The Azure Cloud Mountain Range had long stood silent—an ancient guardian of peace, weathered by time but untouched by war. Its slopes were home to mystical beasts, rare herbs, and reclusive cultivators. And within its hidden folds, a small valley housed a storm that had just begun to stir.
Li Yi sat at the center of the cave beneath Azure Cloud Peak, eyes closed, breathing slow and deep. His body radiated a faint silver glow, the sign of four opened meridians, each pulsating with rhythm and power. Around him, the spiritual energy of the mountain had begun to shift. It flowed toward him unconsciously, as if drawn by some ancient command written into the world's laws.
Outside the cave, Elder Qingmu stood on a stone platform, frowning at the changing sky. Clouds gathered in unnatural formations, spiraling into a vortex of silver and violet mist. Birds had fled. Beasts had gone still. Even the air trembled.
"This can't be…" Qingmu muttered. "He's drawing Heaven and Earth Qi as if it were his birthright."
Behind him, the gentle spring that once gurgled softly now bubbled violently. Trees leaned inward, as though bowing to the boy within the cave.
Qingmu's expression grew grim. "If the sects feel this disturbance, someone will come. And they'll want him."
Hours Earlier
After opening his fourth meridian, Li Yi had returned to meditation. His body, though exhausted, thirsted for more. Every moment spent in stillness deepened his connection with the world. His mind was no longer a child's—it had matured through reincarnation, through years of solitude, and through quiet determination.
Suddenly, a memory stirred in his soul.
A battlefield.
A realm of endless stars.
Screams of beings too vast to be mortal.
And at the center… a woman clad in flowing robes of starlight, wielding a blade forged from crystallized laws. Her voice echoed in his mind: "My son… awaken when the blood sings."
His eyes snapped open.
The pendant around his neck pulsed, and a surge of divine energy leaked from it. Li Yi's body trembled. His veins lit up like silver threads, his blood boiling.
This… is not normal Qi, he thought. This is something else. Something deeper.
A loud crack sounded in his ears.
One by one, four more meridians opened in rapid succession, not through effort, but through instinct. His cultivation realm surged from Qi Refinement – Late Stage to Meridian Opening – Mid Stage, a jump that should have taken a prodigy months or even years.
His body ached, his muscles tore and healed, his bones cracked and reforged. But he remained still, enduring silently.
Outside, the spiritual storm reached its peak.
Atop the Mountain
Qingmu was no fool. As a former Foundation Establishment – Peak Stage cultivator, he had seen countless talents rise and fall. But this—this was unprecedented.
A boy not even twelve, breaking into Meridian Opening – Mid Stage within a single day?
And the way the energy obeyed him… it wasn't talent. It was destiny.
Then he sensed it.
A ripple in the air.
A cultivator approached.
He turned sharply toward the eastern cliff, eyes narrowing. A beam of golden light descended, revealing a tall, thin man with a jade crown and dark blue robes embroidered with clouds.
Qingmu's face paled. "Immortal Mist Sect…"
The man stepped forward, arms folded behind his back. His cultivation pressure was immense—Foundation Establishment – Late Stage, perhaps even approaching the Core Formation threshold.
"I am Elder Mu Lin of the Immortal Mist Sect," the newcomer said coldly. "A disturbance in Heaven and Earth Qi was sensed from our Thousand Mile Surveillance Mirror. Explain yourself."
Qingmu bowed lightly. "A student undergoing meridian awakening. His talent is rare, but I assure you—"
Mu Lin held up a hand. "Don't lie. I can feel the Qi here… it's not of this realm."
His gaze turned toward the cave.
Qingmu moved to block him. "He's not ready to be recruited."
Mu Lin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say I was recruiting him."
He stepped forward, but before he could move again, a pressure burst from the cave, stopping him in his tracks.
A figure slowly emerged—young, steady, eyes shining like obsidian. Li Yi had wrapped himself in a simple dark robe, his hair tied into a loose topknot.
His gaze met Mu Lin's without fear.
Qingmu shouted, "Li Yi, stay back!"
But the boy didn't flinch. His cultivation was now clear to all—Meridian Opening – Late Stage. A leap of three levels in a single day. Even Mu Lin's brows furrowed.
"This boy… is dangerous," Mu Lin whispered. "And valuable."
He stepped forward again. "Child, would you consider joining the Immortal Mist Sect? I will personally guide you. Our sect holds vast treasures, ancient techniques, and opportunities few can dream of."
Li Yi blinked slowly. "You came uninvited, threatened my master, and expect loyalty?"
Mu Lin's face darkened.
Qingmu winced. Bold… too bold.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The pendant around Li Yi's neck flared, and a voice echoed across the valley—a divine voice, not his own.
"He is not yours to command."
Mu Lin stumbled backward, eyes wide. "W-what was that?"
Li Yi himself looked stunned. The pendant slowly dimmed again, and the cave behind him cracked—walls split open, revealing a long-hidden chamber carved with celestial symbols.
Qingmu's jaw dropped. "That wasn't made by any mortal…"
Mu Lin clenched his fists. "This valley… it's not just sacred. It's protected by a Divine Bloodline."
Without another word, he turned and flew into the sky, his form vanishing over the horizon.
That Night
Inside the newly revealed chamber, Qingmu examined the runes with trembling hands.
"These are from the God Realm. I'm certain of it."
Li Yi touched one, and it pulsed under his fingers.
Suddenly, a wave of knowledge flooded his mind—a cultivation technique written in divine script, compatible only with bloodlines of ancient origin.
Primal Sky Scripture
A forbidden divine cultivation technique said to refine the soul and body simultaneously, merging spirit and essence. Once mastered, the user can walk through realms and defy causality.
Li Yi fell backward, overwhelmed. His nose bled. His consciousness drifted into darkness.
Qingmu caught him and carried him outside. "Rest, child. Whatever you've awakened… the heavens are watching now."
In the God Realm – Celestial Battlefield
Above the stars, far beyond the Upper Realm, thunder raged. Divine armies clashed with monstrous creatures of the Abyss. Wings of starlight, weapons forged from immortal laws, and spells that twisted galaxies filled the sky.
At the edge of this chaos, a woman in white stood alone, her robes tattered, her eyes red.
"He's awakening," she said.
Her father—the Grand Patriarch of the Starlight Clan—stood beside her, wielding a sword the size of a mountain.
"He must not rise too quickly," he warned. "The seal still holds, but if the Abyss senses his existence…"
She turned sharply. "Then I will burn the Abyss itself."
He sighed.
"My daughter… you chose love. Now you must accept fate. The day the path to the lower realm opens again, war will follow."
She looked toward the distant mortal worlds.
"And on that day," she whispered, "Li Yi will be ready."
End of Chapter 3