In the backwater state of Yan, on a quiet mountain a monkey resides. This monkey is the lord of this unnamed mountain, this monkey is at the half a step past the mortal, Houtian, realm, but lacks the resources to step into, Xantian realm starting immortal cultivation, not as though it knows any better. He spends His days eating and sleeping, content with the life it has.

It’s early summer and like every other day the monkey drives away other beasts with sticks and rocks in order to maintain it’s position as lord of this mountain. He does this to keep his home safe but something was weighing down on it’s heart. It feels like something will happen today.

As it patrols its territory a loud screech is heard, a flying hawk beast which is a rival lord from a neighboring mountain across from the valley has come to challenge the monkey’s rule, such a thing is not uncommon, though something is different this time. The hawk beast radiates a regal aura, something it hadn’t had before. The monkey’s instincts were screaming for it to flee, but it’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

The monkey didn’t know this, but the hawk had pushed past the Houtian stage and moved into the Xiantian realm and begun immortal cultivation. The hawk intent on expanding it’s territory hovers in the air 500m away from the monkey, radiating killing intent as they stare at eachother.

A few moments pass and the hawk swoops down, much faster than it had before, and stretches out its talons, much like the other times they have fought. The monkey has already thrown a rock but the hawk dodges to the side, the rock grazing it’s wing. The monkey brandishes a stick, roughly the size of the monkey itself and prepares to strike. There’s only 25m between the two and the hawk suddenly accelerates and the monkey swings breaking the stick across the hawk’s beak, but it only leaves a graze and the hawk slashes at the monkey’s chest leaving 3 gashes in it’s wake.

The monkey screeches in pain and the hawk returns to the air, glaring at the monkey, a final warning to leave the mountain if he wants to live. The monkey roars back, signaling the hawk to attack him once more. The hawk screeches into the air and dives once more. This time the monkey hides a small sharp twig in it’s hands. He waits for the hawk to get close again lets the come close and as the hawk’s razor sharp talons claws at his shoulder ripping a chunk out of it the monkey, he jams the twig into the hawk's eye, it squawks in pain as one if it’s eyes are blinded. While the hawk is dazed the monkey bolts off into a dense patch of foliage in order to escape the hawk.

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The hawk takes a few moments to collect itself and when it realises the monkey has escaped cries out in rage, once more taking to the sky in order to track down and kill the monkey.

The monkey has lost a lot of blood and is forced to abandon its mountain under the pursuit of the hawk beast. Fleeing as fast as it can through the valley towards the forest that lies nearby it’s dangerous but the hawk won’t be able to find it through the thick trees. The hawk is close in pursuit but backs off once it realises where the monkey is headed it cries in anger as it knows it can’t follow the monkey going into the forest as there are more than a few xiantian beasts that are very territorial so it decides to give up on the monkey, knowing it won’t last long in the forest.

The monkey keeps running not knowing if the hawk is still chasing it or not. He keeps running for half an hour before stopping because he has lost a lot of blood, beastial roars echo in the distance.

He spots a crevice in a quiet corner only just large enough for him to squeeze into, sensing danger all around the monkey decides to hide inside. Something tells him it’s his only chance to survive. The monkey stumbled into the crevice and falls a few feet. His consciousness begins to fade from the loss of blood and it only comes back after a few hours. The cave opens out into a large cavernous room with an altar at the end.

The monkey rises to its feet and slowly staggers over to the altar, strangely the altar is at just the right height for the monkey to see its contents, a singular stone roughly the size of a palm rests on the altar, it’s perfectly round and smooth. After a brief hesitation the monkey puts its hands onto the stone.

“It’s about time one of you found this place.” An ethereal voice drifts into the monkey’s ears.

Startled, the monkey looks up and a figure is floating above the altar, smiling down at him.