A hero comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress.

“Demon God, the Heavenly Emperor recognizes the difficulty of cultivating the Supreme Dao and has sent me to offer you a chance to surrender. If you agree, you may come with me to the Celestial Realm, where you will be granted an official post. What do you say?” The speaker was a young man dressed in white, an air of authority in his brows. He stood upon a cloud halfway up the mountain. Below, in a mountain ravine, a middle-aged man with dark skin and handsome features lay sunbathing on a rock, arms folded behind his head. Upon hearing the voice from above, he slowly opened his eyes—eyes that were a blood-red hue.

This middle-aged man was none other than the Demon God mentioned by the youth. Two months prior, among the human cultivators, one had awakened, survived nine heavenly tribulations, and attained the Supreme Dao. Anyone who achieved such enlightenment would inevitably be chosen by the Celestial Realm and join the ranks of immortals. Yet this man showed no intention of becoming an immortal. Even when the Heavenly Emperor descended to personally offer him a title, he remained unmoved. The Celestial Realm—so coveted by mortals, many of whom died under tribulation in pursuit of this very goal—could not sway him.

Ultimately, the Heavenly Emperor let him remain in the mortal realm to continue his cultivation. During his seclusion, the man created an avatar. This avatar, rebellious by nature, caused turmoil among mortals, whom none could subdue. Though the Celestial Realm typically did not interfere in mortal affairs, the merciful Heavenly Emperor could not bear to witness such suffering. Thus, a celestial envoy was dispatched to offer peace. The avatar—let us call him that for now—had long heard tales of the Celestial Realm’s splendor. When invited, he accepted without hesitation.

Yet upon arrival, the avatar was sorely disappointed. The Celestial Realm was not as wondrous as mortals claimed. After three days of aimless wandering, he happened upon the annual martial tournament. This contest showcased the gods’ martial prowess and rewarded the victor with a Golden Pill, bestowing an additional five hundred years of cultivation—a policy meant to inspire the gods.

The avatar paused to watch the duels. In the first round, a fierce god wielding a battle lance faced a frail-looking youth in white, who bore no weapon. Yet after only two exchanges, the god was defeated. The avatar, greatly entertained, applauded. In the second round, the youth in white bested an elderly immortal with a whisk in just three moves. By inquiring, the avatar learned that this youth was named Chu Jun, a top ten celestial immortal.

For several hours, the avatar watched as no one lasted more than three rounds against Chu Jun. Even the Heavenly Emperor applauded, certain that Chu Jun would win the Golden Pill once more.

“I’ll challenge you!” A booming voice rang out, and a young man in black strode onto the arena. This was Yang Jian, also among the top ten immortals. All the gods knew of the rivalry between Yang Jian and Chu Jun. For years, Chu Jun had claimed the Golden Pill, and Yang Jian had secluded himself for three years just to redeem himself this time.

Chu Jun and Yang Jian’s duel shook the heavens and earth, but in the end, Chu Jun was defeated and left in anger. As everyone assumed the Golden Pill would fall to Yang Jian—whom few favored due to his arrogance and powerful backers—the gods could only sigh in resignation.

For reasons even he could not explain, the avatar decided to compete for the Golden Pill. Five hundred years of cultivation was a prize none could ignore. Although not yet a god, he was a guest of the Heavenly Emperor and destined for deification. No one objected, and few wished to see Yang Jian win. In the ensuing duel, the avatar defeated Yang Jian, who left seething, vowing revenge.

The next day, the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon the avatar the title of God of War, presenting him with a warrior’s torc. The investiture ceremony was officiated by a wandering immortal of the Celestial Realm, and all civil and military officials attended—except Yang Jian.

The woman who officiated the ceremony was named Zixia. From the moment the avatar first saw her, he sensed something would transpire between them—a feeling he could not explain. Though he had met countless beauties in the mortal world, none had stirred his heart as she did. From then on, he sought every opportunity to draw near to Zixia.

As they spent more time together, Zixia grew enamored of the avatar, and the two began to meet in secret. But walls have ears, and one day the secret came to light. The Heavenly Emperor learned of their affair. In the Celestial Realm, there were strict laws: gods were forbidden from private liaisons, and forbidden still more from falling for mortals. Out of leniency for the avatar’s ignorance of the rules, the Heavenly Emperor did not punish him, but imprisoned Zixia in the Hall of Supreme Harmony using the Demon-Suppressing Chains.

Enraged, the avatar stormed the Hall, rescued Zixia, and fled to the mortal world with her. The next day, tens of thousands of gods descended to capture him. Undaunted, the avatar repelled their assault and counterattacked, fighting his way back into the Celestial Realm, where none could stand against him. He then declared himself Demon God, vowing to defend their love—destroying any god or Buddha who dared oppose him.

The Heavenly Emperor, furious, ordered Yang Jian and Chu Jun to join forces and subdue the Demon God. Despite their combined strength, they could only fight him to a standstill. During the chaos, Zixia was captured and returned to the Celestial Realm, forcing the two to retreat.

With but a glance from the Demon God, the youth in white descended from the mountainside. The Demon God pointed at him, shouting, “Chu Jun, tell the Heavenly Emperor that if he does not release Zixia, I will throw the Celestial Realm into utter chaos!”

Chu Jun smiled, clasping his hands in salute. “I will relay your message. But might I ask you to step aside for a private word?”

The Demon God eyed him warily, uncertain of his intentions. Chu Jun revealed, “The Demon-Suppressing Chains are a celestial artifact, only opened with the right runes. If you agree to my condition, I will help you storm the Celestial Realm and rescue your beloved.”

Chu Jun sought the Seven Stars, legendary artifacts rumored to contain unfathomable power. Whosoever gathered them all would transcend the Three Realms and rule the heavens. He knew the Demon God, formed from the essence of enlightenment, could find them with ease. The Demon God agreed. The next day, the two assaulted the Celestial Realm, rescued Zixia, and left countless gods dead or wounded. All seemed concluded; after helping Chu Jun gather the Seven Stars, the Demon God planned to roam the world with Zixia, never again concerning himself with mortal affairs.

But unexpectedly, the cultivator emerged from seclusion. Upon learning of all that had transpired, he sought out the Demon God, and together they vanished from the mortal realm. Zixia was once more imprisoned, Chu Jun was subdued and stripped of his powers, his ambitions thwarted, and in his despair, he took his own life.

Twenty-first century. XX City.

“Let go of that girl!” My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold my gun. This criminal was too ruthless—he’d robbed nearly a hundred gold shops in half a year and left dozens dead. His name was Chu Jun, a top-level fugitive with a bounty of two million. Dealing with someone so desperate meant constant vigilance; one misstep could be fatal.

I watched as Chu Jun, holding his hostage, merged into the throngs on the crowded street. Afraid he would harm the hostage or innocent bystanders, I followed. He pressed his gun to the hostage’s head, glaring at me and coldly ordering me to drop my weapon. I complied, but as soon as I let go, Chu Jun swung his pistol toward me. I quickly reached for the backup gun at my waist.