Fifteen years have gone by.
A young boy ran through the trees, swiftly using wild ropes to move from tree to tree. He held a bottle of honey in his hand, stored in a small rock container.
Glancing behind, his light green eyes formed a narrowed smile. A pack of golden monkeys was chasing him.
He lifted his lips, pushing his silver hair aside from his eyes, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Foolish monkeys, you can't even catch me within your territory? How would you face your monkey king?" he taunted, damaging the self-esteem of the monkeys trailing behind him.
They roared in frustration. Their speed doubled, yet the young boy ahead of them maintained a certain distance.
"Haha," his hearty laughter echoed through the forest. Every monkey behind him harbored hatred, but they were powerless against him.
Every month, on a certain day, this thief would come to their lair and steal their honey made from special herbs.
However, they couldn't do anything to stop him because he ran swiftly through the trees, faster than the monkeys. At times, they doubted who was truly a monkey!
Taking a mouthful of honey from the bottle, his eyes formed a narrowed smile.
"Monkey honey is still the best. My mother will surely enjoy this," he thought of his mother, and a smile slowly spread across his face.
His smile, combined with his breathtaking features, made him appear like a god descended from the heavens.
Twelve years ago, when he opened his eyes, he was met with the beautiful, smiling face of his mother.
Even though he had lived countless years in the past and retained memories of his birth mother from this life, he still felt drawn to her motherly love.
Initially, he struggled to behave like a baby, but over time spent with his mother, uncle, and the villagers, his mind adjusted to his present identity.
He enjoyed this carefree life the most—residing in a small forest village, hunting beasts with the villagers, and relishing leisure time as a child. It was truly a heavenly existence, the kind of life that all children deserved.
But he knew that he couldn't lead such a carefree life forever. He still had many things to discover.
What was the significance of that crystal sword etched into his heart?
Why did his birth mother abandon him?
How did his current mother lose her husband and child?
He still remembered the sobbing voice of his birth mother. "Remember, strength determines our fate..." he muttered.
But at that moment, a stone came flying toward his head, and he quickly dodged it. Glancing back, he noticed the monkeys were almost catching up to him.
"Huh... you guys have learned deceit," he chuckled, then increased his speed even more. Even though he led a carefree life, his mother still taught him the ways of cultivation.
Before awakening his Martial spirit, one must first gather energy from the atmosphere into the heart and store it within. That stage is known as the Qi refining stage.
Due to his exceptional qualifications, he easily stored energy within his heart. He was now approaching the bottleneck of the Qi refining peak stage.
However, if he aimed to break through the Qi refining stage and awaken his martial spirit, he must go to the Portals to learn the laws of heaven.
Before twelve years ago, everyone could usually advance through this stage without needing to enter any portals.
However, following the alteration of heavenly laws twelve years ago, individuals now had to venture into these portals if they wanted to progress to the next level.
This rule applied to every major level of cultivation. His mother had told him that if he wanted to awaken a suitable martial spirit, he must first study the laws related to it from the portals.
In six months, his mother would take him to one of these portals. Thinking about this, his eyes softened. His mother had given her utmost effort for him—teaching him defense skills, escape techniques, and more.
He didn't know how to express his gratitude for all of this, but he would treasure these lessons in his heart and protect her with his life.
Looking ahead, he spotted a waterfall. Beneath the waterfall lay his village. He halted in his tracks and glanced back at the golden monkeys.
They, too, had halted their steps, now fixing their gaze upon him with unmistakable hatred. A smile formed on his face as he retrieved a box from his bosom.
Upon opening its lid, a captivating aroma wafted out from within. The monkeys displayed a captivated expression in their eyes. Their mouths watered at the aroma.
Observing this, his smile grew even wider. Placing the box on the ground, he spoke with a smile,
"These are cupcakes made by my mother. Only my uncle and I have tasted them, but now I'm giving you a chance." Turning his body, he walked towards the waterfall.
"Consider this a prize for your honey," his voice echoed in their ears.
The monkeys roared, feigning dissatisfaction. However, at that moment, the hatred in their eyes transformed into sly smiles.
"Pretend, you monkeys," he murmured with a smile, then continued on his way to the village, humming a small tune. Even though he stole honey from the monkeys, he enticed them with special food prepared by his mother.
He doubted anyone do better than her cooking.
"Probably no one," he thought with a smile. However, he didn't know that his perspective would change when he tasted food from someone else. That day wasn't too far away.
However, as he neared his village, the scent of blood filled his nostrils, and panic surged through his racing heart.
Upon reaching the entrance of his village, he witnessed houses engulfed in raging flames. The path was stained with dried blood. Many villagers he had known before now lay lifeless, their bodies mutilated.
"Mother..." his breath quickened as he sprinted towards his home.
'No, nothing will happen to her. My mother is strong; how could anything happen to her?' His breath quickened as numerous thoughts raced through his mind.
When he reached his home and saw the scene, his eyes widened. His footsteps staggered as he slowly approached the silhouette.
"Mother..." a choked voice escaped his lips.