The Z-Domain is a land of shadowed peaks and blood dyed rivers. It was forever cast beneath the weight of old whispers. In the heart of the forsaken Zenith Clan, power was both a gift and a curse. For centuries, their mastery of both Blood and Shadow had made them feared and hated.
They were a clan condemned to solitude in the edge of the Tianwu Realm.
It was here that Zi Feng, heir to the darkest legacy of his people, stood at the threshold of ruin and ascension alike.
Zi Feng was brilliant, unmatched by his peers, even still his cultivation had stalled. His soul was bound within the Spirit Severing realm, unable to pierce through the veil to higher realms. He could feel the Void Merging realm....I mean it was within his grasp, but something like a gate, barred him from breaking through.
And yet, every night, when the ancestral flames guttered low, Zi Feng would study carefully the ancient texts of his forefathers. And there he saw Forbidden scripts written in blood revealing one single truth: "with the blood of millions, one could carve a path to the heavens."
His clan elders warned him about the texts...telling him to pay no heed to it, that it was just a theory... nothing true to it. Even his mother warned him, advising him to be patient. Yet Zi Feng's eyes burned with a light that neither affection nor fear could extinguish.
"Without ascension " he murmured to himself while staring aimlessly into the void of his chamber, "what worth is brilliance? I will carve my way into eternity, even if the rivers must run dry of life itself "
For he had already made up his mind.
It was not long before fare drew him towards the company of another restless soul - Chu Long, cousin to the Emperor.
Chu Long's heart was a cauldron of envy, boding over with unspoken desires. For years he had watched his cousin, Emperor Chu Ping, sit on the throne of the Imperial Kingdom. To Chu long, that throne should have been his.
When Zi Feng and Chu Long met, it was as though the heavens itself conspired. Two men, bound by ambition yet twisted by resentment, shook hands beneath the dying moonlight.
"You crave eternity " Chu Long said, his voice smooth as silk. "And you crave a throne " Zi Feng replied, his gaze sharp as that of an eagle's.
They needed no more words.....their pact was sealed.
In secret, they gathered strength. The Mysterious Saint Hall, those demonic -blooded demons, lent them their shadows and whispers, guiding their hand with promises of victory. Minor clans, scared of the Chu Ping's fire forged rule, bent knee in exchange for a more favorable position under Chu Long rule.
From the east and west, from forgotten valley, warriors flocked to Zi Feng's banner. Chu Long whispered rebellion, while Zi Feng spoke of eternity. Together their voices was like music to the ears of the warriors. It stirred a storm.
And at last.....the Storm broke.
The Battle of the Throne was a calamity etched into the heavens itself.
The sky was torn apart as fire met lighting, ice clashed with the earth, while wood bent and groaned under the fury of blood-forged blades.
The Four Great Clans rallied behind Emperor Chu Ping, their loyalty was unshaken in the time of trial.
Zi Feng stood across the battlefield, like a demon god. Every drop of blood that was spilled on that day only made him stronger. His blade was dyed crimson, his aura swelled, and behind his eyes burned a hunger that chilled even his allies.
Chu Long fought beside him, his ambition unmasked, crying out for a new dynasty - a kingdom free from the fire-forged tyranny of Chu Ping.
But ofcourse... Emperor Chu Ping was no idle monarch....he was not a man afraid to get his hands dirty. His flames wrapped around his body like a sun-born dragon. With every swing of his spear, he cleaved through the traitorous tide, his roar was as that of an angered dragon, shaking the hearts of men.
Still the battle raged.
For seven night and seven days, the clash continued. The rivers turned red, with the dead scattered everywhere. Zi Feng's laughter like madness across the field, for every corpse brought him to the Void Merging realm.
"More" he cried, drenched in blood...not of his own but of his enemies. "Give me more! Only in death shall I ascend!"
But of course...as we all know, things don't go as planned. Fate is cruel.
When the battle was at its peak....when it seemed like Zi Feng side was evidently gaining the upper hand. The Mysterious Saint Hall revealed their fangs.
Shang Pu, the Demon lord, stood apart from the chaos, his eyes was gleaming with malice. With a single gesture he signalled his demon army to retreat.
So.... instead of pressing on, they retreated and tore open a crack in the fabric of the world; a dark gateway that pulsed with choking black mist. Beyond it different kinds of voices could be heard - hunger, patient and eternal. But ofcourse everyone was focused on the battle to notice, but Zi Feng did.
When. Zi Feng saw what they were doing....his eyes widened in fury, 'You dare _"
But Shang Pu only laughed, as his form dissolved into the shadows as the demons abandoned the battle field. Ofcourse they had no interest in thrones, nor in ascension. Their goal was for something much more darker.
The remaining forces, together with Zi Feng and Chu Long were left to face the wrath of the united clans alone.
And unfortunately or should I say fortunately....they were defeated.
But Zi Feng still refused to kneel or surrender. His body trembled, his veins burned with stolen blood, despite the battle outcome, his will blazed fiercer than ever.
"I am Zi Feng" be roared as he was surrounded by the Emperor and the other clan leaders of the four Great Clans. "You can cut my flesh, you can break my bones, but you will never extinguish my name! I will return! I will....."
And then the heavens themselves silenced him.
The battle ended in ruin.
Chu Long, broken and defeated, was dragged in chains to the Imperial Palace, as he was dragged....his cries echoed through the corridors, until it could be no longer be heard. He was imprisoned in the depth of the Imperial prison. A place were notorious offender's where kept.
But Zi Feng was too dangerous to kill. He hailed from the Zenith Clan, and as we know they are a clan known for their mastery of blood and darkness art. But Zi Feng blood techniques, his mastery of the shadows and his unyielding spirit.....if allowed to scatter into the world, it could seed a calamity for greater. And also they were scared of the Zenith Clan retaliation if they killed him.
Thus, the Buddha Sect cultivators descended.
Fei Shu, the master of the sect, led the ritual himself, as his disciples formed a ring of light that shone brighter than the sun itself. With chants.....they sealed Zi Fend away. Chaining his soul and body alike in the most cursed prison of the realm - The Abyssal Wraith Prison.
It was a place where even the light dared not enter. It was a place filled with forgotten souls, where they walked without end.
There, Zi Feng was bound by seals of light, chains filled with budhic signs. He was entombed. His eyes though...that was still burning with fury was the only thing the Emperor and the clan leaders saw before darkness swallowed him whole.
The realm sighed in relief. I mean....the rebellion has been quelled, the traitors had been silenced....so there was finally peace. Or so they thought.
Yet, they were oblivious to what the Mysterious Saint Hall had done. None saw the crack yawning wide in the hidden corner of the world, it was a door in which the Demon Realm's breath seeped quietly into the realm.
And though the world sang of peace, thought the Emperor's banner waved proudly across the skies...
The seed of Calamity has been sown.