Shen Yuan stepped out of his quiet abode, stretching as the moonlight bathed the sect grounds in a pale glow. After a year of intense cultivation, he had pushed his powers to the brink, but tonight was different. Tonight, he sought something simpler: a taste of the famous dishes from the Ching-ming Hotel, renowned across the sect for its delicacies.
As he made his way to the hotel, the evening air carried the warmth of laughter and conversation from disciples enjoying their meals. When Shen Yuan entered, the bustling hall fell into an awkward silence. His reputation preceded him—some looked away, while others watched him with cautious curiosity.
His eyes briefly scanned the room before he walked to an empty table near the center. Just as he sat, a group of senior disciples stepped in front of him, their robes swaying as they blocked his path. The tallest of them, a broad-shouldered man with a deep scowl, crossed his arms.
"You dare sit without showing respect?" he demanded, his voice carrying a weight of assumed superiority. His followers laughed, emboldened by his challenge.
Shen Yuan barely glanced at him. "Respect?" he said softly, his tone cold. "You want respect, but can you earn it? Or do you expect others to fear you just because you've been here longer?"
The senior disciple's face darkened with rage. "You'll regret that."
He lunged at Shen Yuan, his hand crackling with spiritual energy, but Shen Yuan's body moved before the attack could land. In a blink, he sidestepped the blow, and with a quick motion, he struck the senior in the chest, sending him crashing backward into a table, splinters flying. The hall fell into stunned silence, all eyes fixed on Shen Yuan, who stood calmly as if nothing had happened.
"You'll need more than a loud voice to make me regret anything," Shen Yuan muttered, turning away from the crumpled senior.
A slow clap echoed from the back of the room. Tang Jiyan, leaning against a pillar with a smirk, walked forward. "Well, Shen Yuan, you certainly know how to make an impression."
Their eyes locked, and in that brief moment, the air between them crackled with energy. Tang Jiyan's smirk widened. "I've been waiting for someone like you. You've earned my respect, but from now on, we're rivals."
Murmurs rippled through the room—many disciples, their faces a mix of jealousy and awe, because why not, as everyone wanted to be rivals or at least friends with Tang Jiyan, a person from the Five Great Families. They watched as the declaration settled. Shen Yuan merely gave a faint smile, acknowledging the unspoken challenge. He had little care for the opinions of those around him, but Tang Jiyan... this would be a rivalry worth pursuing.
Later, outside the sect grounds, the stars above flickered like distant embers as Shen Yuan and Tang Jiyan faced each other after their delicious dinner.
Tang Jiyan's hands sparked with power, a grin tugging at his lips. "Let's see what you've got, Shen Yuan."
Shen Yuan's eyes gleamed in the starlight. "Don't hold back."
With a burst of speed, Tang Jiyan shot forward, his fist trailing with spiritual energy. Shen Yuan met him head-on, their attacks colliding with a force that shook the very earth. They traded blows with incredible speed, each impact creating shockwaves that rippled through the night.
For minutes, their clash illuminated the sky, each move calculated, neither gaining the upper hand. Finally, both unleashed a final strike, a devastating punch that collided in the air between them. The resulting explosion of energy ripped through the landscape, leaving a massive crater nearly 300 kilometers wide.
When the dust settled, they stood at the edges of the crater, both breathing heavily but grinning.
"You've improved," Tang Jiyan said, his voice breathless but impressed.
Shen Yuan nodded, his smirk returning. "You're not so bad yourself."
They shared a glance, a silent acknowledgment that their rivalry had only just begun. Without another word, they returned to the sect, side by side, their bond forged in the heat of battle.
That night, Shen Yuan lay in his abode, staring up at the ceiling. His body ached from the fight, but his mind was still sharp, restless. Something about the night felt off. His spiritual sense tingled, a faint but persistent feeling of unease in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore it. The sect was quiet, peaceful... or so it seemed.
As he drifted off to sleep, a strange sensation crept into his dreams—a suffocating darkness, like a heavy fog rolling in. In his dream, he stood in the middle of a crumbling temple, its walls cracked and falling to ruin. Whispers echoed around him, voices he couldn't place, but they spoke of death and power, of the weak being consumed by the strong. The air was thick with decay, and he could feel the cold embrace of death closing in.
Shen Yuan woke with a start, his heart pounding. The sensation from his dream lingered in his chest, and a faint chill swept through the room. He sat up, frowning as he looked out the window. The sky was still dark, but something felt wrong. Very wrong.
Throwing on his robe, he stepped outside… and froze.
The sect was in ruins.
Where there had once been towering buildings and courtyards bustling with life, now there was only rubble and ash. The sky was dull, a thick haze hanging over the devastated landscape. Faint traces of death energy lingered in the air, its cold tendrils brushing against his skin like a reminder of what had happened.
Shen Yuan took a few steps forward, his eyes scanning the destruction. His heart felt oddly still, detached. A part of him expected to feel something—fear, anger, even regret—but there was nothing. He felt only a cold acceptance.
"What… happened?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
A low, deep laugh broke the silence.
When he turned to see who it was, he was shocked to see the old librarian. Wearing the same black robes as that old man he met a year ago, now everything became clear. Since the sect was already in decline, he used it to attract Shen Yuan... 'Then why was Tang Jiyan, a person from the Great Five Families, here?' This was the only question Shen Yuan had about Tang Jiyan. But did he survive this destruction?
The man in the black robe spoke, "Everything that happened after I saw you that day was planned. I want you to be my disciple!"
"Me?!" Shen Yuan was stunned. He didn't expect an old freak to want him as his disciple!
What made this old man more terrifying was that Shen Yuan couldn't even see his cultivation, even after using divine sense. Though he came to accept this, as this was his chance to become even stronger—stronger so that he could destroy and protect, and pay off the blood debt.
He cupped his fists and bowed toward his new master. The old man nodded with satisfaction. "Now, time to tell you my name and my goal…"