The words of the Primordial Emperor hung in the ancient air, resonating with a truth so profound it seemed to rewrite Su Yang's very existence. *Yin-Yang Creation Body.* The name itself felt like a key turning in a lock deep within his soul, unlocking a door to a destiny he could never have imagined. The crushing weight of his mortal insignificance, the sting of Lin Mei's betrayal, the humiliation at Jin Feng's hands—all of it was washed away in the face of this cosmic revelation. He was not worthless. He was a supreme treasure, lost to legend.
The remnant soul of the Emperor observed him, its earlier fury now replaced by a complex expression of awe, solemnity, and a deep, ancient weariness. The spectral form flickered, its light pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
"To have waited… for so long… through the decay of eras… only for my awakening to be heralded by the one constitution capable of inheriting my ultimate legacy…" the Emperor mused, his voice a whisper that seemed to carry the echoes of forgotten ages. "The workings of the Great Dao are truly inscrutable."
He solidified his form, drawing his immense presence inward until he hovered before Su Yang not as a furious god, but as a stern, majestic teacher. The pressure in the cavern lessened, becoming less oppressive and more focused.
"Boy," the Emperor intoned, his voice regaining its authority, though now it was laced with a new purpose. "This meeting is not chance. It is karma written in the stars themselves. My time is short. This wisp of soul cannot endure long outside the preservation of the Primordial Coffin. Therefore, heed me."
The Emperor's gaze became intense.
"Kneel and worship me as your master. Swear to carry my legacy, to walk the path I forged, and to restore the glory of the righteous sects that once upheld the balance of heaven and earth. In return, I shall bestow upon you the supreme techniques of the Twin Dao Sect, the keys to unlocking the true potential sleeping within your legendary body."
The command was absolute, leaving no room for debate. Yet, Su Yang hesitated.
His mind, still reeling from the shock of the last hour, scrambled to process the demand. Worship a teacher? This was not a simple decision. It was a binding oath, a commitment to a path he barely understood, sworn to a being of unimaginable power and unknown intent. The modern world had taught him caution, to be wary of offers that seemed too good to be true.
He looked from the magnificent, ethereal form of the Emperor to the pristine body in the coffin. This was a being who spoke of heavens and hells, of kalpas and primordial chaos. What would such a commitment entail? Would he have to leave his world behind? Would he become something… else?
The Emperor saw his hesitation. A flicker of impatience crossed his ancient features, but it was quickly banked by a dawning understanding.
"You doubt," the Emperor stated, not as an accusation, but as a simple fact. "You, a child of this withered age, know nothing of the bonds between master and disciple. You know nothing of the oaths that bind the cultivator's world. This is not your fault. It is the tragedy of this Qi-barren Earth."
The spectral form seemed to sigh, a sound like the wind passing through a field of celestial reeds.
"Then allow this master to enlighten you. To understand the value of what I offer, you must first understand the desolation you inhabit."
The Emperor's eyes grew distant, looking through Su Yang, through the cavern walls, into the deep past.
"I am Luo Tian, the Primordial Yin-Yang Emperor. In an age long past, this world thrived. Qi, the vital breath of creation, was as abundant as the air you breathe. Great sects soared amongst the clouds, their disciples traveling on flying swords, commanding fire and lightning, seeking harmony with the Great Dao. We of the righteous path stood as guardians, upholding order and protecting the weak from demonic cultivators who sought to harness power through slaughter and corruption."
A profound sadness entered his voice.
"But all things peak and then decline. A great cataclysm swept through the cosmos. The details are lost even to me. The heavens were wounded, the connection to the higher realms was severed, and the Qi of this world began to fade, like a great lung taking its last, ragged breath. The great sects either perished, fled to hidden pocket realms, or departed for stars unknown. The techniques, the knowledge, the very memory of cultivation… it all faded into myth, then into nothingness."
He gestured around the cavern.
"This tomb was my final sanctuary, a last bastion against the inevitable silence. I sealed myself here, preserving my knowledge and a fragment of my soul, hoping against hope that one day, the Qi would return, or a destined successor would find me. I waited. And I slept. And the world outside forgot. It built its towers of steel and its networks of light, little knowing that the true marvels of existence had vanished from under its very nose."
His gaze returned to Su Yang, sharp and clear.
"This world you know is a corpse, boy. A beautiful, bustling, ignorant corpse. It has forgotten its own soul. You have been living in the shadow of a greater truth, starving for meaning without knowing what true nourishment is."
The words struck a deep, resonant chord within Su Yang. He thought of his life—the endless, meaningless toil, the shallow pursuits of wealth and status, the feeling of being a tiny cog in a vast, indifferent machine. He thought of the profound emptiness he had felt just hours ago, an emptiness that Lin Mei had never truly filled. The Emperor was right. He had been starving.
A yearning, fierce and undeniable, ignited in his heart. A yearning for the marvels the Emperor described. For flying swords and commanding lightning. For a purpose greater than climbing a corporate ladder. For a power that was truly his own, a power that could never be mocked or taken away.
He saw his hesitation for what it was now: not caution, but fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of leaving the familiar desolation for a terrifying, magnificent new world.
The Emperor saw the change in his eyes. "Your physique, the Yin-Yang Creation Body, is not just a key to power. It is a beacon. In the ancient days, its emergence was a celestial event. It is the ultimate vessel for the Dual Cultivation Method of my Twin Dao Sect—a path not of solitary hardship, but of harmonious growth with a destined partner. It is a dance of energies, a mutual ascent where both cultivator and consort refine their Qi, temper their spirits, and shatter bottlenecks together. It is the fastest, most profound path to power, and you… you are its natural sovereign."
Su Yang's breath hitched. Dual cultivation? A destined partner? The concepts were alien, yet they felt instinctively right, resonating with the balanced energy he now knew thrummed within him.
"Master," Su Yang whispered, the title feeling both foreign and utterly correct on his tongue. "This Dual Cultivation… and the realms of power… what are they?"
A hint of approval glimmered in the Emperor's eyes. "Your first lesson begins. The path of cultivation is long and arduous, a ladder of ten great realms that separate the mortal from the transcendent."
The Emperor's voice took on a lecturing tone, each word imparted with gravity.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That step is **Body Forging Realm**. Here, you are but clay. You must temper your flesh, bones, and marrow to absolute perfection, purging all impurities. Every muscle fiber must be honed, every sinew strengthened, until your body becomes an unbreakable vessel, capable of withstanding the torrent of Qi to come. Without a foundation of diamond, the palace will crumble."
Su Yang nodded, understanding. It was the most basic, yet most critical step.
"Once your vessel is prepared, you may draw the first wisp of energy from the world into your dantian. This is the **Qi Condensation Realm**. Here, you gather and refine the energy of heaven and earth, circulating it through your meridians, expanding your capacity drop by drop, until your dantian is a swirling sea of potential."
"With a solid foundation of Qi, you begin the true work of construction. You build your **Foundation Establishment Realm**. This is not a simple gathering of power, but the creation of a permanent, stable core of power within your dantian. The quality of this foundation—be it mortal, earth, heaven, or supreme grade—will define the ceiling of your entire future path. It is the bedrock upon which your entire cultivation will stand."
Su Yang listened, rapt. Each realm was a world unto itself.
"That core of power is not meant to remain static. Through relentless refinement and comprehension, you compress and purify that energy, giving it life and brilliance. It transforms, becoming a golden sun that radiates power from within your dantian. This is the **Golden Core Realm**. Those who achieve this are considered true experts, their lifeforce vastly extended, their abilities moving beyond the mundane."
"The fifth step is the **Nascent Soul Realm**. Your cultivated consciousness, your very spirit, merges with the power of the Golden Core. It undergoes a metamorphosis, giving birth to a miniature version of your own soul—a Nascent Soul. This soul can perceive the world on a deeper level, comprehend deeper truths, and even leave the body for short periods. It is your first step toward transcending the mortal coil."
"With your Nascent Soul formed, you enter a period of great growth and transformation. This is the **Soul Transformation Realm**. Here, your soul and body are remade together. You shed the limitations of your mortal form, becoming something more ethereal, more attuned to the laws of the world. Your control over energy becomes exquisite, and you may begin to grasp the edges of spatial manipulation."
"The seventh realm is one of profound insight. The **Unity of Void and Man Realm**. The boundary between your inner world and the outer world begins to blur. You understand that you are not a separate entity from the universe, but a part of its grand design. You can draw upon the power of the world itself, commanding natural forces with a thought. You become a small world unto yourself."
"The eighth realm is where true mastery of space begins. The **Void Interpretation Realm**. You no longer just feel the fabric of space; you can manipulate it. You can tear short voids for travel, create spatial rings for storage, and your attacks can ignore physical distance. You interpret the void, and it answers."
"The ninth realm is the pinnacle of the mortal journey. The **Great Ascension Realm**. Here, you stand at the very peak of what a mortal body and spirit can achieve. You have comprehended your own Dao to a profound degree. Your power is such that you can challenge lesser immortals. This realm is the final preparation, the gathering of all your strength for the ultimate tribulation—the Heavenly Tribulation that, if survived, allows you to shed your mortal shell completely and ascend."
The Emperor paused, letting the immensity of the journey sink in. Nine mighty realms, each a mountain to climb.
"But these," the Emperor said, his voice dropping to a whisper filled with unimaginable grandeur, "are merely the mortal coils. To break through the Great Ascension Realm is to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation. To succeed is to shed your mortal body and step onto the true **Immortal Path**."
Su Yang's eyes were wide. Immortality. It was no longer a myth.
"The Immortal Path consists of seven great realms, each vaster and more profound than the last," the Emperor continued, his tone solemn. "The first is the **Immortal Realm**, where you solidify your immortal body and begin to accumulate true immortal energy."
"Next is the **Heavenly Immortal Realm**, where your comprehension of heavenly laws deepens immensely."
"Then comes the **Immortal King Realm**. At this stage, you command respect across starfields. You can create your own minor laws within your domain. I, in my prime, had reached the peak of this realm."
Awe filled Su Yang. His master was a peak Immortal King!
"I was but half a step away from ascending to the next, almost mythical stage—the **Immortal Emperor Realm**. Those who reach this fourth stage are sovereigns of the cosmos, their every word law, their will capable of shaping reality across galaxies."
The Emperor's voice grew even more grave. "Beyond that, the realms become truly legendary, known only in the oldest texts. The **Immortal Sovereign Realm**, the **Immortal Venerable Realm**, and the ultimate, theoretical pinnacle of all cultivation, a state of being one with the primordial Dao itself—the **Primordial Realm**. But these are distant dreams, even for one such as you."
The scale of it was dizzying. Su Yang had been worrying about his next rent payment, and this being was speaking of realms where one could become an emperor of reality itself.
The last vestiges of his hesitation crumbled to dust. This was the marvel he yearned for. This was the meaning he had been seeking.
He took a deep breath, his decision made. He straightened his back, ignoring the pain in his body, and met the gaze of the remnant soul. Then, he knelt. Not a kneel of submission, but one of respect. Of purpose.
He performed the kowtow, pressing his forehead to the cold stone floor of the ancient cavern. Once, twice, thrice.
"Disciple Su Yang," he said, his voice clear and steady, no longer that of a broken intern, but of a man who had found his path, "pays respect to his master. This disciple swears to honor your legacy, to walk the righteous path, and to strive with every fiber of his being to prove worthy of this inheritance."
A profound silence followed his oath. Then, a wave of immense satisfaction and approval emanated from the Emperor's soul.
"Rise, Su Yang. Rise now not as a mortal, but as my disciple. The first of a new era."
As Su Yang rose to his feet, the Emperor raised a translucent hand. A spark of light, containing a perfect balance of gold and silver, shot from his finger and touched the space between Su Yang's eyebrows.
Su Yang felt a jolt, as if a circuit had been completed. Knowledge, profound and vast, flooded his mind—not as words, but as pure understanding. The foundational principles of the Twin Dao Sect's Dual Cultivation Method etched themselves into his very consciousness. He understood the circulation of Yin and Yang, the harmonization of energies, the sacred dance that could elevate both participants.
At the same time, a title, a mantle of responsibility, settled upon his spirit.
"Until you establish your own Dao and forge your own legend," the Emperor's voice boomed, filled with ceremonial power, "you shall bear the title of **'The Yin-Yang Envoy.'** You are the harbinger of balance, the first spark of the returning dawn. Go forth from this tomb not as the orphan Su Yang, but as the Envoy, and let the world, in its ignorance, tremble at the wonder it is about to witness."
The light from the remnant soul began to fade, its duty fulfilled.
"The path is before you, disciple. The techniques are in your mind. Your destiny is in your hands. Nurture your body, seek your destined consorts, and awaken the marvel within."
With those final words, the magnificent spectral form of the Primordial Yin-Yang Emperor dissolved into a shower of sparkling light, which flowed back into the crystalline coffin. The lid slid shut with a soft, final sigh.
The cavern was silent once more.
But Su Yang was forever changed. He stood alone in the immense darkness, yet he had never felt less alone. He was the Yin-Yang Envoy, the disciple of an Emperor, the bearer of a legendary body, and the inheritor of a lost art.
He looked at his hands, no longer seeing the hands of an office intern, but the instruments of a coming storm. The world outside thought it knew what power was.
He could not wait to show them how wrong they were.