In the higher heavens, where the world is ruled by two great dynasties—the Imperial Phoenix Dynasty and the Imperial Tiger Dynasty—overseen by the Heaven Court, a battle broke out between the world powers and an evil faction known as the Order of the Shadowed Abyss.
Even with the combined strength of the three powers, they found it difficult to suppress the evil faction, leading to heavy losses on both sides.As the battle raged on, an assassination was carried out by the Order against the two dynasties, striking while their remaining strength was focused on the battlefield, now littered with the bodies of fallen warriors from both sides.
"Pitter-Patter"
The sound of rain dropping could be heard at night as a lady continued to run, carrying a newborn baby in her arms. Two men, well-equipped for battle, kept watch as they made their way out of the territory of the Imperial Phoenix Dynasty.
"My lady, you must continue onward while we fend them off," said one of the guards, charging at a member of the evil faction and engaging in a heated battle.
The lady didn't flinch at the guard's words, continuing to run further away from the Imperial Phoenix Dynasty territory, hoping to escape the assassination attempt. She couldn't help but wonder how the evil faction had managed to sneak through their defenses.
As she ran, the screams of the guards echoed through the air, making her fear for their fate. But she kept running, her only priority being the protection of the baby in her arms, who remained in a deep sleep.
Her escape was cut short when a figure suddenly appeared ahead of her.
"Get out of my way," she roared, releasing a powerful sword strike imbued with spiritual energy at the figure.
With a scoff, the figure deflected the attack and charged towards her, sword bared. Forced to defend herself, she was injured in the process, stepping back and coughing up a mouthful of blood, some of which stained the face of the child.
Hearing the baby cry out and seeing the blood on his face, she couldn't help but shed tears.
"I'm sorry, Ethan, but mummy has to let you go for now," she muttered to the child with tears streaming down her face.
She made a hand seal, enveloping the baby in a white ball before sending him into the sky with a gesture.
"Mummy will come look for you when this is all over, so you have to stay strong, my little Ethan," she whispered as the white ball shot into the sky.
Freed from the burden of the baby, the lady fought the figure from the evil faction with renewed vigor. Meanwhile, the white ball ascended rapidly before descending at an incredible speed.
In a distant bamboo forest, a middle-aged man was cutting down bamboo, singing to cheer himself on. When the sound of an explosion shook the forest, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"What the hell was that?" he complained, regaining his footing and looking towards the source of the explosion.
Seeing no immediate danger, he decided to investigate, carrying his axe as he made his way towards the site. Upon arrival, he found a white ball lying in a crater. Inside, he saw a baby sleeping soundly.
"Where did this baby come from?" he muttered, staring at the infant.
As he watched, the white ball burst like a balloon, releasing spiritual energy that even he, a mere woodsman, could feel coursing through him.
"Such intense energy; this doesn't belong in this world," he mused, looking up at the sky before returning his gaze to the baby, now covered in a thick beast pelt.
Fearing for the child's safety, he picked up the baby and headed back to his village, abandoning his work for the day. Under the cover of night, he went unnoticed as he brought Ethan home.
"You're early today. Did you come across any beasts in the bamboo forest?" his wife asked as he entered their hut.
"Not exactly, my love, but something did come up," Alex replied, turning to reveal the sleeping baby in his arms.
"Alex, is that a baby you're holding?" she asked, approaching to take a closer look.
"Yes. He fell from the sky while I was cutting bamboo. There was no one with him, so I brought him home," Alex explained, handing the child to his wife.
She took the baby, cradling him warmly. Noticing a string around his neck, she pulled it out to find a pendant with the name Ethan inscribed on it. The pendant emanated a powerful aura of spiritual energy.
"Ethan. I guess that's his name. But why would his parents abandon him?" she wondered aloud, feeling a pang of sorrow for the child.
"Who knows? But for now, Mariah, it's our duty to look after him as if he were our own," Alex said, kissing her cheek lightly before walking away, leaving her with the baby.
With her husband gone, Mariah couldn't help but smile to herself as she continued to look at Ethan while he slept. The next day, they decided to let the rest of the villagers know about baby Ethan, and to their surprise, there were no ill words from the villagers. Instead, they welcomed him as their own, with some of them bringing nourishing food for Mariah to feed baby Ethan.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed. Ethan had grown into a striking young man with jet-black hair, a chiseled face, and captivating silver eyes that seemed to stare into the unknown. He was lean but muscular, and around his neck still hung the pendant he had been found with when he was discovered.
Even though his origins remained a mystery, he was still accepted as one of the villagers. He made friends with his peers, especially Alden, a boy the same age with a similar build but brown eyes. There was something about Alden that brought them closer compared to the other kids: their shared love for hunting.