Rain fell heavily on the training ground. It hit the stone floor again and again, sounding like small punches. In the middle of the yard, Li Xuan lay on the cold ground, his thin robe already soaked through.
He tried to push himself up, but his arms shook too much. His body felt weak, as if all his strength had been washed away by the rain.
Behind him, a group of disciples walked away, laughing loudly.
"See? Even standing is too hard for him," Zhao Ren said. His voice was full of pride, like he had won something important. "Trash will always be trash."
The others laughed with him. None of them looked back.
Soon the footsteps faded, and only the sound of rain remained.
Li Xuan slowly turned to lie on his back. The sky above him was dark and cloudy. Water kept entering his eyes, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
His whole body hurt. His ribs burned when he breathed. His left knee felt like someone had smashed it with a stone. He wasn't sure how many times they kicked him today.
He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. The air was cold, and it made his chest hurt even more.
Why am I like this?He asked himself the same question many times, but the answer never came.
Li Xuan tried again to gather Qi, just like the manuals taught:Breathe in. Calm your mind. Draw the world's energy. Guide it into the dantian.
But nothing entered him.
It never did.
His meridians were blocked from birth. Even the weakest disciples could feel a little Qi, but he felt nothing. It was like a door inside him was locked forever.
The elders said he was hopeless.The disciples said he was useless.His uncle, the current Sect Leader, never defended him.
Everyone wished he would leave the Twilight Ember Sect.
He brought a hand to his stomach, touching the area where his dantian should be. It felt cold and empty, like there was only a dead stone inside him.
He opened his eyes again and stared at the dark sky.
He remembered his father—the former Sect Leader—who walked proudly with a sword on his back. People respected him. When he left for war, the whole sect stood to send him off.
But the man who returned was not his father. Only a bloodstained banner returned.
His mother cried for weeks until her weak body gave up. After she died, the sect stopped treating Li Xuan as family. To them, he was a problem—one they wanted to remove.
Lightning flashed far away. Thunder followed after a short moment.
At the same time in the Immortal Realm, far beyond the clouds, a grand palace stood on floating mountains. Inside, chaos filled the throne hall.
A tall man sat on the main seat. A sword was stabbed through his chest, blood running down the blade. Dozens of immortals surrounded him, their expressions cold and guilty.
"Master… forgive us," one of them whispered. His hand shook as he held the sword. "This is for the future of the Immortal World."
The Immortal Emperor looked down at the blade with calm eyes. His long hair moved slightly with the wind that came through the broken windows.
"For the future?" he said with a soft laugh. "No… this is for your greed."
The immortals couldn't meet his eyes.
The Emperor looked toward the sky, already sensing his spirit breaking apart. "Heaven… I will not disappear so quietly."
His soul broke free from his dying body.
At that exact moment, back in the human world, Li Xuan's vision started turning dark. Rain hit his face like ice. His weak body couldn't fight anymore.
Why was I even born…?Why does no one care?Why am I so useless?
His thoughts grew blurry. His heartbeat slowed.
The cold darkness was about to pull him in—
Then a sudden warmth touched the back of his mind.
The Immortal Emperor's soul, bright like a falling star, crashed into Li Xuan's dying body.
The rain around him seemed to pause for a short second.
Li Xuan gasped as a powerful force entered him. His mind was filled with pain, heat, and a strange voice.
—So this is the body I landed in.
The voice sounded old and strong, yet tired.
Li Xuan wanted to move, but his body refused to listen.
Who…? he thought weakly.
—A dying boy abandoned in the rain, the voice said. And yet… you did not give up. Good. I will borrow this body, and in return… you will borrow my strength.
The cold knot inside Li Xuan's stomach suddenly cracked.
A warm current rushed through him, breaking the blockage little by little. His eyes opened wide with shock.
For the first time in his life…Qi entered him.
Lightning flashed again, brighter than before. The stone under his fingers felt different—almost alive.
Li Xuan slowly sat up, his wet hair covering half his face. He took a deep breath, and the air felt sharp and clear.
The Immortal Emperor's voice echoed softly inside him.
—Stand, boy. Your old life ends here.—From today onward… we rise.
Li Xuan raised his head.
The rain no longer felt cold.