"Move it, you wretch.""Go clean the floors."
The servant shoved the boy to the ground and kicked him in the abdomen.
"You useless trash.""We should have killed you long ago.""Unable to cultivate… you were fated to die early."
These were the words his mother spat at him.
But he was used to it.
Fang Long was born into the noblest sect in the martial world — the Heavenly Dragon sect, one of the most renowned sects in existence.
Unfortunately for him, he had been diagnosed with broken meridians, making him unable to cultivate. From that moment on, he was branded as worthless.
His father, the sect leader Zhin long, cast him out of the main residence and ordered one of the girl servants to raise him.
Fang Long grew up in poverty despite being the first born and the rightful heir to the sect leader's position.
His younger brothers had long since taken his place. From the moment they were born, they displayed extraordinary potential. Strong foundations. Perfect meridian pathways. Talent blessed by heaven.
Because of that, they dared to treat their own elder brother like dirt.
Thin and skinny, with bones almost protruding through his skin from years of malnourishment, Fang Long reached the age of thirteen and decided to end it.
"I know you are not my biological mother, but I still considered you one. You were good to me. You raised me while facing Father's anger because of it as well. You were put in this position because of me. I'm useless. I'm trash. So I'm sorry, but what I will do now is to make up for the trouble I've caused you.
I love you, Mom.
— Fang Long"
With that, Fang Long put the pen down. He folded the paper carefully and placed it on the scratched surface of their dining table.
He decided to jump off a cliff.
He didn't want to end his life in the house, not wanting to cause his mother more suffering. So he left. The guards didn't stop him. They laughed.
"You finally decided to end it, huh? A fitting end for trash like you," one of them said.
Fang Long paid them no mind. He kept walking. The destination was not far away, but for Fang Long the journey felt like an eternity. Each step was heavy. His heart pounded in his chest. He was scared. Frightened.
But he believed this was what needed to be done.
.....
"I'm finally here… huh," he muttered to himself.
"It's beautiful," he said, tears forming in his eyes as he looked out from the top of the mountain.
The sun was half-hidden behind a distant peak. Trees, fields, and meadows stretched endlessly below. It was a breathtaking sight. Fang Long stepped closer to the edge.
"I hope I become someone strong in the next life," he whispered, preparing to jump.
That was when he heard it. A whisper.
"Don't."
Fang Long turned around immediately, startled.
"Wh-who is it?" he called out loudly.
"Don't jump."
There it was again. The same whisper.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Your fate must not end here yet," the voice whispered.
Fang Long slowly stepped away from the edge. That was when he saw it. An opening in the mountainside. It was incredibly small, so narrow that most people wouldn't even notice it. A boy his age shouldn't have been able to fit inside. But because of his thin, malnourished body, Fang Long didn't face that problem.
He crawled inside. For hundreds of meters he squeezed forward, crawling, almost slithering through the tight passage. Then the tunnel suddenly opened up. The cave beyond was vast. And beautiful.
A soft, pale light filled the chamber, though Fang Long could not see any torches or openings that could produce it. The light seemed to come from the cave walls themselves.
Crystals of different sizes grew out of the stone like frozen flowers. Some were as small as pebbles, while others were taller than Fang Long. They glowed faintly in shades of blue, violet, and silver, illuminating the cavern with a gentle, otherworldly glow.
The air inside felt different.
Fang Long took a careful breath and immediately noticed something strange. The air felt refreshing as it entered his lungs, almost like drinking cold water after days of thirst.
The ground beneath his feet was smooth, as if it had been polished over countless years. Thin streams of clear water trickled through shallow grooves in the stone, creating a quiet, soothing sound that echoed softly throughout the chamber.
Strange symbols were carved into the walls.
They were ancient and unfamiliar, twisting patterns and characters that Fang Long had never seen before. Yet something about them felt powerful, as if they contained secrets far beyond his understanding.
At the center of the cavern stood a stone platform. It was circular and slightly elevated from the rest of the ground. The stone was dark and smooth, with countless runes engraved across its surface. In the middle of the platform rested a single object.
An old skeleton. It sat in a meditative position, legs crossed, spine straight, as if the person had died while cultivating. The bones were yellowed with age, yet strangely intact.
Beside the skeleton layed an ancient book.
And behind it, embedded deep within the stone wall, was a sword. Even after countless years, the sword still radiated a faint but terrifying aura.
The moment Fang Long stepped further into the cave, the whisper returned.
"...You finally came."
The voice sounded older now.
Ancient.
Waiting.