There was a hushed anticipation in the Azure Frost Province, a place known as the land of Daoists: people with the ability to shape the world to their will, each one breathing air filled with spiritual energy that tempered their bodies into spiritual blades.
Today, everybody had gathered in the Tian Clan's territory to witness the once-in-a-million-years genius named Tian Yunxiu. A youth of around nineteen stood like a straight sword, his hands clasped behind his back on the large stone plaza. White robes draped across his body, making him shine under the sun's embrace. He raised his brown eyes to meet the floating platform in the air.
"Junior Tian Yunxiu greets the seniors from the upper realms." His frame bowed with clasped hands before him, shining with respect.
The two men dressed in golden robes nodded in satisfaction. One of them stood slightly ahead of the other, showing his status.
"Good, very good," he said with a chuckle. "You have raised your grandson well, fellow Daoist Tian Zhanhe."
The crowd watching the man on the high platform praise both the youth and their patriarch sighed in relief. The appearance of cultivators from a higher realm was like witnessing the birth of a heavenly treasure; it was a miracle and the desire of all. Today, the two men had appeared for the young man who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm at the age of nineteen, shocking the entire world. His talent had never been seen before.
"Junior does not dare to receive such praise from the great immortals." The patriarch was a middle-aged man dressed in robes similar to those of the youth on the platform. He bowed deeply, though his wide smile revealed his satisfaction.
"But may I ask what reason the immortal has for seeking the junior from our Tian Clan?" he asked respectfully. Today, Tian Yunxiu had been summoned to stand before them, and in Tian Zhanhe's mind, it had to be either a blessing or a disaster for ascending too swiftly along the Dao.
"Fate called for our arrival. Witness the talent of a tiger, witness his rise to soar like a dragon. My eyes were opened today. The lower realm receives fortune by heaven's will. The youth named Tian Yunxiu is officially accepted to join the Heavenly Sword Sect in the upper realms." The man spoke loudly, like a heavenly mandate.
Silence fell. Nobody dared to breathe. Even the clouds paused above the platform as though the creation itself weighed his fate.
Tian Yunxiu's eyes widened, his brows knitting together. He quickly bowed deeper. "Junior is not worthy, yet this junior shall work hard to not disappoint the immortals."
The immortal on the high platform accepted Tian Yunxiu's obeisance, nodding in response.
"Good. You have respect. No wonder the heavens blessed you with a heaven-grade five-element harmonious root. The birth of such a root is rarely seen even in the upper realms; your path is limitless."
His words left the cultivators who had been unaware of Tian Yunxiu's hidden talent with their hearts igniting in envy. Such talent was envied no matter where one went.
The man continued without breaking the immersion, "Bow before the heavens. Thank your ancestors and the heavens for granting you such a gift. By showing your respect, the ceremony shall be declared complete, and the spiritual energy from the upper realms shall descend to nurture the lower realm. Your rise may shift the balance of this world. Even the wind shall be thankful to you."
The entirety of the Tian Clan members gathered in the Grand Ancestral Plaza felt their knees weaken. They had already held deep respect for Tian Yunxiu, but now it had grown into a reverent worship, as if a god stood upon the plaza.
However, not all eyes looked upon the youth with admiration alone. The enemies of the clan wore contorted expressions, their faces twisting with hatred. They knew that now nothing under the heavens could stop the rise of the Tian Clan, and soon the whole province would belong to them.
Tian Zhanhe barely contained his eagerness, his fingers moving uncontrollably with impatience. He glanced once at the immortals, then at Tian Yunxiu, yet the junior was still not on his knees. He remained frozen in his bow, and something in his expression sent a ripple of dread through the patriarch's chest. Even Tian Longming, standing behind him, the grand elder of the clan and father of the youth, felt that something was amiss.
"What are you waiting for, Yunxiu? Quickly now, quick. Get on your knees and pay your respects to the heavens." He urged, feeling the immortal eyes that stripped a soul bare, fixed upon Tian Yunxiu.
The heavens watched the young man rise, standing as straight as a sword. His expression, however, did not hold the respect that was expected. An arrogant grin rose on his lips, making the immortals squint their eyes.
"I refuse." Two words echoed through the heavens, two words that changed the fate of the entire lower realms forever. Even those who opposed the Tian Clan held their breath.
"Elaborate." The immortal who had yet to speak said calmly, though his voice was laced with disappointment.
"I, Tian Yunxiu, refuse to ever bow before the heavens. My path is greater than fate itself. I shall rise to stand above all. I bow only before my ancestors and my parents. Even the sky above is unworthy."
A loud rumble echoed through the sky the moment his words left his lips. The world turned dim, dark as ink clouds gathered with the speed of a blink. The expressions of the immortals and the powerful experts of the clan dropped; their shoulders trembled beneath the pressure.
"Heavenly punishment…" the immortal standing at the front muttered, and then he closed his eyes.
A single flash of a golden bolt cleaved the sky. In the next moment, the entire plaza turned yellow. Dust flew high, cries echoed out but were swallowed by the wrathful roar of heaven's mandate, and the young man standing in the middle was struck by lightning.
"Yunxiu!" Tian Longming screamed, jumping off the platform he had been watching from and landing on the plaza. His son's life was in danger. A charred figure lay amidst the shattered plaza, and there was no sign of life from him. He dropped to his knees, grabbing his son's body. The crowd watched silently, but now it was divided between worry and silent grins of satisfaction and mockery.
Tian Longming pressed his palm over the young man's chest, a dim golden light glowing beneath his hand. It only took a moment, but the man's face dropped, losing all color.
"Crippled…" A silent whisper left his mouth, but it was loud enough for sharp ears to catch it.
A single word sent a message through the crowd, forcing many heads to shake in pity and mockery.
However, in that moment, something stirred within the body of Tian Yunxiu. If one could look inside him, the soul no longer seemed like it belonged to him at all. It was adrift in a cold, endless void.
A spark ignited within the darkness, a ripple bouncing through the body and making his fingers twitch. Suddenly, a long thought that did not sound like his own echoed through his mind.
"[Welcome to the world of immortals and myths]" The voice was not quite human; it felt as if it were speaking through a metal tube.
Who is speaking to me? Where am I? Surrounded by darkness, the young man thought to himself. I… I remember that I took a sip of the tea my grandpa brewed, and then my stomach hurt like I was pierced by a blade… Am I dead?
"[Your body is preparing to house the Void Emperor's Body Technique; Body in critical state; Using realm base as a catalyst]"
Something rare even in the world of cultivators occurred: a new soul replaced the one the heavens had extinguished. A man from a modern world called Earth had transmigrated into the body of a cultivator, guided by the sound of a robotic voice. A new path had been unlocked for him: a second chance at life, a chance to chase immortality.