The moon hung high in the sky, casting a cold silver glow over the Lei Clan's ancestral courtyard. Blood pooled beneath Lei Chen's broken body, the chill of the night air biting at his skin. His breaths came out in ragged gasps, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. The once-proud heir of the Lei Clan, now barely clinging to life, lay helpless on the ground.

Lei Han, his uncle, stood above him, a twisted smirk playing on his lips. "Do you see now, Lei Chen?" he sneered, wiping the blood from his blade on his cloak. "This is your fate. A crippled fool who thought he could rise above his place."

Pain wracked Lei Chen's body, but it was the words that cut the deepest. He had once been the clan's pride, the genius who had reached the seventh sub-stage of the Mortal Foundation stage at a mere twelve years old. But that was before his ill-fated encounter with the ancient artifact during the Lei Clan's treasure trials. The artifact had shattered his cultivation, leaving him powerless.

"Uncle… why?" Lei Chen gasped, his voice barely audible.

Lei Han crouched beside him, his smirk widening. "Why? Because you're no longer of any use to this clan. The moment you lost your cultivation, you became dead weight. And dead weight… must be cast aside."

Lei Chen's vision blurred, his body screaming in agony. His uncle's words echoed in his mind, each one a dagger to his heart. He tried to move, but his limbs were unresponsive. The poison coursing through his veins had paralyzed him, and the overwhelming pain threatened to drag him into unconsciousness.

"Your father… he still clings to hope for you," Lei Han continued, standing up and glancing toward the clan hall. "But even he won't be able to protect you now. Soon enough, he'll meet the same fate."

Rage and despair welled up within Lei Chen. His father, Lei Tian, had always been his protector, the one who believed in him even when the rest of the clan had turned their backs. And now… they would come for him too.

Lei Han turned his back on the fallen youth, his boots crunching on the gravel as he walked away. "You should have died when your cultivation was destroyed," he called over his shoulder. "But don't worry. I'll make sure your death is swift."

As his uncle's footsteps faded into the distance, Lei Chen's body trembled, not from fear, but from the searing injustice burning inside him. He had been betrayed, discarded by the very clan he had once vowed to protect and elevate. His uncle's words still hung in the cold night air.

I won't die like this.

The resolve in his heart flared, igniting the last remnants of his strength. With great effort, Lei Chen forced his battered body to move. His fingers clawed at the ground, pulling himself through the dirt. His vision swam with darkness, but somewhere deep inside, a flame still flickered. He would survive this.