Prologue:
I was a child born into a poor family. I have black hair, light brown eyes, and am decently handsome. I had 2 other siblings, 1 was my twin while the other was my younger sister. I was the older twin since I was born 10 minutes before my brother, Kyosuke, was. My younger brother had the same eye color and hair color as me, but looked different than me. My parents were average cultivators, and were only of the Initial 2nd level of Core Forming stage. There are 7 Qi refining realms in the world; they are Flesh Strengthening stage, Core Forming stage, Spirit Strengthening stage, Spirit Forming stage, Tattoo Forming stage, Dao Enlightenment stage and finally Immortal stage. Each realm has 10 levels in it, with 4 sub levels in it. The sub stages are Initial, Mid, late and finally peak. The martial techniques as unique as each technique uses its own property as cultivators don't have their own.
The Flesh Strengthening stage is the first stage where a cultivator uses qi to strengthen their bodies. The cultivator then compresses their qi into a ball which allows them to enter the Core Forming stage. In this stage they absorb more qi to strengthen it as well as gain more qi. Then the cultivator starts strengthening their spirit in the Spirit Strengthening stage. Afterwards, the cultivator use the strengthened spirit to condense a spirit version of themselves. The Spirit Forming stage is the stage where the cultivator strengthens the spirit person. When the spirit is strong enough, the cultivator starts forming tattoos on their spirit to get special abilities, affinities, etc. The tattoos formed, and the amount depend on the cultivation method you use. After that, the cultivator then seeks enlightenment into Dao and find their pathway. This stage is takes the longest, because you have to keep on searching for enlightenment into the Dao you first found enlightenment into. When the cultivator finally finishes comprehending the Dao, they experience the immortal tribulation. If the cultivator passes it, they becomes immortals, the highest peak for cultivation.
My parents weren't surprised when they found out that I had little over decent talent for cultivation, but they were overjoyed when they found out my twin brother, Kyosuke, was a once every 10000 years genius. My parents were obviously biased to him and spent most of the resources they earned on him, only giving me little. Both of us didn't start cultivating as we were to young, but the resources my brother and I got, helped strengthen our foundation. It didn't help that much as our family is poor and they can only get the worst medicine in small quantities. My brother was not arrogant like other talented geniuses, as our parents always taught him not to be arrogant or else it will bring the fall of him.
When I was 3, my younger sister was born. I was happy as I was getting a younger sibling, but my brother was even more happy as he is not the youngest and can take care of her. Her name was Shizune, and she was brown with auburn colored hair and blue eyes. My sister was also a genius, but not as much as Kyosuke; she was a genius seen once every 100 years. My parents were so happy that they could have fainted on the spot as they had another genius in their house.
My parents started working even harder which was tiring them out. They are adventurers which meant they had to do dangerous jobs to earn money. I didn't want to see them work themselves to death in a dangerous profession, so I told them not to give me and resources. I told them I will work for it. This is when my ambition to create a sect began as I knew I couldn't become strong like my brother, but I wanted to help others grow strong. They almost cried, but I told them it's okay. Since that day I went around the poor town looking for jobs. I went from farmer to house builder, but I finally settled to being a blacksmith. I relatively famous blacksmith settled in our town, so I asked him to be his apprentice. He replied no, and told me to look for another job. I begged him 2 weeks straight until he relented and told me he will test me first. If I pass, he will accept me as an apprentice. I immediately replied yes.
He taught me a simple blacksmith technique and told me to create a dagger for him. If the quality is high enough, I will pass. I burnt the metal into a dagger cast over a fire, before I started hammering and shaping the dagger. After I got the blade ready, I created the hilt. I then heated up the blade a little before sharpening the blade. When I finished, I tested out the blade but slashing at a wooden dummy, it cut through it like tofu. The wooden dummy was too thick so it couldn't go all the way through as the blade is too small.
Later, I showed the blade to the blacksmith, it shocked him. I thought I did bad so I tried begging him as I wouldn't give up so easily. He told me to stop and that I was talented. I instantly starting grinning ear to ear from happiness and excitement. He then told me I passed and that I should come tomorrow at dawn.
The world, Erigon, has 12 months. January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and finally December. Each month has 30 days. Each day has 24 hours.
3 years passed, and I became 6 years old. My sister Shizune became 3 and she is the angel of the house. Everyone takes care of her, but Kyosuke still gets the most of the resources for training. Blacksmiths have 4 realms, Mortal, Earth, Heaven and finally Divine. Each realm has 10 tiers in them. Since I was talented in the field, I reached 10th tier Mortal blacksmith. I couldn't reach Earth realm as It required pouring qi into your weapons when forging them. Weapons have the same tier as blacksmiths. Since I didn't start cultivating yet, I still couldn't create Earth realm weapons.
I earned 1 copper coin everyday from selling my weapons. The currency of the world was 100 stone coins equals 1 copper coin, 100 copper coin equals 1 bronze coin, 100 bronze coins equal 1 silver coin, 100 silver coins equals 1 gold, 100 gold equals 1 royal gold and lastly, 1000 royal gold equals 1 diamond. My weapons each usually sell for 1 copper, and I only make 1 a day. The rest of my day is for cultivating. I use most of this money for buying resources such as medicine and herbs to strengthen my foundation. I give 50% of my resources to Shizune as she only gets 25% of the resources from my parents while Kyosuke gets 75%.
Since I was saving some of my money I earned. I bought a pill called the 3 tier mortal Earth Tiger pill. This pill is good for taking before cultivating as it helps strengthen your foundations a lot. Pills and elixirs are created by alchemists who have the same realms as blacksmiths, as do their pills and elixirs. This pill cost 10 bronze, but it was worth it has made my foundation as sturdy as Kyosukes'.
After a month of my regular routine, a major day came. A nearby city was hosting a tournament where sects will choose disciples. Some officials of major sects in the imperial city came. The empire I live in is the Jodung Empire. My parents prepared and took me, Shizune and Kyosuke to the city. Us siblings were extremely close. I doted on Shizune more which resulted in her playing and spending her time with me more. This caused Kyosuke to be jealous. He eventually got used to it and doesn't mind it anymore.
We arrived and settled down, waiting for the tournament. The test had different portions, a fighting portion, talent portion and the other portion. The fighting portion is to check for contestants battle instinct, the talent portion is to check your talent in qi refining and the other portion is to test you talent in other fields like an alchemist or a blacksmith. I got around the mid level for the fighting portion, for the talent portion I was also in the middle but for the other portion I was in the upper portions. Kyosuke got top place in both the fighting portion and talent portion but he got last place in other portion as he only built up his foundation every day.
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My brother got into the imperial sect of Jodung while I joined into a secluded sect. The secluded sect was called the Sun Divination sect. It was a sect that trained cultivators mostly on being alchemists, than the runner up was being a blacksmith. Lastly, like all other sects, it trained cultivators. The cultivation technique of the sect was the Benevolent Sun art. It lets the cultivators to draw in the qi of the sun. I also got some 1st tier Earth grade martial techniques. Martial techniques are graded the same way as pills, weapons and elixirs.
I trained in alchemy as well as I had pretty decent talent in it. I trained in the sect for 3 years before I returned back home for my sisters big day. I reached 7th tier Earth blacksmith and 1st tier Earth alchemist, but I only reached mid 5th level Flesh Strengthening stage. When I returned home I saw my brother had reached late 1st level Core Forming stage. My parents were happy to see us both, so they had a feast to celebrate our return. My brother grew more lean, taller, and had a rugged handsome look while I looked a little bit leaner, 4 inches shorter than Kyosuke and I had a calm handsome look. As for my sister, she grew taller, more developed, mature and pretty. She clung to me like a leech to a person.
We headed towards the city after reminiscing. The results of Shizune examination were, she got first place in the fighting portion as she had the most battle instinct talent any of the people saw. She got in the upper levels in talent in qi cultivation portion and mid in the other portion. She took blacksmithing like I did, but wasn't as talented as me. She joined the Battle Maiden sect. This brought everyone a sense of relief as that is a sect where only girls can join. After staying at home for a while, all 3 of us went to our respective sects.
7 years later I had reached mid 5 level Core Forming stage, 10th tier blacksmith and alchemist. I couldn't break through the heaven bottle neck as I had insufficient qi. The major life changing event happened now as I am 16 and can participate at the tournament of sects. I went to the tournament to participate as an alchemist and blacksmith. Even though I wasn't heaven rank, I was still one of the highest ranked in the tournament. Both my sister and my brother participated in the tournament. I saw my sister first, who in turn came tackling into me. As I saw her cultivation I was shocked, she had reached peak 10th level of Core Forming stage. My brother gave me a bigger curve as I saw him beating up a fellow sect cultivator for insulting me. His cultivation had reached mid 3th level Spirit Strengthening.
We talked about our lives in our sects for a while before the competition started. The first test was the demonic beast hunting. Whoever killed the most or the strongest wins. I was searching for a demon beast I could take on when the guy Kyosuke beat up, attacked me. I moved a little so it didn't seriously injure me, but I fell off the cliff. I crashed into the water 1000 meters below and lost consciousness.
When I woke up, I found out I was in a weird room. I got up before a ghost talked to me. It had frightened me but I regained my calm after a while. The ghost told me about its life and how it was an existence above an immortal. It talked about how there are stages above immortal and how there is a totally different plane for the immortals and above. I asked if there are higher stages for alchemists, blacksmiths and martial techniques, and it gave the simple answer yes. It then told me I am its successor as I was the first to find its estate. That is when I got the items which changed my life; the 5 clawed Golden Dragon scale furnace, Phoenix feather Qulin Horn hammer, the Infinite Origin Flame cultivation technique, some martial techniques above the grade of Divine, pill & elixir formulas and blacksmith techniques. This made my dream of creating a sect to creating the strongest sect under the heavens.
I cultivated in the estate for another 13 years before I exited. I had reached the initial 1st level Tattoo Forming stage, 8th tier Heaven rank black smith, and 7th tier Heaven alchemist. My first tattoo was the Infinite Origin Flame Tattoo. It gave me unmatched potential in flames, controlling it and gave me the control over the strongest flame in existence, Infinite Origin Flame. I grew taller, muscular and more handsome. My hair reached past my shoulders while my eyes are still the same. After I left the estate I noticed the extreme changes in the world. It seemed my former sect, the Sun Divination sect got destroyed by the Imperial sect. It seems the scumbag that pushed me off the cliff made his friend to convince Kyosuke that a disciple of the sect killed me. It seems my brother had reached the Peak 5th level of Spirit Forming stage. He was known as the Monster of the battlefield and as the Undefeated while my sister who reached the initial 1st level of Spirit Forming stage was known as the Angel of Death and Cold-Blooded Princess. It seemed my sister turned cold to anyone but family and spent all her time training to get revenge on me.
The first thing I did was appease me anger of the destruction of my former sect by destroying the scumbag and his friend. I also eradicated both their families to not let scum live. After that I went to see my family. I went to my parents first who were first confused to who I am, but when they realized it was me, they fainted. When they woke up, they started crying for a long while. After a while they regained their composure and bombarded me with questions, though I didn't tell them the whole truth. They both urgently request both my brother and sister back. They both rushed back thinking something happened to our parents. I was even attacked as they both thought I was trying to hurt them, but when they heard who I was, they both stopped and stood in place. Dead silence as both of them just stared at me for more than 10 minutes. That's when it struck them, my sister was the first to react as she broke down and tackled me. She cried her eyes out as she called my an idiot repeatedly. I just stroke her hair and consoled her. My brother then finally reacted, tears streamed down his face as he told me welcome back. My brother look taller, more lean and more handsome than before, but that's it. My sister however, was taller, more mature, more beautiful and had a hour glass figure. When I look into her eyes however, they look cold as ice and brought me shivers. I told them both what happened and what rank I reached. They all were shocked beyond belief, but they were more happy. When I told them there are ranks higher than Immortal, it shocked them again. It fueled the desire for power in my brothers heart as he declared he will be the strongest. I then declared my dream to created the strongest sect ever, my sister supported my dream as she wanted to be the vice-patriarch of the sect. I agreed before giving both my brother and sister some cultivation techniques. They weren't as strong as the Infinite Origin Flames technique but they were still extremely good cultivation techniques. I also gave them some martial techniques.
Since I am of the initial 1st level Tattoo Forming stage, I can create a sect, although it will be a small sect. Dao enlightenment cultivators can make mid sects while immortals can make large sects. I named my sect the Heart's Flame sect and my sister joined.
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"Wake up brother, WAKE UP!" I woke up abruptly as Shizune punched my stomach.
"It's your first day as a sect's patriarch and your already late for your duties." she tells me.
I just reply "Yes, yes, Shizune. I get it. I will get on to my duties."
I smile as I remember my dream. Here starts my journey to having the greatest sect in history.
Author's note: Hoped you enjoyed the prologue. Leave comments, reviews, tips as I am open to discussion.