Chapter 1: The Spark of Destiny
In the quiet village of Clearwater Hollow, nestled between rolling hills and the foreboding shadow of Verdant Gorge, Li Baifeng's life was a simple one. His days were spent laboring in the fields, his nights filled with the rustle of wind against the thatched roof of his hut. For twenty-three years, he had lived as all mortals did—struggling against the whims of nature and the cruelty of those who ruled above.
"Baifeng!" A young voice called out, breaking his focus as he hoisted a bucket of water from the village well. Turning, he saw Yun Xiaomei, a girl of barely thirteen summers, racing toward him with a basket of herbs clutched in her arms. Her cheeks were flushed, her wide eyes sparkling with admiration.
"You promised to teach me how to tie the herb bundles properly," she huffed, skidding to a halt before him.
Baifeng laughed, setting the bucket down. "Xiaomei, you're the only one in this village who thinks I know anything worth learning."
"That's because you're smarter than all of them," she retorted, crossing her arms. "You just don't show it."
A pang of warmth filled Baifeng's chest. Xiaomei was the younger sister of his closest friend, Yun Zhang, who had passed two years ago during a brutal winter. Since then, Baifeng had taken it upon himself to look after her.
"Alright, alright," he said, ruffling her hair. "Let's finish this and get back before Auntie Zhou starts scolding us again."
The mention of Auntie Zhou brought a smile to Xiaomei's face. Zhou Lihua was the village's healer, a sharp-tongued but kind-hearted woman who had taken both Baifeng and Xiaomei under her wing. Though not related by blood, she was the closest thing Baifeng had to family.
As the two made their way back, the village buzzed with activity. Farmers unloaded their carts, children chased each other with sticks, and the scent of freshly baked flatbread wafted through the air. Yet beneath the surface, there was an undercurrent of tension.
"Baifeng," a gruff voice called out. It was Old Liu, the village elder, leaning heavily on his cane. His face was lined with years of toil, his eyes sharp despite his frailty. "The landlord's men were here earlier. They'll be collecting taxes tomorrow. Be ready."
Baifeng's jaw tightened. The Zhao family, who ruled over this region, was notorious for their greed. Their tax collectors often took more than what was owed, leaving families to starve.
"I'll handle it," Baifeng said, though he knew he had little to offer.
"You always say that," Old Liu muttered, shaking his head. "One day, you'll have nothing left to give."
That night, Baifeng sat outside his hut, staring at the stars. Xiaomei slept soundly inside, and Auntie Zhou had retired early. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him, suffocating in its silence.
"Why must the heavens be so cruel?" he murmured.
The faint rustle of leaves drew his attention. At first, he thought it was the wind, but then he noticed a faint glow emanating from the edge of the forest. His curiosity piqued, Baifeng rose to his feet and followed the light.
It led him to a narrow path through the Verdant Gorge, one he had never noticed before. The air grew colder as he ventured deeper, the trees towering like silent sentinels. Finally, he stumbled upon a cavern hidden behind a curtain of vines.
Inside, the glow intensified, illuminating an altar carved from black jade. Upon it rested an ancient scroll, its surface shimmering with golden light.
Baifeng hesitated, a strange mix of awe and fear rooting him in place. He thought of Xiaomei, of Auntie Zhou, of the villagers who struggled beside him every day. If this was an immortal treasure, could it be the key to changing their fates?
With trembling hands, he reached for the scroll.
The moment his fingers brushed its surface, a voice thundered in his mind.
> "Mortal, do you seek to defy the heavens?"
Baifeng gasped, the voice reverberating through his very soul. He fell to his knees, but his grip on the scroll remained firm.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice hoarse but resolute. "I don't care if I'm just a mortal. I will change our fate."
The scroll unfurled, its golden light enveloping him. Symbols and diagrams danced before his eyes, incomprehensible yet searing themselves into his mind. Pain wracked his body as the energy of the scripture coursed through him, but he endured it.
When the light faded, Baifeng collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The cavern was silent once more, but within him, something had changed.
The Primordial Ascension Scripture—a forbidden technique capable of defying even the heavens—had chosen him.
As he stumbled back to the village, Baifeng knew his path would be perilous. But for Xiaomei, for Auntie Zhou, and for all those who suffered under the weight of the heavens, he would forge ahead.
For the first time in his life, Li Baifeng felt a glimmer of hope, and with it, a burning resolve.
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End of Chapter 1.