Prologue

Tiying looked down at the chaos below with a sense of appreciation.

It was Aoki Lord’s ascension ceremony. Cultivators from all around had come to witness the grand formation, never imagining this place would become a den of demons—

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, demons ran rampant. Below, humans and demons clashed in fierce battle. At the center of it all, the greatest demon lord, Tiying, sat serenely upon the clouds, gesturing disdainfully toward Aoki Lord, the only one in the world beside herself with the potential for ascension.

“Aoki Lord, why not choose another place for your ascension?”

Aoki Lord and his companions turned pale at her audacity. Such brazen defiance from a demon!

Tiying cast a lazy glance around. “I need to be here…”

She hadn’t thought of an excuse, so she said casually, “To admire the flowers.”

Atop the high platform, Aoki Lord’s face was stern and composed. He rebuked the demon lord, “What flowers are there here?!”

Tiying, shameless as ever, replied, “The flowers in my heart.”

The crowd cursed her vehemently, but Tiying only watched her own side’s demons battle the cultivators with bored indifference.

It wasn’t until Aoki Lord, furious, pointed at her and cried, “You were once the Young Lord of Heavenly Summit Mountain. Corrupted by demonic energy, you fell into darkness. We sympathized with your fate and spared you. Yet you now seek to thwart my path to ascension and the annihilation of demons. For such crimes, you deserve death! How can you face Heavenly Summit Mountain?”

The mischievous smile vanished from Tiying’s face.

Above, her soul-bound bell, “Winter’s End,” rang out, a clear note meant to steady her spirit.

“Winter’s End” had been forged for her by her senior brother, a treasure she once cherished. But now, with demonic energy consuming her, she had become the most formidable demon in the world. Not even “Winter’s End” could clear her mind.

Tiying turned her face, her tone threatening. “I’ll say it again—never mention Heavenly Summit Mountain to me.”

She gazed at Aoki Lord, her voice soft: “The fallen disciple Tiying of Heavenly Summit Mountain is here. You want to ascend? Dream on.”

She rose abruptly.

—

Tiying thought, this world is profoundly unfair.

She had been nothing but a humble cultivator, practicing peacefully at Heavenly Summit Mountain, surrounded by senior brothers, sisters, her master, and elders. Such a blessed cultivation.

But one day, the mountain was attacked by demons, and her entire sect was wiped out.

Later, when she avenged her sect, the world condemned her as evil. She killed demons, and the world accused her of slaughtering her own kind. When she truly did evil, people said, “Indeed, her demonic nature is too deep.”

Now a demon, her consciousness was eroded daily, her path to immortality cut off. The farther she strayed down the demonic path, the closer she came to losing herself completely, becoming a force of destruction in the world.

Recently, Tiying kept having a dream.

She dreamed of vast skies and gentle spring sunlight. Heavenly Summit Mountain still stood; her seniors, master, and elders were all there, looking at her with wounded eyes—

“How did you become a demon?”

“All our lives, we cultivated to vanquish demons, never shaming ourselves before the world. How could you become a demon?”

Night after night, the dream tormented her. She knew it was the encroaching demonic energy. She shouldn’t care, and yet she could not help but care. As a demon, old feelings faded, but obsessions deepened, pulling her further into darkness.

After much thought, she decided to do one last thing while she still had her mind—

Kill Aoki Lord.

—

A fierce, black wind swept the land. Aoki Lord was struck down from the clouds by the demon lord, coughing blood as he crashed to the ground.

To be interrupted halfway through ascension was a grave taboo. Aoki Lord’s path was cut off, his spiritual core fractured. Now, his chance at immortality was all but gone—

Tiying watched him with a bright, chilling smile.

She was a demon now—a girl with striking features, fair skin, crimson lips, and hair as black as midnight. Yet her eyes were so large and dark they seemed almost unnatural. When she focused on someone, it was unsettling.

Thunder rolled above, heaven’s warning for obstructing the path to ascension. Purple lightning split the sky, casting everything in a stark, cold light. Tiying waited, half expecting divine retribution.

In a pool of blood, she advanced on Aoki Lord, her robes fluttering, demonic aura swirling about her.

Aoki Lord, sprawled on the ground, retreated in terror and rage. “If you fight like this, you’ll die too!”

Tiying, the beautiful madwoman, replied, “I look forward to it.”

Her power was not much greater than Aoki Lord’s, but she had nothing to lose. Her reckless fighting style frightened everyone around; they all scattered to avoid her. Her vision blurred with hallucinations; once her bloodlust was awakened, she lost all sense of self.

When a crisp snapping sound broke the chaos, those nearby gasped, “Aoki Lord! Aoki Lord…”

Tiying looked down and saw that Aoki Lord was dead by her own hand. She still gripped his neck, her hands sticky with revolting blood.

Expressionless, she stared at the blood on her hands.

In that moment, she seemed to see once more the night Heavenly Summit Mountain fell—blood everywhere, demons flooding the land… If not for a traitor, how could the demonic horde have broken the mountain’s great protective array?

Lost in thought, Tiying didn’t notice a wisp of soul escaping from Aoki Lord’s body.

As she stood, the surrounding cultivators raised their artifacts against her—

“You killed even Aoki Lord. We once pitied you, but now it’s clear your demonic heart is beyond redemption!”

“Enough talk! Kill her!”

Tiying’s innocent smile appeared.

—

She walked forward, arms outstretched, hair fluttering. The sweet smile stained with blood on her face left everyone unsettled.

She spoke softly, “Come—let’s see who lives longer.”

The madwoman’s provocation ignited the battle anew. Determined to eradicate evil, the cultivators rained down attacks; Tiying’s wounds multiplied, each strike landing on her soul, yet she seemed oblivious.

At last, she fell. As her strength waned, so did the demonic energy around her.

She spat out venomous words, “Are you all useless? You can’t even kill a demon like me?”

The cultivators seethed with anger.

Slumped on the ground, Tiying looked up into the blinding sunlight, watching the final blows descend.

She felt a grim satisfaction: Master, seniors, I’m coming to see you.

But then, suddenly, all attacks stopped.

The bell above rang with a single note, and for an instant, Tiying’s mind cleared. She realized that everyone and everything around her had been frozen in place.

Snow began to fall, swirling through the air.

Snow manipulation… Only one person in the world could do that.

—

In this world, Aoki Lord was one of only two with the chance for ascension.

The other had already become immortal.

His name was Jiang Xuehe.

He had been an unremarkable, unknown cultivator. Before his ascension, the most notable thing about him was—

Tiying called him “senior brother.”

He was her fiancé before her fall into darkness.

—

But Jiang Xuehe was not the immortal the world had hoped for.

An immortal should vanquish demons, act for the good of all. Jiang Xuehe, however, followed the path of non-action. He was unpredictable, did as he pleased, and never commented on Tiying’s fate.

—

All things fell silent; thunder faded.

In the deathly stillness of falling snow, Tiying slowly turned to look at the figure descending behind her.

Time truly stood still.

Jiang Xuehe stepped from the snow mist, tranquil and composed, snow blurring his features. None in the world resembled snow more than he did, yet across the chasm of wind, snow, and life and death, Tiying could scarcely recognize him.

Time remained frozen by his power. The cultivators’ faces twisted in anger and shock, yet they could not move or speak.

It was a farce.

Tiying laughed out loud.

Her laughter was that of a naive girl.

Looking at her face, who would believe she was the demon lord?

Jiang Xuehe knelt before her, gently wiped the blood from her cheek.

Tiying’s vision, clouded by demonic energy, saw little, but she didn’t care. She blinked her dark eyes. “Senior brother, are you here to kill me too?”

A fair young girl, smiling through a mask of blood—truly frightening.

Jiang Xuehe raised his hand toward her.

Immortal power locked her in place.

Tiying’s hair stood on end; she bristled with beast-like wariness and ferocity.

Jiang Xuehe’s expression softened all the more: You provoke me, wanting me to strike. Yet if I do, you only feel wronged.

He enveloped her with immortal energy and carried Tiying away.

Before leaving, he addressed the cultivators—

“Fellow cultivators, let us make a bargain.

“I am taking Tiying with me.

“I know this demon is fierce. You wish to rid the world of evil and restore clarity to the heavens. I will lay down an immortal formation, called the ‘Great Dream.’ When it activates, both she and I will be trapped within, to be destroyed together.”

The cultivators were alarmed, yet could not move.

They thought: An immortal cannot die, cannot be destroyed—who could ever slay you? If you wish to protect the demon, why these circumspect words?

Jiang Xuehe seemed to hear their thoughts.

He spoke gently: “I will personally suppress her, purifying this world of demonic energy. For a thousand, ten thousand years, Tiying shall be the last demon. As she was born from corruption, so let it end with her.

“But for me to lay the formation and destroy evil, you must swear—spare our souls.”

—

The next day, in a mountain cave, Tiying’s soul was invaded by Jiang Xuehe.

Within her spiritual body, the girl sat cross-legged, suddenly looking up as bell chimes rang endlessly. The tall youth approached, step by step.

For a moment, it was as if a hundred years vanished between them. At dream’s end, she was once again the girl who skipped joyfully through the mountains, calling sweetly for her “senior brother.”

Between them lay uncountable snows and deaths.

Tiying knew this was old longing at work. But in truth, she no longer loved him—demonic hearts see past feelings as flowers reflected upon water: visible yet untouchable.

She loathed his aloofness, so she straightened her back, her gaze defiant and proud.

Until Jiang Xuehe knelt before her.

In the sea of spirit, the boy like drifting snow gazed at the exquisitely beautiful girl. Her lashes were stained with blood; she looked deranged.

It was because even her spiritual form was corroded by demonic energy… Even if Tiying did not die today, she would not live much longer.

Soon, she would be wholly consumed, ceasing to exist.

Jiang Xuehe, thinking thus, heard her sweet but venomous voice: “If you keep staring at me, I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

He gazed at her a moment, lips curling. “I bet you wouldn’t bear to.”

Tiying found it laughable and wanted to erupt.

But she knew she could not defeat an immortal.

So, furious, she only glared, a stiffness that was almost endearing.

Jiang Xuehe fell silent. Once, Little Ying had been lively, mischievous, full of little pranks, but never spoke harshly to him.

Later, the world ruined Tiying. All wished to judge her, but none were worthy.

None of this was what he had wanted.

Jiang Xuehe placed his hand on her brow.

He spoke gently, “Don’t be afraid, Little Ying.”

The familiar address calmed the angry girl; she looked up, deeply confused.

In the sea of spirits, Jiang Xuehe’s face was blurred, eyes lowered, serene as a saint, leaning close.

His words drifted like a sigh, “Your senior brother has always favored you.”

Tiying was stunned—

Her mind was muddled, but hearing such words, her heart trembled faintly, as if touched. But how could a demon be moved by mortal affection?

Within her battered spiritual body, the girl was gathered into the boy’s arms. His immortal power fell over her soul, light as a feather.

The scent of snow surrounded Tiying—not warm, almost repellent—yet, in some subtle way, it soothed her turmoil.

How strange.

Just before losing consciousness, Tiying heard Jiang Xuehe’s gentle voice:

“Little Ying, I won’t let you suffer under demonic torment forever. I will lay the Great Dream formation. When it activates, our souls will enter reincarnation together. I will follow you, life after life, purifying your demonic energy. Will you let me?”

Tiying could neither see nor hear clearly. Held in his arms, she caught only fragments: “trapped,” “reincarnation.”

She felt aggrieved: So he still means to kill me.

So be it.

Let him kill.

After all, he is immortal, and immortals are nobler than demons. How disgusting.

But—but—

Tiying still had so much unwillingness.

—

As her consciousness faded into nothingness, the girl with soft hair and bloodstained face nestled in the youth’s arms, whispering like a child seeking comfort, “If there really is reincarnation, I want to be the good one, and you, the bad one…”

Her lips moved, but she could say no more.

Yet being good never brings a long life. She was rebellious to the core, willful and wild, born to be unruly, to do as she pleased. But they all condemned her, said she was wrong… If only someone could love her best of all.

In the haze, Tiying heard a warm promise: “Alright.”

An immortal’s promise—unchanging for a hundred years, unwavering for a thousand.