"Maggots! From today, you have no rights—you never had any to begin with! From now on, you are nothing but obedient dogs, born to follow orders and listen without question. Do you understand?"
"What is this shirtless piece of shit talking about "
"Yeah is this bastard high...in fact what are we even doing here "
"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND " said a shirtless man as he began to release his Spiritual pressure
"YES SIR YES SIR"
'where am I, Why is it so cold, and what is this heavy weight on my back' pondered Azreal as he opened his eyes and noticed a bizarre scene
'WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON, ARE THESE PEOPLE INSANE '
In front of Azrael, there was nothing but a pure white scene of snow covering mountains of different sizes and shapes. What made him afraid was that he didn't feel any Qi, not even a wisp.
Thousands of children, male and female, ranging from 5 to 7 years of age, were near Azrael. All of them wore nothing but simple black trousers, their upper bodies exposed to the cold.
Thick manacles were fastened to both their arms and legs, each one weighing about a ton.
The chains connected to a massive cube behind them, a block that weighed three tons.
The children stood frozen, wide-eyed and afraid, not yet moving, their eyes flicking nervously as they realized their grim situation.
"You are now being introduced to the true harshness of the cultivation world... death is always around the corner
Now when I say go East, you don't go west
When I say fly you don't walk to survive you must obey orders or you will die...ARE WE CLEAR" the half-naked man said as he noticed the shivering of the children that gave him joy.
"YES SIR YES SIR" many children shouted including Uriel surprising Azreal
"It is cold, and one must learn how to adapt to survive in this environment.
Spiritual Qi is more than just the refined energy between heaven and earth; this place is devoid of Qi, but all of you have spiritual Qi reserves within you since you are Cultivators.
To survive this cold, use that Qi to protect yourselves, but be cautious with how you use your reserves, as you cannot replenish them.
You must push those cubes to the central mountain, a sanctuary... Many will survive, some will not, and you have only a month before starvation takes you"The shirtless simply laughed as he transformed into wind and disappeared
"Heh, this is just a trick by the clan. The strongest among us should lead.
Words from that kidnapper may not be true—he did say death is always around the corner." A child with a robust physique shouted, making himself the center of attention. Those trained in tactics quickly recognized this as his method of gathering followers.
"Ptui. The instructor said if east means east then west means west, are you a fool or are you just pretending to be one??" Uriel said, silently glancing at the child with the robust physique before blending back into the crowd.
"I, Teng Demiurge, have never been looked down upon under the heavens. Only I can look down on others!" Teng Demiurge, the one with the robust physique, shouted as he scanned the crowd for Uriel's voice. He was intent on asserting his dominance, unwilling to allow anyone to challenge his authority.
"You don't even carry the 'el' in your name, which means you're not worthy of being part of the main family. And yet you think you can suppress us isn't better to lick our boots instead
What a privileged, deluded little prick you are. You should be ashamed of even existing.
If I were your mother, I would have thrown you into the dirt the moment I laid eyes on you!" Uriel spat her words sharp and biting, each one landing with devastating force.
Azrael, standing nearby, was caught off guard by the sheer brutality of her words. His mind was still trying to process the shock of being kidnapped, but Uriel, as cold as ice, had already fully adapted to their reality, calculating every move with ruthless precision.
At that moment, Azrael knew he had to rise to the occasion—or be left behind.
' it's cold but I can feel the warmth within my body is perhaps my inactive Qi, I have always felt external spiritual Qi from the environment flowing through my veins
But I have never used the dormant Spiritual Qi in my Dantian could it be that this event is meant to teach us how to properly use Qi without relying on a method to replenish it...
Meaning I have to use as little as possible ' Azreal pondered as he analyzed his situation, he began to feel his Dantian under his abdomen and he felt himself opening a gate and an insane current of Qi began to course through his body
"URGGGG!!!"
"AZRAEL!!!" Uriel shouted, her voice trembling with fear as she rushed toward him. Her steps were unsteady, each one laced with panic as if she feared that any second he might shatter.
Azrael's body jerked violently, veins bulging, his face twisted in agony. The surge of Qi inside him felt like a raging torrent, a flood barreling through a crack in the dam, too strong and fast to be contained.
It was suffocating and overwhelming, and if he didn't find a way to control it, his body would tear apart.
"I... am fine," Azrael grunted, his body still trembling as the violent surge of Qi settled into a smooth, controlled flow, like tea coursing through his veins. The chaos inside him was replaced by a strange calm sensation, though the power remained.
As he stood, Azrael's senses exploded into sharp clarity. His eyes could pick out many details—the way the snowflakes danced around him in a pattern that felt unnatural, almost as if they were drawn to him.
His hearing was heightened, each sound, from Uriel's breath to the faint rustling of the wind, amplified in his ears like a symphony of whispers.
Even the air around him seemed richer. The cold, the damp earth beneath him, and even the scent of his skin—all of it was more intense, more vivid as if his very body had become a tuning fork for the world.
"Your eyes are glowing intensely, what happened?" Uriel asked, her voice thick with concern. As she spoke, she gently caressed his cheek, her touch tender and filled with care.
At that moment, she was so focused on him that she barely noticed the cold creeping around her, the chill in the air completely ignored as her worry for Azrael took precedence.
"I no longer feel cold or hungry, and my fatigue has vanished too. I feel stronger since I can now lift my arms and move... the flow of Qi awakened something within me" Azrael looked at Uriel and began to carefully explain the process, guiding her step by step while emphasizing the importance of taking it slow for her safety.
"I see... I understand it now," said Uriel as she followed his explanation closely, her actions precise and deliberate. The process unfolded even more smoothly, and she succeeded instantly, without any strain or drawbacks.
The children around the twins felt a deep sense of fear; each of them could be considered geniuses in their own right, reaching the first stage of the Body Tempering Realm typically took days, weeks, or even months of effort for them.
For the twins, however, it had taken mere seconds—and this was achieved without the aid of a cultivation technique, a feat that made the process far more difficult and dangerous. Yet, it was fine, as they possessed the cultivation base but lacked the qualifications to fully utilize it.
To the others, this incredible accomplishment made the twins seem like monsters. Yet, the two remained silent, their expressions calm, as they began to circulate their Qi with a natural ease that only deepened the awe and unease of those watching.
"Uriel, we should go East... what do you think?" suggested Azrael. Seeing Uriel's nod, he began to pull his cube forward. Some of the children simply followed him and Uriel, including Teng.
"Mxm, just because they're going East doesn't mean we should too."
"Yeah, they don't represent all of us." Those who complained decided to go West, seemingly trying to stand out by being different.
"Brother, why should we go East, though?" Uriel inquired, her tone filled with curiosity. Her question caught the interest of those who had chosen to follow them.
"The instructor gave us directions and clues the moment he opened his mouth.
Now, when I say go East, you don't go West. When I say fly, you don't walk.
Meaning we should go East and climb a mountain. At the top of that mountain, there's a sanctuary at its center."
Hearing his words, Uriel felt an unfamiliar emotion stirring within her. She didn't like it, but she couldn't help but admire it—respect for her younger brother, who was supposed to be learning from her.
...