Yuan Hao sat in silence, staring at the ground where the remnants of chaos lay scattered. His mind churned with a torrent of thoughts, replaying the events of the last few hours. Xueying's face, her laughter, and the moment her life was cruelly extinguished—all of it played like a cruel melody in his mind. Rage, regret, and determination intertwined, forming a resolve stronger than anything he had ever felt before.
He glanced at the pendant in his hand, its faint glow pulsating rhythmically. It was as though it were alive, imparting its secrets to him, flooding his mind with knowledge he had never possessed before. He now knew of the vastness of this world and how little he truly understood it.
This world was known as Tianhuang—a boundless land teeming with life and power. Tianhuang was divided into five massive continents: the Eastern Continent, the Western Continent, the Southern Continent, the Northern Continent, and the Central Continent. Among these, the Central Continent stood at the pinnacle, revered as the heart of cultivation and the home to the most powerful sects and clans.
The Eastern Continent, where Yuan Hao now resided, was vast and diverse, but it paled in comparison to the Central Continent. The Eastern Continent was currently governed by five supreme powers:
Azure Sky Sect – a sect known for its mastery of swordsmanship and air-element techniques.
Crimson Flame Clan – a family revered for their fire-based arts and fearsome warriors.
Thousand Shadows Hall – a mysterious faction specializing in assassination and concealment techniques.
Iron Mountain Sect – a bastion of brute strength and body-refinement cultivators.
Golden Treasure Pavilion – a neutral organization that dominated the alchemy world, supplying pills, talismans, and weapons to many sects and clans.
Despite their immense influence, Yuan Hao had never heard of these powers until now. His knowledge was confined to the small mortal region of the Bei Kingdom and its surrounding kingdoms. He did not even know which empire—a power far above kingdoms—or dynasty, a supreme ruler above empires, he currently resided in. The realization was sobering: he was utterly ignorant of the larger world.
He needed a map—a guide to navigate this vast land and make his way to the dynasties and beyond, to the true lands of cultivation.
The pendant continued to share its insights. It revealed the path of cultivation, a sacred journey to transcend mortality and attain immortality. Cultivation was the process of refining one's body, spirit, and soul, harnessing the natural energies of the heavens and earth.
The path was arduous, divided into realms, each with nine minor stages that marked progress within the realm. The basic realms included:
Body Refining Realm – Strengthening the body to surpass mortal limits.
Qi Gathering Realm – Absorbing spiritual energy into one's body and forming a foundation.
Foundation Establishment Realm – Creating a stable core of spiritual power.
Core Formation Realm – Condensing spiritual energy into a solid core within the body.
Nascent Soul Realm – Giving birth to a spiritual soul that transcends the physical body.
Void Transformation Realm – Breaking ties to mortal constraints and stepping closer to immortality.
Beyond these lay higher realms, each more profound and mysterious than the last, but they remained a distant dream for someone like Yuan Hao.
The pendant's knowledge also unveiled a harsh truth about cultivation: it was a path of schemes and indifference. Cultivators—those on the path to immortality—rarely concerned themselves with the mortal world. To them, mortals were insignificant, their lives fleeting and inconsequential. This apathy extended to rulers and emperors; even dynasties could rise and fall without drawing the attention of cultivators.
This indifference cut deeply. The events of the Bei Kingdom, Xueying's death, and the countless injustices Yuan Hao had endured were nothing but trivialities in the eyes of these so-called immortals. The strong ruled this world, and the weak were left to suffer.
Yuan Hao clenched his fists. "If I had known… If my parents had given me the choice to cultivate from the start, I could have protected her!" he thought bitterly. His heart ached at the realization. He despised having his fate decided by others. Whether it was his adoptive father's dying wish, Xueying's tragic end, or his parents' decision to send him to the mortal world, he loathed being a pawn in someone else's game.
Now, he sought answers. Why had his parents abandoned him? What was the truth behind the actions of his parents? And above all, was there a way to bring Xueying back? Could she be revived?
To all these questions, the pendant was silent as if it were a mere mortal item. Yuan Hao couldn't activate the pendant currently as he was still a mortal; only in moments of danger would the pendant act. The pendant contained much more information and items, but Yuan Hao knew that he could actively use it only when he had stepped onto the path of cultivation. Yet, Yuan Hao refused to accept Xueying's death as final. He would revive her from death, no matter how forbidden or dangerous the path might be. Even if the pendant couldn't help him, he would find a way—he would revive her no matter what.
He stood, determination blazing in his eyes. His goal was clear:
To grow strong enough to reach the upper realm—to confront his parents and demand the answers he deserved.
To revive Xueying, no matter the cost, even if it meant standing against the heavens themselves.
The path ahead was treacherous, filled with unknown dangers and unfathomable power struggles. But Yuan Hao had no intention of faltering. He would carve his destiny with his own hands, and if the world stood in his way, he would tear it down.
For now, he needed to gather resources, find a map, and begin his journey. The land of cultivation awaited, and Yuan Hao was determined to claim his place within it.