Liu Xhikang was ready to depart. His father already knew that his son had a great destiny after seeing the way he behaved as a child. Liu held his sister, Mei close to himself, he loved her so much and now he would have to depart from her.

"Don't worry Mei. I'll be back before you know it." Liu said to his sister.

"Are you sure?" Mei asked with tears in her eyes. She knew what the journey entailed and she didn't want her beloved brother to partake on such a journey.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be back before you know." Liu said and saw that his sister was tying something on his hand. "What's this?" He asked.

"A charm. To protect you from the demons." His sister said and hugged him once more. He left her and hugged his father and mother. "I'll miss you. I'll miss all of you." He said with his eyes burning as he tried to hold the tears back.

He left them and walked to the boundaries of the village he looked back and saw them looking at him with tears in their eyes. He waved them goodbye and turned around and walked away.

Liu's journey was going to get him to pass through the Misty Mountains. It was a treacherous path as his grandfather had told him once before. It was filled with beasts that eat anything that cross their paths.

He walked a long way and caught sight of the Misty Mountains. They really lived up to their name, everywhere surrounded in mist and fog. He felt the energy that moved through the air near the mountains. His father had told him what it was before. Qi. The energy that the gods had blessed the humans with and now he had to learn to use it.

As he walked towards the mountains, he saw an old man coming from within. Liu wondered how the old man was able to get out of there alive.

"Where do you think you're going?" The old man asked squinting his eyes to see Liu properly.

"I'm going into the mountains." Liu replied, wondering why the old man asked and how the man was still alive.

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"The young ones of these days don't know what they're thinking." The old man said quietly but Liu was still able to hear what he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Liu asked his fear and anger evident in his voice.

"The dangers that exist in those mountains are too high for a child your age to comprehend." The old man said to Liu who had calmed down after hearing that. His grandfather had told him about the mountains before but he needed go pass through here to begin his treacherous journey.

"I know." Liu said to the old man who turned looked at him with surprised eyes.

"So you know. And you're still going ahead with this?" The old man asked, clearly perplexed at what Liu was saying to him.

"Yes. It's my journey and I have to complete it." Liu said to the old man.

"You don't know what lies ahead." The old man said with worry in his eyes. Liu wondered as to why the man was worried.

"I don't. But I'll find out eventually." Liu said to him.

"You'll be dead before you even know what hits you." The man said to Liu. He was clearly trying to convince him to abandon his journey.

"I'll find a way to surpass any adversary that comes my way. I know that it won't be easy but I'll get through it all." Liu said to him. He reminded the man of someone he had seen in the past.

"What's your name young one?" The old man asked him.

"Liu Xhikang." Liu replied emphatically. The old man saw a resemblance in the name as he had heard it a millennia before and now another one had risen. The old man smiled at him and then disappeared which shocked Liu to the core. His grandfather had told him about the spirits who always patrolled the way to the mountains and now he had seen one of them with his own eyes.

He walked towards the entrance into the mountains, he knew that if he walked in, he wouldn't be able to get out that easily. He had to carry on nonetheless and fulfill his destiny and defeat the gods.

He walked leisurely through the paths in the mountains and the saw something that seemed like a bear from afar. Liu walked towards the animal and saw that it was bigger than what a normal bear looked like. He was shocked at the size and concluded that it was this big because of the qi that flowed through the mountains. He looked around for a weapon and saw nothing that he could use to attack.

When he looked up the beast was standing in front of him on it's two hind feet. Liu was shocked at the size of it.

"What is your business here?" The beast spoke. It shocked Liu who had never heard and animal speak before in his life but then again this wasn't a normal animal to begin with.

"I ask for passage beyond the mountains." Liu replied to the beast.

"The guardian of the mountains is not satisfied with your answer." The beast said. Liu upon hearing it's words knew that it was prepared to attack him. The beast swiped at him with it's front paw but Liu was able to dodge and deliver a powerful kick that dropped it to the ground.

Liu was shocked at what happened. He had never fought before and yet he was able to deliver such a powerful blow that was enough to drop a beast that large.

"That was good. What's your name?" The beast asked Liu.

"Liu Xhikang." Liu replied confidently. He felt the qi surging through his body. He knew that something was off the moment he got into the mountains.

He attacked again and moved faster than a normal human could. He hit the beast with a punch but it was fast enough to block with it's forelimbs. It was hit with a powerful kick to the head just as it was setting itself for another attack. The force from the kick made the mountains tremble.

The beast got up and bowed before Liu who was shocked at it's gesture.

"You have been granted passage through the mountains. Your abilities far surpass my own." The beast said.

Liu bowed in front of the beast as well and said. "Thank you."