once part of the outsider devil races. We used to be enemies of the nine heavens.”

This time, Long Chen was truly stunned.

Niya laughed teasingly. “I know what you’re thinking. According to my mother, we were tricked into coming here. She never told me how, only that we were pawns in a greater scheme. Our people possess powerful supportive abilities—we can heal and strengthen fellow devils. When we first arrived in the nine heavens, we thought we were fighting evil monsters. But soon, we realized we were the monsters.

“After discovering the truth, my mother led our entire race off the battlefield, hoping to return to our world. But once we entered the nine heavens, we were trapped. Since we refused to fight, we were hunted down by our former allies. It was the Star Master who saved us. He seized the fortune of the heavens and used supreme Dao power to transform our devil rune into the Devil Suppressing Divine Rune. Simply put, he forced the nine heavens to give us their blessing. From that moment, we became a member of the nine heavens...”

Long Chen suddenly recalled a scene—someone drawing a rune on a woman’s forehead.𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Could that have been the Star Master and the first Heavenly Sovereign of the original devil race?

Niya went on. “After that, our race continued to thrive. I once asked my mother why the Star Master called us the ‘original devil race.’ Doesn’t it sound strange? But she laughed and said the name didn’t come from him. It was bestowed by the nine heavens themselves, and it carried a deep meaning. Furthermore, since we were blessed by the Heavenly Daos, our cultivation path completely changed. Our Devil Supporting Rune became the Devil Suppressing Divine Rune, granting us power to counter all outsider devil races.”

“Wait,” Long Chen interrupted. “The Devil Suppressing Divine Rune only affects outsider devil races?”

According to his impression, all devils from the nine heavens were affected by their power.

“It did at first,” Niya said. “But many devil races of the nine heavens eventually joined them. Their faith in the outsider devil gods tainted them with foreign energy, making them targets as well. That wasn’t our doing—it was the will of the Heavenly Daos.”

“In other words,” Long Chen asked slowly, “the devil races your power suppresses are traitors of the nine heavens?”

Niya smiled faintly. “I can’t say that for certain. Our rune was blessed by the original Heavenly Daos. But the current Heavenly Daos... Hehe, I’ll let you decide what they are. Mother always said I talk too much, so this time I’ll stop myself.”

The original Heavenly Daos? The current Heavenly Daos?

Though she didn’t explain further, her words left Long Chen deeply unsettled. The Earth Cauldron had hinted at something similar once, though it was far more subtle.

“That’s right, you said I was the son of prophecy? What does that mean?” asked Long Chen hastily.

Niya blinked innocently. “Did I? I don’t remember.”

Then she waved her hand playfully. “Aiya, no more questions. I need to pass my remaining power to my people.”

She smiled at him and formed hand seals. Sacred light radiated from her body.

“Long Chen,” she said softly, “my mission is complete. I entrust the original devil race to you.”

As Niya started to fade, her sad gaze lingered on Long Chen. Biting her lip, she asked, “Long Chen... will I be able to see my mom?”

The question pierced his heart. The Heavenly Daos were no longer pure; the cycle of reincarnation had changed. Who would know the answer to that question?

Long Chen wished to comfort her, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie.

At some point, Niya started crying. Her tears caused ripples to appear on the lake. In truth, her playful demeanor was an act.

“I’m not afraid,” she said through trembling lips. “I’m the daughter of the original devil Great Sovereign, Mixi Haweiya. I’ll face everything bravely. I’ll complete my final mission...”

With her last breath, she gritted her teeth and formed one final hand seal. Countless runes burst from her body, and the entire world shattered.