Clang!
Zhang!
Shang!
The sharp sounds of weapons colliding echoed across the battlefield.
The entire plain was filled with chaos—dust rising into the sky, the smell of blood lingering heavily in the air, and cultivators clashing with deadly intent.
Through the battlefield ran an elderly man dressed in a long maroon robe. His body was thin but surprisingly agile. His long mustache almost reached his chin, and his gray hair fluttered wildly in the wind as he rushed forward with both hands folded behind his back.
Behind him, a young woman dressed in light green cotton robes chased after him.
"Kai Paul!" she shouted anxiously.
"Please calm down! Qi will not be able to save Reyax this time. The Heavenly Sect will finally succeed in killing him!"
Paul didn't slow down.
His brows were tightly furrowed as worry filled his voice.
"Mika… you underestimate him."
He continued running while speaking.
"Reyax is not some ordinary cultivator you can treat lightly. That demon has plunged this world into chaos for three hundred years."
His eyes hardened.
"I cannot remain calm. We must end him immediately. Li Van has already restrained him. This is our only chance to send that demon back to where he truly belongs."
Not far ahead—
A man stood over a fallen figure.
Li Van held a massive scythe against the throat of the man beneath him.
The man on the ground was Reyax.
Despite his miserable condition, Reyax suddenly let out a cold laugh and sniffed disdainfully.
"How pathetic…"
His eyes burned with arrogance.
"You think someone like me would beg for mercy from insects like you?"
"Never."
At that moment, a young man in his mid-twenties suddenly shouted from behind.
"Master Reyax! You are our last hope!"
Suddenly—
A hand burst out from beneath Reyax's body, reaching toward Li Van with terrifying speed.
But before the hand could even touch him—
A flash of steel cut through the air.
A tall, slender woman appeared behind Reyax.
Her katana moved so quickly that no one even saw the strike.
Slash.
Reyax's head separated from his body.
For a moment—
The battlefield fell silent.
His severed head flew through the air before landing heavily on the ground.
Reyax's eyes widened in disbelief.
Because the person who had just killed him…
Was someone he trusted more than anyone.
His lifelong companion.
Zephar.
Blood slowly dripped from the blade of Zephar's katana.
Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
Reyax's severed head stared at her in stunned silence.
His mind refused to accept reality.
Zephar looked down at him calmly.
Then—
A triumphant smile slowly appeared on her face.
A smile like someone who had just conquered an entire kingdom.
The light in Reyax's eyes slowly faded.
And just like that—
The demon who had ruled the world for three centuries died.
---
Five Hundred Years Later
Deep inside a vast forest, a horse galloped along a narrow trail.
Riding on its back was a young man about twenty-one or twenty-two years old.
His hair was unusually long—almost like a woman's. It was black, yet faint strands of blue shimmered under the sunlight. His eyes were sharp and narrow, and his nose was slender and pointed.
His name was Lumian.
Only one thought occupied his mind.
This was his first mission outside the clan.
His task was simple—explore the forest and gather information.
But suddenly—
His horse stopped.
Right in front of them stood a gigantic pine tree nearly three hundred feet tall.
Lumian frowned.
"Strange…"
He slowly got off the horse and began examining the area.
Soon, he noticed something unusual.
Behind the tree trunk was a narrow crack in the ground.
From inside the crack, a faint glow was emerging.
Curiosity flickered in his eyes.
He stepped inside.
Moments later—
His gaze landed on something shining like a crystal.
A stone radiating mysterious light.
His eyes widened in shock.
"Heavens…"
"Is this… an Inheritance?!"
"In a place like this?!"
His heart began beating faster.
But the moment he tried to touch it—
The stone suddenly grabbed him.
A terrifying force erupted from it.
Lumian's body froze.
His life force began draining away violently.
"W-What… is this—?!"
His veins bulged.
His body started swelling as if something inside him was tearing him apart.
His vision turned blurry.
Then—
Everything went dark.
Lumian died.
But something strange happened.
His body slowly floated into the air.
The swollen flesh began shrinking.
His body gradually returned to its original form.
Yet—
He did not wake up.
---
Six Days Later
Inside a small wooden medical room, Lumian lay on a bed.
Slowly—
His consciousness returned.
His eyelids trembled before finally opening.
The moment he sat up, a girl beside him exclaimed loudly.
"Lumian!"
She looked about his age. She had a slender figure, fair skin, and long black hair flowing down her back.
Her name was Lu.
"Why did you take such a dangerous mission?!"
Her voice trembled slightly with anger and worry.
"Who even gave it to you?!"
Lumian's long hair covered part of his face.
He quietly brushed it aside and looked at her.
In this entire world—
She was the only person who truly worried about him.
Because his own clan had practically abandoned him.
"Lumian!" Lu said again impatiently.
"Answer me!"
Lumian finally spoke in a quiet voice.
"I took it myself."
He sighed faintly.
"Who would give an outside mission to a Rank-2 Immortal like me anyway?"
After saying that, he wrapped the blanket around himself and turned over.
Lu stared at him for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"Forget it… what's done is done."
She crossed her arms.
"In a few days, the Final Year Tournament will begin. At least try to perform well there."
Her tone became serious.
"If we fail again… our value in the clan will drop to nothing."
She then added,
"Oh—and in two days, the Kiela Clan caravan will arrive at the market."
"I'm hoping we can buy some Rank-2 Qi Stones cheaply. We desperately need them."
She turned back toward Lumian.
But he was already fast asleep.
Lu blinked in disbelief.
"Seriously?!"
"You just woke up after nearly dying and you're already sleeping again?!"
Shaking her head, she left the room.
---
Dream
Lumian found himself standing in a beautiful place.
A field filled with countless daisy flowers stretched in every direction.
In the distance flowed a massive river.
The opposite shore couldn't even be seen.
Near the river stood a large flame tree, its crimson flowers resembling droplets of blood.
Leaning against the tree sat an unknown man.
His back faced Lumian.
As Lumian approached—
The man spoke calmly without turning around.
"Come. Sit."
"Enjoy the beauty of nature."
Lumian hesitated before sitting beside him.
The man suddenly began speaking.
"Why are there so many wars in this world?"
"So much killing… so much hatred."
"What meaning does it hold?"
Lumian frowned.
The man continued.
"Some people create wars for their own gain."
"Some lose their honor… their families… their lives."
"Some grow rich from the chaos."
"And some carry the burden of those wars for the rest of their lives."
Lumian looked confused.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
The man slowly stood up.
His voice became distant.
"Life is meant to be enjoyed."
"If you die…"
"You will never experience it again."
Then his tone turned cold.
"You must take my revenge."
A chilling silence filled the air.
"Destroy the Heavens."
The moment those words were spoken—
The dream shattered.
Lumian's eyes suddenly opened.