In the sprawling Miliandy Kingdom, martial halls stood in every city, woven seamlessly into daily life. Each state and counrty had their own, open to any child who reached ten years old and showed the ability to cultivate martial skills.
They can become powerful students who practice martial arts.
these halls became the starting point—a place where strength and discipline shaped their future.
But the halls weren't just schools. They served a deeper purpose. Founded by the powerful sects ruling over Zorvania, they acted as talent pools—places where exceptional students could be identified and absorbed into the sects, keeping their power alive and evolving.
Novaridge City, Xandoria Country—Martial Hall
A sharp gasp broke the stillness
Dustin Rhys snapped awake from his deep sleep, he gasped and felt a severe pain tearing through his body. Instinctively, his hand flew to his chest, fingers fumbling over the fabric of his shirt.
"The bead... it's gone!"
This exclamation affected the injury of the broken rib in his chest, causing him to go through another pain. gritting his teeth, he fought to stay conscious. Sweat gathered at his forehead as the memories returned in broken flashes.
Emery Liu her face--her voice, stood out clearly. He remembered her trapped, the girl, whom he always had a crush on, was entangled by Joshua, a notorious playboy among the students of the Martial Hall School.
Dustin had stepped in, foolish but determined. The result? Joshua and his gang beat him until he hit the ground, crumpled like discarded cloth.
The last clear image in his mind was Joshua's foot slamming into his chest. A brutal kick. His ribs snapping. And right then impossibly his bead, the smooth black-and-white sphere he had carried since he could remember, slipped from his hand... and vanished inside him.
Dustin came from an ordinary civilian family. His parents lived simple lives, untouched by martial prowess. There was also a sister in the family, their daily livelihood depended on his father, Jace Li, who went to the mountains to collect herbs.
The bead had been the one constant in Dustin's life, its surface always warm, a small comfort no matter the season.
Now, it wasn't just missing.
It was part of him.
The thought chilled him.
Just when Dustin was thinking about it, his head suddenly swelled so much that it felt like his skull was about to burst.
Boom.
A deep tremor echoed through his very soul.
When his senses cleared, he was no longer in his room. Around him stretched an endless void, vast and empty, no landmarks, no sky—just nothing.
"where is this place?"
Originating from the fear of the unknown, this phenomenon beyond the scope of his own cognition, and it made Dustin extremely nervous.
Then, faintly, a light appeared.
A single point of brightness, flickering, growing steadily. It expanded, becoming a glowing orb suspended in the void, radiating black and white light. Familiar, yet not.
Dustin's breath caught.
His bead.
Immediately afterwards, without waiting for Dustin to have any reaction, the beads suddenly flew towards him, shooting straight into his chest and merging with him.
His mind shattered.
Knowledge—boundless, incomprehensible poured into him. Visions of stars, worlds, the vast sweep of life and death, forces older than time itself.
And then, words rang out, clear as a bell:
'The Pearl of Life and Death. The Eight Wastes of the Universe. The Myriad Heavens. Billions of Souls... The Life Vein Diagram.'
Dustin clutched his head, gasping. The flood of information was unbearable. It threatened to drown him, but amidst the chaos, something clicked—a spark of understanding.
Time blurred. He had no idea how long had passed before he opened his eyes again.
He clearly felt a slight throbbing from his soul, and he also sensed that the bead was in his body, as if it was related to him, The soul and the bead had become one.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, breath steady. Inside, he could feel it now—the bead fused with him, inseparable.
Closing his eyes, he focused.
In the depths of his mind, an image formed.
His own body, glowing faintly, crisscrossed by shimmering white threads. An intricate diagram—the Life Vein Diagram. Some of the veins flickered weakly, damaged from Joshua's assault. According to what the pearl had shown him, these veins weren't just symbolic. They were his lifelines. Good veins meant stalled healing, stunted growth.
But there was something else. Something incredible.
If he channeled his Inner Energy into those weakened veins, he could repair them.
Could it really be that simple?
His heart pounded. He had nothing to lose.
'Whether it works or not, I will try it first.'
Thinking of this, Dustin sat down on the bed with his knees crossed and started to test if it works.
Drawing a deep breath, he directed his Inner Energy inward. It moved through him differently now—lighter, vibrant. The moment it reached the dim veins, something shifted.
Pain ebbed.
Bruises faded.
The broken rib... healed, effortlessly.
'Is this the mystery of the treasure of life and death pearl? Directly repair the lifeline, and the injuries on the body can automatically recover? This is too amazing...'
The bead had given him more than knowledge. It had rewritten his fate. He flexed his fingers, testing his body. Stronger. Whole. The exhaustion from using his Inner energy barely registered—he knew he could recover that easily.
Dustin was shocked by the changes in himself. The mysterious life and death pearl merged with himself, and it seemed that he had a special ability that transcended the world!
If the human body is injured, it means the lifeline will be damaged, and if the injury is repaired, it means the lifeline will be repaired, and vice versa!
He was no longer just another forgotten student, scraping by in the shadows of the martial world.
What mattered was clear.
The Pearl of Life and Death had opened a door.
And Dustin Rhys was ready to walk through it.
To be continued...