Chapter 1
In the south of the continent, there lies a sea named Carefree.
Gazing eastward from the shore of the Carefree Sea, one can see an immortal island floating in the air.
The island is named Penglai. Since the fall of the Demon Sovereign, You Wu, the lands east of Penglai Immortal Island have been inhabited by immortals.
Occasionally, when a demon lord would wreak havoc upon the mortal realm, immortals would descend from their island, come ashore, venture deep into the world of men, and return after slaying the demon.
One day, just as the immortals were in the midst of exterminating a demon, a star fell from beyond the heavens.
And so…
...
A figure staggered along the shore, his steps faltering and unsteady.
This man wore green robes and had a pale face, a broad back like a tiger's, and a waist like a wolf's. Sharp, curved blade-like horns grew from his head, and his three-foot long red hair was like a surging tide of blood.
His handsome face was covered by cracks, which looked like a spider's web. In his wicked, black eyes, two golden pupils flickered erratically.
"Pfft—"
His expression was one of utter wretchedness as he spat out a mouthful of black blood. It fell upon the shore, and like oil thrown into a hot pan or snow into boiling water, it sizzled, emitting wisps of green smoke.
The demon lord who had terrorized the region for years, the Demon of Lust, had actually been reduced to such a state!
From afar, a crane's cry echoed clearly.
They're chasing me this fast!
The Demon's heart sank. A beautiful flower materialized on his chest.
Its petals were like blood crystals, its stem like jade, its calyx like peach cheeks, and its pistil like an eyebrow.
A faint, reddish mist swirled around the flower; any mortal who caught even a distant glimpse of it would be entranced for a long while.
This flower was a priceless treasure he had cultivated in recent years by feeding it his own divine soul and blood essence, absorbing the spiritual light of the sun and moon and the vital energy of the eight directions. He named it the Drunken Immortal's Passion Flower. It could captivate a person's very soul; even a great Ascended Immortal would be thrown into a state of confusion and infatuation upon seeing it.
He had bound the Passion Flower with his life, but for some unknown reason, he had been unable to fully refine it over the years. He could only activate it slightly, unable to bring out its full power. Otherwise, why would he now be desperately fleeing for his life from a few cultivators?
When in extreme danger, find safety. Once I escape to the east of Penglai, I will find an immortal island to hide for a hundred years, and fully refine this Passion Flower...
He turned his head to gaze at the distant, floating Penglai Immortal Island. His eyes, crisscrossed with cracks, brimmed with sinister and malicious thoughts.
In the distant sky, three graceful figures who were as bright as the moon, approached on cranes.
All three wore robes of pure, spotless white, and the long swords at their waists proclaimed their identities as sword cultivators.
"Elder Sister—" one of them looked up, her dark eyebrows slightly raised.
"Mm." The lead sword cultivator nodded. Her bright eyes lowered slightly as she reached out and brushed her hand through the air. Where her jade-like fingers passed, the clouds swayed.
The sunset glowed like a flame. Orange, red, cyan, and blue interwove across the sky, creating a pleasing, gradient vista.
In the midst of this harmonious scene, a star, like a sword's light tore through the sky, shining with a brilliant light as it flew towards the Carefree Sea's Coast.
She retracted her jade hand, her fingers brushing past her own ample and somewhat troublesome bosom, before coming to rest on the hilt of her sword at her waist.
In the distance, the Demon of Lust on the coast looked up, and thinking some great power had summoned a star to crush him, he trembled in fear. He fell to his knees and kowtowed. Only after a moment, when he felt no surge of immortal energy, did he realize it was merely an accident. He cursed his rotten luck and hurriedly tried to activate the Drunken Immortal's Passion Flower, intending to leave the area at once.
Huh?
Move.
Why isn't it moving?
The Demon of Lust froze in astonishment. His life-bound demonic weapon, the Drunken Immortal's Passion Flower, was suddenly disobeying his commands.
Move!
Move!
He desperately poured the last of the demonic energy in his body into the flower, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, disappearing without a trace. Not only did the flower not obey him, but it even seemed to be on the verge of breaking free of his control!
With pursuers behind him and a falling star above, the Demon of Lust was on the verge of madness!
Suddenly, the demonic energy in his body stagnated. His vision went black, his divine soul felt as if it had been dealt a heavy blow, and he nearly passed out on the spot.
He saw that the Drunken Immortal's Passion Flower, as if it had suddenly gained a consciousness of its own, severed its connection with him and broke free from his body, floating towards the falling star!
What!?
How would he know the reason? He frantically poured out all the demonic energy within him and leaped to grab the escaping Passion Flower.
The next moment…
The meteorite, which had been thousands of meters away just moments before, abruptly appeared right before his eyes!
BANG!
Before he could even let out a scream, the meteorite crashed into him head-on. The Demon of Lust's physical body and divine soul were both pulverized into dust, disappearing without a trace!
Later generations would record that this demon lord, having brought disaster upon the land, incurred the wrath of the Heavenly Dao and was struck down by a falling star!
The reason later generations knew of this was because this scene happened to be witnessed by the three sword immortals who had been chasing the Demon of Lust.
The star fell upon the coast, shaking the heavens and the earth.
Waves surged a thousand feet high; old turtles retracted into their deep shells. Flood dragons and sea serpents hid in the abyssal depths.
At that moment, a jade-like hand waved gently, and the world seemed to pause. The waters receded, and the coast gradually returned to calm.
The lead sword cultivator from before came alone to where the star had fallen, and her expression shifted slightly.
The meteorite had shattered into sand-like fragments and in the center of the crater which had formed from the impact, only a naked man remained…
He had a high nose and thin lips, sword-like eyebrows and hawk-like eyes, and a cascade of black hair that reached his waist.
His skin was pale like snow, his physique strong and well-built, his posture like that of an immortal from a painting.
The man sat up in the crater. His appearance seemed to be around eighteen years old; though he had the look of maturity, he had not yet completely shed his youthful air.
He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the woman before him. A pair of pure, bright eyes revealed a great deal of confusion, tinged with a hint of curiosity.
The woman dismounted from her crane and walked to the man. Her almond-shaped eyes were cold as ice as she silently looked down upon him.
The black hair behind her head was tied into a bun. Her pale pink lips parted slightly, and a voice as clear and ethereal as an bell rang out:
"Who are you?"
The man's eyes lowered slightly, as if in thought, and then he slowly shook his head.
"Where do you come from?"
The man thought for a moment, then shook his head again.
"Where are you going?"
Still, he answered with a shake of his head.
"Elder Sister."
Two graceful figures came to the woman's side.
One of them said, "I haven't sensed the slightest flow of demonic energy. It seems that the demon lord has been completely annihilated."
The speaker had eyes like peach blossoms, red lips, and rosy cheeks. Her figure was full, and her hair was also tied in a bun. However, being a sword cultivator, her determined brows and eyes did not have a hint of seduction, only a trace of gentle grace.
The other snorted coldly, "To be killed by a falling star... he got off easy!"
This woman held a Spirit Snake Sword in her hand. She had phoenix eyes and eyebrows like willow leaves, a slender figure with a lithe waist, and a cold, fierce expression in her eyes!
After speaking, the two of them looked at the man on the ground together.
"And who is this?"
The sword cultivator addressed as the Elder Sister shook her head. "He doesn't know a thing."
"Doesn't know? Or won't say?" The slender, fierce sword cultivator asked, raising her Spirit Snake Sword. The tip of the sword, like a serpent's tongue, pointed at the man's neck, sending a chill down one's spine.
However, the man showed no fear. He completely ignored the sword tip aimed at him and asked, "Who are you people?"
A voice as low and calm as an ancient well sounded.
The cold-faced sword cultivator signaled her junior sister to retract the Spirit Snake Sword, then pointed to her and said, "This is Master Guang Sha."
"And this is Master Dan Feng." She pointed to the other sword cultivator, whose expression was relatively gentler.
"I am Master Yu Shuang."
After answering, she said to her two junior sisters, "He fell with the star. Though it was not his intention, he did help the world by eliminating a demon lord."
Dan Feng asked, "What do you intend to do, Elder Sister?"
Yu Shuang was silent for a moment, then said, "Right now, he doesn't seem to have lost his memory. If we leave him to his own devices, I fear he will have difficulty protecting himself. I intend to take him back to our sect, nurture him for a time, and once he regains his memory, he may leave."
Guang Sha frowned, "How can our immortal sect accept a man?"
Yu Shuang replied, "Not as a disciple, but as a guest."
"Elder Sister is truly kind-hearted." Dan Feng said with a hint of resignation.
"Since he came from beyond the heavens, he must have something special about him. Perhaps he could be of use." Yu Shuang said, "If he is just an ordinary person, then consider it a good deed."
Hearing this, Dan Feng and Guang Sha thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement one after another.
Yu Shuang looked at the man and asked, "Are you willing to come with me?"
The man blinked in confusion, at a loss for words.
The strong-willed Guang Sha said, "Asking him is pointless. Let's just bring him back."
Dan Feng shook her head again. Taking someone away based on one's own decision... this seemed a bit similar to those human traffickers who kidnapped common folk in the mortal world.
"Since you have no name, I shall give you one."
Yu Shuang looked at the man and said, "You arrived on a star, so we shall call you Fei Xing for now."
The man did not respond in agreement, nor did he object.
With that, Yu Shuang waved her hand, and a set of white robes fell towards the naked man, which then, as if alive, automatically dressed him.
No one noticed that the moment the white robes covered the man's body, a flash of light in the shape of a flower bud flickered for an instant over his heart, then vanished.