The spires of the great sects pierced the heavens like haughty fingers, while Kai crouched in a forgotten lane in the black underbelly of Eldoria City. His lullaby from birth had been the symphony of misery, and the air was heavy with the stink of rotting and unclean bodies. He was already familiar with the harshness of the world at the age of seventeen. After being orphaned by a Crimson Flame Sect raid years prior, he had made a living by stealing scraps and eluding the law enforcement officers who patrolled the poorer areas.
Kai had a slender build that had been refined by hunger rather than exercise. Over his eyes, which burned with a silent rage—eyes that had seen too much—his dark hair fell in disheveled waves. Although he wasn't particularly attractive in the traditional sense, he had a sharpness and raw intensity that unnerved the few who saw him. Today, survival was the main focus of that intensity. Merchants peddled elixirs and spirit stones to cultivators who walked among mortals like gods, and the market square was alive with bustle.
"Move, scum!" A parade of the Azure Wind Sect passed, and Kai was pushed aside by a hefty guard. Their robes, which were embroidered with whirling gusts that represented their wind-based cultivation, flapped like blue banners. Lira, the genius daughter of the cult, was at the head of them. Her emerald eyes scanned the throng with contempt, and her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, making her a vision of deadly grace. She was followed by whispers: she was already a legend at the age of twenty, having achieved the pinnacle of the Qi Condensation Realm.
As Kai viewed a vendor's stall filled with sizzling buns, his tummy rumbled. He waited for the distraction—a fight between two inebriated farmers—and then struck. He quickly reached out and grabbed a bun. But the cruel jester of fate stepped in. The vendor's eyes widened as he turned. "Criminal!"
Kai felt a wave of panic as the guards drew in. A low-level Azure disciple sent a rush of wind crashing into him as he dashed, swerving through the crowd. The bun was smashed beneath him as he fell into the mud. Laughter broke out among the spectators. The disciple, a cocky young man named Torin, mockingly called him a "pathetic mortal." "Be aware of your position." With his head whirling, Kai spat blood. He had heard stories of cultivation—the way to unimaginable strength and immortality. But for idiots like him, it was a fantasy without resources or a cult. Lira's voice broke the clamor as the guards dragged him up. "Hold on. What has this wretch done?
With a deep bow, the guard answered, "Just stealing, Lady Lira." Her approach resembled a frontal storm. She had big lips, a physique bent like a sharp blade, and form-fitting robes that suggested the power beneath. Her beauty was intoxicating up close. Something briefly flashed in her eyes as Kai defiantly met her gaze—curiosity? "Give him up," she remarked sarcastically. "The effort is not worth it for him." Although the guards obeyed, Torin wasn't finished. "My lady, let me teach him a lesson."
Torin fired a palm blow filled with wind qi before Kai could respond. Kai's chest erupted with pain as he flew back and collided with a mound of rubble. He watched Lira turn away, indifferent, before darkness began to creep in. It was night when Kai woke up. His ribs probably cracked, and his body hurt. He shoved the debris away and froze, moaning. His hit exposed a concealed space beneath the debris. A dusty book with a cover carved with sinister markings that writhed like living darkness was inside. Kai shook and opened it. The title, Shadow Veil Cultivation Manual, flashed dimly. All major sects have outlawed this knowledge due to its corrupting influence; it is whispered in taverns as a route of assassins and outcasts. But for kai ,it was a lifeline.
Instead of using the most sought-after elemental qi, the cultivation method detailed in the manual relied on shadows. For those with "tainted souls"—anti-heroes who welcomed darkness—it promised quick advancement. Kai's heart pounded. This might be his opportunity. He sat in the alley, cross-legged, and started the first exercise. He inhaled deeply and saw shadows spiraling about his dantian, the center of qi accumulation. Impure energy surged through his meridians, causing pain, yet he persisted. After hours of perspiration on his forehead, he had a breakthrough: a chilly, sneaky trickle of shadow qi appeared.
Kai was standing at dawn, having a distinct sensation. more powerful. His face broke into a smile, the first genuine one he had had in years. However, farming required resources. He need elixirs and spirit stones. And it wouldn't hurt to get back at Torin. Kai went out and used his new ability. He came onto a bunch of guys harassing a young woman in a backstreet. Small, with ember-sparking eyes and blazing red hair, she was obviously a young cultivator from a small flame sect. With a voice full of dark qi that chilled the air, Kai hissed, "Back off."
The thugs chuckled, but Kai's movement caused the shadows to lengthen, tripping one. He hit faster, his fists fueled by his developing qi. The battle was swift and vicious; Kai moved with the fluidity of darkness as he dodged knives and struck back with accurate blows. While one thug escaped screaming, another fell with a shattered head. Aria, the woman, gazed at him. "Who are you? That method isn't considered standard. Wiping blood from his lip, Kai grinned. Only a glimmer amid the darkness. Are you alright?
Her cheeks flushed as she nodded. With her athletic figure from training and robes that clung to contours that spoke of unbridled passion, Aria was stunning in a wild way. "I owe you." I belong to a small group called the Ember Clan. If you require allies... They had a flowing, humorous conversation. When Kai made a joke about her "fiery temper," she burst out laughing like a fire. Although there was an immediate spark, Kai remained calm because he was cautious about attachments due to his anti-hero tendencies. Aria gave him a low-grade spirit stone as they were leaving. "For keeping me alive. If you need more, find me.
After taking the energy from the stone, Kai went back to his alley. He advanced to the first level of Qi Gathering cultivation. In addition to power, he was hungry for more might and retribution. He entered the outside compound of the Azure Wind Sect that evening while hiding in shadows. Torin was practicing forms by himself. With a shadow tendril encircling Torin's throat, Kai struck out of the shadows. "You... who?" Torin let out a gasp. Kai squeezed and murmured, "The scum you stepped on." He did not, however, kill—yet. Rather, he stole Torin's pouch, which was stuffed with pills and stones. Kai ran away, laughing uncontrollably. This was only the start. Ignoring the shadows would cost the sects money.