A Love Beyond Time

The birth of the divine beast and the first meeting

You gave me a pair of eyes,

Allowing me to see the world and all its wonders.

Eyes connected to heart,

Because you are the first thing my eyes see,

From then on in the vast world,

My eyes only see you,

My heart only belongs to you.

***

Part I: Birth of the nine-tailed divine beast

The ancient Epochs(太古时代)—Mount Kunlun(昆仑山)

Long ago, before the existence of mankind, ancient gods and goddesses dominated the world. They were ruled by the Three Sovereigns who were demigods credited with the creation of mankind: Nǚ-Wa—the Mother Goddess of mankind; Fuxi—twin brother and husband of Nǚ-Wa and the Creator God of music and divination; Shen-Nong*—Creator God of agriculture and medicines.

Alongside the deities were the ancient spiritual and mythical beasts. Their supreme ruler was Ying Long*, the sagacious and noble-spirited Dragon Goddess who was as old as the Cosmos. She was the mother of the Qilin* and the Fenghuang* and was also the ancestor of the famous 4 Dragon King brothers of the four seas. The mythical beasts were of myriad natures and temperaments. Most were wise and benevolent like their leader; some were more malicious and savage, and there was yet a moody handful whose volatile moods determined their behaviors. Nevertheless, all of them were kept in line by Ying Long, and they co-existed harmoniously with one another and the ancient deities in the mythical Mount Kunlun region.

Some parts of Mount Kunlun contained copious amounts of primordial spiritual energies reputed to have various supernatural properties. Depending on the nature of the areas, some energies were purported to promote eternal youth, longevity, age reversal, healing, or even resurrection from death.

Among these places, the Kunlun snow mountain range was the one with the purest and most potent primordial immortal energy. It was also the most isolated and unusual area in Mount Kunlun. Although it was a cryospheric region with an inhumanly gelid climate, lush vegetation that included exotic herbs and flowering trees grew abundantly. The juxtaposition between vivid jewel colors and pristine white was preternatural and breathtaking. In the heart of the region was an enormous cluster of crystal formations. It was the source of the mountain range's energy that had nourished the abundant florae, the latter a testament to its potency and purity.

The crystal itself was a wonder to behold. Legends claimed that it was a chunk of the original Cosmos that had shattered when Pan-Gu* awoke. As translucent as glass and more sparkly than a diamond, it emitted dazzling auroral waves in a rich tapestry of colors that weaved and swayed like floating curtains. And if one were to place their ear against the cold surface, they would swear that they hear soft sighing sounds akin to breaths. It was almost as if the crystal was alive.

Well aware of the crystal's extraordinary spirituality and afraid that those with malicious intentions would manipulate and corrupt its divine energy for their use, the immortals weaved powerful wards around the Snow Mountains range to prevent trespassers. However, the crystal was sentient and had begun to develop spiritual intelligence. Lord Fuxi knew it was only a matter of time before it assumed a living form, either as a beast or a human. The ancient God started to visit the snow mountains to play the zither to the crystal to maintain its purity. Much to his amazement, its auroral waves would dance gracefully to the music like willowy nymphs dressed in their finest silk, as though it was enjoying the tunes.