Qing Yan flew through the clouds, wind carving past him like silk knives. His eyes stared straight ahead, but his mind was tangled in thought.
Qing Yan (thinking):
Before I was sealed… I had already stepped into the Origin Devourer Realm.
But now…
Suddenly—everything froze.
Author Interlude
[Scene Paused]
The world darkens. A spotlight drops from the heavens. A chibi version of the author awkwardly walks on-screen holding a whiteboard.
Author:
"Yo, dear reader!"
"Alright, listen. Let's break down Qing Yan's terrifying power ladder real quick so the next few chapters make sense."
Power Realms: The Path of Devouring Flame
Bone-Forging Realm
Break the body. Reforge it in will.
– Foundational realm. Rebuild your bones with Qi.Blood-Root Realm
Let your blood burn with memory.
– Qi flows through blood. Enhances senses, healing.Soul-Spark Realm
Light the soul. Make it sharp.
– Forms the soul flame. Enables mental defense and killing intent.Beast-Ascendant Realm
Feed instinct with power. Become more.
– Merge with primal instinct. Manifest beast traits.Void-Step Realm
Walk without sound. Cut without trace.
– Movement becomes silent. Presence vanishes. Lethal stealth.Heaven-Breaking Realm
Break the sky that tried to cage you.
– Crushes divine barriers. Pressure can shatter formations.Mythborne Realm
Become story. Make fear eternal.
– A legend incarnate. Even fate bends around you.Origin Devourer Realm
(Qing Yan's realm before sealing)
Eat gods. Burn their names.
– Absorb divine essence, fate, and memory.Soul Dominion Realm
Rule thought. Crush will.
– Command minds. Break spirits. Dominate with presence.Concept-Reaving Realm
Cut meaning itself.
– Slice through sound, light, time, even truth.Law-Inversion Realm
Turn heaven's laws against itself.
– Reverse gravity, fire, even cause and effect.Void-Wrought Realm
Unreal. Unbound. Unknown.
– Step outside fate. Become untouchable.Throne of Silence
Where creation ends. The gods dare not follow.
– No return. No mercy. The final step.
Author:
"Kinda long, yeah? But important. Anyway—byebye, enjoy!"
The author throws a peace sign and sprints offstage.
Resume Scene
Qing Yan (thinking):
Those eleven so-called 'gods' were only in the Mythborne Realm...
Why were they chosen by the heavens to ascend? Why them?
There were stronger cultivators than them even back then. And I… I surpassed them with no bloodline, no divine spark.
He clenched his fists.
Qing Yan:
Tch… They called me a monster. Feared me. Sealed me.
Now? I can feel it. I've surpassed Origin Devourer… no—Soul Dominion too.
Is this Concept-Reaving Realm? At peak?!
He let out a long breath.
Qing Yan:
"Well… guess being sealed wasn't totally worthless."
His stomach growled.
Qing Yan (frowning):
"Tch. Damn body. Back in the cave, I didn't feel hunger. Now I do…"
His eyes scanned the land below.
Qing Yan (grinning):
"…Perfect. There's the bounty guild."
He dived downward in a blur.
Meanwhile — Mountain Range
A familiar elder stood atop a high stone pillar, robes fluttering in the wind.
Old man:
"…Should I begin investigating this on my own?"
He paused. Then sensed something—Qi signatures approaching.
Two figures descended from the sky.
The first: an old brute with a stone-like frame and thunder in his footsteps.
The second: a charming woman, youthful in appearance but hiding an ageless aura.
Old man (thinking):
Speak of the devils. The bratty lady is Dao Meiyan, 4th Elder.
The mountain of muscle? Dao Jinghai, 2nd Elder. I am Dao Tianren—3rd.
Dao Meiyan:
"Yo! Old man. You dragged us here—what's so urgent?"
Dao Jinghai (frowning):
"Something serious must've happened. What is it?"
Dao Tianren:
"I felt it during cultivation. A demonic Qi wave powerful enough to shake my soul… through a barrier."
Dao Jinghai (alarmed):
"WHAT?! It shook your soul through a Qi barrier?!"
Dao Meiyan (skeptical):
"Come on. You sure you're not hallucinating? You're getting older than your beard."
Dao Tianren (snapping):
"Does this face look like it jokes about spiritual collapse?"
Dao Meiyan (shrugs):
"…Well—kinda, yeah."
Dao Tianren:
"Tch. Enough. We're splitting up. Search every corner of this mountain. Now."
Both (in sync):
"Understood."
With a burst of Qi, the three Dao Elders shot off in different directions—unknowing that the monster they once feared… had already awakened.
[TO BE CONTINUED]