Liu Xue woke up to the sound of a loud bang. He opened his eyes and saw a cloud of dust and smoke rising from the wall of his shabby hut. He quickly got up and grabbed his wooden sword, ready to face any intruders.
He was not surprised by this sudden attack. He had lived in the slums of the Heavenly Capital for as long as he could remember, and he knew that this was a dangerous place. The slums were filled with thieves, bandits, beggars, and other lowlifes who preyed on the weak and helpless. Liu Xue had learned to fend for himself since he was a child, using his wits and his sword skills to survive.
He had also learned to cultivate spiritual energy, which was the essence of life and the source of power in this world. Cultivation was the practice of refining one's body, mind, and soul, and reaching higher realms of existence. It was said that those who reached the peak of cultivation could become immortals, who could fly in the sky, move mountains and seas, and live forever.
However, cultivation was not easy. It required talent, resources, guidance, and luck. Liu Xue had talent, but he lacked everything else. He had no family, no sect, no teacher, no books, no pills, no treasures. He had nothing but his own will and determination.
He had discovered his talent for cultivation by accident, when he was eight years old. He had found a broken jade pendant in a trash heap, and felt a warm sensation when he touched it. He instinctively absorbed some of the spiritual energy from the pendant into his body, and felt a surge of strength and vitality.
He realized that he had opened his first meridian, which was the channel for spiritual energy to flow in his body. There were twelve meridians in total, and opening them was the first step of cultivation. Most people could only open one or two meridians in their lifetime, and some could not even open one. Liu Xue had opened all twelve meridians by the time he was ten years old.
He had also learned some basic sword techniques from watching other cultivators fight in the streets. He had practiced with a wooden sword that he had carved himself, and had become proficient enough to defend himself from most threats.
However, he knew that this was not enough. He knew that there were higher levels of cultivation beyond opening meridians. He knew that there were more advanced sword techniques than the ones he had learned. He knew that there were more powerful cultivators than the ones he had seen.
He wanted to learn more. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to escape from this miserable life.