Prologue

When chaos first parted and the primordial mist appeared, gods, mortals, demons, and monsters stood among the void. The Heavenly Emperor, whose power rivaled creation itself, shaped myriad beings, while the Azure Dragon transformed into a demon, binding the fates of both.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Wild Era, the God of War, Brahma Immortal, led eight hundred disciples of the Shrine of the Returning Ruins and, with great might, sealed the Demon Emperor, Reverse Zither, in the wilds of Cangwu.

In the thirty-sixth year, the Heavenly Emperor Lingxiao joined forces with Brahma Immortal once more, decisively vanquishing the Demon Saint, Cold Wall, at the Pimu Mounds. From then on, the realms of mortals, gods, demons, and monsters found peace, and all beings in the Great Wilderness flourished.

To prevent the resurgence of the demon and monster clans, the Heavenly Emperor transformed and journeyed to the Ancient Fiery Cavern of Southern Wilds. There, he gathered a thousand-year-old Red Lotus of Pure Flame for its spirit and used a piece of Primordial Jade from the Eastern Wilds as the catalyst, finally forging the eternal, peerless holy vessel capable of containing all things under heaven—the Demon-Transforming Vase. This artifact was placed within the Purple Firmament Palace, subduing evil from above and observing the mortal world below.

He then reforged the Celestial Sword with the Heaven-Mending Spirit Stone and the souls of the Eight Heavenly Dragons, crafting the Azure Dragon Sword, a blade capable of slaying gods and demons alike, thus balancing the power of the holy artifact.

Heaven’s order is eternal, life unceasing, the rise and fall of myriad things cycling endlessly. In the blink of an eye, seven thousand springs and autumns passed peacefully in the Wilds.

One day, the celestial general Long Chen and his companion Ziqing, guardians of the Purple Firmament Palace, were suddenly assassinated near a secluded hall, and the treasured Demon-Transforming Vase vanished without a trace.

In the Jade Vault Hall, the Heavenly Emperor Lingxiao sat solemnly upon the Nine-Dragon Throne, holding the daily court of gods, when suddenly a child disciple of the Way arrived, claiming heaven’s order had changed: evil demons would appear, rising by the transforming of demons and falling by the Azure Dragon.

Startled and furious, the Heavenly Emperor urgently dispatched two groups to investigate the movements of the demon and monster clans in the wilds of Cangwu and the Pimu Mounds. He also secretly sent trusted agents into the mortal Wilds to search for the lost Demon-Transforming Vase.

The Wilds, Eastward Mountain.

Green hills spanned the northern outskirts, white waters encircled the eastern city. Before one’s eyes, verdant peaks pierced the clouds, hundred-zhang ancient trees soared skyward through the woods, and at the southern end, a waterfall cascaded with arrow-like swiftness, the cries of apes echoing intermittently along the cliffs.

“Finally, I managed to escape!”

At the foot of Eastward Mountain, a youth in a white robe patted his chest, relief evident in his voice.

Having run at full speed just moments before, his handsome face was now covered in a fine sheen of sweat, and even his long lashes were damp, making his bright, star-like eyes appear even more profound.

Roar, roar...

Two shrill and urgent cries pierced the mountain air; at the same time, a ferocious tiger with wings on its shoulders leapt atop the peak, charging toward the foothills with astonishing speed.

As the cries rang out, the ancient trees in the forest began to tremble uncontrollably, and the youth’s face was soon filled with dread.

“Damn, it must be my master’s pet Qiongqi beast chasing me. I have to run, or I’ll be caught and locked up again!”

With that, the youth nimbly retrieved two meaty bones from his pack and flung them toward the southwestern hill, then, with a tap of his foot, shot off in the opposite direction like an arrow released from a bow.

After running nearly a hundred miles, the youth finally slowed his breakneck pace, found a smooth rock in a lush valley, and leaned against it, catching his breath.

“That nearly killed me.”

“Fortunately, the Qiongqi, though a fierce beast of ancient times, is terribly slow-witted. By now, it should be happily distracted by those tasty bones in the southwest. I’ll rest here a bit and then consider my journey to Boundless City.”

He reached a slender, pale hand into his pack and pulled out a simple, ancient-looking pale yellow scroll, carefully searching for the location of Boundless City.

Caw... caw, caw.

A piercing, eerie cry echoed from deep within the valley, its powerful resonance making the youth’s heart pound even at the entrance.

“That’s a strange sound. Could there be a spirit in the valley?”

The youth quickly stowed away his scroll, then scanned the valley with vigilant eyes before darting toward the sound like a sudden gust of wind.

“Wretch! If you know what’s good for you, get out of my way, or don’t blame me for destroying a millennium of your cultivation!”

A translucent pale green gown trailed across the ground, jet-black hair fell neatly to her waist, her figure was exquisitely graceful, and though she appeared only sixteen or seventeen, she stood in the heart of the secluded valley, her voice ringing with authority—a girl of remarkable beauty and spirit.

Caw, caw!

The sharp cry came again from the single-legged firebird’s beak, this time so close that the youth, hidden around the bend, felt his heart quiver at its force.

“Courting death!”

The green-robed girl’s expression did not falter. She flicked her slender hand through the air; instantly, a pale green, aura-shrouded flute appeared in her palm. With a swift leap, she shot toward the firebird like a phantom.

At three or five meters’ distance, the flute in her hand suddenly gleamed with a brilliant light. A biting chill swept forth, slashing at the firebird’s head with blinding speed.

Even before that chill touched the bird, nearby foliage was instantly frozen and withered, sending a shiver down even the hidden youth’s spine. He was deeply astonished.

This one-legged firebird, resembling both phoenix and luan, was clearly the infamous Bifang—a legendary fierce bird of the Wilds, said to be one of the Four Great Ancient Beasts. Its savagery was second to none, outstripping even the Qiongqi his master kept.

Whenever this bird appeared, fire and disaster followed; hence the saying among the clans: “When Bifang arrives, fire is sure to come.”

This extraordinary girl in green was equally astonishing. She seemed no older than sixteen or seventeen, petite and delicate, her features refined and otherworldly. Yet her movements were decisive and unflinching. Even facing such a vicious monster as Bifang, she was calm and pressed her attack with poise—truly a heroine as formidable as any man.

As the white-robed youth marveled, the battle’s course shifted.

The fierce Bifang shrieked, refusing to dodge, and spat a torrent of flame at the incoming chill, instantly erasing it in midair.

Then, with a beat of its blazing wings, it hovered high above the valley, shrieking as it unleashed a searing jet of fire from its slender yellow beak toward the girl in green.

Attack and defense happened in a flash—each move executed with fluid grace, the bird’s elegance almost mesmerizing.

But the youth knew well: such beautiful scenes often hid deadly danger, as his master often warned.

“Well done!”

The girl’s delicate brows arched in praise, yet her attack did not waver; she slashed the flute at a cunning angle, conjuring thousands of phantom flutes into a frigid, formidable barrier that blocked Bifang’s blazing fire five meters away.

Move for move, the two seemed evenly matched.

Watching the fight intensify, the youth’s respect for the girl grew. After all, Bifang was a beast on par with Qiongqi, and more dangerous still. Only an hour ago, he’d been running for his life from Qiongqi—if faced with Bifang, he doubted he’d survive even three moves.

Worry crept into his heart for the girl, and he began pondering how he might help her.

Boom!

A tremendous crash shook the valley, everything trembling under the force of their clash. Even rocks on the cliffs tumbled like rain.

One shimmering silver boulder landed right in front of the white-robed youth.

After the shock, the green-robed girl launched another fierce assault with her flute, her movements unpredictable and swift. Having tested her skills, Bifang was now familiar with her tactics and retaliated without hesitation, beating its fiery wings as it pressed forward.

In terms of strength, the girl was not inferior to Bifang. Given time, she might even win with her spirit flute.

But fate intervened. Just as the two were locked in battle, a violent north wind swept through the valley. The biting chill the girl commanded was weakened at once, while the sand and flying debris only fueled Bifang’s fire, giving it the upper hand.

The girl could easily have retreated unharmed, and Bifang would not risk pursuit when so evenly matched.

Yet, for reasons unknown, she stubbornly wielded her flute in the worsening gale, summoning layers of phantom flutes to shield her vital points—a desperate last stand.

“I have to help her!”

The youth rummaged through his pack for any artifact that might aid her. Alas, he had fled too hastily; save for a few life-saving elixirs stolen from his master, only the pale yellow “Baize’s Scroll of Spirits” counted as a treasure—but his master had never taught him to use it, leaving him helpless.

In his agitation, his gaze fell on the silver boulder before him.

No time to hesitate—he summoned all his strength to heave the stone at the hovering Bifang.

Weighing hundreds of pounds, the stone hurtled through the air, whistling as it sped to the bird’s flank. If all went well, the next instant would see Bifang crushed, if not dead then gravely injured.

Poor Bifang, wholly absorbed in its struggle with the girl, never expected a hidden assailant.

Its world-consuming flames were about to overcome the girl, but now it had no choice but to abandon the attack, turning midair to spit fire at the incoming boulder.

Boom!

As flame met stone, the entire valley shuddered. The stone’s outer layer was instantly reduced to ash, scattering in the wind.

From the heart of the stone came a soft hiss, and a dragon-carved ancient sword tumbled out, landing point-first in the earth before the youth.

The shock sent the boy sprawling, and the sword embedded itself three inches deep in the soil at his feet.