The morning after his birthday, Wu Tian felt an odd sense of calm as he went about his usual routine. He had made a promise to himself—to grow stronger, to break free from this life of weakness. He had no teacher, no master to guide him, but he had the book in his dreams.
Each night, the whispers became clearer, as if the book was responding to his will. Though he couldn't yet open it, fragments of knowledge slipped through, appearing in his dreams in cryptic messages.
It was during one of these nights that he had his first real vision.
He found himself standing in a vast, empty space, an endless void stretching in all directions. Before him, the book floated, its pages bound in chains of silver light.
"To break the shackles, one must first understand them."
The voice resonated deep within him, neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It was simply there, an eternal presence.
Wu Tian reached out, but before his fingers could touch the book, a wave of force knocked him back. Pain exploded in his chest as he fell, the sensation so real it jolted him awake.
He gasped, clutching his chest. Though the dream had ended, the pain lingered.
Was this a test? A lesson? Or was the book refusing to acknowledge him?
Wu Tian didn't know, but he wasn't going to stop.
Each day, he pushed himself, observing the world around him with newfound clarity. He studied the movements of those around him, memorizing the way people moved, how they carried themselves. He imitated their steps, their balance, training his body in secret.
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
And then, one evening, as he sat by the riverbank, he felt something shift. The golden stone in his palm pulsed, its glow flickering like a heartbeat.
Wu Tian's breath caught. Was the stone… responding to him?
He closed his eyes, focusing on the warmth, allowing it to seep into his body.
And for the first time, he felt it—a flicker of energy, a presence deep within him, weak but undeniable.
His journey had begun.