Chapter One: The Celestial Youth Descends into the Mortal World

Wilderness Realm, Eastward Mountain.

Green mountains stretch across the northern outskirts, white waters encircle the eastern city.

Before his eyes, the verdant peaks soared to the clouds, ancient trees stood tall amidst the forest, and from the southern slopes, several waterfalls cascaded down with the speed of arrows, their rapid torrents echoing among the shores where the cries of apes flickered in and out.

“At last, I’ve managed to escape!”

At the foot of Eastward Mountain, a youth named Bai Mu, clad in a long robe, stood by the edge of the woods, patting his chest with lingering fear. The golden slanting sunlight filtered through the leaves and spilled over his slightly immature yet handsome face, the fine pearls of sweat setting off the depths of his starry eyes.

“Roar, roar…”

Two sharp and urgent cries suddenly pierced the mountaintop. At the same time, a fierce tiger with wings upon its shoulders leaped high from the mountain and charged down toward the foot with astonishing speed.

“Damn it, the ‘Qiongqi’ beast raised by my master is chasing after me. I need to get out of here fast!”

With that, Bai Mu deftly took from his pack two articles of clothing imbued with his scent and hurled them toward the southwestern hilltop. Then, with a light tap of his foot, his body shot off in the opposite direction like an arrow released from a bow.

He ran for nearly a hundred miles. Seeing no sign of the Qiongqi beast behind him, he finally slowed his lightning-fast steps and halted in a lush green valley.

Leaning against a smooth mountain stone, Bai Mu extended his slender and pale arm, took from his pack a pale yellow scroll exuding an ancient aura, and carefully searched for the location of Boundless City in his palm.

“Kwa…”

A sharp and eerie cry suddenly echoed from the depths of the valley ahead, the sound carrying a powerful force that struck fear into the heart.

At the sound, Bai Mu felt a tremor within, hurriedly stashed the scroll back into his pack, and scanned the valley with heightened vigilance. With a flicker of his figure, he transformed into a streak of white light and sped toward the source of the cry.

“Foul beast, clear the way for this princess if you know what’s good for you—or else, don’t blame me for destroying your millennia of cultivation!”

In the valley, a beautiful maiden of sixteen or seventeen years coldly rebuked.

Her light green, translucent gauze trailed along the ground, jet-black hair neatly falling to her waist, her slender waist gleaming enticingly in the green attire, and her proud, full chest accentuated her graceful figure.

“Kwa kwa!”

The piercing cry came again from the mouth of a one-legged firebird, and its sheer force shook Bai Mu, who had arrived at the scene.

“Bold creature!”

The maiden’s face darkened as she shouted, and her delicate hand waved in the air, instantly conjuring a pale green flute wreathed in spiritual energy.

Then, she leapt swiftly into the air, her form like a phantom, rushing toward the one-legged firebird.

When she was still three to five meters away, the pale green flute in her hand suddenly emitted a brilliant light, and a chilling force, swift as lightning, slashed toward the firebird’s head.

Without even touching the firebird, the cold, fierce energy had already frozen the surrounding grass and trees in an instant. Bai Mu, hiding in the shadows, shivered involuntarily, filled with wonder.

This bird, resembling both phoenix and peacock, was clearly the infamous beast of the Wilderness Realm—Bi Fang.

Legend held that wherever this bird appeared, fire disasters followed without fail. Among the tribes of the Wilderness Realm, there was a saying: “When Bi Fang appears, calamity by fire ensues.”

Of course, the extraordinary maiden in green gauze was equally remarkable in Bai Mu’s eyes.

She looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, petite and refined, with an ethereal beauty, yet her actions were decisive. Facing the monstrous Bi Fang, she remained composed and attacked boldly, earning Bai Mu’s silent admiration.

As Bai Mu quietly observed, the scene changed.

Bi Fang screeched, and rather than dodging, spat a massive flame at the incoming cold energy, instantly annihilating it in midair.

Then, with a beat of its wings, it hovered above the valley, shrieked toward the maiden, and from its sharp, pale yellow beak, a torrent of blazing fire surged toward her.

The defensive and offensive moves happened in a blink, executed by Bi Fang with fluid grace, its bearing almost pleasing to the eye.

“Worthy indeed of being one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts!”

The maiden’s brows rose, and she couldn’t help but praise Bi Fang.

Her attack, however, did not falter. The flute in her hand burst with green light, and with a deft diagonal sweep, countless illusory flutes appeared in the air, forming a frigid barrier that blocked Bi Fang’s flames five meters away.

Two moves exchanged, and neither side prevailed.

Watching the battle intensify, Bai Mu’s heart raced with awe, and his respect for the green-gauzed maiden grew.

It was known that Bi Fang, like Qiongqi, was one of the Four Great Fierce Beasts. In true strength, Bi Fang, adept at spewing fire, surpassed Qiongqi.

Just an hour ago, Bai Mu had been chased across the ground by Qiongqi. If he faced Bi Fang, he doubted he could withstand even three moves.

Boom!

A thunderous crash resounded from the battlefield, shaking everything in the valley. Even the rocks on the cliffs rained down like a storm.

One particularly large, silver-glinting boulder landed right in front of Bai Mu.

After the crash, the maiden in green gauze swung her flute again, launching a fierce attack at Bi Fang from a mysterious angle.

After their brief exchange, Bi Fang had already gauged the maiden’s strength and responded by fiercely flapping its wings, cloaked in fire, to counter her.

Normally, the maiden’s power was not inferior to Bi Fang’s, and with time, she might even claim victory with her magical flute.

But fate was fickle. As the girl and beast fought to a stalemate, a violent north wind suddenly swept through the valley.

The cold aura that once exuded from the maiden was suddenly diminished, and the swirling sand and stones amplified Bi Fang’s fiery might, giving it the upper hand.

If the maiden chose to flee, she could escape unscathed.

Yet, for reasons unknown, she stubbornly persisted, wielding her flute with difficulty, casting layer upon layer of defensive shadows to protect her vital spots, ready to fight to the bitter end.

Hidden in the shadows, Bai Mu wished to help. He hurriedly opened his pack, rummaging for any magical treasure.

Unfortunately, his escape had been too rushed. Aside from a few life-saving elixirs stolen from his master, only the pale yellow “Bai Ze’s Spirit Beast Scroll” could be considered a magical artifact.

Regrettably, his master had never taught him how to use it, so it was useless for saving the maiden now.

His mind in turmoil, Bai Mu’s gaze caught the large stone nearby.

No longer caring whether it would work, he mustered all his strength and hurled the stone at the hovering Bi Fang.

The boulder, weighing hundreds of pounds, whistled through the air, aimed to smash the beast to pieces.

Bi Fang, whose flames were about to overwhelm the maiden, had to abandon its attack and, in haste, spit a torrent of fire at the incoming stone.

Boom!

At the collision of flame and stone, the valley trembled inexplicably. The surface of the boulder was instantly reduced to ash by Bi Fang’s attack, slowly scattering to the ground.

From deep within the stone, a soft “chii” sounded, and an ancient sword carved with a dragon tumbled out from its heart.

The sudden quake knocked Bai Mu from his hiding place. The ancient sword landed perfectly before him, its sheath buried three inches in the earth.