No one knew where the baby came from.
He wasn't born in the heavens, nor summoned by ancient rites. He simply fell—dropped from above like a star that refused to burn, crashing down with such devastating force that even the realms trembled.
The five Supreme Rulers, the apex beings of all known existence, stood frozen. They stared at the newborn who had nearly annihilated their realm simply by arriving. No seals or ancient scrolls foretold this. No realm beyond theirs was meant to exist.
"Where did it come from?" one Supreme finally spoke.
"We are the highest. Nothing lies above," another answered with dread.
But the fear in their eyes betrayed their confusion. This wasn't just a child—it was a catastrophe waiting to awaken.
Terrified of what he might become, they tried to kill him. Every spell, divine weapon, and forbidden art was hurled at the infant. But none worked. All attacks were deflected by a mysterious, unseen force.
When brute force failed, they turned to sealing him. The entire Heaven Realm and the Upper Heaven Realm joined hands, attempting the most complete soul-binding ever attempted. In the end, they managed only one thing: sealing away the baby's soul power. But his body—his true strength—remained untouched, undetected.
Satisfied, they thought it over. With no soul power, he'd be harmless.
But greed crept in. What if they killed him now?
They struck one final time. The heavens howled as their combined might hit the child. He didn't die.
Instead, the infant was flung through space like a comet, punching through realms and voids, tearing through worlds as his unconscious body smashed down into the lowest of realms—far beyond their sight, beyond their reach.
As he descended, his cradle shattered mid-flight. From within, a soft feminine aura emerged, taking the form of a girl cloaked in light.
A voice echoed from the remnant:
> "From now on… you'll have to rely on yourself. Big sis can't protect you anymore."
A single tear fell from her eyes before she vanished completely. Thunder rolled. The skies turned gray.
___
Bai Yan was twenty-six years old, strong-willed and feared by her sect peers. While most cultivators admired her beauty, few dared speak to her because of her sharp tongue and colder heart.
On this particular day, she had entered the Beast Forest for her sect's ranking trial. With every step, she slashed down beasts, leaving a trail of silence behind her.
But she stopped suddenly.
Ahead of her was a crater—deep, smoking, and still radiating heat. At its center was a baby. Naked. Crying. Alone.
A normal woman might have run. But not Bai Yan.
She stepped closer, examining him. There were no signs of cultivation in the child. In fact, he had no soul power at all.
But the air… it trembled faintly around him.
And his body—though small—was without injury. A being strong enough to survive such a fall should've been noticeable… but this boy?
There was nothing. He was completely… ordinary.
Too ordinary.
Her heart twisted for a reason she couldn't explain. Maybe it was the way he reached out with a trembling hand. Or maybe something deeper inside her recognized the loneliness in those newborn cries.
She sighed and picked him up.
> "Han Qian," she whispered. "That'll be your name. Since fate abandoned you, I'll take you back. Just don't cause me trouble."
She had no idea what kind of storm she just carried into her sect.
But the heavens did.
And they remained silent.