All day long, Bai Tian had journeyed through dusty roads, mist-covered hills, and a sky gradually dimming. As the twilight light began to creep across the horizon, he finally entered the territory of the Xio family. His breath was heavy, his steps hurried, as if sheer will alone could erase the distance that separated him from his adoptive parents' home.
In his mind, he clutched a fragile hope—that all the bad news was merely a dream. Yet, when he arrived at the courtyard, that hope shattered along with the sight before him. The house that had once been warm now stood as nothing but a blackened, burned frame. The scent of charred wood pierced his nose, mingling with lingering heat in the air. Ashes drifted like fragments of a past that would never return.
Bai Tian stepped inside. Each footfall broke the silence, echoing among the ruins. Suddenly, his foot struck something, and he fell. Pain shot from his calf to his bones. Yet he knew that this pain was not the one truly gnawing at him. There was another feeling, sharper—the loss that corroded from within.
Now he understood: the world was not a stage for fragile hopes. The world moved with cold logic: the weak were crushed without mercy.
Amid the rubble, his eyes caught a wooden backrest. A simple object, it had once been his resting place during heavy rain or for an afternoon nap. Miraculously, it remained intact, as if refusing to be destroyed.
Bai Tian approached, brushing off the dust, and sat down slowly. He closed his eyes. Memories came in waves—laughter around the dining table, familiar footsteps, the aroma of home-cooked meals in winter. Now, all of it was only a fading shadow in the fog of time.
A gentle evening breeze lifted the swirling ash around him. Time passed silently, leaving Bai Tian alone—a child without a home, sitting among the ashes of the past, staring at a world that had just taught him the meaning of loss.
Before the sun fully set, Bai Tian slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the corner of the room that had once been his bedroom—now only charred walls and a dust-covered floor remained. Amid the debris, he noticed a faint glimmer from a metal box.
The box was different from the rest—made of fire-resistant metal, unscathed despite the surrounding inferno. Bai Tian stepped forward. With slightly trembling fingers, he opened the lid.
The first thing he saw was a simple necklace. Yet, somehow, it radiated warmth as he held it. Beneath it lay a storage pouch roughly equivalent to 500 square meters in size—a spatial pouch capable of isolating aura, hiding its contents from prying eyes.
Carefully, he explored the pouch's contents. There were several rare materials, along with scrolls of basic skills seemingly prepared for him. He inspected each item, eventually discovering familiar equipment—simple things he had used daily with his adoptive parents.
Bai Tian took a deep breath. Their loss was irreplaceable, yet these relics were a reminder that he still had a reason to move forward. Realizing night would soon fall, he began collecting leftover wood and bamboo from the ruins, constructing a simple hut to rest.
In the following days, he devoted himself to studying each treasure left behind. He learned the functions of the skill scrolls, examined the rare materials, and practiced using them. Between these tasks, he cleaned the remains of the house, as if trying to preserve the last traces of his past.
Before he realized it, a week had passed. Time moved swiftly, yet within Bai Tian's heart, determination began to grow—a determination to become stronger, so that this tragedy would never happen again.
Before dawn, Bai Tian departed for the Rainbow Cloud Sect. Morning mist still lingered, obscuring part of his path. The bone-chilling cold could not dampen his spirit. Today, he began a journey that would determine his fate on the path of cultivation—a path only the brave, those daring enough to challenge the heavens, could tread.
The world Bai Tian walked upon was Planet Aquaria, a unique mid-level world where sixty percent of its surface is endless blue ocean. Long ago, before a catastrophic calamity shook the entire planet, Aquaria had only one vast continent. But world fractures and natural upheavals split it into five continents, each with distinct faces and souls.
In the east stood the Cloud Continent, a land of towering mountains shrouded in eternal mist. Hidden among its peaks were crystal-clear lakes shimmering under moonlight. To the freezing north lay Frostela Continent, like a sapphire encased in glaciers, battered by relentless snowstorms. To the west stretched Lumora Continent, vast golden grasslands glowing at dusk, adorned with endless white sandy beaches. To the south, Arvana Continent rose as a giant tropical forest, with trees taller than mountains, giant rivers, and mysterious swamps that swallowed many explorers. At the center, the Central Continent pulsed as the heart of civilization—where grand cities stood, trade routes intersected, and cultures converged.
The Central Continent also held the highest concentration of spiritual energy on the planet, becoming the gathering place of cultivators. They came from all directions, seeking rare opportunities, ancient knowledge, or precious resources to propel their cultivation to the pinnacle of power.
On Planet Aquaria, the highest level a cultivator could achieve was the Heaven & Human Realm, the pinnacle of harmony between body, soul, and natural law. But before touching the heavens, one must walk a long and perilous path.
At the journey's start lay the Mortal Realm, the peak of ordinary human strength. The body reached optimal condition, muscles, speed, and reflexes at their limits, stamina seemingly endless, and illnesses rarely daring to approach. Next came the Elementary Realm, the gateway to spiritual energy. Here, cultivators began to sense the flow of aura, aligning their bodies with the world, though their power was still limited to basic breathing and meditation techniques.
After that was the Essence Gathering Realm, where pure energy from nature was absorbed to strengthen bones, muscles, and internal organs. The body became resilient, wounds healed quickly, and spiritual energy could now be used, albeit in small amounts. Next came the Spiritual Sea Realm, where cultivators formed a "Spiritual Sea" within their body, a vast space to store large quantities of Qi. With it, they could unleash lethal long-range techniques, and their bodies became nearly impenetrable fortresses.
The intermediate stages began with the Divine Soul Realm, when the soul separated from the body for the first time. Cultivators at this level could pierce an enemy's consciousness, cast illusions, and even attack the soul directly. Their awareness sharpened, and their mental resilience was like steel. Finally, only a few could reach the Heaven & Human Realm, where every movement harmonized with natural laws. Wind, lightning, water, even starlight could become weapons in their hands. Their lifespan multiplied, and their existence was revered as a living extension of heaven.
Bai Tian knew the path ahead was full of danger. Yet in his eyes, reflecting the morning mist, burned an unwavering determination. His steps moved steadily toward the Rainbow Cloud Sect, the place where the journey to the summit would begin. On that day, before sunrise, a new destiny was born.
Morning mist thinned as Bai Tian reached the foot of the mountain where the Rainbow Cloud Sect stood. From afar, he could see soaring peaks shrouded in multicolored clouds, as if the sky had been painted by divine hands. At the mountain's base stood a colossal gray stone gate, carved with a crowned dragon among clouds, its eyes dimly glowing as if watching every visitor.
Two sect disciples stood on either side of the gate. They wore light blue robes adorned with glowing cloud emblems on their chests. Though their faces seemed young, the aura they radiated was far sharper than ordinary people—like swords honed over years. Their gaze immediately locked onto Bai Tian as he approached.
"Name and purpose," one guardian said in a flat but commanding tone.
Bai Tian slightly bowed his head in respect. "Xio Tian. New disciple of the Rainbow Cloud Sect."
The guardian studied him briefly, as if assessing every inch of his body and movements. Then he nodded slightly, signaling his companion. A bamboo scroll was taken and unrolled, revealing a list of already registered names. After noting his name, they gestured for Bai Tian to enter.
Passing through the stone gate, the world seemed to change. A white stone path stretched upward toward the peak, flanked by tall pine trees whose leaves quivered in the mountain wind. In the distance, the sound of flowing water mingled with soft bells, their source unknown.
Each step drew Bai Tian deeper into sect territory. He could feel spiritual energy far denser than anything he had ever sensed in his village. The air was fresh, infused with subtle power that made his body feel lighter.
At a fork in the road, a disciple in white approached with a friendly smile. "Follow me. The others are already gathered at the main sect courtyard."
Bai Tian nodded and followed. Deep down, he knew that this step might be the beginning of a path that would lead him to the top of the world—or perhaps cast him into an unfathomable abyss.