Chapter 1:
The sky above the Higher Plane did not scream; it bled.
A man swathed in a pulsating red aura sat cross-legged amidst the clouds, his eyes closed in deep meditation. Suddenly, his eyelids snapped open, revealing pupils that burned like dying stars. He felt it—a ripple in the fabric of the plane. A treasure that should have been erased from history had flickered back into existence.
"Found you," he whispered. His voice was a tectonic shift, cold and absolute.
In a flash of crimson light, he vanished.
Space fractured as he reappeared before a majestic structure that defied logic—the Huang Qian Palace. It floated in a sea of golden mist, guarded by ancient runes that could vaporize a god.
"Today," the man in red declared, his voice echoing through the halls of the sect, "this palace falls."
Inside the central hall, a senior cultivator trembled, his face pale. "Why? Our Huang Qian Palace has never crossed paths with your Hall! Why bring destruction to our gates?"
"You think I am a fool?" The man in red stepped forward, and the ground cracked beneath his boots. "I know this palace is the shroud hiding the Sacred Primordial Pearl. Hand it over, or become dust."
From the shadows of the palace, three figures materialized, their auras erupting like volcanoes.
First was Ling Yao, her white hair flowing like a frozen river, her white robes shimmering with a pure, ethereal light. Beside her stood Xuanhuan, her black hair messy, dressed in crimson and black silks, surrounded by a violent purple-red aura. Finally, Li Ming Qian, the Leader, stepped forward in golden robes, her aura blinding like a miniature sun.
"The Leader of Huang Qian Palace and the two Twin Sovereigns," the man in red sneered. "A formidable line-up."
"We do not know of any Pearl," Li Ming Qian lied, his voice steady despite the sweat on his brow. "Leave now, or face the consequences."
"So, you have chosen death."
The man in red didn't move a limb. He simply released his pressure. The air turned into lead. Disciple after disciple outside the hall collapsed, their bones snapping under the weight of his intent.
"Formation!" Li Ming Qian roared.
The three Masters soared into the sky. Behind each of them, a massive Divine Ring manifested. They moved in perfect harmony, their energies connecting to form a glowing Triangle Formation.
"You think this toy can kill me?" The man in red laughed. He raised his hand, and a sphere of swirling red and black energy—the essence of Absolute Erasure—condensed in his palm.
He threw it.
BOOM!
The collision turned the sky white. The Triangle Formation, touted as an unbreakable defense, shattered like cheap glass. The three Masters were flung back, coughing golden blood.
"Die." The man in red pointed two fingers. A needle-thin beam of purple light shot forth. It didn't just pierce; it disintegrated. The palace, the mountains, and the thousands of disciples vanished in a single breath.
Amidst the ruins, Li Ming Qian looked at her dying sect and screamed in rage. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small, unassuming pearl.
"The Sacred Primordial Pearl!" The man in red's eyes widened with greed. He teleported instantly, his fist aimed at her heart.
But it was too late. Li Ming Qian had already made her choice.
"I will never forgive you!" she shrieked. A vortex opened. She, Ling Yao, and Xuanhuan were sucked into the Pearl. Before the man in red could grasp it, the Pearl pulsed once and vanished from the plane entirely, entering a void where no one could follow.
The man in red stood in the silence of the graveyard he had created. He didn't look disappointed; he looked hungry. "Run all you want. One day, I will become the Heaven itself. I will create a world where every soul worships only me!"
Thousands of Years Later: The Lower Plane
The sun beat down on Stone Cloud City. Under a gnarled, ancient tree, a 14-year-old boy named Tianzun was fast asleep. His face was peaceful, a sharp contrast to the ragged, patched clothes he wore.
THWACK!
A rock hit his forehead.
Tianzun groaned, rubbing his head as he sat up. Standing before him were two disciples from the Cloud Mist Branch Sect: Hao Hua and Chu Ming.
"The loser is finally awake," Chu Ming sneered. "Who gave you permission to sleep on Sect grounds, trash?" He threw another rock.
This time, Tianzun's eyes sharpened. He tilted his head an inch, the rock whistling past his ear. In a blur of movement that shouldn't be possible for someone without Qi, he lunged.
POW!
Tianzun's fist connected squarely with Chu Ming's jaw. The bully stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock.
"Was that enough?" Tianzun asked, his voice calm but cold. "Or do you want more?"
"You trash!" Hao Hua roared, stepping forward. He threw a flurry of punches, but Tianzun moved like a leaf in the wind, dodging every strike with millimetric precision.
"My physical strength and speed are better than your pathetic cultivation," Tianzun remarked.
Enraged, Chu Ming recovered and launched a surprise kick. This time, Tianzun couldn't dodge in time. The kick caught him in the ribs, sending him crashing into the tree. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes burning with a dormant, ancient fire.
"Stop!"
A clear, commanding voice rang out. Lin Xueru arrived, her white robes fluttering. Her aura—the 12th Layer of Qi Condensation—sent a chill through the bullies.
"Run! It's the Sect Flower!" Hao Hua hissed. They scrambled away like frightened dogs.
Lin Xueru rushed to Tianzun's side, her eyes full of worry. "Are you okay? Why do you keep fighting them?"
"I'm fine," Tianzun said, wiping the blood from his lip. "Nothing to worry about."
"You're injured. Let me help." She placed her hand on his chest, sending a gentle stream of Qi through his body. His wounds closed instantly, and his breathing steadied.
"Thanks, Xueru," Tianzun said, standing up. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I was looking for you. I knew you'd be hiding here," she teased, but then her face turned serious. "Tianzun, the Selection Tournament is in two weeks. It's your only chance to become an Inner Disciple."
Tianzun sighed. "I can defeat a 1st or 2nd Layer Mortal Tempering with my strength, but against many? It's a tall mountain to climb."
"Xue'er!" A deep voice interrupted them. Lin Feng, Xueru's father, walked toward them. He barely glanced at Tianzun, his focus entirely on his daughter. "I have news. Yao Hun, the young master of the Yao Clan, will be participating in the Moon Sword Tournament."
"Moon Sword Tournament?" Tianzun asked.
Lin Feng finally looked at him, his gaze heavy. "It is a battle of the true geniuses. The top ten get to enter the Star Realm—a place of pure Qi and ancient treasures. But Tianzun, you should focus on leaving Stone Cloud City. The Empress of the Holy Sacred Land is coming, and things will get dangerous."
He turned back to his daughter. "The Empress has recognized your talent, Xue'er. She wants you as her personal disciple. You cannot reject her."
Tianzun felt a pang in his chest. Xueru was leaving.
"You should go," Tianzun said softly, looking her in the eyes. "It's the best for your future. Don't reject it for my sake."
Shocked by his selflessness, Xueru bit her lip. "Thank you for the advice, Tianzun." She followed her father away, leaving Tianzun alone in the gathering dusk.
Feeling the weight of the world, Tianzun walked down to the river to wash the blood from his hands. As he bent down, something caught the moonlight at the bottom of the shallow water.
A pearl.
He reached in and grabbed it. The moment his fingers touched the smooth surface, it erupted with a blinding white light. Before he could scream, it shot upward and entered his forehead.
"Argh!" He clutched his head, but the pain vanished as quickly as it came. It felt... refreshing. Like a single drop of cool water falling onto his soul.
Confused, he shook his head and rushed home. "Father!"
Inside the modest house, his father, Wang Chen, lay pale and shivering on the bed. His uncle, Wang Hao, stood by with a grim expression.
"Uncle, what about the Life Essence Grass?" Tianzun asked desperately.
"We searched everywhere, but there is none," Wang Hao sighed. "Tianzun... your father was the Lord of this city once. He had many enemies. Someone poisoned him, and someone—the same person, perhaps—placed the Extreme Lock Mortal Chain on you the day you were born. You were born with all 108 meridians open, my boy. You were meant to be a god. But they turned you into a prisoner."
Tianzun's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "I will take revenge. I swear it."
He ran back to the river, his heart pounding. He felt the Pearl inside his mind. He focused, and suddenly, it appeared in his hand again.
He accidentally dropped it into the water. When he pulled it out, he noticed something strange. The water around the pearl was glowing. He took a sip.
BOOM!
A surge of energy exploded in his gut. He felt his muscles densify. He punched a nearby tree—not a dent, but a clean hole straight through the trunk.
"What is this...?"
He filled a bucket with the river water where the pearl had sat and ran home. "Father, drink this!"
Wang Chen drank. Within seconds, his pale skin turned healthy. An aura erupted from his body.
CRACK!
The bottleneck that had held him at Foundation Establishment for years shattered. Wang Chen stood up, his eyes flashing with power. "I... I'm at the Golden Core Realm! I feel stronger than I ever was!"
As the Wang family celebrated their miraculous recovery, Tianzun sat in his room, staring at the pearl. Suddenly, the space in front of him twisted.
Two women, one in white and one in red, appeared out of thin air. They looked at the pearl, then at the boy.
Xuanhuan reached out to snatch it. "My treasure!"
The pearl turned into mist, passing through her fingers, and settled firmly back into Tianzun's palm.
The two goddesses froze. Ling Yao whispered in awe, "The Pearl... it didn't just find a host. It chose a Master."
[End of Chapter 1]