Vill Long Feng moved with quiet determination through the forest, his feet barely making a sound against the soft, damp earth. The faint light of dawn illuminated the world in muted hues of gold and gray, but he hardly noticed. His mind was focused, his body pushing through the exhaustion that threatened to pull him under. Each step was a battle, a small victory in itself.
The forest around him seemed to mock him—its vastness and silence felt suffocating, like a predator waiting to strike when he least expected it. The trees loomed tall, their thick trunks twisting and stretching toward the sky like ancient sentinels. The air was damp and cool, but the humidity clung to him like a second skin, making every movement feel like it required twice the effort. His wounds throbbed with every step, but the pain was nothing compared to the hunger and fatigue that gnawed at his insides.
As he moved deeper into the wilderness, Vill's mind turned inward. The memories of his father—of the man who had beaten him, who had forced his mother into submission—pushed their way to the forefront of his thoughts. He could still feel the sting of his father's cruel words, the fear that had settled deep in his heart, even as a child. It had taken years for him to understand the full depth of his father's cruelty. The man had been nothing but a monster, a reflection of the darkness that consumed him.
But his father was dead now. The bastard was gone, and Vill was free. He had no ties to that past, no chains to hold him back. But his mother… Lilly Long Feng. She had been his rock, the one person who had ever shown him love. She had fought for him, protected him, and even though they were apart now, she remained in his heart. The memory of her warmth, her kindness, and the promise she had made him to one day see his true potential haunted him.
He would live up to that promise.
The faintest glow of light ahead caught his attention, and Vill's eyes narrowed. He had been walking aimlessly, but now he recognized that the world around him was beginning to shift. The trees began to thin, and the air grew drier. The forest that had seemed so endless was giving way to something else—something more dangerous, perhaps.
A wide, open expanse stretched before him, a field filled with jagged rocks and sparse grass. Vill paused at the edge of the clearing, his sharp eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and uneven, as if the land itself had once been torn apart. The faint scent of smoke lingered in the air, and for a moment, Vill felt a stirring of unease.
He had been here before—he didn't know how, but something deep within him recognized this place. It was as though a part of him had returned to a forgotten memory, one that had been buried long ago. His heart pounded, a strange pressure building in his chest. His body was reacting instinctively, warning him of something he couldn't quite place.
As he stepped forward, the ground beneath his feet rumbled, the earth shifting as if responding to his presence. Vill froze, his senses on high alert. The momentary calm was shattered by the sound of something large and heavy moving beneath the earth. It was the unmistakable sound of something ancient, something far older than he was, awakening from slumber.
A massive stone structure emerged from the ground in front of him, its surface covered in intricate carvings and symbols. It was a gate of sorts, but not like any gate Vill had ever seen before. The stone seemed to pulse with an energy that made his blood stir. His heart thudded faster as he stepped closer, drawn to the strange monument like a moth to a flame. There was something about it—something that called to him, something he couldn't resist.
A strange warmth filled the air, the temperature rising as the stone gates slowly began to open, revealing a dark, winding passage beyond. Vill's instincts screamed at him to turn back, to leave this place and never return. But the fire in his chest—the faint, flickering heat of the Phoenix bloodline—burned brighter. The Dragon bloodline roared in his veins, and with a deep breath, he stepped forward.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the world around him seemed to shift. A surge of energy exploded from the stone, surrounding him with a blinding light. His vision blurred as the power rushed into him, overwhelming his senses. The Phoenix bloodline inside him flared to life, the flames igniting like a wildfire, burning through his very being. The Dragon bloodline roared in response, its primal energy merging with the Phoenix's fire in a violent clash that shook him to his core.
Vill fell to his knees, the sheer force of the power threatening to tear him apart. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body wracked with pain as his bloodlines fought for control. His muscles spasmed, and his mind teetered on the edge of consciousness, but something—somehow—he held on.
And then, as quickly as it had started, the energy subsided.
Vill collapsed onto the cold stone floor, his body drenched in sweat, his chest heaving with exhaustion. His heart pounded in his ears, and his body felt like it was on fire. But there was something else now. A sense of power, a surge of energy deep within him that he hadn't felt before. The bloodlines—his Dragon and Phoenix heritage—had awakened in ways he couldn't have imagined.
He struggled to sit up, his muscles trembling from the exertion. The passage ahead was dark, but he could feel it—the energy, the promise of something greater.
The journey ahead was just beginning.
Vill Long Feng struggled to his feet, his muscles trembling with fatigue. The energy that had surged through him felt like an unstoppable force, a torrent of power that he could barely contain. His head swam as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart still pounding from the violent awakening of his bloodlines. He could feel the lingering heat of the Phoenix flame within him, simmering beneath the surface, while the primal roar of the Dragon bloodline echoed faintly in the depths of his mind.
The passage ahead beckoned him, dark and mysterious, and despite the overwhelming power that still pulsed within him, a strange sense of calm began to settle over him. The storm inside him had subsided, leaving only the echo of its fury. For a brief moment, he allowed himself a deep breath, steadying his racing heart. There was no turning back now. Whatever this place was, whatever it had awakened within him, he would face it.
He moved cautiously through the stone passage, his footsteps echoing softly as he navigated the narrow, winding corridor. The walls seemed ancient, their surfaces covered in symbols and markings that were unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was as if the very stone had absorbed the weight of time, each carving telling a story long forgotten by the world. Vill's gaze lingered on the markings, feeling an inexplicable pull toward them. There was something about them that seemed familiar, as though he had seen them before in another life, or perhaps in the depths of his dreams.
The air around him grew thick, charged with an energy that felt almost alive. It seemed to hum, vibrating gently beneath his skin. The deeper he ventured into the passage, the stronger the sensation became. His bloodlines stirred in response, the Dragon and Phoenix powers warring inside him, struggling for dominance.
A faint glow illuminated the end of the passage, casting an eerie light on the walls. Vill quickened his pace, drawn toward the source of the light. As he neared, he saw a massive chamber open up before him, its high ceiling disappearing into shadows. At the center of the room stood a pedestal, upon which rested a stone orb, glowing with an inner fire. The air around it shimmered, crackling with energy. Vill's eyes widened as he stepped forward, his breath catching in his throat.
This was no ordinary artifact. The power radiating from the orb was like nothing he had ever felt before. It felt ancient, as if it had existed since the dawn of time, waiting for someone to come and claim it. The orb pulsed with a steady rhythm, its light flickering like the beating of a heart.
Without thinking, Vill stepped forward, his hand reaching toward the orb. The moment his fingers brushed against the stone, a surge of energy exploded from it, flooding his body with a torrent of power. His bloodlines screamed in response, a cacophony of dragon's fury and phoenix's fire that nearly drove him to his knees. His vision blurred, and he felt his body begin to crack under the strain of the energy that was being forced into him. But this time, there was no panic. He welcomed it, allowing the power to flood through his veins.
For a moment, he felt as though he was losing himself. The energy was overwhelming, pulling him in every direction at once. But then, as if by instinct, he focused—focused on the flame within him, the power of the Phoenix, and the strength of the Dragon. He willed the two forces to merge, to work together in harmony instead of conflict.
Slowly, the pain began to fade, replaced by a deep, resonating power that filled him entirely. He felt the Dragon bloodline roar in approval, its fierce and untamed energy now tempered by the graceful, controlled fire of the Phoenix. It was an overwhelming force, but it was his—his to wield.
When the surge of power finally subsided, Vill collapsed to his knees, breathless, his body trembling with the aftereffects of the intense energy exchange. His skin felt hot, as though flames were smoldering just beneath the surface, but there was a new strength within him. A certainty that hadn't been there before.
The orb before him remained still, its light fading as the energy within it seemed to settle. Vill's mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened. The orb—was it a catalyst? Had it awakened his bloodlines further, or had it simply given him a glimpse of what was to come?
He stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow, and took a slow, steadying breath. His gaze lingered on the orb, but he knew that it was no longer the source of his power. The strength now coursing through his body, the power that was growing steadily with every passing second, was his own. It was the awakening of his true potential—the fusion of his Dragon and Phoenix bloodlines.
But there was something more. As the heat of the moment began to cool, Vill could feel something deeper in the chamber. The very stone around him seemed to resonate with a pulse, a faint but unmistakable rhythm. His instincts told him that this was just the beginning—that whatever force had brought him here was far greater than he could comprehend.
Without a second thought, Vill turned away from the pedestal, his hand still crackling with the lingering energy of the orb. He knew that this was not the end of his journey. No, this was just the beginning. The power he had just unlocked was but a fraction of what lay ahead.
He had been alone for so long, wandering in the wilderness, struggling to survive. But now, he understood that the path he walked was not one of simple survival. It was a path to greatness. And he would rise. He would grow stronger. He would master the forces within him and carve his name into history.
Vill Long Feng would not be an underdog any longer.