Behind the mountain where the light could not reach. A small broken city was run by the shadiest people. Even though the ruined city was surrounded by the green lushes trees, the smell of death and blood could not be lifted. In a cage where they would keep the wild beast laid a quiet baby boy with black hair with a red stripe coming down. The hay as his bedding was covered in blood from birth, but no human was with him in there. Instead, watching the baby was red and gold color liger filled with killing intent. It was not directed toward the baby, but people behind the cage.

"Unconceivable! From a mere demonic grade, beast to give birth to that, and not a cub! Its bloodline must run very deep. We need to kill both of them now!" One of the elderly man dressed in black robe said anxiously. Hundreds of black clothed men flew out "Even though it is weakened from birth be careful. Cast long range magic at it. And find that red hair guy, the one who brought it here and bring him. He brought it here so he can take it out!!" Around twenty to thirty flashy spells was conjured. Many colors flew through the air like fireworks, exploding on the liger. A few retreated looking for the person the elder wanted.

Although the liger had recently given birth, it uses its body to protect its baby. It took some of the blow, but barely. Before the liger attacked, she dropped a golden saliva into the baby's mouth. It wiggled into the baby's throat and into its stomach as if it was alive. Next, as it stood guarding above its child, it emits a loud roar that collapsed the space around them. The already broken city was reduced to dust and all the men were reduced to bloody pulp. Even the ground beneath them crumbled. The one retreating could not have escaped such an intense attack. There was one barely that alive with three of his four limbs missing. "Goddammit, how could let something like that in here… That damn foreigner...Watkin set us up…" Oozing blood everywhere throughout his pores, he died a miserable death. The irked roar still has not stop like even after all that bloodshed. It keeps going like the sea under a storm. It could not stop until every ounce of its energy was gone. From the dust to the trees, the wind, and everything around was being flown left and right chaotically. The only place that was safe was around the liger calm as the eye of a hurricane. The baby cried loudly like he wanted his mother to stop but his voice won't reach her.

“RAaAaaaaaaAAAaaaAaaaWWwwwrrrrRRRR!” It could no longer stop even if it want to.

The gold and red furry liger kept it up until she was beginning to fall apart into the air. Its skin and fur were beginning to turn into dust, then her muscles, and finally her bone until there was nothing left. The area slowly calmed until the air stood still like a quiet morning. The only thing that could be heard was the baby boy shedding his tears loudly and alone.

In the sea not far away from the incident, a giant vessel floated slowly. A pair of burly Caucasian men watched as a small mountain turn into dust before their eyes. "Heavens, what was that? You think that cry was from a Mythril demonic beast?" One of them said with a deep voice.

“Could be. I never saw one, but I heard that can destroy a city easily that not even an army could stop them. We should report this to the captain…”

“I think he probably heard that roar...”

“Even so, let’s go.” The two men stepped towards their captain’s cabin to see him looking out of his window. He wore a leather collared shirt, with two belts around his waist with pouches. His brown boots covered up to his shin. “We came to report about the noise and the mountain, Captain Chuang Da.”

“I know.”

“Then what should we do?” They awaited the order that was coming.

“We head to the shore.” Chuang Da did not sense the wild energy from before like it completely vanished. He was perplexed on what to do, but he decided to take a risk if he got something to gain there. The other two hurriedly went to the deck and commanded all twenty-one people to be prepared to dock to shore.

When they arrived at the shore, Chuang Da was the first to head out, then followed by his crew. As the fearless Chuang Da being an iron grade warrior, it was safest for him to investigate first. His crew was comprised of normal soldiers along with a few bronze grade warrior. Only nine of the twenty-one left with him. One of the men was a bronze grade. And the rest was to stand guard.

The forest was like an amazon that was filled with wild beasts with no real threat to him. The rivers were filled with snakes and leeches that the crew would have to cross to reach their destination. Predator could be seen glaring on the tree, but it cause no trouble due to the number of the crew. Striving through the intense heat underneath the bright sun, they pushed through cutting the path before them with their swords. After a while, they were slowing down. Chuang Da slowed his pace to match their speed. By the time the sun was beginning to set, they saw a sign of an old city. Two damaged red pillars were barely standing and could fall over with the slightest touch.

“Investigate the area, and if you notice anything out of place report back to me.”

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"Yes, sir!" The nine men said in unison before they split. When Chuang Da entered this area, he felt lingering energy around. The deeper he went, he saw something that was out of a place that shocked him. It was a desert filled with dust that covered the beyond horizon. There were broken stones and woods buried in the sand. He hesitated for a bit before he decided to jump into the fog of dust. Whatever caused it was no longer here, or it was hiding its presence for whatever reason. Chuang Da carefully scurried through the sand until he luckily stumbled upon something out of place. A broken cage that was still standing above the green grass. The part of the top half of the steel bars was melted by unknown means to him. At the bottom of the cage, Chuang Da noticed something slightly moving underneath the sand. When he brushed it off, there was a naked sleeping baby covered in a thin membrane of external energy. As soon as he touched the gold light, it dissipated leaving the baby unprotected from the elements. Suddenly he heard the crying emitting from the baby. Chuang Da did not know what to do so he squatted down and poke his finger onto this the small palm. With a tight grasped, the baby stopped crying. This scene left Chuang Da with caring eyes as if his eyes were lifted from a lonely fog. From that point, he did not care how the baby got here. He would treasure him.

“I will take you somewhere else, Chuang Hao.” He named the baby before him.

***

Nine years have passed, in the small town of Sun. At an empty dojo stood one badly beaten boy, and a man holding a wooden sword in front of him.

“Do you want to continue? I suggest that you rest. Your body is still growing so it would be detrimental to continue.” The black hair man, Chuang Da, said to his weakly son who was trembling to hold his weapon.

“I can…continue…” Chuang Hao panted heavily as he announced his desire.

“I see.” Chuang Hao charged by kicking his dominated leg onto the wooden floor propelling him forward. His wooden sword pointed in front of his father chest preparing to pierce him. Chuang Da flicked his wrist that with his wooden sword in hand. It deflected the first blow, but the second attack from the boy came just as fast. Deflecting, attacking, deflecting, and attacking until Chuang Da saw an opening to attack. Smacking the boy hand with the wooden sword, Chuang Hao lost his grip causing it to fly into the distance.

Chuang Hao used all his strength from that last bout. From all the exhaustion, he collapsed onto the wooden floor as he heavily gasped for oxygen. “I can’t… win”

“You did something that no other child your age could do. If I wasn’t not careful, it would not end pretty for me. It won’t be long until your body reach bronze grade.”

Chuang Hao did not believe that one bit. He did not forget that his father was an iron grade warrior. One step higher than bronze. To consider a bronze rank their muscle were refined through strenuous physical effort. Only those who tempered their bone and flesh to an extent may only be considered a true iron grade warrior. But those who have reached iron grade must carry on their training or else the tremendous backlash as they age would catch up to them. Reaching the silver grade, a grade allowing to absorb qi was when one can glimpse at the mystical realm of magic. Therefore, instead of training the body, they would have to train their mind as well as their body. Many only know effort through physical activity, and as they grew older, they could not adapt. This was a barrier that not many could breakthrough. His father was still young at the age of thirty-two and was at the peak of Iron grade.

“Alright, let’s take a break. I need to do some of my training for today. How about you go play with Li Jiang?” He suggested.

"I don't like him much. He is kind of arrogant. And he bragged about his father all the time, comparing him to you. He is so annoying." Chuang Da was not surprised when he heard this. He knew that his cultivation was not up to par, but that was not his strongest point that made him valuable. It was his head that made him an asset. With this man order, he could turn the table around in what it seems like a hopeless battle during the war to a chance for victory. Even if his legs was crippled, he would be considered a greater value than most silver grade. And at times, he handled foreign affairs for the officials before. But that was all in the past. He was now retired from military duty and now he can focus on his cultivation. "How about I stay and watch you?" The young boy rebuked.

"Li Jiang is not so bad. He is similar to his father. Even I have to admit that I am no match in combat with his father. But if it the battle of wits, I won't lose. And I can't let you watch today. I need full concentration for this." He saw Chuang Mao dejected face when he said it and sighed. He didn't want to leave him like that. "Then how about this, when I am done, we go to the woods, and camp for the night or so, how about it?" He immediately nodded with a grin and ran out the dojo full of vigor. Chuang Da looking back at him, he kindly sighs. "I shouldn't spoil him like this, but once and awhile should be fine."