Chapter 3: The Forgotten Path
Morning light spilled through the cracked window as the sun rose over Neo-Zhau.
I stood there in silence, staring outside.
Something inside me was shifting.
I didn't know why—but the feeling was incredible.
For the first time since I could remember, there was no pain in my body. No screaming bones. No burning nerves. Just warmth… and clarity.
The door suddenly burst open.
"Brother Hao!"
Ming Hui rushed in, eyes shining with pure joy. "I did it! I finally reached Mana Circle One!"
For a moment, I just stared at him, expression blank as my mind processed his words.
Then it hit me.
The next second, I grabbed him and lifted him clean off the ground, laughing out loud.
"Heavens! What did you do, you idiot?" I said, spinning him once. "I'm so proud of you!"
He laughed just as hard, the two of us nearly falling over before calming down.
Not long after, we made our way to an abandoned house on the edge of the district—old, forgotten, and perfect for testing power.
Inside, rubble littered the floor. I pointed toward a large stone embedded in the ground.
"Ming," I said, stepping back, "channel your Mana. Focus it into your fist. Then punch."
He nodded, taking a deep breath.
Mana gathered around his arm, faint but real.
With a shout, he struck.
Crack.
A deep fracture split across the rock.
His eyes widened.
"I knew it!" he said proudly. "The Mana cultivation system is the strongest there is!"
I smiled faintly. "Idiot. Wrong."
He turned to me, confused. "What? Mana has nine refined levels! I even heard rumors of a tenth! Spells, magic, destruction—how is it not the best?"
"Guess again."
"Qi?"
"No."
"Spiritual cultivation?"
"Wrong."
"Soul cultivation?"
"Still wrong."
He stared at me, completely baffled. "Then what is it, brother?"
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then I said one word.
"Ultima."
"Ultima?" he repeated slowly.
"Yes," I said. "Ultima."
Five thousand years ago, a global catastrophe tore through reality itself. Dimensions collapsed. Demons invaded.
The first civilization to fall was the Mana Kingdoms.
Millions died.
In desperation, the surviving empires united and created Ultima.
"It isn't physical cultivation," I continued. "And it isn't spiritual."
"It's mental."
An imagination-based system guided by logic.
"What you imagine… becomes real to your mind. And what becomes real to your mind affects your soul, body, and energy."
"If you cultivate Mana in your imagination—your real Mana grows too."
Ming swallowed.
"But Ultima has a price," I said quietly. "Too much strain, and the mind collapses. Coma. Brain damage."
"In the worst cases…" I tapped my temple. "Your head explodes."
Silence filled the room.
"So tell me," I finished. "Which system is truly the strongest?"
Ming couldn't answer.
After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Brother… who are you? How do you know history from five thousand years ago?"
I laughed.
"Idiot. That event was so massive it's taught to children everywhere. I'm not special for knowing it."
He scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah… right."
Then his eyes lit up again. "So where's the Ultima technique?"
My smile faded slightly.
"The noble families," I said. "Their heirs. They guard it like their lives."
"But one day," I added quietly, "I'll get it."
"Then we'll live freely."
He nodded without hesitation.
After a pause, he asked, "By the way… why do people call you Hao when your name is Zhi Long?"
I looked at him for a moment.
"First," I said, "no parents to name me properly."
"Second—" I smirked. "It sounds badass."
Ming burst out laughing. "Alright, big bad brother."
I put an arm around his shoulders.
"Don't worry," I said. "This badass big brother will protect you."
And for the first time, I truly believed it.