"Hey, Ling Tian, it's time for training."
"Oh, Dad, I want to rest today. I'm tired."
"No, my son. Do you want to be as strong as I am?"
"Oh, yes! I want to be like you, Dad."
"Then you must be a hardworking guy."
Ling Tian, a 15-year-old boy with striking features - black hair and piercing blue eyes, adorned with a blue dragon mark on his wrist - donned his attire and set off towards the White Cloud Temple for his training.
"Hey!! Weakling, what are you doing here?" Jian Li's tone was laced with mockery as he glared at a young boy who was about to enter the sect's hall.
"What do you want?" Ling Tian asked calmly, his green eyes shifting to Jian Li. Although it was clear to him that Jian Li was here to make trouble, he still kept his calm.
Jian Li chuckled in mischief as he heard Ling Tian's words.
"What do I want???" Jian Li seemed to mutter in amusement, as if he was playing with Ling Tian, as he slowly started walking toward him like a predator ready to devour its prey mercilessly.
Jian Li stopped in front of Ling Tian. "What do you think I want?" His lips curved into a menacing smile.
Ling Tian, although scared, kept his cool with a calm expression, refusing to give Jian Li the satisfaction of seeing him afraid. Even though Jian Li was stronger than him, he wasn't going to allow Jian Li to bully him like he did to others.
Why?
Because he didn't want to be a disgrace to his clan. He was the heir of the Ling Clan—one of the strongest clans within the cultivation world.
The cultivation world was a place where the strongest ruled and the weak perished. It was merciless and ruthless, as every cultivator strived to attain power, for that was what truly mattered. But in order to maintain balance, power was divided among ten powerful families, and both the Ling and Jian families were part of them.
Although it wasn't certain which family was the strongest, no family dared to act rashly against the others, as that would be disadvantageous to them.
"I have practice, Jian Li. I'm not interested in your games," Ling Tian said and started walking into the hall, not wanting to bother with Jian Li anymore.
Seeing his attitude, Jian Li's expression darkened. His anger flared, and in a fit of rage, he shoved Ling Tian, adding some of his Qi to his strength, sending Ling Tian crashing into the wall.
"Ah!!" Ling Tian groaned in pain as his back slammed against the cold, hard surface.
Jian Li rushed toward Ling Tian, who was still on the ground, ready to deliver a blow—
But suddenly, he felt a terrifying yet familiar aura pin him to the ground.
"What are you two doing?"
A deep voice boomed through the hall, carrying an undeniable authority.
Ling Tian sighed in relief in his heart when he heard the voice. It belonged to no one else than Sect Elder Mo Fan.
"What are you doing here?" Elder Mo Fan frowned at Jian Li and his gaze shifted to Ling Tian who was still on the ground.
"What happened here, Ling Tian?" Although Elder MO Fan could already guess the situation, he still decided to ask.
"Nothing, Elder Mo Fan." Ling Tian stuttered. He couldn't tell Elder Mo Fan the truth. Even though he knew that Jian Li would be punished if Elder MO Fan knew, he still didn't want to say anything as that would be something shameful for him as he was the heir to the Ling Clan while Jian was neither the first son nor next in line in the Jian clan.
Hearing Ling Tian words, Elder MO Fan didn't say anything about the matter again. "You both should go to practice." Ling Tian nodded and managed to stand up before walking away leaving Jian Li with Sect Elder Mo Fan.
Sect Elder Mo Fan retracted his aura setting Jian Li free, "Leave now!" Jian Li gulped down before running away.
Sometimes later, Ling Tian arrived at his practice room which was a small room that was big enough for only two people. He then sat crossed leg in a lotus position on the ground and closed his eyes.
Ten minutes...
Twenty Minutes...
Thirty minutes...
One hour...
After two long hours of cultivating in silence, Ling Tian could feel his surrounding changing. He felt the World Qi entering his body change and as become more denser and stronger than before. Suddenly a vision of a desolate landscape appeared before him and he could see a gruelling conflict between two races he could identify well as the human and demon race.
Lifeless body littered on the ground, blood staining the ground crimson and Ling Tian felt the urge to puke as he had never seen something as horrific as this. The more he watched, the more it felt real. His head aching from the vision and then a bright white suddenly covered the whole place and Ling Tian eyes snapped open.
'What just happened? What was that feeling?' Ling Tian muttered in his heart as he could now feel the Qi around him more closer to him than before. It felt like he was now one with the world's Qi and each breath he took was enough to increase his cultivation albeit very little.
If only Ling Tian knew that it was the secret Technique of Qi that he had unlocked he would have screamed in joy as that was something only a very few could do. But currently in this world, even the few wasn't up to five and Ling Tian was part of them.
But the question now was, 'What was that vision?'
Ling Tian had no answer to that question and could only sigh and push it to the back of his mind.
Since the practice session was almost over, Ling Tian decided to head home as he already felt already exhausted and wanted nothing more than to relax and sleep.
Ling Tian then left the sect and started walking home but yet his mind was still filled with the vision. He didn't know if it was something that would happen in the future or if it had already happened in the past but he knew one thing, what he saw felt so real.
As he walked along the winding road, his footsteps echoed through the stillness of the evening air. Suddenly, a plaintive cry echoed in the air.
"Help, help, please don't kill me, I have kids to look after!" The anguished voice of a woman resonated through the air, drawing Ling Tian's attention to a nearby alleyway.
He hastened towards the source of the cry, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of distress. Upon turning a corner, he saw a woman cowering in fear, her eyes wide with terror, as a burly thief towered over her, brandishing a dagger. "Give me your purse, then you will leave," the thief growled, his voice dripping with malice.
Ling Tian's gaze flashed towards a nearby stone, and with a swift motion, he seized it, pointing his hand towards the thief. "Hey, you!" Ling Tian sneered, his voice firm. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the stone towards the thief, accompanied by a subtle yet palpable wind pressure. Although the attack was not overwhelmingly potent, it sufficed to crush the thief's body, sending him tumbling to the ground.
The woman sighed in relief as she saw that she had been saved. She then turned to the young boy who was her savior with gratitude etched on her face. "Thank you, my son," she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion.
She reached inside her purse and took out a lower grade spirit stone and handed it to Ling Tian. "Thank you for saving me, please accept this little token."
Seeing the spirit stone in her hand, Ling Tian shook his head and rejected it. "Keep it. I didn't save you for a reward. I saved you because that was the right thing to do."
Although Ling Tian knew that the spirit stone would help his cultivation, he still couldn't accept it. Spirit stones were precious gemstones that held concentrated spiritual energy. They were divided into three grade: Lower grade, Middle grade and Higher grade and each grade had different quality. scene of utter devastation.
Ling Tian's eyes widened in horror as he beheld his house engulfed in flames. A mysterious figure, clad in a mask and unfamiliar attire, emerged from the Ling clan house, accompanied by his guards. They soared into the sky, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Ling Tian's heart sank as he sneaked into the burning house, navigating through the smoke-filled air. The sight that greeted him was one of utter carnage – lifeless bodies littered the floor, their eyes frozen in perpetual terror.
Ling Tian's vision began to blur, his eyes burning with unshed tears. He trudged through the flames, his footsteps heavy with grief. As he turned a corner, he stumbled upon his parents, their bodies broken and bleeding.
Ling Tian's face contorted in anguish as he knelt beside them, his heart racing with desperation. He grasped their lifeless hands, his voice cracking as he pleaded, "Dad... Mom... wake up!!"
Just as his words hung in the air, a charred wooden beam, dislodged from the ceiling, came crashing down towards him. Ling Tian's eyes snapped upwards, his pupils constricting as he froze, anticipating the impending impact...