Aiden City — a great city in the Life Emperor's territory.
"A large amount of dark Essentia has been found in the Rifitlands. Whoever can suppress this Essentia will be granted great rewards from the Emperor!"
On the green stage of the central hall in Aiden City, a man in a blue robe made this announcement. The crowd was stunned.
"I should go there," someone murmured.
"No, that enormous Essentia has already taken many lives. Only cultivators at the Veins of Flow stage are allowed to join this mission," another replied.
"The day after tomorrow, cultivators at the Veins of Flow stage can join this mission!" the man in the blue robe shouted before vanishing in a swirl of blue mist.
"All of you are walking into the gates of death," a distant voice sneered.
Far from the central hall, an old man in a red robe, radiating a dense white aura, gave a cold laugh.
He led a group of mercenaries clad in purple robes with black symbols embroidered on them.
In the Rifitlands, the old man and his companions appeared aboard a massive battleship. Around them, many cultivators had gathered from the eastern region of Arka, which was primarily the Life Emperor's territory.
A purple-robed mercenary under the old demon stepped forward and said, "There is no one who can surpass your strength, Lord Kravon."
The old man replied, "This is the Life Emperor's territory. We must eliminate them here in the Rifitlands; otherwise, death will come for us."
Suddenly, the chaotic dark Essentia surged, claiming the lives of many cultivators within a thousand-foot radius. At the very center of this swirling darkness stood a boy, and on his right shoulder, a dragon-shaped tattoo began to appear.
There was no movement from the boy—no spiritual roots, no trace of life force. Everyone was stunned at the sight of this small and delicate figure standing in the middle of the chaos.
Kravon narrowed his eyes and extended his senses to check the child's life force, but he found nothing. His gaze hardened, and he muttered, "If this is presented to any Emperor of the Tred Clan, I can soar to the greatest heights."
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered cultivators.
"Who is that child?" one man whispered, his voice trembling.
"No life force… then how is he standing there?" another asked in disbelief.
"It's impossible! Even without spiritual roots, the dark Essentia should have devoured him instantly," said a young cultivator clutching his sword tightly.
"I've been in battles for decades," an old warrior muttered, "and I've never seen anything like this."
"What if he's a cursed vessel?" someone suggested nervously.
A few stepped back, fear flashing in their eyes, while others leaned forward, drawn by the mystery despite the danger.
A man in a blue robe appeared in a sudden burst of blue sparkles. Unexpectedly, he was the very same announcer from Aiden City.
"Everyone, remain calm!" he called out, his voice carrying over the chaos. "The master of Aiden Hall, Erdi, will arrive in two hours to help. Until then, keep quiet and hold your ground!"
The crowd stirred at his words.
"Erdi himself is coming?" someone exclaimed.
"If the Master of Aiden Hall is on his way, we might survive this," another said with relief.
Kravon's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing across them. "Today is a lucky day," he said coldly. "Not only do I encounter this strange child, but also the power of Aiden City. Let's see if they can truly hold their place."
A few of his mercenaries exchanged smirks, already eager for the confrontation.
The ripples within the chaotic Essentia grew denser, spreading like waves through the air. The pressure forced even seasoned cultivators to stumble back, their faces pale.
From the very heart of the storm, a figure stepped out.
It was a man with a long black beard, appearing to be around forty years old. His sharp eyes carried both wisdom and dominance, and his presence alone seemed to crush the chaos around him.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"That's… Master Erdi!"
"The Hall Master of Aiden himself came early?"
"He's already at the advanced later stage of Spirit Convergence… no wonder the Essentia trembles at his arrival!"
The blue-robed announcer bowed immediately, relief clear on his face. "Lord Erdi!"
Erdi's gaze swept across the battlefield, his eyes narrowing on Kravon and his mercenaries before settling on the boy standing motionless at the center of the chaos. The dragon tattoo on the child's shoulder faintly glowed beneath the swirling darkness.
The air grew tense—two powerful forces now stood face to face, with the mysterious boy caught between them.
Erdi's voice rang out like thunder, steady and commanding.
"There's no need for you to hide. Come out."
A ripple of energy surged, and from the shadows stepped Kravon, his red robe fluttering under the pressure of Essentia. A cold smile played on his lips as his aura spread like a suffocating mist.
"So, the news was true," Erdi muttered, his sharp eyes fixed on the old man. "The presence of Kravon himself… here in the Rifitlands."
The cultivators gasped in disbelief.
"Kravon… the one who even dares to defy the Life Emperor…"
"If he's here, then this chaos isn't a coincidence!"
Whispers spread like wildfire, but Kravon only sneered, his gaze locked on Erdi.
"You speak boldly, Erdi," Kravon said with a grim laugh. "But you don't have the right to utter such words in front of me."
The
air between them vibrated with tension, as if the Essentia itself feared the impending clash.