Chapter One: The Small Island of the South Sea

Twelve Provinces Continent

In the Southern Province, the boundless South Sea is dotted with countless immortal mountains and islands. This is the favored haven for many independent cultivators, for there are no great sects here, and strife is rare. Even disciples from the major sects of the Central Province cherish this land as a place for training and wandering.

The South Sea is home mostly to the practitioners of the Pure Truth tradition. What is Pure Truth? It is the solitary cultivation of tranquil alchemical arts. These cultivators are detached from worldly affairs, free of desires and ambition. Most of their sects forbid marriage or bearing children, rarely receive outsiders, and never meddle in the disputes between the Orthodox and Pure Truth traditions of the Twelve Provinces. They live by the creed of self-perfection and the pursuit of immortality, leading lives of their own design. They bear no personal names, only Daoist titles, often ending with the character "zi."

Yet there are exceptions—such as the place where our story’s protagonist appears...

On the shore of a small island in the South Sea, a youth burst forth from the ocean. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old, simply dressed in coarse cloth, his black hair brushed back, his features delicate with a hint of youthful naivety between his brows.

Upon reaching the shore, the youth circulated his true qi to dry his clothes. He glanced around, as if searching for someone, and, seeing no one nearby, strode across the sand and flew towards the island’s interior.

After passing through a grove, he paused before a small cave. From his bosom, he drew a small bundle, which, when opened, revealed a lotus leaf-wrapped chicken with glutinous rice. Though the parcel had been soaked by seawater, its tantalizing aroma remained undiminished.

The youth paid no mind to the dampness. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he was about to take a bite when, with a sudden whoosh, the chicken vanished from his hands.

Apparently understanding what had happened, the youth turned to flee the cave, but no matter how he strained, he could not move a single step forward.

He rolled his eyes in secret, then turned around, grasped his ears with both hands, bowed his head, and called out, “Master.”

“Shi Qi, you’re sneaking food again,” came a crisp, clear voice.

Shi Qi looked up at his master. She wore the same pale pink long dress, looked to be seventeen or eighteen—at first glance, no older than Shi Qi himself. But Shi Qi knew well her true age was a mystery. In secret, he called her “old witch.”

“It’s just a little indulgence now and then, it won’t matter.”

“Shi Qi, you’re at the Scarlet Core stage now, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage in the Orthodox tradition. You must absorb more of the world’s spiritual energy; failing to fast will cause your qi to stagnate—”

“Yes, yes, I know, Master, but—” Shi Qi protested, “You can lecture me, but don’t eat my chicken!”

“As your teacher, I… hmm, it does smell delicious. I am helping you temper your will.”

“…”

“So, what interesting things are happening in South Sea City?” the woman asked as she wiped her mouth.

“Nothing much, just… it seems a cultivators’ market is about to open.”

She pondered for a moment, then muttered to herself, “Indeed, it’s about that time again. Shi Qi, I’ll be heading out for a bit. You stay here on Egret Island and don’t go running off while I’m gone.”

This woman called herself Master Egret, an independent cultivator who resided on Egret Island. Shi Qi was her only disciple.

“Alright, Master, you go ahead. I’ll be good and stay put.”

Master Egret dissolved into a gust of wind and vanished before Shi Qi’s eyes.

“As if!” Shi Qi immediately summoned his wind-riding technique and flew towards the shore. Upon arrival, he saw a familiar figure and landed, waiting in place for the inevitable scolding.

“You really are just like an old friend of mine from my youth,” Master Egret said with a helpless smile, the memory of a carefree, free-spirited boy flickering in her eyes.

“I’m sure he was more than just a friend,” Lin Fan teased, grinning mischievously at his master.

She did not reply, but drew from her storage pouch an umbrella and handed it to Shi Qi.

“This umbrella is called—well, you can name it yourself. Its material is extraordinary, though it’s not a true treasure. It will enhance your water-based Daoist arts during cultivation. But there’s no need to refine it with your heart; before you reach the Azure Core stage, focus on your cultivation rather than magical artifacts.”

Shi Qi accepted the umbrella—a pale green one. As he opened it, a rush of pure water elemental energy enveloped him, and he felt the faint stirrings of a breakthrough in his cultivation.

“Take your time. Once you’ve mastered the umbrella’s mysteries, you may leave the island. You grew up among common folk, so I trust your way of dealing with people. Remember this: we are neither orthodox nor demonic, but must act according to the Dao of Heaven. Kill as little as possible. If you encounter evil sects, you must flee no matter what—never reveal your wings unless your life depends on it, lest you invite disaster.”

“I understand, I understand.”

Master Egret watched Shi Qi play with the umbrella, smiling and shaking her head. She turned her gaze north and in a flash, vanished into the sky.

“I’ll call you Azure Cloud Umbrella, then.” Before Shi Qi could finish speaking, Master Egret was already gone.

“Hey, hey, Master, at least give me a storage pouch!” Shi Qi cried.

The storage pouch, also known as the Wishful Pouch, is used for storing items. Master Egret had just pulled the Azure Cloud Umbrella from hers. Storage pouches can only be crafted through artifact forging—a simple process, but the materials are exceedingly rare. Chief among them: the hide of a millennia-old spirit beast, and a hundred-year-old pair each of Black and White Profound Iron. It’s rumored that Black and White Profound Iron exists only in the Ghost Realm, and obtaining centennial ore is extremely difficult. Few cultivators can even enter the Ghost Realm, let alone search for such treasure. These two materials are the hardest to come by; beast bones, amber, and the rest can be found with effort.

As for millennia-old beast hide, Shi Qi didn’t dare dream of it now. At least until the Orange Core stage, if he met such a beast, his first thought would be to run for his life.

Shi Qi strapped the Azure Cloud Umbrella to his back and dove into the sea, heading towards South Sea City.

Shi Qi was not a true human, but a rare hybrid.

Hybrids, as the name suggests, are born of both demon and human blood. Such unions are not unheard of, but because of the vast differences between the races, offspring are rare. Hybrids can cultivate both Daoist and Buddhist arts and also refine an inner core. Their affinity with the elements is greater than that of humans, making their mastery of spells swifter. In cultivation, hybrids do not pass through the Foundation, Golden Core, or Nascent Soul stages. There is only the inner core, which comes in five colors: scarlet, orange, azure, blue, and violet—corresponding to the human Foundation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Lesser Ascension, and Greater Ascension stages.

In history, hybrids have occasionally appeared in the Twelve Provinces. Ten thousand years ago, one such hybrid mastered the Grand Five Thunders Heaven-Earth Art to perfection and, in a stunning upset, won first place at the North Cloud Mountain Tournament, only to perish in the calamity of demonic evil.

Shi Qi knew nothing of his origins. Since he could remember, he had worked as a menial at a tavern in South Sea City. Steeped in the ways of common folk, he became shrewd and resourceful. At the age of ten, he was discovered by Master Egret and brought to Egret Island to cultivate.

Shi Qi’s true form was indistinguishable from a human, save for a pair of blue wings on his back. Before cultivating, they were hidden; only after beginning his cultivation did the wings emerge. Master Egret taught him secret arts to conceal them, so unless he revealed them intentionally, his identity remained safe.

According to Master Egret’s speculation, Shi Qi was likely born of a union between a phoenix-like demon and a human. Even so, she herself had never seen wings such as his, but was certain he was not of the South Sea demon clans.