Long before mountains reached the sky or rivers carved their paths, there was nothing. Only silence. Only the Eternal Void.
From that silence, a single spark pulsed—a jewel of pure chaos, glowing with infinite possibility: the Core of Chaos.
When it shattered, two streams of power poured into the emptiness.
One was Light, the breath of order, hope, and creation.
The other was Darkness, the whisper of destruction, change, and fate.
Their clash split the void into Heaven and Earth. Stars burned, seas formed, winds began to move. From their storms of power came the Primordial Gods.
The God of Light lit the sun. The God of Darkness brought down night. A dragon older than mountains stretched its wings, guarding the balance. Their breath gave life to forests and beasts; their blood turned into mountains and oceans.
And from what remained—the leftover fragments of Chaos itself—humanity was born. Weak, fragile, but blessed with something no other creature had: the gift of cultivation. The power to take in the world's energy and grow beyond mortal limits.
But Heaven's law was cruel.
"The strong will rule. The weak will perish."
---
Centuries later, in a tiny village at the base of Azure Mountain, lived a boy who had been forgotten by Heaven.
Li Shen.
Fifteen years old. Thin. Ordinary. Except for one thing—when every child was born, they were tested for their spirit root, the seed that allowed cultivation. Some roots shone bright, some dim. Li Shen's… did not exist.
No root. No light. Nothing.
A life sealed from the moment it began.
"Look! The rootless trash!" one boy sneered, pointing as Li Shen passed. "He's already fifteen and still weaker than a farmer's pig."
Laughter followed. It always did.
Li Shen lowered his head, clutching the basket in his hands. Their words cut deeper than blades, but he didn't answer. He was used to it. He had to be.
Because there was one thing worth enduring it all for.
"Gege!"
Her voice was clear, soft, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
From the doorway of a shabby hut ran a girl with bright eyes and messy hair, holding a wooden bowl. Li Xue, his little sister.
"I made porridge!" she grinned, cheeks flushed. "Come before it gets cold!"
Li Shen's lips twitched into a smile. "Alright, Xue'er. I'm coming."
In a world where strength was everything, his little sister's smile was worth more than all the treasures in the land.
---
That night, the village was quiet. A pale moon floated above, and the soft sound of insects filled the air.
But peace never lasts.
It began with heavy footsteps. Then—screams.
Fire burst to life at the edge of the village. Shadows moved between the flames.
"The Black Sky Sect!!!"
The name itself was poison. Murderers, pillagers, devourers of villages.
Doors were kicked in. Blades flashed. Cries turned to silence.
Li Shen woke with a start, heart pounding. He rushed outside—and froze.
Flames licked the sky. Neighbors he'd known his whole life lay still in the dirt. The air reeked of blood.
"Gege!"
Xue came running, her small face pale, eyes wide with terror.
Li Shen grabbed her hand, trying to sound strong though his voice shook. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
But deep down he knew—his words were empty. What could a rootless boy do?
From the fire stepped a disciple in dark robes, a cruel smirk twisting his face.
"Two little rats," he muttered, sword gleaming in the firelight. "No treasure here. But witnesses… can't be left alive."
The blade swung.
Li Shen shoved his sister back—too late.
Blood sprayed warm against his skin.
Xue collapsed into his arms, her chest pierced red. Her breath trembled, her small hand clutching his cheek.
"Ge… gege…" she whispered. "Don't… cry…"
Her lips curved into the faintest smile before the light vanished from her eyes.
"XUE'ER!!!"
Li Shen's scream ripped through the burning night.
The Black Sky disciple only sneered. "Trash stays trash. This world belongs only to the strong." He turned and walked away, leaving Li Shen kneeling in the dirt, clutching his sister's lifeless body.
---
Tears streamed down his face, mixing with ash and blood. The world around him burned, yet it was nothing compared to the fire in his chest.
And then—
A voice.
Cold. Deep. Whispering into his very bones.
"Do you desire power?"
Li Shen froze.
"Do you crave vengeance? To drag those who took her from you into hell itself? Do you wish for the world to kneel?"
The words slithered into him, dark and sweet, like poison wrapped in honey.
Li Shen shut his eyes. His tears still fell, but inside them, something hardened.
"…Yes," he whispered, voice raw. "I want power. Even if it costs me my soul. I will have vengeance."
The flames roared higher. The village crumbled. And a boy abandoned by Heaven fell into an abyss from which there was no return.
That night, the world that had rejected him finally heard his cry.
From ashes and blood, a forbidden path opened—one that would one day devour both Heaven and Earth.