Prologue
At the heart of the Long Yue continent, in a primordial secret realm known as the Xian Xuan Secret Domain, atop a majestic and towering mountain range.
The night was dark as blood, a torrential rain poured down, and the sky was illuminated by flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder. Yet, the main peak of the sacred mountain of the Immortal Palace was a scene of a fiery hellscape, with corpses strewn everywhere.
At the summit of the mountain behind the main peak, on the cliff-top known as the "Forbidden Domain," two figures clashed fiercely in the downpour. In the thunderous night sky, lightning streaked across the earth from time to time, as if wailing for the two battling men.
One man held a long sword. He was burly with a resolute face, black hair, and white robes. His swordplay was exceptionally sharp. The other man had a head of flaming red hair, wore red garments, and wielded a curved, flame-shaped curved blade.
Both were clearly supreme masters. Without a word, they focused entirely on this fateful duel. Their movements were as swift as lightning, their swordplay as aggressive as a raging fire. The surrounding flowers, grass, and trees had long been reduced to ash.
After such an intense battle, both were heavily wounded. The black-haired man was gradually forced into a disadvantageous position. The red-haired man seemed to have descended into madness, his scattered red hair flickering like flames. The attacks from his flame-shaped sword were relentless like crashing waves, his entire body appearing to be enveloped in a vortex of intense, red flames despite the pouring rain.
BANG!
With a loud crash, their weapons collided. Closing the distance, they simultaneously thrust out their palms in a close-quarters strike. A shocking red light burst from the red-haired man's eyes, and a deafening roar erupted from his palm. The black-haired man's gaze froze for an instant before he cried out and was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing to the ground.
The black-haired man fell at the edge of the cliff, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood and gasping for breath. He was clearly unable to stand. Behind him was the sheer precipice. The red-haired man, sword in hand, advanced step by step. His face was cold, his eyes deep, his messy red hair fluttering in the wind and rain. His blood-soaked figure resembled a red-haired demon.
"Wuyuan! Do you know the consequences of your betrayal today? You turned against your master and ancestors! You have shattered the oath of our Seven Great Immortal Clans! Do you understand the consequences!?" The black-haired man gasped, clutching his painfully throbbing chest.
The red-haired man said nothing. Blood trickled down his flame-shaped sword as he said coldly, "Xiubo, since I chose to rebel, I have already considered everything. Things have come to this point. We fought a fair duel. Life and death are now up to fate."
The black-haired man knew his opponent's mind was made up, his decision final. He forced himself to his feet. Looking at the ghostly appearance of his former friend, memories flooded his mind. Overcome with sorrow, he couldn't help but shed tears, yet at the same time, he let out a heroic, hearty laugh.
The red-haired man stared at his opponent, who was now both crying and laughing, his gaze icy, without a hint of hesitation. He tightened his grip on his flame-shaped sword and suddenly lunged forward, his body a blur as he thrust the sword directly at his opponent.
The black-haired man raised his sword to block, channeling his sword's energy, but it was too late. The flame-shaped sword was driven deep into his chest. Fresh blood sprayed out violently, and his body was lifted into the air.
As the black-haired man was suspended into the air, the sheer cliff and a bottomless abyss loomed behind him. The red-haired man gave one last look at his fated opponent, then withdrew his sword. The black-haired man let out a piercing scream, a pillar of blood shooting from his chest as his body plummeted down the cliff.
A colossal bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the red-haired man's blood-covered face. Astonishingly, this lightning bolt struck the red-haired man directly. In an instant, thunder roared and sparks flew as blue electrical currents enveloped the red-haired man.
The red-haired man gritted his teeth and roared in fury, "Even if Heaven itself condemns me, I shall defy heavens itself!"
He then unleashed a torrent of flame-like energy from within, expanding his form and incrediblyz, dispersed the lightning. The ground where he stood was struck, creating a massive black crater.
To survive a direct strike from a thunderbolt... how terrifyingly profound had this man's power become?
He gazed at the cliff where the man had fallen, a hint of sorrow flickering in his eyes. But his expression quickly darkened, becoming like that of a demon in the night. He shook the blood from his sword and turned to descend from the peak.
The endless towering white palace pavilions nestled in the mountains were known as the "Immortal Palace," an ethereal abode surrounded by peaks and shrouded in mist. It should have been a place of elegant tranquility, filled with the sounds of celestial music.
But now, the clash of weapons and rivers of blood filled the air. Shouts, screams, and the sounds of fierce fighting rose and fell. Inside one of the palace chambers, a five-year-old boy was curled up behind a screen in his bedroom, trembling. His guards were locked in a fierce battle with the invading rebels outside. Horrific screams echoed from all directions, and splatters of blood and broken limbs were scattered everywhere. For the boy, who had always lived a life of luxury and comfort, his once warm home that had been like a fairyland, had now become a living hell.
Soon, his guards, outnumbered, were cut down. Men in black clothes knocked over the screen and burst into the inner chamber from the outer hall. Seeing the boy curled up on the bed, their faces twisted with malice.
"This is Mo Xiubo's only son! We must eliminate the root to prevent future trouble. Get him!"
The boy was paralyzed with terror, unable to move. He watched as three men in black pounced on him, brandishing their blood-stained swords, ready to slaughter him. The boy's eyes focused, and he saw that each of them had a mark like a red flame on the sash at their waist.
The boy couldn't even muster the instinct to cry for help. He just stared blankly at the approaching villains, frozen like a wooden chicken.
Suddenly, a graceful cry came from outside. A white figure enveloped in a blue light flashed into the doorway of the inner chamber. The three men in black turned to look, but the white figure was already upon them with blinding speed. The white figure moved like a dancing cloud, her black hair flying. The blue light flared, and a phantom wave of sword energy howled towards them. The three men in black were horrified and immediately raised their swords to block with all their might, but the sword energy was relentless. In an instant, it struck them at multiple vital points. Blood gushed from the three men, and they screamed miserably, instantly becoming corpses on the ground.
The boy opened his eyes and saw the three villains lying on the ground. As the blue light dissipated, a beautiful young woman in white stood in the chamber. She wore a long white robe, her skin like snow, her lips like red pearls. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful. Her jet-black hair cascaded like a waterfall over her delicate shoulders. She was tall, with a full chest, a slender waist, and long, graceful legs, truly a stunning and enchanting beauty.
But this beautiful woman's face was now covered in a sheen of sweat and looked weary. Her white dress was stained with blood. Her full, ample chest heaved with each breath under her clothes, and her slender jade hands gripping the sword were trembling slightly.
"Mother!"
The boy, excited as if seeing his savior, ran down from the bed and threw himself into the beautiful woman's arms. He was instantly enveloped in a soft, fragrant embrace, a sweet scent filling his nostrils, making him feel as if no evil in the world could ever touch him again. But the soft white robe was covered in fresh blood, carrying a faint, terrifying scent of iron.
"Xing'er, the situation is critical. I don't know where your father has gone, and I'm already struggling to hold off these villains." The beautiful woman held her beloved son tightly, her lovely face etched with worry. She said softly, "Before your father left, he said that if anything happened, he would leave you a path to survival... Xing'er, have you felt anything strange in your body?"
The boy shook his head blankly, not understanding what his mother meant.
"Go down the mountain path behind here. It's deserted. I will hold off the villains who are coming, and no one should be able to follow you for a while. After you go down the mountain, find the Granny Wang in the town at the foot of the mountain. She will help you escape from here."
"Mother, no! I don't want to leave you! I want to stay with you and Father!"
The boy shouted anxiously, terrified of being separated from his mother.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the inner hall again. More enemies were coming. The beautiful woman sighed softly. With a graceful twist of her slender waist, she swiftly picked up the boy and moved to the rear hall. As she moved, her waist was slender, her chest full and plump beneath her white dress. A pair of long, perfectly round, bare legs flashed from within her gauzy skirt, their pink-white skin lustrous and beautiful.
Not far away was a path leading down the mountain. The woman set the boy down and rested her hands on his small shoulders. Her beautiful eyes gazed firmly at her dear son. She took out a jade pendant and handed it to him, saying softly, "Xing'er, you must listen to Mother. I will kill all the villains who come, and then Father and I will come for you. Now, you must be brave like a man and go down the mountain to stay with Granny Wang for a while. We will come for you very soon. Do you understand?"
The boy took the jade pendant. It was carved in the shape of a fairy, with two cloud wisps beside it. It still carried the faint, sweet scent of his mother. A faint green light seemed to flash across the pendant for an instant.
The boy looked at his mother's beautiful, gentle face. He bit his lip, his eyes welling up with tears, filled with fear. But he quickly gritted his teeth, wiped his tears away, and nodded firmly. The woman smiled with relief, her smile as beautiful as a flower, truly captivating beyond compare.
The woman hugged the boy tightly once more. Her delicate, red lips planted a deep kiss on his cheek. The kiss was intoxicating, a moment of soft warmth and fragrance. She gave her dearest son one last, long look, then stood up, turned, and gripped her sword tightly. Her white robes fluttered as she returned to the front hall.
The boy's heart was in turmoil. He clenched the jade pendant and tucked it into his inner pocket. He then turned, and quickly walked down the mountain path. As he walked, he couldn't stop crying. Just a day ago, they had been a happy family living in the Immortal Palace. His father was heroic and strong, his mother beautiful and gentle. In the blink of an eye, he had to leave all alone, embarking on a journey in this dark night. He was only a five years old child!
The path down the mountain was particularly steep and difficult. He had only taken a few steps, his mind already in turmoil, when his footing became unsteady. He fell heavily on the stone steps, rolled down several of them before he could stop. His head and limbs were scraped and bleeding.
"Waaah... Mother... Father..." the boy sobbed say on the ground.
Just then, a huge black shadow descended from the sky, bringing with it a gust of sinister wind, and landed beside him.
The fear in his heart made him tremble uncontrollably. He scrambled to his feet and looked at the enormous black shadow before him, like a deity of the night. Looking closely, the shadow seemed to be a tall man wearing a large, purple-black robe. A black hood covered his head, hiding his face in the darkness. He held a monstrous crutch shaped like a crow's head, and his entire body exuded a dark, hazy aura.
"You... who are you...!" the boy stammered, trembling. The tall shadow said nothing. It grabbed the boy like picking up a small chicken. Before the boy could resist, a pressure point was struck, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The black shadow looked towards the Immortal Palace on the mountain, which was now engulfed in flames and still engaged in a fierce battle. A sinister smile appeared on the shadowy face beneath the hood. "Heh heh heh... Immortal Palace..."
He chuckled coldly, then leaped into the air, vanishing like a wisp of black smoke, taking the boy with him into the misty mountains of the Immortal Palace.
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This story unfolds on a great continent known as "Long Yue." The Long Yue continent is vast and expansive, with fertile lands stretching for thousands of miles. Although various nations still exist and occasionally wage war against one another, the continent is, for the most part, in an era of peaceful and prosperous stability.
Legend has it that 2000 years ago, in ancient times, an ancient demon known as the "Dark Sky Demon Emperor" came to this Long Yue continent. Along with his demonic sect followers, he swept across the land, attacking its inhabitants. At that time, the righteous path had not yet risen, and the way of immortals had not been established. In an instant, living beings suffered terribly. Demonic creatures and monsters rampaged, slaughtering all they saw. The continent was devastated, and people lived in constant fear for their lives.
It was then that Seven Immortal warriors from the distant East appeared. It is said they were sent by an nameless will from the nine heavens. They were peerless masters, extraordinary heroes of their time. They led the native inhabitants of Long Yue to rise up in resistance. After decades of fierce battles, they finally defeated the followers of the Dark Sky Demon Emperor's cult.
In the end, the Dark Sky Demon Emperor was slain by the combined efforts of the seven immortal warriors, and peace was restored to the Long Yue continent. However, these seven heroes did not return to the East. Instead, they settled down on the Long Yue continent, marrying the local people and having children. Some gradually became powerful clans, others became nobles, some founded martial arts sects in the jianghu, and others chose to avoid the spotlight, becoming reclusive hermits.
As time passed and the world changed, 2000 years later, the seven immortal heroes have long since become legends. But what the vast majority of common people do not know is that amidst these peaceful and prosperous times, the subordinates and remnants of the Dark Sky Demon Emperor have been continuously stirring up trouble and committing evil in the world. Yet, some descendants of the immortal heroes still act as the secret guardians of the mortal realm, continuously hunting and eliminating those demonic followers and minions of the Demon Emperor.
Living in the mountains of the Immortal Palace Sacred Mountain, in the "Xianxuan Secret Domain," are the descendants of the leader of the seven immortal warriors who defeated the Demon Emperor, along with their followers. They are known as the "Secret Sect · Immortal Palace." The people of the mortal world know very little about them, only that they have long, extended lifespans, are handsome and beautiful, possess supreme martial arts skills, and are masters of profound mystical arts. They rarely descend the mountain to interfere in worldly affairs.
But 18 years ago, a tragic and bloody incident occurred here, an event later known as the "Tianxing Rebellion."
On a stormy night 18 years ago, the Tianxing Sect, a frontier sect also descended from one of the seven immortal heroes, led a large group of unknown black-clad martial artists in a massive invasion of the Immortal Palace. The Grand Sect Master of the Tianxing Sect was a young prodigy named Wei Wuyin. This man had fiery red hair, a burly physique, and a handsome face, with a faint, kingly aura. Because of this, the Tianxing Sect had flourished in recent years, attracting many capable and extraordinary individuals to join them.
The Palace Master of the Immortal Palace, Ning Yuanhong, was a renowned figure who had been a dominant force in the jianghu for many years. Of course, he would not sit and wait for death. He led the followers of the Immortal Palace and engaged the invading Tianxing Sect in a fierce battle that lasted for several days and nights atop the mountain range. At that time, Mo Xiupo, the master of the "Sword Sect" and a supreme master, was also a guest at the Immortal Palace.
Mo Xiupo, the master of the Sword Sect, had previously married Ning Yuanhong's only daughter, Ning Xuefei, who was known as the "Number One Beauty of Long Yue." The two were a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman, and were hailed as a divine couple.
Ning Xuefei was the incomparably revered sole heir of the Immortal Palace and Ning Yuanhong's only daughter. She was exceptionally gifted, having mastered the Immortal Palace's unique secret art, the "Xuanhua Divine Skill." She was a once-in-a-generation supreme master of the Immortal Palace. Coupled with her natural, stunning beauty, skin as white as snow, and a graceful, enchanting figure, she was acclaimed as the "Number One Beauty of Long Yue" whenever she traveled the jianghu.
The marriage of Mo Xiupo and Ning Xuefei also symbolized the union of the "Sword Sect" and the "Immortal Palace." As the son-in-law of the Immortal Palace, Mo Xiupo was visiting with his wife at the time. The "Sword Sect" was also a sect founded by the descendants of one of the seven immortal heroes who defeated the Demon Emperor. However, unlike other sects that rarely interfered in worldly affairs, the Sword Sect was located in the capital city and had close ties with the high officials and nobles of the current dynasty.
But what no one expected was that the Tianxing Sect's master, Wei Wuyin, was actually a once-in-a-generation prodigy whose martial arts had long surpassed the achievements of his predecessors. At a young age, his unique secret manual, the "Heaven-Shattering Great Art," had already reached the state of perfection, making him unparalleled. He continuously defeated several masters of the Immortal Palace and ultimately killed Mo Xiupo, the master of the Sword Sect. He then led the Tianxing Sect in a massacre of the Immortal Palace's followers. In the end, the Immortal Palace's master, Ning Yuanhong, was forced to surrender to Wei Wuyin.
The cruel and ruthless Wei Wuyin, however, did not slaughter the entire Immortal Palace. After killing Mo Xiupo, he forced Ning Yuanhong to agree to let him marry his only daughter, the "Number One Beauty of Long Yue," Ning Xuefei, and to let him take over the Immortal Palace and become its new master.
Ning Xuefei had suddenly lost her beloved husband in a brutal death, and her only son had disappeared in the chaos of the battle, his fate unknown and likely grim. She was heartbroken and filled with immense grief, and she hated Wei Wuyin to the core. But for the sake of the lives of the Immortal Palace's people and the continuation of the Ning family's bloodline, she had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Wei Wuyin's demands.
After the "Tianxing Uprising," Wei Wuyin got his wish and married Ning Xuefei. He took over the Immortal Palace, seizing all their power and assets. Soon after, Ning Yuanhong was stripped of all authority and died of depression and illness.
Wei Wuyin continuously expanded the Immortal Palace's influence, launching a purge against the Mo family's "Sword Sect." With its master dead and being leaderless, the Sword Sect dissipated within a few years, ceasing to exist.
From then on, the Immortal Palace and the Tianxing Sect merged into one. Wei Wuyin integrated the Tianxing Sect's forces into the Immortal Palace's followers, overseeing all affairs, and renamed it the "Tianxing Immortal Palace." Wei Wuyin proclaimed himself the "Immortal Palace Emperor," and Ning Xuefei became the "Immortal Palace Holy Empress."
Wei Wuyin's Heaven-Shattering Great Art grew stronger and stronger. Within a few years, he killed several famous masters one after another. For a time, Wei Wuyin, with his invincible martial prowess, became famous far and wide, his ambition soaring to the heavens. The influence of the "Tianxing Immortal Palace" spread across the land, with numerous disciples and followers, and a cloud of masters. No other sect could match them, and he began to show signs of unifying the entire jianghu.