Two hundred years ago, Baili Gelin was full of ambition. By her side was her cultivation partner Lu Li, along with her closest friends Su Wan and Deng Xiguang. Each of them did their utmost to aid her in her quest for vengeance. Though she often brooded in melancholy, before setting off for Heng Mountain, A Jiao could still occasionally catch glimpses of a faint smile on her face.
To counter Ji Tongzhou’s Profound Splendor Fire, these four former junior disciples had toiled relentlessly for two centuries. In the libraries of No Moon Court and the Myriad Immortals Assembly, nearly every text discussing fire-attribute Immortal Techniques had been worn ragged by their constant perusal.
Records on the Profound Splendor Fire were not scarce, with most noting that its wielders were often of a volatile temperament. Even those who achieved Celestial status rarely enjoyed longevity. Some plummeted from their zenith as the Black Fire abandoned them, while others met bitter ends within mere centuries. There were even accounts of the founder of Star Rectitude Hall, the Profound Splendor Sect Leader, who was rumored to have been consumed by his own Black Fire. The truth of this remained uncertain, as Star Rectitude Hall seldom spoke of their founder, treating the matter with deep secrecy.
Their perseverance bore fruit. After decades of scouring the libraries, they finally uncovered a method to counter the Profound Splendor Fire.
This flame was born of the Heart Devil, manifesting only in those with fire-attribute Spirit Roots. Why such an aberrant fire existed remained a mystery, and the world could only glean common traits from its wielders—most were individuals of extraordinary willpower, as though the Black Fire were their last desperate weapon when driven to the brink.
In the cycle of the Five Elements, water overcomes fire, yet no Immortal Technique invoking celestial rain or water could quell the Profound Splendor Fire. Thus, rather than seeking a solution through elemental opposition, they turned their focus to the wielder themselves.
The first requirement was the heart of a Mirage Dragon, a Ferocious Beast over a thousand years old. The second was an exceedingly intricate and lengthy Immortal Technique, designed to temporarily strip the wielder of their Black Fire, allowing their enemies a fleeting window to strike the killing blow.
The record was ancient and fragmented, its efficacy uncertain. Nevertheless, Baili Gelin and her companions resolved to attempt it.
Ferocious Beast Mirage Dragons lurked only near the Eastern Sea. The one encountered years ago in the East Sea Trial Grounds had likely been young, allowing Lei Xiuyuan to escape and ultimately dismember it. A millennium-old Mirage Dragon was a foe even veteran Celestials dared not face lightly. The human heart was often inscrutable even to its owner—what seemed like unwavering confidence could crumble in an instant, ensnared by unforeseen temptations.
Among the four, Baili Gelin bore her own inner demons and thus could not undertake the task. Lu Li hesitated, torn by indecision. Deng Xiguang shook his head repeatedly. His feelings for Su Wan had persisted since their youth, enduring even into their Celestial ascension. Time and again, openly and covertly, he had confessed his desire to become her cultivation partner, to be with her. Though he often played the carefree rogue, his devotion ran deep. Yet Su Wan never offered any response. Pressed too often, she would only smile and say, “I see him as nothing more than a dear friend. There are no other thoughts.”
Those words—“dear friend”—barred all paths for him to draw closer. Deng Xiguang never declared surrender, but neither did he press further. For two hundred years, they remained together. Though nothing had transpired between them, at least they shared each day’s company. To him, perhaps that was enough.Everyone found the thousand-year-old Ferocious Beast, the Mirage Dragon, to be a troublesome opponent—except for Su Wan, who laughed heartily upon hearing about it. "Let me go! I've been wanting to see just how powerful this Mirage Dragon is! I’m curious to see what kind of illusion it’ll conjure for me."
Deng Xiguang, however, paled at her words. "Then I should be the one to go. What’s the worst it could be—a pool of wine and a forest of meat? I’ll enjoy myself before breaking free! Maybe I’ll even meet a beauty as stunning as Jiang Shi Mei!"
The sudden mention of Li Fei plunged the group into silence. After a long pause, Baili Gelin forced a smile. "Who knows if Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan are even alive now…"
The incident they caused back then had been too massive to conceal. In the end, one was struck by the Heavenly Thunder Fire Sea, their fate unknown, while the other vanished without a trace. Over the years, their old friends could only sigh whenever the topic arose.
Noticing the somber mood, Su Wan chuckled again. "Those two don’t strike me as the short-lived type. For all we know, they’re living it up overseas. Old Deng, no need to argue—let me handle the Mirage Dragon. Just wait here."
After attaining his Immortal Body, Deng Xiguang was given the Dao Title "Bo Yi," but Su Wan found it too cumbersome and simply called him "Old Deng." In turn, he stopped using her Dao Title, "Yu Zhen," and addressed her as "Little Su."
Two centuries had passed. The slender, youthful girl of the past was now a radiant woman nearing thirty, while the brash young man had matured into a Celestial with a refined beard. "Old Deng" and "Little Su"—the affectionate nicknames carried an imperceptible distance. Deng Xiguang had never slipped up with the name, but as Su Wan turned to leave without hesitation, he blurted out in desperation, "A-Wan!"
She merely smiled at him before vanishing into the distance.
Seeing Deng Xiguang about to chase after her, Lu Li quickly stopped him, shaking his head. "Don’t go. Look at the mist shrouding the mountains—that’s the Mirage Dragon’s fog. A single touch, and you’ll never escape. If she’s confident, let’s trust her. We’ll wait here. If she doesn’t return in half an hour, I’ll go."
Deng Xiguang fell silent. Truthfully, he was no longer the reckless, ever-grinning youth he once was. Only around Su Wan did he still act the fool, as if to prove he hadn’t changed at all. Brushing off Lu Li’s hand, he steeled himself to pursue her—only for Baili Gelin to block his path.
"Let her go. She’ll be fine," Baili Gelin said, locking eyes with him. "But you? You’d die for sure. Do you really not understand why she’s going?"
Deng Xiguang was stunned. "...What do you mean?"
Baili Gelin smiled. "You’ll know when she returns. Two hundred years have passed—what’s another half hour, right?"
Deng Xiguang finally relented. For the entire half-hour, his gaze remained fixed on the distant white mist—until it suddenly dispersed, scattered by the mountain wind. The next moment, Su Wan reappeared before the group, grinning effortlessly as she held a black pearl the size of an egg, demon blood dripping from her fingers.
"Turns out the Mirage Dragon looks like a giant clam—not interesting at all." She tossed the black pearl lightly. "Here, the heart of the thousand-year-old Ferocious Beast. Told you I’d be fine. See?"Deng Xiguang moved closer to examine her carefully, confirming there wasn’t even a tiny scratch before he finally relaxed and let out a bitter laugh. "Alright, I’ll admit you’re impressive."
His mind lingered on Baili Gelin’s earlier words, hoping Su Wan would speak up about whether she had experienced any illusions and what she had seen. Yet she merely tossed the Mirage Heart to Baili Gelin with a smile, seemingly unwilling to share what had happened during that half-hour. His heart sank with disappointment and nervousness—he wanted to ask but didn’t dare.
After a long silence, he couldn’t hold back any longer and finally asked, "Xiao Su, just now… um, did that Mirage Dragon leave you with any… lingering fears?"
Su Wan frowned and chuckled. "Don’t even mention it! I never want to eat demon meat again! Just now, there were piles and piles of it, stacked as high as a mountain—it made me sick just looking at it!"
Demon meat? Deng Xiguang was stunned for a long moment before it clicked. This bold girl had always joked about wanting to try demon meat—could she really have no hidden worries at all? The thousand-year-old Ferocious Beast, the Mirage Dragon, and all she saw was a mountain of demon meat? What on earth was her heart made of?
Deng Xiguang wasn’t sure whether to marvel or despair. Baili Gelin’s words had given him a sudden glimmer of hope, but now, the disappointment that followed hurt more than never having hoped at all.
As she flew, Su Wan suddenly spoke up again. "Oh, right, Lao Deng—you were much more handsome and dashing in the illusion than in real life. Who would’ve guessed?"
He jerked to a halt, doubting his ears. "W-what did you just say?! Say it again!"
Baili Gelin had already dragged Lu Li ahead, leaving the two of them to fly slowly behind. Su Wan glanced back at him and grinned. "Lao Deng, I’ve always thought that liking someone should start at first sight—at least their appearance should stir my heart. I see you as a good friend, truly the kind of friend I could keep for a lifetime, better than anyone else. Since I didn’t take a liking to you at first glance, I always figured there was no chance. But really, who says liking someone has to start at first sight? Even you probably didn’t fancy me at first glance, right?"
Deng Xiguang’s mind was a complete mess, unable to decipher her meaning. Afraid of reading too much into it, afraid she didn’t mean what he hoped, he could only nod blankly and stare at her in confusion.
Su Wan drifted closer, tilting her head to admire his neatly trimmed beard, then flashed a grin. "So, how about this? What do you think of today’s weather? Fairly clear and sunny, right? How about we pick today to become cultivation partners?"
Deng Xiguang listened dumbly at first, but by the end, he stumbled midair, nearly plummeting to the ground. Su Wan caught him just in time, pulling him up by the arm as she laughed. "No need to panic like that—"
Before she could finish, Deng Xiguang had already wrapped her in a tight embrace, his entire body trembling. "Say… say it again," he whispered hoarsely.
Su Wan frowned. "Shouldn’t the man be the one to say these things twice? Are you an idiot?"
Deng Xiguang burst into laughter, then let out a long sigh, slapping his wrist repeatedly. "Right, right! I should’ve said it first! How did you beat me to it? That doesn’t count—let’s start over! No, no… forget it! Let’s go back first! We’ll talk properly back home!"Su Wan's laughter echoed through the mountain forests that day, marking their final and happiest moments together.
A Jiao sighed deeply as she recalled those events from years past. "They had everything prepared back then and left the Myriad Immortals Assembly brimming with confidence. It was said that the prince had been spotted near Heng Mountain, where the Divine Beast Qilin dwelled—likely he intended to hunt it down to forge a Divine Weapon. So Ge Lin and the others went to Heng Mountain. Three months later, four had gone, but only two returned. That was already far better than I had feared."
Whether Deng Xiguang and Su Wan had truly perished, A Jiao did not know. After Ge Lin returned, her emotions remained unstable, making it impossible to get any answers from her. Lu Li, gravely wounded by the Profound Splendor Fire, remained unconscious. She never saw those two again—just like Ge Lin’s elder sister and brother-in-law, who had suddenly vanished from the world, these two young Celestials of the No Moon Court disappeared without a trace.
She could never forget that late night when Baili Gelin quietly appeared before her, carrying Lu Li, who had been severely injured by the Profound Splendor Fire. Struck speechless with shock, she could only stare as Ge Lin gave her a weak smile and whispered, "Sister A Jiao, please save him. He can’t die."
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