Sixteen years ago... In The Middle Continent
In the humble territory of the Jade Tigers, lived the family of the then young Valerios. Although the clan was small, it still had a hierarchy and unfortunately for the young Valerios, his parents weren't high in that hierarchy from birth and their cultivation levels were nothing exceptional. They were both peak leveled Mortal realm cultivators and they couldn't break the shackles to the next realm. So, they couldn't go up the hierarchy level which was why they had to live in a cottage in a corner of the clan's territory and weren't privileged enough to live in luxury. But still, his parents had loved him as long as he could remember. In their secluded cottage. His parents, Dimitri and Annai, were busy preparing for the upcoming Harvest Festival. This is a festival held after every successful harvest in the whole continent. It was presided over by the Temple, which governs the whole continent. Valerios excited for the celebrations, helped his mother with the cooking while his father tended to their spirit garden. Although they weren't high leveled cultivators, Dimitri was an expert when it came to plants and so, he decided to create a spirit garden, though it needed a lot of mana which he should not be able to provide in a factual sense, he could maneuver through the excessive mana output with his natural affinity towards plants. Where Anna, though some people might say it wasn't a special gift, her cooking could increase the rate of healing if an ailment was severe and it could right away heal normal injuries and fatigue. Her gift wasn't and still isn't know to anyone outside their small family.
As the sun began to set, two familiar figures appeared at their doorstep: Chrysa and Daphne, mid-level Ascended Realm cultivators. They had visited the clan several times before, sharing stories of their adventures and seeking Dimitri's expertise in spirit gardening.
A dispute begins.
Chrysa and Daphne arrived with an air of urgency, seeking Dimitri's help in acquiring a rare spirit stone. The stone, rumored to enhance cultivation, was hidden within the nearby mountains. Dimitri was baffled by their outrageous request. Although he himself recently got to learn of the stone's existence one day through his exploration through the nearby mountains he wasn't surprised that they got to learn of it's existence after all, he didn't own the place nor was he valued. He guessed that these people were directed here just to cause them trouble or better still for the clan head, wipe them out. He knew all these but he refused to fall for it. He refused to divulge the location of the spirit stone. He would rather use it in his spirit garden. It was still going to cause problems either way.
Chrysa and Daphne, fueled by ambition, grew increasingly agitated. They offered Dimitri a substantial sum of spirit crystals(containing spirit energy for spirit realm cultivators and also a currency) for the stone's location, but Dimitri was determined. Anna,who came out to check what the commotion was about, sensed the tension and intervened, attempting to calm the situation. But, the rift only grows.
As the night wore on, the conversation turned heated. Chrysa and Daphne accused Dimitri of hoarding the stone for personal gain( true, but wasn't planned), while Dimitri insisted he was protecting the Spirit stone from those who would misuse its power.
The argument escalated, with Chrysa and Daphne threatening to take the stone by force. Dimitri, determined to protect his family and the stone, refused to back down.
Then it came, the Fateful Night,
As the dispute reached its boiling point, Valerios, exhausted from the tension, retired to his room. He drifted off to sleep, unaware of the tragedy that would unfold.
In the dead of night, Chrysa and Daphne returned, their cultivation auras blazing. Dimitri and Anna, anticipating the attack, prepared to defend their family. Although they were aware that they were fighting a losing battle. The battle raged on, spirit energy clashing against the night sky.
****A while later****
The results were to be expected though it should be noted that his parents could hold on for that long. Valerios woke to the sound of his parents' screams, followed by an eerie silence. He rushed outside to find his parents lying lifeless, Chrysa and Daphne fleeing the scene.