Shen Yuan appeared in a forest, far away from the city, at least 10,000 km away. He wanted to cry, but for some odd reason, he wasn't able to. In frustration, he punched himself and then slapped, but still no use—he was still unable to cry!
"Just why… why did this have to happen… why!" Shen Yuan shouted in frustration, anger, and sadness, all mixed into one.
Just then, a figure covered in a black cloak and hat appeared. "Young man, do you crave power? If so, then reach the Qi Gathering Realm in two years and go to the Lotus Cloud Sect. You shall find me there…." The black figure disappeared almost instantly.
While disappearing, the figure threw a book at Shen Yuan. It had the title, Dark Qi Condensation Method. By the looks of it, the book seemed to describe a method that helps one reach the Foundation Establishment, then the Qi Gathering Realm.
Foundation Establishment is a stage where mortals first begin their journey toward immortality. It is their starting point, where one stimulates inner qi and spreads it through the meridians and dantian to finally reach this stage. The higher the number of meridians, the stronger the cultivator, with a lifespan of 120 years.
Shen Yuan didn't waste time thinking about who the mysterious man was. Instead, he took the book and started to read it. From what Shen Yuan understood, this method involved the power of desire. For an ordinary cultivator, this would be difficult, but for a cultivator from a demonic bloodline, the power of desire would come naturally.
Shen Yuan sat cross-legged and took a deep breath as he started to cultivate, but even after an hour, he didn't feel anything. So, he tried again, for another hour, but nothing happened. In frustration, he stood up and kicked the ground.
His stomach growled, and he rubbed his belly before heading deeper into the forest to look for some meat.
Hours went by as the sun started to set, darkness gathering and signifying nightfall. He finally found some fish in a lake not far away. He lit a fire with some dry wood and began cooking the fish.
After an incense stick of time, the fish was finally cooked, and Shen Yuan ate it as though he had never had food before.
After the not-so-delicious meal, Shen Yuan once again started to cultivate, hoping to reach the 1st layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm. He sat cross-legged, and in this way, hours, days, weeks, and months passed. Finally, he saw a sliver of qi all around his body and said a few words, "First layer of Foundation Establishment!"
He could feel the power from his surroundings; it seemed like a whole different world to him at this point. He opened the book again, discovering some martial techniques as well.
On one page, there was a martial technique called Demonic Roar. According to its description, it was a sound-based attack that could even split clouds, depending on the owner's cultivation level.
Shen Yuan began practicing it, first condensing qi in his throat, then releasing it. Shen Yuan's first try failed, as did the next ten tries, and even more after that. Dawn finally broke, but Shen Yuan still couldn't get the technique right. Every time, instead of a roar, it became a soft shout, which heavily pissed Shen Yuan off.
But finally, on the 1000th try, he did it! This time, it was a roar, and its power was beyond his imagination. It destroyed over a thousand trees before finally stopping.
Shen Yuan raised his palm toward the sun and said, "I will become stronger and settle the blood debt!" A dangerous aura resonated from his voice, causing even the beasts of the forest to stay 1 to 3 km away from him.
Now begins the journey of Shen Yuan, and slowly, a year passed.