The sun rose over the northern continent, painting the sky with a faint golden hue as its radiant light embraced the cold earth. In a quiet farmland surrounded by simple wooden houses, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the air. Each step was slow yet carried something strange… with every movement, bloodstains spread across the ground, forming a crimson trail that stretched for hours.
The source of those steps was none other than a young man, his body drenched in blood, his eyes empty as if staring into an abyss without end. He walked aimlessly, lost in this vast continent. Ni Tian Xing looked up at the sun, its glare blinding his vision for a moment, yet he did not blink… as if searching for an answer in its brilliant light.
"Why?"
A single word echoed in his mind. Why did all of this happen? Why him? Why did nothing matter in the end? He soon lowered his gaze to the ground, where his reflection stared back at him in a murky puddle… his young face was covered in blood that was not his own. The blood of his village… the people who despised him and his sick father.
Ni Tian Xing had worked tirelessly every day for his father, even resorting to stealing at times to keep the helpless man from starving. But now, he realized that it was all in vain. Years of patience and suffering… all vanished like dust in the wind. Every insult, every scornful look he received from the villagers, every degrading name they called him.
His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging from the sheer force of his anger. They told him his father had taken his own life, leaving behind a letter. But he couldn't remember what happened after that… all he recalled was walking, walking for hours… and now, here he was.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of donkey hooves approaching slowly. He lifted his head to see an old man sitting atop a donkey, a straw hat covering his wrinkled face. The donkey moved as if Ni Tian wasn't even there, unlike the humans who fled at the mere sight of him.
The old man coughed lightly, then took out a small flute and began to play. The melody was calm… strangely warm, as if it carried a sense of peace that seeped into the soul of whoever heard it. It was more than just a tune… it felt like the voice of nature itself, a sound of life Ni Tian Xing had never felt before.
The young man stood still, his eyes fixated on the old man in silence. Finally, the old man stopped playing, looked at Ni Tian with a gentle smile, and spoke in a deep voice:
"At last, I've found you, butcher of Qing Wu Zun."
Hearing those words, Ni Tian stepped back slightly, raising his fists and saying coldly:
"Old man, are you looking for death?"
The old man chuckled softly and dismounted his donkey, his gaze steady as his gray eyes gleamed with wisdom and experience beyond comprehension.
"I didn't expect you to be this young… and yet, you've killed over a hundred men with your bare hands."
Ni Tian remained silent. The old man was right—he had slaughtered a hundred men from his village… but that didn't matter anymore. Since birth, he had possessed an unnatural strength, yet he had never used it for violence, only for labor, for the sake of his father. But now… there was nothing left to care about.
He looked at the old man with hardened eyes and said coldly:
"What do you want?"
The old man raised an eyebrow and replied:
"I want to test your strength."
As soon as the old man finished speaking, Ni Tian Xing lunged at him like a bolt of lightning. But his opponent was no ordinary man… the old man didn't even flinch, as if there was nothing worth reacting to.
At the last moment, the old man shifted his left foot back and raised his hands in a strange stance. Ni Tian's fists struck out violently, but… the old man didn't move!
Then, in a single instant, the old man finally moved his fist—Ni Tian felt as if a thunderbolt had crashed into his body. A force beyond belief sent him flying back two meters. His hopes of victory shattered in a single moment… this old man was terrifyingly strong.
"How…?" Ni Tian muttered, barely able to feel his own face.
He tried to attack again, but the old man dodged his punch effortlessly, then delivered a direct blow to his nose, breaking it without mercy. Ni Tian crashed to the ground, his entire body trembling from the pain, but he didn't care. He lifted his head, gasping, then shouted:
"Kill me! Do it, damn it! I have nothing left to live for!"
The old man gazed at him for a long moment, then spoke in a quiet yet heavy voice:
"Boy… why do you desire death so much?"
Ni Tian was silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh and saying:
"Life? It has brought me nothing but suffering. I was born a monster with strength I never asked for… all I wanted was to live in peace with my father… but what did I get? Pain? Humiliation? Fate has always been against me…"
But he couldn't finish his words—his emotions betrayed him at last… and for the first time in years, he wept.
The old man watched him in silence, then removed his straw hat and spoke gently:
"Boy… life isn't easy for anyone. But what separates the strong from the weak is how they face hardship. Losing someone dear without the power to change it… I know that feeling well. But I did not come here to kill you—I came to show you the way."
Ni Tian's eyes widened.
"What…?"
The old man put his hat back on and then asked:
"What is your name, boy?"
Ni Tian remained silent for a moment before answering in a quiet voice:
"Ni Tian Xing."
The old man smiled and extended his hand.
"A fine name. You may call me 'Uncle Han.'"
Ni Tian took the old man's hand and struggled to his feet, but he couldn't stop himself from asking:
"Uncle… what was that technique you used? I've never felt such power before!"
Uncle Han chuckled, then said as he guided his donkey forward:
"If you wish to learn it, then follow me."
He moved slowly, his eyes watching Ni Tian from the corner of his gaze. The young man followed in silence, but deep inside him, a new fire had begun to burn.
Uncle Han looked up at the sky and smiled.
"This boy… soon, he will become someone great."