Having cultivated myself into an immortal, all I want to do is raise female disciples.

The sky was stained with blood, a crimson more intense than any vibrant red flower in the world.

slam-la-

rain.

The liquid falling from the sky lashed wildly and chaotically onto the girl's body.

That wasn't rain.

As the girl's pure white feathered robes began to bloom, one after another, brilliantly vibrant crimson flowers emerged. Her delicate body resembled a desolate mountain range, covered with these flowers.

Flowers and leaves never meet, the stamens and roots are like arrows of blood.

The blood petals, separated by a single point, resemble sharp swords, rising up in a way that looks just like a crimson blood platform.

The girl knew that this flower was called the Other Shore Flower, and that the red-faced Other Shore Flower was the flower of the ninefold purgatory, symbolizing death and pain.

Gradually—

Her white clothes were now stained crimson with blood; the pure white garment had been transformed into a blood-stained shirt, and thick drops of blood dripped from beneath her skirt.

"I'm……"

The girl gazed at herself emerging from the mirror; in her extremely dark eyes, she saw herself dressed in blood.

"magic……"

She murmured, bewildered.

The hand that had been gripping her neck had somehow loosened, but a deep red handprint remained on what should have been a snow-white neck.

Duan Xingchen, emerging from the mirror, gave the girl an indescribable smile and cupped her face in his hands.

"Yes, you are a demon."

She looked around, as if she wanted to show the girl the whole scene.

"Look...this is where you were born."

"here……"

The girl looked around.

As far as the eye could see, there was a scene of indescribable purgatory.

Blood rain from the sky fell onto her azure hair, turning her cascading black hair completely red.

She saw in the distance, a city built of stark white bones.

She saw the corpses at her feet, their rotting flesh covering the lifeless ground.

She saw the scattered remnants of souls drifting in the sky, screaming and wailing, wandering aimlessly, rushing about wildly, trying to escape from this broken and unbearable pain.

She also saw that the dead earth had been opened up, and out of it surged waves of blood like rivers and seas.

That was blood flowing from the cut... scarlet, dark red, so thick it seemed like once you stepped into it, you couldn't escape...

Towering waves, earth-shaking tides.

It submerged that tall city of bones.

"What's this……?"

The girl didn't understand.

She couldn't understand why she was seeing this horrific, hellish scene.

But Duan Xingchen in the mirror answered her question.

"This is where you were born—"

"Xu Yuan".

The girl stared intently at the wave of blood rolling towards her, wanting to run, but unable to escape.

Her cheeks were being held up by those hands, and she couldn't break free.

"Xu Yuan..."

“Yes.” A smile appeared on Duan Xingchen’s face. She reached out and stroked the girl’s cheek, her eyes gazing as if admiring a masterpiece: “Your face was forged from the skins of three thousand demons from the Void Abyss—”

The hand slowly slid down to her chest and gently stroked the area where her heart was.

"Your heart is formed from the demon cores of thirty thousand demons—"

The hand gradually moved down, slowly moving—

"Your arms were forged from the spiritual roots of seven thousand demons—"

"Your legs are bound by the veins of thirteen thousand demons—"

"Your body was made from the internal organs of 21,000 demons—"

Immediately afterwards, that cold hand moved to the girl's lower abdomen.

"Your spiritual root is formed from the essence and blood of forty-six thousand demons—"

"Your meridians were formed from the mummified corpses of 55,000 demons—"

"Your soul is derived from the souls of one hundred thousand demons—"

"To allow you to bear the blood of the ancient demon, countless kin were sacrificed for your birth, and your parents gave everything for it..."

"And you—"

Duan Xingchen grabbed the girl's shoulder and pulled her in front of him, forcing her to stare into his dark eyes.

She seemed to loathe the girl deeply, and angrily cursed, "How utterly ridiculous to care about that so-called saintly body!"

"If it weren't for the Holy Feather Sect Master's astonishing supernatural powers, which suppressed your innate demonic body, you would have fallen into demonic possession the day you were born. Why would so many complicated matters have arisen?!"

"Look at this river of blood, look at this city of bones, look at this land of corpses! See clearly—this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood was formed because of you!"

"You can have other identities. You can be a cultivator of a certain sect, you can be a shop owner, or you can even be a street performer, but you cannot forget your roots and your destiny."

"You are a demon! You are an ancient demon! Once awakened, you will return to your origins and fulfill your mission!"

"Now--"

Duan Xingchen gazed at the girl and asked her one last question—

Tell me, who are you?

who am I?

The girl heard the question again.

Who exactly is she?

The Holy Maiden of the Holy Feather Sect?

A demon possessing the blood of an ancient demon?

She began to not understand.

One is the most fundamental thing, her innate destiny.

One is the name she received from others after experiencing the world.

Which one should she choose?

In a moment of hesitation—

The towering sea of ​​blood had already churned up surging waves, completely engulfing the girl in blood.

In this ocean, a symbol of death and suffering, the girl slowly spoke—

"I'm……"

"The demon race..."

Shut your mouth!!

Suddenly, the young man's voice rang in the girl's ears.

But... it's different from the voice of the man before.

This time, the sound...

very familiar.

A shadow seemed to appear before her eyes.

A shadow she had forgotten for a long time, yet had always wanted to chase after.

I've been your older brother for so many years, even if we're not blood-related, you still have to listen to me!

The young man looked...very anxious.

"Come with me now, Star, be a good boy!"

Even if you stay, the sect leader won't be happy. Now that the demons are attacking, your safety must be guaranteed!

Come with me now! This world keeps turning no matter who dies, but you absolutely cannot die! If you die, my world will just stop turning!

Come with me, come with me quickly...

puff-

There was a sound of something piercing flesh.

At that moment, the girl remembered.

The shadow I've always wanted to see, the shadow I've always wanted to remember, the shadow I've lost.

The figure that stood in front of him, its flesh pierced by countless black thorns, even its spiritual root pierced, its entire body riddled with bloody holes.

Duan Xingyao's figure.

【Stars…】

You must survive...

【must……】

"Oh, I made a promise with you."

…………