The wind howled through the cliffs of the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, carrying with it the crisp scent of pine, wet stone, and old secrets. The sun dipped low, casting long golden shadows across the jagged peaks like divine brushstrokes on an immortal canvas. In this hidden valley surrounded by unscalable cliffs, a lone cottage sat nestled between thick forests and a bubbling spring.
Here, far from the clamor of sects and cities, a boy with black hair and clear, starlit eyes knelt by the water's edge.
Li Yi had just turned eleven. His eyes, however, were far too ancient for his age. They held a quiet sadness that didn't belong to a child. He scooped a handful of cold water to his face and looked at his reflection—calm, sharp-featured, and maturing faster than he should have.
He didn't know his parents. He didn't even know what love felt like. What he did know was that Elder Qingmu, the one who raised him, never lied. And so when he was told, "Your parents will return for you," he held onto those words like a lifeline.
But six years had passed.
He was no longer the wide-eyed child who waited at the door every dusk. He now trained. He now fought. He now endured.
Inside the cottage, Elder Qingmu sat cross-legged on a woven mat, surrounded by herbal smoke. A worn-out jade scroll floated in front of him, flickering faintly with runes.
"You've stabilized at Qi Refinement – Late Stage," he said without turning. "It took me four years to reach that when I was your age. You did it in less than one."
Li Yi wiped his hands and sat before the old man, his voice quiet. "What's next?"
Qingmu opened his eyes. They were cloudy with age, yet sharp with wisdom. "Meridian Opening Realm. Once you open the twelve main meridians, your true journey begins. But…" He paused, examining Li Yi. "Your meridians are… different."
Li Yi tilted his head. "How so?"
Qingmu stood and placed a hand on Li Yi's back. Spiritual energy surged, and within seconds, the old man frowned.
"Your body doesn't reject or resist any energy," he muttered. "It absorbs everything. It's like… your bloodline is waiting for something."
Flashback – The Day of Departure
Six years ago, beneath a silver moon, Li Yi's mother—cloaked in divine light—held her baby close. Her aura was vast, transcending the heavens. She was at the Divine Manifestation Realm, her presence enough to silence beasts and bend trees.
Beside her, a young man with warm eyes and a sharp jaw—the famed genius of the Li family—stood silent. He was at the peak of the Xuan Realm, yet looked fragile next to her godlike presence.
The grandfather, robed in shimmering runes and carrying a divine scepter, spoke in a voice that shook the earth. "You may bring the father back. But not the child. If the clan knows this boy was born outside the Heaven Registry… even I cannot protect him."
The young woman wept silently. "He will grow strong. And we will return for him."
She pressed a jade pendant onto Li Yi's chest—a shard of divine crystal known only to the God Realm. Then, without another word, she turned and soared into the sky.
The heavens sealed behind her.
Back in the present, Li Yi gripped the same pendant. He didn't know what it was, only that it kept his body warm even in the deepest snow.
"Master," he said suddenly. "I want to break through. Show me how to open my meridians."
Qingmu stared at the boy, then nodded. "Tomorrow at dawn. Go rest. The body must be calm before it can evolve."
The Next Morning
Thunder cracked across the sky despite there being no clouds.
Inside a cavern beneath Azure Cloud Peak, Li Yi sat bare-chested in the lotus position. Elder Qingmu stood behind him, pressing his palm against Li Yi's back.
"Open the First Meridian—Foot Yin. Guide your Qi from the Dantian, through the left leg, up to your ankle…"
Li Yi's body trembled. Pain exploded through his limbs like molten lava. But he didn't scream.
"…then to your knee, and into your thigh. Push harder. If you don't break through the gate, you'll suffer internal collapse!"
Li Yi gritted his teeth. His veins bulged. His bones creaked. Then—CRACK!
A surge of warm energy burst from his leg. A faint silver glow traced up his skin like a constellation.
"First Meridian—Opened!" Qingmu barked, both surprised and thrilled. "Again! The next one—Hand Yang!"
Boom!
By dusk, Li Yi had opened four meridians. Elder Qingmu stared in disbelief.
"This speed is… monstrous," he whispered. "Even Heaven's Chosen would take months for this."
Li Yi's eyes were closed, his breath stable. The jade pendant around his neck glowed faintly, absorbing ambient Qi.
What neither of them knew was this—Li Yi's bloodline wasn't merely of the Li Family. It was Divine and Ancient, tracing back to a time before the God Realm itself. The pendant suppressed its awakening… but not forever.
That Night
In the sky above the mountain range, space rippled. A figure cloaked in divine armor stood still, watching the valley from thousands of miles away.
Her divine aura was masked, but a single tear slipped down her cheek.
"My son…"
Another figure—her father—appeared behind her. "You shouldn't be here."
She clenched her fists. "He's progressing too fast. If they discover his lineage—"
The elder looked solemn. "Then the Abyss will hunt him. The path must remain sealed."
With a flick of his sleeve, the sky rippled again, and they vanished into the divine veil.
Back at the Valley
Li Yi awoke from his cultivation trance. His body felt light, but his heart heavy.
"Master," he said softly, "when do you think I'll be strong enough to leave this valley?"
Qingmu turned to him, a rare smile on his face. "You'll know the day your name echoes across the realm. And that day is coming sooner than you think."
End of Chapter 2