The big fighting stadium of the Azure Dragon Clan was buzzing with excitement. Thousands of students, old leaders, and important guests gathered under bright lanterns. The fighting stage itself glowed with magic symbols, ready for action. The announcer's voice echoed, "The Azure Dragon Clan... one of the strongest groups in the Eastern Lands. Today, their brightest star will decide their future."
On the stage, a young man named Li Xuan stood tall. He was only sixteen, and his black hair flowed as if there was a breeze. Golden energy, called Qi, shone brightly around him like a small sun. His clothes fluttered, even though there was no wind.
The crowd cheered loudly, "Young Master Xuan is truly unbeatable among people his age!"
"He even defeated Li Feng, the leader's own son!" another person shouted, everyone agreeing.
Down on the ground, beaten and bloody, lay Li Feng. He was clenching his teeth, not just from pain, but from pure hatred. Why... why am I always second best to him? he thought, his eyes burning with anger. I should be the next leader, not him!
Watching from his grand seat, the Clan Leader, Li Zhen, looked on with a cold, blank expression. Behind him, the older leaders whispered. Some looked worried, others were clearly jealous.
"He has the special Heavenly Spiritual Root," Elder Wei whispered. "If he reaches the next level of power, even the leader might not be able to control him."
Elder Rong, looking very serious, added, "Remember the old story? The child with the Heavenly Root will bring disaster to his own clan. This boy... he is that disaster."
Unaware of the dangerous plot against him, Li Xuan sat down cross-legged in the middle of the stage. His golden Qi shot up like a huge golden pillar towards the sky, making the entire stage shake. At sixteen, he thought calmly, I will reach the Core Formation stage. No one in this clan has ever done that... I will make the Azure Dragon Clan famous!
Suddenly, things went very wrong. The magic lines under the stage, which were supposed to protect him, flashed bright red. Chains of glowing red light burst out of the ground, stabbing into Li Xuan's body and locking his energy points.
"Wha—what is this?!" he yelled, completely shocked. "My Qi... it's being blocked!"
Li Zhen stood up from his throne, his eyes like ice. His voice boomed across the stadium, reaching everyone. "Li Xuan, you have the Heavenly Root... but you are not a gift, you are a sign of disaster! For the safety of our clan, your power must be taken away today!"
A huge gasp went through the crowd. "What?! Take away his power?!" someone shouted in disbelief.
"But he's the best of our clan!" another cried, the cheering now replaced by fear and confusion.
Even as the crowd gasped and protested, the elders stepped forward. With practiced movements, they used their magic to tighten the glowing chains. The chains pressed down on Li Xuan's dantian, the core of his power, crushing it.
"No! Leader! Elders! Why?!" Li Xuan screamed, his voice filled with pain and betrayal. "I gave everything for this clan!"
Elder Rong leaned in, a cruel smile on his face. "A tool should never be better than its masters. Be thankful we're letting you live."
His allies—the students he had trained, the friends he had saved, even his own teacher—all looked away in silence. His teacher just lowered his head, his face cold and unfeeling. Li Xuan's eyes widened in despair. All of you... the ones I trusted most... you... abandoned me too...
Blood sprayed from Li Xuan's mouth. His power, which he had worked so hard to build for sixteen years, shattered into nothing inside him. He fell to the ground like broken glass. A silent message seemed to appear for everyone to see: "The genius of the Azure Dragon Clan... destroyed in front of the whole world."
From where he lay, Li Feng slowly stood up, a mean smirk on his bloody face. "Now... you are nothing."
Li Xuan's vision blurred, the bright stadium lights fading into darkness. He lay shaking in a pool of his own blood, the golden Qi that once made him special now completely gone. Why... why must I suffer... when all I wanted was to protect them...? he thought as he lost consciousness.
But just as he fell into darkness, something else stirred. "Yet in despair... something greater awakens."
In the total blackness, a golden-blue light flashed. A glowing screen, like a transparent window, appeared before Li Xuan's fading eyes.
Golden words shone on the screen: [Invincible Dao System binding complete.]
"Wh-what... what is this?!" Li Xuan gasped, his eyes widening in shock. "A... system?!"
The System's voice, calm and unfeeling, spoke directly into his mind: [Host has fallen into despair. Awakening Invincible Path. Cultivation reset: Stage 1 – Body Tempering. Rewards unlocked upon progress.]
A close-up shot showed Li Xuan's bloodied face, but now, a faint golden light began to glow in his eyes. He was still shaking, but there was a fierce determination in his gaze. Invincible... he thought, his spirit hardening. I will rise again. No matter who betrayed me... I will crush them all.