Story Context:

- Seungwan and Joohyun as immortals of two different worlds. Inspired by numerous xianxia dramas (ashes of love, ten miles of peach blossom etc) 

- A teacher/disciple relationship between immortals

- Perhaps a prequel to two drabbles I have written before: Untainted and Timeless, Tireless, Endless

Stars in the sky flickered incessantly. The moon’s glow had taken on a crimson hue, dyeing the night sky bloodred. The cries of the shadow phoenix reverberated through the sky, as if meeting its demise.  

She is finally born.

A voice whispered in her head.

I am aware. Come what may, the world is prepared for her.  

The being who had been as still as a rock responded to the voice.

For the next four thousand years, the being reclused in intensive cultivation, detaching herself from worldly affairs. Throes of war and suffering, emotions of love and betrayal, celebrations of birth and pains of departure, none of which mattered to her then. Immortal Seungwan’s mind was an impenetrable fortress, no feelings would evoke sadness nor joy from her, no earth-shattering news could shake her heart or ripple her soul. There was only tranquillity within her. Four thousand years of intense cultivation was required to ready her for what was to come.

Four thousand years. Waves of new immortals were added to the ranks, and even more has departed. However, one thing remained constant, the position of highest prestige was reserved only for Immortal Seungwan, the Goddess of Balance. Immortal Seungwan was a god of the highest calibre, created of the purest energy, and manifested in the minds of every individual. She lorded over all other gods including the Heavenly Emperor and the Gods of War. Balance was the apex of all life and without it, all life will eventually be doomed. There were murmurs around the heavenly court of her suspected demise and there was much apprehension.

“Where is Immortal Seungwan? Are the rumours true? Has she truly passed on and returned to the arms of greater life?”

“It is true, the Goddess of Balance’s aura has completely dissipated! She is no more!”

“We need a new God of Balance, else all six realms will be thrown in disarray and all lives will perish!”

Wars ensued, a handful of immortals from the heavenly realm had gone rogue as they vied for the title of the God of Balance.

Immortal Seungwan’s disciples, all of whom were accomplished gods themselves, were enraged and vowed to find out the perpetrators who incited such rumours. They were almost certain it was the underworlders. Afterall, their teacher’s disappearance coincided with the night of the blood moon, which signified the appearance of a formidable individual in the underworld. The disciples, unaware that all these were within their teacher’s calculations, searched the most seclusive corners of all six realms for their beloved master. All was but in vain. In fact, Immortal Seungwan might have truly dissipated as she was no longer in her physical form, weaving the fabrics of her soul with the seas and winds, and melding her flesh and bones with the earth.

Four thousand years, it would take four thousand years for her skill to be fully mastered. As the Goddess of Balance, Seungwan thought she had everything under her control, little did she expect the stars may misalign.  

Princess of the Underworld, Joohyun, was born to eventually rule the underworld and be their queen. Yet, despite the responsibilities that loomed ahead of her, the young princess was determined to lead her life in the most carefree manner as possible. With her strongheaded personality and her talents for magic, there was very little that her father, the King of the underworld, could do to restrain her daughter.

It was also because of her devil-may-care actions that had led her to cross paths with the immortal Seungwan, prematurely.

Joohyun had ventured into the forbidden luminous forest where devil beasts lurked in an attempt to subdue one and boast of her feat to her father King. The forest was dense and Joohyun should have noticed that it was odd that there was a constant breeze accompanying her. Yet, the underworld princess had been too eager and unsuspecting to notice it. This breeze was no ordinary wind, it was a part of Immortal Seungwan’s soul that had detected danger for the young princess.  

The magic in Joohyun’s veins roared, sensing the presence of powerful beasts. Joohyun later found out that overconfidence would be the cause of her downfall as the beast she had been anticipating to meet descended upon her suddenly. It was a nine-headed beast with human heads and a striped body, like a tiger’s. Joohyun’s eyes narrowed as she recalled coming across this beast in one of the compendiums, this was the legendary Kaiming Shou, which should have been guarding the grea