The Inferior Realm. Eastern Realms. The Mythic Battlefield of Eternal Struggles.
[Xiao Chen, 16 years old, 8th level of the Qi Transformation stage(2)]
- Qi Transformation?(2)… - The young man's voice oozed venom. - Hah! This year's ranking tournament truly outdoes itself. What delusion possessed the royal family to let gutter trash like you compete?
A murmur of disapproval swept through the crowd, eyes sharpening like daggers aimed at him.
- So the rumors hold water - another spat, his lip curling as if tasting rot. - You're the Crown Princess's little pet, aren't you? Tell me— do you truly believe her favor will shield you when the blades are drawn?
The arena trembled with collective outrage, whistles and venomous jeers merging into a thunderous roar. The spectators of the ranking tournament seethed, their disdain palpable in the charged air.
This annual event had always been a gathering of legends—prodigies whose names echoed across the Eastern Realms. Yet now, their hallowed competition stood tainted by the presence of a mere upstart.
True participants were sculpted by merciless trials, their talents honed to perfection and reputations etched in glory. But him? A Crown Princess's lapdog, leashing his way into the fray through nepotism's rotten threads.
The tournament overseers stood atop their marble dais, faces carved into masks of stoic composure. Yet the rigidity of their postures betrayed them—they were reaping the whirlwind of their own controversial decision to permit Xiao Chen's entry.
Below, the crowd seethed like a cauldron nearing boil. Spectators who'd journeyed far to witness the talents of the new generation now exchanged disappointed glances, their anticipation crumbling into disillusionment.
What recourse did they have? None. All of it was futile.
The royal family stood above their wrath, above their indignation, above their principles of justice. And now all that pent-up fury, all that resentment and disappointment, came crashing down on one person—Xiao Chen.
He became the living embodiment of humiliation.
In the Lower World, where the very air hummed with spiritual energy and cultivation was as natural as breathing, reaching the eighth level of the Qi Transformation Stage (2) by age sixteen was considered respectable — if unremarkable.
But for this tournament, it was woefully inadequate. Not only was his cultivation base the weakest among all competitors, but a far graver shadow loomed.
A guest of unfathomable stature had arrived — an entity whose mere presence made even ancient patriarchs' souls quake.
The consequences could be apocalyptic. Should the royal family's antics provoke the enigmatic guest's displeasure, it would ignite a cataclysm capable of rewriting the world's destiny.
The Eastern Realm — prosperous and formidable — would teeter on annihilation. Ancient cities would crumble to ash, while millions faced the maw of oblivion.
Just as a man scarcely ponders the fate of an ant crushed beneath his heel, so too might this entity regard them.
Their suffering, their anguish, their desperate pleas for mercy — all would drown in the static of indifference, unworthy of even a fleeting glance.
While the stands below seethed with a storm of indignation, the upper hall of the martial temple existed in a realm apart. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the arena's chaos, yet here, serenity permeated every breath — an oasis where even time seemed to kneel in reverence.
At the chamber's heart, bathed in otherworldly luminescence, sat a youth who defied mortal aesthetics. His beauty transcended legend, as if the ancients' tales of immortals had taken flesh — perfection so absolute it stilled hearts mid-beat, stole breath from lungs.
To gaze upon him was to understand inadequacy. Every angle of his form whispered divine craftsmanship, each feature a masterstroke that rendered observers suddenly, painfully aware of their own crude mortality.
Violet eyes, aglow with inner luminosity, exuded aloofness. Their depths seemed to harbor such profound coldness that they appeared to gaze upon the essence of all existence.
Hair as black as night cascaded in gentle waves, framing a face without a single imperfection. His ethereal beauty was coupled with an aura of detachment and superiority. Every movement, every gesture was imbued with such grace and dignity that it невольно evoked awe at his presence. He seemed like a being from another world, far more exalted and perfect than the Lower World.
The majesty in his posture was so profound that none dared disturb his solitude. Even the air around him seemed imbued with an aura of supremacy. He was like a deity descended to earth, reminding mortals of their insignificance in the face of true power.
From the outside, it might have seemed that the events in the arena did not affect him at all. His face, as usual, maintained an impassive expression, and his posture betrayed habitual composure. No one would have noticed any trace of agitation or flicker of emotion in his eyes — that was his usual appearance.
But not this time.
Beneath the veneer of indifference, a tempest raged. Thoughts tangled, heart pounded faster than usual, and questions swarmed his mind, unanswered and unanswerable.
He was Xie Yan.
A young man whose life had always been shrouded in a veil of secrets and enigmas.
No one knew that Xie Yan harbored two souls. One was indifferent to all, ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of achieving a goal. The other remained in the shadows, locked deep within the recesses of his consciousness. It watched as its existence was erased under the weight of apathy, as if Xie Yan truly was nothing—an empty shell without past or future.
That was until now.
Xie Yan suddenly felt the indifferent soul that had long controlled his body vanish, dissolving without a trace. It was as if the heavy chains binding his soul had suddenly crumbled to dust. Now, he could fully control his body and actions.
[Ding! System binding successful!]
Xie Yan had just begun to adjust to his complete control over his body when he suddenly heard a mechanical voice in his head and saw a blue panel appear before his eyes.
- System, huh… - Xie Yan murmured, trying to comprehend what was happening. He was still under the impression of the sudden disappearance of the indifferent soul and the обретение of full control over his body, but now his attention was drawn to the mechanical voice and the blue panel.
[Congratulations, master, on activating the «Destiny System»]
[Given your personality and origins, the role of a villain in this world is predestined. The dark legacy of your lineage, compounded by inner contradictions, has made you the perfect candidate for this path.]
[Your sins from a past life bear the mark of curses. The Eye of Heavenly Dao now watches you. Its gaze is a verdict few can evade. Even the mightiest beings tremble before its wrath, for it can obliterate not just individual lives but entire worlds.]
[All this time, you believed the indifferent soul was a curse to be cast off. Yet the truth proved far more labyrinthine.]
[The indifference you despised was, in truth, a shield. This shield protected you from the scrutiny of the Heavenly Dao, concealing the true nature of your power. Apathy served as a veil behind which you could grow without drawing undue attention from higher forces.]
[Now, the Heavenly Dao has finally unraveled your disguise. Its all-seeing eye pierced through the cloak of indifference, laying bare your true essence. With your protection shattered, you stand defenseless before its wrath.]
[The paradox lies in this: what you hated most was, in fact, your safeguard. The indifference you deemed a curse was a blessing—a temporary refuge that allowed you to survive.]
[When the disguise was shattered, you must make a choice:]
— Embrace your true nature and confront the Heavenly Dao.
— Seek a new method of protection.
— Attempt to negotiate with the higher forces.
*****
Cultivation Stages:
Tempering of Body and Soul(1)
Qi Transformation(2)
Core Formation(3)
Elemental Fusion(4)
Enlightenment of the Dao(5)
*****
Sorrow's Embrace:
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