*Chapter 1: The Fall of the Rising Star*
The rain fell in cold, heavy sheets over the peaks of the Azure Cloud Mountains, soaking the stone steps that spiraled up the cliffs like a dragon's spine. Deep within the clouds, hidden by mist and protected by ancient formations, stood the Heaven's Gate Sect — the most powerful sect in the region, revered and feared by all.
But tonight, its hallowed halls echoed with betrayal.
Shen Li, once hailed as a prodigy of the inner sect, staggered through the sacred courtyard, blood trickling from a wound at his side. His robes were torn, his spiritual core cracked, and the dantian that had once burned with energy now lay cold and broken.
Behind him stood three figures — Senior Brother Jian Yu, the sect master's disciple; Elder Mo, a stoic enforcer of the sect's law; and Lin Xue, Shen Li's closest friend… and the one who had stabbed him in the back — literally.
"You shouldn't have reached for the Heavenbreaking Manual," Jian Yu said coldly, wiping blood from his sword. "You weren't meant to surpass us."
Shen Li spat blood, eyes blazing with defiance. "I was loyal to the sect. I trained harder than any of you!"
Elder Mo's voice was like ice. "And you uncovered truths not meant for your level. You should have obeyed."
Lin Xue stepped forward, her gaze conflicted. "I'm sorry, Shen Li… but you were never one of us."
With a single strike, they cast him into the Abyssal Ravine — a forbidden chasm said to devour all cultivation and life.
As he fell, the wind howled, and darkness consumed him.
But fate was not yet done.
***
Shen Li awoke in complete blackness, weightless and cold. He expected death, but instead, he felt... warmth. A soft pulse beat within his chest — not from his broken heart, but from something foreign.
A jade shard glowed faintly, embedded deep in his soul. Images flooded his mind — ancient beasts, forgotten cultivation techniques, star-forging rituals, and a name whispered like thunder across the void:
*"Heavenbreaker."*
His dantian — once destroyed — trembled and then ignited with primal force.
Reborn in the abyss with knowledge of an age long buried, Shen Li clenched his fists. "Heaven's Gate Sect… you cast me away. But I will return. Stronger. Ruthless. And I will tear down everything that stands between me and the truth."
Thus began the rise… of the forsaken.