The sound of chains clanking could be heard behind an steel door, which had but a tiny slot that could be an inspection door.
"Clank, Clank, Clank"
Behind the steel door was a cell that no light could penetrate and a room so quiet you could hear your breathing and beating heart, at the end of the room were chains that were tied to a wall, those chains seemed to be bound to an frail old man with grey-hair, the chains bounded both his wrists and ankles, he was seated down at the steel floor, his eyes looked devoid of any life or purpose.
"Thud Thud Thud Thud"
Then suddenly the sounds of footsteps abruptly stopped and the inspection door slid open and a flash of light entered the old man's frail-looking face, a middle-aged man in a prison guard uniform suddenly spoke
"Zha Wei!, The court has approved of your execution, you are to be executed before nightfall"
The steel door was opened casting a bright light onto the confined room, the middle-aged man looked down at Zha Wei with disgust as if he were looking at a bug, a lesser life form.
Zha Wei was too tired even to open his mouth and speak, his eyes still looked lifeless devoid of any emotion though a hint of relief flashed knowing this would all finally end.
"Well? What are you maggots standing around for?, Unbind his chains and put cuffs on him"
The middle-aged man angrily screamed at the young guards accompanying him, then two guards rushed to pin Zha Wei aggressively to the ground, he didn't resist accepting his fate, and then another 2 guards entered and began unshackling him. They started putting cuffs on just his wrists.
The guards then escorted him out of his cell and what befell Zha Wei's eyes was an endless hallway with cells just like his, the guards made him walk forward with his head lowered looking at the steel floor, Zha Wei was so weak that he could barely walk then his feet eventually gave way and he fell
"On your feet maggot, unless u want me to drag your half-dead carcass to the execution room"
The middle-aged man sneered, Zha Wei arose slowly still having trouble walking but still pushed forward.
After what seemed like an endless walk, Zha Wei finally reached the end and he passed through multiple doors. Finally, he arrived at a quite spacious room, Zha Wei was then told to stand in the middle of the room, and then Zha Wei's head looked up and saw 20 men with rifles in hand, and in the middle was a tiny podium with a microphone, and atop the podium was an old-looking man.
"Zha Wei, the court has granted permission for your execution, before I carry it out, do you have any final words u wish to speak?"
Zha Wei looked at the old man and slowly opened his wrinkled mouth
"Hurry the hell up!"
Zha Wei used an ounce of strength in his body to muster those words, the men in the room were silent and then the old man on the podium finally spoke
"Very well, by the power vested, I sentence u Zha Wei you to death by firing squad."
"READY.. AIM.. FIRE!.."
As the multiple shots tore through the air, all but thirteen struck Zha Wei one tearing through his right eye and exiting out the back of his head, Another bullet penetrated his jaw dislocating it, making him look disfigured, five other bullets ruptured his lungs and through his arteries, the rest penetrated his stomach.
Zha Wei felt every part of body being destroyed by each bullet shot, Zha Wei collapsed face-first onto the floor surrounded by his own pools of blood then he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Silence filled the room then eventually the old man spoke in a loud voice
"LET THIS BE AN EXAMPLE TO ANY WOULD-BE CRIMINALS THAT JUSTICE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL"
All of Zha Wei's memories flickered past like a reel of film his mistakes, his awkward moments, his happiest joys, his deepest sorrows every fragment of his life. Then, suddenly, it all dissolved into nothing, as though he had stepped into a vast and empty void. He could not hear, nor speak. It was not darkness, but something beyond it an absence of all things. There was no light, no shadow, no breath, no sound. Not even darkness remained. There was nothing. Truly, nothing then suddenly..
"WAAAA! WAAAA! WAAAA!"
Zha Wei's eyes snapped open. Everything around him was huge and he saw towering humans the size of mountains. The sight made him have an insane idea.
A maid rushed forward and scooped him up. Holding him close, she called out
"It's a boy!"
The people in the room turned happily celebrating, murmuring among themselves
The maid carried him forward and handed him to a woman wearing a lavish bright red robe with phoenix inscriptions on the robes, The lady's eyes softened as she looked down at him.
"Husband, what should we name him?"
she asked.
The man beside her, clad in shining armor, looking towards an elderly man, and spoke
"Hmm… grandfather, what do you think?"
The room fell silent, every gaze shifting toward the elder. He closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then spoke in with a weathered voice
"Huan Luo."
At once, everyone in the chamber dropped to their knees, their voices all said in unison
"Thank you, Grandfather, Patriarch!"
Zha Wei blinked in confusion, his tiny body trembling.
`What the hell?, I'm an infant? What language are these people even speaking? I've never heard anything like it in my life! And why the hell are they dressed like they're living in ancient times?'
Zha Wei suddenly wriggled free of the lady's grasp. Landing on the floor, he stood upright and spoke clearly, his voice resounding through the hall.
"Hello? Can anyone here understand me?!"
Every head turned toward him, faces pale with shock and disbelief. The air grew heavy, broken only by startled gasps and confusion on their faces.
The lady and her husband stared in horror and awe. Impossible… their infant could walk and speak the moment he was born?
The Grandfather/Patriarch rushed forward to and his eyes turned a bright yellow seemingly looking like he was inspecting this infant, but what he discovered shook him to his core.
"Impossible.. He Can Gather Qi?!"
Everyone's faces twisted and turned, had they heard correctly? An infant child that was not even 1 minute old could Gather Qi?
`Impossible. This is impossible!'
each of them all thought
Gathering Qi in your body before the age of twelve always led to Qi deviation and death only some geniuses with special physique could so so but even they couldn't gather Qi at birth. It was the unbreakable law of the heavens a truth no one dared question. No human child could ever withstand it and yet this infant in front of him is the first to ever disprove this. This newborn that stood before them, was defying heaven's logic itself.
The Patriarch threw his head back and laughed with a wide smile, his voice booming like thunder, but not escaping the room.
"A genius! Hahahaha! The heavens have truly blessed our Luo family!.."
Then a thought came into the grandfather's mind and he suddenly spoke again with a serious and menacing tone
"But hear me well everyone in this room is forbidden from speaking a single word of what has transpired. Any who dare… will be branded traitors!"
"We understand patriarch!" everyone in the room hastily said
Then the grandfather spoke again in a calmer tone
"Everyone leave except for Feng Luo and Hua Huoyan."
One by one, the others bowed deeply and exited the room.
The only ones left were the Patriarch, the woman in bright red robes with phoenix inscriptions, and the man clad in armor.
The Patriarch turned his gaze to the couple and spoke in a formal manner
"Your son will become the pillar of our Luo family. I will bring this child to meet with the ancestors."
The couple exchanged worried glances, but they trusted their grandfather completely. They knew he would never allow harm to come to their first child.
The Patriarch lifted Zha Wei into his arms, and the void around them tore and twisted. A swirling portal appeared, and without hesitation, he stepped through it, carrying Zha Wei into the unknown.
What awaited beyond left Zha Wei utterly speechless. A vast plane stretched endlessly, at the center stood a colossal tree. Surrounding it were magnificent palaces adorned with jade and gold.
Before Zha Wei could even process the sight, the patriarch dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground. His voice thundered across the strange realm.
"Ancestors! Our family has birthed a prodigy!"
The proclamation echoed through out the realm. At once, nine figures descended, their presence overwhelming, each exuding the aura of sovereigns who had long since transcended mortal bounds. Their glowing yellow eyes scanned Zha Wei, piercing through flesh and soul.
One elder gasped aloud. "To be able to gather Qi as a newborn? What a prodigy!"
Another elder shook his head, murmuring, "In my centuries, I've never seen infant Gather such an enormous amount of Qi. How…?"
An elder woman eyes narrowed. "who are this child's parents?"
Another elder spoke and asked "how old is this infant?"
The patriarch smirked, showing a hint of pride. "Feng Luo and Hua Huayan. Not even two minutes have passed since his birth."
The nine elders staggered backward, disbelief in all their faces.
"What?!" all Nine elders exclaimed, one clutching his robes. "Not even two minutes?! How is this possible?!"
"Impossible…" muttered another, adjusting the beads around his wrist. "Cultivation before the age of five is unheard of. Only geniuses can cultivate before the age of twelve, and even most geniuses can only start at five. But before that… that is the realm of impossibility!"
Before further discussion could erupt, a oppressive laugh rolled across the realm.
"Hahaha! The heavens have truly blessed my Luo Family!"
The voice shook the ground and reverberated through the palaces. Even the nine elders instinctively fell to their knees at its sheer power. From the void emerged a middle-aged man with yellow hair wearing a pure white Daoist robes, each one of his steps made the air itself tremble. Zha Wei body was lifted and floated to him to his arms.
The nine elders and patriarch immediately bowed.
"Greetings, Founding Ancestor!" they all declared in unison.
The Founding Ancestor ring shined and suddenly a golden pendant with a bright yellow stone appeared and floated towards Zha Wei neck and magically changed sizes to accommodate his small neck.
"This child is hereby granted the title of Holy Child,"
He said, turning to the nine elders individually, he added
"He will be tutored under our care until he reaches the age of Twenty."
The elders exchanged murmurs.
"This… this is unprecedented," one whispered, voice trembling. "The Founding Ancestor has personally intervened… for a newborn?"
Zha Wei's face turned with shock. Suddenly, he could comprehend everything the necklace had allowed him to understand everything.
"What the hell? I'm a Holy Son? And 20 Years? I can't make sense of anything!"
Before he could process anything further, the Founding Ancestor lifted him high into the air, vanishing from the group in an instant.
Moments later, Zha Wei found himself near a cliffside overlooking a vast forest. He started racing why had the Ancestor brought him here?
Then, to his surprise, the Founding Ancestor pressed Zha Wei's cheek against his own.
"Awww, you're so cute!" the founding ancestor cooed, nuzzling Zha Wei like he was a rare, adorable jade artifact.
"What the hell! This guy is a doting grandpa!"
Zha Wei started swinging with his tiny arms. kicks, punches, desperate wiggles nothing worked. The Founding Ancestor's attack was unyielding.
"Who's my cute little descendant? You are!"
the old man exclaimed, his smile wide enough for a fist to fit through.
"Awhhh, you're so cuteee!" he continued, pinching Zha Wei's cheeks gently. `Stop… stop squishing me, my face is NOT a dumpling!' Zha Wei thought frantically, tears of frustration forming.
The Founding Ancestor then lifted Zha Wei in the air still holding him and started spinning Zha Wei around in a gentle orbit, humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like
"My Precious Descendant."
`I didn't sign up for a dotting session… or this profilic grandpa-level smothering!' Zha Wei's tiny legs kicked wildly.
He even tried biting a finger aggressively just as a warning but the Founding Ancestor laughed heartily.
"My thumb isn't food! silly descendant! Such spirit! when you grow up you'll be feared!"
Minutes or was it hours? had passed. Zha Wei had begun contemplating life choices, like maybe reincarnating into a rock instead. Finally, the Founding Ancestor set him down.
Zha Wei eyes swirled, cheeks sore and his dignity shattered,Then in a instant the Founding Ancestors returned where everyone was
"Welcome back Founding ancestor" said by everyone bowing
"What happened to the Holy Son, Founding Ancestor?" the patriarch asked, eyes narrowing as he observed Zha Wei's eyes swirling.
"Ahem," the Founding Ancestor replied, feigning ignorance, "I was merely inspecting our descendant's base cultivation and if he had any problem with his cultivation base that could harm him in the future"
The elders exchanged glances.
The patriarch raised a suspicious eyebrow but dared not press further. Then the Founding Ancestor broke the silence.
"All matters concerning the Holy Son's cultivation base shall remain secret. His status as the Holy Son may be known, but nothing else is to be revealed."
"We understand, Founding Ancestor," they all said in unison.
Then, as mysteriously as he had appeared, the Founding Ancestor vanished. The nine elders and patriarch followed shortly after.
Then the patriarch opened a portal back in the birthing chamber and entered, Feng Luo and Hua Huayan looked anxiously at the patriarch and Huan Luo.
"Father, what did the ancestors say?" Feng Luo asked, worry evident in his eyes.
"The Founding Ancestor decreed that Huan Luo is to be named the Holy Son and will be tutored by all ancestors until he reaches the Void Realm," replied the patriarch.
"Holy Son? The Founding Ancestor actually came out of seclusion for our son?" Hua Huayan face filled with shock.
Zha Wei, listening to everything, tried to process it all.
`Hmm… what I've seen and learned… this isn't Earth… tearing the void open and going into a another world and then being able to appear and disappear as they wish if humans back on earth could do that then it'd be chaotic, but where the hell am I? I need to learn more… and fast...'
*Sigh* "There are still pressing matters that needs my attention" the patriarch said, his voice firm.
"The Imperial Family is desperately trying to rein in the Seven Great Duke Houses, and the Seven Great Sects are testing the limits of a weakened throne. If they sense even a hint of weakness, they will not hesitate to strike while the iron is hot. A Rebellion brews on all sides, and a bloody war is bound to erupt. With the unrest among both the Seven Great Duke Families and the Seven Great Sects, the path ahead will be soaked in blood.."
He glanced at his son one last time, and daughter-in-law, and grandson. "If anything happens, you must inform me immediately."
Feng Luo nodded
With a soft, grandfatherly pat to Zha Wei's tiny head, he stepped back. His presence remained warm, but duty pressed heavily upon him. Then, with a ripple through the void, he departed, leaving the family behind.
The couple were now alone, Hua Huayan adjusted her hold on Zha Wei, her arms forming a protective barrier around him. One hand supported his head, the other crasping on Feng Luo's arm. "Don't worry, dear," Feng Luo murmured, resting a hand over hers. "With me here, no one, no great sect, no family can harm our family." Feng Luo said in a serious tone, he then put embraced Hua Huoyan.
Zha Wei in between the two lovbirds embrace tried flailing his tiny arms and legs, wiggling desperately, but the parents weight made escape impossible.
`First a doting grandfather, now two lovebirds… sigh.. And while they're smothering me..' he also thought about what his grandfather had mentioned `this Seven Great Duke Houses and Ten Great Sects are scheming against the imperial family? interesting…'
Hua Huayan lifted Zha Wei softly, bouncing him gently. "Our miracle… our precious little Huan Luo…"
Zha Wei groaned
`Someone anyone please save me from these two lovebirds!'