The sky stretched endlessly, a boundless canvas of soft pink and golden-orange hues as the sun lazily crept above the horizon. Its warm rays bathed the clouds in a glowing embrace, turning them into a sea of light—ethereal and calm.
Below, the world remained hidden, obscured by a thick blanket of clouds. It felt as if they were sailing through the heavens themselves, detached from the troubles far beneath.
A massive ark-type artifact cut smoothly across this serene scene. Crafted with impeccable precision, its polished wooden exterior gleamed under the sunlight, while sleek metallic embellishments caught the light as the ark glided effortlessly.
Its Qi-driven engines hummed softly, propelling it forward with a grace that belied its size.
Inside one of the cabins, a boy sat by a round window, unmoving. His purple hair, tousled from restless sleep, caught the glow filtering through the glass.
His eyes—deep violet, unusual and sharp—remained fixed on the endless skies outside. His clothes were simple gray and black, practical yet neat. At first glance, he looked ordinary—but his eyes held a quiet resolve, a weight too heavy for his age.
This was Yan Tian.
In his hand, he clutched a small green stone shaped like a leaf. His fingers curled tightly around it, unwilling to let go. Smooth and cool against his skin, it was more than stone—it was memory. A reminder of the family or someone special and the life he'd left behind.
Born in a small yet renowned town, Yan Tian's early life was marked by tragedy. At barely two years old, his mother was assassinated by an unknown assassin for reasons that remained a mystery.
Broken by grief, his father vanished in pursuit of the assassin—leaving only obsession behind. It was his grandfather who raised him, with his uncle, aunt, and cousin giving him the warmth of a family. They had been his pillars.
Until two weeks ago.
That was when everything ended. Yan Tian had reached a milestone every cultivator dreamed of—opening all fifty-two meridians and forming his Qi Core. The next step was the elemental awakening, a moment that defined one's path forever.
And his element had revealed itself.
Darkness—people whispered it like a curse, afraid the word itself might summon misfortune. When his peers awakened fire, water, wind, earth, metal, lightning, nature, or light, they were showered with blessings.
Yan Tian's ceremony had ended in silence—followed by fearful stares and hurried whispers. His name was written into the empire's registry of darkness wielders, binding him to a fate he never sought.
Now, he sat aboard this ark with eleven others his age who shared the same fate. They were being taken to a place the empire called a training ground, though no one explained what that truly meant.
The uncertainty gnawed at him more than any punishment could.
Of the seventeen passengers, most had long since drifted into uneasy sleep, lulled by the ark's steady flight. The boys were placed in four rooms, while the girls were placed in two.
But Yan Tian could not rest. His thoughts circled like shadows, refusing peace. The beauty of the sky outside felt too far away, too hollow, to quiet the storm inside him.
He remembered the moment of awakening all too clearly—the cold rush of Qi, the suffocating surge of darkness rising from his core, alive and clawing at him. Even now, he could feel it lurking beneath his skin, waiting to be controlled. But how did he tame something the world already feared?
His grip on the green stone tightened. His breath grew uneven as he fixed his gaze on the horizon stretching endlessly before him. A shiver ran through his body—not from the morning chill, but from the weight of the fear in his chest.
"I didn't choose this," he thought. "I never chose to be different."
A marked child, branded by an element no one trusted. And soon, he would find out what the empire had prepared for him and others at the so-called training grounds.
The ark sailed smoothly, its steady hum the only sound breaking the morning calm. Out on the deck, a man in his early thirties sat cross-legged, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
His black hair stirred in the wind, and the vivid orange-and-black uniform he wore marked him as one of the empire's elite escorts, tasked with delivering the young cultivators to their fate.
This was Lin Shen.
Before him hovered a crystalline orb pulsing with energy. Streams of vibrant orange Qi flowed from his hands into the sphere, powering the ark's flight.
The artifact thrummed with life, each burst of Qi propelling it farther through the sky. Lin Shen's expression was calm and focused, his mind perfectly attuned to the task at hand.
His aura radiated control, a mastery of Qi that Yan Tian could only dream of. Among the five elites aboard, Lin Shen alone commanded the ark with ease, while the others rested below.
Cultivation was a long, tiring path, divided into nine realms—each a step toward transcendence.
From opening meridians and forming a Qi Core to mastering Qi in its highest states, every realm represented years of growth. The nine realms are as follows:
Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple)
Qi Refining Realm (Qi Practitioner)
Qi Channeling Realm (Qi Master)
Qi Harmonization Realm (Qi Grandmaster)
Ethereal Fusion Realm (Qi King)
Celestial Integration Realm (Qi Emperor)
Transcendent Mastery Realm (Qi Ancestor)
Cosmic Enlightenment Realm (Qi Venerable)
Nirvana Attainment Realm (Qi Saint)
Each realm contained nine stages, making progress painstakingly slow.
Yan Tian and the other children stood in the first realm, the Qi Gathering Realm, also known as the Qi Disciple—the very first step, brimming with potential.
Lin Shen, however, was far beyond them. He had already reached the Ethereal Fusion Realm (Qi King). With his strength honed over decades, he piloted the ark effortlessly, bending its flight with nothing more than his Qi.
The ark cut steadily through the skies, carrying its young passengers toward an uncertain fate.
In his cabin, Yan Tian still sat by the window, lost in thought.
A soft voice pulled him back.
"Brother Yan Tian."
Yan Tian turned to see Zhong Li stretching awake. The boy's black hair stuck out in all directions, his dark eyes still heavy with sleep. Yet his calm presence contrasted with Yan Tian's restless unease.
"You're awake already, Brother Zhong Li?" Yan Tian asked with a faint smile.
"I am. But it looks like you haven't rested." Zhong Li stepped closer, concern soft in his tone. "What's on your mind?"
Yan Tian let out a quiet breath, turning back to the endless clouds. "I tried to sleep, but the sky's too vast—it keeps me awake."
Zhong Li joined him at the window. His eyes widened as he gazed out at the horizon, painted in morning light. "It's beautiful. Like we're flying through a dream."
Yan Tian's lips curved faintly. "Yeah. Makes you wonder how vast the world really is. Doesn't it?"
Zhong Li studied him for a moment. "You've been carrying something heavy. Nervous about what's ahead?"
Yan Tian hesitated, then gave a small shrug. "I guess. Everything's changing too fast."
Zhong Li placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "Change isn't always bad. Whatever happens, we'll face it together."
For the first time that morning, Yan Tian laughed softly. "You're right. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." Zhong Li's grin was easy, his confidence infectious. "We'll watch each other's backs."
Together they stood, watching the horizon. For a moment, the looming future felt a little less overwhelming. The tranquil sunrise carried with it a promise—that no matter how difficult the journey became, they wouldn't face it alone.
Suddenly, the ark's internal arrays crackled to life, carrying a voice through the ark like speakers, shattering the quiet.
"Attention, everyone! We'll be arriving at Jade Radiant Forest (Yù Huī Lín) in ten minutes. Prepare to disembark."
The quiet cabin stirred to life at once. Children scrambled to gather their belongings, voices rising in nervous excitement. The air buzzed with restless energy as one name rippled through them in awe and unease—Jade Radiant Forest (Yù Huī Lín).
Yan Tian and Zhong Li joined the others on deck as the ark began its descent, slipping gracefully through the last veil of clouds.
Below stretched the breathtaking expanse of the Jade Radiant Forest (Yù Huī Lín).
Mountains rose around it like ancient guardians, their peaks lost in drifting mist. Rivers glittered like silver veins cutting through endless green. Even from above, the vast woodland pulsed with life, as if the forest itself were breathing.
Zhong Li gasped, eyes wide with wonder. "Look at that! It's even more amazing than I imagined!"
Yan Tian's chest tightened. "It really is… I've heard the stories, but seeing it with my own eyes…" His words trailed off. Awe warred with the old warnings his elders had whispered—tales of beauty wrapped in danger, where magical beasts prowled, and elemental powers clashed unseen.
The ark touched down smoothly in a wide clearing. As the children filed out, five escorts stood waiting in matching robes, their presence sharp as blades. Lin Shen was among them, but at their head stood a tall man with hawk-like features and a gaze that silenced the restless crowd.
"Welcome to the Jade Radiant Forest (Yù Huī Lín)," the man declared, his voice carrying like steel. "From here, we march to the training grounds. It will take a full day. Stay close. Do not stray. Understood?"
"Yes!" the children chorused, nerves and excitement tangled in their voices.
The squad head—Song Bu—gave a curt nod. With a flick of his wrist, the towering ark shrank to the size of his palm. He slipped it into the storage ring on his finger, then turned toward the forest trail.
Yan Tian and Zhong Li fell in step with the others. The moment they crossed into the treeline, the world seemed to change. The air thickened with energy, and every rustle of leaves, every distant cry in the canopy above, carried a sense of hidden eyes.
At first, awe replaced their nerves. The Jade Radiant Forest was a living wonder—colossal trees stretched skyward, their twisting branches crowned with leaves shimmering in shades of green, gold, and violet.
Strange flowers bloomed at the roots of ancient trunks, while unfamiliar fruits glistened on hanging vines. Birdcalls echoed like distant melodies, and quick, darting creatures slipped between the underbrush.
It was peaceful. Almost magical.
Until the growl.
A low, guttural growl rolled through the trees like distant thunder. The children froze, blood draining from their faces. From the shadows ahead stepped a massive wolf, its fur glistening like shards of ice, its pale eyes glowing with cold, hungry intent.
Frost curled around its paws, mist spilling across the ground as the air turned bitterly cold.
"A… Frost Wolf," someone whispered, voice trembling.
The beast crouched, muscles coiling, lips peeling back to reveal jagged fangs. Panic rippled through the children, some stumbling back, others gripping their meager belongings as if they were shields.
Then steel rang.
One of the escorts stepped forward, his blade already alight with flames. With a single slash, he unleashed a blazing arc that cut through the air. The fiery slash cleaved the Frost Wolf in two. Its final howl faded into the rising smoke.
Silence. Only the stench of scorched fur remained.
The children stood frozen, awe and relief etched on their faces.
"Did you see that?" Zhong Li whispered, his voice trembling with both fear and excitement. His eyes gleamed as he stared at the fallen beast. "One day, we'll be that strong too."
Yan Tian forced a nod, but unease coiled in his chest. If a creature like this were only the beginning, then what nightmares waited deeper inside the forest?
Unseen by them, the forest stirred—watching. Their journey had only just begun.