Inside the bustling metropolis of Tianluo, nestled between mountains and rivers, life moved forward with a relentless pace. The city's streets had been crowded with humans from all walks of lifestyles—merchants hawking their wares, kids playing inside the alleys, and cultivators searching for the next step on their route to immortality. yet, in this vibrant metropolis, there has been an area wherein desire seemed to disappear: Tianluo Academy, a prestigious college for the cultivation elite. within its hallowed halls, young men and women of incredible capacity honed their competencies, every vying for strength, status, and the final purpose of accomplishing the heavens.
Among these hopefuls became a boy who had lengthy considering misplaced the mild in his eyes. His name became Yu Chen, and he was the academy's largest disappointment.
Yu Chen walked down the academy's corridors, his head bowed low. He wore the usual-difficulty uniform of Tianluo Academy, even though it hung loosely on his slim frame, a stark assessment to the fit and confident cultivators round him. His once-pristine robe changed into now tattered, a testament to the endless bullying and beatings he had endured. the students who handed him barely glanced his way, and after they did, it changed into with sneers or derisive laughter.
"look, it is the trash of Tianluo!" one boy referred to as out as Yu Chen walked through. He was flanked by using a group of in addition boastful youths, they all carrying the colours of the elite disciples—gold and pink, the best-ranking college students inside the academy.
"surprised he's nevertheless right here," some other chimed in. "I thought he would have run away by now."
Yu Chen saved his head down, his shoulders hunched as though trying to make himself as small as feasible. He had discovered long in the past that retaliating turned into needless. It simplest made the beatings worse.
The group of bullies stepped in the front of him, blocking his route. The chief, a tall boy named Zhao Liang, grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "you think you belong right here, trash? This academy is for the strong, not weaklings like you."
Yu Chen remained silent, clenching his fists underneath his sleeves. Zhao Liang had usually been his tormentor, ever considering the fact that they'd each entered the academy years ago. lower back then, Yu Chen had desires of becoming a powerful cultivator, of standing alongside the elite. however the ones dreams had been overwhelmed underneath Zhao Liang's heel, and now Yu Chen was nothing more than a punching bag.
"nothing to mention, huh?" Zhao Liang sneered. "How about we remind you of your vicinity?"
before Yu Chen ought to react, Zhao Liang's fist shot out, catching him rectangular in the stomach. The force of the blow despatched Yu Chen sprawling to the floor, gasping for breath. The institution of bullies erupted in laughter as they surrounded him, kicking and stomping on him with out a mercy.
Yu Chen curled into a ball, trying to shield his vital organs because the blows rained down on him. pain coursed via his frame, however it turned into not anything new. He had grown aware of this, to the feeling of being helpless, to the sour taste of defeat.
"get up, you nugatory piece of trash!" Zhao Liang shouted, delivering a final, savage kick to Yu Chen's ribs.
Yu Chen's imaginative and prescient blurred as he struggled to upward thrust. each a part of him screamed in suffering, but he forced himself to his feet. His legs wobbled, slightly capable of assist his weight, but he refused to live down. He could not give them that satisfaction.
"still standing, huh?" Zhao Liang said with a merciless smile. "let's see how lengthy that lasts."
but earlier than Zhao Liang could land every other blow, a voice rang out from the cease of the corridor.
"it really is enough!"
The bullies froze, turning to see a younger girl drawing close. She changed into stunning, with long, flowing hair and 2 piercing eyes that held an authority beyond her years. She wore the same gold and purple uniform as Zhao Liang, marking her as one of the elite, however in contrast to the others, her gaze turned into one in all contempt—now not for Yu Chen, but for those tormenting him.
"Liu Mei!" Zhao Liang exclaimed, his bravado faltering. Liu Mei turned into one of the academy's top students, no longer simply in cultivation but additionally in have an effect on. She became someone even Zhao Liang could not have enough money to offend.
"What do you think you are doing?" Liu Mei demanded, her voice cold. "is this what the elite disciples were reduced to? Bullying the ones weaker than you?"
Zhao Liang hesitated, his vanity deflating below Liu Mei's fierce gaze. "We have been simply coaching him a lesson… He doesn't belong here."
"it really is not your selection to make," Liu Mei snapped. "If he is here, it approach the academy noticed capability in him. And in case you're so concerned approximately strength, why don't you prove yours in the arena in preference to ganging up on a person like cowards?"
Zhao Liang's face reddened, but he did not dare to retort. With a muttered curse, he signaled his lackeys to observe him. They left Yu Chen mendacity on the ground, bruised and crushed, but with a small flicker of desire burning in his chest.
Liu Mei watched them move earlier than turning her attention to Yu Chen. She knelt beside him, her expression softening. "Are you k?"
Yu Chen managed a susceptible nod, although he ought to barely see thru the haze of ache clouding his imaginative and prescient. "I… i will be great."
Liu Mei sighed, presenting him a hand. "You shouldn't allow them to deal with you like this, Yu Chen. you have got ability, greater than you realise. You just need to find it inside your self."
Yu Chen hesitated earlier than taking her hand. As she helped him to his toes, he felt a unusual sensation, a warm temperature that unfold thru his body, easing a number of the ache. He checked out her, careworn.
"Did… did you do something?" he requested, his voice slightly above a whisper.
Liu Mei shook her head. "No, this is all you. you're stronger than you watched, Yu Chen. You just haven't determined your course but."
Yu Chen's coronary heart tightened. Her words had been kind, however they also stirred some thing deep within him—a longing, a choice to show her proper, to prove himself. but how could he? He had attempted everything, however nothing labored. His cultivation had stagnated, his development halted, and irrespective of how difficult he driven himself, he may want to never trap up to the others.
"thanks," he said, though the words felt hollow. What may want to he possibly do to pay off her kindness whilst he became so powerless?
Liu Mei smiled gently. "simply do not give up, okay? the arena is larger than this academy. in case you discover your true path, you could acquire high-quality things."
She turned to go away, but then paused, glancing lower back at him. "recollect, Yu Chen, even the strongest cultivators started out from not anything. it is now not approximately where you begin, however where you turn out to be."
With that, she walked away, leaving Yu Chen by myself inside the corridor. He watched her pass, a whirlwind of emotions churning inside him. She turned into proper—he have been so focused on his screw ups that he had forgotten there was more to existence than simply the academy. however what ought to he do? wherein should he move?
As he limped far from the hall, heading towards the academy's outer grounds, Yu Chen couldn't assist however sense a deep sense of despair. The academy became his final chance. His own family had sacrificed so much to get him right here, believing inside the promise of his future. however what destiny could there be for someone like him?
He wandered to a secluded a part of the academy grounds, a small, forgotten lawn in which the weeds had long overtaken the as soon as-lovely flowers. It became a place no person visited, an area where he can be alone together with his thoughts. He sank to the ground, leaning towards a crumbling stone wall, and closed his eyes.
For a moment, the ache of his injuries dwindled as he permit his mind float. He imagined a unique lifestyles, a lifestyles in which he changed into robust, in which people respected him, where he should protect those he cared about. however the ones desires have been shattered via the cruel truth of his scenario.
a chilly wind blew thru the lawn, rustling the leaves and sending a relax down Yu Chen's spine. He opened his eyes, staring up on the cloudy sky, feeling a feel of hopelessness wash over him. What changed into the point? no matter how tough he tried, he became destined to fail.
however then, something peculiar took place. As Yu Chen sat there, wallowing in his misery, a faint glow appeared within the air earlier than him. It was slightly substantive at the beginning, a small, flickering mild like a demise ember. but as he watched, the light grew brighter, taking on a swirling, ethereal shape.
Yu Chen blinked, his heart skipping a beat. was he hallucinating? He reached out a trembling hand, and to his astonishment, the light spoke back, shifting toward him. It become heat, comforting, and as it neared, he felt a atypical strength coursing thru his veins.
The mild pulsed, and then, without warning, it shot ahead, enveloping him in its glow. Yu Chen gasped as he felt himself being lifted off the floor, his frame weightless because the mild carried him upward. He struggled to realize what changed into going on, but the light changed into too overwhelming, too powerful.
after which, simply as unexpectedly because it began, the mild faded, and Yu Chen discovered himself standing in a vast, empty void. the sector around him turned into gone, replaced through an limitless expanse of darkness, with handiest a unmarried point of light far in the distance.
He became around, looking to make sense of what had simply befell. The garden, the academy, the whole lot he knew had disappeared, leaving him on this atypical, otherworldly area. His accidents not ached, and the exhaustion that had weighed him down moments earlier than seemed to have vanished.
"wherein am I?" Yu Chen whispered to himself, his voice echoing in the void.
The factor of mild inside the distance pulsed rhythmically, drawing his attention. It turned into the most effective issue on this empty area that appeared alive, and in spite of his fear and confusion, Yu Chen felt an inexplicable pull in the direction of it. there was some thing approximately that light—something acquainted, yet absolutely alien.
cautiously, Yu Chen started to stroll in the direction of it. every step felt surreal, as if he had been shifting via water instead of air. The nearer he got, the more he found out that the light wasn't just a single factor. It become a cluster, a swirling vortex of colors and energies, radiating a electricity that made his heart race.
As he approached the vortex, the darkness round him seemed to recede, revealing greater of the void. extraordinary symbols and patterns appeared within the air, sparkling faintly before fading away. The vortex itself hummed with power, and Yu Chen ought to feel its strength resonating deep inside his soul.
eventually, he stood before it, the vortex towering over him like a dwelling entity. It became stunning and terrifying abruptly, and Yu Chen hesitated, uncertain of what to do subsequent. The mild regarded to beckon him, urging him to step closer, however each intuition in his frame screamed at him to show and run.
however there has been nowhere to run. This changed into no regular dream or hallucination—this become something far greater profound. Yu Chen took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. He reached out a hand towards the vortex, his palms trembling as they brushed towards its facet.
the moment his hand touched the vortex, the sector round him exploded with mild. a rush of strength surged thru him, filling each nook of his being with warm temperature and electricity. Yu Chen cried out, however his voice changed into drowned out by means of the roar of the vortex as it enveloped him, pulling him into its depths.
For a short moment, Yu Chen felt as though he have been being torn apart, his very essence being ripped from his body. however just as speedy, the pain vanished, replaced by way of an awesome experience of readability. He was now not in the void—rather, he located himself floating in a sea of stars, each one shining with a mild that seemed to hold the load of infinite worlds.
Yu Chen stared in awe at the stars surrounding him. each one pulsed with existence, with strength, and he ought to feel their power resonating within him. It changed into as though the universe itself was alive, and he turned into a part of it, connected to every celebrity, each world, every being that existed.
after which, from the middle of the ocean of stars, a voice spoke—a voice that turned into neither male nor girl, neither younger nor vintage. It become a voice that seemed to encompass all of life, wearing with it a weight of authority that made Yu Chen's knees buckle.
"Yu Chen," the voice stated, echoing in his thoughts. "you've got been selected."
"chosen?" Yu Chen repeated, his voice shaking. "chosen for what?"
"To inherit the legacy of the eternal Sovereign," the voice responded. "To emerge as the parent of the multiverse, the only who will restore balance to all realms."
Yu Chen's mind reeled. "eternal Sovereign? guardian of the multiverse? What are you talking about? i am simply… i am just a no person."
"you are more than you recognise, Yu Chen," the voice stated gently. "you have suffered, you have been damaged, however to your heart, there lies a electricity that few own. The route before you is lengthy and dangerous, however it is your destiny to walk it."
"but… why me?" Yu Chen asked, his voice slightly a whisper. "Why now not a person more potent, a person more worth?"
"The most powerful of us are not those who have by no means fallen," the voice answered, "however the ones who've fallen and risen once more. you've got continued more than most, and but you still stand. this is why you have got been selected."
the sea of stars began to swirl round Yu Chen, forming a spiral of light that regarded to stretch out into infinity. The voice spoke once more, this time with a sense of urgency.
"there is little time, Yu Chen. The multiverse is in grave hazard. darkish forces are awakening, forces that are seeking for to get to the bottom of the very fabric of truth. You should rise, you must develop more potent, and you should prepare for the battles to return."
Yu Chen swallowed difficult, his thoughts racing with questions and doubts. He had always dreamed of being sturdy, of proving himself, but this… this was past something he could have imagined. How could he, a boy who had in no way been capable of cultivate nicely, be anticipated to shield the multiverse?
"How… how am i able to do this?" he asked, his voice trembling. "i'm not powerful enough. I don't even know where to begin."
The voice turned into silent for a moment, as if considering his words. Then it spoke again, this time with a tone of remedy.
"you may now not be alone, Yu Chen. The route to energy is hard, however you'll locate allies, teachers, and buddies alongside the way. and you'll have this."
From the swirling sea of stars, a small, sparkling object floated toward Yu Chen. It turned into a easy pendant, fabricated from a metal that appeared to shift colorations because it moved. In its middle turned into a small, pulsating gem, radiating a warm temperature that felt each comforting and empowering.
"this is the Celestial Nexus," the voice defined. "it's far a fraction of the everlasting Sovereign's energy, a key to unlocking the potential within you. With it, you will be able to faucet into the energies of the multiverse, to develop more potent and to protect individuals who can not guard themselves."
Yu Chen hesitated before achieving out to take the pendant. the instant his arms closed around it, he felt a surge of energy path thru him, stronger than anything he had ever felt earlier than. It was as though the pendant had awoke something deep inside him, some thing that have been mendacity dormant for years.
"I… i will sense it," Yu Chen whispered, his voice full of surprise. "it is… superb."
"take into account, Yu Chen," the voice stated, "this is most effective the beginning. The path ahead is fraught with hazard, however it's also packed with possibilities. agree with in yourself, trust for your strength, and you may locate the way."
the sea of stars began to vanish, the mild dimming as the voice's presence grew remote. Yu Chen felt himself being pulled back, the pendant sparkling brightly in his hand because the darkness of the void closed in round him.
"Wait!" Yu Chen referred to as out, panic rising in his chest. "What am I purported to do now? where do i go?"
The voice's final phrases echoed in his mind, a whisper that lingered whilst the sector round him dissolved into darkness.
"follow your heart, Yu Chen. it's going to guide you on your destiny."
With that, the void vanished, and Yu Chen located himself returned in the overgrown garden of Tianluo Academy. the world was precisely as he had left it—the crumbling partitions, the overgrown weeds, the cold wind blowing via the trees.
but Yu Chen became unique. He could sense it in each fiber of his being—the energy of the Celestial Nexus, the warmth of the pendant against his chest, the sense of motive that were ignited inside him.
For the first time in his existence, Yu Chen felt really alive.
He stood up, his frame still aching from the beating he had persevered, however the pain become now reminiscence, overshadowed by means of the surge of energy coursing thru him. He clenched his fists, feeling the strength within him respond, and he knew that the whole thing had changed.
now not could he be the vulnerable, helpless boy who turned into bullied and beaten. not might he be the one left behind, the only who could never degree up. He were given a 2d threat, a danger to end up some thing extra than he had ever imagined.
And he would now not waste it.
As Yu Chen left the garden, the pendant glowing faintly beneath his gown, he knew that his adventure had handiest simply all started. the road beforehand became long, and the demanding situations he could face have been beyond something he should understand.
but for the first time in his life, Yu Chen turned into ready.
He became prepared to face the unknown, to embrace the energy inside him, and to carve out his own future.
regardless of what it took, he could upward push.
And someday, the call Yu Chen might not be synonymous with failure.
one day, the arena could bear in mind his call.
And on that day, he could stand on the top of the multiverse, as the everlasting Sovereign, the protector of all nation-states.
but for now, he could begin with Tianluo Academy.
It changed into time to reveal them all who Yu Chen absolutely changed into.
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