In the starry sky, a battle between two powerful individuals was taking place, devastating the surroundings.
"Die, Zhu Tian!!" A golden energy formed into an enormous sword.
Whoosh!
The sword slowly descended towards Zhu Tian, who appeared to be injured.
"Hahahaha! Does heaven despise me so much?!" Zhu Tian shouted towards the sky.
Zhu Tian then formed a complex seal in the air, and instantly, a protective barrier formed around him.
"Die!" The sword struck the shield, but it seemed unable to penetrate it.
The man then vanished from his spot and suddenly appeared behind Zhu Tian.
"I knew my sword technique wouldn't be able to break this shield. But now, die!" The man's body gradually expanded, and in an instant, a tremendous explosion occurred, one that even Zhu Tian's shield couldn't withstand.
Caught off guard, Zhu Tian was hit by the blast, and his body was sent flying incredibly far, traversing thousands of galaxies.
Gradually, Zhu Tian's speed slowed, and he entered a planet that seemed to have a relatively short history.
Boom!
A crater formed from Zhu Tian's fall from the sky.
A young boy, who was gathering firewood in the nearby forest, heard the explosion and grew curious.
"What was that sound?" said the boy, his curiosity piqued.
He then tried to walk towards the source of the sound.
Step by step, the boy moved forward until he found a large crater. Inside it lay a man, covered in wounds.
"I-is he... still alive?" He then climbed down into the crater and placed his hands near Zhu Tian's nose, finding that Zhu Tian was still breathing.
"Hold on, Uncle, I'll help you," the boy said, discarding the bundle of sticks he was holding. He then tried to carry Zhu Tian on his back, even though it was quite heavy for a boy his age.
With great difficulty, the boy carried Zhu Tian to where he lived. Finally, as the moon revealed itself, the boy managed to bring Zhu Tian to the small hut he called home.
The boy then cleaned Zhu Tian's wounded body until it looked clean.
"I should sleep first and go look for herbal plants tomorrow morning to treat this uncle's wounds." The boy then went to sleep.
The next day, the boy woke up, took his basket, and went into the forest to search for medicinal herbs.
For days, even months, the boy treated Zhu Tian and waited for him to wake up.
"When will this uncle wake up?" the boy said, sitting beside Zhu Tian's bed.
But suddenly, Zhu Tian's finger twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"W-where is this?" Once his vision cleared, Zhu Tian found a boy beside him, smiling.
"Uncle, you're finally awake!" the boy said, very happy.
"How long have I been asleep?" asked Zhu Tian, curious.
"It's been 6 months, Uncle."
Zhu Tian nodded, then circulated his awareness to check the condition of his body. He found that he was severely injured and would die within a few years.
"But I still have enough energy to spread my awareness across this entire planet. Perhaps there's still a chance for me to survive." Zhu Tian then spread his consciousness, covering the entire planet, and found that there wasn't a single cultivator in this world.
"A new world." Zhu Tian's hope for survival vanished. He then looked towards the boy who had saved him.
"What is your name?" asked Zhu Tian.
"Chen Hu," replied Chen Hu with a smile on his face.
Zhu Tian stared at Chen Hu for a long time. His gaze was deep, as if piercing through his skin and looking directly into Chen Hu's soul.
"You... saved me without knowing who I am. Why?" asked Zhu Tian.
"Isn't it a normal thing, Uncle, to help an injured person?" said Chen Hu, full of innocence.
Zhu Tian smiled upon hearing Chen Hu's answer. He saw that Chen Hu had a very pure heart.
"You have a pure heart, one that's very rare even in my homeland," said Zhu Tian with a warm smile on his face.
Chen Hu was confused by Zhu Tian's words. "Where are you from, Uncle?"
"Very far away," replied Zhu Tian, looking out the window.
Zhu Tian then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Such pure Qi, but it's useless to me now." Zhu Tian shook his head and looked back at Chen Hu.
"Chen Hu, would you like to see something?" said Zhu Tian.
Chen Hu, confused by Zhu Tian's words, simply nodded.
Zhu Tian then raised his finger and pointed it at Chen Hu. Slowly, Chen Hu began to float, albeit not very high.
"U-uncle, I'm flying!!" Chen Hu was utterly astonished, feeling the ground disappear beneath his feet.
Zhu Tian just smiled faintly, watching Chen Hu's surprised expression.
"How is it? Amazing, isn't it?"
Chen Hu, still floating a few inches above the ground, cried out, "Uncle, I... can't get down!"
Zhu Tian just chuckled softly, then released the energy surrounding Chen Hu.
Chen Hu slowly descended and touched the ground again.
"Uncle, was that magic?" Chen Hu was both shocked and amazed by his uncle's ability.
"Magic? Where I come from, it's called Qi Control," Zhu Tian explained to Chen Hu.
"Qi Control?" Chen Hu looked puzzled.
"Correct. If you want to be able to perform Qi Control, you must reach the realm of Qi Condensation Level 2," Zhu Tian explained further.
Hearing this, Chen Hu became even more confused by Zhu Tian's words.
"Uncle, wait a moment. What is Qi Control? What is Qi Condensation?" said Chen Hu, bewildered.
Zhu Tian smiled slightly at Chen Hu's confused expression. "Alright, I'll explain from the beginning."
"Chen Hu, this world is vaster than you can imagine. And in this world, there is an energy called Qi that flows throughout the universe," said Zhu Tian.
Chen Hu listened intently.
"It's not like the magic you mentioned earlier. Qi is used as a connection between humans and the heavens. Those who can utilize it are called Cultivators," said Zhu Tian while gazing out the window.
"So... are you a cultivator, Uncle?" asked Chen Hu eagerly.
"I was once. Not anymore," said Zhu Tian, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Why, Uncle?" Zhu Tian then looked at Chen Hu and just smiled warmly without answering.
Seeing Zhu Tian's expression, Chen Hu understood clearly from his eyes that he was filled with sorrow.
Chen Hu then steeled his resolve. He wasn't foolish; he knew Zhu Tian must have faced some great trouble that led him to stop being a cultivator.
"Uncle, I want to become a Cultivator," said Chen Hu, full of ambition and spirit.
Zhu Tian smiled. He remembered himself when he was young, so passionate about cultivation.
"Very well, Chen Hu. From now on, you are my disciple, and you must call me Master," said Zhu Tian.
"Okay, Master." Hearing this, Zhu Tian smiled, for Chen Hu was his first and last disciple.
"Alright, starting tomorrow, I will teach you cultivation." Chen Hu, upon hearing this, was naturally very excited.
"Okay, Master!" Chen Hu then went to the forest to gather firewood for cooking.
Zhu Tian watched Chen Hu's retreating back. "I hope you don't become who I used to be."
...
Five years had passed since Zhu Tian began teaching cultivation to Chen Hu.
"My time is almost up," Zhu Tian could feel death approaching him.
"But fortunately, this boy's progress is very rapid." Zhu Tian looked at Chen Hu, who was meditating.
In these 5 years, Chen Hu had reached Qi Condensation Level 8, which was considered very fast for a world where Qi was still developing and not very dense. Furthermore, Zhu Tian had taught him many basic methods regarding Alchemy, weapon forging, formations, and even talismans.
"Chen Hu, come back. It's getting dark," Zhu Tian said before going into the hut first.
"Okay, Master." Chen Hu followed Zhu Tian into the hut.
In the middle of the night, Zhu Tian felt an intensely cold aura approaching him.
"Who would have thought the esteemed Zhu Tian would be on this small planet, one that even heaven overlooks?" A figure in a black cloak, carrying a scythe, approached Zhu Tian.
"The time has come," Zhu Tian sighed. His final moment had arrived.
The cloaked figure stepped closer. With each step, an icy coldness filled the air, freezing it solid.
"After the death of Hu Tian, I was sent to bring you to the Celestial Court," said the figure with red eyes that radiated an aura of death.
Zhu Tian stood up slowly. From the look on his face, he remained calm.
"So, the Celestial Court finally sent you," Zhu Tian smiled mockingly at the figure.
"You have defied the will of heaven, rebelled against the heavens, and your fate to die has arrived."
Zhu Tian laughed softly. "Defied heaven? I merely refused to submit to it."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from inside Zhu Tian's hut.
"Master?"
Zhu Tian's eyes widened. "Chen Hu, don't come out!!" Zhu Tian shouted, but it was too late.
Chen Hu came out of the hut and saw the terrifying figure standing before his master.
"Interesting. The esteemed Zhu Tian actually has a disciple from this small planet," said the figure, staring at Chen Hu. "I will erase everything connected to you, Zhu Tian."
Zhu Tian then used his remaining energy to form a teleportation formation, which he directed at Chen Hu.
"Take care of yourself."
"N-no, Mas—" Chen Hu vanished from his spot, transported millions of miles away.
"Don't bother. I'll kill you first, then I'll kill your disciple," said the figure with a mocking smile on its face.
Zhu Tian smiled slightly. "Even though my cultivation is ruined, I can still take you to hell with me."
The sky above them suddenly rumbled. Zhu Tian's body then transformed into his divine form.
"You've gone mad! Why are you striving for death!??" The cloaked figure was shocked, seeing Zhu Tian's power suddenly surge as he burned his soul.
"Die!!" With a single attack, the figure was obliterated into dust.
Zhu Tian then looked towards the sky. "I must hide the location of this world." From afar, Zhu Tian could see his disciple looking in his direction.
"Chen Hu, I'm sorry." Zhu Tian then performed an extremely complex hand gesture.
"Heaven Sealing Formation, World Separation!" he shouted loudly, so that the entire planet could hear him.
Chen Hu, who heard the voice, naturally recognized it immediately.
"M-master?" Tears began to stream down Chen Hu's face.
In the distance, cracks of light appeared on Zhu Tian's body, like porcelain shattering from within.
"This is my apology to this world and all living beings within it." Zhu Tian's mere presence on this planet was already dangerous for the living beings here, as it could attract the attention of the Celestial Court.
Slowly, Zhu Tian's body disintegrated into white light.
"Chen Hu, take care of yourself." Zhu Tian then vanished.
Chen Hu, who seemed to hear his master's words, stood up and bowed three times.
"Rest easy, Master. Your teachings will never fade." Chen Hu steeled his resolve. He would spread cultivation throughout his world.
...