In the depths of (Yúnwù Sēnlín) - Cloud Mist Forest, moonlight filters through ancient trees, casting a silvery glow. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and the faint, otherworldly fragrance of luminescent flowers. Soft hums of spiritual creatures and whispers of unseen spirits mingle with the rustling leaves and the distant calls of mystical beasts, creating a symphony of the supernatural. The gentle murmur of a nearby stream carries ancient secrets, infusing the atmosphere with a blend of serenity and enigmatic energy.

In the distance, a shadowy figure resembling a person moves swiftly through the dense, tangled forest. Each step is calculated, barely disturbing the earth beneath as they glide through the undergrowth, leaving only a whisper of wind in their wake.

As he ran, he suddenly leaped high into the air, reaching for a branch about 6 meters (19.6850 ft) above the ground. With agility, he grasped the branch and pulled himself up. The moment he settled on the branch, the moonlight bathed him in its glow.

He was a young boy, dressed in a black hanfu. His eyes were dark, matching the black hair that fell to his neck. His clothing was torn in several places—along the arms, legs, and most noticeably, a large gash across his chest. As the moonlight touched him, it illuminated the wounds visible through the tears in his clothing, particularly the one on his chest.

The boy stood on the tree branch, his left hand pressed against the trunk. In this position, he gazed up at the full moon while breathing softly. After a few moments of looking at the moon, he scanned his surroundings as if expecting someone to be following him. Once he was sure he was alone, he spoke softly.

"I need to..." He paused, interrupted by a yawn. "Rest, and I think it's already midnight, so I'm starting to feel sleepy," he added.

He decided to sleep on the branch where he stood, as its thickness was just right to support his body. Before lying down, he carefully plucked some leaves from the tree and gently pressed them against the wounds he had sustained in battle. Once all his wounds were covered, he tore the sleeves of his garment and the lower part of his robe, from the knees down. The fabric tore easily, as some parts were already ripped.

With the fabric pieces in hand, he wrapped them around his wounds, securing the leaves in place. After bandaging himself, he tied the remaining strips of cloth together, creating a makeshift rope. He then fastened one end around his waist and the other end to a tree branch, ensuring he wouldn't fall while he slept.

Once he was sure the makeshift ties were secure, he spoke softly to himself. "I never thought I'd use what I learned from a basic survival video on YouTube." After that, he adjusted himself to lie down on the tree branch. Given the limited space, he slept straight through the night.

The next morning, he awoke to something resting on his nose. As he opened his eyes, he found a single leaf had settled there. Gently, he rose from his makeshift bed and looked down to see if any monster beasts or threats were waiting below. Once he confirmed it was safe, he removed the fabric tied around his waist, leaped from his perch, and began his warm-up stretches on the ground.

Afterwards, he checked his wounds. When he removed the cloth and leaves, he saw that there was no more blood, but the injuries were still raw. He gathered new leaves from nearby plants and burned the old ones he had used as bandages. Once he had applied the fresh leaves and re-tied the cloth around his wounds, he set off, feeling a strong sense of hunger.

After searching for several minutes without finding anything edible, he sat down on a rock near a tree. As he settled in, he murmured to himself, “If she were still with me, she would...” Just as he was about to continue, he remembered the storage ring his sister had given him. Perhaps it contained something he could eat.

Suddenly, he looked at his right hand and noticed he was still wearing the storage ring. He focused on his position and channeled his qi into the ring. After successfully activating it, he checked the contents inside. He found several wooden swords (Jian swords), various fruits, some meat, leaves, flowers, roots, and some unusual fruits he suspected were medicinal. There was also a small brown notebook.

Once he confirmed that he had retrieved everything from the ring, he took out the fruits and ate them immediately. After finishing the fruits, he prepared to run. He infused qi into his legs to enhance his speed and began searching for a suitable area to train in.

After running for several hours, the boy noticed a large crater near a cliff to his left. He didn’t take the time to investigate it closely and continued running in the opposite direction. A few minutes later, he stopped by a tree to rest and eat some fruit, as hunger was setting in.

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While retrieving the fruit from his storage ring, he saw that the notebook had "Diary" written on its cover. Despite his curiosity, he decided not to open it and instead focused on eating and resting. Afterward, he resumed his run. As the hours passed, he noticed the surroundings beginning to darken, indicating that evening was approaching. He set up his makeshift camp for the night in the same manner as he had the previous evening.

At dawn, he prepared to set off again. After several more hours of running, he leaped onto a tree branch and climbed to the top. Once he reached the summit, he rested his left hand against the tree and took in the view of the surrounding area.

All he could see were towering trees. To his left, there was a lake, and in front of him, a mountain loomed in the distance. Observing this, he muttered, "There’s no flat area suitable for training." He paused briefly, then added, "If I can’t find one, I'll have to create one. Hmm.. that place might be perfect for that."

With this resolve, he quickly descended from the tree. Once on the ground, he made his way towards the lake he had noticed. As he approached, he discovered the lake nestled in a secluded valley. Its crystalline waters shimmered with an ethereal glow, perfectly still and reflecting the cerulean sky and the delicate, drifting clouds above. Ancient, towering trees encircled the lake, adding to the serene and isolated atmosphere.

When the boy saw the scene, he was awestruck. "I didn't expect it to offer such a calming atmosphere, even in the middle of the day. It's perfect that my training area is close to here," he remarked.

After choosing a spot near the lake for his training, he retrieved the wooden sword from his storage ring. Holding it in his right hand, he quickly condensed his sword qi around the wooden blade and then swept it downward through the towering trees three times.

Woshh, woshh, woshh...

After spending several minutes cutting down trees, the boy sat down to rest and eat beside one of the fallen trunks. While retrieving fruit from his storage ring, he noticed the notebook again. It seemed to call out to him, prompting him to open it and see what it contained. He hesitated, torn between his curiosity and his respect for his sister’s belongings.

Despite his inner conflict, his curiosity prevailed. He carefully pulled the notebook from his storage ring, gently brushed his right hand over the cover, and took a deep breath before opening it.

He carefully opened the book, which rested on his lap. As he read, he found it contained a detailed account of his sister’s life. The diary revealed the life she had after her parents died, including her efforts to care for the baby she had found and raised.

It described her tireless search for information about the baby's parents, whom she had encountered while selling medicinal plants to traders. She had even investigated the clan crest related to her brother, but unfortunately, she found no information in the library. Despite these challenges, she grew very close to the child she had taken in and eventually came to see the child as her own sibling.

As the boy read through the notebook, he discovered that his sister had been initially suspicious of his behavior, finding his actions and speech unusually mature for his age. However, over time, her doubts subsided as other mothers assured her that such behavior was normal for children.

Her suspicions were reignited, though, when she learned that her younger brother could play the flute skillfully, despite having never been taught. She had bought him the flute only two days earlier, and he was already producing beautiful music. Despite the explanations given, this seemed insufficient to her.

Because of this, she returned to Jin Yang Town to sell medicinal herbs, which was just a cover for her real purpose: to find out if the book she had purchased contained a guide to using the flute and its music. When she arrived and asked the seller, she discovered that the book was a love story.

This only heightened her suspicions that his sibling was hiding something from her. "I never imagined that playing the flute would make me suspicious," he thought to himself.

As he flipped to the last page of the notebook, he found a note written there: "I don’t know when you will tell me, Madara, about the secrets you’re keeping from me, but I will wait for that day."

As Madara read the note, he gently closed the notebook and returned it to his storage ring. He then gazed up at the clouds while eating the fruit. As he chewed, he muttered to himself, "So that's why you reacted that way when you saw me using the technique."

After finishing the fruit, he continued to look up at the sky. "If I had known all this would happen, I would have told you sooner. When Li Lu saw me testing the technique, I didn't hesitate to give her one the technique manual, knowing she would ask you about it. Sister Yun, I also know she won’t tell anyone else because I saw the sincerity in her eyes when she swore that day."

Madara took a deep breath while still staring at the sky.

"As for Li Lu, was it because I felt attachment to her or because of how I felt seeing her smile?" Madara pondered aloud. "Even if I blame myself, it's pointless now since everything has already happened. So, Li Lu, wherever you are, I hope you and your mother are well."

With these quiet reflections, he stood up and resumed cutting down trees. By evening, Madara had completed setting up his training ground. After eating and replacing the leaves on his wounds, he secured himself to one of the tree branches for the night. As he lay there, he murmured to himself, "I need to be extra cautious with my actions, especially when I awaken my bloodline."

The next morning, after eating more fruit and performing his warm-up exercises, Madara started training his basic sword technique on the training ground he had created.