Wei stood in the strange forest, fists clenched, breath uneven. At fifteen, he was lean, with a sharp jaw and a face some might call handsome, his blond hair catching the dim light, green eyes scanning the trees. His torn clothes hung loose on his frame, streaked with dirt and dried blood, but his gaze held a quiet fire. Spiritual Energy buzzed through him, honed from years as the Dan Clan's heir. Now, with Dan Marco's twenty-five-year-old memories crowding his head, the world felt too sharp, too real. The Great Thousand World—Heavenly Supremes, wild energy flows—was no story from The Great Ruler. It was his reality.
The Jade Lotus Continent, his old home, had thrummed with clean Spiritual Energy, the kind that powered his clan's alchemy. A top-tier place, just below the Great Law Sky. This lower realm, where his grandfather sent him, had weak, murky energy. The difference jarred him, but he shoved the thought aside.
He tested the power inside him—Peak Spirit Rotation Stage, honed through training. Or was it this odd soul mix making it feel so easy? He didn't know. Didn't have time to dwell.
He sat cross-legged on the forest floor, leaves crunching under him. His puppet, with the strength of Heavenly Fusion Stage stood guard, its golden runes faint in the dim light, a tie to home. Wei pulled out the Sunlight Scripture, a light-based technique his grandfather got from the Daqian Palace, not the clan's usual alchemy stuff.
As a kid, his broken soul nearly killed him. His grandfather, an alchemy master whose pills Immortal Supremes chased, made one from a Heavenly Supreme-grade light beast. It fixed him, cleared his path to cultivate up to Heavenly Supreme, but gave his energy a bright edge, different from his clan's ways.
"Power's what lasts, Little Wei," his grandfather had said, voice firm, eyes carrying a weight Wei didn't get then. A Peak Spiritual Heavenly Supreme, held back by an old wound, he'd been the clan's anchor, a Daqian Palace elder, controller of their continent. His parents, Great Perfection Earth Supremes, were close to breaking through. Now they were gone.
Wei's jaw tightened. The demons who burned his world would answer for it, but he wasn't ready yet.
The Dan Clan went back twenty thousand years, once led by a Saint Heavenly Supreme who died fighting demons from beyond. His grandfather was the best since, not just for pills but for his pull as a Daqian guest elder. He'd grabbed the Sunlight Scripture, good up to Heavenly Fusion Stage, and mentioned a secret art for later—gone now, probably. Wei pushed it down.
"I'll make it work," he muttered, voice low, lost in the forest's quiet. "Gotta reach the Great Thousand World."
He worked the Sunlight Scripture, its light sharpening his energy, but this realm's weak flow resisted, hard to grab. "This place is off," he grumbled, fingers brushing the bead necklace at his throat. It pulsed warm, steady. When did his grandfather give it to him? The memory wouldn't come. "Stay sharp," he told himself, shaking his head. "Can't stay here."
He glanced at the puppet, its strength a piece of what he had left. "Let's find a village," he said, climbing onto its back. "Up." The puppet rose, soaring over the endless trees. Cold wind stung his face. He scanned the horizon, soul power stretching, catching faint life to the east—small animals, no threats. "East," he said, and the puppet shot forward, trees blurring below.
Hours passed, quiet. A clawed beast lunged from the canopy, snarling, teeth bared. The puppet's hand moved, turning it to a bloody mist. Wei blinked hard, stomach twisting at the sudden violence. "Easy," he snapped, voice rough. He wanted to study this realm's creatures, figure out its rules, but answers came first—where was he?
Smoke rose in the distance, faint, maybe fifteen minutes out. His eyes narrowed, purpose sparking. "There," he said, pointing the puppet forward. As they neared, he hid his soul power, landing in the trees. The puppet stayed close as he dulled the Golden Lotus Ring to a plain black band, hiding its wealth. His torn, dirty clothes fit the part—just a lost kid.
He approached a wooden gate, two guards posted, spears catching the fading light. His steps dragged. "Who's there?" Chen, the gruff one, called, spear up.
Wei raised his hands, voice low, scratchy. "Traveler. Beasts got me. Saw your smoke." The words came slow, heavy.
"Where you from?" Chen asked, eyes sharp.
Wei stared at the dirt, fingers curling. "Moon Spirit Town. My dad sold herbs, clothes. We were traveling when… he told me to run." The lie burned, but it held.
Jin, the softer guard, lowered his spear, face easing. "Chen, he's a kid. Younger than mine." Chen grunted, hesitating. "Too soft, Jin. Alright, kid. No coin for the gate, yeah?"
Wei shook his head. The Golden Lotus Ring held gold bars, spiritual stones, Supreme Spiritual Liquid—stuff these guys couldn't imagine—but he kept it hidden.
"Just need to know where I am," he said quietly. "Maybe work. Somewhere to move on."
Jin waved off Chen's frown. "Let him through. He's fine."
Chen lowered his spear, muttering. "Blue Spirit Village. Try Madam Yue's inn. She's a healer, been places. Might pay a gold coin for work. Better than what we get here."
He shook his head. "If old man Lu was on shift, you'd be searched. Lucky you got Jin."
Wei bowed low, mumbling, "Thanks," and stepped past the gate. The bead's warmth, the puppet's shadow, and the hum of his Spiritual Energy kept him steady. He'd survive. He had to, no matter how far he was from home.