CHAPTER 1

Hey everyone! This is my first time translating a cultivation novel, so please bear with me if some terms aren't 100% accurate. I’ve been researching to get everything right, but I’m still learning. Thanks for reading!

[Note: Since the female lead is crossdressing, I will use she/her pronouns during her internal monologues and POV. However, I will use he/him when the story is told from the perspective of other characters who believe she is a man.]

— Descended from the Sky — 

As the disciple of Chonghua Sect's leader, Fairy Ye, and an outstanding talent among the younger generation of the cultivation world, Senior Brother Su Yan, whose heart is as lofty as the sky and whose beauty rivals flowers, has a little-known secret—Senior Brother Su, ranked among the top three in the female cultivators' "Most Desirable Partner Rankings," is actually an unmistakable woman!

And this secret, apart from her birth mother and her master, is known to no one else in the entire world.

—Oh, now, it's likely that a fourth person is about to find out.

Everyone, please hold your breath and watch closely—

"Aaahhh..."

"Splash!"

"Whoosh—"

Excellent, let's rewind the footage and have the commentator explain those onomatopoeic sounds.

The astonishing soprano scream continued unabated and, with impeccable precision, landed squarely in the hot spring atop Mount Luoxia , startling the unsuspecting Su Yan. Instinctively, she drew her ever-present Changhong Sword and thrust it forward.

Perhaps the dense mist obscured her vision, or perhaps her panic affected her aim, but the usually flawless swordsmanship of the esteemed Su Zhenren failed to leave even a scratch on the intruder this time. Instead, she nearly exposed her slender and graceful figure.

T/N: [In the context of Chinese cultivation (both in Daoist philosophy and modern fantasy fiction), Zhenren (真人, zhēnrén) translates to "True Person," "Authentic Person," or "Perfected Person.]

With the first strike unsuccessful, she did not press the attack. She withdrew her sword, silently recited an incantation, and a black robe flew out from her storage pouch, enveloping her perfectly and concealing her delicate curves.

Having calmed her initial panic, she returned to her usual cold and composed demeanor as the top prodigy of Chonghua. Su Yan leisurely adjusted her collar, fastened the Purple Gold Flame Dragon Jade she had worn since childhood, and, holding her sword, gazed down coldly at the mysterious object that had fallen from the sky.

Long eyebrows, cherry-like lips—though her body was submerged in the water and unclear, it was certain she was a woman.

Her attire was strange and revealing, yet not gaudy like that of a courtesan. Not a trace of cultivation aura could be sensed from her. She seemed no different from an ordinary person—this was what puzzled Su Yan the most. Chonghua Sect was far removed from the mortal world, and Luoxia Peak was designated a forbidden area, surrounded by layers of restrictive spells. Even disciples and elders of the sect could not set foot here without the sect leader's decree and her own permission, let alone ordinary people. How, then, had this seemingly powerless woman managed to enter?

She hadn't even sensed the slightest fluctuation in the restrictive spells. Could this woman have truly appeared out of thin air?

Watching the other slowly sink into the water, Su Yan pondered silently, with no intention of rescuing her.

This person's origins were unknown, and she could very well be a spy sent by another faction. Moreover, she might have already uncovered Su Yan's true identity. In that case, she could not be allowed to live!

However... Su Yan slightly furrowed her brows—a gesture typically suited to someone as delicate as Lin Daiyu, but on her, it carried no hint of fragility. Instead, it added a touch of cold, handsome charm, making her features so breathtakingly beautiful that it was hard to discern her gender.

Fortunately, she had worn the Purple Gold Flame Dragon Jade for years, which concealed her yin energy and confused perception. Otherwise, how could her identity as a woman have escaped the sharp eyes of so many senior experts?

Su Yan, accustomed to being cold-bl0oded, had never been one to show kindness and save someone who might pose a threat. Yet, as she watched the pale, unconscious woman slowly sink into the hot spring, she felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest—an indescribable emotion that led her to make a decision that would change her life forever. With a flick of her fingers, she lifted the woman out of the water and flung her onto the shore.

Perhaps her junior martial brother would know this woman's origins... Besides, if she died, wouldn't she dirty the place where Su Yan bathed? With this thought, Su Yan whistled, summoning her beloved pet—a crimson Zhubo horse. She had it carry the woman on its back, ignoring the reluctant growls of her cherished steed, and then mounted her sword, flying toward Chonghua Sect's main peak, Qiuye [Autumn Leaf] Peak. 

T/N: [Zhubo is a mythical beast (usually a horse-like creature whose hair color is a blend of yellow and red.)]

Jiya, who thought it was food delivered right to its mouth, but instead it had to do hard labor. It snorted loudly, its large, bell-like eyes sweeping over the woman lying wet on the ground. It deluded itself with disdain: 'Hmph, skin and bones, plain-looking—definitely not tasty! Eating her would give me diarrhea! Fine, I won't eat her! This Great One don't care anyway...' Swallowing back the drool that had welled up, it saw its master's figure already disappearing into the overlapping mountain ranges. It bit onto the woman's clothes, flipped her onto its back, let out a long neigh toward the sky, and soared into the air to chase after him.

In the current world of cultivation, sects are numerous and diverse, but standing at the pinnacle are the Five Righteous Sects and the Three Demonic Sects.

The Five Righteous Sects are led by Chonghua, followed by Tianyin Temple, Qianyu Sect, Nishang Valley, and Bingyan Island.

The Three Demonic Sects are led by Tianmo Sect, followed by Xiaoyao Sect and Wangui Sect.

A thousand years ago, the demonic sects produced an unparalleled tyrant, Leng Nie, who subdued the three great sects, founded the Hentian [Hate Heaven] Alliance, and led countless demonic cultivators in a massive slaughter of righteous sect disciples. For a time, corpses littered the land, bl0od flowed like rivers, lives were devastated, and cries of suffering filled the air.

At that time, Chonghua's leader, Gui Hongzi, united the five great sects to resist the demonic sects, sparking an earth-shattering battle.

The conflict lasted for three full months, ending with Leng Nie and Gui Hongzi perishing together and the demonic sects collapsing in defeat.

The Hentian Alliance splintered from then on, with the three great sects each governing themselves, scheming against one another, greatly reducing their threat to the righteous sects. However, the righteous sects also suffered heavy losses in this battle. Besides Chonghua losing its leader, Tianyin Temple's Grand Elder was severely injured and passed away, Qianyu Sect's guardian divine beast was downgraded by one level, Nishang Valley's master entered seclusion for a hundred years, and Bingyan Island's master suffered damage to his vitality, making it difficult for his cultivation to advance further.

Since then, the conflict between the demonic and righteous sects has evolved from a struggle of principles into a bl0od feud, entangled and unending, a fight to the death.

Chonghua, also known as the Chonghua Sword Sect, is famous for its swordsmanship, which is why it firmly holds the top position among the five sects.

Cultivators seek to seize the fortunes of Heaven and defy the natural order through diverse paths: Body-Forging, Elemental Arts, Soul-Refining, or Artifact-Wielding. Yet, among all these paths, the Sword Cultivator stands as an absolute outlier.

Sword cultivators spend their entire lives refining only one lifebound sword, nurturing the sword with their soul and tempering their soul with the sword. No matter how many tricks others may have, they hold only one sword in hand, advancing courageously and shattering all techniques.

Compared to ordinary cultivators, sword cultivators find it harder to advance in cultivation. They are plagued by murderous intent and entangled by obsessions, but sword cultivators of the same level are often exceptionally powerful, even capable of challenging those above their level. Most people are unwilling to provoke them lightly.

After the passing of the former leader Gui Hongzi, following his final wishes, his youngest direct disciple, Fairy Ye Zhiqiu, succeeded him as the leader of Chonghua, becoming the sixty-ninth leader since the sect's founding and the only female leader.

Gui Hongzi had hundreds of disciples, nineteen of whom were "Personal Disciples," but only seven were "Direct Lineage True Disciples." Four of them had died in the Great War a thousand years ago.

As Gui Hongzi's youngest true disciple, Ye Zhiqiu possessed the highest cultivation, was humble and gentle, and excelled in both virtue and talent. Her succession as leader was natural. Under her leadership, Chonghua's strength grew steadily, and its position as the top among the five sects was well-deserved.

In Chonghua, there is a widely known truth, even more deeply ingrained than the sect rules: Better to offend the Sect leader than to offend Su Yan!

Offending the Sect leader is a minor matter, as the leader is broad-minded and upright and will not hold it against you. But if you offend Senior Brother Su Yan, then you'd better clean your neck and wait!

What? You mention "The Law"? Senior Brother Su Yan will show you what the law truly means!

Those who admit their mistakes sincerely might at worst have their limbs broken and spend half a year bedridden. Those who refuse to cooperate are directly thrown to his beloved pet as a snack. Who in Chonghua Sect doesn't know that Senior Brother Su Yan's mount is an ancient ferocious beast—the Zhubo—personally captured by the Sect leader from the Cangliao Secret Realm? The number of disciples who have met their end in its jaws is no less than a thousand, and even the law enforcement elders turn a blind eye. Who would dare provoke such a force?

Thus, when the Chonghua disciples, gathered in small groups—some practicing, some slacking, some simply daydreaming—saw the crimson beast soaring menacingly through the sky, they scattered in a panic. Without a word, they mustered every ounce of strength to flee, perhaps even surpassing the effort they exerted during the sect's internal competitions.

Jiya, who had initially harbored some dissatisfaction, felt an immense sense of satisfaction upon seeing the disciples scatter like startled birds and beasts. Proudly raising its head, it let out a triumphant roar before leisurely descending toward the main peak of Chonghua—Qiuye Peak.

Outside the side hall, Jiuhan [Nine Cold] Palace, stood a row of disciples in cyan robes. Upon seeing Jiya, they hastily lowered their heads, fearing that this living embodiment of the King of Hell might turn to them if it grew hungry. As a result, no one noticed the woman on its back.

Like other mystical sects, Chonghua had always placed great emphasis on hierarchy and seniority, with deeply ingrained class distinctions.

Disciples were divided into three categories: gray-robed registered disciples, cyan-robed inner disciples, and white-robed personal disciples.

As for the peak masters and their most favored direct disciples, who represented the highest echelons of power, they naturally stood outside these strict classifications and dressed according to their personal preferences.

These cyan-robed disciples had already entered the middle ranks of Chonghua as inner disciples. Once chosen by a master to become personal disciples, their futures would be bright and boundless. Yet, in the presence of Su Yan's beloved mount, they could only bow their heads in submission, a testament to its lofty status and fearsome reputation within Chonghua. Few dared to defy it.

Jiuhan Palace, the side hall of Qiuye Peak, served as the residence for successive Chonghua sect leaders. Its security was as tight as that of the main hall, Qingming [Clear Bright] Palace, where official matters were discussed, and unauthorized individuals were strictly forbidden to approach.

For Jiya, however, entering Jiuhan Palace required no announcement. It moved through the halls as effortlessly as if it were its own home, unimpeded and unopposed, heading straight for the inner chambers.

Just as it entered the courtyard, it heard its master's clear, spring-like voice: "Jiya."

"Owoo~" Sensing a hint of displeasure in the tone, Jiya let out a submissive growl and immediately trotted eagerly toward the room from which the voice had come.

Ever perceptive, Jiya caught a glimpse of its master's indifferent gaze and felt a tremor in its heart. It unceremoniously dumped the woman from its back onto the ground and bounded toward the elegant woman seated in the main chair, rubbing against her and licking her affectionately. This elicited a light chuckle from her.

This ancient ferocious beast, acting like a spoiled and adorable pet, went all out to please her master, much to Su Yan's disdain. Unable to bear the sight, she scolded sharply, "Enough of this insolence!"

Hearing its master's angry rebuke, Jiya remained unperturbed. Instead, it widened its watery eyes, looking as if it were about to cry, its expression vivid and almost speaking volumes.

The woman appeared to be around thirty years old, with features as delicate as a painting and an ethereal, fairy-like aura. A gentle, serene smile graced her lips, her elegance restrained and profound—truly embodying the phrase "as serene as a chrysanthemum."

She reached out and stroked Jiya's ears. As it purred contentedly from its throat, she spoke softly to Su Yan, "Yan'er, don't blame Jiya."

Su Yan shot a cold, piercing glare at the oblivious Jiya, who was blissfully unaware of the impending danger, but obediently nodded and bowed respectfully, "Yes, Master."

The woman seated above was Su Yan's master, the Sect leader of Chonghua—Ye Zhiqiu.

"And this woman..." Su Yan glanced at the motionless woman lying on the ground, furrowing her brows as she sought instruction.

"Hmm... let her stay." Ye Zhiqiu's gentle gaze lingered on the woman for a moment before slowly spreading into an elegant smile. She lightly tapped the armrest with her index finger and called out toward the door, "Bring Ding Ding here."

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