“I am you.”
Before Su Xiahei could react, the white-robed man’s phantom continued.
“I am Zhou Xuan, also Su Xiahei, and foremost among Qing Emperor’s top generals, from the future.”
“Don’t be so quick to interrupt me. First, listen to a story.”
“This story begins in a time of utter despair…”
……
I was born into a desperate era.
An era where the legacy of cultivators was fragile, the path to Dao seemingly hopeless, an era when the Five Domains and Two Heavens’ immortal paths were turned into nothing more than breeding grounds—an era ruled solely by that Demon Lord.
Above, the Celestial Demon Profound Mirror surveilled ten thousand cultivators; below, the Demon Refining Cauldron consumed all things as fodder. Every living being, mortal or cultivator, beast or ghost, from birth to death, was predetermined.
Neither soul nor flesh, neither will nor emotion escaped being nourishment for the Demon Lord’s advance.
At ten years old, I was tested with first-rate aptitude: a sword heart clear as crystal, a Dao body so bright that in the immortal heyday I would have been snatched up as a disciple by every major sword sect.
But in this era, things were different. The [Divine Emperor Soldier] who tested me only gave a faint “hmm,” then handed me a cultivation manual and told me to train diligently.
I didn’t understand the coldness in his expression, as if I were nothing more than an item with a price tag.
Yet I was happy, because my parents were happy—every month, [Divine Emperor Soldiers] delivered beef, mutton, and milk.
Gradually, I began to cultivate. Immortal cultivation was dull and tedious, but for some reason, I found joy in it.
However, every time I cultivated, it felt like a barrier shrouded the world; the gains I earned never fully belonged to me.
Almost half of my cultivation seemed to vanish somewhere unknown.
After some time, as I worked harder, one day it was as if I suddenly broke through a membrane—I felt younger, my power surged.
Out of curiosity, I asked the [Divine Emperor Soldiers], but they gave no answers.
Time passed—sun rose and fell, moon waned and waxed—my parents aged and died suddenly, as if fate had decided it that day without warning.
With a gust of wind, they turned to dust, scattered into the heavens and earth.
By chance, I overheard two [Divine Emperor Soldiers] talking; their souls, flesh, and will seemed tied to something called the Earth Emperor Cauldron.
I didn’t understand, so I kept cultivating.
I thought my life would pass quietly like this, until that person appeared.
He killed the [Divine Emperor Soldiers] and took several village children like me who could cultivate.
He brought us to a place filled with many like us and began teaching us.
Slowly, I learned that what I was doing was called Foundation Establishment, granting a lifespan of two hundred years; I learned cultivation wasn’t just about longevity, but wielding the vibrant spiritual powers—controlling fire, water, even flying on swords.
I realized how vast the Five Domains and Two Heavens truly were, and how foolish and naive I once was…
The Ten Thousand Souls Banner, the Demon Refining Cauldron, the Celestial Demon Profound Mirror.
And above the sky, countless golden lines densely woven, covering the Five Domains and Heavens—the [Celestial Demon Soul Sealing Formation].
By the way, the person who took us called himself Mister Bai. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but he often brought more children back.
Mister Bai was the kindest man in the world, the greatest healer, the most handsome man!
Mister Bai spoke with the gentlest voice!
Mister Bai was the world’s best cook!
He was also the smartest man alive!
We all respected him deeply.
Later, Mister Bai led us across the Five Domains. Many companions died along the way, while new ones joined. We met many others—demon cultivators, wandering cultivators, righteous path cultivators, water tribes, sole heirs of families, sect disciples, blood-bound rivals… from all over the world, the Five Domains and Two Heavens, countless people.
Mister Bai gathered us and formed an organization called [Mieyang]. Only then did we understand who our enemy was.
The Eternal Demon Calamity, the End of Annihilation, the Azure Sun Demon Lord, the Qing Emperor—
Su Bai.
A peerless evil demon who severed the immortal path of all living beings with a single hand, turning the Five Domains and Two Heavens into his breeding ground, usurping the heavens’ power through formations.
Oh, right—I’m Gu Wanqing.
A name Mister Bai gave me, meaning to support the crumbling mansion, to save the raging tide from collapse.
“Brother Gu, Brother Gu, wake up, wake up!”
Gu Wanqing was pulled back to reality by urgent calls amid his daze.
He struggled to open his eyes. In front of him was Luo Tianyin, dressed in palace attire, her face as pale as paper, gravely injured.
The two were inside a pitch-black cave, surrounded by hidden spiritual formations designed to block aura detection and divination. Scattered on the ground were empty pill bottles and jade vials.
“Tianyin, Wu Ji and Jiang Nishang… how are they?” Gu Wanqing’s throat was dry and hoarse like an old bellows as he spoke.
“I contacted them with secret techniques; none were captured by that demon,” Luo Tianyin coughed violently, blood trickling from her mouth. Her gaze fell to the heavily wounded man on the ground.
“Brother Gu, we lost. That demon…”
“We did not lose.” Gu Wanqing coughed lightly, exhaustion in his eyes, yet a flicker of light remained.
“This assassination was always a trial. When Mister Bai sent us back to the ‘past,’ he told me small events can change, but the overall tide cannot.”
“This time I acted alone. Next, we follow the original plan. Everyone lay low, gather strength, and face that demon again in the future.”
……
The Human Emperor Banner, the Earth Emperor Cauldron, the Celestial Emperor Divine Mirror.
[Celestial Emperor Soul Sealing Formation]
After hearing the soul spirit describe that world-shattering, despairing future, whether true or not, Su Xiahei’s first thought was:
Is my master really this powerful??
Single-handedly turning the Five Domains and Two Heavens into a breeding ground, countless resistance factions whispered the same phrase—
The immortal path is forbidden, for the Azure Sun Heavenly Venerable stands above all.
“Human desires are like stones rolling down a mountain—once started, they never stop.” Seeing Su Xiahei’s disbelief, the soul spirit explained with a bitter smile.
“This is what my master always says, perfectly matching his ever-growing desires. From Golden Core to Nascent Soul, from Nascent Soul to Transforming Spirit, and beyond Transforming Spirit, yearning for Dao unification and immortality.”
“I know you don’t trust me yet, so I’ll just ask one question.”
The soul spirit spoke, and Su Xiahei’s expression shifted.
“If one day, your master stands against the Five Domains and Two Heavens, would you kill her?”