Lone Shadow Under the Moon

The world stretches vast and boundless. Beyond lies the Great Desolation—a realm of chaos, its expanse unknown to any living being. Within lies the land where life thrives, divided into 960 domains.

Among these 960 domains, four are ancient cradles of human civilization, the birthplace of mankind. Over a hundred are untamed and perilous, newly stabilized from chaos and unfit for habitation. There are domains of demonic beasts, of cultivators, of spirits, of demons and ghosts, and of insectoid races—each with its own unique circumstances.

Among these domains lies an ordinary human territory called the Lingnan Region. Here, cultivators exist, but their system of cultivation is underdeveloped and incomplete. Demonic beasts roam, but those of noble bloodline are rare. Immortals walk the land, yet none have ascended beyond the True Immortal or Heavenly Immortal realms—never has a Golden Immortal emerged from this domain. Sects exist, but the mightiest among them is merely the Lingnan Immortal Sect, whose strongest cultivator is but a high-ranking Heavenly Immortal. There are immortal dynasties, yet they are still in their infancy, lacking even the imperial jade seal capable of suppressing the world’s fate.

To the east of this domain, not far from the Demon Region, lies a remote and impoverished place known as the Land of Immortal Legacy.

The most notable thing about the Land of Immortal Legacy is that tens of thousands of years ago, a True Immortal perished here.

No one knows exactly how the immortal died. Some say it was due to a cultivation deviation, others claim a great demon slew him, while some whisper he took his own life for love. The theories are many, but all are treated as mere tales—no one truly cares.

In the southeastern corner of the Land of Immortal Legacy, where the immortal fell, stretches a vast forest of demonic beasts spanning thousands of miles—the Hengduan Mountains.

Thanks to the immortal’s death, his immortal qi dispersed, nourishing the land. The forest flourished, teeming with demonic beasts and abundant resources. If there is one place in the Land of Immortal Legacy worth mentioning for its riches, it is this forest.

Naturally, the Hengduan Mountains, rich in resources, drew the attention of cultivators. Many sects were founded here, relying on the forest for their cultivation.

Among these sects was one called the Dao Sword Sect.

The Dao Sword Sect was founded 20,000 years ago by a Great Ascension cultivator named Chen Daojian.

Over the millennia, the sect rose and fell. There were times of glory when it ranked among the foremost in the Land of Immortal Legacy, and times of decline when only a handful of disciples remained. Yet, it endured to this day.

Now, under the leadership of its current sect master, Gu Yueming, the Dao Sword Sect has annihilated Zhican Valley—once hailed as the foremost sect in the Land of Immortal Legacy—to the north, and vanquished the Boundless Sword Sect—renowned as the premier sword sect—to the south. Through relentless effort and careful governance, the sect has risen to become the undisputed strongest in the Land of Immortal Legacy.

It has also expelled the demonic organization known as "Fate" and forged an alliance with the Xuan Qin Dynasty, establishing the first immortal dynasty in the Land of Immortal Legacy.

Gu Yueming could be called great. Among the hundreds of sect masters in the Dao Sword Sect’s history, he stands at the forefront. The Dao Sword Sect itself could be called great, for it has unified and integrated the tens of thousands of sects that have risen and fallen in the Land of Immortal Legacy, ushering them into a new era.

The Land of Immortal Legacy will soon be renamed the Xuan Qin Dynasty, and the Dao Sword Sect will become its state religion—the foremost sect in the land.

The Dao Sword Sect, the premier sect of the Xuan Qin Dynasty, is divided into four great peaks: Master Peak, Sword Peak, Qi Peak, and Dan Peak. Each is formidable enough to dominate a region on its own, and each occupies its own towering mountain.

Among them, Dan Peak is dedicated to the study of alchemy. Yet, atop Dan Peak, there is a well-known forbidden rumor: in the restricted area at the summit dwells a stunningly beautiful five-tailed fox demon, exceptionally skilled in formations, with a fondness for arranging peach trees into arrays.

Every spring, she emerges from the forbidden area to plant peach trees across Dan Peak. Many disciples have caught glimpses of her enchanting figure, haunted by her beauty in their dreams.

Over the years, she has filled the mountain with peach blossoms.

Dan Peak is the holy land of alchemy in the Land of Immortal Legacy, yet it is also home to a fox demon who plants peach trees everywhere, weaving formations across the mountain. These formations have inconvenienced many on Dan Peak.

Outsiders cannot understand why the fox demon is allowed to act so freely.

But the disciples of Dan Peak know the reason: the peak’s leader, Zhang Junyi, is infatuated with her.

Speaking of Zhang Junyi, he is a figure worthy of admiration.

When he took over Dan Peak, it was in decline. Through his efforts alone, he rescued it from crisis, guiding it from obscurity to prosperity, until it stood equal to the other three great peaks of the Dao Sword Sect.

He pioneered the concept of structured spiritual herbs, using formulaic ratios to teach alchemy, allowing even those with mediocre talent to walk the path of pill refining. He invented the water-based spiritual planting technique, freeing alchemists from their dependence on spiritual soil and advancing the alchemy of the Land of Immortal Legacy by leaps and bounds.

He also established a sword cultivator unit called the Dragon-Tiger Assault Team to ensure the safety of Dan Peak’s alchemists.

As for the feud between Zhang Junyi and Li An, the Dao Sword Sect’s Sword Enforcement Elder who also hails from Dan Peak, their love-hate relationship is a topic of endless fascination among the cultivators of the Xuan Qin Dynasty.

Ask anyone in the Xuan Qin Dynasty about Zhang Junyi, and they will have something to say.

Yet, for all his greatness, this Dan Peak leader is hopelessly in love with a mere five-tailed fox demon—a fact many find baffling.

Another spring arrives.

On a night of the full moon, halfway up Dan Peak, Zhang Junyi ascends the western tower alone.

Leaning against the railing, he gazes down the mountain under the moonlight.

Below, bathed in silver light, lies a sea of peach blossoms.

At the edge of the peach grove, a graceful figure tosses aside her hoe and picks up the last peach sapling. She places its roots into a freshly dug hole, steadying the young tree with one hand while scooping soil back into the pit with the other.

Once the earth is packed firmly, she waters it with Dan Peak’s specially brewed Spirit Water No. 18.

With this, the last peach tree is planted.

She discards the hoe and ladle, staring blankly at the sapling.

Every inch of Dan Peak that could hold a peach tree now does. Her formations have reached their limit.

This is the last tree.

But the one she waits for has yet to come.

Deep down, she has always known.

When he left without her, she knew he would not return. When she stood by and did nothing during Liu Daoji’s purge, she knew she could never again be close to him. When she entered Dan Peak, she knew his heart already belonged to another.

Yet she came. She stayed. She planted peach trees until the mountain was covered in blossoms.

Understanding is one thing; letting go is another.

Under the cold moonlight, she gazes at the peach blossoms.

Under the same moon, a solitary figure watches her.

Beyond this tree stretches an endless sea of peach blossoms, their petals dyed in countless hues.

A gust of wind swept through, sending peach blossoms of various hues swirling into the air. Above, the moonlight pooled like clear water, bathing the petals in its glow, creating an ethereal romance. The fragrance of flowers filled the air—so rich, so intoxicating.

There were many trees, countless petals, an abundance of moonlight, and an overwhelming scent of blossoms. Yet, there was only one person present.

"It ends here."

Under the moonlight, amidst the peach grove, someone sighed.

"Is this really it?" From the shadows of the pavilion, a voice murmured to itself.

A graceful figure stood bathed in moonlight, her fingers loosening the ribbon in her hair, letting her cascading locks flutter freely in the wind. She stepped lightly upon the petals, rising weightlessly into the moonlit sky. Her plain robes shimmered and transformed, becoming a pristine white gown, as radiant as the moonlight itself.

In the shadows of the pavilion, another figure clenched their fingers into a secret hand seal, their expression flickering between uncertainty and resolve.

Some say that forcing a melon from the vine won’t make it sweet. But at this moment, he didn’t care whether the melon was sweet—he only wanted to quench his thirst. He just wanted to pluck it from the vine.

The figure beneath the moon glanced back once at the peach grove, then, with finality, turned and chased the moonlight into the sky.

From the pavilion, a surge of spell-light flared in the figure’s grasp. They stepped forward, planting a foot on the railing, their magic aimed at the celestial silhouette in the air.

One pursued the moonlight, while the other descended into darkness, chasing after that immortal shadow…

And just at that moment, someone stepped through the Dao Sword Sect’s mountain-protecting formation and walked inside.

The figure in the pavilion sensed his presence, their face paling as the glow of their spell flickered out. They hastily retreated into the shadows.

The figure in the sky sensed him too, their expression shifting between joy and sorrow, eyes glistening with unshed tears. Yet, amidst the moonlight and drifting clouds, they halted.

On Master Peak, those who knew of his arrival tensed, their gazes fixed intently upon him.

He strode into the familiar grounds of the Dao Sword Sect, stepping effortlessly through the air until he hovered above the peach grove of Dan Peak. There, he paused, wearing a gentle smile—one that chilled his enemies and soothed his allies. Tilting his head, he gazed at the graceful figure in the sky and asked softly, "I’m going to the Heavenly Sea Domain. Will you come with me?"

"You’re not him," the figure in the sky replied.

The man above the peach grove did not deny it. Instead, he simply confirmed, "So the answer is no?"

The figure among the clouds and moonlight remained silent.

After a long pause, the man above the peach grove nodded in understanding. Then, he turned and began walking back the way he had come.

"Wait!"

The figure in the sky suddenly turned, descending from the heavens until they stood amidst the peach blossoms. They studied that delicate, long-missed face, that familiar smile, and step by step, drew closer to him.

"Let’s go," he said.

Beneath the bright moon, he took her hand, and together, they walked out of the Dao Sword Sect.

The Heavenly Sea Domain’s avatar, along with Tushan Youyou, boarded the teleportation array of the "Fate" organization, journeying together to the Seven Isles of the Heavenly Sea Domain. Carrying the title of the last survivor of the Land of Immortal Legacy from the "Fate" organization, they embarked on a story that belonged solely to them.