A child cries out, his voice echoing through the empty town but there was no one to hear him, no one to help. As time continues, the weeping child's cries gradually softened until eventually, it stops.

Within the darkness, all which remained was the sound of a slowly beating heart. Every beat was like the tick of the clock, ticking away the remaining bits of the child’s life

Tick

Tick

It wouldn’t be long now.

Just then, everything shook and the ceiling collapsed. Moonlight beamed down, revealing a small boy buried within. He had scraggly jet black hair and his face was covered in dirt. The child looked up weakly and saw a woman of exuberant beauty. Her dark blue hair shimmered against the moon light and it even seemed her figure shone with a light unlike the boy had ever seen.

She looked down on him with tearful tenderness and cleared away the rest of the rubble with a wave of her hand. The boy continued to stare straight at the woman, unflinching and unaware of the rest of the people around him.

With most of the rubble cleared, her expression softened further seeing the state the boy was in. He was pale and malnourished with dull eyes. The hunger and physical pains had all but numbed him at this point and perhaps it was a good thing for he paid no heed to his mangled left arm which was barely holding on by strings of tissue and muscle.

The boy ambled towards the woman but could not move forward no matter what. He had already lost all feeling in his left arm. He turned his head when he suddenly stopped and felt her warm embrace.

“It’s okay, rest now, you’re safe now.” Her words gently caressed his ears as warm energy entered his body. His eyes turned heavy before he fully lost consciousness and fell to sleep.

Seeing him fall asleep in her arms, the woman reached towards his left hand. She tugged slightly but it was interlocked with another hand. Underneath the rubble was another body and though she didn’t dare look, she knew it was one which deeply cared for the boy.

Her hands gently lay over theirs and she said with a heavy tone, “Please rest, he’s safe now. I’ll take care of him from now on.”

She gently pulled the boy’s hands away from the icy hand and picked him up. As she stared down his sleeping face, a smile appeared on hers. As she walked past the crowd of disciples a man stood in her way.

The man had distinguished attire, vastly different from the uniform look of the others, and asked the woman with a frown: “Pascal, what are you planning to do with that boy?”

“I’m going to bring him back to the sect and raise him as my disciple,” she said in a gentle tone, trying not to wake up the boy.

"He's just a regular boy from the wilder regions. There are obvious signs that this town was destroyed by spirit beasts, yet they couldn't even defend themselves. This boy couldn't possibly possess any sort of qualification in terms of talent or ability to warrant being your disciple."

Pascal knitted her eyebrows and asked: "Then what are you suggesting I do?"

The man crossed his arms and said in a haughty tone: "Just bring him to one of the large cities and drop him off at an orphanage. That will already be a great favor to him.” He then looked at her solemnly and continued in a low voice, "Although you are an elder of the Thunderstorm sect, you should not tarnish the sect your father created by picking up any trash that happens to blow by your feet. What would your father think if he knew about this?"

A smirk traced along his face when he suddenly felt a hint of intent directed at him.

Pascal demeanor abruptly changed and with a fierce tone in her voice, she said: "What I do is none of your business. As an elder of the inner courts of the Thunderstorm sect, my decision is mine and mine alone. Whether the sect master approves of my decisions or not does not concern an outsider like you."

She walked past him as he stood in shock, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. In fact, it wasn't just him, the crowd of disciples who had been standing on the side lines were also stunned. The docile and quiet elder they knew actually had such a fiery temper!

As she was walking past him, she suddenly stopped and said: "When I return to the sect, I will inform the sect master of my decision to annul our marriage."

"You..." Her words caught him off guard before his eyes went dark and he asked lowly: “Do you understand what you are saying?”

"I do and I see now that our views simply do not align. Please do not see this as the sect going back on its words, only my own. If you wish to have recourse, I will give you a better explanation when we return to the sect." With that said, she continued until she walked past the disciples.. Without turning back, she waved her hand and a large scarf extended backwards with enough space to fit all of the disciples.

“We are returning to the sect!” she said in a low but powerful voice.

“Elder, what about the sect mission?” a disciple asked.

“Suspended until further notice! I will report it to the sect master when we return and you’ll all await further instructions.” She turned, showing she was no longer answering questions. The disciples all turned to one another for a moment before taking their seats on the scarf awkwardly.

As cultivators, they were confused. They all pursued their own cultivation and none of them would adopt an orphan boy with no prospects. No one would dispute the words spoken by the man and would likely have done exactly as he said. Of course, they all held their tongue in front of the elder.

With a single leap, Pascal took to the sky with the disciples in tow. Some of the disciples turned back to see the man following far behind, a sullen look seemed to drape over his face. Though none of them would say anything, many of the females felt heart broken for the man. He was handsome, from a powerful family, and had everything going for him. In the hearts of every young maiden, a powerful young hero took center stage as this gorgeous man seemed to fit that very description. They couldn't help but swoon over him and think this elder of theirs was out of her mind to reject such a man.

However, everyone failed to notice that under the sullen façade was a cackling lunatic.

~Ah, you’ve made it much more interesting. I’ll play for a little bit more but don’t make we wait too long my dear.

Back in front, Pascal continued flying over the sea of trees. The sun was setting slightly over the horizon and as she flew, she couldn’t help but turn her head one last time towards the desolate town. Ruin filled what was once a vibrant town atop a grand mountain. The dead lay cold among destruction.

Sadness escaped her icy demeanor and just as she was about to turn her head, she saw in the distance, motes of blue light dancing around. The lights danced beautifully around each other before abruptly disappearing.

“Though the town is no more, at least I could save this child.” She stared down to the sleeping boy in her arms and she let out a faint smile. Though she knew nothing of this boy, she already considered this boy as her own.

In the days to follow, the boy finally woke up but with no memories except his name, Relic. Besides his amnesia, he also barely spoke, scared of everything, and wouldn’t leave her side. He couldn’t be around others, for he would scream and run away. If you left him alone, he would huddle himself into a corner and shake. Only when one person, his master, was within sights would he relax before holding her tightly. With her around, he could do anything she asked.

Though she would get strange looks and whispers from the others in her sect, when she looked into his hazelnut eyes; her heart was calm and absolute.

“Relic, from now on, you are my one and only disciple, I will always be here for you so don’t be afraid, okay?” she smiled as she extended a hand.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“O-Okay… master…” he loosened his grip around her clothes and reached for her hand. Though his left arm was no more, he still had his right which gripped hers with absolute trust and reliance.

Together, they walked around the sect as she taught him about the wonders of cultivation.

Two years passed...

Within a secluded forest, a boy was facing a creature of his deepest nightmares. A black wolf beast stared viciously at him as drool dripped down from the side of its mouth.

His hand was shaky and clammy. All his senses telling him to run away, to get to safety, but he held on as he muttered to himself: “I can do this, I can do it for master.”

Following the chant, he steadied his breath and tighten his grip around his spear. He glared fiercely back at the wolf beast who could wait no longer. It dashed straight for him before leaping for an attacked with razor-sharp claws.

He quickly dodged with a roll and immediately ran towards the trees. The wolf beast followed and was right on his trail when the boy vanished. The wolf looked around in confusion as it saw the boy run past this tree only to suddenly vanish. It sniffed around the tree and caught the scent. It turned its head upwards, but it was already too late as the boy descended with his spear pointed downwards.

The boy yelled out and the spear penetrated through the wolf’s hide but could not penetrate past its muscle. Still, it was enough for the wolf to howl in pain and stagger back.

Seeing his chance, the boy charged towards the wolf and thrust his spear forward. However, in a sudden jerk motion, the wolf’s instincts kicked in and it tilted its head away from the spear. It sprang up and tackled the boy to the floor. It then snaped at the boy’s head, but he quickly held the spear in between the wolf’s jaws.

The boy tried desperately to hold the wolf off, but the wolf was simply too strong and with only a single arm, his strength was already fleeting. Though it seemed like he was on the losing end, the boy did not give up and summoned every ounce of strength he had to push the wolf away.

It seemed like neither would give up. As they struggled for dominance, the boy’s eyes met the wolf’s fierce glare. A memory, forgotten and repressed, emerged from the back of the boy’s mind and darkness enveloped his vision. His body trembled as ravenous growls echoed around him. The strength which once fueled him had now retreated, and the spear which separated the two fell.

The wolf didn’t hesitate to take advantage of its opponent’s sudden turn and snapped its jaws towards the boy’s neck. However, before it even realized, it found itself on the ground unable to move an inch more. There was no thought as its consciousness ceased the very next moment and the headless body collapsed to the ground.

A woman of dark blue hair looked down at her disciple who was trembling in the fetal position. She looked at him with tenderness and sighed as she placed a hand on his head.

“What am I going to do with you?”

As soon as her hand touched his head, his body suddenly stopped trembling. The boy gradually opened his eyes and when he saw his master, he rushed up and clung to her tightly.

A trace of unease crossed her face as she thought about pulling him away, but her hands instead laid on top of his head as she gave him gentle pats. Even after the two years of living together, though she took on a motherly role, she herself did not think of herself as one. She tried her best to teach her disciple, but this disciple differed from others and needed constant attention. Thus, she wasn’t sure whether she should comfort him or scold him in order to toughen him up.

Though she knew she should try to get him to be more independent, when she saw him like this, she couldn’t help but soften her heart.

The gentle pats were enough to calm the boy down, and he eventually let go of her to look up.

“Master… I failed again,” he said dejectedly.

She looked at him aloofly and responded, “No matter, we will continue training until you can face these wolf beasts by yourself. I don't know why but your fears are deeply entrenched with wolf beasts. Only when you overcome this obstacle will you be able to move forward.”

The young boy, Relic, nodded with understanding as he wiped away his tears. He then looked at her solemnly and asked, “Master, will I ever be strong like you?”

She gave it a brief thought before simply answering: “No.”

“Oh…” Despondent, his head lowered when her hand suddenly settled on his head.

He looked up to see his master smiling gently at him.

“You have below average talent, no unique traits, and an imperfect spirit vessel which make accumulating Qi virtually impossible. In this life, you are likely never to be able to become a good cultivator.”

His heart turned heavy and felt like it turned to stone as he heard those merciless words along with that seemingly innocent smile.

She chuckled slightly to herself before finally continuing: “But, master doesn’t need you to be the most talented or very strong. My only wish is for you to grow up healthy and happy. So long as you are by my side, trying your best, then that’s enough for me.”

Light returned to Relic’s eyes as new tears welled up in his eyes and snot dripped out.

“Master!” He buried his face into her clothes.

“HEY, HEY! DON’T RUB THAT INTO MY CLOTHES!” For being such a weak little boy, he sure had a firm grip for holding onto his master.

She finally pried him away and with that, he wiped away his tears.

“Master, I won’t give up. I’ll do better next time!”

“Mn, that’s good to hear. Besides, after two years, you still haven’t been able to call out a Remnant and enter the Flow State. Maybe the Remnant you resonate with may open up a fortuitous encounter.

“Do you really think so?” He asked with child like expectation.

“Who knows, the world is a miraculous place, and the Grand Flow is even more so. Anything is possible with the only limit being yourself.

She suddenly waved her hand and a long scarf extended out, meant for him to sit on. “let’s head back for now. We’ll be staying in the sect for the next couple of months so we can spend some time in the city before we return.”

"En!" He quickly got on and asked: "Can we get some candied haw?"

"Only if you finish all your vegetables and don't think about throwing it away again. Don't think I didn't notice you spitting out those sprouts last time and hiding it in that potted plant."

"Ehhhh, b-but it was so bitter!"

"Vegetables help young children grow. How can you only eat meat and rice? If I don't see you finish every piece, don't even think about getting any candy!"

Relic could only pout and gave off sad puppy eyes only to be ignored as Pascal took to the sky. The relationship of a master and disciple seemed nonexistent between these two. A master and their disciples had clear boundaries with the disciple treating their master with the utmost respect. Perhaps to others in the sect, it would be a strange scene but for these two, their relationship was something they wouldn't trade for anything.

Another two years quickly passed...

Swoosh

A clear chime could be heard as a metallic spear pierced through the air.

In the cold early morning, below a large mountain, a young boy was performing his daily regiment of a thousand spear thrusts. Every thrust released a crisp sound and though he had only a single arm, his posture was steady. Steam came off his body while sweat dripped to the ground. This was Relic and, in his mind, there was no thought, only movement guided by habit.

The spear thrusted once again.

As Relic continued, two male disciples were walking close by, chatting.

"Hey, did you hear?" one of them asked.

The other replied: "Hear what?"

"Third direct disciple of the grand elder, Malik, has crossed the foundation realm and entered the spirit realm."

"What?! Hasn't it only been a couple months since he stepped into the late stages of the foundational establishment realm? He is only 16 this year! How did he advance so fast?" The shock came abruptly but quickly cooled with a sigh: "Ahh, geniuses are completely different from common folks like us. I've been here for 6 years and I'm still only in the advanced stage of the foundational establishment realm."

"Ha, no need to feel bad, regular folk like us can only make do with the scraps that geniuses don't want. Even if we aren't geniuses, we are like gods within mortal towns and cities."

As his friend tried to console him, he noticed the young boy practicing with his spear. He nudged his friend and they both gave an approving nod.

They began to speak loudly: "You're right, even if fellow disciple Malik reached the spirit realm, it is because he has both talent and the resources to advance so quickly.

"Yea, being a direct disciple of an elder sure is great, you get access to as much of the sect resources as you want! Can you imagine being a direct disciple and not even reaching the foundation realm?"

"Ha, the foundation realm? At least that takes some talent. If I was a direct disciple and I couldn't even get past the Qi Condensation realm, I would just go kill myself!"

The two laughed loudly and in a mocking tone. There was no doubt at who these laughs were aimed at.

Even a deaf man would feel fingers pointed at his back. However, Relic pressed on, ignoring the scalding words of these two.

Seeing as their taunts were not working, one of them upped their antagonization and shouted: "That's a bit unfair to say. Even if I couldn't cultivate, at least I have a beautiful master to take care of me. I would listen to her every demand, lick her shoes, and wag my tail like a good dog. Such a good life and all I have to do is warm her be-"

"SHUT UP!"

Relic finally turned, seething in rage. It was one thing to talk about him but to hear such disrespect towards his master was something he could not stand!

The two disciples smiled as they prepared to toss him around for a bit. Around the sect, the disciple and master of this mountain was always the butt of all gossip and jokes. He was worthless trash yet was picked up by the beautiful elder. She had a unique status and was one of the weakest of the inner court elders yet, despite having an opportunity to pick which ever inner court disciple as a direct disciple, she picked a mortal who has no talent and could not cultivate. Their relationship also did not match what one would see between other elders and their disciples. Thus, nefarious rumors began circulating around the sect which have only grown worse as the years gone by.

Relic grasped his metal spear tightly and was prepared to charge at them when suddenly, his eyes shifted and he slumped his shoulders back down.

The two disciples looked at each other confused.

"Ha, you're just a dog that's all bark and no bite. Without the protection of the elder you can only shiver like a scared puppy."

"I just don't understand, I'm more handsome, talented, and better in everyway than trash like you, so why did elder Pascal choose you?" he shook his head as he clicked his tongue. "If she wanted a male plaything, I wouldn't mind acting like a dog. I guess what they say is true, the elder really likes them young."

"Oh, I like them young?"

"Yea-"

The disciple suddenly widened his eyes in shock and fear as realization overcame him. His head unconsciously began to turn as if to verify his fear but before he could see who it was, their bodies collapsed and their heads slammed to the ground.

Both disciples were completely immobilized by an overwhelming pressure, and a pair of slender legs walked into their vision.

"Master, you've returned!" Relic approached her and bowed.

"Mn, and here I was thinking it would be nice to rest after a long trip. Yet, I come back to hear two disciples not only disrespecting me behind their backs, but also antagonizing my disciple!"

The two disciples were lifted off the ground by an invisible force. Dark blue hair with an enchanting exterior, this was an elder many male disciples could only dream of. Even the vein popping from her head could not diminish her beauty, though at this point, the two disciples were much more afraid than enchanted with her beauty.

"E-E-E-Elder, w-we d-didn't mea-" the disciple that spoke could only stutter.

"Didn't mean to what? Why don’t you speak up? I would like to hear what else you have to say. What was that you were saying about me liking them young?"

The disciple was so scared he felt any word he spoke would deliver him to death's door.

The last time the other disciples dared to mess with her disciple, several were crippled, and a few others were bedridden with injuries. The disciples of the inner court were the future of the sect and had talent to match their egos. Their problem with Relic not only stemmed from him being a direct disciple while being completely talentless at cultivating; but also from the fact that he received resources from the sect that could be better distributed to others.

He had been a target of bullying since he first entered the sect and though Pascal did not interfere too much at first, the final straw snapped when one of them broke his legs.

On that day, many learned the wraith of messing with elder Pascal’s disciple.

They could almost remember the screams of terror as all the disciples who laid a hand on Relic were brutally beat into submission, the grounds stained with their blood. Even the direct disciple of another elder was involved and had his cultivation crippled. This spark intense enmity between elder Pascal and the other elder. The crippled disciple was later discarded by the elder like worthless trash

Even though they were aware of the elder’s wraith, the two were of the inner court and their ego brought them to trouble not unlike their predecessors. They knew elder Pascal had been away for the last couple of months and regretted they chose today of all days to taunt Relic.

They dug themselves in an inescapable hole and knowing her temperament, they were scared silly.

While Pascal was waiting for the frightened disciple's response, the other disciple quickly took out a wooden charm and broke it.

Pascal saw this and immediately furrowed her brow. She sent them flying towards the mountain where they slammed hard against its walls. She took out two glass beads flicked them towards their abdomen area which housed their spirit vessels.

The two disciples, could do nothing against this elder and could not even react fast enough.

As the two beads were about to hit, a sword appeared, shattering the beads into countless pieces.