The sky glittered with stars like scattered shards of frost, and amid their brilliance, the moon shone like a flawless diamond. The village slept in peaceful silence, while a gentle breeze whispered across the pond. Within his small hut, Huang rested in tranquility, as still as a deep and boundless sea.
But that silence did not last long within him. Gradually, the calm expression on his face faded, replaced by lines of turmoil and pain.
Suddenly, he rose upward—his body lifting into the air without support, floating as though weightless. At that moment, a strange purple light burst forth from his forehead, forming a mysterious mark that glowed fiercely.
Huang's consciousness was wrenched away from reality, cast into a realm with no end or boundary. Never before had he encountered such a thing, and thus his mind could not comprehend it. It was as if he stood upon an infinite ocean, yet somehow, he did not sink beneath its waves.
At the heart of that endless sea, a spherical crystal of violet energy pulsed with terrifying power. Though it seemed like a stone, its aura surged so violently that it felt more like a vortex of raw energy than any earthly object.
That force stirred restlessly and sought to invade him, trying to seize control of his body. In that instant, however, a radiant golden light emerged from the depths of Huang's mind, suppressing the foreign power, weakening its grip.
What followed was astonishing—the once violent energy calmed and sank into serenity. Some of its essence even leaked out, circulating around his body. Wherever it touched, his torn flesh and deep wounds vanished as though they had never existed.
Then, just as suddenly, Huang returned to his chamber. He was lying upon his bed once more, everything silent and unchanged, as though nothing had ever happened. And yet, his body trembled as he awoke, shaken by the strange vision. Was it truly just a dream?
But as he looked down, he realized something was different—every wound he had borne was completely healed. Doubt gnawed at him. Could what he had experienced truly have been a dream? Or had something beyond comprehension taken place?
A cool, refreshing energy now flowed quietly within him, soothing both body and spirit. But Huang did not recognize it as qi, for he had never before heard of, nor felt, such a thing.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already stepped onto the path of cultivation—reaching the very peak of the Mortal Vein Awakening Realm, the first stage of all cultivation.
"Huang… wake up," a gentle voice called, as his mother entered the room.
Dou Hi noticed something unusual about her son. Normally, he would respond instantly when she spoke, but today he remained silent.
"Huang, is something wrong?" she asked with concern.
"It's nothing, Mother," Huang replied softly, though his voice carried a trace of confusion.
Sensing his reluctance, she did not press further. Instead, she said, "Very well. Go and prepare yourself. Your friend has been waiting outside."
Hearing this, Huang quickly readied himself, ate his morning meal, and went out to meet his friend. Together, the two made their way toward the village farmlands, as was their daily routine.
But Grand Lu, an elder who watched them from afar, noticed something strange about Huang. Calling out to his friend, he said, "Wu Shi, go fetch some of the firewood stacked behind the field." He wished to speak with Huang alone.
Perceiving the elder's serious gaze, Huang asked, "Grand Lu, is something the matter?"
"Yes… but it concerns you," the elder replied.
Though puzzled, Huang held back his questions, waiting for the elder to explain.
"When I saw you this morning, I sensed something had changed. Tell me, what happened to you?"
Huang hesitated, then said quietly, "Grand Lu, I am not sure myself. Last night, I had a dream… yet it felt so real."
"Give me your hand," Grand Lu said. Placing his palm upon Huang's wrist, he infused his spiritual sense into the boy's body.
And what he discovered shook him to the core—within Huang's consciousness, there lay a vast yet tranquil violet energy, swirling with unimaginable depth.
Impossible… This… This is a Primordial Heaven-Demon Vein! But how? Such a thing was forged from the blood of gods and demons! How could such a force merge with his body…? Grand Lu's thoughts trembled with disbelief.
Withdrawing his sense, he asked sharply, "I heard you fell down a cliff yesterday. Did something happen to you then?"
Huang nodded. "Yes, Grand Lu. Wu Shi and I took a shortcut on our way home. Suddenly, I felt the air around us shift, as if something unseen pressed upon me. I hurried, but as I passed the cliffside, it was as though someone pushed me. I fell."
"And then?" Grand Lu pressed.
"I struck the rocks and lost consciousness. But before darkness took me… I saw something violet, though I couldn't make it out clearly," Huang explained.
The elder remained silent for a long moment before calling Wu Shi back. "That is enough for today. Go, both of you—and take the usual path home," he ordered.
Yet even after they left, his mind remained heavy with thought. He now knew with certainty—Huang had somehow merged with the Primordial Heaven-Demon Vein.
This ancient vein, born from the mingled blood of gods and demons, could never be forcefully implanted. Any who attempted such a thing would pay with their life.
To inherit it, two absolute conditions must be fulfilled—
First – The body must be weighed down by grievous, near-fatal wounds. Only when life stands at the edge of oblivion, when blood and breath ebb into silence, will the Primordial Heaven-Demon Vein deem one worthy of its recognition.
Second – The individual must possess a rare innate or awakened trait, a divine mark of destiny. Among countless beings, at least one of the following must be etched within their very essence:
Supreme Being Bones – Divine bones shining with immortal light, said to conceal the secret of eternal life.
Heavenly Poison Body – A body that turns deadly poisons into cultivation strength, feared as much as it is revered.
Celestial Dragon Eye – The refined eye of an Ancient Dragon, granting vision that pierces illusions and holds draconic might.
Phoenix Bone Blood – A single drop born from the flames of a dying Phoenix, bestowing rebirth and healing from mortal wounds.
Only when these conditions converge—when death's shadow lingers, and a chosen trait shines forth—will the Primordial Heaven-Demon Vein, born of divine and demonic blood alike, accept a host and bind itself to its destined master
Grand Lu spoke quietly, and then he gazed upon Huang. In his mind, a single thought emerged clearly:
"There is a rare and extraordinary trait within this boy's body."
At that moment, near Huang's heart, a bone etched with markings resembling characters became visible. Within the bone, a single drop of blood glimmered red, as if infused with life itself.
Yet, this profound secret was unknown to anyone in the world. It was a manifestation of latent power, a divine mark within Huang, destined to awaken and herald a new era in his path.