Within the Xuan Clan
Within the training grounds of the Xuan Clan, a group of youths had gathered to watch an intense duel between two clan members. Suddenly, a silhouette was flung across the field.
BOOM!!
"Hmph, Xuan Yi thinks too highly of himself, daring to challenge Xuan Feng."
"He's nothing more than trash riding on the coattails of his father, the clan head."
"Xuan Yi," Xuan Feng sneered, standing tall with pride, "even if you train for five more years, you'll never be my equal."
Xuan Feng had always been envious of Xuan Yi's status and talent. Being the son of the clan head, Xuan Yi had access to far more resources—something that had long fueled Xuan Feng's resentment.
"You'll never amount to anything," Xuan Feng continued with disdain. "You're just a disgrace, unfit to cultivate, let alone dream of becoming clan head. Give up now, before you embarrass yourself any further."
With a final scornful glance, Xuan Feng turned and left, his face full of arrogance and pride.
The remaining spectators spat in Xuan Yi's direction before dispersing, leaving him lying alone in the dust.
Crushed by humiliation, Xuan Yi returned to his room, heart heavy and spirit broken.
The next morning, Xuan Yi climbed to the peak of the mountain behind the clan compound. For an hour, he stood there in silence, gazing into the distance.
"If only I had the talent," he muttered bitterly. Then, clenching his fists and staring into the sky, he shouted, "What have I done to deserve this? If I ever gain the power, I swear I'll defy you! I'll trample you and erase you from existence!"
Suddenly, the sky darkened. Ominous clouds rolled in, turning the world gray and cold. Xuan Yi froze, stunned by the sudden shift.
Then, without warning, the clouds split open. A radiant beam of golden-purple light descended from the heavens and struck him squarely in the chest.
Agony exploded through his body. He felt something foreign invading him, tearing at his flesh and bones with unrelenting force. The pain overwhelmed him, and he blacked out.
When Xuan Yi regained consciousness, night had fallen.
"What just happened...?"
He quickly checked his body—no wounds, no scars. Not even a bruise.
"It's already late... I should head back before Mother gets worried."
He hurried down the mountain. As he approached the clan gates, he saw a familiar figure anxiously waiting.
"Yi'er!" his mother, Xuan Li, cried as she rushed toward him. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Mother," Xuan Yi replied, warmed by her concern. "I just trained a little harder today, that's all."
"Alright," she smiled, gently touching his cheek. "Come, let's eat."
After dinner, Xuan Yi returned to his room and sat cross-legged on his bed. He began cultivating, using the clan's White Jade Technique. But as he absorbed spiritual energy, it vanished—just like always.
"Where does all the energy go? Why can't it just stay in my dantian for once?"
His frustration was mounting.
Then—suddenly—his consciousness was pulled away, as if yanked from his body and cast into another realm.
He found himself in a pitch-black space, floating.
"Where… am I?"
Despite his fear, something drew his attention: a floating drop of golden-purple blood, hovering above a dark altar.
It radiated an ancient and irresistible aura. The longer he stared, the more he felt it calling to him.
Unable to resist, Xuan Yi moved toward it. When he was close enough, he reached out—and the blood surged toward him, merging with his essence.
His vision shifted. He saw a man standing amidst a sea of blood and mountains of corpses, locked in battle against a monstrous heavenly tribulation.
Then everything shattered.
He returned to the void, and an ancient voice echoed all around him.
"So… a body compatible with my bloodline."
"Young one, to bear my bloodline is the highest honor. From this moment, you shall carry my will. Rule the Realm of Gods. Exterminate the Heavens. Do not disappoint me."
The man transformed into a beam of light and shot into Xuan Yi's body.
Then, everything faded—light, space, sound—until only silence remained.