My consciousness returned slowly.
The first thing I felt was cold. Hard ground pressed against my back, and the smell of blood and iron still lingered thick in the air. I opened my eyes—and this time, the world did not disappear.
I could see.
I slowly sat up, my head heavy, as if something deep inside me had been drained. When my hand lifted reflexively, a strand of hair fell in front of my face.
White.
Not gray. Not silver. Pure white, like untouched snow. I reached up and touched my head, my fingers sinking into long hair.
The village around me was silent.
Corpses were scattered everywhere. Bodies that had been breathing just yesterday now lay stiff, eyes wide open and empty. The blood had dried, leaving dark stains on the ground and walls. There were no screams. No footsteps.
Only death.
Memories of yesterday crashed into me all at once.
The demonic tiger.The eye in the sky.The attack that came from my own hands.
My chest tightened.
"Father… Mother…"
I stood up and ran.
I searched every corner of the village, forcing my legs to move even though my body was still weak. I checked every corpse, one by one. Old, young, men, women.
None of them had white hair like mine.
My chest felt tight.
Then I realized something bitter—I didn't know my parents' faces.
For years, I had known them through voices. Through touch. Through warmth. But now, when I could finally see… I didn't know which of these bodies were them.
I collapsed to the ground.
"…I'm sorry."
The wind blew softly, carrying suffocating silence.
If this white hair was my uniqueness… then that meant I was alone.
After calming myself, I stood up again and looked at the destroyed village, then made a decision.
Because I didn't know which ones were my parents, I would bury everyone. Even though I didn't have good memories of most of them—after all, for seventeen years they had always looked down on me—my parents were different. They had cared for me with love for seventeen years. I couldn't leave them lying here without burial.
Perhaps this is the only thing I can give them in this life.
I searched for a shovel—or anything usable—and found one in a small shed near the fields. My hands trembled as I began digging. The soil was hard, mixed with rocks and roots, but I kept digging.
One grave.
Then another.
I moved the bodies carefully, laying them side by side. I didn't know their names. I didn't know their stories. But they were people who had once been part of my life.
Including the cultivator.
His body lay peacefully, a trace of resolve still on his face. I bowed respectfully before burying him.
I dug all day.
My hands blistered. My back ached. But I didn't stop until the sun was about to set.
When it was finally done, I stood before the simple graves and lowered my head.
"I don't know the right prayers," I said softly. "But… may you rest in peace."
Silence enveloped everything.
Then—
"Can you explain what happened here?"
My voice caught in my throat.
I turned around.
An old man stood several steps behind me, wearing a long dark-blue robe. His hair and beard were white, yet his face looked strong. His aura… was heavy. The air around him felt different.
An immortal.
Without thinking, I immediately knelt.
"Immortal Lord," I said nervously. For seventeen years in this world, I had often heard stories about beings like him—existences above ordinary humans.
"Last night, a demonic tiger attacked the village," I continued quickly. "It slaughtered everyone. I was too afraid to run… maybe that's why it spared me. Thanks to the help of an immortal, the tiger was finally killed. But… that immortal died in the battle."
I lowered my head even further and waited.
The immortal let out a heavy sigh and stroked his beard.
"Take me to that cultivator's grave."
I nodded, stood up, and led him there. He stopped in front of the grave and stared at it for a long time. Then, without warning—
He turned to me.
"You're aware?" he suddenly asked.
"What do you mean, sir?"
He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Your spiritual awareness… extends two meters."
I froze.
"That indicates cultivation talent," he said slowly. Then he sighed, sounding slightly regretful. "Unfortunately… you're already too old to start from the beginning."
He grabbed my hand.
A warm flow entered my body, making me shiver.
"Wind and lightning spiritual roots," he murmured. "Both strong."
I held my breath.
"But your life force…" his brows furrowed. "It's extremely weak. As if you've lost about twenty years of lifespan."
My heart pounded.
"Did something happen?"
The image of the eye in the sky flashed in my mind. But I shook my head.
"I… don't know, sir."
He stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to see through my confusion—or my lies.
Finally, he sighed softly.
"Perhaps this is the guidance of fate."
He looked at me again. "What is your name, young one?"
"Chu Haoyu."
The immortal nodded.
"Then, Chu Haoyu," he said as he turned around. "Come with me."
"Where to, sir?"
"To the Heavenly Sword Sect."
My heart trembled. I turned around one last time. Before me, the simple graves stood quietly, lined up without names. There lay the people who raised me, whose voices had accompanied me through the darkness, now resting forever.
I bowed deeply.
As a final farewell and gesture of respect.
"Father… Mother…" I whispered softly.
That voice suddenly echoed back in my memory—gentle, warm, and resolute.
"Haoyu," my mother's voice rang out, soft yet firm."If one day you feel this world is too cruel…""don't ask why you were created like this."
Her breath back then felt close to my ear.
"Ask just one thing," she continued."What are you still breathing for today?"
My chest tightened.
I remembered the nights when I asked, my voice trembling, whether my life would always be dark. She never answered with false promises.
She only said—
"As long as you're alive, Haoyu, there's still tomorrow.""And as long as there's tomorrow…""your life hasn't been wrong."
I clenched my fist.
They didn't raise me to be extraordinary.They raised me so I would stay alive, no matter what.
"Father… Mother…" my voice trembled, but the resolve within it hardened."I will live."
I straightened my body and turned toward the immortal.
He raised his hand, and a flying sword descended from the air. Its blade was slender, reflecting pale light, emitting pressure that made my breathing hitch slightly.
"Get on," he said simply.
I swallowed and carefully stepped onto the sword. The moment my feet landed, cold energy flowed up from my soles, stabilizing my body. The sword vibrated softly—then shot forward.
The wind roared.
The village shrank beneath me until it disappeared beyond the horizon. I gripped the edge of my robe tightly, my heart pounding with both fear and awe. The world spread wide beneath the sky—mountains rising like dragon backs, rivers gleaming like silver veins carving through the land.
This was the world I had only ever heard about.
The journey lasted a long time. We passed through clouds, ravines, and mountain peaks shrouded in spiritual mist. In the distance, I finally saw it.
The Heavenly Sword Sect.
Giant mountains formed a natural ring, and atop them stood magnificent buildings layered with jade stone and radiant metal. Giant swords were embedded in the ground and floating in the air, like pillars holding up the sky. The dense spiritual pressure made my chest feel tight.
The flying sword descended slowly and landed on a wide platform.
Several cultivators in white and blue robes glanced at us. Their gazes were brief and sharp, then calm once more.
The immortal stepped forward. "I bring a potential disciple."
I was taken to an examination hall. An elder sat at the center, his hair silver, his eyes sharp like an unsheathed sword.
"Place your hand on the testing stone," he ordered.
I obeyed.
The moment my palm touched the crystal stone, pale green light shimmered, followed by blue flashes crackling like small lightning. Wind swirled around the stone, making the elders' robes flutter slightly.
"Wind and lightning spiritual roots," the elder said. "Both clear and pure."
Several cultivators exchanged glances.
"Two-meter spiritual awareness," he continued. "For a mortal… that's impressive."
But his brows knit slightly. "His life force is indeed weak."
The immortal who brought me stepped forward. "He has lost much, but his talent is real."
A brief silence filled the hall.
Finally, the elder tapped his staff against the floor.
"The Heavenly Sword Sect accepts you."
My chest trembled.
"However, for now, you will be an outer disciple."
I immediately knelt. "Thank you, Elder. Thank you, Heavenly Sword Sect."
As I lowered my head, I slowly clenched my fist.
I knew this was only the beginning.
My first step in this world had finally begun.