Finally, gathering courage, he asked cautiously, "Goddess, Prince Xuan completely disregarded you. They were so disrespectful… why did you let them go?"
Xi Jiuge remained calm, sitting before her dressing mirror. Not long ago, she had spent four painstaking hours preparing her hair crown and makeup. Now, she meticulously removed each ornament, undoing every golden pin and delicate adornment.
"The other woman appeared just once," Xi Jiuge said softly. "And the groom followed her away. It’s already shameful enough. If I had stopped them, would a fight have broken out in the wedding hall?"
Yujue knelt, taking the crown from her, struggling to find words.
Xi Jiuge and Ji Shaoyu were the celestial realm’s perfect couple—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, harmonious. Even amid family turmoil, Xi Jiuge’s loyalty had never wavered. Was there a more enchanting love story in the heavens?
Yet the groom abandoned her at the altar, eloping with a witch who paled in every way compared to Xi Jiuge. He confessed that he tried, but he simply could not love her.
Yujue’s heart throbbed in disbelief. How could this be?
Xi Jiuge dismantled the jewelry with ruthless precision, coldly tossing her exquisite adornments onto the table. Yujue could not help but glance at her reflection in the mirror. The woman before him was a vision of perfection: crescent-shaped eyebrows, eyes like autumn waves, a high nose bridge, sharp yet delicate features, and lips full and precise. Her eyes flickered with a faint golden light, soulful yet unreadable.
Even after years of familiarity, Yujue felt his heart race. He quickly averted his gaze, murmuring the Heart Cleansing Mantra to calm himself. Yet indignation surged within him. Such captivating eyes, such beauty… even a mortal man would falter before a goddess of her stature.
But those eyes held no warmth, no trace of emotion. Pity and awe mingled within him, and he chastised himself for daring to comment on a goddess of such unparalleled nobility.
The full name of the Goddess of Purity was Xi Jiuge. Her surname, Xi, was rare—descended from Xihe, the Sun Mother.
Xihe was one of creation’s earliest deities. After Pangu formed the world, she emerged as one of its first gods. She married Dijun, giving birth to ten suns, becoming the undisputed Sun Mother.
The sun itself was the source of power across the three realms, vital for life, and central to the most sacred rituals. Yet, during a catastrophic war, Houyi shot down nine of the ten suns, leaving only one. Xihe, gravely injured, gave birth and entrusted her child to the Queen Mother of the West, sacrificing herself in the process. Her spirit dissipated, leaving the celestial realm forever changed.
Before the Great War, Emperor Jun had shaped the universe, Xihe birthed ten suns, Changxi twelve moons, Nuwa created humanity, and Fuxi brought fire to the world. The gods’ powers permeated heaven and earth. But the war shattered this era. Emperor Jun fell while sealing the Demon Pillar, Nuwa exhausted herself repairing the heavens, Fuxi’s divine might waned, and Xihe perished. The glorious age of creation ended.
Surviving gods still commanded elemental forces, but their powers were diminished. Five Celestial Emperors ruled the realms—the Eastern Blue Emperor Fuxi, the Western White Emperor Shaohao, the Northern Black Emperor Zhuanxu, the Southern Red Emperor Shennong, and the Central Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan. The Central Yellow Emperor was the strongest, yet even these great rulers could not restore the world to its former glory.
Aristocratic families eyed Xihe’s unborn child, for possession of her divine lineage promised unrivaled power. Yet the Queen Mother of the West safeguarded the child with vigilance, preserving a delicate balance across the realms.
Two thousand years ago, the divine artifact shattered, and a goddess emerged from Kunlun’s Jade Pool—a young girl named Jiuge. In accordance with Xihe’s final wishes, the Queen Mother of the West raised her as her own disciple, instilling wisdom, power, and the dignity befitting one of the most noble beings in existence.
After Xi Jiuge was born, the entire Three Realms trembled with anticipation. She and the sun—the life-giving force upon which the realms depend—shared the same mother, Xihe. Yet while the sun was immense and powerful, it lacked intelligence. Guided daily by a three-legged golden crow, it rose in the east and set in the west without thought. Xi Jiuge, however, was born human, a living, breathing embodiment of her mother’s divine essence.
The gods’ expectations were immense. All sought to exploit any weakness, to sway Xi Jiuge to their side. Her father’s identity remained a mystery, but this mattered little. As the daughter of the God of Creation and the personal disciple of the Queen Mother of the West, her maternal lineage alone ensured her unmatched nobility. None dared to question it—not even the mighty White Emperor Shaohao.
Shaohao, son of the Supreme God Dijun, personally visited Yaochi. Upon meeting Xi Jiuge, he was captivated, treating her as his own sister, sparking celebration across the heavens. Taoist temples from all corners offered congratulations, and the Five Celestial Emperors jointly conferred upon her the title of Bright and Pure Goddess. Even Empress Xuan came in person, bringing the Crown Prince Ji Shaoyu to honor her.
From that moment, Xi Jiuge’s fame radiated across the realms. Gods and immortals alike recognized a goddess of exceptional rank, noble lineage, and formidable connections. Daughter of the creator Xihe, younger sister to White Emperor Shaohao, disciple of the Queen Mother of the West—she embodied the legacy of Dongyi and Kunlun alike. Her future seemed predetermined: to inherit the Queen Mother’s temple, with her husband ascending alongside her.
Even without consideration, suitors would flock to her. Heaven had gifted her not only noble birth, but unmatched beauty and unparalleled talent. She inherited Xihe’s fire powers and mastered the immortal arts under the Queen Mother’s guidance. Where sunlight shone, rumor said, the Bright and Pure Goddess was invincible.
Yet, despite her perfection, only one man was destined to win her heart—Ji Shaoyu. A hundred years after her awakening, the two childhood sweethearts became engaged, their bond celebrated by all. Empress Xuan herself visited Kunlun to bless their union, fostering the connection between the young goddess and the Crown Prince.
But as years passed, fate proved cruel. Ji Shaoyu’s heart strayed elsewhere. Yu Jue, still grappling with disbelief, whispered, “The goddess is perfect in every way… so why would Crown Prince Xuan abandon her for a secret union with a witch?”
At the wedding, Ji Shaoyu did precisely that. He left Xi Jiuge before countless guests. In the celestial realm, where reputations were sacred, news of this betrayal would spread across the Great Wilderness within three days.
Xi Jiuge’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile as she addressed the reflection in her mirror. “Yes… why?” Her tone was calm, unshaken. Yu Jue, watching her, held his tongue, sensing the depth of her composure.
Xi Jiuge’s smile—gentle, serene, elegant—was the face the realms had known for two thousand years. Always poised, always graceful, never loud, never impetuous. Yu Jue exhaled in relief, believing he had misread her.
When Yujue approached to retrieve the golden crown, Xi Jiuge stopped her. “Leave it here. The prince chose this style himself. Let it remind you that he once accompanied me.”
Yujue was furious. “Goddess! Your lineage rivals that of the Xuan Emperor’s prince! How can you endure such humiliation? Tomorrow, I will appeal to the White Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West to intervene!”
Xi Jiuge responded lightly, almost dismissively, “He is the prince. Do not presume to interfere. I will overlook this today, but next time, show respect. You may go.”
Yujue, seething with indignation yet powerless, departed, still muttering about the goddess’s folly. Only after the hall emptied did Xi Jiuge sit quietly, contemplating the golden crown.
Her fingers traced the phoenix inlaid upon it, golden fire flickering along her skin—gentle as a caress, yet scorching enough to melt and vaporize the gold. The crown Ji Shaoyu had selected vanished in an instant, leaving only the reflection in the mirror: serene, controlled, yet frighteningly calm. Deep within her eyes lingered a darkness, an all-consuming abyss beneath a surface that burned with sunlight.
To the world, she was flawless: noble, disciplined, kind, gentle. Yet perfection was her flaw. Xi Jiuge had no heart. She had awakened from Yaochi devoid of emotion, incapable of true love, hate, or resentment. She could perceive feelings, but not feel them.
Her life was a study in imitation, always doing the “right thing,” always the ideal wife described in storybooks. Yet even the perfect adherence to this ideal could not bind Ji Shaoyu’s heart. The question haunted her: if she could embody love, virtue, and devotion perfectly, why had he broken their engagement?
As she stared at her reflection, hurried footsteps shattered the stillness. Yu Cong entered without ceremony. Bowing deeply, he reported, “Goddess, terrible news. Word has arrived from South Heaven—Di Hanguang has defeated the Red Emperor and seized the Red Emperor’s Seal.”
Xi Jiuge’s heart sank. The Emperor’s Seal was the celestial court’s most sacred artifact. Its capture signaled grave danger. One man had dared challenge three Heavenly Emperors in succession. What kind of monster could achieve this?
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