Somewhere in the heart of the continent, a colossal palace stood tall, regal, and majestic—its architecture divine, surrounded by walls of gleaming crystal and flame-like jade. The words Red Lotus Palace were carved above its immense gate in flowing crimson script, and just below the writing, a brilliant red lotus emblem pulsed gently with ethereal light.
In front of the gate, two figures stood.
A boy, no older than five, ran in circles with playful excitement. His black hair fluttered as he moved, and his large brown eyes sparkled with energy. His skin was fair, his features angelic—adorable and handsome, a child who would draw attention wherever he went.
By his side walked a man who looked barely in his twenties—Tang Yuan, his father. The air around him pulsed with calm strength. Despite his youthful appearance, the guards at the gate immediately recognized him.
They bowed slightly and opened the gate without a word.
As the father and son stepped through, one of the younger guards leaned over and whispered, "I just joined. Who are they?"
The senior guard kept his eyes forward.
"That's Tang Yuan, and the child is Tang Wulin. Tang Yuan is a relative of the planet's guardian."
The word guardian silenced all further questions.
Inside the palace, Tang Wulin looked up at his father with bright eyes.
"Dad! I've become a body cultivator now! When can I start training to be strong like you?"
Tang Yuan smiled, lifting his son into his arms.
"Strength doesn't come easy, Wulin. You need hard work… and determination."
"I will! I promise!" Tang Wulin chirped, puffing out his chest.
They walked deeper into the palace until they reached the throne hall. At its center sat a man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in white robes. His white hair gleamed like snow, and his silver eyes shimmered with calm authority.
He was the Emperor of the entire Red Lotus Empire—known only by his title: Lotus of Lunar. No one knew his true name.
Tang Wulin remembered what his father once told him:
> "Our planet has two continents—one ruled by demons, the other ruled by humans and beasts. The human side is governed by the Red Lotus Empire. And this man, the Lotus of Lunar, sits at its peak."
Three kingdoms stood under his rule. Of them, Saviour Kingdom was the largest, and home to the powerful Saviour Organization.
Tang Yuan and Tang Wulin bowed respectfully before the emperor.
"I seek an audience with the Guardian," Tang Yuan said.
The emperor's voice was calm. "Welcome, Tang Yuan. The Guardian is within her chamber. You may go."
They left the throne hall and followed a long passage. No guards stood outside the chamber—none were needed.
Wulin's heart pounded. He had heard the stories. For a thousand years, no demon or beast had dared attack the human continent—because of her. The peak existence of humanity. His father had once said:
> "We are descendants of her brother."
As they reached the door, it opened silently on its own. Father and son stepped inside.
She sat alone in the chamber, dressed in flowing white robes. A sheer veil hid her face, but her fair hands rested on the armrest with poise. Her presence alone stirred awe.
Tang Yuan and Tang Wulin bowed deeply.
Tang Yuan spoke first.
"I humbly ask you to train my son, Tang Wulin. Please."
A voice—gentle, kind, melodic—filled the air.
"Tang Yuan, you may go. I will teach him. You can rest assured."
Tang Yuan turned to his son. Wulin nodded firmly—he was ready. With a last glance, Tang Yuan left the room.
The chamber grew quiet.
The veiled woman—the Guardian of the Planet—looked at the boy.
"Tang Wulin," she said sweetly, "do you wish to understand our cultivation system?"
Wulin nodded quickly.
She began.
> "Our planet was once a normal world. It had energy—but no one could harness it. That changed when an asteroid fell from the sky. After that, people discovered that they could absorb the planet's energy. Slowly, cultivation began. And with it, a new era."
Her voice flowed like a story woven in the wind.
> "Beasts and demons grew stronger as well. For ten thousand years, humans ruled over them. But then… a demon emerged—stronger than anyone before. He killed the strongest human alive at the time and conquered an entire continent. I later reached the same level as him… but by then, it was too late."
Tang Wulin listened without blinking.
> "Now, humans and beast share one continent, and the beasts… they too have someone hidden—someone strong enough to rival even us."
She paused, letting the weight of history sink in.
> "To honor the asteroid that gave us power, our first cultivation level is called Asterioc. A cultivator can form ten shards, and each shard has early, middle, and peak stages. Upon reaching the ninth shard, one is given a title based on their element."
Wulin was mesmerized.
> "There are three paths of cultivation:
1. Spiritual cultivators—masters of soul and mental energy.
2. Physical cultivators—who fight using only their bodies.
3. Energy cultivators—balanced in both long and short range, but without advantage in either."
Just then, the door opened by itself. A young palace servant entered quietly, placed a tray of food on the table, and left. The door closed behind her—again, on its own.
Wulin's eyes widened.
"Master… does your room have ghosts? The door's opening by itself…"
He puffed up proudly.
"Don't worry, Master! My dad said ghosts are afraid of light element. Once I become strong, I'll protect you from ghosts! Until then, please accept this!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny chocolate, holding it up shyly.
What Wulin didn't know was that the door moved at her will. She was so powerful, even the Emperor couldn't sense her energy when she didn't wish to be seen.
The woman looked at the child.
"Will chocolate protect me from ghosts?" she asked, her voice amused.
Wulin scratched his head.
"I… I made a promise to protect you. But right now, I'm weak. So this chocolate is a… uh… compensation!"
He flexed his tiny arm. His biceps didn't move at all.
A soft smile formed beneath the veil—no one could see it, but it was there.
"Thank you, Wulin," she said. "You may call me Master Yueyin. But don't tell anyone my name, alright?"
"Okay! As you wish, Master Yueyin!" Wulin replied without hesitation.
"Then let us continue our class," she said, her voice as calm and gentle as ever.
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