Nihility dominated at the beginning, a world of darkness which was not darkness. It was a world of nothingness.
Then came Creation, a light that cut through nothing. From it sprung hundreds of figures, most of which scattered away until they looked like stars in the distance, moving with the expansion of Creation.
A few remained at the point where they were born however, and sought to establish their domain. They had heard a voice in their heads, and were given sentience and a name.
"Primordial Beginnings..." "Heavenly Spirit..." "Ancestral Dragon..."
13 glowing figures hovered in empty space, their features uncertain and unfocused. With a wave of their hands, space twisted and turned, spinning and rising up like towers. Right next to them, infinitely large dragons wrapped their bodies around the overlapping space, stabilizing it.
Joining hands with the Ancestral Dragons, beings that were born with them in the Primordial Beginnings, the Heavenly Spirits created the 5 original elements, fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.
The original elements swirled, leaving trails of 5 colored light in their wake. They merged together before splitting up into 13 pieces, forming the land in the 13 towers as well as countless sub-laws which filled the empty space.
But it still felt lacking, it lacked movement and vibrancy. Thus, the Ancestral Dragons cut their flesh with their claws, causing blood essence to fly out and create an innumerable number of magical beasts
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Spirits made cuts on their hands, letting out a golden mist they called Qi to form and bless humanity.
Above the 13 towers, each of the beings spat out a white ball which merged and formed millions of symbols. These symbols then merged and took on the shape of a tablet which hung in empty space. It is the Codex of the Heavens.
Hundreds of thousands of years passed by in a flash, when the Ancestral Dragons fell into a deep slumber, the Heavenly Spirits realized the potential that life carried, and sought to prevent any being that can cultivate from surpassing themselves.
With a thought, the Heavenly Spirits sacrificed some power to modify Heaven's Code.
They made the tribulations. The so-called "trials" that one must overcome in order to prove that they are worthy of reaching for the higher ranks. 9 out of every 10 beings would die trying to reach the higher ranks. Life became a survival of the fittest, a constant fight for resources.
Almost everyone thought that the trials were necessary, for they were taught that the Heavens were just. Incapable of wrong. They thought tribulations sifted out the trash, the leeches, and tempered the strong.
They thought that they were destroying the vibrant world the Primordial Beings created, and only the worthy can truly appreciate its beauty.
But a select few thought overwise and were usually met with hostility when they were discovered. These talents either found out the truth themselves or indirectly through others. They seek to liberate the minds of the masses and free everyone from the clutches of the corrupted Heavens.
Eons went by, and countless people died. Some were killed by others. Some were lost to the passage of time. But a great many died trying to overcome their tribulations. Their souls seized by the Heavens and recreated into different beings.
An endless cycle of torture.
Many more eons passed, and powerful beings rose and fell, withered and bloomed, but none were powerful enough to threaten the Heavens even slightly. They could only establish sects and oppress those weaker than themselves.
Several eons passed again, and a genius worthy of Heaven's attention was born. The skies churned as they did everything in their power to prevent his rise to providence.
His talent made the sleeping Ancestral Dragons stir, shaking the 13 Heavens.
The youth cultivated and fought, leaving a trail of blood and bones in his wake. He dealt wounds to the untouchable Heavens and the sky bled. The Heavens were forced to change their Code once again in order to combat the genius.
10,000 years went by, even the talent that reached the realms above the Heavenly Monarchs lost to the tyrannical Heavens. His soul was doomed to wander and never reincarnate, forever suffering.
A few million years flew by. . .
"To think that there would exist an innate talent that surpasses mine" Said an ethereal figure. It was an old man with a wizened face. Long gray hair and beard and wearing a white robe. His eyes dark with a hint of exhaustion.
This was a man who knew the true face of the Heavens, and was the former Absolute, Feng Wu Di.
He floated in the air, invisible to any onlookers, and examined a little boy climbing a mountain.
Despite being several miles away from the boy, Feng Wu Di could clearly see the little figure struggling to get up the steep mountain. In the eyes of many, he would seem ordinary, but Wu Di's eyes transcend even the Heaven's.
"How can such talent evade the probing of the Heavens?" He sounded genuinely curious, for he knew nearly everything, especially after wandering the realms in his ethereal body for millions of years.
Wu Di's eyes shone with golden light as he looked at the boy, "Hmm... A powerful draconic bloodline, much more powerful than even the purest of the Monarch Dragons"
Wu Di frowned in contemplation after his discovery. The Monarch Dragons are the most powerful dragons that were first created to rule by the Ancestral Dragons. He had seen them before, and knew that even with 100% purity, one can't escape the Eyes of Heaven.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he recalled an incident just one million years ago. An incident that shook the 13 Heavens to its core, "It can't be. . ."
Wu Di's eyes shone, the exhaustion was then replaced by glee, excitement, curiosity, and liveliness.
"Sheng Tian was it? You are the perfect candidate to become what I failed to achieve" He threw his head back and laughed at the sky, "Hahaha! It's about time the Heavens get what they deserve! Fear for your lives you fucking assholes! Soon you shall taste what life has experienced in your hands!"
Wu Di looked back at the boy, still struggling to climb the rest of the mountain. In an instant, he teleported to the top and sat in a chair that appeared out of thin air.
His attire changed and his appearance seemed to become more refined. Wu Di now looked like a kind old man, like a doting grandfather waiting for his grandchild.
His eyes glowed, "Hurry young one, for I will guide you to become a tribulation the Heavens cannot hope to transcend"