--
The Lin Family Mansion, Fire Cloud City, Eastern Continent
On the northern side of the Lin family mansion stood a secluded old building surrounded by tall, whispering pines.
Atop the building, a young man frowned as he stared at the rusty sword in his hands. No matter what method he tried, the sword refused to react.
He looked about fourteen or fifteen years old—a handsome youth with long, silk-like golden hair that brushed his shoulders. The only flaw was his thin, frail frame.
This youth was Lin Feng, son of the fifth elder of the Lin family. But tragedy had struck when he was only five years old—his father had died suddenly of illness. With no powerful backing and a talent deemed "trash," Lin Feng had been cast aside, forced to live alone in this abandoned courtyard.
The so-called waste of the Lin family had remained stuck at the first-grade Mortal Realm for five long years, while his peers had already reached the third.
The Azure Flower Continent was divided into two realms—the Lower Realm and the Upper Realm.
Cultivation was split into the Mortal Realm, Xiantian Realm, Heaven Realm, Legend Realm, God Realm, and finally the Saint Realm.
The Lower Realm consisted of five continents: Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, and Central.
Within the Lin family, the strongest cultivator was only a third-grade Xiantian expert.
---
Lin Feng sighed. "I've tried everything I can think of, but this sword just won't respond…"
He frowned, staring at the dull blade. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Without hesitation, he drew a small knife and made a cut across his palm. A drop of blood fell onto the sword.
The instant the blood touched the metal, the sword trembled violently. A dazzling white light erupted, forcing Lin Feng to shield his eyes. The blade lifted from his hands, hovering in the air as streams of light spiraled around it.
Before his astonished gaze, the sword's appearance transformed—from a rusty relic into a majestic greatsword, its body glowing red, the tip shimmering gold, engraved with mysterious ancient runes.
Among the runes, one word stood out clearly:
"Sword of Destiny."
"Sword of… Destiny?" Lin Feng murmured in shock.
The sword answered with a resonant hum, its glow intensifying until a pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds above Fire Cloud City.
---
Upper Realm, Azure Flower Continent
In a distant palace shrouded in darkness, a middle-aged man opened his eyes. A faint sword-shaped light glimmered in his pupils.
"The Sword of Destiny… has awakened?" he whispered. "But how could its energy originate from the Lower Realm?"
He took out a glowing communication talisman.
"First Elder, send disciples immediately. Investigate the source of that phenomenon."
All across the Upper Realm, powerful sects received similar messages.
"If you find the wielder of the Sword of Destiny—befriend him if you can. But if he's your enemy… kill him."
---
Back at the Lin family mansion, Lin Feng stood rooted in place, breathing heavily. His heart raced as he stared at the sword.
"I found this thing behind the mountain during a hunt… it really did fall from the sky."
He could already hear elders rushing about outside. "This will definitely draw attention," he muttered.
Desperate, Lin Feng reached for the sword's hilt—
—and the world went dark.
---
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his courtyard.
He stood in a vast hall lined with ancient statues, golden pillars reaching into a sky of swirling mist.
"What… what is this place?" Lin Feng whispered.
At the end of the hall, a middle-aged man sat on a grand throne, resting his chin on one hand. His golden hair shimmered faintly, and in his right hand rested the same sword that had brought Lin Feng here.
Lin Feng froze. The man's presence was suffocating. Even the Lin family patriarch, a Xiantian third-grade expert, had never exuded such pressure.
Could this man be in the Saint Realm? Lin Feng thought in horror.
The man slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp enough to pierce Lin Feng's soul.
"You… how did someone with such pitiful talent gain the recognition of this sword?" the man said, voice calm but filled with authority.
Lin Feng gulped. "E-esteemed sir, my name is Lin Feng…" He clasped his fists respectfully.
The man's eyes glowed faintly, studying him as if searching for something hidden.
After a moment, he spoke again, his tone cold.
"Hmph. You have two choices: become the successor of the Sword of Destiny—or die."
"W-what!?" Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. "He's threatening me!" he muttered under his breath. But with no other choice, he nodded.
"I… I'm willing to become the successor. But my talent is low. Are you sure—"
"Do not worry," the man interrupted. "From the moment you touched the sword, your destiny has been rewritten."
He waved his hand, and an ancient book surrounded by golden aura floated toward Lin Feng.
"This is the cultivation technique of the Sword of Destiny. Learn it well."
Lin Feng accepted it with trembling hands. The aura around the book was overwhelming—it contained power beyond comprehension.
"Esteemed sir… do you also have any martial techniques?" he asked cautiously.
"Take these," the man said, and several scrolls flew toward him.
Lin Feng bowed deeply. "Thank you, esteemed one. I won't disappoint you!"
"Good. Now leave. Return when you reach the Heaven Realm."
With that, the man closed his eyes again, returning to his slumber.
As Lin Feng's vision faded, one last thought echoed in his mind:
"Who was that man? Why does he look… just like me?"
---
Back in the old courtyard, Lin Feng's eyes snapped open. He found himself clutching the sword once more—now back in its rusty form.
He took a deep breath and opened the scrolls. What he saw made him tremble in shock.
Each was a Saint-grade martial art:
Cloud Palm Technique, Dragon Fist Technique, and Azure Sword Technique.
Lin Feng grinned slightly.
"It seems… my fate has truly changed."