The night was still thick, swallowed by smoke and drifting ash. The cold wind carried the acrid stench of fire and blood, wrapping the ruined village in an eerie silence.
Amidst the broken remnants of what was once his home, Li Shen sat cross-legged, his body trembling, breath uneven.
But within him—something alien stirred.
For the first time in his life, he felt Qi.
It coursed through his meridians, not warm and gentle like the stories he had heard, but sharp, piercing—like thousands of needles dancing within his blood.
He clenched his jaw, sweat beading on his forehead. "So… this is cultivation?"
But soon, he realized—it was not the same. The Qi inside him was not of this world. It was wild, cold, and devouring. Not harmony, but emptiness.
And then, the voice came again. Deep, chilling, undeniable.
"That is no ordinary Qi… It is Void Qi. The energy rejected by Heaven, yet with it… you can devour the world."
Li Shen's heart pounded. The words echoed in his mind, like chains binding him to a truth he could not escape.
"Void Qi…" he muttered, as though trying to taste the meaning.
In the corner of his vision, the shadow appeared once more. His own face, twisted and dark, eyes glowing red with amusement.
"Try it. Draw in the Qi of the world. See for yourself."
Li Shen hesitated. He had watched disciples of the great sects cultivating before, sitting in serene meditation as the flow of heaven and earth entered their bodies. With shaky breath, he mimicked them, opening himself to the world's energy.
The air stirred. Qi of heaven and earth shuddered, sucked toward him. But instead of merging gently into his meridians, it broke apart—shattered—devoured by a gaping abyss within him.
Li Shen screamed. The pain was unbearable. His veins seared like molten iron, bones trembled, his muscles spasmed violently. Blood spilled from the corner of his lips.
Yet slowly, the agony faded. In its place, something new emerged. At the core of his being pulsed a single spark—dark, devouring, alive.
Panting heavily, Li Shen's eyes widened. "I… I did it?"
The shadow's laugh slithered through his mind.
"Hahaha… yes. You succeeded. You don't absorb Qi—you consume it. You don't harmonize with the world—you tear it apart. That… is the Void Dao."
Li Shen's chest heaved. His body was weak, but his spirit burned. For someone born without a spirit root, denied the path of cultivation, the ordinary way was forever closed.
But perhaps this forbidden road… had been waiting for him all along.
Maybe this was truly his path.
---
Hours passed. The fire of the village had burned itself out, leaving behind nothing but charred wood and blackened earth.
Li Shen rose unsteadily to his feet. Ash clung to his skin, but in his eyes flickered a new light.
The shadow appeared again, clearer than before—so real it seemed to stand beside him.
"You feel it, don't you? The strength flowing in your veins. And this is only the beginning."
Li Shen glared at it. "What are you?"
The shadow smirked. "I am you. Born from your tears, your hatred, your vow. I am what you've buried all your life—your rage, your hunger, your desire for vengeance."
Li Shen's fists clenched. "Then… should I fear you?"
The shadow chuckled. "Fear? Not of me. Fear the world, Li Shen. The world that spat on you, trampled you, discarded you. Without me, you will remain nothing. With me… you will make even Heaven tremble."
Li Shen's gaze fell on the blood-stained earth beneath his feet. His heart wavered, then hardened.
"I will grow strong," he whispered, voice hoarse but firm. "No matter the cost. No matter the price."
The shadow's eyes glowed crimson. "That's what I wanted to hear."
---
Far away, in the forest that bordered the ruined village, figures moved swiftly between the trees. Their robes bore not the dark sigil of the Black Sky Sect, but golden cloud emblems stitched into their chests.
A middle-aged man with a short beard led them, his expression grim, his gaze sharp as steel.
"Destroyed… utterly destroyed," he murmured. "The Black Sky Sect has passed through here."
One of his disciples bowed low. "Master, do you think anyone survived?"
The man shook his head slowly. "Unlikely. But we must search. There may yet be traces left behind."
Unaware of their approach, in the heart of the ashes stood Li Shen.
His eyes snapped open as he sensed it—their presence. Their Qi was pure, refined, like the steady rhythm of the heavens. But to him, it was not simply energy.
It was food.
A shiver ran through his body. His stomach clenched, his meridians screamed with hunger.
The shadow's voice curled into his mind like smoke.
"You feel it, don't you? Their Qi is so pure… so sweet. With just one taste, you could leap forward in strength."
Li Shen shook his head violently. "No… they are not my enemies."
"Not yet," the shadow corrected, its voice like velvet laced with poison. "But soon… everyone will be. The world will never accept one who walks the Void Path."
Li Shen gritted his teeth, forcing the craving down. But the hunger only grew, gnawing at him, whispering promises of power if he would only give in.
Sweat dripped from his brow. His entire body trembled. This path was not just strength—it was a curse, a predator inside his flesh, always hungry, always whispering.
But he did not retreat. He could not.
He looked up at the ashen night sky, his eyes cold and unyielding.
His sister's lifeless face flashed before him. His oath resounded louder than the whispers.
"I will grow strong. I will make the world kneel."
On that night, amidst the ruins of blood and fire, a boy no longer weak stood reborn.
Not a beggar without roots, but one who had stepped onto a road abandoned by the heavens.
A road that devoured everything.
A road that could one day devour him.
But still… he walked.